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Around The League – Week 10

November 19, 2009 By 2 Comments

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

Hey, I thought the NFC East was supposed to be the best division in football?

It’s not even close, actually. And with each passing week, I wonder if anyone will take control and claim it or if the league will just have to award a playoff berth to someone by default.

NFC-EastYou have the Eagles, who are victims of a coach who seems possessed in crucial situations and becomes completely unable to make a good game management decision. You have the Cowboys, who are hopelessly inconsistent and don’t even really seem to have a coach, unless you count the owner, who is at the forefront of everything the team does right down to giving injury updates to the press as such. You have the Giants who are drifting, don’t seem to have an identity on offense or defense and have been decimated by injuries in their secondary. And you have the Redskins, who will never, ever win anything as long as the guy who currently owns the team sits atop the throne.

Anyway, it’s not like this is the AFC or NFC West, home to lost causes like the Raiders, Rams and Chiefs. All of the NFC East dwellers felt like they had legit title aspirations headed into the season and three of them, if they can work out some very serious issues, still may. But there doesn’t seem to be any reason to think that after all these years, Eagles coach Andy Reid will suddenly not be rendered totally inept in big games or that Jerry Jones will suddenly realize that the biggest reason the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996 is him.

So that leaves the Giants. They may look lost right now, having dropped four straight prior to their bye last week. But they have proven winners on both sides of the ball and a coach who has led them to a championship. Most of their injuries can be overcome. And they have a favorable division schedule down the stretch, with games against both Philly and Dallas at home. I’m guessing that stuff along these lines was discussed during the bye week from time to time and that their dismal recent results, combined with their ugly, late-season collapse last year after being one of the league’s top teams all season will make them angry enough to provide a sufficient spark over the next few weeks.

Come playoff time, that may not be enough against the Saints or Vikings or even the Cardinals, especially on the road. But it should be enough to outlast the Eagles and Cowboys.

This Week’s Five Best Teams

1. New Orleans: The deck on the Good Ship Saints gets creakier and creakier by the week. A hair-raising, skin of their teeth win over the Rams? That’s what happened last week. But New Orleans keeps escaping, even without their two starting corners and all-world safety Darren Sharper, which is why the No. 1 spot still belongs to the Saints.

2. Indianapolis: Two minutes and two yards from sliding down the list, the Colts did what they appear to be able to do in their collective sleep, which is grab an opportunity by the balls and pounce. It says here (as well as several other places) that if it weren’t for Peyton Manning, there would have been no controversial decision last Sunday night in Indy. Of course, with no Peyton Manning, that game would have been over in the third quarter.

3. Minnesota: Brett Favre may get all the attention (luckily for him, otherwise his head might explode, Scanners-styles), but one person in purple who really should be getting more press is receiver Sidney Rice. The third year man from South Carolina is two catches shy of his total from his first two years in the league combined and went off for 201 yards in last week’s win over the Lions. He’s another pretty big reason the Vikes are 8-1 for the first time in 11 years.

4. Cincinnati: The Bengals have now swept both division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Yes the Bengals. If you can’t take them seriously now, especially after they went into Pittsburgh last week and dominated the Steelers defensively, holding them to 87 second half yards, sacking Ben Roethlisberger four times and not allowing a third down conversion on the Steelers’ last 10 tries, then what will it take? Going unbeaten in the division and on the road? Wrong – they’ve done those things too.

5. New England: Since no one seems to remember anything about last Sunday night except fourth-and-2, here are a few numbers. 477 total yards, 34 points, 35+ minutes with the ball and a defensive effort that held the Colts juggernaut to 14 points, 171 yards passing and 14 first downs through three quarters. I know the fourth quarter counts. But something tells me the Pats are going to be OK.

This Week’s Five Worst Teams

1. Cleveland: The Browns are last in scoring (8.7 PPG), last in passing (116.2 YPG) and last in total offense (214.3 YPG). After they’ve lost their next seven games and finish 1-15 and Eric Mangini gets fired in favor of Mike Holmgren or Mike Shanahan or Fred from the Dawg Pound or me, or anyone, which do you think will happen first? He gets another head coaching job or man evolves into a winged creature that can fly from Boston to Cleveland, bouncing off clouds and somersaulting over rainbows? I vote for the latter.

2. Detroit: In the game of the year, the Lions host the Browns this weekend. And they will be huge favorites. CBS may as well send two of their unpaid college interns to broadcast it and bill it as “The Toilet Bowl.”

3. Oakland: After their stench-ridden home loss to the Chiefs last week, one wonders if the Raiders are actually jealous that other teams, namely Cleveland, are even more pathetic and hopeless than they are. The results of the next few games should provide us a definitive answer.

4. Kansas City: The good news? The Chiefs won and are now 2-7. The bad news? It was over the Raiders. Hey, there are no small wins, only small teams.

5. St. Louis/Tampa Bay: These two tie for the Awful Team That Plays As Hard As It Can And Still Loses Despite Being Right There All Day Long award. Cheers to the Rams and Bucs (especially the Bucs , who led at Miami with two minutes to play) for providing their fans with the biggest silver lining they are capable of mustering.

What’s Trendy

- Randy Moss, Patriots: A virtuoso performance by Moss, who played his best game of the year and made it look like 2007 all over again to the tune of nine catches for 179 yards and twoTDs. His over the shoulder, 63-yard scoring reception was as textbook and as good a catch as you will see all year.

- Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: Not only did he rush for 123 yards and a TD on just 24 carries (5.1 YPA) against the Jets, he took a knee at the one-yard line when the defense was trying to let him score late in the fourth quarter so it could stop the clock and get the ball back with a chance to win. Jones-Drew’s move worked, the clock ran, the Jags kicked the game-winning field goal and afterward, he even apologized to his fantasy owners for not getting them those extra six points. What a guy!

- The Packers: Two weeks after the Brett Favre Bowl and one week after getting trounced by the lowly Bucs, the Pack smothered the fraudulent Cowboys at Lambeau Field in a game that probably meant their season and may have cost coach Mike McCarthy his job if they’d lost. Green Bay’s No. 4 ranked defense outshone its more prolific offense, holding Dallas to just 278 total yards and without a point until the 2:39 mark of the fourth quarter.

What’s Not

- Jay Cutler, Bears: What will it take for people to stop considering this guy a top-tier quarterback? He threw five more picks against the 49ers, giving him 17 on the season with a whole seven more games to play, then was fined 20 grand the next day for verbally abusing an official. All Cutler has ever done since he came into the league is lost and whined. I just can’t figure out what’s so great about him to some folks.

- The Broncos: Uh oh. From 6-0 to 6-3 after a loss to the Redskins (??!!) and now quarterback Kyle Orton is hurt and out indefinitely. They haven’t won in a month and must now go with Chris Simms, who hasn’t played since rupturing his spleen in a game three years ago at QB. Wherever any of that magic Josh McDaniels used throughout the first six weeks has gone, he’d better find some.

- Rex Ryan, Jets: Now comes word that he broke down in tears during an emotional speech to his team in which he was telling the players how much he still believes in them even though they’ve lost five of their last six.Cornerback Darelle Revis , who was an MVP candidate around the same time Ryan was hailed as a genius for winning his first three games and talking a bunch of smack while doing it, was quoted as saying, “I’ve never been a part of a meeting where a coach cried like that.” I swear, if someone made this imbecile and all of his antics up, no one would believe a word of it.

And finally…

OK, this will be short and then we can be done with it, I promise.

To Dan Shaughnessy, Ron Borges, Peter King, Pete Prisco, Gene Wojciechowski, Michael Wilbon, and so forth:

Bill Belichick did not decide to go for it on fourth-and-2 win a six-point lead and 2:03 to play last Sunday night because he is arrogant. No did he do it because of hubris or because he has a big ego. Nor does he care that you think he’s a worthless asshole who deserves to be lambasted by you every time he does something you don’t like because he doesn’t really feel like being your buddy and telling you everything you want to hear at all times. He made the decision, which I have openly disagreed with, because he cares about winning and thought that the play would give the Patriots the best chance to win the game. It had nothing to do with anything else, the least of all you. At some point, you’ve all been interesting, thoughtful, talented journalists and craftsmen of words. Please get over yourselves. Your coverage of and public response to this story has been an embarrassment, both to you and your profession.

Thanks very much.

Filed Under: News

Beholden to None

November 18, 2009 By 6 Comments

By Dan Snapp, Patriots Daily Staff

The best take I heard on Bill Belichick’s now-legendary fourth down call:

You’re Jim Caldwell. In a rare league occurrence (and one Bill Polian’s having the Competition Committee consider for next year), you get to make the Patriots’ decision on fourth-and-two. So your choices are have them punt the ball, with a 100 percent chance of getting the ball back; or have them go for it, with more toward a 50-50 chance. What’s it gonna be, Jim?

By now you’ve witnessed the ocean of opinions flow in about the call. If nothing else, Belichick’s gambit has galvanized the airwaves. The reactions ran the full gamut: some hated it; some loved it; some gleefully added a new “B” entry to their “Boston Misery” Rolodex, to be revisited many, many, many times.

And now as we stretch past two full days of review, in hindsight we discover not only was it a ballsy call, but likely the higher percentage call as well.
bill-belichick
As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. Consider all the factors going into the decision: the percentages for and against; the fact the tired Patriots defense had given up not one but two 79-yard, two-minute scoring drives that quarter; the concept of giving Peyton Manning 70 yards to go, with two full minutes and a timeout, and four full downs to get first downs; the fact Manning had also thrown up two wounded duck interceptions that half; and the knowledge that your offense has chalked up 470 yards already on this defense.

We’ve had two days to absorb all this information, plus the benefit of the outcome of the play, to then come to the conclusion that at worst, it was a 50-50 call. Belichick had a minute to decide. He made the call decisively, and stood by it afterward.

This isn’t a Belichick-can-do-no-wrong missive. He did plenty wrong: the conservative play-calling late in the game when they could have delivered the knockout blow; the inexcusable waste of their last two timeouts, when the penultimate play of the game would occur outside of the two-minute warning; the uncharacteristically poor clock management; and most damningly, the failure to call a running play on third down when (as Belichick said later) he already knew he’d go for it on fourth down. Running the ball either gets it down to the two-minute warning or forces Indy to use their last timeout; Instead, they pass AND call a timeout themselves. Shameful.

A slew of coaches, both pro and college, have now come forth in support of the decision. They didn’t talk about any of the manufactured storylines (“What does it say to your defense?” “Manning’s now in Belichick’s head,” “This is just Belichick thinking he’s smarter than everybody else.”). They just looked at it as a play to try to win the game.

What struck me, though, was something Tony Dungy said in the postgame show. “You gotta punt,” he said. “You gotta play the percentages.” Just like that. No consideration of the alternative. A coach as long-tenured and successful as Dungy, and the “safe play” was the way to go. I’d have thought in all the years he’s coached, he’d have seen such an instance and have a pretty good sense of the pros and cons and percentages.

Nope. He gives the same answer as the first-year coach whose first order of business is trying not to get fired: Play it safe. You may still lose, but at least you played it safe.

Now neither Dungy nor any of us knew at the time that Belichick’s percentages were actually pretty decent, and the “safe play” may not have been any safer than going for it, but that’s not the point.

Everyone has accepted as a given that only Belichick would attempt such a thing, and upon attempting it, the only one to get away with such a thing. Were he still coaching, Dungy could get away with it, but he already acknowledged he’d never try it in the first place. Other coaches in the league are either so new, or in such precarious situations, they don’t have the clout to do it, even if they wanted to.

Belichick just did them a favor. The precedent’s set, with statistical backup, and they’re free to make the same call without fear of reprisal.

Even if Belichick knew the odds in his favor, he still had to know it was a controversial decision. He had to know if it didn’t work, he’d be crucified. Everyone who wanted their pound of flesh from him, for whatever multitude of sins they thought he committed (Spygate, Handshakegate, Runningupthescoregate, Whydontyoureturnmycalls?gate), would be coming to collect. He made the call anyway.

And therein lies the beauty of Bill Belichick: he doesn’t give a damn what anybody thinks of him.

Michael Silver described the call as a “setup for ego-driven gratification.” Peter King said it “smacked of I’m-smarter-than-they-are hubris.” “Too smart for his own good,” wrote Dan Shaughnessy, “The sins of hubris.” Michael Wilbon called it “The most arrogant end-of-game decision I’ve ever seen in 40-plus years of watching pro football.” And Shaughnessy asked yesterday, “Why is it so terrible to say that this was a mistake?”

Self-gratifying. Proud. Arrogant. Obstinate.

These guys don’t have a clue. They can’t understand why he won’t do what they expect him to do. They don’t get why he won’t admit to a mistake he doesn’t think he made. Even after the numbers back him up, they still want him to admit it was wrong (“I’m not saying the mathematical theory is wrong; it’s not,” King wrote yesterday. “I just think there’s a certain amount of playing by feel.”).

And they don’t get that neither pride nor arrogance – assuming Belichick possesses both in spades – have any bearing on how he calls a football game. Since he arrived in Foxboro 10 years ago, on the field he’s displayed nothing but a singular focus toward winning. He never let any distractions – Terry Glenn, Drew Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy, et al – get in the way of the team’s focus on winning the next game. Often, those decisions came at the expense of his own personal reputation. So be it so long as we’re winning – that seemed to be the credo.

Bill Belichick is beholden to none, and that’s a powerful thing. Sure, he answers to Robert Kraft, but Kraft’s lone directive to Belichick is “Win.” That’s like commanding sharks to eat.

Belichick’s responsibility to the players is to put them in the best position to make plays. He doesn’t owe apologies, any more than he’d expect one from a player. Listen to the interviews when they lose. To a man, it’s typically, “Coach expects us to execute the play, and we just didn’t do that.” When’s the last time you’ve heard a Patriots player not repeat the “What’s best for the team” mantra?

Belichick’s responsibility to the fans and the media? Nothing, save for the press conferences and interviews to which all head coaches are bound. He doesn’t owe us explanations. He doesn’t owe us reasoning into every minute detail of team operations. He’s trying to provide us wins, and that trumps every other consideration.

He’s not going to spout off with some pretense of bravado like Rex Ryan, or strut like some popinjay like Jack Del Rio, or play favorites like Brad Childress.

None of these coaches would forgo their reputation like Belichick routinely does. None would risk the wrath of the media, whom they so desperately court. Winning is still important to them, but none are willing to make the same sacrifices.

Michael Silver talks of ego. Ego? Belichick is the most reviled man in the league. If he really wanted to stroke his ego, he’s had countless opportunities to play the game they want him to play. To explain himself, to apologize, to become beholden to them and to us. Belichick won’t do it.

The team’s got some problems. They can’t run when they need to, nor rush the passer when needed. Either may prove a fatal flaw. Still, they had the Super Bowl favorite on the ropes for 56 minutes. Just because they didn’t win doesn’t mean they’re not good enough to do so.

The fact they’ve got a coach willing to make the tough call, who’s decisive in doing so, and unwavering in the backlash after it fails – well, that’s only an asset to the cause.

Filed Under: Columns

Making The Grades – Week 10 at Colts

November 17, 2009 By 13 Comments

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

Light staff today at PDU, dear readers. Seems several professors, TAs and deans have called in sick today or gone on unannounced sabbaticals. I would have too if I’d thought of it in the aftermath of Sunday night in Indy. What was looking like the perfect game imaginable against the Colts went off the rails in burning, fiery fashion in the final two-plus minutes thanks to the biggest coaching mistake seen around these parts in eons. By allowing his team to go for it on fourth-and-2 from its own 28-yard line with a six-point lead just before the two-minute warning, Bill Belichick deserves a truckload of criticism. A steaming pile of crap type truckload of criticism for that matter, in light of a king-size, all-purpose gag job. In one fell swoop, a dominant, potentially season-defining performance was flushed down the toilet in the most inexplicable of ways, ending in a 35-34 loss. And instead of being able to revel in the amazing play of Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Sebastian Vollmer, Kevin Faulk and virtually the entire defense for the first 54-55 minutes of the game, all that is left to ponder is why the coach, who so rarely makes any mistakes let alone one so egregious, made the decision he made and how the game even got to that point. Still, it was unarguably one of the best regular season games I’ve seen in quite some time, an absolute classic, regardless of the outcome. So with that, let’s get to this week’s report card. Apologies in advance if any sections seem terse or distracted or even unfocused. Just thinking about this game and how it got away is making my stomach do backflips.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: A-

477 total yards, 35 minutes of possession and 34 points will almost always be enough to get the job done, even on the road against great teams. But not on Sunday night. For the majority of the night, the game plan was perfect. Attack the Colts’ injury-depleted secondary and run plenty of draws and delays out of a shotgun formation to neutralize Indy’s star pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Everything was clicking until the fourth quarter, when the play calling got slightly conservative and what was a dominating offensive display became a bit watered down. The Pats managed just three points on their last four possessions covering the final 12:14 of the game. Aggression turned to passivity and it cost the Pats.

Quarterbacks: A

bradyCan’t put much blame on Brady for this one. He was spectacular, looking as close to his 2007, record-setting form as at any point so far this season. He finished 29-of-42 for 375 yards and three TDs (along with one, slightly ugly pick that wound up not costing the team too much) and made it look easy in passing for 300+ yards for the fourth straight game, the longest such streak of his career. He made all the throws, zipping underneath routes to Welker and Moss, firing rockets that looked like ropes, particularly the 55-yard strike to Moss in the first quarter and provided just the right amount of touch on his deep throws, none better than the 63-yard TD bomb down the right sideline to Moss in the second quarter. His third down throw to Welker on the game-deciding drive in the fourth quarter was a little tentative and wound up partially deflected by Mathis, and there were a couple of other throws he missed here and there but to downgrade him for those would be too picky. He outplayed Peyton Manning, who won an unofficial, NBC straw poll of Hall of Fame QBs regarding who’s better by a surprising landslide, by a mile for most of the game. Any worries about Brady that may have lingered from earlier in the year have to be gone by now. He’s back.

Running Backs: B

This is a purely spilt grade. Thanks to the continued absence of Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor and the illness of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the Pats used just two backs, Faulk and Laurence Maroney. Faulk gets an A, his failure to come up with the first down on the big fourth down play notwithstanding. Maroney (13 carries, 31 yards) gets a C with his regression back to being a tap dancer in the second half along with his awful fumble into the end zone at the end of an otherwise picture-perfect, 12 play, 86-yard drive that ate 7:51 of clock overriding a fine first half performance that included another tough TD run. It seems like every time something bad happens in the running game,Maroney’s fingerprints are all over it, which is why despite how well he’s played the past couple of weeks, it wasn’t the least bit surprising that he had such a lousy time of it in the second half. As for Faulk, he was brilliant, racking up 79 yards on 12 carries, mostly on those draws and delays. Along with Welker , he’s the ultimate security blanket, making it easy to see why he was the target of the fateful fourth quarter, fourth down pass. He was one of the best players on the field all not, but I’m pretty sure though that he’d give back all the pretty numbers in exchange for a win.

Wide Receivers: A

An utterly awesome game for Moss. He was all over the place, catching deep balls, seam routes, underneath possession-type throws and pretty much anything else that came his way for that matter. Bradyunderthrew him on the interception and there were a few other balls on which he was blanketed by double teams. He also had a drop that hurt a bit late in the third quarter. But his play was so dominant and looked so effortless most of the time that the misses hardly matter. On a pass over the middle in the third quarter, he made the catch in traffic, dropped the ball, then caught it again as it fell toward the turf. It was two catches on one play and I can’t think of too many other guys who could have done anything like it.Welker was his usual dependable self, adding nine more catches to his league leading total and seeming to get a first down (or at least get right up to the first down marker) on every one of em. Julian Edelman returned from the broken arm he suffered against Tennessee and caught his first career TD pass on which he stayed alive by running across the formation while Brady eluded pressure before finding him in the front of the end zone. It will be very sweet to see Edelman once he’s captured all the nuances of playing the position as he has excellent instincts and could well be great if he continues to develop. And finally, props to practice squad QB Isaiah Stanback, who appeared out of nowhere (wearing No. 9, no less) and made a couple of grabs, one a big one on the sideline in the red zone in the second quarter. He seemed to take the place of Sam Aiken in the game and showed that he can do some things if given the opportunity.

Tight Ends: B+

Not too much to report here. Ben Watson made his customary big catch in the second quarter, going up for a perfectly feathered Brady lob and coming down with a 36-yard gain. Chris Baker made two short catches in the third quarter, one of them a big red zone first down that came just a couple plays before Maroney’s fumble. Both had their moments blocking as well, with one or the other at times helping to contain Freeney and Mathis.

Offensive Line: B+

Wow, is Vollmer good. Freeney, who had a sack in nine straight regular season games and came in with 9.5 on the year, had exactly none, along with no tackles.Vollmer trusted his technique, was not fooled by Freeney’s constant spinning and didn’t get beat with his speed at all. If you miss Matt Light, who should be scheduling free agent visits with other teams now, you are in the minority. On the other side, Nick Kaczur, who has been superb all season, didn’t fare as well as the rookie. Mathis ate Kazcur up all night, pouring on eight tackles along with two sacks of Brady, three other QB hits and a pass deflection on the third down throw to Welker on the last drive. Mathis was the best defensive player on either team, dominating Kazcur, who for his part, mostly had to handle Mathis one-on-one. The middle of the line was excellent, though. Dan Koppen had his weekly penalty, but looked extremely solid especially with his availability in doubt all week. Guards Stephen Neal and Logan Mankins also performed very well, providing ample time and space for Brady to step up and throw all evening. Neal left the game late in the second half with a head injury but all-around fill-in Dan Connolly did a nice job in his stead.

DEFENSE: Overall Grade: B

We were on our way to a great big A here folks. There’s no way one could think otherwise based on the results of the first three-plus quarters. The game plan was to hurry Peyton Manning, take tight end/superstar Dallas Clark away via chips and double teams, bump and press the receivers at the line of scrimmage to disrupt their timing with Manning and give up short, underneath stuff in the middle of the field. It worked perfectly, as well as could possibly be imagined. Until they stopped doing it. When the lead was bumped to 31-14 in the early stages of the fourth quarter, the Pats backed off, moving to a deep zone, calling off a lot of the pressure and almost looking like they were in a semi-prevent. Why this decision was made against one of the best quarterbacks in the league after what had come before was working so well, I have no idea. There were 14 Indy possessions in the game, 11 prior to the fourth quarter, and nine of them ended in either a punt or an interception. The way the Pats then played the final 10 minutes was shockingly like the 2006 AFC Championship Game, and I thought the lesson from that game, which was to not let lift the foot off the neck of such an explosive offense, had been learned. Apparently, it hadn’t. Major, all-around props to Leigh Bodden, Vince Wilfork (of course), Brandon McGowan (who recovered nicely after a couple of early missed tackles), Jonathan Wilhite, Jerod Mayo and even Derrick Burgess, for executing the game plan flawlessly, before it inexplicably changed.

Defensive Line: B

No Ty Warren to go with no Jarvis Green seemed to suggest that it would be a long night for this crew, but it wasn’t too bad and even could be looked at as a mildly pleasant surprise.Wilfork did his usual anchoring job as well as possible considering he had less help on either side of him than he normally does and also moved to the outside in a couple of situations a la the Miami game and barely missed a beat. Mike Wright spent some time on the nose when Wilfork moved over and held up well, as he has done pretty much every week all year. With Warren out, rookie Ron Brace finally got into a game and the Boston College product acquitted himself decently, though not great. This group has been better, no surprise seeing as how it wasn’t at full strength. And in the fourth quarter, when the dogs were called off, it would have been nice to see a little more movement upfield toward Manning. But all in all, it was a good, solid showing.

Linebackers: B

Injuries did this group which perhaps played a role in Belichick’s unfortunate late game decision. Tully Banta-Cain, only the best pass rusher on the team, as well as someone who seems to have developed into a stout, all-around player, suffered a first half rib injury and didn’t return. His replacement, Rob Ninkovich, made a couple of plays before also leaving due to injury. In the aftermath of those losses, Gary Guyton led the defense in tackles while Mayo, another week along in his return from the opening night knee injury, had a great game, with six tackles, a key sack of Manning (the Pats only one) and a couple passes defensed and stops for a loss.Adalius Thomas made a nice play on a Colts rushing attempt in the second quarter but for the most part looked old and slow, as he has throughout the year. If anyone out there is particularly attached to Thomas, do your best to get it out of your system by January because at this rate, there is no way he will be on the team next year. And as for Burgess, my favorite guy to pick on from the defensive side, well – he had a nice game. Lined up as a pass rusher on the outside all night, especially after Banta -Cain’s injury, he frequently beat his man around the edge and was at least near Manning on several occasions, just missing a sack three times and registering one official hit on the quarterback and another tackle for a loss. He played all night like the guy I have to assume the Pats thought they were getting via the preseason trade with the Raiders and finally proved that he is capable of making a difference. Hopefully, it won’t take him nine more games to make more of an impact.

Secondary: B+

For starters, Leigh Bodden. The free agent pickup by way of Cleveland and Detroit played his best game of the year, making one play after another and locking down the side of the field not occupied by Reggie Wayne all night. Even on Pierre Garcon’s fourth quarter TD catch, he had position and was right there in coverage; it was just a textbook perfect pass by Manning that no one but Garcon could make a play on.Bodden was fantastic and inspired faith that he will be able to handle the responsibilities of a No. 1 corner for the rest of the year.Wilhite was victimized by Wayne a couple times, none more costly than on the game winning score. But he covered the all-world Wayne very well all night, was right on his hip even on Wayne’s two impossible receptions and added a big, second half pick on one of Manning’s several less than stellar throws.Wilhite , who hung with Wayne all night, also inspired some good feelings and looks ready to continue to assume a good chunk of responsibility as well. Darius Butler played well, his phantom fourth quarter pass interference penalty on Austin Collie notwithstanding. McGowan started slow, looking a step behind on Indy’s first scoring drive, but played a huge role in the slowing down of Clark while Brandon Meriweather was quiet and again looked less than stellar against a good opponent as opposed to how well he’s played against cupcakes like Tampa and Tennessee. These guys were very good most of the night, enacting the game plan well most of the evening before the conservative stuff came out late. Manning didn’t have a great game despite the final numbers and the Pats defensive backfield had a lot to do with that.

Special Teams: A-

Good stuff all around, not the least of which was Welker’s awesome, third quarter punt return that went for 69 yards and set up a short scoring drive culminating in Moss’s second TD of the night. Stephen Gostkowski made two field goals and boomed one kick after another to the depths of the end zone and Chris Hanson, who didn’t get a last chance to pin back the Colts with just over two minutes to go, was booming punts at a 44-yard clip. Kick and punt coverage was excellent.

Coaching: F

It’s all on them, especially Belichick. The fourth down call is the headline but the mismanagement of the clock and the team’s timeouts beforehand must be mentioned. Also, the decision to back off and give Manning a chance to make plays after dominating him for three-plus quarters made zero sense and reflected a pattern the Pats fall into when they have a late lead in big games the last couple of years (see the ’06 AFC Championship and Super Bowl XXLII to name two). Look, Belichick is a great coach, one of the greatest of all time. He saw an opportunity and he threw caution to the wind and took it even though it went against everything he seems to stand for. It was the wrong decision and turned out to be a horrible mistake. He will have to live with it. But is he Grady Little? No. Was it borne out of hubris and arrogance? Not really. Will it haunt the team for the rest of the year? Hardly (just wait until they get to take it out on the pathetic Jets this weekend). Was the game plan and its execution through three-plus quarters outstanding? Absolutely. It was just an awful mistake made by a guy who rarely makes them. He deserves all the second-guessing and criticism he gets (and by the way, the harshest I’ve heard has come from two of his all-time favorites,Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison). But it wasn’t the playoffs, the season isn’t over and as bad and painful and unnecessary a loss it was, it was just that – one loss. He and the team will bounce back, to be sure. Don’t worry about preening, no-nothing schmucks like ESPN’s Steve Levy, who’ve been openly mocking and making fun of Belichick for two straight days now. Everything will be fine. It’s a shame that it ended the way it did – the game was en route to proving the Pats to be a clear Super Bowl favorite and a force to be reckoned with. But as bad as it was, it will ultimately be seen as just what it was – tough, regular season loss.

Filed Under: Games

Take A Lap – Coach Bill Belichick

November 16, 2009 By 11 Comments

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

We at PD find it difficult to put this devastating 35-34 loss at Indy on Bill Belichick’s sweatshirt-shrouded shoulders. Going for it on fourth down actually made some sense at the time. A part of me liked the idea: get the first down, give yourself a shot at winning the game right then and there.

That said, what the hell was up with that play call?

With Tom Brady out of the shotgun, the Colts went to the line knowing that the Patriots had to pass. No QB sneak or quick-hit handoff to a fullback. No attempt at redemption for running back Laurence Maroney (see below). Nope, the defense knew what Brady had to do, giving them an advantage from the first sign of the formation.

If you’re going to go for it on fourth down, coach, give yourself a chance. Get the defense thinking about all the possibilities, from not snapping the ball to a downfield pass. Lining up in the shotgun only helped the Colts, forcing your O to come up short. For that, Coach Belichick, we ask you to take a lap.

(Sort of) Honorable Mention: Last week in the comments section, I gave Maroney an honorable mention for the PD Game Ball. At the time, I didn’t realize he’d fumble it.

I have wavered back and forth on Maroney more than his dreadlocks. Now I know that – to paraphrase his coach – he is what he is. He’ll have some great games and some bad games; he will show promise and then pull it away.

I liked that he began to lower his shoulders vs. Indy’s defense. I liked that he fought for yardage at the goal line. I would have liked it a hell of a lot better if he’d remembered to BRING THE BALL WITH HIM.

Maroney apologists will point to his yards per carry and his potential for being New England’s best option. Of them I ask: what the hell is their deal? Are they getting paid or something? Can’t they just understand that some fans are disappointed in him and leave it at that?

And I hope they’re not saying, “Well, you can’t blame him for one bad play,” because yes, I can do that. I can do that all day, every day, for a month.

Mr. Maroney, you have the Jets at home next week. Please do better.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

Filed Under: Columns

PD Game Ball – Peyton Manning

November 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

Colts QB Peyton Manning did what we figured he’d do: dice up the New England secondary like a chicken filet at Benihana. What we did not figure he’d do was wait until the fourth quarter for his heroics.

manningWe’re not here to incite any Tom Brady-vs.-Manning arguments. Brady had himself a heck of a game, too. When it came down to it, though, Manning scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to Brady’s 10. A 17-point deficit with less than 15 minutes remaining should have been too much to overcome; for Manning it became a challenge, but a surmountable one.

Check out these fourth-quarter drives and the time they took:

Five plays, 80 yards, 2:04. Manning 3-3, 59 yards.

Six plays, 79 yards, 1:49. Manning 4-5, 44 yards.

Four plays, 29 yards, 1:47. Manning hit Reggie Wayne twice, the last for the TD.

After three quarters of looking only above-average, Manning became the winning quarterback of a still-undefeated team. Hey, you with the squash the size of a silo, we begrudgingly offer you the PD Game Ball.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

Filed Under: Columns

Gut Check – Game Nine at Indy

November 16, 2009 By 9 Comments

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

New England’s defense isn’t good enough to stop the Colts. I know this because their coach gambled the entire game on one play for fear of having to face Indianapolis’ offense again.

In quite possibly the longest four minutes ever recorded, Indy scored 14 points to come from behind, 35-34, in a game Colts fans will call the best of the season.

Patriots fans? Not so much.

Bye Now, Peyton Later: Hey, hate him all you want, but you have to give Peyton Manning his due. The history-making quarterback with the iconographic melon did most of what he wanted to in the fourth quarter, including leading his team on three separate, two-minute TD drives to erase a 17-point lead.

Eff.

belichickFourth And Oh: Wanting to keep the ball out of Manning’s hands, Coach Belichick went for it on fourth and two from their own 28. Though Kevin Faulk appeared to catch the Tom Brady’s pass at the first-down line, the officials ruled it a bobble. Manning got the football and took roughly .008 of a second (actually, four plays) to find Reggie Wayne in the end zone.

Mother effer.

Oh, For The Love Of… You know, I try to like Laurence Maroney. I really do. But I find it difficult to defend his fumble on the goal line in the second quarter after the offense executed a picture-perfect 87-yard drive.

I know, I know, the Pats defense forced a punt. Which reminds me…

Wild, Wild Wes: Was I the one hoping Wes Welker would see fewer punt returns so he could focus on offense? Well, I guess Wes can do both. Welker had nine catches for 94 yards and a 69-yard return that set up Randy Moss’ second touchdown.

You know what? Writing that felt so good, we’ll try to stick with happy news.

He Slices, He Dices, He Julian: Welcome back and congratulations to rookie receiver Julian Edelman, who scored his first NFL touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Brady in the second quarter. Not a bad way to come back from a broken arm.

Pump Up The Vollmer: Commendable job by rookie tackle Sebastian Vollmer containing Colts pass-rushing phenom Dwight Freeney to zero sacks. Not quite as commendable a job on the other side by Nick Kaczur trying to keep Indy’s Robert Mathis in check, as Mathis had two sacks and disrupted Brady’s passing during a key fourth-quarter drive (of course, every drive was key).

We’re Lichen Moss: Ol’ number 81 had nine receptions for 179 yards and two TDs. You’d think that would have been enough.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

Filed Under: Games

Matchups Of The Week – Patriots at Colts

November 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

By Dan Zeigarnik, Patriots Daily Staff

The annual mid-season throw-down is upon us once again. This game has big implications for postseason home field advantage and first round byes. Patriot fans are excited to see if this year’s Patriots are for real, but are understandably nervous to go up against the hated (and undefeated) Colts. It should be a fun game, as always. Below are the top 5 matchups for this week’s Sunday night game as I see them.

1. Patriot Safeties vs. Dallas Clark

dallas-clarkDallas Clark is a formidable opponent who is in the midst of a career year.  He can lineup as a wide-out or on the line. More importantly, he has a knack for finding defensive soft spots and has soft hands, sort of like a bigger version of Wes Welker. Yikes! Don’t despair, however,as the Patriots shut down Tony Gonzalez with their safeties earlier this season and if they do it again, it will be a glorious night for Patriots fans.

2. Indy’s Wide Receivers vs. Patriots Corners

It looks like the league is figuring out how to exploit the Patriots defensive weaknesses. Quick short passes to the sidelines. This is exactly what Chad Henne and Kyle Orton were able to do and what Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan didn’t try to. The Patriot corners are talented but young, and seem to prefer to give big cushions rather then concede the long ball. Look for our corners to try to manhandle Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon.

3. Patriots Red Zone Offense vs. Colts Defense

The Patriots are playing their best football to date, but have yet to hit on all cylinders. As evidenced by last weeks 4 field goal attempts 3 of which were from the red zone and 1 just 2 yards outside, the Patriots need to get the ball across the end zone. If they can’t, Manning will make them pay dearly.

4. Pats Slot Receivers and Tight Ends vs. Colts Safeties

Bob Sanders is injured, which certainly makes it easier to roam the middle of the field for Pats skilled position players. If Baker, Watson, and Welker are able to exploit Indy’s depleted secondary, it will open up the running game and set up long clock eating drives that will win the field position battle.

5. Colts Running Game vs. Patriot Linebackers

Everyone knows that a big part of Peyton Manning game is the play action pass. It makes the safeties and linebackers step up and leave the secondary exposed. In order for this to be successful, the Colts need to establish a running game. If Guyton and Mayo are able to plug up the A and B gaps then it will free up the safeties to work on Clark and Wayne.

Filed Under: Games

Media Notes – Collinsworth(less) and NBC Get Their First Look At Patriots

November 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

To this point in the season, Patriots fans have been spared the anguish of listening to Cris Collinsworth call one of their games. That will end this weekend. The Sunday night format hasn’t been the best for the Patriots either, as although they are 15-13 all time in that time slot, they are only 3-4 since NBC has taken over the games. Last season they dropped both their Sunday night games, to Indianapolis and San Diego.

Here is the broadcast information for this week’s game, followed by some media notes, and weekend features.

Television

collinsworthThis week’s game with be broadcast to a national audience by NBC and can be seen in Boston on WHDH-TV Channel 7. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties with Cris Collinsworth providing color. Andrea Kramer will be the sideline reporter.

National Radio

This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One. Dave Sims and James Lofton will call the game, Hub Arkush will be the sideline reporter.

Radio

98.5 FM, The Sports hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 33rd season as the voice of the Patriots, and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and Cappelletti are celebrating their 26th season as a tandem.

The radio feed of the game is also being streamed live on the internet through 985thesportshub.com.

———————————–

NBC Coverage begins with “Football Night in America,” Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Bob Costas hosting live from inside the stadium.

Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann will co-host “Football Night” from NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios joined by Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King. “Football Night’s” Tiki Barber will report from Lambeau Field on the Cowboys-Packers game.

NBC Sports conducted a media conference call today with Michaels, Dungy, Harrison and SNF producer Fred Gaudelli. Highlights of the call are below:

HARRISON ON COVERING THIS GAME AS AN ANALYST: “Now that I’m covering it from a media standpoint, it gets me even more excited because now I get a chance to?sit back and relax and enjoy the game and not have to really worry about being nervous or having that anxiety facing those guys.”

MICHAELS ON THE RIVALRY: “This is the fifth time in six years that our crew has had a chance to do this game (third time on SNF, twice on MNF) and this game has been either the most anticipated or one of the most anticipated of the season. It’s one of those games when the schedule comes out and you see it you just hope each team gets out to a pretty good start and they have. Without question, this is the rivalry of the decade.”

DUNGY ON THE RIVALRY: “From a coaching standpoint, it’s a tremendous matchup. When you play against a team like (New England), it’s such a big challenge. It brings out the best in you and elevates your game. It’s just a tremendous rivalry. The respect for each other is there and it’s been a great game and one I’m looking forward to seeing for the first time from a different perspective.”

HARRISON ON THE RIVALRY: “I’ve played in this rivalry many times. You get really excited about facing the biggest challenge of the year, which is always going to be the Indianapolis Colts. Just being a part of one of the greatest rivalries in football really gets you excited. I know both of these teams have a mutual respect for one another, but I also know they have a distinct dislike for one another. It’ll be exciting and hopefully the Patriots can go out and kick some butt.”

MICHAELS ON COMPARING THIS RIVALRY: “This one is as good as anything I can remember. This is very similar to Dallas and San Francisco in the 90’s.”

GAUDELLI ON THE QUARTERBACK MATCHUP: “Without a doubt, besides the fact that they are two great teams, the headline of this game?is the two quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Al (Michaels) and I were talking over the last week, and in any decade was there one single quarterback matchup where you can clearly say these are the two best guys? While there were a lot of great matchups in the ’90’s, ’80’s and ’70’s, we couldn’t really delineate two quarterbacks where you could say, ‘these were absolutely the two best guys.’ In this decade, I don’t think there is any question, and you can put them in any order you want — Tom Brady-Peyton Manning, Peyton Manning-Tom Brady — these are the two best quarterbacks of this decade. They are what make this game really special on Sunday night.”
ON THE BETTER QUARTERBACK:

HARRISON: “Peyton Manning is the best pure quarterback in the National Football League but Tom Brady is my quarterback with a minute left and we’re down four points and we need a touchdown because he’s done it. Three Super Bowl rings, Super Bowl MVP, a guy whose preparation goes above and beyond anyone in that facility. It’s not very often that you find Tom Brady not prepared or ready to go. He’s my guy with a minute left.”

DUNGY: “I’ve been with Peyton Manning for seven years, I’ve seen him prepare and I’ve seen what he does and how he’s lead our team. There is no other quarterback that I would want, and I might see it differently if I had been with Tom Brady for seven years, but that’s the experience I had and I can’t imagine anybody running the offense and doing as much as Peyton does for the Colts.”
ON THE PATRIOTS DEFENSE TRYING TO CONFUSE MANNING:

HARRISON: “The thing that Bill (Belichick) gave us to do was to create a lot of freedom by trying to disguise the coverage. I lined up at cornerback and Ty Law lined up at safety at times which really seemed to confuse Peyton.”

DUNGY: “That was one of the few things that New England did that we hadn’t seen before. That was very unusual with Rodney playing corner. Usually you come into a game with New England showing a lot of blitzes, five-man pressures and then in our game they decide to rush three and drop eight or vice versa. The thing from the Colts standpoint that we’ve always admired about the Patriots is they’ve been able to have a different game plan, even for a half sometimes. You have to be ready to adjust when you play New England.”

DUNGY ON COACH CALDWELL: “He’s a little more emotional, a little more fiery?It was important to the team to transition well and not take a step backwards and that’s why everyone in our organization felt that Jim would be the best man for the job.”

DUNGY ON CALDWELL AS A FIRST YEAR COACH AGAINST BELICHICK: “Jim obviously has the benefit; he’s not like most first year coaches. He’s been there for seven years. He’s seen it. He’s provided a lot of the game planning, especially offensively, for those however many games were played. It’s not like the new guy coming in. He’s very aware of everything that’s taken place in the last seven years. I really don’t look at this like the first year coach in the normal sense.”

HARRISON THE COLTS SECONDARY: “I look at a Colts secondary that’s in trouble. You lose Bob Sanders, which is not a big surprise for those guys because he’s missed a lot of time, but losing Marlon Jackson and Calvin Hayden. Two losses for them, especially Marlon Jackson. He’s a guy who shows up a lot in the run game. Very physical, very aggressive cornerback who can play corner, safety, nickel back, dime back, cover a tight end, a guy that’s very versatile. If you’re Tom Brady and the Patriots you’ve got to look to really exploit that secondary.”

ESPN

On Sunday NFL Countdown:

Patriots/Colts – Rivalry Remembered: The Patriots and Colts were division rivals in the old AFC East, and it feels that way again with the seventh straight regular season game between the two teams Sunday.  Greg Garber visits with former Patriots and Colts for their insight on the rivalry.

On NFL Matchup (Sunday 3 A.M. and 7:30 A.M.)

Patriots @ Colts:  Communication in the Secondary – Hoge illustrates how the Colts’ inexperience at the cornerback position will hurt their chances against the Patriots.
Patriots @ Colts: Colts Offense vs. Patriots Defense – Jaworski demonstrates how the Colts offense will rely on precise execution Sunday in Indianapolis.

NFL Network

Saturday at 6:00 PM ET (repeated Sunday at 7:00 AM ET)– AFC Playbook – Brian Baldinger, Sterling Sharpe and Joe Theismann discuss:

  • How the Patriots’ passing game can hand the Colts their first loss of the season
  • Brian Billick explains how the Patriots’ defense can contain Colts TE Dallas Clark

Greatest 4th QTRs – Saturday at 8:00 PM ET

New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts (11/4/2007): Working to overcome a 10-point deficit and remain on track for an unbeaten season, QB Tom Brady threw two of his three touchdown passes in a four-minute span of the fourth quarter to beat the defending Super Bowl champion Colts, 24-20

Filed Under: Media

College Scout, November 14, 2009

November 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

College Scout looks at two good games in what is otherwise a fairly weak schedule this weekend. But 8 solid NFL prospects are profiled including our second and third juniors looked at this year.

Georgia Tech at Duke

(Noon ESPN2): The 5-4 Blue Devils have a fair show of going Bowling this year for the first time since 1994 and a win here against Georgia Tech would certainly go a long way towards accomplishing that. It won’t be easy, Georgia Tech is 9-1 and one of the better teams in the country. Duke is much improved this year, but unlikely to be able to keep up with Tech over a full game.

Georgia Tech RB Jonathan Dwyer
Dwyer(#21): Dwyer, while only a junior, is probably the best running back in college football. He plays in Tech’s option oriented offense and thus it is a bit hard to completely evaluate how his skills would translate to a pro offense. But there is enough there one can see Dwyer is blessed with a rare combination of speed, power and elusiveness that will easily translate to top production in the NFL. If anything, he is getting slightly less beaten up then most star college running backs as the Rambling Wreck spread the ball around. Dwyer checks in at around 230 lbs., but is very fast and powerful and has even been used to return kicks at times. In this offense, he obviously doesn’t get the chance to show his ability in a sophisticated passing game, but there are natural skills in that area as well though he has only caught 11 passes in his career to date. Dwyer is likely to go over 3,000 career yards rushing today and if he comes out to the NFL draft next year, which it seems likely he’ll do as he has little left to prove in college, he will probably be the top running back taken and drafted in the top 10 overall.

Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas
(#8): Thomas is another Tech junior with amazing skills that translate into a first round draft choice should he come out. Thomas is a very big receiver at 6’3″ 229 lbs. and he has excellent speed. While Thomas does not play in an NFL offense, he is Tech’s top receiving threat and has around 2,000 career receiving yards already on a team that does not throw much. This year alone Thomas has caught balls for 861 yards at an average of 23.3 yards per catch. Tech often throws the ball up to Thomas and he shows Randy Moss-like abilities to go up around a defender and over defensive backs to catch the ball. Thomas will need some adjustment to the NFL as this offense is as far away from modern pro offenses as could be, but once he does his talent is as good as any receiver virtually in the league now and he should develop into a top player. He has easy first round talent should he come out.

Duke DT Vince Oghobaase
(#3): Oghobaase is a good-sized defensive tackle for Duke who is right now projected to be a 2nd or 3rd round choice but could move up significantly with a good post-season in the All-Star Bowls and Combine. Until this year, Oghobaase had started all 36 games since he’d been at Duke, but this year he missed two games due to injury and its uncertain whether he’ll play today. When healthy, Oghobaase is a 6’6″ 300 lb. force who can get to the quarterback, but also has the strength to tie things up inside with his long powerful arms. He possibly has the size and athleticism, as well as quickness, to slide outside and could probably fit in the Patriots scheme. For his career he has 14 sacks.

Duke DE Ayanga Okpokowuruk
(#91): Okpokowuruk is a 6’3″ 250 lb. defensive end who makes a lot of good plays for the Blue Devils. Its uncertain that Okpokowuruk could play standup linebacker in the NFL, but its also not clear he is quite talented to play down in a 1-gap 4-3 scheme either. His best bet is probably as a linebacker, if he has adequate speed, and that will take some adjustment and grooming. Therefore, at best, he is probably a late round choice. What he does has is strength, good size, good work ethic and a lot of production and play-making ability. Okpojowuruk has 7.5 career sacks, including 4 this year and has shown a continuing improving ability to get to the QB. There is some chance he could play inside with some NFL coaching. Good tackler.

Arizona State at Oregon

(10:20 PM EST ESPN): Arizona State will be looking to avenge their 54-20 pasting at the hands of the Ducks last season, but in Oregon it won’t be easy as it is one of the more difficult venues to play in for a visiting team in all of college football. Arizona State hasn’t beaten Oregon since 2004 and this year’s 4-5 team doesn’t seem like a likely candidate to do so either.

Oregon TE Ed Dickson
(#83): Dickson is one of the better pro-prospect tight ends in college today. He has decent size at 6’5″ 243 and the speed to get down the seam. He has racked up over 1,500 yards receiving in his career. His blocking isn’t great, but his pass catching skills include natural hands, good route running, smooth after catch ability and nice ability with his height to go up and get balls. Dickson should be a top 2 round pick at minimum and one of the better pass catchers in the draft at his position. He would possibly be considered by the Patriots and would be a good pass catching replacement for free agent Ben Watson, but he’d need to bulk up and improve his blocking.

Oregon S T.J. Ward
(#2): Patrick Chung’s fellow safety at Oregon, Ward is a good prospect in his own right. Ward actually led the Ducks in tackles as a Junior when Chung and fellow 2nd round choice Darius Byrd were still in the Oregon secondary. Ward is an extremely strong guy for a safety and a truck as a hitter. He has good range, but could bulk up a bit at a mere 201 lbs. Ward is a sure tackler and would fit well with the Patriots back teamed with his old friend Chung in the New England secondary. Ward has been slowed by ankle injuries this year and has only played in 4 games thus far, but has worked himself back into health and will play tonight.

Arizona State WR Chris McGaha
(#13): McGaha is a 6’1″ 199 lb. wide receiver for the Sun Devils solid speed and good hands. Came into this his senior year with over 1,500 yards in catches and 5 touchdowns. McGaha has been a top third down producer for the Sun Devils throughout his career and their top move-the-chains option. He also has returned kicks and been effective at that as well. This year McGaha is Arizona State’s top receiver with 48 receptions for nearly 600 yards. McGaha doesn’t do anything fantastically, but is solid in many different areas and has acceptable NFL speed though he is not a burner. He has been reliable on third downs, can take a hit, runs good routes and has good hands. He is likely to be a late round choice once junior receivers enter the draft, but could be a solid steal and make a roster with good special teams play and eventually develop into a solid NFL slot receiver.

Arizona State DE Dexter Davis
(#58): Davis is a very productive player for the Sun Devils who already was 1st team All Pac-10 as a Junior. He is one of the better pass rushers in the country with 27.5 career sacks of the quarterback. Davis is simply an excellent college football player who rushes the passer and shows up all over the field. He has good possible linebacker size at 6’2″ 255 lbs. and he has been very productive and plays hard. The question is his speed. If he can show he has the ability to play with speed on the edge standing up, play in space and cover, he could be a very good NFL Player. But his lack of natural quickness and top-end speed will likely push him to a mid-round choice at best. This year Davis only has 2.5 QB sacks which is another question which needs to be resolved.

Filed Under: The Draft

Friday Injury Report

November 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

OK, we’ve been slacking on these injury reports for the last couple of weeks, but today’s was too important to skip. It seemed like half the team was out of practice the last couple of days, but today’s attendance was much better. The official report is out, and we’ve got a little clearer picture on what we can expect to see on Sunday night.

OUT

DL Jarvis Green – Knee
RB Fred Taylor – Ankle
WR Brandon Tate – Knee

DOUBTFUL

LT Matt Light – Knee

QUESTIONABLE

TE Chris Baker -Shoulder
DE Ty Warren – Ankle
WR Julian Edelman -Forearm
S Brandon Meriweather -Foot
RB Sammy Morris -Knee
LB Eric Alexander -Groin
C Dan Koppen -Knee
S James Sanders -Groin
NT Ron Brace -Ankle
LB Tully Banta-Cain -Groin)

PROBABLE
QB Tom Brady -Right shoulder
CB Shawn Springs -Knee
TE Benjamin Watson -Back

The big surprises today were that Light, Morris and Edelman practiced. I think they’re all longshots to play, especially Light, who is doubtful, but it is encouraging nonetheless that these guys were on the field. I’m a little concerned about Brandon Tate and that knee of his.

Filed Under: News

Patriots All Access Preview

November 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Patriots All Access returns tonight, Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV in Boston. The show is also available immediately afterward on Patriots.com.

If the Belichick Breakdown segment from Patriots.com is shown on the program, if you haven’t already, you need to check it out. In one of the breakdowns, you can see that the Patriots practiced specifically for the double-reverse pass in the Wildcat that ended up with Adalius Thomas dropping the ballcarrier for a big loss. The practice film is eye-opening, as it shows how things worked on in practice come to fruition on the field during the games. It was even on the same part of the field and same direction as happened in the game.

Here are some highlights to look for in tonight’s show:

  • Watch and listen on the sidelines as Coach Belichick and the Patriots make in-game adjustments last Sunday in their win over the Miami Dolphins and their Wildcat offense
  • Scott Zolak gets Belichick’s thoughts on the 2009 Indianapolis Colts in advance of the Sunday night matchup
  • Coach Belichick breaks down the league-leading Indianapolis defense on The Belestrator
  • In the TURF segment, Zolak and Christian Fauria break down the importance of tight end Dallas Clark to the Colts’ offense
  • Tully Banta-Cain has enjoyed a breakout season in his return to New England, and All Access finds out how the linebacker is also breaking out in the world of fashion
  • Steve Burton goes one-on-one with one of this season’s pleasant surprises, safety Brandon McGowan
  • All Access reveals Number 7 on the Top Ten Moments in Franchise History list, as voted by the fans
Filed Under: Media

Trading Places, Bonus Edition – A Conversation with ColtsChatter

November 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Patriots Colts We’ve got a bonus edition of Trading Places this week, as this game is so huge that we couldn’t get just one perspective on it. we also reached out to Brooks Busch at ColtsChatter.com to get his thoughts on the game. We asked him the same questions we put to 18to88 yesterday:

At 8-0 these Colts seem like they haven’t missed a beat. Coaching changes, injuries, nothing has impacted their W-L record yet. How good is this team? Can they run the table?

This team is just as good as it has been for the past several seasons. Although they don’t have the marquee names, such as, Marvin Harrison or Tony Dungy from last season, they have had many young players step up and fill in at key positions. Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Melvin Bullitt have stepped up big this season in place of injured players, and as a whole the team is meshing very well. However, key injuries in the secondary could plague this team come playoff time, and I still don’t trust the offensive line as much as I would like to. That being said I still think this team is a surefire Super Bowl contender, but I do not think that they will be able to run the table. Last weeks game against the Texans marked the beginning of a very difficult stretch in the Colts schedule, and they were very lucky to hold onto the victory last Sunday. I expect them to drop at least a game here in the upcoming weeks.

The observation in the media here has been that the Colts are winning more with their defense this year rather than the offense. It’s being said that Manning has been providing just enough offense with Wayne and Clark, but that the defense is the strength of the team. The numbers seem to bear that out. Is it true?

The defense has played very well the past two weeks, giving up an impressive 31 combined points to the 49ers and to the Texans. However, the Colts have not played many prolific offenses this season other than the Texans and Cardinals. I am still nervous about how this defense will perform in the playoffs especially with the injures in the secondary, but this season the defense has played above expectations. Now I can’t give the defense all of the credit, the offense has put up at least 20 points six times this season and forced opposing offenses to keep up with them and play a style of football that they do not want to play.

The injuries on defense, Sanders, Jackson, Hayden, Halger. Are these going to catch up with the Colts at some point, or will they keep finding ways to plug the holes?

I hate to say it but I really feel like these injuries are going to catch up with the Colts eventually. They have really been hit hard by the injury bug, and they are one more key injury away, on the defensive side of the ball, from being completely depleted depth wise. The Colts have always found ways to plug holes created by injuries, however, you can only have so much talent on your bench that you can use to plug in. I would not be surprised at all if the Colts get exploited this weekend by the Patriots and their passing attack.

Tell us about a player on the Colts defense that Patriots fans haven’t likely heard that much of, but will know a lot more about after Sunday night…

With the injury to Bob Sanders the Colts will be turning to Melvin Bullitt to fill the void at the safety position. Bullitt has played extremely well this season and has many Colts fans thinking that he could be the safety of the future if the Colts choose to part ways with Sanders. Patriots fans will know about him after Sunday night, either for his ability to step in for Sanders and slow down Brady and the Patriots or for his inability to cover the Patriots receivers. One way or another Bullitt will play a key role in this game, and Colts fans hope he continues playing the way he has all season.

Here in New England, many Patriots fans such as myself have come to really respect Peyton Manning, we can admire his style of play and talent from afar. Is there any of that for Tom Brady out there, or is it all just dislike?

To be honest with you I wish I could tell you that all Colts fans felt the way I did and respected Tom Brady, but in reality most Colts fans hate Brady. Granted there a many Colts fans who respect Brady and understand that him and Peyton are two of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. However, most Colts fans do not even like to acknowledge how good Brady truly is, they have just had their hearts broken to many times by Brady to have any positive feelings about him.  But deep down I think all Colts fans know that Brady is one hell of a quarterback.

Thanks, Brooks!

Here’s the answers to our questions over on ColtsChatter. (At the moment, he has me identified as being from another site. That should be corrected soon.)

Colts vs Patriots: Behind Enemy Lines

Filed Under: Opponents
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