Monthly Archives: November 2015

NFL

Tom and Bill: Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes

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I’m not one to get into post-game fashion banter, but let’s start with Bill wearing the power suit. (Most likely from Men’s Warehouse unless Linda sent him down to Newbury for a custom fitting. My money is on the former.) We’re most likely to see the Bill whom uses the three finger hair brush. The one whom still has the red challenge flag hanging out of his tube sock. And the one whom does a mediocre job on cutting the hoodie sleeves with a pair of Fiskars taken from Ernie Adams toy box. Bill brought the suit and tie ‘A’ game in East Rutherford on Sunday, but it didn’t stop there. Again, BB used his Jedi mind tricks on the Giants, Tom Coughlin, and Elijah to completely mismanage the clock in a key moment in the game. This enabled TB12 to do what TB12 has done for the last thirty-eight years of his monumental existence. Would I be surprised to hear that Bill practiced the lateral drill in the special team’s portion of practice after the Miami/Duke debacle a few weeks back? Of course not. He out prepares you. He out thinks you. Somehow, Belichick uses some hallucinogen on every other head coach in the league when it gets down to crunch time. And the effects aren’t short lived. Take a gander into the standings of the last three teams the Patriots emasculated in the playoffs. The Ravens are at the bottom of the barrel in the AFC. The Colts have a quarterback whom is most likely gone until Christmas. Not to mention, I teach boot camp classes at Latitude in Bradford and Methuen to a group of women who could handle the Colts. And, the Seahawks already have more losses this season than the Patriots have in the last three. God is good.

"Bill, why on earth did you take the wind in the Denver game, and play straight goalline against Seattle in the Super Bowl?
“Bill, why on earth did you take the wind in the Denver game, and play straight goalline against Seattle in the Super Bowl?

Speaking of his Holiness, now we turn to our hero. Usually you see some killer suit, tie, and pocket square combo that just makes your head spin. Not even close on Sunday. Not even by a little bit. Tommy completely flipped the postgame presser game on its head coming out in a solid white button down. Did he leave two buttons undone on purpose? Most likely. Such a power move coming from him too. He comes into Giants stadium, against a team whom has given him trouble in recent years, and decides NO DRESS CODE. 4X Super Bowl champions can do things like that, especially ones that are married to Victoria Secret models. Maybe the buttons being undone were a tribute to Jules. It is no secret JE11 and him are tight. Edelman secretly wants to be TB12, and that is OK. Any normal living New England born male is kidding themselves if they don’t feel the same way. Would you take five years off your life to be Tommy for one day? I’d take ten. If it is the difference between of living 92 or 82 years. Sign me up. No questions asked.

"No Dress Code" - TB12
“No Dress Code” – TB12

Sometimes these games feel like they take years off your life. The fact this was a late afternoon game had me so jacked up, sleeping was going to be questionable move. Could you imagine if this were a Sunday night game? Forget it, I’d be awake until Wednesday watching Charlie Moore Outdoors. As much as I want to strip the manhood from every team we face, I want them battle tested for when the games get tighter. You need games like this, on the road, where difficult situations are thrown in front of you constantly. Your best receiver goes down? No worries, Bill cloned another one in Amendola. The linebackers are having a tough time in coverage on the swing pass and drag routes? Oh, just bring Patrick Chung up closer to the line whom you basically stole back from the Eagles to keep them honest. The whole plan and modus operandi of this team is genius. They take what you do best away from you, and then make you rethink what you think you are good at. Essentially a combination of all of this led to putting Coughlin in a coffin (credit to Lauren Cataldo). He is dead, there is no coming back from this. Thoughts and prayers out to the Coughlin family.

The absolute gem and final takeaway of this game is the Commissioner was in attendance. Yes, that lying scumbag was there to witness Bill and Brady rip the hearts of out 70,000 people in their own house. Roger may just be a good luck charm for Brady. He ripped the pants off the Colts in the AFC Championship game. He then proceeded to win his fourth Super Bowl title and third MVP. And most recently threw the Giants in a locker after he took their lunch money late in the fourth quarter. Thanks Goodell. You made us do all of this. Remember that. To top it all off, Brady turned down Michelle Wolfson for the millionth time this year then plays the ‘No Dress Code’ card in the presser. Bill gives a wave to someone up in the stands (we still don’t know who it is to this day, my money is on Ernie Adams) and does a reverse Clark Kent and goes into the power suit for the postgame. The Patriots are 9-0, but that doesn’t get you anything in this league. Unless you’re the Colts, that gets you a 9-7 banner.

Family Goals
Family Goals

One more side note, if you feel the need to get jacked up and run through a wall pregame next week against the Bills when ESPN is in town, give this a listen from my barber. Completely kills it and rips the NFL’s face off.

Patriots – Hate Us Now Anthem

New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL

New England Patriots: A Giant Mismatch? Not Quite.

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New England Patriot fans worldwide were worried that the 8-0 season was about to show a “1” in the loss column. After all, these were the NY Giants that ripped the heart out of fans in two Super Bowls as Eli Manning outperformed Tom Brady…they were kryptonite to Superman. Hell, the ‘Gints were the only team in the NFL the Patriots hadn’t beat since 2008!

With the game played in MetLife Stadium, the Patriots offensive line still in shuffle stage and Jason Pierre-Paul confident he’d get to Brady to disrupt New England’s high-powered offense, an upset looked to be a given. Add in Odell Beckhams: ‘I’ve loved-hated the Patriots’ statement and you had the perfect setting for fans of the NY Giants…and then they started the game! It lived up to all the hype, as the final quarter determined the winner on the last possession as the clock ticked down. Patriots 27-Giants 26.

Patriots - Giants (Photo: Bing.com)
Patriots – Giants (Photo: Bing.com)

Scoring Streak Extended – First Quarter

Losing the coin toss (what’s going on here?) didn’t slow down the Patriots scoring streak as they drove 78 yards and ran off 14 plays in 8 minutes 25 seconds the first time they had the ball…culminating in a 1 yard TD pass to Scott Chandler. Split with 8 runs (including a 10 yarder by Tom Brady) and 6 passes, the TD extended New England’s scoring streak to 32 straight quarters, an NFL record.

It didn’t take Eli Manning and the Giants long to knot things up as the New York QB connected on an 87 yard TD pass to Odell Beckham Jr., who beat Malcolm Butler in single coverage as he scampered into the end-zone untouched. It was the longest offensive play ever against a Bill Belichick coached team.

After all the fireworks opening the game, things settled town with both teams going 3 and out before the Patriots took over on their 30 yard line with 3:29 left in the quarter. Following a short run by LeGarrette Blount, a 30 yard pass to Julian Edelman moved New England into NY territory as the quarter came to an end.

Another Quarter – Another Score

Edelman limped off the field with a broken bone in his foot, putting a big crimp in an already struggling offense. 3rd and 4 from the 8 yard line brought pressure up the middle, bringing Brady down with the 1st sack of the game. Stephen Gostkowski kept his perfect season alive with a 31 yard field goal, moving him into a tie for the most FGs in Patriot history and putting the Pats up 10-7.

The Giants proceeded to march down the field on their next possession before Manning was strip sacked by NFL sack leader Chandler Jones (10 1/2) and the ball was recovered by Justin Coleman at the Pats 16. With Edelman out of the game and the season long loss of Dion Lewis, the New England offense was stuffed. A critical Rob Gronkowski offensive pass interference call eliminated a 1st down and the Patriots were forced to punt from deep in their own end of the field.

After a 51 yard punt and an 11 yard run back the Giants had great field position on their own 46. After their drive stalled at the Patriot 19, Josh Brown hit his 19th straight field goal and the game was knotted at 10-10.

Reuben Randle grabbed a 31 yard pass from Manning at the Patriots 43 with a minute left in the half. Manning completed his 18th pass of the game to TE Will Tye and he rumbled to the 1 yard line. With 18 seconds left Eli lobbed a TD to a wide open Dwayne Harris and the Giants took at 17-10 lead into the second half.

Tom Brady vs Eli Manning

Manning had the most 1st half yardage of his career (251 yards) while completing 12 of 20 passes with two TDs. Brady, meanwhile, went 14-21 for 127 yards and 1 TD. History was rearing its ugly head as the Giants looked to continue foiling any bid New England had for a perfect season.

Eli Manning has stated he feels he is in the same class as Tom Brady (Picture handlebarmagazine.com)
Eli Manning has stated he feels he is in the same class as Tom Brady (Picture handlebarmagazine.com)

 The Streaks Continue In The Second Half

The Giants received the 2nd half kick-off and once again exploited the Patriots secondary, including an interference call against Patrick Chung and another (highly questionable) by Malcolm Butler.  The drive ended in a 38 yard FG by Brown (21 of 21) stretching the lead to 20-10, the largest deficit New England had faced this season.

Danny Amendola had a spectacular 82 yard punt return on their second possession of the second half as he brought the ball to the Giants 7 yard line. He was tripped up by a Patriot or would have had a TD. Blount ran it in from the 1 and the game got closer as the Patriots stretched their scoring streak to 34 quarters. Giants 20-Patriots 17

Josh Brown followed with a 53 yard FG, his 22nd of the season, putting the Giants up by 6, 23-17 as the 3rd quarter wound down.

Brady Turns The Ball Over

The Giants returned the favor they gave up in the 1st quarter with a strip-sack fumble of their own by Jasper Brinkley at the New England 39, but couldn’t capitalize on the turnover.  The Patriots defense stepped up, led by a Rob Ninkovich sack, and forced the Giants to punt keeping the game within one score.

Gronkowski with a big reception against the Giants in 27-26 win (Photo nydailynews.com)
Gronkowski with a big reception against the Giants in 27-26 win (Photo nydailynews.com)

The stop looked to be the turning point of the game, as the Patriots took over after the punt deep in their own territory. Gronk stepped up and caught the longest pass of his career with a 76 yard TD. The extra-point was good and suddenly New England was ahead 24-23.

Manning Magic…again

With the win staring them in the eyes, Tom Brady made his 3rd mistake of the quarter with a fatal interception at the Giants 1 yard line. Manning had his chance once again to stick a dagger in the heart of Patriot fans…and he did just that. On a 3rd and 3 he hit a wide open Harris for 30 yards at the Patriots 28…well within Brown’s range.

Butler strips TD catch in 4th quarter (Photo: cdn0vox.cdn.com)
Butler strips TD catch in 4th quarter (Photo: cdn0vox.cdn.com)

Another Manning to Harris pass put the ball at the Pats 5 with just over 2:00 left in the game. The Patriots caught a break when what was originally called a TD pass to Beckham was overturned on replay as Butler batted the ball out of his hands before he could establish possession. Brown kicked a 29 yarder with 1:47 remaining in the game and, once again, it would be a final possession game!

Brady Time?

Needing a FG to win and under 2:00 to go with no time outs the pressure was on. Brady, who lives for these opportunities,  was almost intercepted again but the ball hit the ground. Super Tom completed critical passes putting the Patriots at the Giant 37 with :06 left. Gostkowski was on the spot for a 54 yard game winning kick as NY called time out. The kick was good with 1 second left on the clock…and the Patriots remained undefeated, pulling out a hard fought 27-26 win.

Game Thoughts

  • After the game Brady commented “It always comes down to the end against them”
  • Although he was victimized by Beckham on the Giants 1st possession, Malcolm Butler played a solid game. His pass interference penalty was a bad call and he made a great play when he knocked the ball out of Beckham’s hands in the end zone in the 4th quarter.
  • The Giants came into the game with the worst TE defense in the NFL. They had done a decent job on both Gronkowski & Chandler until giving up the 76 yard TD in the 4th quarter
  • The Patriots entered the game as the least penalized secondary in the NFL, yet had 3 big interference calls
  • Brady fumbled twice and had an interception in the 4th quarter. The Patriots fortunately recovered his second fumble with over 9 minutes left in the game. That fumble was followed shortly by a 54 yard completion to Brandon LaFell at the Giants 15. His interception (3rd of year) came as the Patriots were looking to put the game away when Trumaine McBride picked him off at the 1 yard line with under 5 minutes to go
  • New York was 1 for 5 on TD attempts in the red zone
  • Jason Pierre-Paul had his 1st sack of the season called back on a hands-to-the-facemask call in the 4th quarter
  • The game ended with the Giants recovering a short kick and trying to pull off the miracle win as they shoveled the ball player-to-player before finally stepping out of bounds.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

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AFC, NFC, NFL

NFL Week 10 Picks

Merry Christmas! Or at least, I think that’s what the Bills and Jets were trying to say to all of us last night with those awful uniforms. Seriously, what is with this horrible uniform phase going through football and basketball right now? The Jets rocked their new all-light greens and the Bills were sporting their new all-reds. It looked horrible, and the play on the field pretty much reflected it. But seriously, let Oregon do all the stupid uniforms. That’s their thing. They never wear the same uniform twice in a row. Then other schools started to do it, and now it’s leaked its way into the NFL. And don’t even get me started on the NBA jerseys with sleeves. Those are nothing short of an insult to the game of basketball. LeBron had the right idea by ripping his sleeves. Anyways, I picked the Jets last night, and of course they disappointed me. On to this week’s picks.

Lions (+11) over PACKERS

This Lions team might be a train wreck, but they’re not without talent, and Green Bay has not looked good since Week 3. And don’t kid yourself, Aaron Rodgers is part of the problem. He hasn’t played well, and his ad-lib make-it-up-as-you-go-along play style has started to get him into trouble with a diminished receiving core. The defense can’t stop anyone, and the Lions are not without offensive talent.

BUCCANEERS (-1) over Cowboys

Can we just accept that the Cowboys can’t win without Romo? Cassel has been okay, not as awful as Brandon Weeden, but there’s just no comparison. Plus, the Buccaneers are not a bad team. Winston is getting better every week, and they gave the Giants a real game last week. The funny thing is that the way the NFC East has played out, the Cowboys had a team that was built to dominate that division. Now injuries have kind of ruined that, and it’s great. I hope they lose every game.

Panthers (-5.5) over TITANS

Yes, the Titans are 1-0 in the Mike Mularkey era, but I think that undefeated streak will end at one. Having Mariota in the lineup helps, but scoring on the Saints defense is much more difficult than scoring on the Panther’s defense. I still feel like this Panthers team is all smoke and mirrors, even after beating Green Bay, but right now they’re 8-0, and with the Titans and the Redskins up next, this team could easily be 10-0 when they go to Dallas on Thanksgiving to play the Cowboys with Tony Romo.

RAMS (-7) over Bears

This line seemed high to me at first, then I remembered that the Bears needed an Odell Beckham-like touchdown reception from a guy who I thought was retired to beat the Chargers last week. Coming off of a short week with Forte likely still out of the lineup, I expect the Rams to play well and cover. The Rams are coming off of a tough loss on the road, and should play well at home against the Bears coming off of a short week and having to go from San Diego to Chicago to St. Louis in the course of one week.

REDSKINS (+1) over Saints

Guess the Saints bandwagon has cooled off. The Redskins looked awful offensively last week, but if they can take care of the ball they should move the ball up and down the field against New Orleans. Everyone can score on the Saints, they probably have the 33rd best defense in the league. I left the 32nd slot blank because they’re that bad. I love the Redskins getting a point at home.

Dolphins (+5.5) over EAGLES

Watching how much success Matt Cassel had against the Eagles defense was concerning to me. That defense has been the strength of this team so far, and they almost lost because Cassel was able to score 27 points. While the Eagles have run the ball much better lately, Sam Bradford is still a mess. The Dolphins have lost two straight, but that was to the undefeated Patriots and the red-hot Bills (literally, did you see those uniforms?) on the road. I think they’ll play well in Philly and this will be a close game.

STEELERS (-4.5) over Browns

I may have gotten the Steelers game wrong last week, but of course it is very possible DeAngelo WIlliams was shaving points and purposely didn’t score the game-winning touchdown last week. The only reason I’m picking the Steelers to cover is because they’re at home and I think there’s a very real possibility Big Ben just gets his foot amputated and plays on one foot. Of course, Big Ben with only one foot would probably be better than the Landry Jones/Michael Vick show.

RAVENS (-5.5) over Jaguars

Don’t count the Ravens out of the playoff mix just yet. This is still a good team that’s lost a lot of close games to good teams. If you look at their schedule, they can easily rip off six straight wins and be 8-6 heading into their final two games against the Steelers and Bengals. Plus, the Bengals could be resting starters in that final game. I expect them to play well coming off of a bye needing a win to keep their season alive.

RAIDERS (-3) over Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater looks like he’s going to play, which of course will make a mockery of the NFL’s concussion protocol. But, as I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season, the Raiders are a good team. Derek Carr is quickly becoming the best quarterback from the past draft class by a large margin. Coming off of a big win against the Jets and then flying cross country to play the Steelers, a let down would’ve been excusable. But Carr and the Raiders put up 35 points and almost won. The Vikings have a good defense, but they’re limited offensively, and I expect the Raiders young defensive playmakers like Khalil Mack to have a big day.

GIANTS (+7.5) over Patriots

It doesn’t matter if a bunch of high school players were wearing the Giants uniform, Patriots fans would still be worried about this game. But, in 2015, Patriots fans should be worried about this game. The reason the Giants have had New England’s number recently has mostly been the play of their defensive line, especially their pass rush. While that’s been pretty nonexistent this year, Jason Pierre-Paul came back last week and looked good. The Giants have a ton of offensive firepower at their disposal, and the Patriots defense hasn’t really been tested yet this year. If there were a time for the undefeated campaign to end, it would be here.

Chiefs (+5.5) over BRONCOS

The Chiefs gave Chicken Parm You Taste So Good a lot of problems the last time they played, and don’t forget they put up 24 points against the “reincarnation of the ’85 Bears” defense that the Broncos have. That was despite five stupid turnovers also. Now the Broncos will be without Demarcus Ware and Aqib Talib, and the Chiefs always play well in Denver. The Broncos will have to rely heavily on their revamped rushing attack, and that should shorten the game making it more difficult to cover.

Cardinals (+3) over SEAHAWKS

No one will accept the fact that Seattle isn’t the same team as they were the past three years, and they’ve probably earned that. But this isn’t the same team that its been the past three years. The offense can’t get out of its own way, they’ve made crucial mistakes defensively late in games, and there just isn’t the same fire and hunger there’s been during their Super Bowl runs. The Cardinals have played well in Seattle recently, and this year, they’re frankly the better team.

BENGALS (-10.5) over Texans

The Bengals have the most complete roster in the league. They haven’t missed a draft pick in four years. For anyone that is touting Andy Dalton as an MVP candidate, please stop embarrassing yourself. Bozo the Clown would look good on that team. Look up what the word valuable means, and if you still think Andy Dalton is an MVP candidate, just hit yourself in the head with a hammer until you realize you’re wrong.

For college football fans or just degenerate gamblers who will bet on anything, I’m in a weekly college football pick ’em. Here’s my picks for this week: Michigan (-12.5), Kansas (+45.5), Mississippi State (+7.5), Stanford (-9.5), Oklahoma (-2.5), Utah State, Temple, and Auburn straight up.

NFL Record Last Week 6-7-0

NFL Record Overall: 60-70-6

College Football Record Last Week: 6-2-0

College Football Record Overall: 42-30-0

NFL

The Ghosts of Super Bowls Past

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With a massive defensive force and a future Hall of Fame rival leading the charge, many Patriots fans are quick to turn their collective conscience toward the Denver Broncos match up, which will take place during week twelve at Sports Authority Field. To be quite honest, why wouldn’t they?

The New England Patriots have more or less dominated the first half of their season and Denver, despite Sunday’s loss, seems like the only team with enough firepower to present a considerable challenge. Why would, or should the Patriots fear any of their upcoming opponents prior to the battle in Denver?
In 2007, the New England Patriots were  part of a historically significant season. After holding strong in becoming the first team in the post expansion NFL to face and defeat 16 teams in a regular season, they seemed poised to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and celebrate the perfect season. What happened in the Super Bowl was quite possibly one of the darkest moments in Patriots on field history.

After an improbable “helmet catch”  by Giants receiver David Tyree, Eli Manning led the New York Giants to Super Bowl victory. The perfection that so many fans craved was destroyed by one, ridiculously fluky catch.
As if 2007 was not heartbreaking enough, the New England Patriots and New York Giants story was only on the very first chapter. Both teams were able to make it back to the big dance in 2011. The New York Giants had a 9-7 record and got very hot at just the right time making it to the Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots were steamrolling along, enjoying the rewards of their powerhouse tight end set of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Had it not been for Baltimore Raven’s Bernard Pollard crushing Gronkowski’s ankle in the AFC title game, this story might be heading in a different direction. As ridiculous as the 2007 game had been, the Giants were clearly the more balanced and complete team in 2011. The Patriots walked away on the losing end of Super Bowl 46 and many wondered if they’d ever make it back to their Super Bowl winning glory years.

Of course that was 2011, 2015 tells a much different story. The New York Giants haven’t even so much as sniffed a playoff berth since their last Super Bowl victory four years earlier. The Patriots on the other hand have advanced to the AFC Championship game every year since 2011 and came home with the Superbowl in 2014.

The Patriots are an impressive 8-0 this season, where as the New York Giants are barely above .500 at 5-4. New England defensive lineman Chandler Jones has 9.5 total sacks for the 2015 season, that is 1 sack more than the entire New York Giants defense. In both 2007 and 2011,Giants’ defensemen were dropping Brady left and right. Justin Tuck has long since gone, and both literally and figuratively Jason Pierre Paul is not the man he used to be.

Statistically, there is absolutely no reason that the New York Giants should have a prayer against the New England Patriots this Sunday. Football, however, lives off the concept that on any given Sunday any team can beat any other team. Another small but crucial point is that Tom Coughlin run teams have beaten Bill Belichick run teams, 5-1. Tom Coughlin coached the Jacksonville Jaguars to two victories over Bill Belichick’s Cleveland Browns and has only lost to Bill once while the latter has coached the Patriots.

It is entirely possible that Tom Coughlin knows Belichick rather well from their days as assistant coaches for the New York Giants back in the 1980s. Coughlin seems to understand Bill’s planning and execution better than most coaches do.

The New York Giants do have yet another ace up their sleeve. This Sunday’s game will be played at MetLife Stadium which of course puts the Patriots in the Giants’ backyard. The Giants have won three out of their four victories when playing at MetLife this season. Granted, those statistics can be a bit misleading as the Giants three victories were against subpar teams with losing records(Washington, Dallas, San Francisco). Still, home teams traditionally have the advantage.

Yet another factor which can’t be ignored is Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is playing at an unbelievable level this year as he goes out of his way to ensure that all NFL fans recognize his amazing abilities are not based off of under inflated footballs.

Losing two Super Bowls to the Giants is not something a competitive player like Tom Brady will forget and although it may feel like decades ago it will no doubt add fuel to his vengeful fire.

Overall the New England Patriots biggest threat on Sunday will be the ghosts of Super Bowl past. Will a bit of doubt creep into the usually focused and steady minds of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? In short, unlikely. The 2015 New England Patriots are on a mission to shake the proverbial New York beanstalk to the ground. With one more win and a chance to avenge their history at stake, would you bet against the reigning, defending Super Bowl champions?

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots vs. Giants Preview

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I’ve had some pretty dog-shit days in my thirty four years on this planet. ‘The Helmet Catch, Belichick not going for a long field goal, and Asante Samuel forgetting how to catch a football’ all jumped into a safe for TV orgy, on the most expensive set on earth, and were the ingredients for arguably the worst day of my adult life. I’ll never forget seeing Ellis Hobbs, whom may be the worst defensive back outside of Deltha O’Neil, getting absolutely toasted by a guy who went on to shoot himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub a few months later. Perfection was lost. Mercury Morris can go back to hookers and cocaine. While Don Shula could continue being the “Mean Uncle” yelling at the Patriots from his wheelchair in one of his many steakhouses in South Florida.

Fast forward a half decade or so later. We’re in the NFL League Mandated Pharmacist’s stadium in Indianapolis. With a few hiccups to the Ravens and Jets along the way, the Patriots are still bullying around the rest of the league and remain the cream of the crop in the AFC. Nothing much has changed in Foxboro with Bill and Tom ripping team’s throats out and laughing the entire time. That is a given here and it is the expectation of Mr. Kraft and the rest of the organization. A miraculous catch by another guy who is out of the league a few years later, Gronk having an ankle with the stability of a bag of dried Barilla pasta, and Scrambled Eggs for Brains Welker dropping the laser from our hero late in the game, adds up another Super Bowl loss for our boys, and one that still stings to this day. The team was flawed on the defensive side of the ball, so the better team won that day. The Giants were loaded on offense, regardless of what Stephen A. Smith says.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning meet on he field before the Super Bowl XLII football game at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning meet on he field before the Super Bowl XLII football game at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

After that game the Giants went back to mediocrity or even worse. I believe they haven’t even made the playoffs since then, and the Patriots have been to the AFC title game each year and won a Super Bowl. Again, this is common practice here in New England, but the folks in New Jersey still talk about 18-1 and how Eli has beaten Tom the last three times they have played. Sadly, this is true about Eli and Tom. Folks seem to forget the Giants are the only team in recent memory that has come into Foxboro and beat up on the Patriots in the regular season. I remember the game vividly, they were pushed around on the line of scrimmage and I believe it was Kevin Boss who made the linebackers look like jokers in that game. New England hasn’t beaten the Giants since 2008. Brady is zero for his last three against the Eli and the Giants. So what does this all have to do with Sunday? Usually not too much, but we are dealing with a cyborg in Tom Brady this year. He is some hybrid of The Terminator, Henry from Rookie of the Year with the arm strength, Usain Bolt with his new found speed, and Rocky Balboa with toughness, drive and desire to win more than ever. I’m sending my thoughts and prayers to the fans of the New Jersey Giants now.

Here are ten random reasons why the Patriots should emasculate the Giants on Sunday.

1) The Giants are the 32nd ranked defense in football. Yes, that means dead last for all of you mathematicians. Look what Brady has done to the top ranked defenses in recent memory. He may break the scoreboard on Sunday like the Monstars did in Space Jam.

2) Shane Vereen is playing for the Giants now, and good for him that he got paid. Bill usually has a habit of making guys who leave the team look like fools when they face each other the following season. Mangini went and became the league tattletale once we went up by 100 in the season opener against the Jets. Imagine what he would do to Brandon Browner if the Patriots played the Saints? Just think back of what Gronkowski did to Sergio Brown last year in Indianapolis? Sergio’s memory will live on through piss poor defensive play by the Colts.

3) Brady had an apartment in NY that he didn’t even know the address to. That is such a power move that you can’t even remember your own address.

4) I bought a new pair of Uggs because I saw Brady rocking them on a billboard on Route 95. Whether it is the “5” t-shirt, the light jacket tied around the waist, the nose kiss, Uggs, trench coat, it doesn’t matter. Even his kid with the no collar button down at TB12’s sister’s wedding was such a fashion statement my head exploded. Don’t even get me started on the crushed velvet suit.

Fashion Icons
Fashion Icons

5) Jamie Collins and Donta Hightower are both over whatever mysterious “illness” they both had last week. I think Ryan Wendell got shelved for the year based on “illness” is that correct?

6) Stephen A. Smith continues to back Eli Manning and put him in the same class as Brady. Stephen A (whom is named after a strictly …) actually I’m not even opening up that door because I know where it goes. He said that Eli makes the throws that Brady doesn’t. Yeah, no shit, pick sixes and ones directly into defenders hands when the lights are brightest. I’m sick of the Eli apologists. His defense and two miraculous catches won those Super Bowls, plain and simple.

7) The NFL League Offices are in New York City. New York City is basically viewable from the Meadowlands. Odds are when the bus pulls up in that cesspool of a town called New Brunswick, Brady takes a gander across and sees the NY skyline. He mutters a few MF’rs under his breath and gets to work. If you don’t think that single sight ignites the fire in the Brady Loins, you’re not from this planet.

Brady & Goodell hug after TB is awarded the Super Bowl MVP award (Photo courtesy of Jamie Squire / Getty Images
Brady & Goodell hug after TB is awarded the Super Bowl MVP award (Photo courtesy of Jamie Squire / Getty Images

8) Bill knows the Giants better than the Giants know themselves. Sure, he has been gone for close to two decades, but he still has attachments to the organization. He already has Ernie Adam’s playroom set up to keep him occupied directly under the 50 yard line. Do yourself a favor and throw a billion units on the Patriots winning the coin toss this week. Ernie fixed the magnet that misfired last week. Bill took away his Hoodsies for screwing it up against the Redskins.

9) John Mara was anti-Patriots and Tom Brady during the entire Deflate Gate debacle. Remember when Steve Buscemi had the kill list in Billy Madison and proceeded to smear lipstick all over his face? That is Brady minus the lipstick part. He just has his kill list taped directly next to his probably magnificent California king sized bed, and crosses each name off after he murders them on the field. Once he crosses them off, he rolls over and does the dirty to Giselle, probably more than once.

10) Giselle said she found Brady watching film at 3:30 AM recently. If that isn’t #FocusFireInTheChillZone than I don’t know what it is?

AFC, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL

NFL Week Ten Power Rankings

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Brady passes for less than three hundred yards and throws an interception, a couple of guys go down via injury, and you don’t win by a million points basically means a loss to New England fans. I’m serious as a heart attack when I say that as well. We’ve become so accustomed to decapitating teams on a weekly basis, that games that we win “somewhat close” seem unfulfilling. Sure we’re 8-0 and well on our way to Santa Clara when Satan himself most likely hands Brady his fifth Lombardi trophy, but work still needs to be done. I want embarrassing 52-7 type games. I need opposing coaches shaking their heads in disbelief watching Bill act like the diabolical maniac he is, throwing while up by two hundred instead of going into victory formation. The one team whom has been a wet blanket for Brady (and let’s face it, he gets to slay a super model every night, so there aren’t many wet blankets in TB12’s life) is the next opponent on the Vengeance Tour on Sunday in New Jersey. Do the Giants scare me? Not really. Does seeing a piece of Tom Coughlin’s face falling off on live TV scare me? It shakes me to the c ore.

1) New England Patriots – The champs are rolling into New Jersey. They finally have a healthy Gronk, and that means big trouble for the Giants and their dead last 32nd in the league scoring defense. Early thoughts and prayers for Tom Coughlin’s face.

2) Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals keep on rolling and are the second best team in football right now.

3) Carolina Panthers – So much for my prediction of the Panthers getting their doors blown off by Green Bay. It is amazing what Carolina is doing without one real threat on offense besides their quarterback.

4) Denver Broncos – Maybe we should have pumped the brakes on that Denver defense being compared to the 2000 Ravens. You also have to love CBS fawning of Manning needing to get that record in Indianapolis. Now he has to do it against the low life Chiefs.

5) Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers played like Ginger Rodgers in the first half, and you can’t play one half of decent football and expect to win on the road.

6) Arizona Cardinals – Coming off a bye week.

7) Minnesota Vikings – When is Teddy Bridgewater’s funeral? I saw him die on live TV yesterday.

8) Seattle Seahawks – Coming off a bye week.

9) Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons are pretenders and that is the bottom line.

10) New Jersey Giants – Eli threw two bonehead interceptions for the millionth time. They face their toughest test of the season on Sunday when TB12 comes to town.

11) New Jersey Jets – The battle of second place is on in the AFC East. The Jets could still challenge for a wild card in the wide open AFC.
12) Philadelphia Eagles – Philly needed that win in Dallas, but problems still sit with the Eagles on both sides of the ball.

13) Pittsburgh Steelers – Big Ben goes down for the second time this season. He is scheduled to come back against Seattle on the road. It doesn’t get any tougher than that, especially coming back from injury.

14) Indianapolis Colts– The one time you’d ever see a New England fan root for the Colts was Sunday. It worked out well for all parties involved.

15) Oakland Raiders – Derek Carr and Amari Cooper is the best young tandem going in the NFL right now. I challenge you to find me another one.

16) Buffalo Bills – Rex says playing the Jets is “just another game”. Sure Rex, sure.

17) Miami Dolphins – Miami most likely mails in the season by Thanksgiving.

18) St. Louis Rams – Jeff Fisher and Greg Williams are taking a lot of heat from the Vikings, rightfully so.

19) New Orleans Saints – Rob Ryan may not survive the season in New Orleans as the DC.

20) Dallas Cowboys – I’d like Jerry to explain to me how a 2-6 team in the division is still a threat to make the playoffs?

21) Kansas City Chiefs – Coming off a bye week.

22) Chicago Bears – You have to hand it to the Bears, they aren’t throwing in the towel.

23) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs knocked me out of a suicide pool, and made half the Atlanta fan base go out and buy razor blades and rope after that loss on Sunday.

24) Cleveland Browns – Johnny Football is despised by his head coach. I am convinced of it.

25) San Diego Chargers– San Diego lost to a helpless Bears team, whom had a fire sale a few weeks back.

26) Houston Texans – Coming off a bye week.

27) Baltimore Ravens – Coming off a bye week.

28) San Francisco 49ers – A win against a decent Falcons team is a step in the right direction for San Francisco.

29) Tennessee Titans – Marcus was the benefactor of bad defense in New Orleans and great play from Delanie Walker.

30) Washington Redskins – You like that Cousins? That is just the sight of the Bill ripping out your soul.

31) Jacksonville Jaguars – Jacksonville made the most Jacksonville type plays when it counted yesterday.

32) Detroit Lions – Coming off a bye week.

New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL

New England Patriots: Who’s Next In Line? A Salute To The Hard Hats.

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Well, as hard as it may be to believe, we’ve reached the halfway point of the regular season…and the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots are 8-0 and have already run away and hid from their AFC East foes.

As far as games go, the always troublesome NY Giants are next in line for a Sunday afternoon joust in mid-November. That’s set in stone. The Giants have spoiled perfect seasons in the past and most of Patriot Nation will never forgive them. This is a new year, with both teams having rotated most of their roster, but the anger is still there. Hell hath no fury like a Patriot fan scorned as Eli Manning and Tom Brady square off once again.

Talking about things you don’t talk about

Chandler Jones leads the NFL in sacks with 9 1/2 after 8 games (Photo: NFL.com)
Chandler Jones leads the NFL in sacks with 9 1/2 after 8 games (Photo: NFL.com)

When you talk about teams in the NFL, it’s usually a good thing when you don’t mention their offensive line. I mean, come on, talk about boring. The less you hear about them the better, ’cause it means they are playing well, that’s a given. Much is written about the glamour positions – QB, WR, TE, RB, DE…hell even CB’s!

But what about those guys down in the trenches? You know, the lunch bucket crew. The hard hats. Without looking it up most fans cannot name 10 offensive linemen from all the other teams in the NFL. My old Patriots Beat partner, Jeff Kane, is the exception, but he’s strange that way! And that group of grunts (I say that with affection) actually like it like that. They are happy just doing their job, heading home for a nice cool one (or two or three) and enjoying their anonymity.

Saying that, it’s impossible to talk about the Patriots’ success in 2015 without mentioning the turmoil that continues to occur every game with the biggest surprise of this year (no, not Dion Lewis, but he sure will be missed) – the unbelievable success of the no names in front of Tom Brady. They started the season without some big cogs in the machine that is in charge of protecting the life of the best QB in the history of the NFL, and it got worse week by week.

Who’s next up in the revolving door that is the offensive line?

So, let’s see who is next in line, as the names keep changing, but the results remain the same. The original front five were expected to be chosen from this group (in alphabetical order):

David Andrews, Chris Barker, Marcus Cannon, Blaine Clausell, Dan Connelly, Cameron Fleming, Tre Jackson, Josh Kline, Shaq Mason, Nate Solder, Bryan Stork, Sebastian Vollmer & Ryan Wendell.

That’s a hearty mixture of 14 (as in fourteen) young and old bodies that should allow Bill Belichick to pick the chosen few for his game day roster each week, right? So, what’s the problem? Well, as the Patriots prepare for the Giants the majority of the names above have fallen aside, either through retirement (Connolly) or injury (Solder, Vollmer, Wendell to name the most obvious) leaving the available list mighty slim.

Undrafted free agent Dave Andrews is the only offensive lineman to played every snap this season (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Undrafted free agent center Dave Andrews (60) is the only offensive lineman to play every snap this season (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The team went into last Sunday’s game dressing six offensive lineman and by the end of the game the number had dwindled to five!

Tom Brady foolishly made the tackle after throwing an interception in the Patriots win over Washington (Photo: AP/Charles Krupa)
Tom Brady foolishly made the tackle after throwing an interception in the Patriots win over Washington (Photo: AP/Charles Krupa)

Yes, you read that right. Once Vollmer went out with a head injury, the Patriots had no available back-ups to protect (gulp) Tom Brady. You wonder why they went to the running game early in the second half and now you know. Thank God TEs Rob Gronkowski and Michael Williams are both solid blockers and LeGarrette Blount is a horse or we could be praying for Tom Brady’s recovery right now.

Based on all the injuries, rookies and the retirement of Connolly you would expect Brady to be getting pummeled in every game, but it just ain’t so my friends. The fastest gun in the NFL has been sacked 18 times while running 537 plays. Sure, we all cringe as the bodies fly around him each week and, heaven forbid, he throw an interception and foolishly decide it’s his job to bring down the interceptor…because in all honesty, he is the franchise.

New England Patriots Hard HatsSalute To The Hard Hats

So, it’s time for fans to step up and salute those unheralded hard hats that give up their bodies each week so that Mr. Brady can continue, at the “old” age of 38, with his best season ever in the NFL. The offensive line has done it with smoke and mirrors, along with great coaching by Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo in his second season, after the retirement of longtime Patriots coach Dante Scarnecchia.

It’s not a pretty job, but someone has to do it (how’s that for original journalism) as the next in line steps up in the quest for another Super Bowl.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, NFC, NFL

Week 9 NFL Picks

Believe it or not, Johnny Manziel on one day of film/preparation did not cover the 13 point spread against the Bengals last night, and I won another Thursday night game. The Bengals are the first of the four undefeated teams to 8-0, and make no mistake about it, this is a real team. For the past few years, the Bengals have been good, but when it mattered most, they couldn’t perform. But I believe something changed in Week 16 last year. They played a Monday Night game against the Broncos, and they played a very complete game, picking off Peyton Manning four times n the process. This team is loaded with talent, they’ve drafted extremely well recently. There isn’t a weak point on this team other than quarterback, but Andy Dalton can and has won a lot of games in this league, and he’s more than capable with the offensive talent surrounding him. The Bengals are for real, now let’s move onto the rest of the week.

Packers (-2.5) over PANTHERS

To everyone who watched Aaron Rodgers throw for 77 yards last week: R-E-L-A-X. He’s still one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and they had a horrible gameplan against the best defense in the league. The Panthers, on the other hand, looked about as unimpressive as you can in victory Monday night. This team’s best win was against Seattle, who obviously have a lot of their own problems. Cam Newton’s “MVP” season has produced under a 55% completion percentage, 11 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, and a QBR of 46.9. These are worse than his career numbers, he’s not having a great season. I’ll take the Packers to bounce back.

PATRIOTS (-14) over Redskins

This line is too high, I don’t like this game, but the Redskins defense is just begging the Patriots to score 50 on them. Also, Kirk Cousins is a turnover machine, and an opportunistic Patriot’s defense should capitalize on that. The Pats should get out to an early lead, but beware of the Kirk Cousins garbage-time backdoor cover.

Titans (+8) over SAINTS

Mariota is playing this week, so the Titan’s offense should get a boost. Ken Wisenhunt is out, because apparently going 3-20 isn’t good enough in the NFL. We’ve seen teams go on short term bursts when they get a new coach, go look at the Dolphins. The Saints offense is red hot, but older quarterbacks struggle with consistency, so I expect them to cool off a little bit.

Dolphins (+2.5) over BILLS

This should be a big revenge game for the Dolphins. The Bills are still banged up on offense, and Miami had been playing well under Dan Campbell until they ran into the Patriots last week. There is no shame in getting exploited by the 2015 Patriots, I think the Dolphins should be fine.

Rams (+1.5) over VIKINGS

The Vikings have racked up five wins against a soft schedule, and the Rams are the best team they’ve played aside from Denver (who they lost to). The Rams are under the radar, but this is a pretty good team. They have obvious deficiencies, but they do a few things well, and they know what they do well. I expect them to pressure Bridgewater into bad decisions, and Todd Gurley will run wild.

JETS (-7.5) over Jaguars

Don’t jump ship on the Jets because of what happened last week. They were flying cross country after an emotional letdown in Foxborough, and the Raiders are a good team. Now they’re back home and playing against the Jaguars. Also Fitzpatrick should be healthy, so we won’t be subjected to any more Geno Smith, fingers crossed.

STEELERS (-5) over Raiders

I love the Steelers in this one, and for the record, I picked the Raiders last week and have been on the Raiders from the start of the season. Roethlisberger is now 2-4 in his first game back from an injury, which is likely a result of him coming back too early. Now he’s had an extra week to heal, and this is an important game for the Steelers. The Raiders will be flying west coast to east coast for a 1 o’clock game. Lay the points, the young Raiders are about to be humbled.

Giants (-2.5) over BUCCANEERS

Jason Pierre-Paul will likely play, and the Giants secondary sorely needs a pass rusher helping them out after Brees picked them apart to the tune of 7 touchdowns and 52 points. But, the Buccaneers are not a great team, and the Giants have a ton of offensive firepower.

Falcons (-7) over 49ERS

The Falcons are starting to worry me. For some reason their offense has been figured out the last four weeks, and they have absolutely no pass rush. But, picking against them would mean betting on Blaine Gabbert. Just so you know, Colin Kaepernick, if your coach thinks you’re so bad that he’d rather have Blaine Gabbert lead his team than you, then you are terrible. Please go see a therapist, you need it. Blaine Gabbert had clunkers in college. I don’t think he’s the spark the 49ers need.

Chicken Parm You Taste So Good (-5) over COLTS

I’m finally buying into the Denver defense. That defensive line, plus the Colts atrocious offensive line, plus a beat up Andrew Luck, equals Luck possibly being carried away on a stretcher. And apparently the city of Indianapolis is starting to turn on Luck. My advice? Leave. Pull a LeBron. Tell them to win without you. They won’t be able to, and you’ll be on a team that can actually compete for championships. Seriously, every team in the league would give up a lot for Andrew Luck on the open market, including the Patriots (38-year old Brady vs. 26-year old Luck, we know Belichick’s track record). However, I am not buying in to the “rejuvenated” Broncos offense. Peyton looked healthy, bye weeks will do that. The Packers have a horrible run defense, and they ran wild on them. Peyton threw for 340 yards. That’s good, but let’s not forget Philip Rivers threw for 500 yards in Lambeau with Keenan Allen as his best threat. Don’t go crazy, I need to see more before I say they’re back. Also, congratulations to the Colts. Their 3-5 record has officially clinched the AFC South.

Eagles (-3) over COWBOYS

I can’t possibly pick Matt Cassel/Brandon Weeden against anyone. As bad as Sam Bradford has been this year, he could’ve scored more than 12 points last week, which was all the Cowboys needed to beat the Seahawks. This division is wide open, and the Cowboys had the team that was best built to win it. But Romo’s hurt, and now I hope poor America’s team loses every game.

Bears (+4) over CHARGERS

I don’t understand why this is a primetime game. There was no point during the time period when the NFL was making their schedule when this looked like a good game. I don’t think the Bears are horrible, and the Chargers have no home field advantage. The Bears have a decent following, their should be a decent number of Bears fans at the game. Plus, while the Bears have lost five games, their three losses with Jay Cutler have been by one score. I’ll take them to cover.

For college football fans or just degenerate gamblers who will bet on anything, I’m in a weekly college football pick ’em. Here’s my picks for this week: LSU (+6.5), Iowa (-7), TCU (-5), Minnesota (+23), Stanford (-16), Clemson, Utah, and Washington State straight up.

NFL Record Last Week: 5-8-1

NFL Record Overall: 55-62-6

College Football Record Last Week: 5-3-0

College Football Record Overall: 36-28-0

AFC, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL

Perfectly Dominant, but for how long?

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bostonglobe.com
bostonglobe.com

Every great story hits a half way point, for the 2015 New England Patriots that half way point is quickly approaching with the arrival of the Washington Redskins this Sunday. How has the Patriot journey come thus far and where will it eventually lead? After a rough start to the 2014 season, the Patriots fought back with an impressive array of wins and eventually won the Super Bowl beating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. What would be an end to one journey begot the start of another: Redemption. Not that anyone needs to be reminded ,but the Patriots 2015 post Lombardi afterglow was vehemently destroyed by the NFL due to allegations made by the Indianapolis Colts that the Patriots were playing with deflated balls in the AFC Championship game.

goodell-egg

The NFL proceeded to drag both Quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots through the mud with unproven allegations of scheming and cheating. Roger Goodell attempted to suspend Brady for the first four games of the season, comparing his suspicions to an actual act of PED use as basis. Tom Brady won his case in court and prepared to take the field more determined than ever. Many questioned whether Tom Brady and the Patriots could still win amidst this controversy and the unfortunate departures of an elite secondary tandem consisting of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Taking a look at the first half of the 2015 NFL season, did the Patriots falter or prevail?

at Gillette Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: The New England Patriots battled AFC rival the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium.  The Patriots started off slow allowing Pittsburgh running back DeAngelo Williams to run rough shod over their defense. Much to the chagrin of the Pittsburgh faithful , Tom Brady got his offense rolling and had it not been for a garbage time touchdown by Ben Roethlisberger late in the 4th quarter the final score of 28-21 would not have looked as hotly contested. Keeping the off field shenanigans rolling, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin was quick to complain of headset failure and accused the Patriots of cheating. The NFL, to their credit, cleared up the accusations by pointing out that both teams had issues due to weather.

Generated by IJG JPEG Library
Generated by IJG JPEG Library

Week 2 vs. Buffalo Bills: The Patriots were eager to prove that week one’s victory was no fluke but heading into Buffalo looked to be a daunting task. Rex Ryan, former head coach of chief division rival the New York Jets, was leading the charge in Buffalo and after an impressive thwomping of the Indianapolis Colts in week 1, the Bills were ready to show they could put an end to the Patriots AFC dominance. The Bills came out red hot and scored a touchdown on their first drive. The Patriots looked to be in dire straits but Tom Brady led his team back with a vengeance throwing for an impressive 466 yards and three touchdowns. The Bills had a total of 14 penalties and despite a fourth quarter rally were just outplayed by a better, more disciplined team losing 40-32.

Week 3 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tom Brady became the fourth Quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 touchdowns when the Jacksonville Jaguars came to Gillette Stadium. There really is no way to paint this picture without indicating how dominant the Patriots were against the lowly Jaguars. Tom Brady and company put up a total of 51 points against a team that quite frankly was lucky to score the 17 points that they did.  As the old cliché goes, the Jacksonville Jaguars were playing checkers while the New England Patriots were playing chess.

Week 4- Bye

jerry-jones

Week 5 vs. Dallas Cowboys: With Tony Romo hurt for a good portion of the season and Dez Bryant out with an injury as well, it’s tough to label this victory as something that the New England Patriots can hang their hat on. Heading into Dallas, the Cowboys were ready to unleash newly acquired pass rusher and all around despicable human being, Greg Hardy. Known for his violent and masochistic ways, Greg Hardy was returning to the NFL for the Cowboys after being released by Carolina and serving a four game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Hardy made several unprofessional overtures in regards to Tom Brady’s wife Gisele in order to get into the Patriot signal caller’s head.  Sadly, one elite defenseman is not enough to stop the New England Patriots as the reigning, defending Super Bowl Champions crushed the Brandon Weeden led Cowboys and held them without a single touchdown in a 30-06 victory.

via bleacherreport.com
via bleacherreport.com

Week 6 vs. Indianapolis Colts: Heading into Lucas Oil stadium the New England Patriots preached that this game was just “the next game on the schedule”, for fans it was to be something much more. The Indianapolis Colts’ general manager Brian Grigson was the man who brought the entire circus known as Deflategate to the NFL and ultimately the Patriots door. Had it not been for the Indianapolis Colts and their attempts to desecrate all that New England had worked for in 2014, the narrative on the Patriots would simply be Champions. Fans had the Patriots running away with this battle with scores of 70 -10 but the football Gods had different plans. The Indianapolis Colts put up a hell of a fight during the first half cutting off the field and taking away Brady’s short throws, ultimately giving the Colts a 1 point lead heading into the 3rd quarter. The second half brought forth the Indianapolis Colts that have proven to be what they are made of this season.  After what was possibly the worst fake punt play in history, the Colts succumbed to the New England Patriots, 27-34.

Danny Amendola makes an acrobatic catch in 30-23 win over the Jets Photo David Silverman
Danny Amendola makes an acrobatic catch in 30-23 win over the Jets Photo David Silverman

Week 7 vs. The New York Jets: When the New York Jets came to Foxboro they came to play some football and show the Patriots that they were no longer the doormat of the AFC. Gone were the brash Super Bowl predictions from a loud mouthed former head coach, now led by reserved head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets had a 4-1 record and were looking to overtake the current AFC leaders. The rancid under belly to this game of course ties back to Darrelle Revis returning to the Jets after a Super Bowl winning stay in New England. Revis, who is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL, can take an average defense and make them look fantastic by taking away a side of the field and freeing up more players for other assignments. The Jets were the number one rated defense about to take on the number one rated offense led by Tom Brady. The Jets played their hearts out and Ryan Fitzpatrick looked like a superstar for the first three quarters with 295 yards and two touchdowns. Ultimately, fortune shined upon the Patriots showing just how clutch Tom Brady is, as he led his team to victory in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns and left the Jets on the losing end with a final result of 23-30. It would later be revealed that the Jets had the NFL sweep their locker room for bugs and look into a trio of on field Patriot personal. Nothing came of either situation but it is rightly apparent that the Patriots are in their opponents heads.

10-29 Ninkovich hits Tannehill (Photo: Keith Nordstrom Patriots.com)
10-29 Ninkovich hits Tannehill (Photo: Keith Nordstrom Patriots.com)

Week 8 vs. The Miami Dolphins: After trouncing the Titans 38-10 and the Texans 44-26, the newly invigorated Miami Dolphins felt they were ready to take down the undefeated New England Patriots. When Joe Philbin was fired and Tight End Coach Dan Campbell took his place he simplified both the offense and defense to immediate success. With the two headed beast of Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh now getting more comfortable, surely they would be giving Tom Brady fits. In a game which can only be looked at as a comedy of errors from the Dolphins side, they showed little of that renewed tenacity.  The Patriots dominated the Dolphins in every aspect of play, winning by a score of 36-07. As for Suh and Wake?  Suh was practically a non factor where as unfortunately for Cameron Wake, despite looking quite impressive on that October evening,  his season will now be spent on injured reserve.

In the coming week New England will be taking on the Washington Redskins as they reach their true half way mark to the season. Washington hasn’t played well and from a spectator’s point of view this game looks like another slam dunk for the Patriots. If the Patriots do manage to defeat the Washington Redskins as expected, who will eventually present a challenge? Next week, the Patriots head to New York to face a rival which has ripped away two Super Bowls from Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s mantle. Eli manning is not a great quarterback but for some reason he tends to have the Patriot’s number. Could the Giants be the team that takes down the undefeated Patriots?

After facing the Giants, it’s on to perennial adversary; the Peyton Manning led Denver Broncos. As of this writing the Denver Broncos have the most intimidating defense in the NFL and on paper present the Patriots with their greatest challenge. Adding fuel to the fire is that the Broncos’ game will be held in Denver which is traditionally a tough place for any visiting team to get a win.  If the Patriots can get past Denver there does not appear to be too much resistance on the horizon with the exception of a trap game from the Eagles in week 13 or a possible upset in the Meadowlands when the face the Jets on their home turf.

The New England Patriots are currently undefeated at 7-0 and with the looming shadow and obvious circumstantial comparisons of 2007 hanging over their heads, its plausible that they could enter the playoffs at 16-0.  Tom Brady is playing the best football of his entire career, his offense is incredible and his defense is better than most will ever give them credit for. As the half way point of the season reaches to a close this Sunday I think it’s safe to say, the New England Patriots haven’t lost a step. In fact, the defending Super Bowl Champions keep getting better, while ridiculous accusations of cheating and treachery are losing any and all credibility.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL

NFL Week Nine Power Rankings

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Another week, another divisional rival, another ass kicking by the hands of Belichick and the Patriots. Sitting seven rows up from the field on Thursday Night, I got to witness the Pats trouncing the Dolphins in primetime on short rest. Brady played the typical Brady game, throwing the ball with surgeon like precision, while the defense limited Miami to just seven points. The Patriots stayed relatively healthy as a result of the game, and will now prepare for the team from Washington to head to Gillette this Sunday. Unfortunately, we are now halfway through the NFL regular season. It’s a bit depressing isn’t it?

1) New England Patriots – Tom Brady said every good Halloween costume starts with a mustache. I wonder what Giselle thinks of it?

2) Denver Broncos – Manning still couldn’t find the end zone on Sunday Night, but neither could Aaron Rodgers. The Broncos and Patriots will both be undefeated when they play in four weeks.

3) Cincinnati Bengals – A ginger quarterback, a coach with no stones, and a starting corner back known for making it rain beat the Steelers on the road. This Bengals team has my respect, even though I despise them.

4) Carolina Panthers – Carolina will get their doors blown off at home on Sunday against Green Bay. They let a piss poor Colts team hang around like the kid who doesn’t fit in within a group of friends.

5) Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers spent the bye week gazing into Randall Cobb’s misty blue eyes reading haikus, and not preparing for the Broncos. Don’t believe me, how does under 100 yards passing happen?

6) Arizona Cardinals – I don’t like coaches who wear kangols in press conferences and I am not buying what the Cardinals are selling. Let’s see the Cardinals beat someone of significance.

7) Seattle Seahawks – Has Pete and Russell recovered from what Malcolm Butler did to them in February? The offense is putrid and the defense played average against Matty Cassel.

8) Minnesota Vikings – Minnesota is winning football games without Adrian Peterson playing like Adrian Peterson. Maybe someone should start beating him with a switch as if he was American Pharaoh.

9) Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan has that deer in headlights look much like Sam Bradford. However, Ryan has a jersey that fits him, but he also lost to a terrible Tampa team.

10) New Jersey Giants – Tom Coughlin will lose part of his face mid-game before the season is out. #PrayForTomsFace

11) New Jersey Jets – Ryan Fitzpatrick can’t use that left thumb for the next few weeks. Yes, his wife may not be too happy with the injury.

12) Oakland Raiders – I’m happy for Raiders fans. Their team is run by a guy who wears a fanny pack and drives around in a mini-van fit for doomsday maniacs. They also beat the piss out of the Jets.

13) Philadelphia Eagles – Someone find Sam Bradford a jersey that fits him and Demarco Murray may end up like Lance from Varsity Blues before year end, if they keep running him out of the pistol.

14) Miami Dolphins – Miami has a true life bro for a coach. Sadly, that isn’t going to win them many football games.

15) Pittsburgh Steelers – Speaking of old football movies, every time I hear Mike Tomlin speak, I want to hear him say. “Darnell Jefferson, tailback.”

16) St. Louis Rams – Todd Gurley is so filthy it hurts. The Rams still have Napoleon Dynamite as their quarterback, so that’s that.

17) Buffalo Bills – Buffalo had issues with their headsets because the batteries went dead. That is so Bills Mafia it hurts. A bye week for Buffalo may or may not help the morale in Orchard Park.

18) New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees threw for a million yards and half a million touchdowns on Sunday.

19) Indianapolis Colts– I’ve been blocked by Irsay and Kravitz since the start of the NFL season. The theory really is true that every team the Patriots have left in their wake, has become fit for a straight-jacket. Andrew Luck definitely hurt his vagina at some point this season,

20) Dallas Cowboys – Greg Hardy will probably power bomb Jason Garrett on the sideline at some point during the season.

21) Kansas City Chiefs – Eric Berry should clear some space for Comeback Player of the Year award on his mantle. This dude is an inspiration to all. I can’t even hate on the Chiefs.

22) San Diego Chargers– Can’t wait to see some of Hollywood’s finest in the owner’s suites in LA next year. Odds someone OD’s at the opener is at a solid 5/1.

23) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs knocked me out of a suicide pool, and made half the Atlanta fan base go out and buy razor blades and rope after that loss on Sunday.

24) Cleveland Browns – Cleveland puked on themselves McNabb style two weeks ago against Denver. They also are missing their entire starting secondary.

25) Houston Texans – The Texans are contending, somehow, in the AFC South.

26) Baltimore Ravens – Justin Tucker is the MVP of the 2015 Ravens. No Ravens fans that is not something to be proud of.

27) Chicago Bears – The Bears had a week off to plan for AP and a surging Vikings team. How did Jay Cutler prepare for this? Taking the strap on from Kristen Cav and while keeping the Jim Caldwell face on the whole time.

28) Washington Redskins – I need more Kirk Cousins quotes and vines like I need air.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars – Can we please get some sort of road trip down to Jacksonville just to hang in one of those pools? If Khan was smart, he would have brought portable ones to London and had Elizabeth Hurley, Kate Beckinsale, and Emma Watson dancing in them wearing crop top jerseys that said “Shaguars”.

30) Detroit Lions – The Lions went back to being the Lions again. Fat Face really didn’t do himself any favors for the millionth time in a row. I’m sure it was a long flight home from across the pond.

31) San Francisco 49ers – A shiny new stadium, piss poor grass, a coach who with a major case of EBS, and a quarterback who can’t throw is what Niners fans wake up to every damn day. God, it is good to be from New England.

32) Tennessee Titans – Someone has to be the worst team in the league, right?

Mike Procopio
@mikeprocopio on Twitter