2010 September

Making The Grades – Game One vs Bengals

September 14, 2010 By Jeremy Gottlieb 4 Comments

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

Opening Day in the NFL is a joyous enough occasion in itself. When your favorite team comes out and lays a king-sized ass-whooping on its opponent, all of the sunshine and puppies that go along with the garden variety, Week 1 experience look that much sweeter.

Such was the case at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon with the Patriots stomping on the overmatched Cincinnati Bengals, racing out to a 31-3 lead before coasting home with a 38-24 win. As expected, the offense looked sharper than sharp, effortlessly shuttling personnel packages in and out of the game and not missing a beat while regularly keeping the Bengals defense on its heels. But the real surprise was the play of the defense, which stepped on Cincy’s collective throat early and didn’t let up at all until that lead reached a pretty much insurmountable 28 points early in the second half. The non-existent pass rush? Existent (sort of)! The inexperienced secondary? Aggressive, competitive and mostly up to the task of staying with a couple of big name receivers. There were even a couple of runbacks for scores. Everything worked on Sunday (including the microphone at Randy Moss’s post-game press conference, sadly), no one got hurt and the outlook appears rosy headed into Sunday’s showdown against the hated Jets. So with that, let’s sum it all up, report card-styles. Welcome back to another semester at Patriots Daily University!

Tom Brady and the offense had no problems with the Bengals

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: A

Nearly 400 total yards. A rich balance between the run (23 attempts, 118 yards, 5.1 YPA) and pass (258 yards, three TDs). And perhaps most importantly, a nail in the coffin, spirit-killing drive that covered 14 plays, 76 yards and portions of both the third and fourth quarters, snuffing out any hope that the Bengals may have developed on the heels of two third quarter scoring drives that cut the Patriots lead to 14. The Pats didn’t turn the ball over and rookie punter (and awesome name Hall-of-Famer) Zoltan Mesko was called into service only once. The Jets will be a truer test of this offense on Sunday, but that’s another report card altogether. An all-around stellar outing for the O.

Quarterbacks: A

So Tom Brady spends his week diverting rumors about his contract, walking away from a potentially devastating car accident and signing the richest deal in the history of the NFL. And then, to top it all off, he submits a regal, dominant performance on Sunday, completing 25 of 35 passes for those 258 yards (and a tidy, 7.4 yards per attempt) and three scores, all good for a 120.9 passer rating. Brady was his typical spectacular self on Sunday, making pretty much every throw and seeing the field beautifully. His sideline strike to Kevin Faulk on a third-and-long in the second quarter, the perfectly executed screen to Wes Welker for the game’s first TD and the outstanding touch on his lob to rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski that completed the day’s scoring were all sights to behold. But his performance on the game-clinching drive (7-for-7, 58 yards) was the cherry. Brady came out of the game saying he’s never felt better following a season-opener. Anyone care to argue with him?

Running Backs: A-

Having finally buried Laurence Maroney in the fifth-string spot where he belongs, the Pats came out on Sunday and moved the ball on the ground with purpose and force. The 5.1-yard average is all the more impressive when you consider that the primary ball-carriers (Fred Taylor with 14 for 71 yards, BenJarvus Green-Ellis with five for 22 yards and Kevin Faulk with three for 23 yards) all managed more than four yards per attempt, which is usually the line of demarcation when it comes to a good performance on the ground and a lousy one. Especially strong was Taylor, who could teach Maroney a thing or two about decisiveness as he routinely made one cut, hit his creases strong and went straight ahead without dancing, tip-toeing or fumbling. It’s only a matter of time before the 33-year old Taylor’s injury-prone body betrays him, but until then, he’s an easy guy in whom to have confidence.

Wide Receivers: A-

If you’re looking for any more commentary on Moss’s post-game theatrics, look elsewhere. This space is reserved for thoughts regarding what happened on the field and in that regard, Moss looked solid. He only had five catches for 59 yards and didn’t come up with a first quarter deep ball that he probably should have had. But he was very solid, making catches over the middle and executing a Welker-esque quick screen to perfection in the third quarter. As for the medical marvel Welker, it couldn’t have been a better day for him. He had his typical eight catches, picked up a handful of first downs and generally did most of the things he’s proven to be so adept at over the course of his time here. But man was it cool to see him in the end zone, not once but twice. He’s halfway to his TD total from last season (a season, don’t forget, in which he caught 123 passes in just 14+ games) already, but aside from that, just the mere fact that he was out there looking like his old self just a touch over seven months since major, reconstructive knee surgery is where the post-game focus should have been. Great stuff from a great player.

Tight Ends: A

If there was any lingering doubt regarding the Pats increasing the role of the tight end in their offense this season, it should probably be laid to rest after Sunday. Not only did rookies Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez contribute to the passing game (with Gronkowski’s perfectly executed, goal-line TD reception presciently called just before happening by one of the more astute football heads in my viewing party), but fellow newcomer Alge Crumpler made himself extremely useful too, springing Welker for his first TD with a great block to seal a corner off the in-cutting receiver. According to the always reliable Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston, Gronkowski and Crumpler compiled the second and third most offensive snaps of the game for the Pats while 39 of 62 offensive plays featured multiple tight end sets. The Pats offensive versatility shined all day long thanks in no small part to the new look tight end corps.

Offensive Line: A-

“It’s as good an offensive line as we’ve ever had.” Those are the words of one Tom Brady, who probably knows a little bit about the topic. Other than a somewhat costly at the time holding penalty on Dan Koppen, this group, minus mainstays Logan Mankins and Nick Kazcur, stood up to anything and everything the Bengals defense had to offer. Brady didn’t get sacked and was only hit twice, his jersey looking as clean at the final whistle as it did during pre-game warmups. And somebody had to clear all that room out for Taylor and his boys to post such nice rushing stats. Matt Light, Dan Connolly, Koppen, Stephen Neal and the mammoth Sebastian Vollmer are as deserving of game balls as anyone.

DEFENSE: Overall Grade: B+

En route to a straight A, the defense took its foot off the gas in the third quarter, giving up consecutive 12-play scoring drives that gave the Bengals a modicum of hope. But the first half performance was so dominant, so out of the blue and so pleasantly surprising that the group as a whole may certainly be forgiven for flattening out somewhat with a four touchdown lead after doing everything right before halftime. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked, threw and interception that was run back for a score and completed only one pass for a first down in the first half and it was a 51-yard Hail Mary at the buzzer. As they have been so deft at doing in the past, the Pats threw one unique personnel look at the Bengals after another, disguising coverages and rush packages all day long, as well as bottling up leading rusher Cedric Benson to the tune of just 43 yards on 15 carries and a lost fumble. Palmer remarked afterward about what a good job the Pats did in creating mismatches and confusing he and his teammates before saying, “I haven’t played against anybody better,” at coming up with a defensive game plan as well as making adjustments in game that Bill Belichick. Again, especially after what went down on Sunday, who wants to argue?

Defensive Line: A-

Starting with the first drive of the game when Vince Wilfork pushed the entire pocket backwards and into Palmer allowing Myron Pryor and Tully Banta-Cain to swallow him up on a third down and short, the D-line showed it meant business. Missing Ty Warren and the departed Jarvis Green, longtime backup Mike Wright barely missed a beat at right defensive end while new guy Gerard Warren didn’t make any plays but didn’t do any damage either. The core of the Pats defensive philosophy on Sunday seemed to involve at least five defensive backs on the field at all times to deal with Cincy’s potentially explosive passing game while counting on no more than three down linemen, led by Wilfork, to control the lone of scrimmage, stop the run and force the Bengals to throw into a lot of heavy coverage. Given the Bengals amassing just 87 yards in the ground on 25 attempts, it looked like that plan worked.

Linebackers: A

Of course, Guyton’s pick-6 must be noted again, as does the solid NFL debut of rookie/internet sensation Brandon Spikes and the outstanding stuff/strip/fumble recovery made by Mike Vrabel lookalike Rob Ninkovich. But how about Jerod Mayo, folks? He never looked right last year after suffering a knee injury on opening night against the Bills; at times he looked so overmatched, some folks wondered aloud if his ‘08 Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign was a fluke and if he was a bust (hello, me!). Well, the Mayo that came to play on Sunday looked very much like the ‘08 edition. He was all over the field and rarely came off it, registering 12 tackles, eight of them solo and one for a loss. In many ways Mayo is the key to this defense – he is playing the Tedy Bruschi role and we all know how important that is. It may have been a little much to expect Mayo to fulfill that role with any semblance of aplomb last season, his first without Bruschi here to tutor him while trying to fight off a nagging injury at the same time. Sunday, he looked healthy and ready to roll.

Secondary: B+

Life without Leigh Bodden began for rookie Devin McCourty and second-year man Darius Butler on Sunday and although Butler was torched by Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco in the second half, including being beaten by two full strides on a picture-perfect third quarter TD pass to the corner of the end zone, he made a couple nice plays (including a diving break-up of a sideline pass in the first quarter) and was able to stay with his guy for most of the first half before the game was in hand. McCourth, in his first NFL game, broke up a deep ball intended for Terrell Owens on the first play of the game and hardly looked back, helping to hold Owens to just 53 yards on seven catches. But the real story of the day (besides “Pro Bowler” Brandon Meriweather being passed on the depth chart by James Sanders) was Patrick Chung. The strong safety from Oregon who as last season’s top draft pick accumulated only 26 tackles all year, had 16 and was positively demonic in doing so. Chung was all over the place, making hits in run support, on mid-range passes and along each sideline. He looked a little but like Rodney Harrison out there and though it’s far, far too soon to make such comparisons, wouldn’t that be a pretty sweet development to watch unfold? Chung was as big a star for the defense as anyone on Sunday.

Special Teams: B+

Never mind Stephen Gostkowski’s mediocre day. Both of his missed field goals were bombs, one of them a 56-yarder. he looked mostly good on kickoffs and will most likely be just fine as the season moves along. Let’s talk about Brandon Tate, the second-year receiver who ran back the second half opening kickoff 97 yards for a TD. It was a short kick by Bengals kicker Mike Nugent and it bounced on or about the 10 and rolled down to the 3 before Tate picked it up. The Bengals kick coverage was a bit fractured thanks to the short kick and bounce leaving Tate a lot of real estate if he could make just one move. He made it. Tate, who also caught four passes for 36 yards, has electrifying speed and, based not just on Sunday’s return but also the 99-yarder he had in a preseason game, excellent instincts. It will be interesting to see what kind of effect Tate has on games as the season goes on if he can stay healthy after missing nearly all of last season with a knee injury.

Coaching: A

A fair amount was made over the course of the off-season regarding Belichick’s eschewing of traditional coordinator roles/titles in the wake of Dean Pees, the D-coordinator the past four seasons, leaving as well as no official replacement having yet been made following Josh McDaniels’ departure for Denver following the ‘08 campaign (QB coach Bill O’Brien has been the de facto guy since McDaniels left, kind of the way McDaniels was in ‘05 after Charlie Weis left to run Notre Dame into the ground). Anyway, those who hate have jumped all over Belichick for this, citing his advanced age (did you know coach’s aged 58 or older have never, ever, ever won anything in the NFL???) along with the usual buzzwords like “arrogance “and “ego” as reasons being his own O and D-coordinator will lead the team down the road to ruin (even though he’s not really acting as his own O and D-coordinator, he just hasn’t given anyone else on his staff either of those titles). Well, whatever he’s doing, whatever anyone’s title is, whatever anything, he and his staff ran circles around the Bengals’ Marvin Lewis and company on Sunday. Cincinnati’s offense was completely flummoxed in the first half to the tune of three points to go with three punts and two turnovers before having some success against a prevent-like look when the game was a blowout. And the Bengals defense was steamrolled for 238 total yards and 24 points in the first two quarters. The schemes, the game plan, the personnel packages, the adjustments – they all worked to perfection. Not too shabby for a head coach whose also his own offensive and defensive coordinator, eh?

Filed Under: News

Dan Shaughnessy Has a Sniffle

September 13, 2010 By Dan Snapp 4 Comments

By Dan Snapp, Patriots Daily Staff

Christmas came early for the Shaughnessy clan. Randy Moss spoke.

"Damn, I hate football."

Dan Shaughnessy loves material that writes itself. Hell, he’s written the same column for twenty years. You know the formula: take newsworthy item, add outdated cultural references and dumb nicknames, relate the item somehow back to the Red Sox, throw in a little Grey Poupon, and boom. That’s a column.

But Randy Moss on the podium, saying he doesn’t feel wanted? That’s beyond writing itself. That’s honey flowing from a microphone. Shaughnessy’s fingers barely touched the keyboard. He just called up the UsualSuspects.doc, changed a couple of the names and references, added the requisite exposition, and hit “send.”

“God bless Randy Moss,” Shaughnessy must have thought. “Otherwise, I’d have to write about the damn game.”

Shaughnessy, once described as “the bravest columnist in town” by his boss Joe Sullivan, is paid to add insight and context to events like these. Certainly, Moss saying he feels unwanted is a newsworthy event, and dictated somebody opining on it.

The problem is Shaughnessy has no insight or context to offer. That would require work, a subject on which Shaughnessy knows less than he does Moss.

Moss has long been an enigmatic figure, either naive or uncaring of how his words play in public. He’s been burned enough times by the press to build a healthy distrust, not unlike that of his coach. Most famously, there was the “I play when I want play” myth, in which a little added context reveals Moss was actually saying he doesn’t need added motivation from Denny Green or Cris Carter to get up for games. A key moment of that episode was when reporters asked Moss if he wanted to take the comment back.

“Hell, no,” Moss said. “That shit is what I said.” That’s the comment to key on, the one that separates Moss from the likes of Carter (who’s already making the media rounds today as the go-to “Moss Expert”) or Brett Favre, professional posturers eternally willing to dance to the tune the press plays.

Moss says what he means, without apology, filter or spin. Yesterday was the same. Moss said he felt unappreciated and not well-liked.

Moss is no doubt feeling the pressure of being in the last year of his contract, with players around him signing new megadeals, in an uncertain labor environment that could see him not negotiating a new contract until he’s 35.

But he also said he loves it New England, wants to stay and is going to work his ass off this season, new contract or not.

Shaughnessy’s take from it? “Classic meltdown.”

You likely missed it, but Shaughnessy wrote something profound on Friday. It was buried deep in another sleepy stab of a column, four paragraphs from the end, where few of his readers still venture.

Shaughnessy referenced Gay Talese’s 1966 Esquire article on Frank Sinatra, “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold.” Talese couldn’t score an interview with Sinatra, yet still crafted an insightful profile of the man by talking to the principals in Sinatra’s periphery. It was a groundbreaking piece of writing, ushering in a new era of journalism.

So this was interesting. Dan Shaughnessy talking about a reporter taking initiative. Praising a writer making something out of nothing. Dan Shaughnessy?

Where would he go with this, and how would he relate it back to Tom Brady’s cult of personality, ostensibly the column topic? Would there be the likely comparison to the Foxboro throng striving for something of value from similarly reticent public figures like Moss or Bill Belichick? Or maybe this was a crack in the Shaughnessy veneer, candidly identifying the journalist he wished he could have become?

Nope. Shaughnessy’s next paragraph:

Now we have Sept. 9, 2010, featuring “Brady Involved in Car Crash,’’ followed by “Brady Agrees to Four-Year Pact.’’

Shaughnessy inadvertently hits upon a cultural reference that’s actually relevant to him and his brethren, and he punts it. He couldn’t care less about the message of Talese’s enterprising efforts. He just wanted to riff on the iconic headline.

“I think most journalists are pretty lazy,” Talese said in a 2007 interview. “A little lazy and also they’re spoon-fed information.” Talese was referencing the run-up to the Iraq War, but Shaughnessy’s work ethic applies.

If you want some insight on Randy Moss, check out this City Pages piece from 2002, about the same time Shaughnessy was writing today’s column, but about Manny Ramirez. There will probably come a day when he forgets to replace an instance of “Manny” with “Randy”, or going forward, replacing “Randy” with the name of his next target for derision.

The likelihood is there will be no work repercussions for Moss. He’s true to his word, and so that means another memorable season on the field. He may even get the extension he wants. And the last thing Belichick cares about is what a player says to reporters, especially ones who had their pieces written long before Moss opened his mouth.

Shaughnessy’s not the only lazy one. This piece was queued up over the weekend, waiting for something to tie it together. Then Moss spoke, and it was only a matter of waiting for Shaughnessy’s inevitable reaction.

Basically wrote itself.

Filed Under: Columns

Encouraging Start To 2010 For Patriots

September 13, 2010 By Bruce Allen 5 Comments

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Like perhaps many of you, I really didn’t have any idea of what to expect from the Patriots yesterday. Many in the media had definite opinions – most of them negative. I was wary and hopeful at the same time.

Darius Butler Got The Upper Hand On This Play

When the Bengals won the toss and elected to receive the ball first, we got our first chance to see the young defense in its first real action of the season. Rookie Devin McCourty was challenged right away, and responded by knocking the ball away from Terrell Owens on a long pass down the sidelines. While McCourty did give up a catch on the next play, the defense held and even ended the drive by getting pressure on Carson Palmer and sacking him.

That sequence gave us an encouraging glimpse of the answers to some of the biggest questions about the defense coming into the season. Could the young corners cover, and could the front seven get a pass rush? Getting positive results on the first drive allowed me to breathe just a little easier.

The offense was incredibly impressive early on…especially the play calling. Too often last season the game plan seemed to be “Welker and Moss, and don’t take a loss.” Yesterday we saw formations not seen in these parts since the Charlie Weis era, with two tight ends and a receiver split wide, clearing an easy path to the end zone for Wes Welker.

Having a linebacker return an interception for a TD, and a kickoff returned for a TD were also both things we haven’t seen in these parts for a while. Very encouraging. With the Patriots up 31-3, they did go into more of a “prevent” style defense, designed to keep the Bengals from getting a quick-strike score. In that regard, they were successful, the Bengals did score three second-half touchdowns, but they worked for them.

The Patriots inability to finish off games was a big problem last season, but a seven-minute TD drive led by Tom Brady effectively ended the game, even though the Bengals did score again.

All in all, this was a very encouraging start to the season. A few scattered thoughts and observations:

16 tackles (12 solo, 4 assisted) for Pat Chung? The guy was tremendous. Even when he was beaten a bit in coverage, he still made sure tackles, and hit hard all day long. Sure reminded me of a young Rodney Harrison back there.

Myron Pryor gets very good push on the line when he is in there.

We’ve been talking about the rookie tight ends, and giving Brady those big red zone targets. We saw the potential in Rob Gronkowski’s TD catch. Brady hasn’t had that since the days of Christian Fauria.

We got our first look at Jermaine Cunningham, albeit on a very limited basis. He at least looked the part of the outside linebacker. He’s not small.

Darius Butler gave up some catches, but he also made some good plays. He had his hands full with OchoCinco, but I think he’s going to get better. The skills are there.

This week will be spent getting ready to the New York Jets. I wonder if Rex Ryan is going to leave a voicemail message for the season ticket holders like he did last year.

Filed Under: Games

Five Predictions For The 2010 Patriots

September 12, 2010 By Bruce Allen 5 Comments

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Are you ready for some football? The season finally gets started for real this afternoon at 1:00pm. (CBS) Check back here in the Twitter box for thoughts and observations as the game goes along.

In the meantime, check out five fearless predictions for the 2010 Patriots.

1) The Defense Will Get Better As The Season Goes Along.

The number one concern people have with the Patriots is the defense, specifically against the pass. Don’t be shocked if they struggle mightily in the early going. New England is likely going to have to win some shootouts until the defense can hit its stride.

This is a very young defense, and there will need to be considerable learning on the job throughout the year, at all spots – defensive line, linebackers and the secondary. I think a big reason that James Sanders is still here is the lack of experience on the defensive side of the ball. As Thanksgiving approaches though, look for the mistakes to lessen, and the overall defense to tighten up as guys get used to their assignments and comfortable playing with one another.

2) Tom Brady Will Throw 35 TD Passes

Look For A Big Year In 2010 For Tom Brady

It won’t be 2007, but this offense will be very, very good as long as they can keep Brady upright. He’s going to have more targets this season, after having had to put Sam Aiken on the field as a third receiver at times last year, this season Brady has targets at tight end, but also more receivers in Edelman, Tate and Price.

The running game is still suspect inside the Red Zone, so the Patriots gave Brady big new targets in Rob Gronkowski and Alge Crumpler just for this purpose. Look for Brady to target those big tight ends a ton while inside the 20.

3) Brandon Tate Will Be Electric As A Kick Returner

Watching some games from the 2003 season, I’m always amazed at what a weapon a kick returner like Bethel Johnson was at times. In the Indianapolis game that season, Johnson brought back a kick for a TD immediately after a Colts TD, and nearly did it two other times, giving the Patriots a short field. Ellis Hobbs was their last decent kick returner and they had no one with a chance to break one last season. Second year receiver Brandon Tate showed his stuff with a return for a TD in the preseason, and was incredible in college. He’s going to make an impact on special teams this season.

4) Shawn Crable Will Find His Way Onto The Field At Some Point.

The 2008 third round pick has been a bust. On IR his first two seasons, Crable showed up for camp unable to pass the conditioning test, and was waived before camp even began. After cutdowns this past weekend, the Patriots signed Crable to the practice squad. Hopefully the message sunk in to the former Michigan linebacker, who has the physical tools that Bill Belichick covets in his outside linebackers. I think he will find his way onto the active roster sometime this season, and get into a game. That’s all I’m predicting for him at this point.

5) Logan Mankins will be traded for a second round pick.

I can’t see Mankins coming back before week ten, and I can’t imagine the Patriots allowing him to just show up then and put in the time he needs to accrue another season and get to unrestricted free agency. Something will happen, and I don’t think either side with cave on the contract end of things. I think sometime before the trade deadline the Patriots will trade Mankins away for a second round pick.

Filed Under: Columns

College Scout – Running Backs

September 11, 2010 By Greg Doyle 1 Comment

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

This week we’ll look at the running backs who could be among the best in next year’s NFL draft. Running back is a position the Patriots will have to pay very close attention to next offseason. With two first round and second round picks, the position is likely to look a lot different next year. Of the six backs with the team currently (5 on the regular roster, 1 on the practice squad) only 1 do the Patriots control the rights of for next season an that is BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The rest will be free agents. At their ages, its probably unlikely Fred Taylor or Sammy Morris will be back. A lot can change over the course of a season, but right now it looks like Laurence Maroney is out of favor with the team. Kevin Faulk is seemingly ageless, but his contract is up and who knows how much longer he’ll play. You would assume if he remains effective this year and wants to continue, the Patriots will again have a one year contract waiting for him for next year, but at some point very soon they need to replace his skills as well. So lets take a look at who’ll be out there at this critical position for the Patriots next offseason.

Daniel Thomas of Kansas State

1.) Daniel Thomas (#8) Kansas State: While its close, to me Thomas is the better pro prospect than Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Not that they’re not both great, they are. But Thomas has a rare combination of size, power and speed that is just a bit beyond that of Ingram. A former JUCO quarterback who Kansas State converted to running back, Thomas was the Big 12 Newcomer of the year last season. Alls he did was run for 1,265 yards and catch passes for 257 more. A big, powerful, bruising back in the mold of Steven Jackson, Thomas stands 6’2″ and checks in at 229 lbs. Given their needs at the position, the Patriots will undoubtedly take a long, hard look at Thomas with one of their first round picks in 2011. A great game to check Thomas out would be the nationally televised Thursday night game on ESPN at 7:30 PM EST on October 7th vs. Nebraska.

2.) Mark Ingram (#22), Alabama: Ingram is last year’s Heisman trophy winner who has struggled early this season with injuries. He recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee and sat out last week’s opening win against San Jose State. He is questionable today against Penn State. Ingram is a fast, shifty back with good power. He seems to squeeze out yards after contact every time. He isn’t quite as fast or powerful as Thomas, but may be more elusive and natural in his running style. He is the son of former New York Giants wide receiver Mark Ingram who played on the Giants teams Bill Belichick coached with in the 1980′s. Of course he is also playing for Nick Saban who has a close friendship with Belichick as well. He is a sure fire 1st round pick and will also surely interest the Patriots. Check him out on October 2nd when he should be healthy versus Florida at home. The game will be shown on CBS at 8:00 PM EST.

3.) Evan Royster (#22), Penn State: Royster is another back with 1st round potential. A tall 6’1″ and 213, Royster relies more on speed, shiftyness and elusiveness in his game then power. He is excellent receiving passes out of the backfield. A homerun threat, Royster blossomed into a 1st team All-Big 10 player last year. He is not a great short yardage back, but is improving. Perhaps some slight bulking up to the 220s could improve his game in the NFL. Watch him do his thing on October 9 versus Illinois at Noon on either ESPN or ESPN2.

4.) DeMarco Murray (#7), Oklahoma: Murray split carries last season with Chris Brown and ran for 705 yards. An excellent receiver, he also caught 41 passes for an additional 522 yards. He has nearly 2,500 yards rushing for his career. This year he should be a bit more of a featured back. Whether he is or not, there is much to like about his game. His pass catching skills translate excellently into the NFL. He is reportedly very tough and a leader on the Oklahoma team. He handles blitz pickup well and he runs with a combination of power and speed when carrying the ball. He has a chance to be a 1st round pick as well and perhaps the most well-rounded back (so far) in the draft. Watch him on September 18th when Air Force visits at 3:30 PM EST on Fox Sports Net.

5.) Anthony Allen (#18), Georgia Tech: Allen is stepping into a starting role this season taking over for the departed Jonathan Dwyer who was a 6th round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers himself. Allen is very similar in his game to Dwyer, checking in at 239 lbs. He may not be quite as powerful as the bruising Dwyer, but could be a bit faster and more elusive. He did get the chance to carry the ball 64 times last year and averaged an amazing 9.7 yards per carry for a total of 618 yards and 6 touchdowns. His pass catching is untested. The Georgia Tech option-oriented offense makes transition to an NFL offense difficult, but in Allen’s case he is a transfer there. He previously played at Louisville for two seasons (rushing for a total of 1,102 yards) who ran a more pro-oriented offense. So he does have some experience with it moreso than Dwyer did. It was thought that hurt Dwyer’s draft standing but shouldn’t be as much of an issue with Allen. Watch him do his thing as a feature back on November 4th when the Yellow Jackets travel to Virginia Tech on a Thursday night ESPN game at 7:30 PM EST.

6.) Brandon Saine (#3), Ohio State: Saine was a highly regarded running back who has had a slightly disappointing career at Ohio State. Still, he began to put things together finally last season running for 739 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also showed some pass catching ability. This year he’s looking to continue his progress and become one of the nation’s elite backs. He got off to a great start in week 1. He stands 6’1″ and 219 lbs. and has great speed as well. He hasn’t shown great elusiveness yet, but he is improving. Watch him today on ESPN at 3:40 PM EST when Miami (FLA) visits.

7.) John Clay (#32), Wisconsin: Another Big 10 back, Clay is typical Wisconsin. Big, powerful, bruising and not that elusive. Clay is only a junior and unlikely to come out after this season, but did run for 1,500 yards plus last year as a sophomore. He needs to work on his pass catching and pass receiving. He is powerful at 248 lbs. and will be drafted, how high depends on how much he can diversify his game by being more than just a power back. Watch him on October 9th which is Wisconsin’s homecoming game versus Minnesota. It’ll be on either ESPN or ESPN2 at Noon.

8.) Roy Helu (#10), Nebraska: A good, solid back Helu does nothing spectacularly. He produces, has good size, shows elusiveness and okay speed. Like many college backs, he could work on his pass catching but its decent. What he hasn’t done so far is dominate. He’ll undoubtedly get a chance in the NFL, how highly regarded he is while getting that chance depends on if he can go from a good to great runner this season. He can’t be 2nd team All-Big 12 again as a Senior and expect to be drafted high. He must dominate. Check him out on September 18th at Washington on either ABC or ESPN at 3:30 PM EST.

9.) Derrick Locke (#20), Kentucky: Locke is a very, very fast back who also is among the nation’s best kick returners. He is a bit small at 5’9″ 191 lbs. and may translate into a 3rd down back. He does have excellent hands. Very elusive, he is also a leader on the Kentucky team. While the Patriots are looking for running backs next year, including a possible need to replace third down back Kevin Faulk, Locke may deserve consideration. See him play versus September 25th at Florida, network and time to be determined.

10.) Noel Devine (#7), West Virginia: Devine is another small back who translates into a 3rd down NFL back. He has good hands, breakaway, burner speed and could possibly translate to a top-notch kick returner. What he isn’t is a NFL feature back, nor is he as explosive as last year’s similar back Dexter McCluster, who went in the 2nd round. He is probably a second day pick in the 4th or 5th round who could turn out to be a useful role player. He does truly have sprinter-type speed. He’ll play on a Friday night at Connecticut on October 29th at 8:00 PM on ESPN2.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: Anthony Allen, Brandon Saine, Daniel Thomas, DeMarco Murray, Derrick Locke, Evan Royster, John Clay, Mark Ingram, Noel Devine, Roy Helu

Patriots Buffet Table – Cincinnati

September 10, 2010 By Chef Leave a Comment

by Patriots Daily Kitchen Staff

Kicking off the season against Ocho Cinco and Ocho Uno. Luckily that duo is at their most potent on their various reality shows. Despite the protests of the Boston Globe Action Squad NFL Coverage Team this game will be played under NFL rules and not under the reality TV show rules incorporated under the Jersey Shore Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2010. Sorry Bert!

In honor of Cincy’s wide receiver pair, we’re sticking with pairs on this edition of the Buffet Table.

What to eat?

Cincinnati also joins odd elements together off the field, for example they like to put chili on their spaghetti. Of course they also like following a horrible team run by a horrible owner. So we trust their culinary skills as much as their team following skills.

Instead we’re going with Ol’ Friend Corner Blitz’ chicken wings and grilled vegetables.

These are both cooked in large foil trays on the grill.

Corner Blitz Wings

5-7 lbs of wings
MARINADE
1 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 cup brown sugar
fresh garlic or garlic powder(1-2 tbsp or more)
1-2 tsp Ginger
1/2 cup water
1/2 to 3/4 cup corn syrup(Dark or Light)

At least 15 minutes before cooking, blend marinade ingredients and pour 3/4 of the mix over wings in a large foil tray.
Cover with foil.

After the 15 minutes are up cook on a fairly hot grill 400-450+ for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the wings look like they’re almost ready, around 20-30 minutes.

Pour off the marinade in tray. And put the reserved 1/4 of marinade left on wings for the last 10-15 minutes. At this point cook uncovered and stir often.

Corner Blitz Roasted Veggies
These are cooked in a free form manner, an example is given below.
But feel free to use different vegetables.

5+ Zucchinis
5+ Summer squash
Peppers
Onions
and/or whatever else you want to use

Cut all into bite size and put in foil tray.

Add to the tray
A mixture of Italian dressing and spaghetti sauce.
1/2 to 1 stick butter, cut up
Pepper, garlic, salt whatever additional spices you like
1/2 to 1stick butter cut up
spices(Pepper, Garlic, whatever you like)
And then a tablespoon or 2 of an A1, Worcestershire or Tabasco sauce. Anything you like and have handy.

Just cover and cook on the grill at the same time and same temp as the wings. Uncover after 30-45,stir so it doesn’t burn, but you do want the vegetables to have a little char on them. Once most of the liquid is gone, they are done.

Both recipes can be easily doubled or tripled depending on crowd size.

What to drink?

Cincinnati is a city founded by immigrants from Germany. The city holds one of the largest Octoberfest celebrations in the country, complete with wiener dog races. I’d much rather watch dachshunds running around than the Bengals.
Details for ‘Oktoberfest Zinzinatti’ can be found here.

Christian Moerlein is a traditional German brewery from Cincinnati, however they do not distribute to New England. Founded in 1853, they have not operated continuously or always brewed their beer themselves.

That is set to change with the opening of the Christian Moerlein Lager House next summer. It will be located on the site of the old Riverfront Park baseball stadium, cleverly renamed Riverfront Park. An easy walk from both the Great American BallPark, and the “Name the stadium after my dad instead of earning naming rights dollars because the more successful owners have to give us money anyways” Stadium, home of the Bengals.

Their flagship is the Christian Moerlein Lager House Original Golden Helles. A clean, crisp golden lager beer brewed in the style of Munchener Helles.

Helles is one of the three main light German lager styles. Along with Dortmunder Export and German style Pils. Light in this case refers to the color of the beer, not it’s alcohol content or flavor. They are not light beers in the sense of a Coors Light.

Helles means ‘bright’, a reference to the color and clarity of this style. It can also be translated as ‘pale’ or ‘light’. These are Bavarian (South German) beers, brewed in response to the Pilsners coming out of Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) in the 1800s.

Dortmunder is similar in color to Helles, and was also developed as a response to Pilsner. Dortmunders and Helles share many of the same ingredients and brewing processes. Both are based on pilsner malt. Both are lagered, that is stored at a cool temperature in order to mature and fully ferment.

The similarities between Dortmunders and Helles make the differences interesting. As they differ far more than their shared appearance, history and ingredients would lead you to expect.

Where Helles come from Bavaria, Dortmunders come from their namesake Dortmund. Dortmund was (and is) an inland port city in the North of Germany. Long disused brain cells are telling me something about a Hanseatic League and it wasn’t actually Germany, but this isn’t Euro History 101.

Being a trading center, breweries in Dortmund brewed a lot of beer for export. Export beers across the world have usually been made stronger in order to travel well. Originally there were weaker versions of Dortmunder made for
the home market, and the proper name of the stronger style would be Dortmunder Export. Eventually the weaker versions were dropped, and with it the ‘Export’ part of the name. You’ll still see these labelled “Dortmunder Export” from time to time, but I believe just plain “Dortmunder” to be more common.

Over time the strength of some Dortmunders dropped as well, where they may now be brewed to the same strength
as a Helles.

Alcoholic strength when different, is a pretty easy to understand difference, but there is another big difference hidden inside these beers. The water in Dortmund is much harder than that in Bavaria, it is high in sulfates and calcium.

This hardness reacts with the hops used in beer. The same amount of hops in a sulfate rich beer will seem to be more bitter, and some will perceive a “sharper” bitterness. The beer will also seem dryer.

OK this isn’t Organic Chemistry 101 either. Suffice it to say a good brewer in an area with hard water will take advantage of that water by brewing hoppy beers. A brewer in an area with soft water will probably make softer, maltier beers. A modern brewer will just reduce the water to zero mineral content and then build exactly what they want. But no one knew what that meant in the 1800s, so they worked with what they had.

If Dortmunder Export is starting to sound familiar, it’s probably because it is like a German version of an India Pale Ale. A strong, hoppy beer brewed with hard water for export.

As for German style Pilsner, we’re working in pairs here and the pair is Helles-Dortmunder. Pilsner has been covered before and may be covered again in the future.

Helles examples:

Thomas Hooker Munich Style Golden Lager from Connecticut is a 4.6% faithful example of the style.

This style is popular among Pennsylvania breweries due to the German influence in that state.

Victory Lager at 4.8% is excellent as all Victory beers are.

Stoudts’ Gold at 4.7% is hoppier than most, with the hopping closer to a pilsner than a Helles.

New Hampshire is lucky to now have one of the best brewers in New England, Paul Davis brewing at his own shop Prodigal Brewing in Effingham, NH. Their Effingham burger brau is a Helles. They have just launched and are draft only for now. I haven’t had this beer yet, but having had Paul Davis’ beers in the past I have no doubt it’s a world class example.

There are examples imported from Germany as well. The large breweries all send one over. Sadly the age checks on American brewery websites have spread to Germany. So you may have to verify you’re over 16 years old to get these to work.

Weiheinstephan Original is bigger than the American examples listed above at 5.1% ABV.

Spaten Munchener Hell is called Spaten Premium Lager in the US, and it is easier to find than their hidden English language website. It’s 5.2% ABV and it’s more fun to call it Munchener Hell than Premium Lager.

Paulaner Original Munchener Hell is right in line with the other two at 5.0% ABV. If a cartoon waitress starts yelling at you in German I got this link wrong.

Dortmunder examples:

Two Brothers Dog Days out of Illinois is one of the best American made examples. It is a summer seasonal but
should still be on shelves now.

It is a shame that Cleveland’s Great Lakes beers are unavailable in New England, You can get them in New York state.
Their Dortmunder Gold is a great award winning Dortmunder Export. It is one of the most faithful examples in the world, as many have been reduced in alcohol content and bitterness over time. If you are ever in a state that has Great Lakes beer, bring some back with you. I’ve only had three of their beers, but all were excellent.

The City Steam brewpub in Hartford, CT does make a Dortmunder. Their City Steam Blond Export. Being a brewpub, this particular beer may not be on at any given time, and you have to go there to get it.

There are imports available from Germany. Given that this beer style is native to one city, and the general trend of businesses to merge over time. It isn’t surprising that there are only a few companies producing multiple brands.

In this case, there is the Dortmunder Actien Brauerei, or DAB for short. A division of the Radeberger Gruppe. They do have a website, but it’s in German and is heavily flash enabled.

These beers also tend to be shipped in green bottles, so look for closed cases. Also pay attention to date stamps as imports are rarely as fresh as American beers. German Dortmunders have also fallen in strength over time and are no longer as authentic as those made in America. Yes, a Dortmunder made at an American craft brewery is probably more authentic than one brewed in Dortmund by a conglomerate.

The eponymous DAB Export at about 5.5% is joined by DAB Original slightly smaller at 5%. They also make Hansa Export to about the same specifications as DAB Original.

The other main producer is Dortmunder Union Brauerei a division of the Radeberger Gruppe. Yes, the 2 main Dortmunder breweries from Dortmund are part of the same company. DUB produces Dortmunder Kronen Export.

Filed Under: Buffet Table, Games

Around The League – Week One (Part Two – NFC)

September 10, 2010 By Jeremy Gottlieb Leave a Comment

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

NFC EAST

Can Eli Manning Show That He's Worth His Contract?

1. New York Giants (11-5): The G-men went from improbable Super Bowl champs to patsies upset in a home playoff game by a division rival to collapsing ,choking dogs (no playoffs after a 5-0 start last year) all in the span of three seasons. This year, they seem to have rededicated themselves to defense after getting bombed for a whopping 427 points in ‘09. There are stars everywhere on that side of the ball (so many that the insufferable Osi Umenyiora has been benched and hopefully silenced) and still a good amount of firepower and winning experience on offense. This division is pretty stacked but it seems the Giants have less question marks than everyone else so it says here that they take it.

2. Dallas Cowboys (10-6): A trendy Super Bowl pick for some, I see the Cowboys as the same as ever which is to say, a lot of talent, huge expectations, not enough of what matters between their collective ears. By actually winning a playoff game for the first time in 14 years last season, the Cowboys took a step. But a big enough one to place them in the realm of true contenders? Not so much. Their coach is still overmatched, the quarterback, while much better, is still somewhat questionable and their defense is still wildly inconsistent and unpredictable. And there will be even more pressure this year with the Super Bowl to be played in their new stadium/owner Jerry Jones’ pleasure palace. Not sure they can handle it.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7): So the Eagles finally ran off Donovan McNabb who was a great player for them for many years but was never, ever going to lead them to a title. But they still have the other guy who will never, ever get them to the promised land and that’s coach Andy Reid, the king of being just good enough to not win when it matters most. Young QB Kevin Kolb will put up numbers thanks to the facts that there are weapons (receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, back LeSean McCoy, tight end Brent Celek) all around him and Reid wants to throw on every play. But the defense might not be stout or tough enough. And again, there’s the Reid factor. If you want to be good but not great and win but not win enough, he’s your man.

4. Washington Redskins (6-10): So now the S.S. Redskin is being captained by the most overrated coach of them all, Mike Shanahan. You know, the guy who won 13 years ago with john Elway at his peak but has won one playoff game since yet is still spoken of in hushed tones reserved for the likes of Noll, Landry, Walsh and Belichick. The guy is such a fraud, he’s already put his own massive ego ahead of the team in the way he’s handled malcontent D-lineman Albert Haynesworth; instead of just playing him or cutting him, Shanahan is practically hazing him the way vets haze rookies, in an effort to humiliate him. The Redskins are the portrait of dysfunction and always will be as long as Daniel Snyder owns them. They may be more competent this year than the past couple, but they still won’t win much. But as he always does, Shanahan will probably skate.

NFC NORTH

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4): At last the Pack can exorcise the demon Favre. Their current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is the MAN (4,434 yards, 30 TDs, seven INTs last year) and is still getting better. If the Pack’s offensive line – which nearly got Rodgers killed last season – holds up, there’s no reason the league’s sixth-ranked offense won’t improve. And the defense, despite getting carved up in that playoff shootout with the Cardinals last year, ranked second overall and is strewn with stars young (Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji, A.J. Hawk) and old (Charles Woodson, Nick Barnett, Nick Collins). A lot of folks like the Packers for the Super Bowl. I think I might too.

2. Minnesota Vikings (9-7): Not much to see here. Only an entire organization willing to hold itself hostage at the whim of a 40-something year old, formerly great quarterback whose perpetual, perennial and pathological selfishness cost them a chance at the Super Bowl last year. Luckily for the Vikings, they have a great defense and a superstar running back to help shield them from the inevitable moment when BrettFavre (yes, one word) kills them in a big game. Maybe after it doesn’t work out again this year, the team will finally move on and also show coach Brad Childress, who has got to be seen as a total snake by most of his players for his sniveling, whiny, suck-up to Favre (who hates him) ways, the door. But hey, at least according to Tom Jackson, Favre’s not afraid to throw a pick, even when it’s the worst possible decision and costs his team and its fans a shot at glory.

3. Chicago Bears (6-10): Coach on the hot seat? Check. New offensive coordinator notorious for being a little too smart for his own good as well as a relentless self-promoter even if its to the detriment of his team? Check. Incompetent GM? Check. Wildly overrated quarterback who behaves like a petulant 10-year old while routinely killing his team’s chances? Check. Aging defense not nearly as good as it used to be? Check. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010 Chicago Bears!

4. Detroit Lions (5-11): The Lions may approach less than double digit losses this year. It’s true. They actually seem to look like they know what they’re doing. They are building a team from the core out (quarterback, defensive and offensive lines first). They have a dynamic, seemingly competent coach in Jim Schwartz. They have a monster stud at receiver (Calvin Johnson) to go with that up-and-coming QB (Matthew Stafford) and a highly touted rookie back (Jahvid Best), too. Sure, 5-11 isn’t any good but for the Lions, 2-30 the past two years, it has to be like the Super Bowl. This team is on the rise, believe it.

NFC SOUTH

1. New Orleans Saints (13-3): There may be a letdown in there somewhere but the Saints strike me as understanding and appreciating just how long and difficult the road to the top really is as much as any title winner I’ve ever seen, including the Pats. They return everyone to their top-ranked offense and nearly everyone to a defense that confounded juggernauts Minnesota and Indy in it’s final two games last year. Hard to say if the Saints will win it again this year. But they have as good a chance as anyone to get back there and give it a shot.

2. Atlanta Falcons (10-6): What a strange year last season was for the Falcons. Their QB Matt Ryan, so crucial to their surprise playoff berth in ‘08, took a step back. Their defense thanks mostly to injuries across the line, took three steps back and a season filled with hope never really got on track until it was too late and a second straight trip to the postseason was lost. There have been some key additions to that defense for this year and Ryan, who may have just had a sophomore slump, has looked very sharp in the preseason. The Falcons won’t win this division, but they may provide the Saints a few headaches and seem to be a respectable choice for a possible wild card berth.

3 Carolina Panthers (8-8): It’s hard to predict what may happen with the Panthers. They have a talented-looking young quarterback in Matt Moore, two potential home run hitters at running back in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and a star receiver in Steve Smith. But they also have a shaky offensive line, a defense that will be without its best player the past seven years (Julius Peppers, now in Chicago) and a coach in the final year of his deal who very well may be checked out (John Fox). The Panthers have always been competitive and hard-working even when they are out of it. Playoff contention would hardly be a surprise but neither would 6-10.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-13): The head coach is my age and that should say everything that needs to be said. But if you want more, you have a second-year QB (Josh Freeman) who only played half his team’s games last year as well as rookies and second year guys all over the roster. The Bucs are in full-on rebuilding mode as they continue to try to start over from scratch following their still curious shitcanning of Jon Gruden following the ‘08 campaign. If the blueprint is successful, the Bucs will be a threat again – in 2014.

NFC WEST

1. San Francisco 49ers (9-7): The worst division in the league still has to have a winner so why not the Niners, who have looked the part the past couple years thanks mostly to coach Mike Singletary. Singletary seems to coach the team with the same ferocity as he employed as a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Bears and San Fran has gotten better under him, even throwing up a narrow miss of the postseason last year. They have a superstar on D (linebacker Patrick Willis) and a superstar on O (running back Frank Gore) as well as a couple other guys (receiver Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis) who are on the cusp. The key will be QB Alex Smith, the former No. 1 overall pick who went from starter to third-stringer and back to starter again over the course of three seasons. Smith offensive coaches seemed to change in each of his first few years – maybe that’s why he struggled so much. This year he has the same tutelage as last so we’ll see if that’s the case. If Smith plays well, the Niners could be pretty good and a tough out come playoff time.

2. (tie) Seattle Seahawks (7-9): Pete Carroll, so mercilessly overmatched in the NFL during head coaching stops here and in New York, then so masterful in college at USC before having to flee for being a crook like every other college coach, returns to the big time with the Seahawks. Will his boola boola, rah-rah style work on grown millionaires this time around? Who knows? What is indisputable is that the Seahawks have been awful the last two years, spiraling downhill at breakneck speed since their Super Bowl appearance in 2005. Carroll has gutted the roster, something that may well have been necessary but will result in some trying times this year and probably next. Here’s hoping local guy Matt Hasselbeck, now near the end, doesn’t get decapitated thanks to a woeful offensive line.

2. (tie) Arizona Cardinals (7-9): Anyone who doesn’t think that quarterback is the most important, influential position not just in football but potentially in all of sports, I present to you the Arizona Cardinals. With now retired QB Kurt Warner, the Cards won two straight divisions, went to a Super Bowl they nearly won and advanced to another divisional playoff game. Without him, they turn to Derek Anderson, a journeyman who completed 44 percent of his passes and threw three TDs against 10 INTs for the Browns last year before being cut (yes, by the Browns). Former No. 1 pick Matt Leinart couldn’t even make the team and the Cards are relying on two rookies, one undrafted, to be their backups. With Warner, the Cards would win this division going away. Without him, even with all the other talent still around (receiver Larry Fitzgerald, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, safety Adrian Wilson), they will struggle to get to .500.

4. St. Louis Rams (4-12): Like their brethren in sucktitude up in Detroit, the Rams are looking like they might be on to something and they’re doing it in a similar way. Starting with a solid-looking, No.1 overall pick at QB (Sam Bradford), a defensive-minded coach (Steve Spagnuolo) and a near complete overhaul of the roster with the exception of a couple key veterans and a handful of other, recent high draft picks. The Rams are lucky they play in the weak NFC West – the mediocrity of their division should earn them a couple more wins than last year’s one and 2008’s two. Give them a couple years to stick to the plan and develop and there may some 1999-2001-esque times in the offing.

Filed Under: News

Around The League – Week One (Part One – AFC)

September 10, 2010 By Jeremy Gottlieb 1 Comment

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

So I’m not sure if you’ve heard, loyalists. The season started last night. Yep, it’s true. When the Favr-kings and the Saints resumed their rivalry from last year’s NFC Championship game down in New Orleans, it marked the beginning of one of the most blissful times of the year – the NFL season. For the next 17 weeks, then another six weeks after that, we will eat, sleep and breathe football. And in keeping with the tradition of all the so-called experts, none of whom know any more about how the season will unfold than the homeless dude who sits on my front step every once in a while, I’m about to enlighten you with some predictions. Being just another guy who likes to watch games with some buddies and some beers, chances are I know even less than some pillars of intelligence like Tom Jackson, Mark Schlereth or any other ESPN loud mouth (minus Tedy Bruschi, of course), but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to tell you who’s going to come in where in each division. If they can do it, I can do it. So without further ado, here’s what to expect this season in two parts, starting with the AFC.

AFC EAST

Chad Henne Will Be Good Enough To Lead Miami to the AFC East Crown

1. (tie) Miami Dolphins (10-6): The Dolphins were pretty good when their big weapons on offense were dudes named Greg Camarillo and Brian Hartline (???). Now they have mega-talented/knucklehead receiver Brandon Marshall, too. Quarterback Chad Henne won’t kill them, their defense is powerful and they have one of the most solid coaching/management teams in the league, still led by the legendary Bill Parcells. (or do they?) But they won’t have the division to themselves because of…

1. (tie) New England Patriots (10-6): Now that Tom Brady is a) two years removed from his knee injury, b) about to sign the mega-extension we’ve all known he’d sign sooner or later, c) blessed with some new, young, explosive weapons on offense and d) not mangled by that car accident from yesterday morning, he’s more than likely to look a lot more like the Brady of 2007 than he did last year. He’d better, since the defense is so young and inexperienced, it more closely resembles a lot of the high school teams I’ve covered the past few years than an actual NFL defense. Still, there will be enough points scored to equal double-digit wins and another playoff appearance.

3. New York Jets (9-7): I know the Jets think that making themselves into one giant, collective target is the way to go in order to stay motivated and be at their best. But one of the reasons they were successful last year was because no one saw them coming, and they still barely made the playoffs before being handed enough cupcakes to get to the AFC Championship game. This year, with all their blathering, their fantasy football approach to team building, their blowhard coach talking more shit than most players, their not-ready-yet quarterback and their insistence on pissing off every other team in the league with all that false bravado, they take a step back.

4. Buffalo Bills (3-13): Wow, it must suck to be a Bills fan. The owner is 97 years old and won’t pay for a big time coach who knows what he’s doing, which is why every three years, an overmatched coordinator comes in to lead the team to third place or worse. The talent level on both sides of the ball is mediocre. The weather is as bad as anywhere in the country. And oh yeah, that same aged owner is trying to move the team to Toronto. I feel bad for the Bills. It’s only going to get worse.

AFC NORTH

1. Baltimore Ravens (12-4): Super Bowl or bust for the Ravens, who are really, really good. That defense may not be the same as it once was (even though the press will tell you that Ray Lewis is still a god despite the fact that he hasn’t done anything but scream for three years now) but the offense is absolutely loaded (Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin are studs while every one else at a skill position is at least very good). Provided there’s enough juice in their secondary and QB Joe Flacco continues to improve, Baltimore may well be playing into February.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6): As with so many other teams, the QB position is the biggest question mark for Cincy. Carson Palmer, once on the road to greatness, has never really bounced back from that gruesome knee injury he suffered in the ‘05 playoffs and his numbers last year (3,094 yards???) bear that out. He has firepower at his disposal, though – Terrell Owens signing was huge and will be a major benefit if he behaves – and the defense was excellent last season. Even a mild improvement over last year from Palmer should make the Bengals playoff worthy.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8): How far will pride take them? Thanks to Ben Roethlisberger’s continued douchebaggery, the Steelers have been looked at with a kind of scrutiny they aren’t used to all off-season long. Even though his league mandated suspension was reduced to four games from six, Pittsburgh still has to play those games, which means second-year man Dennis Dixon (one career start) will be the man til Roesthlisberger returns. The defense still has all the names it did when it won the Super Bowl two years ago, but that group was pretty leaky last year. And are the offensive line and special teams – the team’s two biggest problems last season – any better? Time will tell. It may be a transitional year in Pittsburgh.

4. Cleveland Browns (5-11): Hard to imagine Jake Delhomme able to help all that much (nine TDs, 23 INTs in his last season plus-one game in Carolina). But there’s a sense of hope for the poor Browns this year thanks to proven winner Mike Holmgren now running the show. Autocrat coach Eric Mangini seems to have toned down his act at Holmgren’s behest, there’s some talent, especially on defense, and the Browns did win their last four games to close out last season. Things may well be turning around in Cleveland.

AFC SOUTH

1. Indianapolis Colts (12-4): You can always pencil the Colts in for at least 12 wins, at least a win, maybe two, in the playoffs and a gag job when it matters most. It seems they were over their mostly choking ways last year until the second half of the Super Bowl, when they crapped themselves all over the field down in Miami at the hands of the Saints. The regular season doesn’t matter to Peyton Manning and the boys, nor should it given their mediocre division. It’s all about titles (or lack thereof) for the Colts and given their continued explosiveness on offense and their very, very good D, they should certainly be in the mix yet again, all year.

2. Tennessee Titans (9-7): 0-6 last year before Vince Young, 8-2 and barely missing the playoffs with him. The guy may finally get it. It helps that his tailback, Chris Johnson, is a monster (2,006 yards last year) and that the Titans have always had one of the best offensive lines in the game. They were betrayed by their defense a lot last season, though (remember 59-0 up here against the Pats?), so that will be a major point of emphasis this year. They have the toughest schedule in the league (two games with the Colts, Pittsburgh, Philly, at Dallas, the Giants and San Diego) but for all his past issues, Young seems to be a winner and that’s all that matters.

3. Houston Texans (8-8): Every year, the same thing. This is finally the time when the Texans will make that leap and get in the playoffs. They finally had a winning record last season but still lost enough big games to rule themselves out of the postseason. So now, with all their talent (Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, a slew of names on defense), they are expected to take it to the next level. This team has never done well with expectations and they still have the same players and coach (Gary Kubiak) who are responsible for that. Why should anything be an different?

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12): Seems odd that just three years ago, the Jags were giving the then unbeaten Patriots a huge scare in a divisional playoff game in Foxboro. Coach Jack Del Rio, then seen as a premier up-and-comer, has proven himself to be complete fraud and QB David Garrard, who was great that year (18 TDs, three INTs) has regressed. Oh yeah and no one comes to their games, every home game is blacked out on local TV and they are frequently rumored to be relocated to another city. Gonna be another long year, Jags fans (all seven of you).

AFC WEST

1. San Diego Chargers (11-5): The Chargers pretty much take this division by default thanks to the woe that collectively is the Raiders, Broncos and Chiefs. They have a great quarterback in Philip Rivers, a stud tight end in Antonio Gates, a rookie running back expected pick up where the ghost of LaDanian Tomlinson left off a couple years ago, an excellent line and a fairly stingy defense. They also have a sociopath for a GM (A.J. Smith) who can’t get along with anyone, routinely says dumb, angry things in the press and has basically banished two hugely important offensive cogs (receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill) for having the temerity to want to be paid some more money. This team has always seemed just a little too dysfunctional to succeed when it matters most and that’s probably not going to change this year.

2. (tie) Denver Broncos (7-9): Poor Josh McDaniels. Everything was so rosy for him when the Broncos defied expectations and started last season 6-0. But when everything went to shit, and they finished the year at 8-8 and out of the playoffs, he was on the hot seat. It won’t be easier this year with star receiver Brandon Marshall gone to Miami, top two running backs Knowshon Moreno and Corell Buckhalter hobbled and top defensive player Elvis Dumervil already out for the season with a torn pectoral. The Broncos do have the anointed one, Tim Tebow, though. Maybe if things get off to a bad start in Denver, Tebow will walk on water or something and save the world.

2. (tie) Oakland Raiders (7-9): In Oakland, optimism doesn’t mean playoff hopes, it means losing less than 11 games hopes. The Raiders have lost 11 or more games every year since 2002. But this year, thanks to a quarterback who may actually know what he’s doing beyond chugging codeine (Jason Campbell) and some continuity among the coaching staff, as well as a few savvy personnel moves on defense (um, what?), there is a sentiment that the Raiders may be halfway decent. I won’t believe it til I see it, especially with crypt-keeper Al Davis still in charge, but it sort of makes sense.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (5-11): It’s New England Southwest in KC, where former Pats Super Bowl winning coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel have joined one-time Pats GM Scott Pioli and back up QB Matt Cassel in the Chiefs’ rebuilding effort. There’s still a long, long way to go. Pioli and head coach Todd Haley have almost entirely turned over the mess that was left for them when they arrived before last season and with nowhere to really go but up, the Chiefs and their wealth of young talent should improve a bit this year. Next season, they might be pretty good.

Check back later for the NFC Picks…

Filed Under: News

Worry Wart – Game One vs. Bengals

September 9, 2010 By Chris Warner 2 Comments

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

All right. Are we done? Are we at a place where we know what team we have and how competitive it might be?

No? Okay.

After watching their roster go through more turnover than a family restaurant on Mother’s Day, New England now has the main guys they think can take them through 2010. How that winds up depends on many factors, most of which should come to light during Sunday’s faceoff against Cincinnati.

This Guy Made The Team?

Make Yourself Youthful: Goodbye experienced vets like Sam Aiken, Pierre Woods and Eric Alexander. Hello whippersnappers like rookie linebacker Dane Fletcher and receiver (receiver?) Matthew Slater. The Pats have let go of special teams veterans in exchange for younger players with potential. Against the return-happy Bengals, the new guys need to improve kickoff coverage. Contributing on offense and defense will go a long way toward improving the team’s so-called “middle class” of backups.

An Outside Chance: With the release of outside linebackers Woods and Derrick “I Guess I Did Retire” Burgess and an only recent return from injury by rookie Jermaine Cunningham, the New England coaches have pinned their hopes on guys like Marques Murrell and Rob Ninkovich. I’m not saying that makes me nervous, but I feel obligated to point out that those two players combined have exactly one more NFL sack than I do.

Meanwhile, Detroit rookie Willie Young – he of the seventh round – has two sacks this preseason and looks to start at defensive end. Interesting, no?

O, My: Rookie draft picks Ted Larsen and Thomas Welch got cut, putting the onus on the offensive line vets to make some inroads vs. the Bengals (ranked no. 11 in rushing defense this preseason, for what it’s worth). Of course, O-line play has a huge impact on the following…

Get Backs To Where You Once Belonged: Once again, the Pats will forego focusing on one running back and employ a platoon of them, though how dependable they are remains to be seen. The fact that we got excited about the signing of Javarris James to the practice squad says a lot about how we feel about Foxboro’s backfield personnel.

Feeling Seven Up: The front seven of New England’s defense will determine the outcome of this game, and considering they face a top ten rushing team, they have a tough road ahead. Rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes has shone this preseason, while free agent defensive end Gerard Warren has held up well. Questions remain with Mike Wright as an every-down player at right defensive end and the aforementioned outside linebackers who have as much experience as Sandra Dee.

One game never makes a season, but this one game could tell us a lot about what we need to know about this team.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

Filed Under: Columns

First Impressions – Cincinnati Bengals

September 9, 2010 By Greg Doyle Leave a Comment

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

To open the 2010 NFL regular season, the Patriots face a team, the Cincinnati Bengals, they haven’t seen since their historic undefeated run of 2007. Early in that season the Patriots traveled to Cincinnati and easily dispatched them 34-13 in front of a national TV audience.

Some things remain the same for both teams, Bill Belichick is still the coach of the Patriots and Tom Brady is still the quarterback. For the Bengals, Marvin Lewis is still the coach and Carson Palmer is still the quarterback. But much has changed as well.

For the Bengals, they went 7-9 during that 2007 campaign and then slumped to 4-11-1 in 2008. Marvin Lewis’ job was reportedly on the line last year. Many changes among personnel and coaching staff occurred. 2009 really was a make or break year for those who remained with the team. In much quieter fashion than the 2010 featured team, it was the Bengals who appeared as the featured team for the 2009 edition of the HBO television series “Hard Knocks” leading up to the season. Yours truly was a regular watcher of that edition and enjoyed it tremendously.

And what he saw surprised him. A tougher and smarter personality in coach Marvin Lewis than previously realized. A new, innovative successful defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer. A star quarterback, Carson Palmer, who cared deeply about winning and put in the time and effort to try to do so. A top NFL personality, Chad Ochocinco, who is funny, truly refreshing (unlike others who carry the same label) and fun to watch. But beyond that, the show revealed other things about Ochocinco. That he’s a leader. That he’s tough. That he too cares deeply about winning and his teammates. That he goes all out on the field all the time. For all his shenanigans, to me the 2009 edition of Hard Knocks showed me Ochocinco is a great teammate for his fellow Bengals, that he may make noise, but its in a positive way. That he is never negative and his personality quirks and antics are usually within a team framework and aimed at never putting other players or other teams down, but instead are positive and actually bring something good to the team he is on.

Overall, I came away impressed with the 2009 Bengals, which is decidedly opposite how I feel about the New York Jets, next week’s Patriots opponent, appearance on Hard Knocks this pre-season. I saw a Bengals team flying under the radar, determined to put unsuccessful seasons behind, that didn’t talk and just worked hard. And it paid off. The Bengals went 10-6 and won a very competitive division in the AFC North last year. Injuries caught up and they faded late in the year and were knocked out of the playoffs early at home. But there is reason for optimism going forward.

The Bengals have added some pieces they hope will allow them to take the next step off their division championship. They’re not just looking for a good season again, they’re looking to be a true contender for the NFL Championship this year. So lets take a look at some of the new players they’ve added to their playoff team and who’ll the Patriots will have to contend with Sunday in Foxboro at 1PM.

Will T.O. Have a Big Year in Cinci?

Terrell Owens (#81), WR: Sunday will mark the debut of star WR Terrell Owens with the Bengals. It will be the start of his 15th season in the NFL and his 5th NFL team. The Patriots bottled up Owens pretty well last year in two appearances against him while he was with the Buffalo Bills last year. And its hard to say if Owens is fading quickly after a so-so season with the Bills last year (55 catches, 829 yards, 5 touchdowns) or its merely a product of poor quarterback play he was teamed with. The answer probably is a little of both. Owens will be 37 this year, but on the other hand has always kept himself in fantastic shape. NFL teams were slow to sign him this off-season, and that could be a sign of fading play, but it may also be a bit of the baggage that has come along with T.O. during his long career. He was on his best behavior with the Bills last season and has had no troubles with the Bengals so far. Teamed with another solid receiver in Ochocinco and given the Patriots questions in the secondary, he undoubtedly is still a threat to do damage any given Sunday. He’ll have a better quarterback throwing to him as well and better weapons around him. The Patriots young corners, Darius Butler and Devin McCourty, will have their hands full.

Jermaine Gresham (#84), TE: Rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham from the University of Oklahoma will present another match up problem for the Patriots defense. The Bengals first round pick, #21 overall he, like the Patriots rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski, sat out his senior year in college. In Gresham’s case it was a knee injury. Despite that, his good post-season workouts and impressive earlier college career kept him in the first round. And like Gronkowski, an impressive pre-season has teams in the NFL looking at an additional weapon they’ll have to contend with when facing the Bengals. Gresham is 6’5″ 261, but runs a quick 4.7/40 and really is a terrific athlete. He runs smoothly and with quickness, yet has power to break tackles when he does get the ball. His hands are outstanding. He is particularly tough going down the seam and with his height can go up and get the ball if the defense puts a shorter safety on him. Despite a good receiver group and strong running game on the Bengals, Gresham is a weapon the Patriots will have to specially account for as well.

Jordan Shipley (#11), WR: The Bengals have another rookie who’ll receive some playing time on offense and that is Jordan Shipley from the University of Texas. The Bengals 3rd round choice, he’ll be the slot receiver in multiple sets and works that position well. An impressive pre-season for him as well shows teams will have to be careful of him on inside routes. He is used in similar fashion as the Patriots use Wes Welker. As the slot guy, its likely he’ll be matched up often with Patriots third corner Jonathan Wilhite and this may be a match up the Bengals look to exploit. Shipley has far greater quickness than Wilhite in and out of cuts and that could be good in trying to convert third and less than 10s. The Patriots would be wise to give Wilhite a little help on these downs and distances with the Bengals undoubtedly looking for him and/or Gresham over their bigger name receivers often times.

Reggie Nelson (#20), S: Nelson is a talented guy and former high draft pick (#21 overall) of the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a disappointing three seasons there, Nelson was traded to Cincinnati just this week for cornerback Donald Jones, a sign that Jacksonville gave up on him and he is now in bustville territory as a former first round pick. The fact is, the Patriots have a lot of room to exploit the Bengals safeties. Nelson is a guy who, while a knockout hitter, has always struggled in coverage. That’ll be even more true while he tries to learn the Bengals defense in a week as reportedly he has always struggled mentally with knowing defenses as well. He’ll still probably be on the field some, though, as a third safety particular given how often the Patriots spread it out and with all their new tight end weapons. In fact, all the Bengals safeties are more run support, hard hitter types who aren’t very good in coverage. If the Patriots look to exploit this in the middle of the field, new tight ends Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Alge Crumpler and slot receiver Wes Welker could have big days running free in the Bengals secondary.

Filed Under: Opponents

From The506.com – Where Patriots/Bengals Will Be Shown

September 8, 2010 By Bruce Allen 2 Comments

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

The awesome website The506.com is back for another season of creating weekly maps showing which games will be shown where in the country. With their permission, we’ll be showing you the map each week that shows where in the country you will be able to watch the Patriots game that weekend.

This week, the Patriots have CBS’s top crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, and so a large portion of the country will get to watch the first game of the Brandon Spikes era.

Man, Denver doesn’t get a whole lot of competition.

If you click on the map and go to the page at The506.com, you can zoom in on specific areas and regions to get more detail.

Filed Under: Media

Matchups Of The Week – Bengals at Patriots

September 8, 2010 By Dan Zeigarnik 3 Comments

By Dan Zeigarnik, Patriots Daily Staff

Top Five Matchups: A New Hope

The 2010 Football season is upon us, and with the way the Red Sox have been playing, it couldn’t have come soon enough. There has been some genuine excitement about this team, as they have added new weapons on offense and have revamped their secondary. Like with most season openers, the fans are more interested in how their beloved team looks as opposed to being excited about a specific opponent. With the Cincinnati Bengals coming into town, here are some things too look for:

1. Bill O’Brien’s play calling vs. Bengals Defense

Who Is Making The Calls On Offense?

Last years vanilla play calling needs a little ‘Ben and Jerrying’. I want to see Americone Dream or Phish Food out there. The predictable “Welker and Moss Show” left to many unconverted third and longs last year, and it cost the team dearly. Hopefully with the emergence of Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Alge Crumpler and Aaron Hernandez, Patriots second year play caller O’Brien will have more toys to tinker with.

2. Patriots Pass Rush vs. Bengals Offensive Line

Lets face it, Patriot fans are deathly afraid of a repeat of last year’s defensive performance. That team looked anemic and weak. They got pushed around at the line of scrimmage and lacked any semblance of a pass rush. Nobody wants to sit through painfully long and sustained drives by our hated foes, and watch big plays rolled on us because their quarterback had 10 seconds to stand in the pocket. I really wish I could tell you a heartening story about our revamped pass rush, but unfortunately the situation looks to be even meeker. Derrick Burgess has been released while Ty Warren is out for the year. So I wouldn’t hold my breath about New England’s ability to pressure the opposing quarterback, but as long as this weakness can be managed then the Patriots have a chance to unload their massive offensive juggernaut and come out with a ‘W”.

3. Cedric Benson vs. Patriots Linebackers

On a brighter note, the Patriots inside linebackers seem to be at the dawn of a new era. Jerod Mayo looks healthy and ready to bounce back from an injury laden sophomore slump. Standing next to him this season is Chatroulette sensation, Brandon Spikes, a mean and fiery SOB who brings some needed attitude into the linebacking corps. Also, after you Google it to figure out the reference, please don’t go and crucify him on 98.5 The Sports Hub, you yourself probably haven’t been to church in over a year. These tapes are the new normal, everyone will have one, (jk). But seriously, let the kid play football. His teammates and the coaching staff clearly like him, and it will only become a distraction if you, the fan, make it one. With that in mind, look for him to tackle Benson four times.

4. Gronkowski vs. Bengal Secondary

For all of you who traditionally skip the preseason, you should all get yourself acquainted with Gronk. What a beast. Now while I don’t want to get too gushy over a rookie’s performance in preseason games, it’s still refreshing to see a big man with nimble feet and soft hands going up the middle. Look for him to make some plays in the red zone.

5. Bengals Wide Receivers vs. Patriots Secondary

For too long the once-proud New England secondary has been patrolled by the likes of Deltha O’Neal and Ellis Hobbs. In an attempt to rectify this eyesore, the Patriot brass invested high draft picks in several intriguing players. It’s now time for the likes of Pat Chung, Devin McCourty, and Darius Butler to step up. With Ochocinco and TO lining up together, it will definitely be a challenge for the young secondary. Passing this test will go a long way to reassuring the fans that the Patriots secondary is revamped and ready to shine in the limelight.

Filed Under: Games, Opponents

Making The Grades – Game One vs Bengals

Tom Brady and the offense had no problems with the Bengals

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: A

DEFENSE: Overall Grade: B+

Dan Shaughnessy Has a Sniffle

Encouraging Start To 2010 For Patriots

Five Predictions For The 2010 Patriots

College Scout – Running Backs

Patriots Buffet Table – Cincinnati

What to eat?

What to drink?

Around The League – Week One (Part Two – NFC)

NFC EAST

NFC NORTH

NFC SOUTH

NFC WEST

Around The League – Week One (Part One – AFC)

AFC EAST

AFC NORTH

AFC SOUTH

AFC WEST

Worry Wart – Game One vs. Bengals

First Impressions – Cincinnati Bengals

From The506.com – Where Patriots/Bengals Will Be Shown

Matchups Of The Week – Bengals at Patriots

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Obvious Disclaimer

Links of Interest

Ads

Recent Comments

PD Favorites

Football Favorites

Other Links

Categories

Tom Brady and the offense had no problems with the Bengals OFFENSE: Overall Grade: A

DEFENSE: Overall Grade: B+

What to eat?

What to drink?

NFC EAST

NFC NORTH

NFC SOUTH

NFC WEST

AFC EAST

AFC NORTH

AFC SOUTH

AFC WEST

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Obvious Disclaimer

Links of Interest

Ads

Recent Comments

PD Favorites

Football Favorites

Other Links

Categories

Tom Brady and the offense had no problems with the Bengals

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: A