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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, 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, 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

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: This Isn’t Missouri, Fans

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History tells us that Missouri is the “Show Me” state. The original phrase is widely credited to Missouri’s U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver in 1899 when, in a speech he said, “I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.”

Cartoon from gobobby.us
Cartoon from gobobby.us

So, “Show Me” New England

How many times do the New England Patriots have to prove themselves to their own fans? New England has now become the “Show Me” area.  Each week the “show me” statements are repeated by fans of the Super Bowls champs. Need a few examples? How about this for starters:

  • At the start of the 2015 season fans were in full “show me” mode when the Patriots lost some key players. In particular Shane Vereen, Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis. Add in the injury to last year’s surprise, Brandon LaFell, Tom Brady’s aging body and – drum roll – it was time for the Patriots to step up and show the doubters (don’t kid yourself, there were many) once again that they could compete with the upper tier in the NFL

On top of that, the Buffalo Bills were reported to have the best defense in the NFL, the NY Jets had a new Head Coach and a world of talent on defense (Mr. Revis had turned traitor and moved his island to where the money was) and Miami…my God, they had signed Greg Jennings (Pats fans wanted him in New England), the world’s greatest pass rusher Ndamukong Suh, CB Brice McCain and a host of 2nd tier players.

Was it possible that all three teams had pumped up their game while the Patriots, on paper, had deflated theirs? (I’m sorry, but the devil made me say that)

Ben Roethlisberger complains about Patriots goal line formation move drawing the Steeler offside
Ben Roethlisberger complains about Patriots goal line formation move drawing the Steelers offside

1. The first test was the Pittsburgh Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown to challenge a secondary that, at best, was suspect. With Brady freed from his four game suspension the question was, can he overcome his off season distraction? The Patriots, playing at Gillette Stadium, were a 7 point favorite going into the game, but everyone was concerned…c’mon team, time to “Show Me.” Final Score: Patriots 28 Steelers 21…and the game wasn’t that close.

2. …But wait, that win was nice, but now the Patriots had to travel to Buffalo with Rex Ryan churning the upstate New York fans into a frenzy (what’s new) because he had the best defense in the NFL and the team was just plain mean! A road game

Buffalo Bills free safety Aaron Williams (23) tackles New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) in the end zone during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Williams was injured on the play as Edelman scored. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)
Julian Edelman scores to help beat the Bills (Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in Orchard Park, N.Y. AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

against a rabid fan base chomping at the bit to chew up and spit out the team with the Elvis logo. Buffalo players had spittle drooling from the corner of their mouth as the two teams took the field. New England fans didn’t want to admit it…but they were worried. It was “Show Me” time again, as Brady’s offensive line was in a shambles and the Bills pass rush was unstoppable. Final Score: Patriots 40 Bills 32…and once again the score was deceptive as New England rolled to win #2.

3. After dismantling the Jaguars and Cowboys and going 4-0 it was time for the game fans had been waiting a year for.  The ol’ tattle-tale, whiny Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck returned after missing two games with an injured right shoulder, but everyone was predicting a blowout and Brady taking revenge on the team that caused his worst off-season in 16 years in the NFL. It wasn’t to be. At halftime the Pats trailed 21-20 and things weren’t going as expected.

In the second half New England pulled the game out…but not without some help from the Colt’s coaching staff calling the worst play in NFL history (yes, even worse than Pete Carroll’s Super Bowl disaster). Result: Patriots 34 Colts 27. Once again, fans showed some concern and the time had come for a true test.

Danny Amondola makes an acrobatic catch in win over the Jets (Photo David Silverman, Patriots.com)
Danny Amondola makes an acrobatic catch in win over the Jets (Photo David Silverman, Patriots.com)

4. The NY Jets, the new darlings of the NFL, were coming to Foxborough. Yeah, I know, you’ve heard this before, the NFL’s top ranked defense. A Jets win and the two teams would be sharing first place in the AFC East. Man, what could the Patriots do with a battered OL and just 18 players dressed on offense? Time for Superman, Tom Brady, to step up and “show me” he could carry the team to win #6. The Jets sacked Brady three times and otherwise made him uncomfortable in the pocket to take a 13-10 halftime lead.

The Patriots were passing on nearly every down and being questioned about their play calling as the second half began. Time for Mr. Brady to “show me” why he is the greatest QB in the history of the NFL…and he did. Against this supposedly great defense he completed 34 passes for 355 yards, threw for 2 TDs and ran for another while the defense stopped the feared Jets running game (Chris Ivory, who entered as the AFC’s leading rusher, was held to 41 yards on 17 carries) on the way a 30-23 win.

5. You would think the Jets win would calm the waters, but it wasn’t so. Suddenly the Miami Dolphins were playing up to expectations after firing their Head Coach, Joe (Tiger) Philben, and putting Tight End Coach Dan (Gung-ho) Campbell in charge. He was an emotional guy and the players loved the fact Campbell was giving them a free hand to play the way they wanted to. In his first two games as Head Coach the ‘Fins destroyed Tennessee and Houston (two NFL powers!), running up 82 points and the combination of Suh and Cameron Wake were suddenly sacking everything but the groceries. After wiping the field with Miami, 36-7, the Patriots ran their record to 7-0.

10-29 Nink sacks Tannehill (Photo: Keith Nordstrom Patriots.com)
Ninkovich and Jones sack Tannehill (Photo: Keith Nordstrom Patriots.com)

Show Me More

Common sense says, after going 7-0 with no real challenge, New England fans would be ready to relax a bit. No need to get worried about the future. Well, that’s just not the way we New Englanders react. We’re not happy unless we have something to worry about. After Denver slaughtered Green Bay Sunday night, holding Aaron Rodgers to 77 passing yards, and now trading for TE Vernon Davis, the “show me”ites are back.

Problem is, there are still 3 games to go before the Patriots travel to the mile high city (Nov. 29) for their Sunday Night battle. So, before that happens Washington, NY (Giants) and Buffalo have to “show me” they are up to the task of staying on the field with the current Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.

This weeks worry is that the Skins is a trap game…so once again it’s time for the best team in the NFL to show everyone that there is no such thing as a trap when Bill Belichick is your coach.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL Week Eight Power Rankings

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There is no secret sauce when it comes to winning football games in the NFL. A solid quarterback, a coach who halfway knows what he is doing, and players that don’t puke on themselves when the situation is at its biggest. I’m completely astounded by the dysfunction I witness on a weekly basis around the league. Whether it is keeping your emotions in check, protecting the football, or just basic clock management, you’ll see teams that resemble the Little Giants more than a professional football team. Thankfully, I’m from New England and we aren’t susceptible to such idiocrasy. Somehow, we make teams outthink themselves and completely unravel during the biggest moments. Todd Bowles decided to NOT call timeout when the clock was running with New England deep in their territory, blitzed everyone in the Tri-State area but Hillary Clinton, and leave Gronk uncovered for the game winning touchdown. It was a ho hum, keep it moving, one step closer to hat & t-shirt day for the Patriots. Next up, we have the Southeast Sashimi on short rest.

1) New England Patriots – Tom Brady told everyone he barely washes his jeans. So, that new bottle of laundry detergent I got is getting dumped down the drain immediately.

2) Green Bay Packers – Coming off a Bye week.

3) Cincinnati Bengals – Coming off a Bye week.

4) Carolina Panthers – The Panthers are for real it seems, and Sage Rosenfels doesn’t like Cam Newton. I feel your pain Sage.

5) Denver Broncos – Coming off a Bye week.

6) Arizona Cardinals – Arizona SHOULD have blown the doors off of a struggling Baltimore team, but didn’t.

7) New Jersey Jets – Brandon Marshall had a chance to make Sunday’s game a lot more interesting, and I hope Phil Simms and Boomer emasculate him on Inside the NFL this week.

8) Atlanta Falcons – Atlanta’s defense won them a game in Music City. They beat the Selfie King, so measure that how you will.

9) New Jersey Giants – If the Giants can get any sort of running game going, they are going to be tough to beat come January. Their defense is starting to really come together.

10) Seattle Seahawks – Has Petey and Russell recovered to what Malcom Butler did to them in February? I am not too sure they have.

11) Minnesota Vikings – Minnesota is winning football games without Adrian Peterson playing like Adrian Peterson. They should be a playoff team when the time comes.

12) Miami Dolphins – OK Sashimi, we’ll see if you are for real come Thursday in Foxboro.

13) Philadelphia Eagles – How many times can you run a delayed hand off and throw the ball into the flat? My Lord, are the Eagles painful to watch. I can only imagine how it looks to a Philly fan.

14) Pittsburgh Steelers – It is clear as day the Steelers need Big Ben back to make any kind of noise in the AFC. After the undefeated teams in the conference and the Jets, it is a complete dumpster fire.

15) Oakland Raiders – Don’t look now, the Raiders won a road game! Amari Cooper all but has the AFC ROY on his mantle already.

16) Buffalo Bills – Buffalo lost to Gus Bradley’s Jaguars in London. This was the team that Rex said nobody is going to want to play and he was building a bully. I assume he meant a litter of French bulldogs?

17) San Diego Chargers– Outside of Indianapolis, they may be the most disappointing team in the AFC. Danny Woodhead and Philip Rivers fantasy points won some folks a good chunk of change over the weekend I assume.

18) St. Louis Rams – Todd Gurley may already be the best running back in his conference. I’m a million, billion percent serious.

19) Indianapolis Colts– Chuck Pagano was happy how his team played in the 2nd half? My Lord are they delusional. For the record, I think me calling Irsay a drug addict was why he blocked me on social media.

20) Dallas Cowboys – Greg Hardy belongs in a jail cell, not on an NFL field.

21) New Orleans Saints – The Saints won a game not played under the lights of primetime. Someone sound the alarm. Who Dat Nation!

22) 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.

23) Cleveland Browns – That Cleveland offense we saw the week before was nowhere to be found. The Browns run defense looks like some sort of Swiss cheese you’d see on a cheap appetizer platter.

24) Chicago Bears – Coming off a Bye week.

25) Washington Redskins – Kirk Cousins made some Fan Duel players very happy campers with the onslaught of offense he threw on the Bucs.

26) Jacksonville Jaguars – I really wish the Jags brought the white trash pools with them over to London. Either way, they left Harry Potter’s homeland with a victory.

27) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs defense let them down and Lovie Smith is searching for answers.

28) 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.

29) San Francisco 49ers – The Niners are just about at rock bottom, and need to rebuild from the ground up. It starts with the quarterback.

30) Houston Texans – Someone needs to get Ryan Mallett a functioning alarm clock.

31) Baltimore Ravens – Harbaugh using “deception” and failing at it, makes everything a little sweeter today.

32) Tennessee Titans – It is amazing the Titans are still alive in the race for the putrid AFC South.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL

NFL Week Seven Power Rankings

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It wasn’t the blood bath I was hoping for, but the Colts trying to pull off the Annexation of Puerto Rico made it all worthwhile. Indianapolis showed a little bit of pride and finally dropped their nuts after being shoved into a locker in the previous billion meetings. My boys came away with a victory on the road and sit atop the AFC, per usual. However, a tough game looms at home this weekend when a rejuvenated Jets team comes to town. This matchup places the number one offense in the league against the number one defense in a game that will play much closer than people think. The defensive front of the Jets is arguably the best in the league and let’s not forget about number twenty-four in the secondary. Granted, they still have the Amish King running the show on offense, but Todd Bowles led an Arizona defense into Foxboro a few years back and shocked the Patriots. Not sure if this has crossed anyone else’s mind, but we are almost halfway through the regular season. Winter is coming…

1) New England Patriots – If you don’t think Ernie Adams had something to do with the Colts calling that play, you’re lying to yourself.

2) Green Bay Packers – The Denim King proved he was human throwing a few interceptions two weeks back, and the defense let up a quarter-mile worth of passing yards. Yet, the Pack is still undefeated.

3) Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals have the deepest roster in the NFL. Fact, not opinion. Can the Ginger keep up his stellar play when the elements come into play?

4) Denver Broncos – Denver’s defense and special teams has outscored the offense. I picked them to win the Super Bowl, but I don’t think they keep this pace up when the weather declines.

5) Carolina Panthers – Cam Newton did something he hasn’t done since he came into the league. He earned my kudos.

6) Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals lost to Mike Vick and Landry Jones. Plain and simple. I won’t and can’t buy a Carson Palmer led team.

7) New Jersey Jets – Sheldon Richardson is licking his chops for Sunday’s game in New England. Hey Snacks, so is TB12.

8) Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons ran into The Kings of Primetime. Not many people beat the Saints in their own building when the stage is at its biggest.

9) Philadelphia Eagles – When is Chip Kelly going to realize running Demarco Murray laterally out of the pistol is not the best way to use his skillset?

10) Pittsburgh Steelers – Welcome to the NFL Landry Jones. Big Ben should be 100% healthy before he laces up the cleats again, and the organization will be foolish to allow him to do otherwise.

11) New Jersey Giants – I’ve never seen a quarterback make more horrible decisions in my life than Eli Manning. I mean these are the dumbest of dumb throws.

12) Seattle Seahawks – Russell Wilson’s pocket awareness is as sharp as a spork they give to prisoners.

13) Buffalo Bills – The locker room is already starting to unravel halfway through Rex Ryan’s first season.

14) San Diego Chargers– If 502 passing yards isn’t winning you football games, something is wrong on the other side of the ball.

15) Indianapolis Colts– I call it, The Annexation of Puerto Rico.

16) Dallas Cowboys – Bye Week

17) Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings offensive line needs to improve, regardless of the team winning games. AP is the cog that makes that engine go.

18) Miami Dolphins – The Fish seemed to play with a little bit of fire for their new coach. Maybe the Oklahoma drill actually works?

19) Cleveland Browns – Captain Mike must have been sick after that game on Sunday. He had multiple chances to put the Broncos and Manning away, and his team puked on themselves.

20) St. Louis Rams – Bye Week

21) Oakland Raiders – Bye Week

22) Chicago Bears – Alshon Jeffery’s return is going to be huge for the Bears offense. They need more out of the running game from Matt Forte to be competitive though.

23) New Orleans Saints – Brees delivered per usual for the Kings of Primetime.

24) Kansas City Chiefs – The Chiefs may not win more than four games this year. The team is a mess in all three phases of the game.
25) Houston Texans – Deandre Hopkins may be the best receiver in football in only his second year.

26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bye week.

27) Washington Redskins – Gruden making excuses for the weather being too windy for his quarterback is not a good look.

28) Detroit Lions – Fat Face won a game! Fat Face won a game!

29) Jacksonville Jaguars – Not only do the Jaguars stink, they have to make their annual trip across the pond to get beaten by the Bills on Sunday.

30) San Francisco 49ers – I’m happy for Tomasula. We all laughed at his EBS issues in his presser a few weeks back. The Niners put their foot on the gas Sunday against the Ravens, finally. Plenty of pun intended.

31) Baltimore Ravens – Oh Baltimore, you will be 1-6 by this time next week. Life is good.

32) Tennessee Titans – Mariota has a slight MCL sprain. The Selfie King may be taking the snaps for the next few weeks.

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: Halloween Arrives Early In Indy!

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Let’s be honest, the Sunday night match-up between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts didn’t go as planned.

  • No, not because the Patriots only won by 7 points, 34-27 (should have been 34-21, but Colts scored a garbage time TD).
  • It wasn’t because LeGarrette Blount “only” ran for 93 yards.
  • It wasn’t even because Julian Edeleman actually dropped three passes, one leading to a pick six by the Colts.

It was because…are you ready?…the Colts thought it was already Halloween and decided it was going to be “trick” not “treat” night at Lucas Oil Stadium.

There were ghosts, goblins, witches and lots of tricks

The ghosts of years past were in the air and on the field as the Colts received the opening kick-off and marched 90 yards with

Julian Edelman scores as he's hit by Colts strong safety Mike Adams (29) and inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (52) . (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Julian Edelman scores as he’s hit by Colts strong safety Mike Adams (29) and inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson (52) . (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

relative ease to take a quick 7-0 lead.

New England returned the favor with an 80 yard drive of their own, culminating withJulian Edelman scoring his fourth receiving TD of the season, knotting the game at 7-7

Things settled down for a while before the witches stepped in and put a hex on Edelman, causing him to injure his finger and start dropping passes. The most damaging drop occurring in the 2nd quarter, when a Tom Brady pass bounced off #11’s hands into the waiting arms of Mike Adams, who scampered 14 yards down the sidelines to give the Colts a 14-10 lead.

The pass was Brady’s 1st interception of the year, but the blame fell squarely on those damned witches as they made the perfect pass bounce off the usually sure hands of the hexed Edelman.

At this point the Goblins entered the head of Indy Head Chuck Pagano. As visions of sugar plums danced in his head, oh wait a minute…back-up, that’s Christmas. Thinking this was time to spring surprise #1 of the game, the infamous on-side kick, Pagano and his special teams coach went for it.

It was just the 2nd quarter, but surely this would surprise New England Head Coach Bill Belichick. As the ball squirted from hand to hand before falling under the prone body of Patriot Josh Kline it looked like the greased pig contest we’ve all seen at the State Fair. As bodies un-piled the officials took the still inflated ball and loudly proclaimed “New England’s Ball.”

…But wait, there’s more

Pagano was in shock. My God, how could that be, he thought, as his head spun (kinda like in the movie The Exorcist). Knowing exactly what to do, he grabbed the red flag from his sock and hurled it on the field to challenge the play.  “Upon further review their was no clear view of the fumble recovery, therefore the initial call stands” blared through the PA system.

Six plays later Blount rumbled 38 yards “giving” the Patriots back the lead, 17-14.

LeGarrette Blount runs for a 38-yard touchdown after the Colts botch an on-side kick (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
LeGarrette Blount runs for a 38-yard touchdown after the Colts botch an on-side kick (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

The Colts scored another TD and the Patriots a last second field goal as the hectic half ended 21-20 and everyone took a deep breath…and believe me, they would need it.

The Play Of The Game

The Colts kicked off to start the second half and Rob Gronkowski scored his first TD in the last 3 games to put New England up 27-21. With the same score and 1:14 left in the 3rd quarter the Colts went to a play that makes the Seahawks Super Bowl loss pass look a great call. And here it is in all it’s glory:
Possibly The Worst Play In NFL History?

You have to give Pagano credit, per Ian O’Connor, ESPN Senior Writer, after the game he said “I take full responsibility for that,” as if he had any other choice.

As far as the Patriots being unprepared for either that play, or the earlier onside kick, here is Coach Belichick’s post-game response “We expected this to be a gadget game in the kicking game,” The man has his team prepared for almost everything, yet other coaches continue to try to trick plays that look foolish.

Talk About Athleticism – Meet Jamie Collins

After the Colts scored their final TD with 1:26 left in the game the Halloween Theme continued when Patriots LB Jamie Collins had the most athletic play of the game…with a little help from the ghosts of games past. Check it out. If you look real closely, you’ll see them pushing him up and over on this extra point attempt http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000560794/Can-t-Miss-Play-Collins-hurdles-line-and-blocks-PAT

Right about now Colts fans are spouting the line “it was a moral victory”…or “we gave them the game”. No matter what, one thing is obvious…the Baltimore, oops, Indianapolis Colts were running scared even though they held the lead at halftime 21-20. Play calling was in respect for what the Patriots could do and in fear of what the night would bring.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: And The Winner Is….

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Sunday night the New England Patriots continued the “2015 Tom Brady Revenge Tour” against the Indianapolis Colts, the team that jump started the worst off-season for a player and team since…since….oh yeah, that other tight end decided that life was too dull to just play football (Hint: He’s in jail for murder).

The Patriots won with relative ease, 34-27, and had opportunities to run the score up, but refrained from doing so. So, let’s take a quick look at who the “Deflategate” winners and losers were after week 6 of the 2015 season.

Surprise Winners

New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot, and fans cheer during an NFL football send-off rally at City Hall in Boston (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot, and fans cheer during an NFL football send-off rally at City Hall in Boston (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
  • New England Patriot Fans

We all want to be martyrs because “our” team got beat-up soooooo bad in the off-season. But how can fans be losers when New England is 5-0 and remains as the favorite to win their 5th Super Bowl and second straight.  It is easy to feel everyone hates us, but c’mon, it’s not everyone.  The Patriots are now getting the respect they deserve with no one (except Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin) thinking they would be dumb enough to be cheating this year.

Should they go all-the-way even the biggest, most avid haters will be forced to admit it is legit. Just think, the silence will be deafening from all those losers who want to blame the Patriots for all their team’s ills.

  • The NFL

The NFL may be losers and buffoons in court, but all the off-season publicity, more bad than good, kept them in front of the media and the sport on the front page year-long. No other sport came close to the coverage Roger Goodell and his band of pirates got. Ratings up, attendance remains outstanding and the $$$$$ keeps rolling in.

Are you ready for this?????

  • Tom Brady

All right, wait a minute. Don’t bring in the guys with the strait-jackets…think about it. Tom Brady is probably the most self-motivated player in the NFL, but really, after winning his 4th ring do you legitimately think he would have had the fire-in-the-eyes he has this year .? He had nothing more to prove until the NFL lit his fire (cue up the late Jim Morrison and the Doors. If you don’t get the musical reference, ask someone over 40).

Hell, at this time last year many were calling him old and feeble. This year he’s been rejuvenated. Is it his guru? His diet? Or, could it be, he wants to make Commissioner Roger Goodell look like the pompous ass he is as he hands Brady the MVP and Super Bowl Trophies again…while the greatest QB in the NFL smirks and walks away?

Big Losers

  • Indianapolis Colts (3-3)
Andrew Luck's offensive line has been bad again (Photo: Getty Images)
Andrew Luck’s offensive line has been bad again (Photo: Getty Images)

Instead of Super Bowl contenders, as predicted by NFL experts, the Colts have become a shell of what they were in 2014. Injuries to Andrew Luck, ILB Jarrell Freeman, RB Tyler Varga. DT Arthur Jones & on & on have lowered expectations. Luck played Sunday, but it didn’t help. Prior to Sundays performance, he had been hexed with a poor offensive line, a 56% completion rate, more interceptions (7) than TDs (5) and a QBR of 65.1 Yes, they are 3-3, but their three wins are by a total of 12 points against Tennessee, Jacksonville and Houston. They played the Patriots tougher than expected, but other than their final drive they were shut out in the second half after leading at halftime (sound familiar).

  • Baltimore Ravens (1-5)

This time its Queen’s turn as “Another One Bites The Dust.” Baltimore was also among the Super Bowl contenders that has fallen apart early in the season. What goes around, comes around. Most football fans in New England believe the Ravens urged the Colts to “check their balls” in last years playoffs. That was after Head Coach John Harbaugh complained the Patriots used an illegal formation (not true), confusing the poor Raven players and coaches in their loss the week before the Colts went down. Despite confirmation by officials that the Patriots formation was within the rules, the Ravens whined so much the rules committee tweaked the rule for 2015.

Bottom line: The Ravens Head Coach did not know the rules and Bill Belichick did. Oh, by the way, Baltimore used a similar formation this year!

  • Robert Kraft/ New England Patriots

In a naïve move Mr. Kraft felt that Commissioner Goodell would see the error of his ways and drop the persecution/prosecution of his adopted son, Tom Brady and, without a fight, gave-up draft picks and $1M dollars to “make Deflategate go away.” ‘Nuff said!.

It will take the full year before a complete evaluation of “Deflategate” winners and losers can be analyzed, but so far the results sure are promising.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob