Last year was bad, but this year has seemed worse. No, I’m not talking about the quality of play in the NFL…I’m talking about seeing a flag dropped on what feels like every play. It turned ridiculous as the 2013 season got underway and it just continues to get more and more annoying each year.
After two games, 2/3 of the teams in the NFL are averaging more penalties per game then they did last year. I don’t care who you root for, that’s not a good sign. The worst offenders are:
After years of denial regarding their responsibility in concussions, the NFL finally realized they were going to continue to lose huge sums of money in player lawsuits. They looked foolish (the NFL looking foolish – no way) by continuing to deny the connection between the violent contact in the sport and head trauma despite the continued piling up of evidence to the contrary. The comparison to tobacco companies claiming there was no link to smoking and cancer comes to mind.
Suddenly the term “had his bell rung” stopped being funny. Getting dinged was now a serious concern.
If those figures are correct no one can complain about the increase in penalties for hits to the head. That said, the penalties that are being called many times now have no impact on concussions.
What About All The “Other” Flags
No one wants to see a player get injured, but let’s face it, everyone playing this game gets hurt sooner or later. The question is, how badly? Throwing 20+ flags in a game doesn’t lower that fact.
When was the last time your team received a punt or kick-off and you didn’t hold your breathe waiting for the infamous “push in the back” flag?”
This is one you see in almost every game at least once (admit it, seems like it is called every time doesn’t it?). Replays often show the contact was borderline at best, but the flags fly. How many times have you watched the replay and it just wasn’t there…or the push in the back was actually on the side as a player turned as he was being hit. Things happen so quickly as players are running full tilt on a collision course while the ball is in the air, making it almost impossible for the officials to see the exact angle of contact. Please, no more time-consuming reviews, but the number of penalties could be cut if officials were told by the league to only throw the flag when the foul is obvious and has an impact on the play.
Don’t you just love that little huddle where the officials gather in a circle for what seems like an eternity (actually just a few seconds) while they discuss who did what to whom and where did it occur. Anyone remember them picking up that flag and saying “Oops, no foul” on that play lately?
Interference – Offensive/Defensive
C’mon man, this one is called numerous times in every game. The ultimate “judgement” call that usually goes in favor of the receiver. The tick-tick barely touch flags need to stop…now! In the New England Patriots 2000-2001 play-off run to their 1st Super Bowl teams along the way (hello, St. Louis) cried the Patriots secondary was playing “too rough” and it was ruining the game.
Ty Law was too “physical” for the Rams
Well, as we all should know by now, the league jumped and things were tightened up, eliminating all “contact” in the passing game. It’s time for the pendulum to swing back to the middle after all these years.
Holding
We’ve all heard that this is something that could be called on every play, and I don’t know about you, but I believe it. Since that is the case, how do officials decide when to throw a flag or let it go. I sure don’t want to see more flags, but right now its way too subjective. Is there a solution to this one?
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
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.
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.
Currently, the Jets and Patriots are tied atop of the AFC East with the Dolphins and Bills at 1-1. Is the AFC East much different than last year? The Bills look like a typical Rex Ryan team, a lot of vibrato after beating the most overrated team in the NFL in Week One and then crashing to earth against a team with actual talent. The Jets are undefeated, yet struggled against the hapless Colts and destroyed the dangerous tandem of McCown/Manziel in Cleveland. Miami snuck by Washington and lost to the Jags. Not saying the Patriots don’t have faults (i.e. their run defense), but it seems like the flaws of these teams will do them in again. Even though it’s early, Pats fans should get their popcorn ready and enjoy this season.
The run defense has been the biggest issue so far this season. The Steelers and Bills both ran very well against New England and Belichick and Company have noted this. Bringing in two defensive tackles (6’1, 340 LB Ishmaa’ily Kitchen and 6’6 330 LB Kendrick Ellis) of note means that they recognize this as an issue. It would be interesting to see if they sign one of these players, but the trio of Alan Branch, Sealver Siliga and Malcom Brown aren’t cutting it at the moment. How can this be resolved? It’s tough to say, since the Patriots morph their scheme to fit their opponent. Although, it seems as it could be something that gradually improves as the season goes on. Luckily, the next three opponents (Jaguars, Colts and Cowboys) have trouble running the ball. That could be enough time, with the bye mixed in, for Belichick and Matt Patricia to figure out what they can do to improve the defense.
The addition of Keshawn Martin last week means a few things: depth at WR and reliability on special teams. Martin is a special teamer that is also a solid returner (25.1 YPG on kick returns, 8.9 on punt returns with a TD). This addition could mean that they want current return men Amendola and Edelman to more focus on being the top 2 receiver options for Brady until LaFell comes back. With the use of Aaron Dobson in the last game (7 catches, 87 yards), adding Martin is a solid move across the board.
Patriots.com
The biggest surprise this year is how well the interior offensive line has played. Guards Josh Kline, Tre Jackson, Shaq Mason and Center David Andrews have exceeded everyone’s expectations. With handling some talented defensive linemen in the first two weeks (Cameron Heyward, Marcel Dareus, Mario Williams to name a few) has been impressive to say the least. The biggest surprise has been Andrews, who is undersized (6’3, 285), yet has held his own. The MVP (outside Brady, of course) has to be OL Coach Dave DeGuglielmo. Having 3 rookies ready in the interior of an offensive line that has protected Brady and opened up holes for surprising RB Dion Lewis (Having Mason play FB might be the definition of smash mouth). Filling in for a HOF coach in Scarnecchia hasn’t been easy, but DeGuglielmo has stepped up and done an admirable job. As the season progresses, it’d be interesting to see if the rookies can keep it up and keep the dominance streak going.
As the New England Patriots headed towards their showdown with Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills last Sunday many in Buffalo felt their time had come for success. In the early 90’s the Buffalo Bills headed to four straight Super Bowls with quarterback Jim Kelly under center and four straight times they came out with the losers share of the purse. The drama and storylines leading up to last Sunday’s match up had an aggressive and motivated Buffalo juggernaut ready and willing to treat the Super Bowl champions much the same as the Bills had treated AFC finalists, the Indianapolis Colts.
Fans filed into Orchard Park ready to cheer on the new and improved Buffalo Bills. Rex had been fanning the flames all week and the Buffalo faithful were engulfed in the inferno. Coach Ryan, not new to feeding into his own bluster, even contacted the Guinness Book of World Records in anticipation for breaking the stadium sound record currently held by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Buffalo fans known collectively as the “Bills Mafia” waited with baited breath for the opening kickoff, the Bills to their credit did not disappoint…. initially.
Led by Lesean McCoy’s feet, the Bills made a statement blowing through New England’s defense in 7 plays and scoring a touchdown in their opening drive. The crowd in Orchard Park we’re ecstatic and as Brady and the New England offense took the field they allowed them no reprieve forcing New England to take a time out as the noise level was too overbearing. After a fairly quick three and out by the Patriots both the fans and the Bills themselves were overcome with joy and jubulation. All the speculation, all the heavy talk from Ryan and the Buffalo Bills was bringing victory to their doorstep. Sadly for Buffalo, football games are rarely won on the opening drive.
The New England Patriots spent the rest of the game doing whatever they could to not only quiet the masses but send a very distinct message to Rex Ryan,the Buffalo Bills and possibly the entire league.
That message was Brady throwing on the vaunted Buffalo defense 59 times for a total of 466 yards and three touchdowns. Bill Belichick’s offense attempted more 4th down conversions than they ever should have allowing Buffalo to get back into the game by the fourth quarter. New England’s willingness to attempt 4th down plays aside, the game was never as close as the final score of 40 – 32 indicated.
Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills lost to New England due to superior coaching and an offense looking to make a point. New England’s point is that they do their talking on the field. Rex’s team spent the week leading up to Sunday’s game flapping their gums and wearing their emotions on their sleeves. Emotions can be a positive in the game of football but these particular emotions left unfiltered earned the Buffalo Bills a grand total of 14 penalties.
Amongst accusations that the “Bills Mafia” have brought whistles to the game in order to distract the Patriots when on the field, it looks as though the Bills themselves may have been doing something their opponents are often accused of: cheating. The Buffalo Bills often use a loud train horn because, well they are the Bills and when you think Buffalo you naturally think trains. Regardless of why Buffalo uses this very loud horn they may have done so illegally during multiple moments when New England was engaged in there hurry up offense. All game tapes are turned in by Wednesday so that matter and the Bills’ consequent punishment, if found guilty, will be dealt with then. It’s interesting to point out that the loud horn was just one more noisy situation to affect Buffalo adversely.
Ultimately, the Bills lost a lot of their swagger and eventually the game on Sunday. Is this the continuation of the Tom Brady Revenge tour or have the Bills finally learned what the Jets have known for years: Rex Ryan just needs to keep his mouth shut and coach some damn football.
Meaningful football is back, and watching Tom Brady and Company assassinate the rest of the NFL has been a pleasure to watch thus far. The Patriots took the quick flight up to that cesspool of a stadium in Buffalo and slapped Rex Ryan and the big mouth Bills around in their own backyard. I liken it to having a play-date and there is that one punk child who steals the good toys and sucker punches the other kids. Those are my 2015 Patriots. I’m proud of it and hope Brady continues to step on the nuts of every team in front of him. I’m hoping him and Bill go into “Eff You Mode” until we show up in Santa Clara for our fifth Lombardi trophy. Sure, there are plenty of other story lines to chat about, but everyone made Brady, the Patriots, and the evil empire in Foxboro the focal point of the off-season. So now that real football is here, we’ll continue to harp on them and every homicide they commit on field each week.
1) New England Patriots – The defending champs have dismantled both teams they played and won Super Bowl 49 ½ up in Buffalo this past weekend. Brady is pissed and they have Blake Bortles, a bye week and Brandon Weeden before we invade the Drug Den in Indianapolis.
2) Green Bay Packers – The Denim King trolled Mr. Ciara last night and it was fantastic. I still believe Olivia Munn is strapping it on behind closed doors, but the Packers (no pun intended) are the class of the NFC.
3) Denver Broncos – The sooner Gary Kubiak figures out that The Forehead is 38 years old and has a tough time under center, the better off the Broncos will be. Their defense is going to win them more games than the offense this year.
4) Arizona Cardinals – Carson Palmer is healthy, but questions remain at the running back position. Also, can the defense live up to the hype?
5) Dallas Cowboys – Dez and Tony Underwood-Simpson are both gone for the foreseeable future. Can Dallas’ defense allow them to tread water in maybe the worst division in football?
6) Cincinnati Bengals – Cincinnati has looked pretty damn impressive thus far. Andy Dalton beat a tough Chargers team at home on Sunday. They need more out of their safeties to make any noise in the AFC.
7) Pittsburgh Steelers – Remember that scary Pittsburgh offense I’ve been talking about all offseason? It showed up at home against San Fran. Can the defense take the next step? Time will tell.
8) Kansas City Chiefs – Andy Reid went back to being Andy Reid last week. The Chiefs road doesn’t get any easier playing in Green Bay next Monday night.
9) Seattle Seahawks – Mr. Ciara still runs around like a kid whom hasn’t taken his medication, and the Hawks have lost three straight going back to the Super Bowl.
10) Atlanta Falcons – Dan Quinn has his defense making stops late in games that last year’s team wouldn’t dream of. Julio Jones may be the best WR in the game as well.
11) Indianapolis Colts – 10/18. Plain and simple. The Neck Beard is leading the league in turnovers since the start of last season. #PrayForIndy
12) Philadelphia Eagles – Sam Bradford looked like a deer in headlights after every down on Sunday. Will Chip realize that Murray is better suited running when the QB is under center?
13) New Jersey Jets – The Jets are the most surprising team in the NFL and Revis has been an absolute monster for them thus far.
14) San Diego Chargers – Phillip Rivers broke the franchise record for touchdowns on Sunday. He also forgot Keenen Allen existed after a fifteen catch performance the week before.
15) Buffalo Bills – 4-10 against BB and TB12. They lost Super Bowl 49 ½ to the Patriots at home on Sunday. That is all you need to know about Buffalo.
16) Baltimore Ravens – Nothing pleases me more to see a Harbaugh brother losing on the road in back to back weeks.
17) Miami Dolphins – Two games into the biggest contract in franchise history, Suh has decided he doesn’t need to listen to the plays his coach is calling.
18) Minnesota Vikings – AP hasn’t found the end zone, but the Vikings are 1-1. Maybe someone should break out the switch and start whacking him with it.
19) St. Louis Rams – How on earth do you beat the Seahawks and lose to the Redskins led by Kurt Bleeping Cousins?
20) New Jersey Giants – Elijah better right the ship, and fast. They have a short week up ahead with a Redskins team coming to town with nothing to lose.
21) Carolina Panthers – Cam Newton very easily could have broken his neck on his little summersault technique into the end zone. I don’t wish injuries on anyone, but I can’t stand that clown.
22) Detroit Lions – Fat Face is inconsistent. The defensive backfield looks like the Little Giants. They are undisciplined and poorly coached. Does this sound familiar Lions fans?
23) Oakland Raiders – Derek Carr is legit. Mr.Cooper is just as legit. If the Raiders got a little more help on the back end of the defense, they’d be right there in the AFC West.
24) Jacksonville Jaguars – Jacksonville’s honeymoon will be cut short in a few days when they head to Foxboro.
25) Cleveland Browns – Johnny Football earned the starting role last week. Cleveland should keep the momentum going with the Raiders coming to down.
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – King Crab beat Drew Brees in his own building. That single handedly murdered anyone’s chances of winning their suicide pool.
27) Houston Texans – I’ve picked Houston to contend in the AFC South. They are in last place after two weeks.
28) Tennessee Titans – After Mariota won AFC Offensive Player of the Week (which Brady got screwed over for) he went and got sacked a half dozen times and turned the ball over in Cleveland.
29) Washington Redskins – RG3 has been inactive for the first two games of the season. Life is good.
30) San Francisco 49ers – Ebola Head has played well in his first two games, but the defense can’t keep up their end of the bargain.
31) New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees looks old and lost without his security blanket, Ginger Graham.
32) Chicago Bears – Sour Puss went down with an injury and Alshon Jeffery can’t seem to get healthy. Oh, and they let up a franchise record in points.
Week two of the NFL is in the books. This week was more shocking than others, even if it is only week two. Regardless, we learned more about who’s a contender, who’s a pretender, and even a possible MVP candidate. So, here are the five things we learned from week two of the regular season.
1) Tom Brady is the MVP frontrunner
After a stellar week one performance by Tom Brady, he put up even more video game numbers as he led the New England Patriots to a 40-32 win over the Buffalo Bills. Brady went 38/59 for 466 yards and three touchdown passes. Also he put up history, as he is the first quarterback to throw at least 55 passes, 450 yards and three touchdowns in one game. On the season, Tom Brady has thrown for 754 yards and seven touchdown passes with no interceptions. At this rate, Brady is on pace for 6,032 yards and 56 touchdowns. Tom Brady is putting up an MVP season, and looks unstoppable
2) The Colts and Eagles are overrated
Both the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles are overrated. They both stand at 0-2 records, and no one predicted or saw this coming. The Colts were dubbed as Super Bowl contenders and an easy pick to win it all. Well, they should not be. Their offense has not generated points or gone anywhere, and Andrew Luck is throwing interceptions like Christmas. This offense was supposed to be dominating, but after being shut down by the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, they are essentially flat. Plus, the Colts defense is terrible, and should not be a surprise after we saw Tom Brady and the Patriots carve up the Colts in the AFC Championship game 45-7. In Philadelphia, the Eagles got what they deserved. Chip Kelly was given power over his players, and traded away talent for players he wanted. Was it worth it? Sam Bradford was just preseason hype, and Demarco Murray is not running around putting up video game numbers. The O-line can not block and give Bradford time to throw or give Murray room to run. Also, their offense had eight possessions that lasted fewer than two minutes in their game against the Cowboys, that did not end up in points. The Colts and Eagles were heralded as the best and prime contenders for the Super Bowl, well now they are just exposed as overrated, and righfully so.
3) On the other hand, Don’t worry about Seattle being 0-2
Right after I talked about two 0-2 teams being overrated, I talk about another 0-2 team. Though it is a surprise that the Seattle Seahawks are 0-2, there is good reason. The defense is not the same without Kam Chancellor, and the offense needs to put up more points. Though it seems that the world is falling in Seattle, they shouldn’t be worried. Last season, the Seahawks started 3-3, and finished 12-4 and ended up in the Super Bowl.
4) New Orleans is going to struggle
The New Orleans Saints have controlled the NFC South for many years. However, this year, is not that year. After dropping losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Saints sit at 0-2. Drew Brees does not look the same without Jimmy Graham, and the offense is struggling without him. What was a high flying offense putting up huge numbers, is stuck scoring only 19 points a game. Adding on, the defense has struggled in stopping teams from scoring. What makes matters worse is that Drew Brees could miss games due to a rotator cuff injury. That means that Luke McCown or rookie Garrett Grayson will have to go under center if Brees does miss games. It’s going to be a tough year for the Saints, but it could be worse.
5) Maybe Kirk Cousins is actually capable of leading the Washington offense
Who knew, Kirk Cousins could actually manage the Washington Redskins offense. In week one, he went 21/31 for 196 yards with one touchdown, but two interceptions. He pretty much led a dysfunctional Redskins team to a near win over the Miami Dolphins. Then this week, he led them to a 24-10 victory over the St. Louis Rams, as he went 23/27 for 203 yards and one touchdown. Even though the RGIII drama is still alive and well in Washington, Cousins is doing his job and trying to lead his team to victory. At 1-1, Cousins has the Redskins looking like they are contenders in the NFC East behind the 2-0 Dallas Cowboys. They could contend for the division title especially since Dallas has lost Tony Romo for at least seven games, Philadelphia is in disarray, and the Giants are busy blowing leads away. However, time will tell if Cousins will take advantage and push Washington to take the division lean, especially since everything looks to be in their favor.
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.
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.
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.
On Saturday afternoon, I had the opportunity to speak with former New England Patriots and New York Jets linebacker Matt Chatham. He was apart of three Super Bowl winning teams in his time with the Patriots between the years of 2000 through 2005. After that he spent three seasons with the Jets. Since his retirement from the game, Chatham has been in the local New England and national media, along with founding his own football website, “Football By Football” which has a unique perspective of showing fans former players points of view. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation.
When most people talk to former players, they usually ask what have you been up to? But for you, you’ve been around in the media, so what is it like being on the other side of things?
Well, theres the temptation to think you could be out there, you could help. I think in my case, guys like me where I got banged up at the end of my career, I was released with a neck injury, my feet are trash, now i’m how ever many years removed from that, and it’s pretty much easier to understand your place as a fan and a reporter.
What was your inspiration for starting your own website?
Well, the first move I made when I left the NFL in 2009 was to go back to school here at Babson College in Wellesly, I had the idea of starting something on my own. I got involved in some other business things immediately after my career, but after a couple years of doing that I got lured right back into football. It’s kind of what you do, it’s what you know. Once I got involved I started doing the Chatter Report with the Boston Herald, and that was great and I got back into the waters of writing, which is what I studied in my undergrad so I knew I wanted to write at some capacity. Things came together. I wanted to write, I wanted to still be around football, and I wanted to do my own thing, thats how I am with a lot of aspects of life. I started contacting those former players and they bought in when they realized that the player perspective is barely out there in print.
Your a part of all different aspects of the media whether it is writing, commentating, and color analysis. What is you favorite part of the media?
Thats an interesting question cause if we had this conversation three or four years ago I would’ve said writing. I would just rather sit in solitude and study the crap out of game tape and give points of view that people who never played the game wouldn’t have the experience to notice. I really enjoyed that part. I really enjoy doing games now for ESPN, I did Syracuse a few weeks ago, and I do a lot of local stuff, UConn, Umass, and Boston College throughout the rest of the season. I like that view, you kind of get the chance to do the same thing, you gotta do it in real time so your not gonna be as accurate, so I enjoy doing that part.
Let’s talk about your playing career here, you don’t see dynasties like the one you were a part of with the Patriots too often in the salary cap era. What do you think made you guys click so well?
It’s interesting we are having this conversation now, because I just did a piece on NESN the other night talking about all the former Patriots eligible for the Hall of Fame, and chances are, none of them get in. The groups that I played with, the roster was just stock full of super talented guys that bought into the team system. Most of those guys from the Harrison, to Milloy, McGinest, Bruschi, and Ty Law we played a heavy week to week scheme where no one player stood out and compiled a bunch of stats, that’s just not the way we played. The best part of that group was how talented they were, but how selfless they were as well. Thats how we got the rings we got, and you just can’t take that stuff away.
Boston.com
We know that the NFL is a business, and after 2005 you joined the New York Jets. What was it like playing on the other side of the rivalry?
Going down there for a few years it was definitely different as it was for all the former Patriots that went down there as well. It’s a pretty heated rivalry for fans and they look at it from that perspective, but when you go back and look the list is long of the players that went from one place to the other. Otis Smith, Larry Izzo, Bobby Hamilton, Anthony Pleasant, Bryan Cox, I could go on and on. I went down there with Eric Mangini which made it different. For me I was wearing green that was different, I was playing in a different building, living in a different city. The organization had a similar feel because Eric Mangini was trying to recreate the Patriot system. He wasn’t successful, but the structure was almost identical. Just the way we did things was almost the same, so just for me it wasn’t that big of a change.
You were on the Jets during the infamous spy gate game in 2007. Everyone hears stuff from the Patriots perspective from that game, what was it like on the other side lines during that game?
Well, I was on PUP to start that season I had injured my ankle so I was just in street clothes on the sidelines. It was chaotic. I was on the sideline staring across. To put it on a scale on how much it mattered or how much it cared, I was like, “oh thats weird.” I didn’t know the rule, I guess you couldn’t just do it right there. So yes, it was a stressful week. The real reason why it escalated and why it was such as story was because the two security units got in a pretty heavy argument outside the locker rooms at the Meadow Lands. It became more than it should have. The brand is pretty stupid. Spy gate? They weren’t really spying. You can stand there with a pen and pencil and do the same thing. So to see the way league handled it the way they did, shows you how much they have it out for the team.
You’ve been one of the more vocal players, along with Tedy Brushchi and Rodney Harrision, other guys in the media from that era, defending the team when allegations come down. How does it make you feel when people make these assumptions that the championships you guys worked so hard for are tainted?
I think what happens, this is sort of all walks of life. You know when some guy says, “Twenty-years ago in high school if coach played me and we would’ve won.” it’s just an excuse, and it’s sad because people who lost are falling into the trap and making the excuse. It’s like no man, you lost. We prepared more and performed better than you did. Nothing that the team did was illegal in any way, except the taping thing that didn’t really matter. We are past that point now to where you can change someone’s mind, you just have to deal with it.
boston.cbslocal.comBoston.cbslocal.com
Final question here. What was your favorite moment as a professional football player?
I mean I’m lucky I got to play in three Super Bowls. You remember that elation of when the clock hits zero, and they were all different. The Rams with the kick going through is something I’ll never feel again for the rest if my life. The second one I made the final tackle on the kick return with Steve Smith and Rod Smart, so that time I felt the elation holding the guy to the ground. The third one we were more able to enjoy it as the clock ran out. It’s not a feeling you can really describe, you kind of just have to experience it.
You can follow Matt Chatham on twitter @chatham58 Also visit his website with great articles and podcasts with insight from former players at http://www.footballbyfootball.com
That question was answered with a resounding NO Sunday afternoon as Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and a host of others destroyed the Buffalo Bills “vaunted” defense, 40-32. Don’t be deceived by the final score, this wasn’t that close. The Bills scored 19 points in the 4th quarter, long after the winner had already been determined.
Who me? What bluster! (Photo meetthematts.com)
The Bills scored on their first possession and the Buffalo fans were in heaven. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long and many had left the stadium before they got a chance to get loud again. They may have pulled the comeback off if they were playing the NY Giants (sorry Giants fans. I hate to kick you when you’re down…) but nope, they were up against an angry (although they’ll never admit it) Tom Brady & Bill Belichick. Only one team in NFL history has come back from a 24 point fourth quarter deficit.
New England: What Went Right
I’m not sure where to start, but how about this…
Tom Brady was so good even ESPN had to admit it. No snide remarks about deflated footballs by anyone after this one was over.
Tom Brady is 1st player in NFL history to have all of these in a game: – Throw for 450 yards – 3 TD passes – 0 Int – 55 attempts
Nuff said! Lesson learned? Don’t piss-off Tom Brady! He’s playing like he has something to prove after all the off-season slander he put up with. Bet it will be a little tense if Commissioner Roger Goodell is forced to actually attend a Patriot game this year…or, better yet, give Brady another MVP Trophy.
Rob Gronkowski was, once again, unstoppable. It’s hard to believe, but so far he’s been better than ever. Check this out from old friend Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal
Through two games, Gronk is off to the best start of his career with 207 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
The question of who will replace Shane Vereen (who?) has been answered with an unknown running back who no one wanted…and he isn’t named Gray. I know it’s only two games, and he has fumbled twice (lost one), but Dion Lewis (remember that name Rex Ryan) has been outstanding. Belichick had enough confidence in him that he put him right back in the offense after his fumble. That doesn’t happen very often, just ask former Patriot Stevan Ridley.
New England Patriots’ Dion Lewis, right, celebrates with Rob Gronkowski (87) after rushing for a touchdown during the first half against the Bills (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)
Lewis (that’s L-E-W-I-S Mr. Ryan) had 40 yards rushing and a TD on just 7 carries. You’re right, that’s OK, but nothing to rave about. How about this then, 6 receptions for 98 yards. Combine the two and you get 13 touches for 138 total yards. If you aren’t good at math Rex, that’s 10.6 yards per touch. Anyone think Ryan will remember his name when the two teams meet again in November at Gillette Stadium on Thursday Night Football (ESPN)?
I could go on and on about the offense, including the emergence of Aaron Dobson (7 receptions for 87 yards, one drop), THE catch of the day by Danny Amendola to seal the victory and the continued success of Julian Edelman (11 reception, 97 yards, 2 TDs), but the biggest surprise of the game was (drum roll please):
The Offensive Line. People needlessly worried about Tom Brady’s life/health coming into this game against Buffalo’s feared pass rush. Brady’s quick release certainly helped, but the youngsters held up just fine, allowing only two sacks…and that was without Bryan Stork and Ryan Wendell. Can we all please stop holding our breath every time TB drops back to pass?
Yes, the defense gave up 32 points, but it actually was very good. Remember, 19 of those points were in garbage time, just as the 7 they gave up to Pittsburgh in the final seconds of game one. As is usually the case, when you give up that many points, people will point out your deficiencies. Well, how about these positives:
8 sacks against a very mobile Tyrod Taylor, who, fortunately, escaped without injury
Taylor sacked again by Chandler Jones (photo: Keith Nordstrom NewEnglandPatriots.com)
3 Interceptions (Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon)
Held Buffalo to 3 for 13 (30%) on 3rd down
3 sacks from an unstoppable Chandler Jones & 2.5 for Jamie Collins
Kept Sammy Watkins to 6 receptions for 60 yards and 1 TD
New England: What Went Wrong
Patriots’ had 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 41 yard line in the 4th quarter and went for it. Going for it actually wasn’t a bad decision, but getting greedy and throwing an incomplete long pass to a covered Dion Lewis was not among the smartest things to do.
Brady was strip-sacked and the Bills scored in 15 seconds to make it 37-32 late in the game
The run defense continues to be soft. Despite trailing, Buffalo ran the ball 27 times for 160 net yards (almost 6 yards per carry).
Yes, they sacked and pressured Taylor the whole game, but he completed 23 of 30 passes and 3 TDs. Big lead or not, garbage time or not…that’s not very good. They did contain his scrambles (5 for 43 yds, 1 TD) fairly well, but still need the secondary to step up. Three int’s was nice, completion percentage was not.
Moving On
It’s still a long season and, with 14 regular season games to go, anything can happen. The AFC East came back to earth with Buffalo’s loss and Miami falling to Jacksonville (you know that hurt). The Jets (2-0) kept pace with New England by beating the highly overrated Colts (0-2) Monday night.
The Patriots return to Gillette Stadium against the surprising (1-1) Jaguars Sunday. Bill Belichick doesn’t allow his players to enjoy wins for very long, but it will be hard for his team to “get-up” for Jacksonville after their dominance in Buffalo. It’s still the NFL and On Any Sunday…..”
The Buffalo Bills thrashed, embarrassed and eviscerated the Indianapolis Colts on September 13th, 2015. Andrew Luck looked like a shell of the potential Hall Of Famer so many in the media have anointed him as. Luck tried desperately to turn the tide but his last ditch efforts in the latter part of the game were to no avail. The Buffalo Bills are no longer a joke and if they have their way, the Indianapolis Colts will be just one of many to fall by their sword.
Rex Ryan is exactly the hero Buffalo needs right now. After years of being a bottom dweller in the often considered weakest division in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills have a swagger about them that some say is necessary if undeserved. With the likes of Percy Harvin, Lesean McCoy and a top rated defense, the Bills look to be a legitimate force. Rex Ryan, an outcast in his own right, is doing all he can to build his team up and allow them to echo his sentiments. Rex wants revenge for being ousted by New York and embarrassed year in and year out by not just his division, but many teams in the league. Next step on Ryan’s agenda, the decimation of his chief rival, the “hated” New England Patriots.
The New England Patriots have never particularly shown any weakness in regards to Rex Ryan or the Buffalo Bills for that matter. The Belichick/ Brady era of New England has shown that they are fully capable of taking down whatever Buffalo has thrown their way. Rex Ryan and at the time The New York Jets, showed that when a bag of tricks is used properly success can be had but ultimately the victories were few and far between. In his glory, Rex finally has the assets to combine with his defensive expertise. Are the New England Patriots truly in trouble of losing to this abomination of talent?
There is a popular television show on HBO called “Game of Thrones”. On the program, royalty often appoints a champion, someone to stand in their place in order to uphold their wishes during a fight. The royal family on “Game of Thrones” often employs a giant man known as “The Mountain” to defeat their adversaries. The New England Patriots have such a champion, a man who could be considered a mountain in his own right. His name is Rob Gronkowski, but around these parts we simply call him Gronk.
Gronk is an unstoppable pass catching tight end that excels at blocking as well, a rare beast in today’s NFL. Gronk is such a mismatch for most offensive coordinators that even when a team attempts double coverage Gronk often eludes his opposition. Future Hall of Fame Quarterback Tom Brady, as talented as he is, cannot be in two places at once, nor should he need to be in order to have success. Gronk is like a time bomb which allows Brady the opportunity to keep the defense guessing when exactly he will blow up. Such an intricate piece to the New England Patriot puzzle is Gronk, that during past seasons when he was out of action due to injury, the Patriots just were not the same dominant team.
Now, to give the devil his due, Rex Ryan has been one of the few head coaches to have slowed down the Brady/Gronk tandem. Ryan knows the Patriots like no other coach which is what makes him such a dangerous competitor when armed properly. By rushing Tom Brady often and knocking him around a bit, it causes the four-time Super Bowl Champion to feel exceedingly pressured to release the football as quick as possible. Gronk is strong, Gronk is fast but at 6-foot-6, and 265 pounds you can only get so far down the field so fast. It takes many men to make an offense run at optimal level, the young offensive line need to do their part in keeping Tom Brady safe. If Brady is kept on his feet, the Quarterback can find Gronkowski with ease.
Rex Ryan answered comically but truthfully when asked how he planned to cover Gronk. “We’re not going to ask one guy to cover him,” Ryan said “Yeah, he’d have to look like King Kong.” Rest easy though Pats fans, if Rex does in fact double team Gronkowski, New England has another Tight End that can hopefully fill in admirably in the red zone, Scott Chandler. In no uncertain terms should wide receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola be over looked in this offense, but let’s be realistic, without Rob Gronkowski, their jobs become that much harder to perform.
Sunday will of course be a very interesting tale of football. Will Rex Ryan finally put forth a dominant display of offensive/defensive strategy against the New England Patriots, echoing his week one victory and cementing the Buffalo Bills as a legitimate AFC rival? Or will Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots continue to ride Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to AFC domination?
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