SB Nation User Blog: JohnHannahRules

#37 Rodney Harrison, Safety

JohnHannahRules — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:00:49 -0000

[Editor's Note] In light of Rodney Harrison's inevitable retirement announcement, I thought it fitting to re-post this story written by our very own JohnHannahRules after Rodney was injured. Enjoy.

For this fan, the defining image of Rodney Harrison will always be a scene from the aftermath of the 2003 AFC Championship. The Patriots had just defeated the Colts. Peyton Manning had been picked off 4 times, and Harrison had led off that string in dramatic fashion. After the Patriots took the opening lead, the Colts drove the length of the field. It was beginning to look like the game might be a shootout—not something you wanted to engage the Colts in that year. But on 3^rd and 5 from the Patriots' five, Rodney stepped in front of a Manning pass in the endzone to snuff the drive. Manning never found a rhythm after that, and as we all remember, the Pats went on to victory, 24-14. It was a monster game from the Patriots' defensive backfield, from Eugene Wilson’s crushing hits to Ty Law’s three interceptions.

In the confusion and clamor of the post-game field, NFL Films caught Belichick and Harrison in a celebratory hug. "Great game, great game," Belichick was saying. Rodney, eyes red and bathed in emotion, pulled back from his coach and said, "Thank you. Thank you."

Not, "Thank you for the compliments." Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for snatching me out of the trash and bringing me here: to New England, to the AFC Championship. Thank you for putting your defense in my hands. Thank you for turning me loose. Thank you for bringing me back to a place I never thought I’d see again, on the doorstep of NFL history.

For a brief second, the curtains Belichick keeps drawn parted very slightly, and a sliver of the man shone through. "Thank you," Rodney said. "You bet," Bill replied, and in the tone of his voice and the look on his face, you could see what makes men into coaches. In just two words, Belichick was saying: I chose you because I knew you were the vessel I needed. I always knew it was there and you proved me right. Don’t thank me. I’m thanking you. You are my soldier, you are my safety. Thank you.

Then the curtain snapped shut: "One more, now." The Super Bowl, of course.

And Rodney said, "Yes sir."

It has been noted: 35 years is old for a safety. Those of us beyond the gateway of youth know that, finally, the body is not as resilient as it once was. It is quicker to complain, slower to recover. We hear this from our older brothers, from our fathers, but we always laughed, never believing, until one day after a routine workout or a pick-up game of basketball, we woke up feeling bruised and battered. And then we slowly shook our heads, understanding: Youth is finally gone. For a man to be playing safety in the NFL at the age of 35, particularly the way Rodney plays the game, is proof of toughness. I doubt there’s a night between late July of one year and early July of the next where Rodney Harrison goes to sleep pain free.

On Monday night, Rodney was at work doing something with his body that few of us could have contemplated in our prime. Quickness is the capacity to change direction without losing speed. It is an ability that blooms early and fades. The cognoscenti see that while Rodney’s mind for football is perhaps sharper than ever, his body no longer responds with the whip and elasticity of even two years ago. On Monday night, making a cut back to his left against the full-speed momentum of his body, Rodney’s right quadriceps finally let go.

A devastating injury. It would sideline a 20 year-old for the season and even he might not be the same again. For a 35 year old, well, that’s probably the final chapter of a career. We all agree.

At the beginning of the season, when young Shawne Merriman seemed determined to play for the season on one knee ligament, I wrote this about loving a game:

They squeeze you for every ounce, push your psychology to the limit. You're desperate to make the team, prove yourself, live up to the expectations of the coaches, your teammates, your self. And when they threaten to take it away, to tell you, "Hey. Sundays are over for you," you do anything to keep it. You know how I know Rodney Harrison loves the game? Because Mr. Harrison, a good man, resorted to HGH to get himself back on the field. He was desperate and he was scared that they were going to take his Sundays away.

In retrospect, perhaps that will look like a tactical gambit in the face of advancing age. But the Sundays are very likely over now. Though I wouldn't put it past Harrison to try to take one more bite of the apple. His motor runs at full speed, in the weight room, at practice, on the field. It can't be easy to shut that down.

Two days ago, NFL.com’s Adam Schefter wrote that Harrison should garner Hall of Fame "consideration." My response was an emotional shot from the hip:

If he never plays again, Rodney Harrison is still a shoe-in for a bust in Canton. For almost a decade and a half, he embodied the strong safety position. While his will to take on runners and play ‘inside the box’ was reminiscent of Ronnie Lott or Steve Atwater, in his prime he was also an instinctive covering safety with a nose for the ball. Patrolling the defensive backfield with remorseless ferocity and tireless energy, he was an emotional leader of every defensive unit for which he played. In spite of a reputation tinged with a Dobleresque viciousness, Harrison was a very heady footballer. A "coach-on-the-field" type, Harrison anchored the Patriots defensive backfield under head coach Bill Belichick during a time when Patriots defensive schemes were widely regarded as the most varied and complex in the NFL. A fan favorite, deeply respected by his teammates and coaches, Rodney Harrison is one of the best players of his generation.

I got a little carried away, maybe, but that was Rodney’s true magic. Thinking about him as a player, playing with him as one of his teammates—even talking or writing about him as a fan or journalist—you tend to get a little more amped up. Not in an angry way, but in a swashbuckling, king-of-the-universe, baddest m-f on the field sort of way. Heath Evans:

"What he brings to practice, what he brings to this team on game day, and then you get into his years of leadership, years of playing this game – the loss is huge. He’s a player that I wish I could be more like him on the field. He’s someone that plays with his reckless abandon but still seems to find a way to be in control and make plays.

I can’t say enough good things about him."

He makes you feel bulletproof. Heck -- he made me feel bulletproof, whether I was in the third deck at Foxoboro or at home on my couch.

So. With that sort of injury to a man of a certain age, we may not see him again with a helmet on. Antwain Spann has been signed off the practice squad. Brandon Merriweather will get Rodney’s assignments. The sporting press is full of speculation on how New England will fill Rodney’s shoes. Will it be John Lynch? Will we sign Ty Law off the street for some veteran skills? What’s the next move? Nobody knows.

And I don’t much care, to be honest with you. The Game will grind on—that’s the only guarantee. On a radio interview a couple of weeks ago, Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher made an interesting remark. He said that when players come into the league, all they’re thinking about is making that first play, playing their first down in the NFL. But very few of them understand the truth: It’s their last play that’s very close. All they can do is hope to hold it off as long as possible.

With two Super Bowls wins, two Pro Bowl appearances, and, for the first time in NFL history, 30 interceptions and 30 sacks, Rodney Harrison held it off for 15 years. That’s five NFL lifetimes.

I suspect he’s gone from the field for good. And if he prays, I bet he’s praying for a man in a gray hooded sweatshirt to walk through the door and remind him: "One more, now." But I don’t think that’s going to happen. So I just want to say this:

Thank you, Rodney. Thank you.

I have to be honest, some of the things he thinks of are things that never even occurred to me," he...

JohnHannahRules — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:25:37 -0000

I have to be honest, some of the things he thinks of are things that never even occurred to me," he said. "At the meeting, he’s showing us tape of how the wind blows at the stadium. He was talking about punting on third down.

"All these scenarios he comes up with . . . some of them I write down so that when I coach I can appear smart to my players."

Heath Evans, in the Boston Herald

Through the Looking Glass: New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders

JohnHannahRules — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:47:06 -0000

When Al Davis walks into the "Black Hole" at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium on Sunday and looks across the field, he may receive a bit of a fright. There, reflected in the 21^st century New England Patriots, he'll see the ghost of a young Turk with pompadoured hair and a confident, almost cocky, air about him. The Patriots’ collection of last-chance veterans and untested rookies will seem a mirror image of the Raiders in Davis’ younger days. On the other side of the field, however, those Patriots with a grasp of football history will look down a long corridor of time and see only a funhouse reflection of themselves.

Davis was born in Brockton, Massachusetts in 1929. In 1963, at the age of 33, he was named the youngest general manager and head coach in pro football history. He led the Raiders to a record of 10-4 that season, and Davis was named coach of the year by a host of publications. The Oakland Chamber of Commerce named him “Young Man of the Year.”

What began with “Pride and Poise” quickly morphed into “Just Win, Baby,” as Davis discovered the value of veterans. As the 60’s became the 70’s, pro-football, ever the conservative society, was undergoing the cultural upheaval already endured by the rest of the country. “Troubled” and “difficult” players cast off by other organizations found in Davis a kindred spirit, if something of a contradiction: an anti-authoritarian autocrat. Al loved to wrangle with the league. He was Pete Rozelle’s personal nightmare, and later famously sued the NFL to move from Oakland to LA in a fit of pique over luxury boxes. He was single-minded in his drive to win, once saying, “It’s a tunnel vision, a tunnel life. I’m not really a part of society.”

The Raiders were a dominant AFL force throughout the 60’s and the 70’s, intimidating other teams and flinging the ball all over the field. In 1969, Davis promoted a young assistant coach named John Madden to the top slot. Madden was a great fit for the Raiders. The merry leader of a band of misfits, Madden didn’t care what the guys did off the field as long as they showed up to play – and win – when the time came. John “Tooz” Matuszak, Warren Wells, George Atkinson, “Kick ‘em in the head” Ted Hendricks – it seems like everyone on the team had a story. And I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention one of the most fearsome offensive line duos of all time: Gene Upshaw and Art Shell. (If you’re interested, Pat Toomey did a great series on the Raiders for ESPN’s Page 2, here.)

They are too many to list, a veritable who’s who of 60’s and 70’s football. The Raiders were the big older brother of the AFL. As commissioner, Davis had lead the way to the merger and then made it stick by fielding highly competitive, physical teams for more than a decade. He won three Super Bowls with his personnel philosophy, one with Madden at the helm and two with Tom Flores. The last was a signature Raider win in 1984, a dominant effort over the Redskins keyed by Rod Martin and Patriots cast-off Jim Plunkett.

But at some point, Al Davis stepped through the looking glass.

It’s hard to say precisely when it all came down, but the Raiders organization has been sick for a while. For poetry’s sake, you might pick 1992 as the date when things began to turn sour, when Al was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you’re feeling vindictive, you could choose the “Snow Bowl” (aka “Tuck Rule”) game. In reality, there was no specific point. Like old age, it has come on slowly, imperceptibly, but surely.

In the New England Patriots organization, however, Davis could be forgiven if he sees a ghost. As the Raiders have fallen, so have the Patriots risen. These AFL brothers have long been oddly intertwined: There’s Plunkett, of course. Sugar Bear Hamilton and the phantom “roughing the passer” call by Ben Drieth. The tragic Stingley-Tatum collision (followed by an emergency landing of the team charter in Oakland). The Tuck Rule. Just as the Raiders under Davis crafted champions out of cast-offs, so have the New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel, unwanted by the Steelers. Corey Dillon, a “cancer” in the Cincy locker-room. Heath Evans, released by the Dolphins. Rodney Harrison, too old. Randy Moss, too old and a cancer. Matt Cassel. Who? Like the Raiders’ cast of characters, the list is long and like Al Davis in his prime, Bob Kraft is a league heavyweight.

“Just Win Baby” has become “Do Your Job.” It’s not as flashy or as brazen a motto, perhaps. But it reflects a key difference: flexibility, adaptability. Your eyes aren’t fixed on a desperate prize, but at the here-and-now. What you have to do, today. And it isn’t as simple as “just win.” It’s a different kind of tunnel vision. Al Davis still believes in his model: spread out the defense, stretch the field, intimidate the opponent when he has the ball. In contrast, the Patriots are chameleons. The defense changes almost weekly; it has for nearly ten years now. The offense has gone from plodding and grinding, to dink-and-dunk, to a fireworks display, and back again. Schemes are adapted to personnel and to the opponent. The Raider Way is not the Patriot Way.

When the Patriots gaze across the field at the Raiders organization, they will see the AFL of the past. But will both teams be looking at the future? For the Patriots, it is to be hoped not. The calcification, the intransigence of Davis should serve as a warning – if it is needed – to Patriots management. Do not become too confident of your methods nor too sure of your plan. In the last decade, we have seen no danger of that. Indeed, this season has been a showcase of philosophical flexibility and personnel resourcefulness.

For the Raiders organization and all the faithful bozos in their shoulder pads and spikes and war paint, perhaps the Patriots will be an image of their future. Hopefully, for the league and for the fans of Oakland, the time is coming when the spirit of Al Davis will outlast the manager he has become, and the Raiders will mount a “Return to Dominance.”

Just not this week.

Patriots Punching Up: Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots

JohnHannahRules — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:18:36 -0000

Every year since 1985, the best schoolboy footballers from Ohio battle their counterparts from Pennsylvania in an all-star game: The Big 33. Known to some as the Gridiron Breadbasket, the mill towns and river valleys of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio are the fertile soil that gave rise to American football in all its current glory. The AFC North bears this proud tradition; three of its four teams represent the NFL's motherland. (The other, Baltimore, is a cutting from the Cleveland tree.) According to The Big 33, every Super Bowl has featured fighting sons of the breadbasket, including six in last year's epic contest.

Like the cities they represent, some of these AFC giants have fallen on hard times. Not so for Pittsburgh. Following their city's revival of the late 1980's, the Rooneys and head coach Bill Cowher likewise revived that storied franchise during the 90's. Now boasting five Lombardi trophies, the team Mr. Rooney bought for $2,500 has become one of the NFL's icons. While Pittsburgh itself -- "Hell with the lid off" to the Carnegies -- has formed a new high-tech identity from the rusty hulk of the industrial age, the Steelers have succeeded by returning to their roots: a hard-nosed ground game and defense, punctuated by an opportunistic air attack.

When Mike Tomlin brings his boys to Foxborough on Sunday, the game will likely come down to two unit-level battles: The Patriots' defensive backfield against the Steelers' pasing attack, and Blitzburgh's front 7 against New England's offfensive line. For our New England Patriots to come away with a win on Sunday, they will have to neutralize Roethlisberger, and protect Cassel.

Air Cover

Plagued by a shoulder injury for much of the season, Big Ben Roethlisberger has had an up-and-down year. Over the last few weeks, however, he seems to have leveled off. This is due in part to the growing capacity of his linemen; last week against Cincinnatti he was unsacked. Few quarterbacks have taken as many hits as Roethlisberger has this year -- 32 so far. He also rushed for a first down and a touchdown last week. While no one will mistake him for Steve Young, he's efficient when he runs. He stands tall in the pocket and won't be rattled by contact.

The Steelers have never featured their passing game, but I'm pegging it as key this week against the Pats for two reasons: First of all, I believe we have one of the best fronts in the league right now against a ground attack. Though currently ranked only 13th against the run, they have come on over the past few weeks, allowing the Fish only 62 yards.

The Steelers, by contrast, have the 23rd ranked rushing attack. So I think we're in decent shape there.

No, what worries me is not the run. In spite of his pedestrian 80.5 QB rating, I'm worried about Big Ben. Well, actually I'm worried about his receiving corps matched up against our coverage. Santonio Holmes is expected to be in game-form by Sunday. He was rocked by Crocker last week -- a performance we'd like to duplicate (without, of course, injury). And who can forget Hines Ward? Hines is a favorite of mine for his toughness, his attitude, his great hands and the same kind of field awareness for which I'm constantly lauding our own #33.

The Stillers suffered from the dropsies early last week, but it's a talented group and I wouldn't expect a repeat performance. Roethlisberger flashed some improvizational flair as well, creating outside the pocket and finding tight end Heath Miller and Faulkback Mewelde Moore in seams and on circles. These two will be critical contributors: Coverage in the flats and seams often falls into the lap of linebackers. Jerod Mayo is on his way to all-world status, but he isn't there yet. One of the few holes in his game is a tendency to get a little lost on pass coverage.

He isn't alone. Gaping holes in the defensive backfield are becoming de rigueur for the Patriots. Particularly on critical third-and-long, when there is a finite but large "underneath" to be covered, our safties have been either late or absent. As should be clear by now, the Deltha O'Neal Experiment is a failure. No doubt a wily vet, like Fernando Bryant and John Lynch before him it is clear that he is no longer quick enough. Ellis Hobbs III is a fine II, but not a 1. This unit will have to tighten up and find some cohesion if the Patriots hope to compete for a playoff spot.

Guarding the Cassel

Like the men crouched behind hastily mounted earthworks at the top of Breed's Hill in 1775, the quarterback of their namesake Patriots will be standing behind his own critical redoubt this Sunday. I noted above that Roethlisberger has been sacked 32 times this year. That's a lot, but our own Matty C, with a back-breaking 34, leads the league. Things are not going to get easier this week.

Pittsburgh will storm into town with the AFC's best defense. Number one in the NFL against the run. Number one in the NFL against the pass. Between them, linebackers LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison have dropped opposing QBs 22.5 times. Altogether, Blitzburgh has accounted for 37 sacks this year, good enough for first in the AFC. The men up front are going to have to keep Matty upright for the Patriots to compete. It will be their sternest test of the season.

We have some weapons for slowing the rush, and the keys to the armory are now completely in Cassel's hands. This offense has taken off the training wheels, and just in time. But time is what we need. Even Randy Moss needs a couple of seconds to get down field. In the meantime, I expect we'll be breaking out the screens and draws -- harking back to the Charlie Weiss days of misdirection and trickery. If we do, however, don't forget that the Steelers will start defensive player of the year candidate Troy Polamalu, a run-force specialist with across-the-field speed. In the end, it will come down to the offensive line to provide the time and open the holes.

As of now there has been no word on whether Matt Light will be suspended from this week's game. If he is, that's a blow no matter what Bill Belichick says to the press. It has been a busy year in the infirmary and the injury bug hit the line hard and early. The offensive line we finally have in place is a better-than-average group, slowly regaining their synchronicity as the starters are all finally on the field. But if Light is out, we're probably looking at one of the following two scenarios: Mark LeVoir fills in for Light, or Nick Kaczur slides over to left tackle and Wesley Britt comes in on the right. Neither option fills me with much confidence, not against the Woodleys, Farriors and Harrisons of the world. The absence of Light would present additional limitations, as our tight ends and backs will be more likely committed to pass blocking than route running, limiting our capacity to pressure the coverage.

Regardless of who plays, the five men on the field will have to show the same aggression and passion that they brought against the Dolphins last week. I'll take a couple of unnecessary roughness flags if it means Mankins and Neal have their backs up. And I'd just as soon not have to wait for Matty Ice to churn through a pile to get the fellas fired up. We'll have to come out hard and fast, and not wait for an invitation.

The waters of the Allegheny and Monongahela join in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio. The watersheds they represent are also the cradle of our sport, and are filled with a rabid fanbase that still has something to cheer about. "City of Bridges" or "Three River City" are so much nicer than "Hell with the lid off" or "Old Smokey." But "Hell with the lid off" is what the Steelers defense will bring into Foxboro on Sunday. With 10 days of rest.

But New England is beginning to find its legs. A play or two the other way plus a coin flip, and this team is 9-2. And they're starting to know that. If the Patriots play tight, disciplined defense and turn back the "Blitzburgh," they have a good chance to walk out of Sunday at 8-4, keep the pressure on the Jets, and stay in strong contention for the playoffs.

How about them apples?

Bonus Coverage: The Gridiron Breadbasket Connection (actives only)

From the Patriots: Nick Kaczur (U of Toledo), Dan Koppen (hometown Whitehall, PA), Matt Light (hometown Greenville, PA), Ray Ventrone (hometown Pittsburgh), Mike Vrabel (OSU, hometown Akron), Pierre Woods (hometown Cleveland), Mike Wright (Cincinnati).

From the Steelers: Andre Frazier (U of Cincinnati), James Harrison (Kent State, hometown Akron), Santonio Holmes (OSU), Sean McHugh (PSU), Ben Roethlisberger (Miami OH, hometown Lima OH), Gary Russell (hometown Colombus), Nate Washington (Tiffin U, hometown Toledo).

Best in the Decade

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:47:43 -0000

Michael Pittman. Tiki Barber. Marshall Faulk. Brian Westbrook. LaDianian Tomlinson. Kevin Faulk.

Kevin Faulk?

Yes. With 105 total yards from scrimmage on the day (and throw in a touchdown run), Mr. Faulk joins this august list of double-threat backs from the last decade. Today's output gives #33 over 2,000 rushing and 3,000 receiving yards in the decade, a feat equaled by the men on this list and only them.

It was a day of personal records. Gostkowski set a career record for touchbacks. Wes had the longest reception of his career, and extended his NFL-record streak of games with 6 or more receptions. Cassel had the Patriots' only back-to-back 400 yard games ever. Randy Moss had over 100 yards receiving, moving him into 2nd place for career 100 yard games behind only Jerry Rice.

Faulk's 2k/3k tally is a special indication of his all-around capacity, durability, reliability, and all-pro skill. The names on that list are a who's who of fright-backs: the opposing side holds its collective breath whenever these guys get the ball. We've said it all before, but it bears repeating: This man is a player's player, a pro from helmet to spikes. Congratulations, Kevin.

And keep 'em coming.

MaPatsFan spouts off on BetUS Radio

JohnHannahRules — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:30:39 -0000

MaPatsFan spouts off on BetUS Radio

Throwing down on Patriots to this point, and previewing Sunday's fishing expedition in Miami.

Marginal Success? For the Patriots, it makes all the difference

JohnHannahRules — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:07:44 -0000

You wouldn't pick him out of a crowd. At 5' 8" tall and tipping the scales at 202 pounds, there are punters and kickers bigger than he is. A ten year veteran, his wheels aren't what they once were, either. He has no breakaway speed. On the street -- heck, on the sideline -- he just isn't all that impressive.

But give him the ball? Hold on to your jockstrap if you don't want to lose it.

With both hands.

Kevin Faulk was the 46th overall pick in the New England Patriots' 1999 draft. It was a long way down. Faulk was coming off one of the most remarkable college careers the south has ever seen. A four year starter at LSU, he revived that moribund program in the middle 90's -- a homegrown talent from Carencro, just a few miles up the road from Lafayette. Faulk was the most sought-after Louisiana schoolboy recruit in a generation. Electing to stay close to home and don the gold and purple, he led the Tigers to three bowl games. In the storied history of the SEC, the only back to out-gain him was Herschel Walker.

On draft day, however, he fell to the second round. Too small, too slow over the open field, he was projected as a third down specialist (accurately, as it turns out). At the time, no one was going to waste a 1st round draft pick on a third round specialist. The Patriots scooped him up by trading two picks to Tennessee. The 1999 draft was one of the strongest in history. The first round featured Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper, Fernando Bryant, Damien Woody, John Tait, David Boston, Champ Bailey, Tory Holt, Ricky Williams and a guy y'all might know: Edgerrin James. In terms of production for the dollar, however, no one of those fellas can equal Kevin Faulk.

And he just might be the most "clutch" of the bunch.

Since 1999, he has started barely two seasons' worth of games for New England (32). But in that time he has amassed a litany of statistical achievements:

10,687 all-purpose yards.

An average of 3.9 yards per rush and 8.7 yards per pass caught: that's 6.3 yards from scrimmage every time he touches the ball.

He is now 6th all-time on the Patriots receiving list, with 343 receptions for 2,985 yards.

He has returned punts and kicks. He's even tossed a pass or two.

But the numbers really don't tell the story. The story is how he's managed to do all of this--including shouldering the bulk of the running game at various times in his career--in spite of the fact that he's too slow, too short, and too freakin' light. Two hundred pounds, fer chrissakes!

The answer? It's the little things. It has very little to do with his considerable talent, his native proprioception and balance. It has everything to do with being a relentless student of the game and having a natural knack for its rhythms and spaces. It's about concentration and preparedness and determination.

You fans of Indianapolis know this about Kevin. When there is a key play to be made, Faulk will very likely be the main attraction. As a fan, I've marveled at his awareness of the field. He always seems to know where the down marker is--even if he's between the hashmarks and between the tackles. Even in the confused scrum of a short-yardage situation, I've seen very few athletes who share his ability to know just how many inches more he needs--not to mention the capacity to somehow weasel them out of a seemingly broken play.

He has remarkable patience. His success on draws and screens are directly attributable to his willingness to wait, to hold his ground as giants charge in to crush him, and allow his own enormous escort to engage. He has field-vision, too, enabling him to make the most of that patience. Rarely does Faulk bounce things the wrong way. It's almost like he can see through his blockers, or sense where all 22 men are on the field. It is, in a word, uncanny. (It has also increased frustration among Pats fans with their marquee Maroney, who by comparison to Faulk seems to run blind-folded.)

On third down passes, he's rarely shy of the sticks. He's as likely to take a direct snap and zip between guard and center (a favorite 2-point play) as he is to check out to a circle route and snag a key pass out of the backfield. And lately, with Maroney out for the season and Jordan nursing a calf injury, he's also shown a willingness to pound the ball--yes, to pound it. He runs 20 pounds heavier than he weighs.

He's no dope, either. He graduated from LSU with a degree in kinesiology.

Did I mention he's our best pass-blocking back?

And, yes, he can catch. Very well, in fact, and has since he got here. But this'll tell you something about Mr. Faulk: he's still learning to get better. Here he is in an interview about his game-winning touchdown against the Rams last weekend:

"That's something I learned from Randy, not sticking your hands out early, letting the ball come to you," Faulk said of the pass from Matt Cassel that put the Patriots ahead for good with 3:13 left. "Right in the breadbasket."

...

"He is going to make catches where most people wouldn't even touch the ball," fullback Heath Evans said. "Nothing he ever does surprises me. ... You see him make catches and pick up linebackers that outweigh him by 50 pounds. There are so many aspects to his game; he is probably one of the best, a complete back."

Everybody's talking about it. Seems like that happens every couple of years around here. Lead back goes down and Faulk steps right in and we get a few weeks of stories about what a treasure he is. Then things go back to normal and we stop talking about the guy (or at least the media does). But he keeps on doing his thing. Whatever that is this week. Said Belichick, "Whatever he can do to help us win, he'd do. Mop the floors -- he'd mop them."

This is all beside a very important point, though. All those personnel guys back in '99 who thought Faulk was too slow and too small to be an every-down NFL back? They were right. If Kevin Faulk wasn't so sublimely good at all those little things, he'd be worse than average. But by excelling at catching, finding space, knowing the field, reading blocks, understanding coverages, picking up blitzers, being patient and cold-blooded, he has made himself a more permanent home in the NFL than any player could reasonably hope for.

He excels on the margins.

Which brings me to the overall thrust of this post: If the Patriots are going to be successful on Sunday -- and for the rest of the season -- then that is exactly what they must do as a team. What sets this franchise apart from much of the rest of the NFL, and, dare I say it, from the Colts, is that they are uniquely staffed to do just that.

It begins with a system. We all recognize that Brady, BB and Moss had that system humming at an extraordinary pitch last year. What might not be readily apparent is that it is in essence the very same system that coddled Brady through his toddling year when Bledsoe went down. He wobbled this system, pared down, all the way to the 'Bowl. Now I'm not saying that Cassel is Brady. I'm saying that Cassel doesn't need to be Brady in order for this thing to work. In the past two months, this team has lost one of the two best quarterbacks in the modern game, its starting running back, its backup running back(s), starting right tackle, starting right guard, 1st situational DT, and its all-league strong safety.

What is saving us, what is keeping us holding on by a thread, is a central principle I think this coaching staff lives by: the NFL pecking order is decided on the margins. There is a gnat's hair of difference in the modern NFL between 14-2 and 2-14. And the closer to the middle you get, the thinner that filament gets sliced. 9-7 and a wildcard birth, and 7-9 and home for the summer? A coinflip can't do it justice.

So the Patriots, as a team, are coached to pick up that difference whereever it can be found. Every team looks for hidden yards. With the Pats, that thinking is more than an obsession. It is the foundation of their organizational structure from the college scouts to Scott Pioli, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft. It's the only reason we aren't 2-5 right now, or worse. If we weren't doing the little things so well (no penalties last week, for example) we'd be worse than average right now.

Will it last? Shit, I don't know. It might not even make it through Sunday. But it's why we still have Kevin Faulk. As players get culled over the course of installing a new regime, it's guys like that who BB and SP looked for. Your iconic Patriots of the last 10 years have to be Troy Brown and Kevin Faulk. Oh, Brady's the man, don't get me wrong. And Bruschi and Harrison are the soul of that defense (and, yes, I know how much you guys hate Rodney). But in creating an organizational identity, Brown and Faulk stand out.

They are talented athletes. But the reason they stuck is that they excelled on the margins. Every little thing: they do (did) it better than the other guy. If you're looking for a secret behind the last 10 years of success in New England you don't have to look very far.

He may not stand out in a crowd. But Kevin Faulk is the essence of this team.

Corporate Sports Blogging?

JohnHannahRules — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:45:04 -0000

Yep. Right here in River City. Ladies and Gents, SBNation is now a going corporate concern. Welcome to the big time.

Former AOL executive vice president of consumer and publisher services Jim Bankoff has secured a "mid-seven-figure sum" of venture capital for SB Nation, a startup network of sports blogs. We already mentioned this briefly in an earlier post on competitor Bleacher Report raising $3.5 million, but it’s worth taking a closer look.

The round of funding was led by Accel Partners, the Silicon Valley private equity firm best known for its backing of Facebook, and joined by Allen & Co as well as a number of digital media executives and angel investors. SportsBusinessJournal got the scoop and features the complete list of investors.

OK, to be honest I have no idea whether there's an actual incorporation here--though I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least an LLC or something similar. Nevertheless, without the pun (ok, with it), we are pwned:

SB Nation (short for SportsBlogs Nation) operates with a network model, in which more than 150 local, team-based sites are linked together with a common visual template but remain written and programmed by local writers. Rather than strike affiliate relationships or simply represent sites for national ad sales, Bankoff has structured equity swaps for each of the sites in SB Nation in which the company acquires all the content, URLs and related assets, and the bloggers then share the ad revenue.

Now, about that revenue sharing...

Colts - Titans: Monday Night Matchup a Patriots scouting opportunity

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:04:38 -0000

In what I hope will soon be the conventional wisdom of the league (with credit to me, of course), this is the season where mediocrity has become the new parity.

OK, so I'm not the only one who's noticed.

As the Pats and the Colts come back to the rest of the AFC pack, it looks to this fan like the AFC title is truly up for grabs. On a good day, anyone on this side of the aisle can beat anyone else. Most of the time, no team really looks competent in winning, either. A lot of football played this year has been pretty disorganized, error-filled stuff. I really miss the artistry our guys put out last year--that was some beautiful ball, no matter how you felt about the laundry that was pulling it off.

To date, the Titans have been the lone exception. They're whole, and they're the only team who, so far, has been playing with any kind of consistency or conviction from week to week. The loss of Vince Young has been a clear case of addition by subtraction--as was the jettisoning of Pacman (as Dallas duly discovered). I don't usually see the Monday night game--it's past my bedtime and on cable (which requires me to visit a bar and at least nominally patronize it). But I will be making an effort tonight.

(more below the fold)

With Indy's returning starters, I think the Colts are better than they've shown. I'm looking for some of the old Peyton tonight. I'll also be looking to judge their cohesion: my favorite match-up of the year comes next week at Oilcan Stadium in the Hoosier state. Our roster is in tatters right now. I'll be watching two things tonight: How healthy is the Colts' receiving corps, and can the defense stop the run?

Some in the press have claimed that the Great (and he does deserve that moniker) Marvin Harrison has lost a step. Colts fans beg to differ (as you might expect). Nevertheless, while there have been flashes of Peyton's signature productivity, on the whole this has to be considered a down year for the Colts' normally high-flying offense. I have to believe that the return of Joseph Addai will help, as he is a true elite threat. The Titans have one of the best defenses in the league right now (at least by the numbers). Football Outsiders has Tennessee's D ranked second overall, after only Baltimore (a team, incidentally, which the Colts schooled). In contrast, the Colts' O has drifted back to 12th.

Our Defense is ranked 21st, so this isn't a great head-to-head comparison for us. But it will help us understand how much progress Indy is making toward becoming its old, healthy self that we love to hate.

On the Defensive side of the ball, even with the temporary absence of Bob Sanders, the Colts pass defense is a respectable #12. Against the run, however, they fall to 21st. Tennessee has the 5th-ranked running attack in the league (again, according to the statistical geeks at FO). In fact, Tennessee's offensive rankings (21 pass, 5 run) are very similar to those of the Patriots (23 pass, 7 run). It will be interesting to see how the Colts handle that attack. Not probative, mind you, but interesting.

With our win over the Rams still warming the heart, tonight is a good time to sit back and guage the competition. At 3-3, the Colts are, I think, underperforming. At 5-2, against a weaker schedule, you might say that we're outstripping expectations given our depleted roster. Next week will be a good test for us--and for Indy. Since we've both drifted back to the pack, who is getting on track and who is still foundering?

The Titans should be an excellent foil, as we prepare for our own visit to Indy's Oilcan Field.

Past Performance is No Guarantee of Future Performance

JohnHannahRules — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:07:00 -0000

Well no kidding.

The classic broker's warning (PP is NG of FP) works on two scales: We were great last year, but that's no guarantee of greatness today. On the other hand, our poor play so far is also no guarantee that we'll be poor all year. But it won't be easy.

I had no idea Duane Starks had changed his name. Deltha O'Neal does sound better.

tm from Cleary the Elder, 10:38pm, Sunday

More tasty goodness inside.

Since I've been saying that it would take six weeks for us to really get a handle on who this team is, now is probably a good time to break my silence and share my thoughts. And my main thought is this: 6-10 is not out of the question. Not without a significant up-tick in two areas, one of which is possible.

The possible: The Patriots defense finds itself. Color me unimpressed with our Dom Capers secondary. There are a lot of moving parts there, a couple of youngsters and a recent addition. But I don't think that entirely excuses their output. Even against the 49ers, receivers were running wide open. We were fortunate that they all seemed to have a case of the dropsies, or that game would have been different (even against their output that day--it would have been even worse). Deltha O'Neal must be sick to his stomach today--that's if the Chargers have given it back: they own every piece of him right now. As they say down south: Bless his heart, he's trying.

Do we miss Asante? Yep. Should we have paid him? Maybe--but I don't think this team would ever have matched the market price. Hobbs is now playing hurt, as is Meriweather. Nevertheless, things could improve as the young guys adapt to the system. Oh, one other point: Rodney Harrison is officially done. I love the guy, but I think he's done. Too slow now: father time has caught his legs. You can tell, because he's getting beat and his response is to complain to the refs. He's frustrated. I'm sorry, too. A great player.

Jarvis Green is now playing hurt. But the front third of the defense should be able to improve, right? I keep saying this to myself because what was once arguably the best defensive line in the league now has no pass rush. They're doing a better job of stifling the run (though they do get ripped from time to time), but there has been very little in the way of a pass rush. Of course, this works in tandem with the DB's, who can't seem to cover anyone. Past performance...

The D should get better. It's the other piece I'm more concerned about, and it's why the D must get better if we don't want to settle in to the winter with a 6 and 10 record.

I'll just start by noting that our starting right tackle is now Mark LeVoir. Who is Mark LeVoir? Mark LeVoir is in his second year out of Notre Dame. This is his third team in two years and his prior history looks like this: Undrafted FA with the Bears, waived, signed to practice squad, signed to roster, waived, signed to practice squad, poached by the Rams, waived on August 31 of 2008. That makes the right side of our once proud offensive line LeVoir and Yates. And no blocking tight end.

Thank goodness they're on the right: at least Cassel will be able to see who hits him. Seems like he can't see anything else--at least not and process the information to pull the trigger. Anything over 7 yards down field is a crapshoot right now. With time and experience, Cassel will certainly improve. He clearly has all the right tools and doesn't seem to get too rattled. But this team wasn't ready to train a new QB, particularly not with this o-line.

Jordan is hurt and Maroney, with his recurring shoulder injury, probably has 2 years left in his career and it's not going to be the stunning one we all hoped it would be. Expect to see some Kevin O'Connell before the season is over. My current feeling is that, with two key components in disarray (OL and DB), an underperforming D-line and a true newbie at QB, this team is treading water until 2009.

Why the long face, you ask? Well, after that shellacking by the Chargers (hey--you can say we competed, but how many first downs do you really need when you get big plays? If you score, you score. We should know: you don't need to drive if you can score from your own 20), I took a look at the schedule. Here are the teams I feel confident we can beat right now:

Rams, Seahawks, Raiders.

Right now, everyone else on tap is playing better football than the Patriots are. An honest assesment, sorry if it hurts. How's this for a turnaround? We are, right now, the worst team in the AFC east.

Right now.

The market is wacky. There is a small fistfull of teams playing solid football right now, and all but the Titans took a tumble this weekend. This year, parity means mediocrity. Heck, the mighty Giants got beat by the hapless Browns. I guess they have some hap after all.

Maybe we do too.