by Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff
October 13, 2009

Just so we’re all clear, there are four quarters in a football game. Two halves. It’s at least conceivable that the Patriots forgot those guidelines out in Denver, where they lost to the Broncos, 20-17 in overtime. Maybe it was the thin air. Regardless, one team made some major adjustments at the half and it didn’t look like the Pats. And that’s the biggest reason they are now 3-2 while the amazing Josh McDaniels’ Broncos are still unbeaten. After looking like he’d gotten things figured out last week against the Ravens, Tom Brady regressed back to the first half of the Atlanta game, missing multiple open throws, two of which would have gone for easy touchdowns. There was no Joey Galloway to blame this time. Just Brady, who simply is still not all the way back. On defense, a couple of the usual suspects (Vince Wilfork, Brandon McGowan) had their typical strong games, and the return of Jerod Mayo was a pleasant development. But the continued inability to get one iota of pressure on the quarterback (hello yet again, Derrick Burgess!) led to multiple sustained Denver drives, culminating in a stunning, 98-yard march in the fourth quarter that wound up tying the score at 17. The Patriots had multiple chances to win anyway, but couldn’t capitalize, each time more frustrating than the last. Brady admitted as much, saying that “we really squandered some opportunities that we had in the second half that we don’t normally do. The offense left the defense out to dry.” So with that, batten down the hatches for this week’s report card. The professors here at Patriots Daily University are none too pleased.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C

At halftime, this side of the ball was humming right along toward a big, fat A, thanks to two TD passes for Brady, a solid effort in the running game by Sammy Morris and Wes Welker’s continued consistency and excellence, especially on third down. But zero points and 63 yards passing, along with one failed third down attempt after another in the second half broke the Pats collective back. If anyone wants to relive the pain and happens to have the game Tivoed, just watch their first drive of the fourth quarter, on which they were stopped twice, got the ball back each time thanks to penalties by Denver’s punt return team, and still could only move the ball 40 yards in 13 plays. It’s the perfect microcosm of the entire game from the New England perspective. Ouch.

Quarterbacks: C

Boy, was this an tough game for Brady. He’s never played particularly well against Denver (now 1-6) but after looking like he might shed some of those past failures with a very nice first half, he crashed and burned in the second. He finished the day at 19-of-33 for 215 yards and 2 TDs with a 97.4 passer rating, but again, he was just 5-for-14 for only 63 of those yards in the second half. His second quarter overthrow of Randy Moss, who was basically standing alone in the end zone, was a precursor of things to come. In the fourth quarter, on a crucial third down after Denver had tied things up, Brady had Welker over the middle with a step and half on the entire Broncos secondary. But where Welker stayed in stride, Brady threw as if he expected his favorite target to pull up. The throw was right around Welker’s shoetops, wound up bouncing off the grass and marked the second probable score Brady had missed on the day. After a lightning quick three-and-out following Denver’s 98-yard drive, the defense got Brady the ball back with 2:27 left but he fumbled near midfield after a sack by the Broncos’ Vonnie Holliday, which was less his fault than Logan Mankins’, who was torched by Holliday on the play. But still, it ended any chance to win in regulation. The Pats converted as many third downs in the second half as they had points – none. It’s a group effort, undoubtedly, but Brady’s inability to make plays against the completely for real Denver defense was the biggest reason.

Running Backs: B

This was mostly Sammy Morris’ day as he got the bulk of the reps in the absence of Fred Taylor. Morris responded well with 17 rushes for 68 yards (4.0 YPA) and two catches that he turned into a pair of long gains. Kevin Faulk not surprisingly made a couple of nice plays in both the running and passing games, though he only got one third down chance in the second half and was stopped for a one-yard gain on a third-and-3 draw play out of a shotgun formation on that excruciating, early fourth quarter, multiple chance possession. Would have been nice to see BenJarvus Green-Ellis get a few carries with Taylor missing – maybe something of the like is yet to come. And for all you Laurence Maroney fans out there, you can breathe easy. No Maroney bashing this week, but not because he didn’t dance or actually made it through a full game without getting hurt. It’s because he barely played, netting just five carries for 21 yards.

Wide Receivers: C+

Don’t look at the fairly mediocre grade as an indictment of Moss and Welker. Moss was blanketed by all-world cornerback Champ Bailey for most of the afternoon, resulting in just four targets and one catch (which was perfectly executed, timely 36-yard catch and run). Welker made eight grabs for 86 yards and a score and while Brady may have been looking to him a little too much in the second half, that’s not his fault, nor was the the missed connection on that late third down play. No the weaker grade reflects what there is after the two stars. The answer is not much. Julian Edelman continues to have his moments, but he is still very much a work in progress, his failure to get a first down on a second quarter catch near the marker on which he went backwards trying to make a play instead of knowing where he was on the field the most prevailing evidence. And then what? Sam Aiken? No catches, not much more than a special teams guy anyway. And the second consecutive healthy scratch of Galloway signals that the coaching staff must have next to no faith that he can help out in any way. With the trade deadline a week away, I wonder if the Pats may make a move here. It’s unlikely, but at least worth thinking about.

Tight Ends: B

Pity Ben Watson had to leave the game with a head injury. He made another big play before departing – seemingly a weekly occurrence – with his seven-yard score at the end of a textbook, two-minute drill to close out the first half. Chris Baker made no catches but was involved in a close play that involved a replay review that went against the Pats and blocker Michael Matthews almost able to make a running grab of a Brady bomb to the end zone in the fourth quarter that looked like it was intended for a well-covered Moss. All three looked good when called on to stay home and block.

Offensive Line: C

It’s not that this group played all that bad. It’s that one of them had an absolutely horrible day. Logan Mankins, annually regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the game, had better forget about this one quick. First, on a second quarter third down run by Faulk that moved the team into the edge of field goal range, Mankins leaped onto the two Broncos defenders, elbows out, after the play was over, costing the his team 15 yards and potentially three points in a game that was ultimately decided by that very amount. Then in the fourth quarter, he was singed by Holliday on the sack and fumble that wound up the Pats last chance in regulation (and the game, thanks to the overtime rules). Matt Light was pretty good for three quarters yesterday in keeping Denver speed demon and NFL sack leader Elvis Dumervil off the stat sheet until he got his knee rolled up from behind by Dan Koppen and had to leave. Everyone else was solid in giving Brady time to throw all day, including giant rookie Sebastian Vollmer, who filled in fairly well for Light. But Mankins, who hasn’t had too many days like this one, dragged the rest of them down.

DEFENSE: Overall Grade: C

More victims of the one good half/one bad half syndrome that plagued the offense, the guys on D couldn’t get off the field after halftime, letting the Broncos go up and down the field for scores on them three times, including of course, the 98-yard killer. To be fair, this group did make a couple of stands on the waning minutes, preventing Denver from taking a late lead and allowing the offense a couple more chances to do something. But they were clearly gassed by the time the extra period began with the Broncos charging 53 yards in 11 plays en route to the game winning field goal and subsequent on-field celebration by McDaniels (which, by the way, we can’t say we have a problem with here at PDU). Again, Jerod Mayo’s return was productive and Wilfork and McGowan continued their season-long stellar play. But beyond that, the only good news here is that the next two opponents for the D to redeem itself against are the woeful Titans and Bucs, respectively.

Defensive Line: B

Most of this grade comes courtesy of Wilfork, who was an absolute beast. He was credited with five tackles, including a big stop on third and short in the third quarter and a couple of trips into the backfield both on running and passing plays. Big Vince was the anchor and while Denver did wind up surpassing the 100 rushing yards barrier as a group, rookie burner Knowshon Moreno was mostly just OK. Ty Warren wasn’t as visibly good as in the past couple of weeks and also racked up a rather egregious roughing the passer call when he blasted Denver QB Kyle Orton a good two seconds after Orton released the ball on a second quarter play. Mike Wright didn’t provide much of an encore to his breakout game last week against Baltimore and Jarvis Green, so solid the first four weeks, didn’t register a single statistic.

Linebackers: C+

Such a mixed bag from this group. On the plus side, Mayo’s return netted six tackles and a forced fumble while also allowing the rapidly developing Gary Guyton to move back outside which is his more natural spot. Guyton kept up the good work with five more tackles and rookie Rob Ninkovich, in his first extended time of the season, took advantage of the opportunity with a big pass deflection as well as one of the Pats two sacks. Which brings us to the not so good. Tully Banta-Cain had the other sack, this one on the Broncos last possession of regulation, and it prevented a potential game-winning field goal attempt. The bad news isn’t just that he almost completely sullied the big sack with a completely egregious offsides  call that allowed Denver kicker Matt Prater to boot the winning kick from 41 yards instead of 46. It’s that not only did he and Ninkovich record the team’s only two sacks, they recorded the team’s only two hits on Orton all day long. It’s impossible to go any further without pointing out that once again, Adalius Thomas, who looks like he’s aged about 10 years since last fall, was invisible (one tackle) and has not made a play of any kind since he body slammed Bills QB Trent Edwards and was called for it in Week 1. And once again, we’ll shine the spotlight on Derrick Burgess, supposed pass-rushing specialist (he even has a radio ad in which he refers to himself as such). I don’t know too much about football, but I think pass rushing specialists are supposed to be able to, you know, rush the passer. Burgess has one sack (in the final minutes of Week 1) and eight tackles in five games. He appears to be useless. I hope he does something at some point this season – given the law of averages, I expect he will, someday. But for now, he remains the most puzzling, frustrating player on the defense and arguably, on the entire team.

Secondary: C-

The worst game of the season so far for the DBs. Other than McGowan, who registered nine tackles, two pass deflections and a fumble recovery, no one had anything to brag about. Brandon Meriweather followed up his game ball from the Baltimore win with a gigantic dud. He was consistently out of position, overran multiple plays, was dragged at least five yards by former Pat Daniel Graham on a third quarter play and, perhaps most conspicuously, cost his team 15 yards by taunting Denver receiver Eddie Royal on an incompletion near the end of the 98-yard drive. Yikes. Corners Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs took turns being abused by Denver’s Brandon Marshall, each of them looking awful on Marshall’s two scores, respectively. Bodden led the team with 11 tackles, but that’s a deceiving stat that pretty much only means he was bringing down players who made catches in his general vicinity. Jonathan Wilhite seems overmatched the last couple of weeks and he also failed to come down with a pass on third-and-14 that was tipped by McGowan and went right through his hands before being caught by Bronco Jabar Gaffney – for 14 yards! Darius Butler didn’t play much a week after his big game against the Ravens and rookie Patrick Chung saw some time with the regulars given the injury to James Sanders. This group was victimized by Orton, who completed 35-of-48 for 330 yards and two TDs, a) because there was zero pressure on him all day and b) because McDaniels found the soft spots in the Pats’ zones and subsequently called play after play on which Orton was throwing short to medium range passes that were very low risk. It certainly helps when there is any semblance of a pass rush. But regardless, someone other than McGowan needed to make a play and no one did. Special props to Moss for collecting his first career pick on a last second Hail Mary in the first half.

Special Teams: C

Edelman was the return man du jour and he acquitted himself fairly well, averaging 23 yards per kick return and 11 per punt return. Kick and punt coverage was solid too. But this grade is in the realm of the mediocre because of one Stephen Gostowski, yet another victim of the good half/bad half disease. In the first half, he drilled a career long, 53-yard field goal. In the second, with the Pats up seven late in the third quarter, he shanked a 40-yarder, keeping the Broncos within one score. It was his first miss in his last 12 attempts, an excellent percentage to be sure. But given the circumstances and the eventual outcome, it was as costly a miss as can be.

Coaching: C+

It wasn’t the first time Bill Belichick was outdueled by a former protege. But it may have been the most glaring. Again, that good half/bad half thing must be mentioned because it was the intermission that made all the difference. In the first half, the Pats seemed to have concocted the perfect game plan to combat the Broncos top-ranked scoring defense. They posted 17 points, just nine fewer than Denver had allowed all season prior to the start of the game, and easily left even more out on the field. But if there’s one thing McDaniels learned from  Belichick it’s how to make adjustments at the half, a quality that was very much on display in this game. What wasn’t there for the Broncos on both sides of the ball in the first half was there in the second.  And even though he blew a couple of replay challenges and didn’t see too much from his variation on the Wildcat after the game’s opening drive, he made the right calls when it mattered most. Belichick will be fine, naturally. He’s only the best coach in the game. But McDaniels will only get better and given how good he’s looked through his first five games, especially against the Pats, that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.

by Scott Benson, Patriots Daily Staff
October 12, 2009

Where do I begin?

I’ll start with the second conference loss in five weeks. This shit adds up when it comes to tiebreakers in December. That is if we’re even having those conversations in December. Yesterday’s second-half collapse – and the futility displayed therein – was that disconcerting.

When the Pats defense made its last, best stop of the game to turn Denver away before it could win in regulation, I said a little football prayer that the coin flip would come up for New England. It didn’t, and I couldn’t help but think of the last time the Patriots defense played overtime. What followed was eerily familiar, even if the principals were different; a sobering reminder of how far this transitioning defense has yet to go.

In fairness, they were on the field for almost 23 of the final 35 minutes. Which brings me to Tom Brady and the popgun Patriots offense, who don’t scare anyone more than ten yards away from them.

Let me just say this about Brady – spare me the celebrity-stalking pud-pulling because it’s as plain as day what’s “wrong” with him.  His decision-making, his timing, and his execution all suck, and we should be expecting it to, because you don’t sit out of football for a year rebuilding your tattered knee and emerge unscathed.

I defy you to offer a better explanation for that ridiculously ill-timed and ill-thrown slant to Wes Welker that could have won the game for the Patriots. Brady’s antsy, anxious read on that golden opportunity was so unlike anything proffered by his pre-injury self that the cause is as obvious as the effect. There is still more scar tissue – both physical and mental – left to break through, and until Brady does, it will seem as if the entire New England offense is trying to come back from major reconstructive knee surgery.

Not that the others don’t need some kind of rehabilitation themselves. In two straight weeks the Patriots offensive line has allowed someone a clean shot to separate their quarterback from the football. And suddenly, the Patriots passing game has become about as vertical as Tiny Elvis. Man, look at the size of this field! It’s HUGE! And the ball! It’s HUGE!

They’ve played two road games and haven’t scored a point in the second half of either one.

The unfortunate truth is that time waits for no one, least of all a hobbled New England Patriots. These games count, even if Tom Brady and the rest aren’t quite ready for them. Until they are, the Patriots seem destined to run with the pack, rather than in front of it.

E-mail Scott Benson at [email protected]

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff
October 12, 2009

Actually, the phrase is pronounced “Bucking” Broncos, but I understand where you’re coming from.

Thinking of the old adage it’s better to be lucky than good, the Invesco Field crew did plenty of both on their way to a 20-17 overtime win. Like many previous games at Denver, New England failed to take a game they could have won. “Could have” gets them to 3-2 and a lot of questions as they look to face similar kill-them-softly, possession-type offenses the rest of the year.

Some quick notes…

Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead: Watching this small-market thriller provided viewers with an inevitable sense of dread. Much like Sunday, it lacks a happy ending.

Braying Brady: Quarterback Tom Brady (19 of 33, 215 yards, two TDs) had a half-decent game, literally, helping the Pats to 17 points in two quarters but none after that. Brady missed Randy Moss in the end zone in the first half and came up short on Wes Welker breaking into the clear with four minutes to go. He then fumbled with 1:47 left. Tough to watch.

As for his barking after incompletions? Tom, you might want to settle down with that. You’re awesome, but sometimes it’s you.

Rocky Mountain Hi-larious: And to lose to Denver in those horrid uniforms. My God.

Kyle High Club: Anyone still thinking that Josh McDaniels got robbed in the Kyle Orton-for-Jay Cutler trade, check out Orton’s first half numbers after Denver’s 90-yard drive in the second quarter: 14 for 17, 131 yards, one TD. Orton finished 35 of 48 for 330 yards and two TDs. Most important for the Broncos, Orton made no mistakes (his interception came on the last play of the first half, an end zone heave picked off by Moss).

Marshall Plan: It’s simple, really. Throw the ball to Brandon Marshall, watch him break tackles and score. Eight catches, 64 yards, two touchdowns.

Talk about death by a thousand cuts. Miserable.

They Was Rob’ed: Special teamer/surprise participant Rob Ninkovich had a sack and a tipped pass in the second quarter. Could have used more of that in the second half.

Welker’s Back: Receiver Wes Welker had to take one down off at the end of the first half due to back pain. Yours would hurt, too, if you got speared by Brian Dawkins. Nice work by Welker to get back on the field on the next possible play.

Keep The Tip: Seriously, when your safety (Brandon McGowan) and your corner (Jonathan Wilhite) both get hands on the football, you’d expect to at least knock it down, right? I mean, you wouldn’t think receiver Jabar Gaffney would come down with it for a first down, you know?

I mean, what the hell?

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

by Scott Benson, Patriots Daily Staff
October 11, 2009

Thoughts from a mile high…

• The inactives will come in later than usual, I assume – but we know the Pats won’t have Fred Taylor of course, and James Sanders (10^th in total defensive snaps; see below) has a bum shoulder that will keep him out. Joey Galloway will apparently be inactive again, according to ESPN. Is Galloway going to be the player released to make room for Junior Seau this week?
• So that’s three of eight inactives already. Assuming the invisible duo (Ohrnberger and Simmons) joins them, now we’re at five of eight, and the chances are getting better and better that Jerod Mayo will play.
• If he does, he will have completed his comeback from an opening night knee injury in just 26 days. Let that be a lesson to us the next time we’re on the ledge over this sort of thing. We don’t know, we can’t know, because nobody knows.
• As noted above, the top eleven Pats defenders in terms of total snaps to date – LB Gary Guyton, 99% of all defensive snaps (226, by my count), CB Leigh Bodden, 95%, S Brandon Meriweather, 92%, CB Shawn Springs, 85%, LB Adalius Thomas, 82%, DL Jarvis Green, 79%, S Brandon McGowan, 69%, DL Ty Warren, 64%, DL Vince Wilfork, 62%, S James Sanders, 60%, DL Mike Wright, 59%.
• Speaking of Mike Reiss (the above was based on his weekly totals), I’m enjoying those ‘Football Journey’ posts he’s been doing on his ESPN Boston Patriots Blog. So far, we’ve gotten back stories on some of the team’s lesser known players, like this one with rookie Myron Pryor. I’m looking forward to seeing how Pryor develops. In spots he’s looked like their quickest, most agile interior lineman, but you know how it goes with young players. They can always go either way.
• Anyway, back to the above list; the first thing I see is the Pats getting a hell of a lot out of a second year guy who wasn’t even drafted, and the second thing I see is three 09 free agents dominating the secondary.
• Bodden’s impressed me the most – he’s a tough, competitive guy, and it seems to me he’s making the receivers work all the way through their routes. Even when he’s put in the position of giving up that awful ten-yard cushion, he’s not making it easy. I’m already working up a “they gotta sign this guy” thing here, and we’re only at the quarter pole.
• I’m such a Josh McDaniels fan that I’m actually happy that Denver is 4-0, but wait a minute – that’s stupid.  A good team in Denver has rarely been a good thing for the Patriots. So screw it – you’re on your own, McDisaster!
• All week I’ve been figuring this as a tight game, so I’m going to stick with that. The reflex may be to think that Denver’s played nobody, and they’ll sink as soon as they do. I’m not ready to make that leap. I think they’ve already displayed a certain amount of toughness by going 4-0 after the off-season they (coaches and players) just had. They’re going to roll over at home, against the notorious Patriots, in one of the loudest stadiums in the league?
• The Pats sailed through their recent home stand with flying colors, but today have to win their first road game in a city that has not typically been hospitable to New Englanders. Especially when it’s number two in total defense.
• Still, the Pats defense will be no day at the beach for Kyle Orton, not if he has to string together 15 play drives to score. So there’s the crux of my ‘tight game’ theory – nothing will come easy for either side. If this game is decided before the 5:00 mark of the fourth quarter, color me surprised.
• I like Tom Brady in those situations, by the way.
• First appearance of the all-white road throwbacks today?

E-mail Scott Benson at [email protected]

by Dan Zeigarnik, Patriots Daily Staff
October 10, 2009

The Patriots take their show on the road this week and face their fifth straight undefeated opponent. Here are the top 5 matchups for this week:

1) Belichick vs. McDaniels

This week’s talk radio conversations about this matchup can be summarized by this immortal “I know that you know that I know” scene from the Princess Bride. As everyone knows, Josh McDaniels was the Patriots offensive guru the last couple of years. However, as Bill Belichick always says, the team that executes the plays on the field and makes those split second adjustments will win the game. The Patriots are better coached by the virtue of being under Belichick’s tutelage for years and therefore are in a better position to make those plays once the whistle blows.

2) Pats O-line vs. the Rush

So far Denver’s defense has been surprisingly good, at least on paper. It’s easy to look impressive when your opponents are the awful Browns and Raiders, a disgruntled and sub-par Cowboys team, and a decent Bengals team that should have won. Despite this, Broncos defensive pressing ability should not be overlooked. Elvis Dumervil will continue to grow his impressive sack totals. However, the Patriots are up to the challenge as Tom Brady is one of the best at moving around in the pocket and it seems like he got his mojo back against a great Ravens team.

3) Patriots Receivers vs. Broncos Secondary

Champ Bailey is widely considered the best corner in the league and will be matched up in man coverage against Randy. Moss will be up to the challenge and play decently, but wont burn the Broncos like he was able to do against the Falcons. The game will hinge on how well the other Pats receivers will adjust to Denver’s rush packages. If guys like Welker and Edelman can change their routes in time to get into open space, it will wreak havoc on Denver’s defensive schemes.

4) Kyle Orton vs. the Patriots Rush

Isn’t Kyle Orton the mediocre backup to a pretty unimpressive Rex Grossman? The law of averages suggests that he will inevitably play back down to his appropriate level. It will be the main goal of the Patriots front seven to make sure that happens sooner rather then later.

5) Broncos Running Backs vs. Patriots Linebackers

Denver has always been a run first team and the trend has continued despite the coaching changeover. With Correll Buckhalter out of the game, Knowshon Moreno will get most of the touches. He had an impressive career at Georgia and seems to be a rich-man’s Laurence Maroney, but it will the Patriots LB corps’ job to make him do the all-too-familiar dance for no gains that Maroney loves so much.

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff
October 9, 2009

My friend Chuck from Colorado is a lifelong Broncos fan. Before this season even began, you should have heard him complain about how Coach Josh “McEgo” McDaniels had ruined the franchise, a point of view repeated in numerous messageboards this August.

Now, of course, with Denver 4-0, Chuck and his orange-clad, oxygen-starved ilk have a different story to tell. Herewith, my concerns heading into Week Five:

Taking The Fifth: New England plays its fifth undefeated team in a row. You know what? That doesn’t matter. It’s a coincidence barely worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan film, and those are getting worse and worse.

Laurence MarOneYard: Running back Fred Taylor is out after ankle surgery, meaning that Laurence Maroney could see more snaps. Last week, Maroney had his worst performance of the year, gaining only slightly more ground than Atlantis (seven carries, six yards).

Hmm… Receiver Chad Jackson was drafted in 2006, the same year as Maroney. Jackson got two years in New England to prove his worth; Maroney’s gotten four. Will we see the straight-ahead Maroney of the 2007 playoffs this week, or Michael Jackson Maroney (The Dancing Machine)?

The Bells Are Ringing For Me And My Galloway: And not the fun, wedding-type  bells, either. Joey Galloway was signed to be a deep threat opposite Randy Moss. He’s become an incompletion threat opposite the bench. Veteran receivers seem to either pick up New England’s offense right away (Jabar Gaffney) or not at all (Donald Hayes). The Patriots could use someone not named Moss to stretch the field, especially against Denver’s defense (ranked top five in three major categories).

Brandon Broncos: Last week, Raven receiver Derrick Mason had himself a great game in Baltimore’s opening drive, grabbing six passes including a touchdown. This week, Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite, Shawn Springs et al take on Bronco playmaker Brandon Marshall and similarly-named, differently-talented Brandon Stokely.  Can the Pats secondary contain them?

The Outsiders: Remember when Adalius Thomas (one sack in 2009) seemed like a dynamic defender on the outside? What happened to that guy? And remember when Pierre Woods (zero sacks) looked like a viable starter, and Derrick Burgess (one sack) got signed as a pass rusher? Man, those were the days.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]