Well, I have to admit that this evening I thought that with the exception of the myriad turnovers, the Vikings were better than the Saints.  That being said, GO SAINTS GO!  Here's to an awesome Super Bowl.  I must admit that the Colts are a lot better than I thought they were.  They have a very good defense to complement an offense which will eventually break down anyone.  Let's hope the high-flying Saints can whomp 'em.

The Patriots have a lot to be proud of this season.  Finishing with an 11-5 record while starting a qb who hadn't played since high school and a severely injury-depleted defense is quite a feat.  It was only terrible luck that made us miss the playoffs.

This season reaffirmed a few things about our team and football in general:

1.) Belichick is the greatest coach of all times.  Hands down.  Not up for debate.

2.) Our talent scouts know better than anyone.  I was ready to throw Cassell (sp?  probably, but I'm a mathematician so shut up) under the bus with most of Patriots nation by week 3, but the staff's belief in him proved to be very much founded.  He was one of the top quarterbacks in the league this year.  I might have said THE top qb in the league if not for PM's late season resurgence.

3.) We are well-disciplined (probably a subset of number 1).  We set an NFL record for fewest penalties this season.  The one lowlight of this might have been Dave Thomas' personal foul at the end of the Colts game which I believe probably cost us that game (and susbequently one possible route to a playoff run).

4.)  There is no substitute for good defense.  We need only look as far as our SB teams and this year's Steelers, Giants, Titans and Panthers to see this.  A look at the games we lost would also demonstrate this quite clearly. 

5.) Play to win every game.  Intensity lags kill teams.  I think the Titans' 31-0 loss to the Colts the other day was the wrong way to enter the playoffs.  The Colts know that better than anyone.  It's a fine line between protecting starters and being flat in the playoffs.  Especially after a week one bye.

6.) Damn, football is fun to watch.

On that note, we yield to Boston winter sports and for the first time in my cognizant life, the Bruins are a legitimate cup contender!  Holy moly are they good.  I recommend everyone watch that team.  Hockey might be the greatest sport there is.  So fast, so brutal, so action-packed.  Also, go Celtics.

AND... YANKEES SUCK!

I think I tried to post this while I was at work and never actually did it.

While I do not pretend to be an expert on the level of Bill Belichick or any of the Patriots' personnel, I was curious if there had been any discussion about the Patriots possibly switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive set.  The reason why I am wondering this is because after the rule changes which occurred between the 2004 and 2005 seasons, the prospect of a defensive which depends on covering wide receivers has been looking increasingly grim.

The 4-3 defensive set appears to provide more consistent pass pressure which appears to be the key to success these days.  The Giants demonstrated this on Black Sunday.  Also, this year the Giants and the Titans have had tremendous success with the 4-3 because they can pressure quarterbacks.  It is true that the Steelers play a 3-4, but they always lose to teams with good vertical passing games.  Anyways, I am completely open to the fact that I may be missing factors (like mismatch on set and personnel, etc) that would make this idea less favorable, but I was curious if there was any discussion for it.  I think it's a good thing to talk about and something we might want to ask on WEEI.

Well, I just came across a certain article on nfl.com:

http://blogs.nfl.com/category/adam-schefter/

A summary of the article is that the Patriots were looking at some pretty good quarterbacks and suddenly they told them, "The situation has changed, thanks for coming, but goodbye."  Now, the Patriots' trademark has always been trickery.  They run offensive plays that fool the people watching it on tv.  Their defense reads zone cover and comes in with a safety blitz, etc.  They also display similar dry, tongue in cheek, very humorous media trickery to the point where I would swear that they were run by the Russian mafia at some points.  So the point is:

Who the Hell knows what they're up to now?  I am certain that Bellichick had a contingency plan for this since he's far too smart and cautious not to (and Brady was hurt already).  I wouldn't be surprised to see anything from Tom Brady trotting out on the field on Sunday to Brady trotting out on the field disguised as Cassel (or vice versa with a switch at halftime), to Dan Marino being announced as the new quarterback to the Patriots having randomly found and picked up some drunk Irish dude who was throwing beer cans 90 yards down Yawkee Way who just happens to be the greatest quarterback talent in the world.  Who knows... all I know is that I love the Patriots and with or without Brady, they're still murder. 

Go Patriots!

Well, it's official... the NFL network has just told us that Tom Brady is out for the season.  I wouldn't panic just yet though... we're still the Patriots.  We still have a boatload of awesome on that team.  A retooled defense and a quarterback with something to prove.  The Giants won with Eli Manning last year and as far as I could tell before they "caught lightning in a bottle", Eli was eligible for the special olympics.  So, we'll see how this plays out.

Alright, I am fortunate enough to be not starting work until September 22 so I will be here watching the Patriots press conference where they will be reporting on the condition of Brady's knee.  I will then immediately come here and do my best to transliterate the whole thing for PatsPulpit. 

On a more entertaining note, did anyone see Chicago's defense last night?  That is one mean team.  Peyton looked rusty and the Colts have apparently returned to not having a defense to speak of.

Well, it looks like the draft actually played into our hands pretty well.  I've just had a look at our schedule and I'm going to go ahead and give a conservative regular season win estimate of 14.  Just like last year, I don't see a single game that we shouldn't win.  I really wish the powers that be would allow us to play Indianapolis in Foxboro for once.  Anyways, no big deal.  My overall prediction for this season is:

Regular Season Record: 14-2 or 15-1

Overall Record: 17-2 or 18-1 AND Super Bowl Champions in both cases

reminded our offensive line that the drinking party is supposed to start after the game, not before it.  The Giants have an outstanding pass rush, but we're also supposed to have an awesome offensive line.  Well, I simply didn't see that in the Super Bowl.  Our O-line looked stoned.  I don't think Matt Light successfully blocked Osi Umenyiora on a single occasion.  It was also the first bad game I've seen Bellichick coach.  That being said, Brady still played pretty well considering he had under a second to throw it every time.  Those deep throws to Moss (which he shouldn't have attempted) fell short simply because he was hit as he was throwing pretty much every time.  Any other QB (including either Manning) in the situation would have thrown 4 picks.  Also, Michael Strahan should have been Super Bowl MVP, not anyone on the Giants' offense.  And if it were to be someone on the offense, then it should have been Tyree whose miracle catch essentially won them the game.

This is an article that the Onion put out making fun of all the teams and their attempts to beat New England.  It's pretty funny because I think they've captured the sentiments of the entire league since very early in the season.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/giants_we_almost_beat_the_patriots

will beat the Patriots.  If you don't believe me, just go to this page:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=AB86173A691A06407645CD4657092ACE?id=09000d5d806382db&te mplate=with-video&confirm=true

And realize with the foresight of doom that no team can possibly stop that.  Whether by Moss or the rest of the arsenal, the opposition will eventually crumble like a stale cookie.  Also, Tom Brady didn't play particularly well last week.  How uncharacteristic.  Expect him to be spot on this week.

You may find this video interesting.  This is called "The best of Rany Moss".  I had to marvel at his superhuman abilities.  At least once per game he does something that leaves me with my jaw firmly fixed to my sternum.  Something that you couldn't possibly imagine being possible... whether he does a jumping full extension one handed catch on a 60mph pass or he reaches around a defender whose going to intercept and manages to bounce the ball over the guy's head and catch it himself or gets held and tripped and still manages to land underneath a 60 yard pass.  The man is unbelievable.  Here it is:

http://www.nfl.com/videos;jsessionid=F7D44D6A0802B247B7146B259BFCB4A4?videoId=09000d5d805b04d4

During the first game of the season, there was a misplaced camera which was apparently filming some sort of signals coming from the New York Jets' sideline, a practice which had just recently become illegal in the NFL and which offers absolutely no competitive advantage.  The Jets' coach apparently felt that this had an effect on the outcome of the game and ratted out the Patriots for a practice that just about every team in the league enacts.  As a result, some of the blowhards around the country decided they were going to claim that this negated a number of the Patriots' incredible accomplishments.  The Patriots proceeded to go 12-0 after their first win, bringing them to 13-0 on the season and causing them to be hailed as possibly the greatest team ever to play the game.  Meanwhile the Jets have gone 3-10, winning just 2 of the ensuing 10 games.  

The Jets displayed a lack of foresight in 'exposing' "Spygate", knowing that they would have to play the Patriots again.  They did not, however, realize the depth of this mistake as it was not yet known among the foolish (read the Jets) that the Patriots are the greatest team of all times.  Well, the bill has come in and it's time to pay up.  Let Mangini and the biplanes prove to the world that "Spygate" was for real, or let the world shut their mouths for good.

Never wonder for whom the bell tolls, Mangini, it tolls for thee.

This is a very simple blueprint but many people can escape from it.  Unfortunately it has to do with whether or not you won the division or your division was unfortunate enough to draw against the AFC East for the season or God forbid you are in the AFC East.  Most of you have probably already guessed what I'm going to say.  So without further ado, my blueprint for losing to the Patriots:

Play a football game against the New England Patriots.  That should pretty much do it.  That should lose it for you.

Okay, we'll break this down here plain and simple.  The Patriots do not have flaws in the same manner as certain other teams.  The problem is that our defense has become complacent.  They play with zero-intensity in the first half or first three quarters.  I would appreciate it if that would change so that our offense can take the field and run it up to a blowout as was becoming our wont a few weeks ago.

Second, our receivers need to catch the passes that hit them in the hands.  There were two dropped touchdown passes tonight that absolutely should have been caught.  Watson's drop in the endzone on the first drive and the one Moss had in his hands in the endzone and didn't catch are particularly definitive examples.  I'm hoping it was just the 30 mph wind but even so, we're heading into crappy weather season, particularly at home so we need to adjust and remember that ere we were a deep passing, finesse team we were the most hard nose team in football and we still have the majority of that personnel.  Particularly on defense.

Lastly, if you want a recipe for beating the Patriots, I'll give it to you.  Shoot Tom Brady.  Otherwise, the defense will play just well enough to keep it close and he will ultimately destroy you in the end.  You will feel the excitement of victory fade to the despair of slow defeat as he inexorably marches down the field and scores the go ahead touchdown leaving you with no time and a big L.

I do not know the details of how or why he was shot save that it happened in his own home.  What an awful thing to happen...

I have been prohibited from typing a one line diary in the pulpit so I must produce 300 characters with not much else to say.  Check out nfl.com for details as I'm about to do.

I have never seen a team look more unbeatable than the 2007 New England Patriots and here's why:

Last night, the Patriots beat the Eagles 31-28 in a very close, edge-of-your-seat game.  (It should have been a 10 point game because the call on Moss in the endzone was complete dookie) Anyways, the real reason why I think they look almost unbeatable is because they did EVERYTHING wrong in last night's game.  They were in a 4 or 5 wide out set the entire first half without any mystery as to their play calling.  They dropped at least a half-dozen passes, committed stupid penalties, let the pass-rush in on Brady, miscued on defense virtually nonstop and YET they won.  They beat a team that was .500 that had clearly been geared to play this game.  If you can make every mistake conceivable AND be outcoached and still beat a .500 team, you're approaching unbeatable.

Last night's game was reminiscent of the old-school Patriots hang-on for the win games.  I wonder if Belichick and Maroney are in a pissing contest or what the deal is, but I would like to see our offense in slightly less predictable mode next game.  Also, our defense over the middle was horrendous and our lack of any type of pass rush whatsoever had me on the verge of tears.  I was seriously close to binge drinking.  Anyways, go Pats.

Hey guys,

a caveman impersonator named Thag the Brute writes a pretty entertaining column on 411mania.com.  If you skip over the part about him discussing some impending, sketchy transaction of his, you'll hit the football part which is pretty funny.  This is particularly true of the times where he discusses the Patriots and how good they are.  Here's the link:

http://www.411mania.com/sports/nfl/63266

First of all, congrats to the Revolution and the Celtics.  The Revs could win the MLS championship and the Boston Celtics have annihilated their first five opponents with extreme prejudice (a fact which has nearly caused me to break down and cry).  I have missed them a lot.

There are a few great matchups that I'm really excited for this weekend.  The Indianapolis Colts are playing the San Diego Chargers in San Diego.  Depended on which San Diego Chargers show up for the game, it could actually be good.  I wish they'd hail to some of their last year awesome and pummel the Colts so that they (the Ponies) have a big, ugly 2 in their L column.

The other big one this weekend is the Dallas Cowboys vs. the New York Giants.  I don't think this is the game of the century but it should be a strong indicator of which team will play (read 'be demolished in') the Super Bowl.

What do you guys think for the games?  Who will win?

Hey guys,

Below are a few articles from ESPN that you might find interesting as well as this week's power rankings.  I don't know whether you'll agree or disagrees with a good deal of what is said in the articles, but they're worth reading.  I know that I agree that New England is very likely to go 16-0 at this point.  I'd also like to point out that it's my job to think that as I'm a fan.  It's just important that the team, proper doesn't believe that before it happens.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=3094967
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3094881&sportCa t=nfl

So there they are.  I think there is also an additional article at the bottom of the page about how the Patriots and the Colts have built their teams.  I haven't read it.

This one is fairly interesting.  Last week this guy picked Washington to upset New England.  As we all know, that did not exactly happen.  Therefore, this article could be regarded as coming from a 'born-again' realist.  Most of his predictions seem pretty good.  Read it and tell me what you think.  He's also picked the Pats to go 16-0 after last week's game.  I love to see that in writing!

http://www.411mania.com/sports/nfl/62658

I think my selected quote from that article has to be:

"And the season will end at halftime of this game as the world realizes that no one can compete with this team."

Hey guys, here are two articles about the Patriots and Sunday's game that I think you might actually enjoy reading:

http://www.411mania.com/sports/nfl/62644/The-Office-11.02.07:-Week-9.htm
http://www.411mania.com/sports/nfl/62543/The-5-Step-Drop-11.01.07:-Regular-Season-Week-9.htm
http://www.411mania.com/sports/nfl/62544/4th-and-Long-11.01.07:-Preparing-For-The-Game-of-the-Year.h tm
http://www.411mania.com/sports/nfl/62634/Behind-the-Numbers-11.02.07:-The-Big-Game.htm

Also good news... everyone is picking New England to win.  That's a new feeling... not being the underdog.  Pretty hilarious when an undefeated Super Bowl champ is the underdog in their own house.  I suppose that's because some people still remember who last year's Super Bowl champs REALLY were if not for a nice two TD spot that the refs felt inclined to give Indy, but we won't go there.  

Alright guys, this is my first attempt at an in-depth analysis of a football match-up.  I hope it reads alright.

notes: LoS = Line of Scrimmage

The Indianapolis Colts usually run a form of defense called the Tampa-2 which is a modification of the cover-2 defense in which the cornerbacks cover the flats from the LoS to fifteen yards past the Los and the middle linebacker is responsible for the middle of the field from the LoS all the way down to the endzone.

A schematic diagram and explanation of the cover-2 and Tampa-2 can be found here:

http://www.footballtimes.org/Article.asp?ID=167

As one can plainly see, both the SS and the FS are in deep cover for the Tampa-2.  Also note that the Tampa-2 is a zone cover scheme.  Given the New England offense's ability to spread the ball out, we can expect a modification of this to occur.  In particular, a zone cover scheme against receivers like Stallworth and Moss is not going to work.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that in order to minimize the devastation caused by New England's prolific passing game, the Colts will likely run a hybridized Tampa-2/nickel formation in which they will likely use Morris, Jennings, Keiaho or Rushing as nickelbacks.  They have one of the best safeties in the league in Bob Sanders, so look for them to mark a cornerback on Moss and have Sanders always zoned to the side of the field Moss is on.

Nickel defense explanation and diagram:

http://football.about.com/cs/a/nickeldefense.htm

Continue reading this post »

I think we should hire a bagpiper for the playoffs or teach our fans the words to "Amazing Grace" so that we can sing it after a New England victory is a sure thing.  If we're to be hated as always, we might as well go all the way.

That being said, Miami makes me really nervous.  This team has a long history of giving my beloved Patriots a fit.  This seems to be true regardless of how good we are and how bad they are.  2004's late season loss to them is a prime example of one case in which we were an iron juggernaut and they apparently a small obstacle which turned out to be made of a highly oxidizing agent.  Anyways, that being said I'm really excited for the game.  Now, general relativity homework.

This is what greatness looks like.  The Dallas Cowboys are a very good team.  The New England Patriots are just excellent to the very fringe of incredulity.  48-27... oh my goodness.  They simply have too many weapons to stop.  You must have to double cover Randy Moss or he WILL catch the football and it WILL be for a great many yards.

Also, the coaching is beyond comprehension.  The offense and defense will switch gears without warning in a second.  They have the ability to score 14 points in 3 minutes or drive for 9 minutes and then score.  But score they will.  Every time.  I feel privileged to be watching this.

Terrell Owens has once again affirmed that he is the stupidest player in the NFL.  Noone yet has been idiotic enough to put their arrogant remarks towards the Patriots in writing.  It appears as though we will have to put T.O. on the long and illustrious list of idiots who have talked smack about the Patriots and then been utterly destroyed in the ensuing game.  Included on this list are Peyton Manning, Ladainian Tomlinson, Sean Merriman and many many more... in fact, I think T.O. is already on it from back when we beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl in 2004.  I guess we'll count that as a lesson not learned.