All posts by Bill Bodell

Studying Communications and Sports Management at Southern New Hampshire University Follow on twitter @BBodell14
AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Things To Watch For

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It’s been a long six months but what we’ve all been waiting for is almost finally here with the Patriots set to open Training Camp Wednesday, with the first practice open to the public on Thursday. Here are some things I will be watching for once the Patriots kick off training camp.

 

Quarterback Reps

Maybe the most obvious thing that will be mentioned on this list and for good reason as it will be the most important. As we all know Tom Brady ended his DeflateGate appeal snd will be missing the first four games of the regular season. As part of this suspension brady can not be around the team, practice with the team, be at the stadium, or even have contact with anyone from the team until his suspension is over. This puts the Patriots in a tough position of how they should split first team reps in training camp and preseason games between Brady, Garoppolo and even rookie third round pick Jacoby Brissett. Brady has been the leader of the team the past 15 years and has been playing with the core of the offense with the past three seasons, though he has the chemistry with Gronk, Edelman and Amendola you don’t want him not taking many snaps with these guys in camp then missing the first four games and have him come back where the guys could be out of chemistry and out of sync a little bit. Then you face the problem of having to make sure Garoppolo is ready to play in those first four games and can build up a chemistry with the first team offense. Garoppolo has yet to really play a true meaningful down in the NFL and getting him prepared is the biggest key for the team heading into the regular season. The team even has to mix Jacoby Brissett in for snaps just incase Garoppolo gets injured or isn’t playing well and the team has to make a change during the first four weeks of the season.

NEL_0500.JPG
via bostonherald.com

 

D.J. Foster

D.J. Foster is a name that is not known by many, but one people will be hearing a lot about this preseason. Foster is an undrafted rookie free agent out of Arizona State who is listed as a running back, but is more of a receiver than a running back which will help him and was known as more of an offensive weapon for the Sun Devils. It’s no secret that coach Bill Belichick loves versatility in his players and that a receiving back has played a huge role in the teams offense during the Belichick era. Dion Lewis will be starting training camp off on the PUP list which will give Foster even more of an opportunity to show what he can do on the field and fight for his roster spot. With running backs LaGarrette Blount and James White very much fighting for their own spot on the roster, Foster should get many opportunities to prove himself and earn a spot on the teams final roster.

foster patriots
via patriots.com

 

Offensive Line

The Patriots offensive line was absolutely terrible last year, partly due to injury and partly due to all around poor play. Long time offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia even came out of retirement because he couldn’t stand watching his offensive line play so bad anymore. The Patriots made a few offensive line acquisitions this offseason most notably Jonathan Cooper in a trade from Arizona and third round pick Joe Thuney from NC State. Cooper was the seventh overall pick of the first round pick back in 2013 and struggled in Arizona in large part due to injury, as well as the team trying to move him from guard to center. Cooper is known for having a little bit of a mean streak which is something that Dante Scarnecchia loves in his players and something that really all offensive lineman should have. Thuney played tackle during his time at NC State but said he sees himself as more of a guard in the NFL.Even with Thuney being more of a guard than a tackle at the pro level the versatility he can provide is something that the Patriots covet in him. With offensive lineman Shaq Mason, Tre Jackson and Sebastian Vollmer all being placed on the PUP list to start training camp Cooper and Thuney should get a lot of snaps with the first team offense and could very well be the week one starters.

Jonathan Cooper
vis bostonherald.com

 

Edge Rushers

The Patriots traded their top pass rusher this offseason to Arizona for a second round pick and the aforementioned Jonathan Cooper as Jones was entering the final year of his rookie contract and the team was unlikely to sign him after the season. Jamaal Sheard and Rob Ninkovich are locks to make the roster and be starters after both played very well last season. The team also added veteran defensive end Chris Long who was released by the St. Louis Rams this offseason. Long has taken a few steps back the past few seasons from his former Pro Bowl days at the beginning of his career. Long signed a very team friendly deal with New England because he wanted to go to a place where he could not only contribute but more importantly win. If Long can stay healthy and play in a limited role like Jabaal Sheard did last season, Long could have a very good season in New England. The Patriots will also look to second year men Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers to step up and contribute to the teams pass rush this season. Both Grissom and Flowers looked good in preseason last year but saw very limited playing time during the regular season with Grissom only collecting one sack and Flowers only appearing in one game. Flowers is more of a true pass rusher than Grissom and can’t wait to see how they involve him in the defense once camp starts.The teams pass rush this year could be a weak spot on this defense or be quietly very good.

New England Patriots vs Green Bay Packers
via patriots.com

 

Cyrus Jones and Darryl Roberts

The Patriots secondary was very good last season and better than most people had expected. Malcolm Butler proved that he could be a true number one corner in the NFL and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his young career. Logan Ryan went on to have a fantastic season and at times outshining Butler in the secondary and had a good 5-6 game span where he was dominant lining up opposite from Butler. Where the Patriots did tend to struggle last season was the slot corner. Guys were constantly being mixed in such as Justin Coleman and Leonard Johnson, and though they had their moments they often struggled. The team went on to draft Alabama corner Cyrus Jones in the second round, Jones has been deemed a little undersized but has very good speed and quickness as well as playmaking skills which could make him a great fit as the teams slot corner.Jones would constantly go up against some of college football’s top wide receivers playing in the SEC and would hardly ever get beaten. Jones should make an immediate impact in the secondary whether he be the teams slot corner or end up being a starter at some point throughout the season. Jones was also the top returner in college football last season and is expected to take over the kickoff and punt returning duties in New England. Darryl Roberts is a former seventh round pick out of Marshall who is entering his second season with the Patriots. Roberts was generating a lot of buzz for himself last preseason during training camp and was looked at as a potential starter to begin the season. Roberts ended up starting the first preseason game opposite Malcolm Butler against the Green Bay Packers, and then ended up breaking his arm on the second defensive series. He was later placed on season-ending injured reserve. Roberts should be easily 100% healthy entering training camp and will hopefully continue where he left off last year. If Roberts can come back healthy and looking as good as he can be, and Jones can step in and be a contributor the Patriots could build up a very good and very young secondary.

cyrus jones
via patriots.com
AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Tom Brady’s 2nd Circuit Appeal Denied; Thoughts and What’s Next

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Tom Brady’s appeal of his “DeflateGate” suspension has been denied by the 2nd U.S. Circuit of Appeals, announced Tuesday morning. It is expected that Brady and his legal team will make one last appeal to the Supreme Court in hopes of having the suspension overturned, Brady’s last hope and chance of his suspension overturned and him being allowed to play the first four games of the regular season.

I’m honestly shocked after hearing the news that the 2nd Circuit has denied Brady’s request of an appeal. The decision took longer than it was expected to make, which for me sounded like a good thing seeing as from what I’ve heard most 2nd Circuit appeal decisions are made quick and usually a denial.

via bostonglobe.com
via bostonglobe.com

As shocked as I am about Brady’s appeal being completely denied; I am more surprised that the biggest joke scandal in the history of all sports is still going on and being talked about and that the league is still going after the best player who has ever played in it, someone who has never any wrong, who has played the game the right way, who has been a model citizen on and off the field who the only time you hear his name during the off-season is when he’s doing his Best Buddy charity events and this is the guy the NFL is still going after? Who cares about Greg Hardy beating the living hell out of his girlfriend who was suspended 10 games which was then later reduced to four, or Sheldon Richardson’s high speed police chase with loaded handguns, marijuana and a 12-year old boy in the car and was suspended for only ONE game.  Hell Isaiah Crowell posted a cartoon image of an African American man slicing the throat of a cop on his Instagram page in wake of all that has been happening in the news recently and that has barely been talked about, but thats fine also in the eyes of the league. These are the real model citizens of the world right NFL? Goodell said Brady “ruined the integrity of the game” when first giving out the suspension over a year ago for having no proof that Brady or anyone else for that matter actually did anything wrong, these guys have helped ruin the integrity of the human race but I guess thats fine in the eyes of Roger Goodell and the NFL.

The Patriots are set to start the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals on September 11th against the Arizona Cardinals. With Brady this would look to be one of the better games of the whole NFL season with both teams making deep playoff runs last season. Now Jimmy Garoppolo could be inline to start the regular season opener against a tough Cardinals defense as well as the teams next three games if Brady’s suspension is not overturned prior to the start of the season.  Personally, I have never been a fan of Garoppolo and do not see what many others see and do not see him being the successor to the greatest quarterback of all-time in Tom Brady like many others inside and outside of the organization have. If Jimmy G does indeed end up playing the first four games of the regular season it will be interesting to see how he does as the teams starting quarterback and if he can either build up some trade value or prove to everyone that he can be a legit NFL starting quarterback and the guy for the Patriots down the road.

via sportsworldreport.com
via sportsworldreport.com

As much as I would love for this BS joke of a scandal to be over with and end i want Brady to keep fighting and prove his innocence to the world. And one thing that the league should already know by now, Brady is not the guy you wanna piss off. he will come for you and he will dominate you. Teams should be more worried that Brady is suspended because if he is he is going to comeback with an unstoppable fury and continue to prove his greatness and dominate the league once again.

AFC, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots vs Bills Preview

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THE 9-0 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WILL BE HOSTING THE 5-4 BUFFALO BILLS MONDAY NIGHT AT GILLETTE STADIUM FOR THE SECOND MATCHUP OF THE YEAR BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS.

IN WEEK 2 THE PATRIOTS DEFEATED THE BILLS 40-32 IN A GAME THAT DIDN’T SEEM AS CLOSE AS IT LOOKED ON THE SCOREBOARD. THE PATRIOTS LED AND CONTROLLED THE TEMPO FOR PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE GAME. TOM BRADY DID TOM BRADY THINGS THROWING FOR 466 YARDS AND 3 TOUCHDOWNS AGAINST A GOOD REX RYAN COACHED DEFENSE THAT CAME OFF A BIG WIN AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS THE WEEK BEFORE. TIGHT END ROB GRONKOWSKI ALSO HAD A BIG GAME IN HIS HOME COMING GAME AGAINST THE BUFFALO BILLS HAULING IN 7 RECEPTIONS FOR 113 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN. FOR THE BILLS THEIR QUARTERBACK TYROD TAYLOR, WHO WAS ONLY MAKING HIS SECOND CAREER START, PLAYED VERY WELL BOTH PASSING AND RUNNING THE BALL AGAINST THE NEW ENGLAND DEFENSE WHICH HELPED BRING HIS TEAM BACK LATE IN THE FOURTH.

NOW IN WEEK 11 SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE WEEK 2, NO DION LEWIS OR JULIAN EDELMAN FOR THE PATRIOTS AMONGST MANY OTHER INJURIES FOR THE TEAM INCLUDING LINEBACKER JAMIE COLLINS WHO LOOKS LIKE HE IS GOING TO MISS HIS THIRD STRAIGHT GAME WITH AN ILLNESS. FOR THE BILLS, THERE NOT GETTING THE SAME CONSISTENT PLAY OUT OF THEIR QUARTERBACK TYROD TAYLOR AS THEY ONCE DID, HAVE HAD DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES AT POINTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND HAVE ALSO DEALT WITH INJURIES TO PLAYERS INCLUDING PERCY HARVIN AND LESEAN MCCOY WHO HAS MISSED TIME THIS YEAR.

A KEY FOR NEW ENGLAND THIS GAME WILL BE TO GET SOME GUYS BACK FROM INJURY, ESPECIALLY ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE. THE OFFENSIVE LINE HAS PLAYED PRETTY WELL SO FAR EVEN WITH ALL THE INJURIES BUT AFTER LOSING ANOTHER KEY PIECE TO THE OFFENSE IN JULIAN EDELMAN, HAVING A HEALTHY OFFENSIVE LINE AND GIVING TOM BRADY MORE TIME TO HOLD ONTO THE BALL AND MAKE A DECISION WILL BE CRUCIAL.  ANOTHER KEY TO THE GAME THIS WEEK FOR THE PATRIOTS WILL BE TO COVER BILLS TIGHT END CHARLES CLAY. THE PATS HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE THIS YEAR IN COVERING OPPOSING TIGHT ENDS, MOST RECENTLY AGAINST THE GIANTS WILL TYE, WHO I NEVER EVEN HEARD OF BEFORE LAST WEEKS’ GAME. CLAY HAS GOOD SIZE AND GOOD SPEED AND GOOD SIZE AND CAN MAKE DEFENSES PAY IF YOU LEAVE HIM OPEN IN THE FIELD. ANOTHER KEY TO THE PATRIOTS DEFENSE WILL BE TO NOT ALLOW TYROD TAYLOR TO ESCAPE THE POCKET, TAYLOR IS MORE DANGEROUS RUNNING THE BALL THAN HE IS THROWING THE BALL AND IS DANGEROUS WHEN THROWING ON THE RUN, BUT DOESN’T HAVE GREAT POCKET PRESENCE. IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM IN THE POCKET AND CAN GET THE LEAGUES LEADER IN SACKS IN CHANDLER JONES GET AFTER HIM IT WILL CERTAINLY RATTLE TAYLOR AND FORCE HIM TO MAKE MISTAKES.

FOR BUFFALO IT WILL BE TO GET TAYLOR OPEN ROOM TO MOVE, WHETHER IT BE IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, HE CAN BE SCARY WHEN HE WAS ROOM TO MOVE WITH HIS ARM STRENGTH AND SPEED. ANOTHER WILL BE FOR THE BILLS DEFENSE TO STOP THE PATRIOTS MACHINE OF AN OFFENSE. EVEN WITH ALL THE INJURIES IT WILL BE A LOT HARDER SAID THEN DONE, AFTER EDELMAN LEFT LAST WEEK’S GAME DANNY AMENDOLA STEPPED UP IN HIS ROLE AND CAUGHT 10 BALLS FOR 79 YARDS. THEN OF COURSE THERE IS THE BEST TIGHT END IN THE LEAGUE ROB GRONKOWSKI, BILLS CORNER STEPHON GILMORE CAME OUT THIS WEEK AND SAID THE TEAM HAD A GAME-PLAN TO TAKE GRONK OUT OF THE GAME. THEY SAID THE SAME THING LAST TIME, THE BILLS HAVE TWO YOUNG VERY GOOD CORNERS IN STEPHON GILMORE AND ROOKIE RONALD DARBY BUT LET’S FACE IT, YOU CAN NOT STOP ROB GRONKOWSKI HE IS TOO GOOD OF A PLAYER TO BE STOPPED. AND THEN OF COURSE THERE’S TOM BRADY WHO’S JUST PLAYING OUT OF HIS MIND AND PLAYING THE BEST FOOTBALL OF HIS LIFE AT 38 YEARS OLD.

THE BILLS COULD MAKE THIS A GAME, BUT JUST LIKE LAST TIME THE SCOREBOARD WONT TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH. THE PATRIOTS WILL WIN THIS GAME IN GILLETTE WITH EASE FOR THE MOST PART OF THE GAME AND MOVE ON TO 10-0.

 

AFC, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots vs. Colts: The matchup we’ve all been waiting for

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The time we’ve all been waiting for is soon upon us, week 6 of the NFL season Patriots vs. Colts. As we all already know the Colts are the team that started the whole “DeflateGate” BS that has been the biggest news story since the news broke after the beat down the Patriots put on the Colts in the AFC Championship game last season.

via mstarz.com
via mstarz.com

This game is going to be a complete embarrassment for the Indianapolis Colts. He Patriots have the biggest edge and chip on their shoulders of all-time and are playing with a vengeance right now, and will even more against the Colts this Sunday. Tom Brady has been playing at an unreal level, he’s pissed and has been pissed the past 9 months and has taken it out his anger so far this year on the Patriots opponents. Brady is going to be even more fired up this Sunday against the Colts, they started everything that went on this offseason and tried to ruin Brady’s name and reputation that he has worked so hard for over his career. The Colts should be scared; though Brady and the Patriots will say this is just another game we all know it isn’t. The past few games New England has played against the Colts they have buried the Colts, mostly running it down their throats with the Colts having no answer to stop the Patriots. This week I think it’s going to be all Brady. He’s going to come out and throw all over this Colts defense and show them that he is the greatest of all-time and is playing at maybe the best level he has throughout his career at age 38. The Colts should be worried because this is going to be a complete and utter embarrassment for the Colts and I cant wait to watch it.

via bleacherreport.com
via bleacherreport.com

The Patriots as a team are playing phenomenal football right now, while the Colts are not. The Patriots are 4-0 and it hasn’t been close at all. The Colts are 3-2 coming off wins where they barely beat the Jaguars and Texans and their star quarterback Andrew Luck has mightily underperformed this season and have looked better with backup Matt Hasslebeck under center. The Patriots have Brady’s back and there all fired up and playing at a whole different intensity level this year and will especially this game. The defense is going to get at whoever is under center for the Colts and give them a hard day, while the offense is just going to continue to dominate like they have all year.

The Colts haven’t been saying the Patriots name in interviews this week; this just proves even more that there scared. They want to make it seem like it doesn’t matter who there playing this week, it does and they should be worried. The Patriots are just going to keep playing better and better. The Patriots are going to come out and completely dominate this week and I can’t wait to see the beat down we put on Indy. After this game the Colts may want to take down their embarrassing “AFC Finalists” banner because the patriots are going to make that game look like a challenge. The point spread could be Patriots by 100 and I would still take the over. Sunday Night cannot come any sooner, this is going to be the most dominating football game that has ever been played.

via patriots.com
via patriots.com

And just one more thing to throw at the Colts and Colts fans; remember when the Colts traded a first round pick for Trent Richardson? Who was the player they cut to make room for Richardson? Dion Lewis. Thank you for that, we’ll make sure he finds the end zone a few times Sunday Night just to rub it in even more.

AFC, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, NFL

New England vs. Dallas: Patriots Defensive Line against Dallas Offensive Line

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A big focus on this week’s game between the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys will be the Patriots defensive line vs. the Cowboys offensive line. Both are amongst the best in the league for their position groups and a key to victory for New England will be to beat the Cowboys offensive line consistently.

The Patriots defense currently ranks 5th in team sacks, behind the Broncos, Packers, Rams and Steelers who have all played one more game than New England. The Patriots are led by defensive ends Chandler Jones and Jabaal Sheard and linebacker Jamie Collins who make up 8.5 of the teams 13 sacks on the year. Though getting after Brandon Weeden wont be as crucial to the game as it would if Tony Romo was healthy and playing, you don’t want to give any quarterback time in the pocket to make plays and to allow his receivers to get open. The Cowboys had the leagues best offensive line last year headlined by left tackle Tyron Smith and rookie guard Zach Martin and still are the leagues most talented offensive line in the views of most people, despite being amongst one of the leagues most penalized offensive lines early in the season. With that being said, it is a good reason why the Patriots should bring the blitz at Weeden, get after him, and sack him, or be held and move them back and try making Weeden beat you, which lets face it he can’t do.

via cowboysblog.dallasnews.com
via cowboysblog.dallasnews.com

A key will be stopping the Cowboys running game. The Patriots have struggled this year defending the run, they improved vs. Jacksonville but that was in a blowout game where the Jaguars had to throw the ball because they were down by so many points. The Cowboys o-line and running backs are also a lot better than the Jaguars, though Joseph Randle has had fumbling problems as of late and Darren McFadden has looked like he has his whole NFL career, a bust. Travis Frederick and Zach Martin are strong interior blockers and could provide room for whoever is in Dallas’ backfield.

via twitter.com
via twitter.com

In a game that should be an easy win for the Patriots, especially coming off a bye, watching how the defensive line plays will be something of interest to see. The Cowboys offensive line is one of, if not the best in the league and seeing how the Patriots perform against them will be a good test to see if they are as good as they’ve looked so far, and a good test for the defense.

AFC, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, NFL

The Battle of Rising Stars: Malcolm Butler vs. Allen Robinson

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This week’s Patriots vs. Jaguars matchup includes two of the leagues up and coming talent and potential superstars in Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler and Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson facing off against each other.

As we all know Malcolm Butler has done a good job replacing Darrelle Revis as the Patriots number one cornerback and has the making to be one of the leagues top cornerbacks with continued improvement. Jaguars wide receiver is another guy who with more experience and improvement could work himself up the ranks of a top receiver in the NFL. Both players are in their second year and have had strong performances so far this year as well as good showing during their rookie seasons last year. Robinson is coming off a six reception, 155 yard, two-touchdown performance against the Dolphins last week, who were thought to have one of the best defenses in the league entering this season. Robinson was the key in last week’s victory and will be the key for the Jags offense going forward this season and further into the future. Robinson was having a good rookie year before having his season ended early due to a broken foot. He finished his rookie season with 48 receptions for 548 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest key to Robinson’s development may be the play of Jaguars second year quarterback Blake Bortles, who was taken third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Bortles had an inconsistent rookie partly due to a lack of offensive weapons and the poor play from the teams offensive lineman and defense. If Bortles can play with more consistency and get the ball to Robinson, Robinson could be a very good wide receiver in the NFL.

via nfl.com
via nfl.com

We all have seen Butler’s amazing Super Bowl interception and have seen how well he has improved following during training camp, preseason and so far in the regular season. Butler showed his great ball skills again last week when making a great play to pick off a tipped Tyrod Taylor pass. Butler played well covering another one of the leagues top young receivers in Sammy Watkins playing him tight in man coverage and even played well against in my opinion the NFL’s best wide receiver in Antonio Brown. Though Brown has a good game collecting 9 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown, Butler made a few good plays and played good tight coverage on Brown the whole game but like I said Brown’s the best receiver in the NFL and is going to get his each and every game regardless whose covering him. This week will be a different test for Butler going up against Allen Robinson, who stands at 6’3 and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash. I think Butler will be able to cover Robinson well, but the only thing that does worry me is Robinson’s speed and quickness with his height and could be dangerous if he goes deep.

via www.cbssports.com
via http://www.cbssports.com

You never want to go into a game thinking its an easy win, but lets face it it’s the Patriots versus the jaguars this week the Patriots should win pretty easy. The Jaguars haven’t looked bad so far this season starting off 1-1, beating Miami last week and losing a close game against Carolina in week 1 but this is not a team that can beat the Patriots and this will be the biggest matchup to watch during this weeks game.

AFC, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots Defensive Recap vs Buffalo: A Long Day For Tyrod Taylor

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One of the biggest keys entering Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills was for the Patriots to contain and limit Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The Patriots ended up doing this and one of the biggest reasons for this was Chandler Jones, who had a great game recording three sacks on the day.

via www.musketfire.com
via http://www.musketfire.com

Entering the game I said Tyrod Taylor would give the Patriots defense problems due to his mobility, he did do this at times but New England’s defense was able to transition throughout the game and limit Taylor’s effectiveness. On the day Taylor was 23 of 30 passing the ball for 242 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also added 43 rushing yards on five carries with a touchdown. Taylor had a decent game and the numbers make it look better than he performed, besides the three interceptions and a strong comeback performance towards the end of the game when the Patriots began to struggle. The first drive of the game for Buffalo was a strong one, driving down the field and scoring a touchdown. New England defense then stepped up for majority of the game shutting down Buffalo’s offense.

Two key players were defensive end Chandler Jones, and linebacker Jamie Collins. Both recorded multiple sacks on Taylor (Jones 3, Collins 2.5), and also set the outside edge, which stopped Taylor from being able to scramble to the outside and break off large gains. Another player who played well defensively for New England was cornerback Malcolm Butler. This is nothing new to hear for Patriots fans, Butler has been making headlines with his play over the past few months and is looking like he can be a number one corner in the NFL. Butler made a great play off a tipped pass to make his first career regular season interception.

via www.cbssports.com
via http://www.cbssports.com

With the good of the Patriots defense against the Bills there was also some bad. The team gave up 160 yards on the ground. Stopping the run has been a problem for the Patriots over the past few seasons and has been so far this year against both the Bills and the Steelers. Another problem was the team allowed Tyrod Taylor to complete 76.7 percent of his passes. Elite quarterbacks will take more advantage of that than Taylor did, though he performed well besides the three interceptions. Part of the defensive struggles are due to the offense, who struggled in the second half including two failed fourth down conversions, which gave Buffalo good field position on both occasions.

Overall it wasn’t a great defensive performance from the Patriots but it definitely was not terrible. There are things they did really well and some things they need to improve on over the next few weeks. What I can say though is at this point in the season the Patriots look like the best team in the NFL, and it isn’t that close.

AFC, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, NFL

New England vs Buffalo: Tyrod Taylor could be a headache in the making

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The Patriots will be facing off against the Buffalo Bills this week after both teams won in their week one matchups. A key factor in the Bills win against the Colts was due to the strong play of quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

In the past the Patriots have tended to struggle defensively against mobile, speedy quarterbacks and Taylor is just that. Against the Colts Taylor was 14 of 19 passing with 195 yards and a touchdown, adding 41 yards on the ground. Taylor’s mobility helped him move around the pocket and extend plays. His speed and mobility also opened things up for the offense because of his ability to run the option and draw defenders off his offensive weapons.

New Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan knows from his tenure with the Jets that the Patriots have struggled against mobile quarterbacks and has had some success because of it. In the Patriots-Jets first meeting last season, Jets quarterback Geno Smith ran for 37 yards on seven carries and Smiths running ability almost lead to a New York Jets come from behind victory, before Chris Jones blocked a field goal to end the game. In 2013 against the Patriots Smith ran for a combined 50 yards on nine carries, and added a touchdown on the ground. The team also struggled in the Super Bowl with Russell Wilson rushing for 39 yards on three attempts. Rex Ryan has had some success against the Patriots’ defense in the past and knows the team’s weakness and where to attack, especially with the speed and skill set that Tyrod Taylor possesses.

bostonglobe.com
bostonglobe.com

Another reason why Taylor could give New England problems on Sunday is because of his lack of experience. Yes I know this sounds odd but with Taylor’s only career start coming last week against Indianapolis and with limited playing time during the Bills quarterback battle this preseason, there is not much film on Taylor which can make it hard to game plan against. With no film it can be hard to pinpoint weaknesses in Taylor’s game, especially coming off a strong performance last week. I expect the Patriots defense to be better prepared for Taylor than Indianapolis was and for Taylor to not have as good a performance this week that he did last. With that being said, Taylor’s skill set is something Patriots fans should still be worried about with all the different ways that he could beat a team.

I would expect the team to use a quarterback spy on Taylor such as Jamie Collins or Rob Ninkovich. Collins or Ninkovich do not possess the pure speed and quickness that Taylor does but they are both extremely smart, athletic players who could follow Taylor around the field and stop him from breaking off long runs. This would also allow defenders to stay on their man to eliminate potential targets. Ninkovich played a spy role in the Super Bowl against Russell Wilson at times and proved to stop him from scrambling as much and made one of the biggest plays in the game when he sacked Wilson late in the fourth quarter when spying Wilson.

via gazettenet.com
via gazettenet.com

This weekends game between the Patriots and the Bills could shape up to be one of the best games of the regular season. A huge key to victory for the Patriots is slowing down this Tyrod Taylor led Bills offense.

AFC, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Be Afraid NFL, Brady’s Back and he’s pissed

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With the NFL season about to start we can all finally focus on football and not any faulty or biased news going against the Patriots. The man happiest about all of this, Tom Brady. Brady and the whole “DeflateGate” BS scandal has been the news headline for the past seven and a half months and is all that has been talked about. The NFL and ESPN have set out to ruin Brady’s name and his legacy with all of the false information that has been put out and I guarantee that Brady is pissed, and I love it. This is not the guy you want to make mad, when he’s angry he is unstoppable, and on a whole different level and there in no one who can beat him. Now with the season about to be underway Brady can focus on one thing, getting ring number five. I’d like to thank the league in advance for creating this monster who is going to be on the field in 2015 and who is going to lead the Patriots to back to back Super Bowls. (Again)

via gillettesgallerygods.wordpress.com
via gillettesgallerygods.wordpress.com

When the world doubts Brady he pretty much gives them the middle finger, goes out drops 50 points and just dominates and teams should learn this by now and be scared to play Brady and the Patriots. Last years Patriots team struggled out the gate going 2-2 to start the season and suffered an embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first four games Brady passed for only 791 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Critics started coming for Brady saying that he and the Patriots were done and in the words of Trent Dilfer “just not good anymore”. Brady made them eat their words and think twice about what they said going 4-0 over the next four games passing for 1,268 yards and 14 touchdowns with no interceptions. Against the Bears alone Brady looked like he was going to pass for 10 touchdowns passing for five touchdowns and 354 yards only a little into the third quarter before being taken out of the game. Brady finished the year with over 4,100 yards, 33 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in the regular season and his fourth Super Bowl championship.

via titletownsoundoff.com
via titletownsoundoff.com

Brady’s anger, determination and leadership is what lead his team throughout the season and ultimately to the Super Bowl they ended up winning in February. And this anger was only due to people saying that he was no longer an elite quarterback and not at the top of his game, nowhere near what people were saying about him this offseason. He was made out to be a cheater in the public eye and that he was tarnishing the game of football when he did nothing wrong and Judge Richard Berman ultimately agreed with Brady and his team, that he did nothing wrong with no evidence from the league and the Wells Report. The last time something like this happened was in 2007 with the “SpyGate” scandal and Brady played with a vengeance setting many records.

In 2007 Brady passed for over 4,800 yards and set the record for most passing touchdowns in a season in NFL history with 50. Brady played with a vengeance and anger this season that I think will be even worse this season. During this season Steelers safety Anthony Smith made the idiotic claim of guaranteeing a victory against the Patriots. This surely made Brady mad because he threw at Smith time and time again and made him look foolish on the field.

via nydailynews.com
via nydailynews.com

Brady was never referenced as having a role in “SpyGate”, unlike “DeflateGate” has been referenced solely as Brady being involved. During the preseason you could tell Brady didn’t look like himself on or off the field and I think it had a lot to do with everything that was going on. Though the NFL is appealing Judge Berman’s decision to lift Brady’s suspension, this is all pretty much behind Brady and he can focus on doing the thing he loves most playing football. He doesn’t have to worry about having to go to court hearings and having to fight the league he has been apart of the past 16 years about something he had no involvement with. He can go out and focus on playing football each and every week and being the best he can and dominating his opponent, because even though he no longer has to think about “DeflateGate” he is going to take all the anger and emotions he has had about it over the past several months out on the football field and it all starts against Pittsburgh. The Banner is going to be raised, Gillette Stadium will be electric and Tom Brady will be under center playing quarterback and would not surprise me if he goes out there and throws for 400-500 yards and four or five touchdowns. He is going to show no mercy on Pittsburgh or any other opponent this season and the rest of the 31 teams in the NFL should be worried.

AFC, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Stopping Gronk? Good luck with that Pittsburgh

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The Steelers were ranked 27th in pass defense last season and they plan on improving that this season, and according to two Steelers players they plan on doing that in week one by stopping Rob Gronkowski. Yes they seriously think they are going to stop Rob Gronkowski.

via fansided.com
via fansided.com

Steelers’ linebacker Ryan Shazier and safety Mike Mitchell said that the Steelers have a game plan to stop Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in Thursday’s opening game. The two said that they are going to be physical with Gronkowski and not give him an easy welcoming into the 2015 season. The fact that these two could even say this is just foolish. Gronkowski is the best tight end in the league without question, and when healthy might be the most dominating player in the league at any position. You’re going to be physical with Gronkowski? Gronk is 6’6 and 265 pounds of all muscle while Shazier stands 6’2 229 pounds and Mitchell is 6’ 210 pounds, so if you think you’re going to be able to be physical and stop Gronkowski you can have fun with that because it won’t happen.

via zimbio.com
via zimbio.com

Gronkowski has played well against every team he’s played against; one team in particular he has dominated against has been the Steelers. In three games against Pittsburgh, Gronkowski has 309 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Saying you are going to stop Rob Gronkowski is a lot easier said than done. Last season Gronk showed his dominance throughout the whole season by staying healthy and not missing anytime. In 2014 he recorded 82 receptions, 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is a defensive nightmare for opposing teams with his size, strength, speed, catching ability and his ability to block and be physical. Not many in the league are able to match up against Gronk defensively and he has shown time and time again that he just cannot be stopped. Gronkowski will have a great game against Pittsburgh, like he always does, and will go on to have another fantastic and possibly his best season yet in New England.

via sportsofboston.com
via sportsofboston.com

These guys should think next time before they want to make claims like this and talk before playing against the Patriots. Back in 2007 Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a victory against the undefeated Patriots. It didn’t work out too well for Smith whose Steelers were badly beaten 34-13, and Smith was embarrassed multiple times during the game by having Brady just constantly throw at him, constantly beating him. Like the Patriots and Tom Brady didn’t have enough fire and anger entering the 2015 season these two are just adding more fuel to the fire. I’m looking to see Brady and Gronk dominate once again and beat the Steelers, and also hope to see Gronk “throw someone out the club” like he did last year to Colts safety Sergio Brown, quite frankly just because its fun to see.