January 27, 2012

Posts Comments


Patriots Buffet Table – Patriots at Chicago Bears

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

by Patriots Daily Kitchen Staff

Another division leader on the schedule for the Patriots. If only the Bears were quarterbacked by a guy prone to boneheaded interceptions. That would be just the type of guy the Patriots newly ballhawking defense would light up.

What to Eat?

Italian style beef is a Chicago area favorite. It’s not from Italy. It’s a regional version of a French Dip sandwich .. which of course isn’t from in France.

Take a beef roast and slow cook it over beef broth, oregano and Italian spices. Maybe some red chili flakes. Dip the rolls in the same cooking liquid and top the whole thing with spicy oil marinated vegetables. And that is the Italian Beef sandwich.

Italian beef, serves 8

Boneless beef roast, about 3 pounds

rub:
Black pepper, ground, 1 tablespoon
Garlic powder, 1 tablespoon
Onion powder, 2 teaspoons
Oregano, dried, 2 teaspoons
Red pepper flakes, to your preference 1/2-1 teaspoon

6 cups beef stock or broth

1 jar Giardiniera, Italian style marinated vegetables such as Il Primo

8 sub rolls, the chewier the better

Combine the rub ingredients and use it to cover the roast. You’ll use about 3/4 of the rub.

In an oven:
Preheat to 400 degrees
Combine the stock and the leftover rub and pour into a pan larger than the roast. A 9×9 may be large enough, but you’ll probably need a 9×13. You don’t want to use too large a pan or there will be too much surface area and the stock will completely evaporate.

Place a rack directly on top of the pan and place the roast on the rack.

If you have a roasting pan with a built in rack, like for roasting a turkey, you could use that instead. But you will have to increase the amount of cooking liquid you make and put into the pan, at least by half.

Cook for 90 minutes for medium-rare, about 2 hours for medium. The meat will go through a second cooking step when it is dipped in the hot cooking liquid. So do not overcook it on the initial roast.
It is best to cook it to medium-rare.

Cool the roast in the fridge for at least 2 hours, the longer the better. This allows you to slice the meat thinly.

This is also a good meal to make in a crockpot. In that case you’d cook on high for 4 to 6 hours. The roast will take on more of a pulled consistency instead of sliced. The meat will also pick up more flavor from the stock because it will be cooking directly in it. So in this case use a low sodium stock.

Even if you’re cooking the roast in the oven. A crockpot is useful for keeping the cooking liquid in after roasting as the roast chills.

Dip the split rolls into the cooking stock, dip the roast beef into the stock and layer it onto the rolls.

Top that with giardenera.

What to Drink?

The English IPA is the original IPA and it’s a more restrained beer than it’s American cousin.

They’ll tend to be a little darker, and more malty. Both as a result of the British malts used compared to American malts in a typical American IPA.

Some English IPAs will use American hops, and this is a traditional choice. In the 1800s when the style was first being brewed and shipped to India some British brewers were importing American hops.

Most commonly however they will use British hops such as Goldings and Fuggles. These give more of a floral, earthy, grassy and spicy perception contrasted to the citrus and pine of the typical American
IPA hops.

The bitterness will also usually be kept to a lower level. While still a bitter beer, English IPAs have more balance than American beers.

The style has undergone many changes over the centuries it has been brewed. Originally it would have been around 7-8% ABV and very well attenuated.

Attenuation being the degree the fermentable sugars in the beer have been converted to alcohol. The ABV of the original IPAs wasn’t particularly strong for their day, however the degree of attenuation was high.

When a beer is highly attenuated there are less sugars present for spoilage organisms to feed upon. This made the IPA well suited to travel.

Eventually IPAs began to be sold in England and not just sent for export. At that time they were reduced in strength to the 5% range, again closer to the average strength of British Beer before WW1. Some breweries continued to water down their beer until they bore little resemblance to IPA despite having the name.

There are British breweries making their IPAs resemble the orignals. These are fairly rare. Most are made to the 5% range or the weak range.

The IPA will serve as a good contrast to the Italian Beef sandwich. Cutting through the fat and strong flavors without overwhelming it or being overwhelmed itself.

From Chicago, Goose Island’s IPA is a good example of the English IPA style.  5.9% ABV, 55 bitterness units, made with a combination of British style and American hops. Goose Island has been available in New England for about a year, and that availability is likely to increase as Redhook will start brewing the Goose Island beers in 2011.

A bigger example, closer to the original beers sent to India is Brooklyn East India Pale Ale. 6.8% ABV made with British malts and British and American hops.

Boulder Cold Hop Ale is a seasonal product and it’s only made through October, but you may still be able to find it in some stores. 6.8% and a bit different due to it’s use of Continental European hops and other hops derived from European ones.

Long Trail Traditional IPA, unfiltered, 5.9% ABV and hopped with Nugget and Cascade hops. Nugget is an American hop derived from British ancestors.

Berkshire Lost Sailor IPA is 5.5% ABV, and hopped with Goldings hops to 40 IBU. With an overall ABV and IBU closer to most American Pale Ales than American IPAs this one is very close to those made in England by Fullers and Sam Smith.

Fullers IPA is made by Fuller, Smith and Turner in England, but only for export. It’s 5% ABV. It cannot be found on their website, but the site is still thirst inducing.

Samuel Smith’s India Ale is also 5% and is much easier to find than Fuller’s. Try this one next to an American styled IPA and the differences are easy to notice.

Geary’s Winter Ale, brewed closer to the original strength at 6.5%. Hopped with Mt. Hood, Goldings and Fuggles.

Sherwood Forest Sheriff’s IPA is around 5% with a mild flavor and aroma.

Paper City India’n Pale Ale 5.4% ABV, hopped with East Kent Goldings and Yakima Goldings from Washington state.

Trinity IPA 7% ABV and in the original strength category. This beer was originally developed at the brewpub in Providence and was the first beer they released in bottles.

Arcadia IPA 5.9% and 40 IBUs, dry hopped with the American hop Columbus. Columbus is also known as Tomahawk and Zeus depending on which hop producer they come from – each having a different trademark. It’s one of the newer high alpha acid hops. It has a British type flavor being spicy and earthy opposed to the citrus and pine common to American hops.

Mayflower Pale Ale is labeled as a Pale Ale and it is well labeled in America. In England however this would fit right in with their IPAs. It’s hop profile of East Kent Goldings, 4.9% ABV and 40 IBU make
it very close to what IPAs have become in England.

Compare the Mayflower Pale Ale to Greene King IPA, one of the largest selling IPAs in England. The Greene King is only 3.6% ABV with IBUs around 30. Easily only one half the strength and bitterness of the original IPAs. Note, the export version sent to the US is 5% ABV just like the Fullers and Sam Smiths.

Butcombe Brunel IPA OK, you can’t get this beer in the US, but I couldn’t resist including a Butcombe.

Filed Under: Buffet Table

Around The League – Week 13

December 10, 2010 By 1 Comment

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

The Broncos fired Josh McDaniels on Monday night, an act that was more than likely a fait accompli, but came about four weeks earlier than was widely expected. Everyone involved was very nice and civilized in the aftermath but Denver owner Pat Bowlen has to be kicking himself, not just because he now will have to pay three coaches next year (McDaniels, Mike Shanahan, who was fired after the 2008 season with multiple years still left on his contract and whomever is hired as the next full-time coach), but because he probably gave McDaniels the keys to the car a little too soon.

The McDaniels Era In Denver Is Mercifully Over

When McDaniels was hired to replace Shanahan, it was shocking, both because Shanahan was still seemingly living a teflon life off of the two Super Bowls John Elway won him 10 years earlier and also because McDaniels was just 32 when Bowlen gave him the job. McDaniels was coming off three massively successful years as the Pats offensive coordinator, one of which was the record breaking 2007 season and another that saw him develop Matt Cassel from an unknown, seventh-round backup into a legitimate, front line, NFL starting QB. In the beginning, it looked like a masterstroke, as the Broncos won McDaniels first six games as a head coach, including a major upset of the Pats. But then, the wheels fell off the wagon.

Denver would go on to lose 17 of its next 22 games. The defense completely fell apart as McDaniels tried to shoehorn a bunch of guys who either were senior citizens or weren’t necessarily the best fit, into a Pats-style, 3-4 alignment. He mostly botched all of the personnel responsibility he received with the job, the most egregious error being trading Peyton Hillis to Cleveland for third-stringer/bust Brady Quinn. Stories emerged regarding his poor treatment of staff and employees working under him. And of course, the Broncos videographer, a close friend of McDaniels, was caught filming a 49ers practice prior to their meeting with the Broncos in London a few weeks ago.

If the Broncos had been able to win here and there throughout all of this, McDaniels may have survived. But outside of a blowout over the Chiefs in Week 10, they lost seven of eight and sit buried in last place of the AFC West at 3-9. In the end, the most logical analysis of the firing is that McDaniels simply wasn’t ready for all of what he was given. He’s universally respected as an excellent offensive coach and from what’s been written in the aftermath of his undoing is that somewhere down the line, when he matures and figures some stuff out, he’ll be a very good head coach if someone else gives him a chance. He just needs a little more seasoning. Maybe he’ll come back to Foxboro and get it here.

This Week’s Five Best Teams

1. New England: I hope anyone who may have considered leveling an accusation of homer-ism when I had the Pats in this spot on this list previously was watching on Monday night. And I wonder what ESPN’s always hilarious Tom Jackson (who, for a refresher, said the Pats, “hate their coach,” the day after they cut Lawyer Milloy in 2003, and praised BrettFavre for, “having the courage to throw an interception,” after he selfishly torpedoed the Vikings in last year’s NFC Championship game) thought of that game. In the pregame, he said, “I know the Patriots have the better quarterback and the better coach, But I’m taking the better team and that’s the Jets.” Sound logic there, TJ.

2. Atlanta: The Falcons did it, winning a big game against a good team (and a division rival fighting for playoff position at that) with a 28-24 comeback win in Tampa. Matt Ryan did his usual fourth quarter comeback thing but it was more the special teams (an electrifying, 102-yard kick return for a TD by Eric Weems right after the Bucs had taken a 24-14 lead) and defense (corner Brett Grimes made one of the prettiest INTs you’ll see all year to stop the Bucs from making a late comeback of their own). With two of their remaining four games against Carolina, if the Falcons can somehow get by the Saints in New Orleans next weekend, they have to be the favorites out of the NFC.

3. Pittsburgh: Huge, come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter for the Steelers, who got the snot beat out of them by Baltimore but managed to hold up long enough to win 13-10 late on an amazing TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Isaac Redman. Of course, it wouldn’t be another week in Steelers Country without yet another bitchfest from the bitchier by the week James Harrison, who complained that a couple of Ravens linemen were trying to injure him with some extracurricular activity after the whistle a couple times. Hey James, you ever watched yourself or your defensive teammates on film? You have? Good, now shut up.

4. New Orleans: The Saints escaped Cincinnati with a 34-30 win mostly due to the fact that they were playing the Bengals, who may just be the dumbest team ever assembled. It was a classic case of playing down to your competition on the road against a lousy team with nothing to lose. They better get serious now though, with the Rams and Falcons on the docket this week and next.

5. Green Bay: Good bounce back from their near-miss in Atlanta by the Packers, who overwhelmed the 49ers after a slow start and won easily, 34-16. The spectacular Aaron Rodgers was huge for Green Bay again, with another 300-yard, three TD game. But the play of the day and maybe the year was Donald Driver’s 61-yard TD catch and run on which he seemed to escape, break away from or dodge every single 49er defender. Can’t wait to see these guys in Foxboro next Sunday night – that should be a great, great game.

This Week’s Five Worst Teams

1. Carolina: When he was asked about the level of effort put forth by his players in the second half of last week’s loss to Seattle, in which they turned a 14-3 lead become a 31-14 defeat, Panthers coach John Fox said, “I don’t think our team’s results have been related to effort at all.” Translation: these guys I’ve been saddled with just suck.

2. Arizona: The Cardinals revolving door at QB continues with someone named John Skelton expected to be thrown to the wolves, er.. I mean, start this week against Denver (ouch, what a shitty game that’s going to be, eh?). Last week, the humorless Derek Anderson put up another gem to the tune of 7-of-20 for 93 yards and a pick. And somewhere in suburban Houston, Matt Leinart sits, practices with the third-stringers, works cheerleaders, cashes his paychecks and probably laughs hysterically.

3. Cincinnati: When was the last time you saw the “line up, call signals and try to draw the defense offsides,” trick actually work? If you said last week, when it naturally happened to the Bengals, and led to New Orleans scoring the game-winning TD on the very next play, you’re the big winner in the casino tonight. I didn’t think it was possible for the Bengals to embarrass themselves any further than it already has this season… until they did.

4. Buffalo The Bills were finally blown out, 38-14, last week after a string of oh-so-close calls. The fact that it was at the hands of the Vikings without BrettFavre had to have been particularly galling to coach Chan Gailey and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. If they’d only not knocked him out with a shoulder injury (which he says he’s not sure he’ll be able to play with this week – SURPRISE!!!), he probably would have handed them their third win of the year.

5. (tie) Denver/Detroit: Poor McDaniels. The week his pathetic defense actually plays well, his QB, Kyle Orton, reverts back to his Chicago days with a pitiful, 9-of-28, 117 yard, 0 TD performance in a 10-6 loss. As for Detroit, they were competitive against a good team again, taking the Bears into the fourth quarter with a league before folding after a controversial, unnecessary roughness call. If the Lions are ever to be good, they need to show better resolve when bad things like that happen. After that play and several times on Thanksgiving against the Pats when things looked bleak, they completely went in the tank.

What’s Trendy

- Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: The human bowling ball rolled for a career-high 186 yards in a big, 17-6 win over Tennessee. Overall, the Jags pounded out 258 yards on the ground on a team record 53 attempts. That’s commitment to the running game.

- The Raiders Running Game: Speaking of which, in their surprising beatdown of the Chargers, the Raiders outrushed San Diego 251-21. The Chargers didn’t make a single first down on the ground while the Raiders, still somehow alive in the playoff hunt, got 97 and 95 yards and a TD each from Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, respectively.

- Sidney Rice, Vikings: Finally healthy after missing Minnesota’s first nine games, last year’s best receiver Rice caught five balls for 105 yards and two TDs in the Vikes’ big win over the Bills. Not only were both TD grabs of the jaw-dropping, holy shit variety, Rice made them despite three other Vikings receivers, including Percy Harvin, being inactive.

What’s Not

- The Ravens Offense: They were playing the Steelers, but the Ravens looked particularly inept on Sunday night, surprising considering all the stars/big names (Derrick Mason, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice, Todd Heap, Joe Flacco, etc.) they have on offense. They managed just 266 total yards, prompting Mason to say afterward, “We’re not a good offense at times. For whatever reason, I don’t know. I’m not pointing fingers at anybody because I’m part of the equation but we’re just not good at times and it showed up today.” Yikes.

- Chad Henne, Dolphins: Miami’s starting QB, who has been shooting himself and his team in the foot on and off all year, did it again on Sunday in a tough loss to Cleveland. He completed just 16-of-32 passes for 174 yards and three picks, the last of which came at his own 25 and cost the Dolphins the game and any possible chance they may have had to make the playoffs. Miami is now 1-5 at home, which is one of the more bizarre stats of the season.

- The Redskins: A team that is seemingly only ever in the news for the wrong reasons, Washington finally, mercifully banished the awful Albert Haynesworth this week, suspending him for the rest of the season for conduct detrimental to the team. Apparently, Albert routinely refused to do what the coaches told him both in practices and games and Redskins grand poobah Mike Shanahan finally had enough of having a pissing contest with him so he just sent Haynesworth home. I hate to agree with the fraudulent Shanahan on anything but he was right with this one (one could argue that he should have done what he did sooner but given the massive financial investment owner Daniel Snyder made in Haynesworth, it’s understandable that Shanahan tried to get something, anything out of him). If the Redskins are ever going to be relevant again, they need to shed the image Snyder has cultivated of them as a living, breathing fantasy team. Haynesworth is/was the poster boy of that image which makes getting rid of him and his lazy, sorry act a very smart move.

And finally…

Since it’s yet to get old, and probably never will, here’s some more fun facts from the Pats 45-3 destruction of the Jets on Monday night.

  • The Pats win marked the ninth straight season they haven’t been swept by a division opponent. The last time one of their division rivals beat them twice in a year? 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season in Foxboro, the year before the first Super Bowl win, when they fell to both the Jets and Dolphins twice en route to a 5-11 mark, their last losing season.
  • Brady won his second consecutive AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his 21-of-29, 326 yard, four TD performance. In his last four games, his passer rating is a lofty 138.6. In his last six games, he has 16 TD passes and zero picks. He has now thrown 228 straight passes without an INT and has 27 TD passes against four picks all year, and again, one of those was on a Hail Mary.
  • Randy Moss not only had no catches against the Colts last night, he wasn’t even thrown to. Danny Woodhead, aka Rudy 2, caught all four passes thrown his way on Monday night, for 104 yards. He now has 28 catches for 334 yards this season, or 10 more catches and 98 more yards than Moss since the trade to the Vikings after Week 4.
  • The Law Firm of BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for his 10th and 11th TDs of the season on Monday night. The most rushing TDs in a season by any Pat since Corey Dillon’s 13 in 2006? Laurence Maroney’s nine last year. Not too shabby, Benny.
  • Deion Branch scored his fourth TD on Monday since returning from Seattle in time for Week 6. In his last 18 games as a Seahawk, he had three.
  • With his seven receptions against the Jets, Wes Welker now has 72 on the year, a 96 catch pace. Not quite the 123 he accumulated in 14 games last season or even the 111 or 112 he racked up the two years prior to that. But for a guy who’s spent pretty much all season playing on a not-yet-fully-healed, surgically repaired knee, it’s pretty good.
  • The win was Belichick’s 122nd in the regular season as Pats head coach and gave him his ninth double-digit win season in Foxborough. When you get done with your next snack, Rex, why don’t you eat that?
Filed Under: Columns, News

Worry Wart – Game Thirteen At Bears

December 9, 2010 By 7 Comments

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

Yes, yes, I know: we should all take a moment to appreciate Monday night’s 45-3 braising of the Jets. I’ve been picking away at my DVR recording of the game as if it were a Far Eastern delicacy: minutes after partaking, I’m hungry for more.

Not to be too much of a trepidation troll, but, we fear that these young Patriots might feel a little too pleased with themselves. If they keep that contentment with them for the trip to Chicago, they could get into trouble.

More fodder for the coaches’ concern. Ours, too…

A Lump Of Cold In Their Stockings: Latest weather reports say Chicago will be 2 degrees Fahrenheit with 30-mph winds.

No, really, you guys go ahead. I’ll be back here on the couch, sipping cocoa.

Tom Tom Club: Sign us up. Tom Brady has played at an amazing level these past few weeks. Monday night, he threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns against one of the better defenses in the league. We have to wonder (and worry) how he’ll do in the Chicago elements vs. a Bears team ranked third in overall defense.

Assault And Peppers: Chicago’s pass rush gets a huge boost from one Julius Peppers, the monstrous defensive end whom New England showed interest in signing this past off-season. The 6-foot-7, 283-pound behemoth has seven sacks so far this year.

Sharp Cutler, He: When he’s bad, he’s bad. But when he’s good, quarterback Jay Cutler ranks among the best. A quick review of Cutler’s game-by-game stats reveals a recent upswing from a mid-season lull. Can a Patriots’ pass defense that bends like a flexi-straw continue to come up with timely turnovers, or will Cutler slice it up?

Speaking of weapons…

Hard Knox: With speedy receivers like Johnny Knox and Devin Hester on the field, New England’s defense will get stretched more than a track star’s hamstring. The Pats need lots of contact off the line, lots of deep safeties, and lots of pressure on the QB (that third thing’s the charm).

Rushing The Passive: New England managed to get in the face of Jets QB Mark Sanchez a little, but still ended up with the same amount of sacks as Santa’s sleigh (a convoluted way of saying “one”). Cutler has better pocket presence than Sanchez, making him a tough guy to reach.

Tackle Balks: Though we saw very little to upset us on Monday night, the inability to bring Jets runners down during the opening drive of the second half remained a low point. Chicago running back Matt Forte is averaging over four yards a carry for the season and almost seven per tote in the last two games.

Rip Taylor: While pocket-sized running back Danny Woodhead wreaked havoc on his former team (four catches for 104 yards) and BenJarvus Green-Ellis bulldozed his way to a four-yard average (18 for 72), veteran Fred Taylor got mere mop-up work. Is he still recovering from injury? Can he spell the young guys once in a while? It wouldn’t hurt to have him contribute, especially in weather that makes Nanook shiver.

The Philosophy Of Young: With all the neophytes on the roster (23 with two years of experience or less), we have to wonder how success will affect them. (I mean, if I feel proud of myself for taking out the trash, imagine how I’d feel if I played for a 10-2 team.) When in doubt, kids, do what Bill Belichick does: Remember Cleveland.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

Filed Under: Columns

Making The Grades – Patriots vs. Jets

December 8, 2010 By 3 Comments

By Jeremy Gottlieb Patriots Daily Staff

Well that was fun, wasn’t it? With the game of the year on the docket against their insufferable, motor-mouthed rivals from the swamps of New Jersey, the Patriots performed a complete, total and utter destruction of the Jets on Monday night at Gillette Stadium to the tune of 45-3, a final margin that didn’t really feel that close. For 11 days leading up to the game between two (then) 9-2 juggernauts, universally agreed upon as two of the three or four best teams in the league, the Jets, led by their boor of a head coach, Rex Ryan, did nothing but constantly proclaim themselves to be the better team, the soon-to-be AFC Super Bowl reps, the greatest thing since sliced bread, etc., while the Pats, as always, said nothing, preferring to let their play on the field do the talking (boy, what a novel idea). When it came time for the game, on the biggest of any regular season stage, they did just that, while the big-talking, small-balled, fraudulent Jets, um, ahem… crapped themselves. It was a lesson in unadulterated domination, with the Jets trying to win the game on their first possession and Ryan, through a bad challenge and a worse decision to try a long field goal despite far less than ideal conditions, displaying that for all of his bluster, he had not the first clue of how to handle the moment. The Pats capitalized on Ryan’s mismanagement of his team’s first drive and proceeded to run the Jets off the field, out of the stadium, onto Route 1 and halfway back to the New Meadowlands. Tom Brady was nearly flawless again, basically sealing up his second MVP award with another vintage performance, the defense played perhaps its best, most complete game of the season and Bill Belichick coached circles around his overmatched counterpart. This game was one of the most satisfying in years, a pretty much perfect performance that Belichick himself characterized as, “the best 60 minutes of football we’ve played all year.” So with that, let’s get to this week’s report card, which will be a tad different than usual this week. No need to grade each positional group – everyone gets an A for this game. Sure there were a few bits and pieces here and there that could have been better, and those will be briefly addressed. But to do any more than that would be nitpicking to the extreme and there was nothing nitpicky about Monday night. Not in the slightest.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: A

During the post-game, ESPN’s Steve Young said, “The Jets defense completely capitulated. Rex Ryan didn’t even know what to say about it. It was that exacting.” That sums it up rather tidily, eh? The Pats came into the game with the best offense in the league and all they did was increase the distance between themselves and whoever is second best. Facing a supposedly top-flight defense, the Pats did whatever they wanted all night long. Through another perfect balance and mix of run and pass, the Pats devastated the Jets vaunted D, rendering all of their “stars,” (Darrelle Revis, Shaun Ellis, Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, etc.) practically invisible. After failing to sustain their first drive of the game and settling for a field goal, the Pats scored TDs on their next three possessions, racing out to a 17-0 first quarter lead and a 24-3 halftime advantage. On the first TD drive, Brady, who was a ho-hum 21-of-29 for 326 yards and four TDs, converted a big third down to Wes Welker by virtue of his fantastic ability to feel pressure in the pocket and slide away from it, then was aided by a huge pass interference call on Rob Gronkowski at the goal line, enabling the Law Firm of BenJarvus Green-Ellis (another terrific game with 18 more rushes for 72 more bruising yards two more TDs) to chalk up his first score. On the second, the Jets inexplicably gave up a 20-yard pass to Deion Branch on third-and-22, before Brady, on fourth down, easily deciphered an all-out blitz, calmly hit Branch on a super quick slant and watched him break a tackle by the wildly overrated Antonio Cromartie and stroll into the end zone.

The rest of the evening featured more of the same; Brady seeing mismatches, recognizing blitzes, basically ruling the entire stadium in as efficient and surgical a way as possible. He was aided tremendously by his receivers, not just Branch and Welker (seven catches, 80 yards, TD), but by the tight ends, Gronk and Hernandez, who had two big plays, a TD catch on which he was as wide open as it gets and also smoked a couple of Jets defenders as a run blocker on BJGE’s first scoring run, and of course, Danny Woodhead. Rudy 2 took two dinky, little flips – one a shovel pass, the other a dump-off after a perfectly designed play fake that featured Welker as a decoy, and turned them into a 50-yard gain and a 35-yard gain respectively. Overall, Woody caught four passes for 104 yards and now has more receiving yards since Randy Moss was traded than Moss has accumulated for Minnesota and Tennessee combined. What’s more is that he produced the performance against the team that let him go in favor of king-sized bust Joe McKnight, who is now the Jet’s mop-up guy out of the backfield.

And naturally, the O-line must be recognized and given just as much credit as Brady or any of his skill players. Brady was sacked three times and on a couple, someone was surprised by an unexpected blitz. But generally, Brady had all day to throw, as he has throughout the season. The amount of time Brady had to find Welker on seemingly every pass he threw to him was endless, as it was on his second TD pass to Brandon Tate, on which he had time to play fake, survey the field, see nothing over the middle, stride to his left, turn and strike the ball to Tate perfectly. And again, he didn’t turn the ball over (the Pats have a measly nine on the season), extending his streak of passes without a pick to 228 straight. If there’s anyone out there who doubted a) Brady is far and away the best QB in the NFL at the moment, b) the Pats offense wasn’t as good as has been reported of late or c) they can handle any look that any defense gives them at any time, I hope you watched this game. All of those doubts must be put to rest.

DEFENSE: Overall Grade: A

Sure, the Jets ran on the Pats. Shonn Greene was extremely tough for anyone wearing blue to tackle, and LaDanian Tomlinson, when he wasn’t pounding his chest after making a first down with his team down by three scores, had a few significant carries. But it didn’t matter because the Jets inexplicably hardly utilized the run, only their strongest, most important weapon on offense, nearly enough before the game got out of hand. Instead, Ryan and his offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer chose to put the game on the shoulders of their second-year, 24-year old QB Mark Sanchez. And boy oh boy was that the absolute worst decision they could have made. Even facing a defense that has struggled the way the Pats have statistically all season, the scheme, the different looks, the shifts in formations displayed by the home team were all too much for Sanchez to handle. He was confused bordering on flustered all night and even though he showed a keen sense of how to avoid pressure (the Pats had just one sack but probably should have had at least four), he rarely made the right decision or read and consistently failed to see clear examples of throws a QB can’t make, He threw three INTs, all in the second half, all within the span of six pass attempts and two of which were thrown directly to a Pats defender. The first, a terrible red zone pass early in the third quarter on which he failed to Brandon Spikes literally standing right in front of him (as well as three defensive backs encircled around his intended receiver in the end zone), pretty much ended the game for the Jets; a TD there makes the score 24-10 and gives the visitors some momentum, instead, the Pats took the gift and embarked on the first of two straight eight-play, 90-plus yard scoring drives.

It didn’t help Sanchez that his top targets in the passing game were mostly nowhere to be found. Santonio Holmes, Sanchez’s favorite target, had seven catches, maybe one of consequence. Tight end Dustin Keller and woeful No. 2 receiver Braylon Edwards did exactly nothing. And a lot of credit for that must go to the Pats secondary, which had a tremendous night. Even Darius Butler made a couple of plays. Kyle Arrington had his best game of the year, keeping up with both Holmes and Edwards without incident. Devin McCourty had yet another pick, his sixth of the year and fourth in his last three games and again, the INT was an example of perfect technique and athleticism. The other pick went to Indy game hero James Sanders while Patrick Chung was the biggest reason why Keller was so quiet.
Elsewhere, Vince Wilfork played most of the night like he was shot out of a cannon, providing some pass pressure in addition to his usual run stuffing. Jerod Mayo again looked a step slow and was completely run over by Greene a couple of times, but still managed another double digit tackle game. Tully Banta-Cain did an excellent job of hounding and harrassing Sanchez all night. And Jermaine Cunningham played arguably his best game of the year, making plays against the run and getting after the Sanchez equally well. The Jets were complicit in their own demise on offense. But that doesn’t mean the Pats didn’t play great on D. Three points and a little over 300 total yards allowed is pretty damn good. Let’s hope it was a sign of things to come.

Special Teams/Coaching/Crowd/Weather/Everything Else: A

Shayne Graham kicked a 41-yard field goal into the blasting wind and boomed some kickoffs, Gostkowski-styles. Our man Zoltan averaged 47 yards per punt and made a rip snorting tackle on one punt return. And Woodhead had his customary huge hit playing on the kickoff team. It was the Pats best game on special teams in weeks and why shouldn’t it have been given how well everything else went? The crowd was in full throat all night long and it sounded as loud as it has at Gillette in a long time, even from my living room. A buddy of mine who was there emailed me, “We stayed in full til the bitter end and so did the rest of the crowd. It was magic. It was palpable.” Gone are the days when Brady has to indirectly ask the fans to come on time, stay in their seats and actually make some noise, it would seem. And the weather, bitterly cold with icy winds, probably played a role in that. It had to have felt like 68,000 people were all in it together, freezing their asses off, and they’d be damned if they weren’t going to revel in it as their team beat the snot out of its opponent. It was a site to behold, even on TV. Man, it must have been cool to be there.

As for the coaching, as big as any other mismatch was (Brady vs. Sanchez, the Pats receivers vs. the Jets pass coverage, etc.), perhaps the biggest was between the two coaching staffs. Ryan and company made one boneheaded decision after another, panicked five minutes into the game and may as well have puked on their shoes. Belichick and his men calmly, quietly outsmarted their blubbering counterparts, taking advantage of every tactical mistake the Jets staff made all night long. The offensive game plan and play-calling, courtesy of de facto offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, completely flummoxed Ryan and his supposed defensive brilliance. It was said during the week that Ryan’s defenses are Brady’s Achilles heel. Anyone who claimed that want to take it back after Monday night? As Young said, after a while, the Jets D simply rolled over – it was whipped that thoroughly. And therein lies the biggest difference between Ryan and Belichick. Ryan talks about being great. Belichick simply is. One coach pounds his chest after winning in Week 2. The other destroys his opponent in Week 13, when a possible division title is on the line, and just goes about his business, before and after. Of course, Belichick said after the bloodbath ended that the Jets are still a very good team and that the Pats may well see them again somewhere down the line. He’s probably right, as always. Barring a total collapse, the Jets will make the playoffs as a wild card and if certain things break a certain way, they could be back in Foxboro for the divisional round sometime over the weekend of January 15-16. And naturally, that would be an even bigger game than Monday night. Based on the way that one went down, Belichick, O’Brien and company then may well be licking their chops.

Filed Under: Games

Matchups Of The Week – Patriots vs. Jets

December 6, 2010 By 4 Comments

By Dan Zeigarnik, Patriots Daily Staff

Tonight’s game against the trash talking Jets, pits two of the worst 9-2 teams in recent history. Lets face it, with one of the leagues worst defenses that manages to let 3rd and longs be converted as easily as 3rd and inches, the Patriots have a long way to go until they become as dominant as their record suggests. Jets are in a similar predicament: a magnificent record that was earned by pulling out miraculous victories when defeat was at the doorstep. Despite their great records, an early playoff exit for either of these teams will not be a total surprise and Captain Hindsight will surely let us know exactly why it was obvious before the fact.

However, in a year where there are no teams without serious flaws and bad losses, home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs can make all the difference. And that’s exactly what is on the line tonight. It will surely be a great game, as there is much media hype about it, and the Patriots are well rested and playing at home. If the Patriots are to reach the lofty 10-2 goal, look for them to get the upper hand in these matchups:

1) Jets Running Backs vs. Patriots Linebackers

It is not a secret that the Jets have a great running game which will strain the Patriots linebackers. To add to the New England’s troubles, Tomlinson is also great at catching the ball in the flats which will force Mayo and Spikes to play sideline to sideline and open up the middle of the field for the likes of Keller and Holmes.

2) Patriots O-line vs. Jets Blitz

The Jets have gotten Calvin Pace back into to their linebacking corps, which frees up Jason Taylor to do what he does best; rush the QB. Combine that with Bart Scott and Rex Ryan’s blitzing schemes and it becomes an offensive line’s nightmare. Considering that Stephen Neal is now on the IR, there will be little room for error.

3) Dustin Keller vs. Patriots Secondary

The Jets tight end, Justin Keller, is one of Sanchez’s favorite targets. He often functions as an escape hatch for ‘Sanchise’, who frequently looks to his tight end in a pinch. Look for Chung and Meriwether to try to contain him.

4) Patriots Second Half Adjustments vs. Jets Schemes

In their week 2 meeting, it was only in the second half that things started to get unraveled for the Patriots. It was reminiscent of their problems from a year ago, when they were handily outscored in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Since then, the Patriots have gotten better in the second half and they will surely focus on not falling into the same trap against the Jets again.

5) Shayne Graham Vs. New England Weather

While his efforts are commendable, he is just not up to snuff. His kick-offs only make it to the 7 yard line, a sight so sorry that it has me considering dusting off my soccer cleats and trying out myself. However, some footie-pajama wearing blogger will accuse of me of being only slightly better then Graham and then I will know what it would be like to be criticized just for trying to make a living.

Filed Under: Games

Counting Down

December 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The hours drag by as we wait for Patriots/Jets tonight at 8:30. Many times I have a gut feeling as to how a particular game is going to go. Before the Miami game, I had a good feeling. Before the Cleveland game, I had a feeling of dread.

This one? I can’t gauge it. I go back and forth.

You can’t really predict the game based on week two, either. Both teams are quite different now, especially at receiver, where the Patriots have subtracted Randy Moss and added Deion Branch, and the Jets have added Santonio Holmes, who has made a ton of huge plays for them.

Danny Woodhead is also a huge part of the Patriots offense now, whereas in the previous game, Kevin Faulk was active, and playing in what turned out to be the last game of his season. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has established himself as the lead back, a guy with an outside chance of getting a 1000 yards this season. Wes Welker should be healthier than he was in week two. Rob Gronkowski is a bigger part of the offense for the Patriots.

The Patriots young defense is still taking its lumps, but has managed to make enough big plays to win games. Devin McCourty is developing into the number one cornerback that the Patriots have lacked since the days of Asante Samuel and Ty Law. Other rookies are making contributions as well, and the young veterans are chipping in and slowly getting better.

We know the Patriots will be pumped for this one. The WEEI morning show today had sources close to Tom Brady saying that the quarterback is more pumped for his game than any other regular season game in his career.

The Jets will also be pumped for this one. They will come in determined to send a message, and to back up all the talking that their head coach has done. In some ways, you can see how the trash talking is actually a motivational tool for his own team. They know they’ve got to back it up, or risk looking foolish.

Rex Ryan’s defense has shown the ability to force Tom Brady into some mistakes, though both of those games with the Jets came in New York. In New England last season, the Patriots rather easily handled the Jets. Ryan has said he intends to keep the pressure on, and employ a plan similar to the one his brother Rob came up with for the Browns.

The media, eager to promote anything as the biggest and best, is already anointing this the biggest regular season game ever. (I happen to think that 2007 Patriots -Colts game was pretty big, too) This game is huge, we know what is at stake.

Let’s just get it on.

Filed Under: Columns

First (Second?) Impressions – New York Jets

December 4, 2010 By 2 Comments

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Jets come to town Monday night with the same 9-2 record that the Patriots have. The game is big; it’ll likely not only decide the division, but its probably the difference between the number one seed overall in the AFC and a #5 wildcard road for the loser. Have the Jets been lucky or good? Its a tough question, but you have to say good teams find a way to win and the Jets have done that. One could look at the Patriots run of Super Bowls earlier this decade and all the detractors who were constantly carping they were “lucky” or the other team beat themselves.

We as Patriots fans learned then how close the NFL is, its the teams that figure out how to win those close games that are the truly great teams. But on the other hand, I don’t recall during those years, 2001, 2003, 2004, the Patriots winning as many close, literally down to the wire, games against bad opponents as the Jets have. The Patriots had many nip and close wins against good teams, but despite the reputation, usually took care of the bad ones fairly handily. The only close games in 2001 against someone I’d label a bad team were an overtime win against LaDanian Tomlinson’s Chargers, who finished 5-11 and the infamous Buffalo overtime win where David Patten was allegedly knocked out on the sidelines. In 2003 they had only two single digit wins out of fourteen regular season wins over a team that ended with a losing record. In 2004 only three of their fourteen wins came by less than double digits and only one of those against teams with a losing record. So in three championship season, they arguably only had 5 “close” games amongst their 39 regular season wins against losing teams.

In contrast, before last week’s 16 point win against the Bengals, the Jets previous five wins had all come against bad or very bad teams. Two of them went to overtime, others against Houston and Denver they essentially won on the last play of regulation. The only winning team they’ve played since September (Green Bay) they lost to 9-0. Overall they’re 2-2 against teams with current winning records.
So, I don’t think the “lucky” label can be completely dismissed. Give them credit. Good teams find a way to win. But they’re taking it to a new level.

Mark Sanchez (#6), Quarterback: Sanchez has proven himself a bit more since we last looked at him. One area of his game which is somewhat of a surprise and he’s caused damage to opponents with is his mobility. He isn’t really a quarterback who’ll regularly take off and run, though he is quick enough he can do that a bit. And he isn’t mobile in the sense Tom Brady is, where he just steps up or makes slight movements to avoid the rush. Instead, Sanchez seems to run all over the pocket to create time and is at his most effective and accurate finding receivers who come uncovered as he buys extra time. Accuracy is certainly an issue with Sanchez. His 55.2 percent completion rate is the lowest among any quarterback who has started more than 7 of his team’s games besides the immortal Derek Anderson in Arizona. If you can keep Sanchez in the pocket rather than throwing on the move, he is far less effective. Particularly on deeper drops. It seems not just a pass rush is important with Sanchez, but containing the outside so he can’t roll and throw on the run.

LaDanian Tomlinson (#21), Running Back: Tomlinson got off to a very fast start this season, but seems to have slipped back to form as a beat up, aging, marginally effective running back. In his last 6 games, Tomlinson’s stats are 16 carries for 55 yards, 16-54, 15-55, 18-57, 12-36 and 13-49. This is a total of 90 carries for 306 yards or 3.4 per carry. He remains an effective pass catcher. These stats have been piled up despite playing a majority of mediocre defenses against the run during that time. The bottom line is, Tomlinson simply isn’t a great running back anymore. He averaged 3.3 per carry last season for a reason. He wanted to blame the San Diego line, as he often points elsewhere or becomes sour when beaten, but the blame is on him. He is merely a decent pass catching running back now in deep decline. It wouldn’t surprise me if he is sitting on the bench a majority of the time by the time the playoffs roll around and assuming the Jets are in them.

Damien Woody (#67), Tackle: Woody, of course started his career with the Patriots in 1999 and he has a very solid resume to be proud of when it finally comes to an end. Woody was a member of the first two Super Bowl Championships in 2001 and 2003 with the Patriots before leaving for Detroit in free agency in 2004. He’s been a two-time Pro Bowler (2002 and 2005). Woody also went to college at Boston College and then was drafted as a center by the Patriots. He played there most of his time, but problems with the shotgun snap led to occasional switches to guard. In Detroit, Woody mostly played guard. And now with the Jets, Woody has completed the offensive line trifecta by being their regular starting right tackle. Jets coach Rex Ryan calls him the “best run blocking right tackle in the NFL.” He shown toughness in recent weeks by playing with a sprained MCL and will almost certainly play this week versus the Patriots. But perhaps his quickness is diminished just enough one of the Patriots pass rushers can beat him a few times for some sacks.

Calvin Pace (#97), Outside Linebacker: Pace missed the Patriots first matchup with the Jets with a broken foot. He has come back to play in the last 7 games and has 33 tackles to go along with 4 sacks. He had one of his better games last week versus Cincinnati with 7 tackles and a sack as the Jets defense held the Bengals to 10 points. Originally the 18th pick overall for Arizona in 2003, Pace was largely considered a bust early in his career. However, when the team switched him from defensive end to outside linebacker in 2007, his play improved markedly. It was enough to warrant him a 6 year $42 million dollar deal with the Jets in 2008. He’s already been suspended once for banned substance, so one more violation could land him with a year’s suspension. But when he is on the field, he remains a pretty effective outside linebacker the Patriots will have to be gameplan for.

Bart Scott (#57), Inside Linebacker: Scott has had a disappointing two years for the Jets. Always willing to put the spotlight on himself with loud, emotional yelling on the field, he has been unable to duplicate the success he had in Baltimore since coming to New York. He’s been largely overshadowed by his fellow inside linebacker David Harris, who at this point is a far superior linebacker to Scott. In 27 games for the Jets, Scott has gotten 2 sacks, defensed 2 passes and forced 1 fumble. Not exactly playmaking stats from someone who talks so much. And his tackles statistics are exceedingly average for an inside linebacker. Now in his thirties and a bit undersized, it appears Scott’s career has begun its inevitable descent.

Brodney Pool (#22), Safety: Pool was one of this offseason’s big acquisitions, meant to fill the void caused by the Kerry Rhodes trade, who never completely meshed with head coach Rex Ryan or his system. But Pool has largely been a disaster and was benched last week in favor of Eric Smith. Safety play in general has been a problem for the Jets this year and they’ve slipped significantly from their #1 pass defense rankings of last season. Last year they only gave up 8 touchdown passes all year and intercepted 17 passes. This year thru 11 games, they’ve already given up 15 touchdown passes and only intercepted 7 balls. They’re also giving up about 55 more yards per game in the air. Its uncertain if Pool will be back starting this week after Smith put in a decent performance last week in his place. But the middle of the field, where the Patriots now seem more effective with the tight ends and Deion Branch in place and Wes Welker’s health improved, could be a soft spot for the Patriots to attack.

Filed Under: Opponents

Patriots Buffet Table – Jets at Patriots

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

by Patriots Daily Kitchen Staff

Rex ain’t ascared. Rex been hearing from experts for years. Rex’s Doctor says his good cholesterol should beat his bad cholesterol. No sir. Every year Rex’s bad cholesterol beats his “good” cholesterol. 275 to 3 last year. Shows what experts know.

So no, Rex ain’t afraid of what the experts say.

Lets go eat a goddamned snack!

I don’t know why, but when I think of Rex Ryan I think “jerk”. Jerk seasoning that is.

Rex is a jerk burgers

oops

Rex’s jerk burgers

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds 80% ground beef – do not use anything leaner for burgers, they’ll be dry
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup commercial Jerk sauce
1 pack burger rolls
6 to 8 slices cheddar cheese

Crack the egg into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of the seasonings and meat. Mix well. Once it’s mixed add another 1/3 of the ingredients and repeat. You can just add everything at once if you’d like. I think it’s easier to mix and make the burgers more consistent to do it in separate steps.

If you have a burger press go ahead and use it to make the patties. Otherwise we can form them by hand. Break off a chunk of burger meat from the bowl and roll it into a big meatball. Once that is done start to press it into a patty between your palms. When it’s done press your thumb into the top to make an indentation. The indentation will prevent the burger from curving up as it cooks. These can be made the day before gameday and refrigerated overnight. Doing this will just make the flavors blend together more.

Heres a simple trick on determining the burger size for people. Picture their hand from the wrist to the 1st knuckle. Make the patty the size and thickness of that full palm.

The FDA recommends cooking for 6 minutes per side. Thats going to get you a medium well burger. Cook for a shorter amount of time if you like your burger less done. If you’re cooking enough burgers one will probably end up falling through the grill onto the burners or coals, that one is well done. Whatever time you decide to cook per side, halfway through the cooking turn the burger 1/3 of a turn.
Do the same thing once you flip the burger over. This gives you the classic crossed grill marks and more grilled flavor. The last turn is also a good time to put cheese onto the burger.

Consider topping with a pineapple salsa.

What to Drink?

We were all set to have the most Rex Ryanish drink ever invented. But then the Man decided to ban Four Loko. Sadly they were just too refreshing and full of energy

Rex loved the Cranberry Lemonade almost as much as the Blue.

Oh well, I guess we’ll have to look at all the winter mix packs coming out.

He’Brew Vertical Jewbelation Pack is a unique presentation. It contains 8 anniversary beers, one each of the 8th through 14th anniversary special releases, and the 8th is a mix of those 7 different beers. Bear in mind that these aren’t average strength beers, the alcohol percentage is equal to it’s year, so from 8% for the 8th anniversary to 14% for the 14th anniversary. Did I mention these are 22 ounce bottles? The menorah wont be the only thing to stay lit for 8 days.

You also find a glass and some candles to make your own beer bottle menorah.

Sam Adams has revamped their winter classics pack. Out is the cranberry lambic that no one likes. Well, Pete King probably likes it, but he’s stupid.

Old favorites like Boston Lager, Winter Lager, Holiday Porter and the Winter Warmer Old Fezziwig are still there. The new beers are Chocolate Bock available in 12 ounce bottles for the first time, and the former Spring Seasonal White Ale.

A lot of people complained when Sam discontinued the white ale so they’ll be happy with this move. It is replacing the oddly placed Coastal Wheat.

Chocolate Bock is fairly chocolatey but it isn’t as overpowering as the Harpoon Chocolate Stout. 5.9% ABV

Winter Lager seems to have been toned down this year. It’s a little lower in alcohol, by about half a percentage point, and the spices seem less over the  top. Overall a good change to the beer.

In about a month Sam Adams will introduce a brand new mixpack called American Originals.

It is set to include Boston Lager, Irish Red, Scotch Ale, the former spring seasonal White Ale, the current spring seasonal Noble Pils and the new Revolutionary Rye.

Sounds like an excellent mix pack. Even if the name “American Originals” doesn’t really apply to a pack with Austrian, Irish, Scottish, Belgian and German/Czech beer styles. The Revolutionary Rye isn’t based on a traditional style, so I guess it is the original.

Harpoon’s Wintry Mix pack includes that Chocolate Stout, the cinnamon bomb Winter Warmer, IPA, Munich Dark, UFO Hefeweizen and Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale. A few of those beers were listed over the past few weeks, and the Munich Dark will be coming up soon. This pack is a good way to try a lot of their beers including two that aren’t for everyone – the Chocolate Stout and Winter Warmer without having to buy a whole six pack.

Personal favorite Troegs Brewing calls their sampler pack Anthology and right now it’s the Fall/Winter Anthology. Unlike most, this pack has only 4 varities. Dreamweaver Wheat, Pale Ale, Hopback Amber and the seasonal Javahead Stout.

HopBack Amber is excellent, a hoppier version of the style than most amber ales. And the Javahead Stout is a good winter beer. Being a strong 7.5% coffee oatmeal stout.

Magic Hat has renamed their winter pack to “Winterland”, it’s another pack with 4 different beers instead of 6. You’ll still find their flagship #9. Along with the winter seasonal Howl a black lager. Odd Notion Winter ’10 a red ale with rye and hibiscus. And the current seasonal IPA Encore a good IPA made a bit different by being brewed with wheat.

Magic Hat beers aren’t all winners but it’s nice to see a seasonal pack that is made up of 75% seasonal beers. The Encore IPA is very good.

Saranac 12 beers of winter features two new beers this year. The website appears to be still showing the 2009 pack. What you’ll find is India Copper Ale which was very good, similar to the highly rated Founders Centennial IPA. It is a darker version of an IPA. Bohemian Pilsner fits that style well and was very drinkable. Big Moose Ale is a good American Pale Ale. Rye IPA is another good IPA, this one with some added spiciness from the rye. Lake Effect Lager was a good version of a German Dunkel. Finally Vanilla Stout was a sweet dessert like roasty vanilla beer.

Smuttynose puts out one mixpack all year, but changes the 4th beer as the seasons change.

You’ll find Finestkind IPA, Old Brown Dog, Shoals Pale Ale and the current seasonal Winter Ale.

Winter Ale is a Belgian Dubbel but on the low end for alcohol for that style. 5.1% ABV.

The best mix pack is of course a pack of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. 12 bottles of IPA perfection. OK, so it isn’t a mix pack, but when you have one beer that is so good why waste time mixing anything else in?

The packaging is a little different this year, with the subtitle “Fresh Hop Ale”. For years people have been finding non-existent spices in Celebration Ale, so the brewery added that “Fresh Hop Ale” to reinforce the fact it’s an IPA and not a beery spice cabinet.

If you really want a mix pack get some Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as well. Then drink side by side so you can compare and contrast the little and big brother.

Filed Under: Buffet Table

Around The League – Week 12

December 3, 2010 By 2 Comments

By Jeremy Gottlieb, Patriots Daily Staff

Now that we’ve reached the final month of the season, let’s do a little fortune telling. The real scuttlebutt regarding postseason awards is underway so it’s time to throw in a couple more cents. The following predictions are for recreational purposes only.

MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots – Nine wins in 11 games despite a major personnel change on offense and the overall scheme thus changing dramatically over the course of the team’s Week 5 bye. Add to that 66 percent completions, 2,703 yards, 23 TDs against just four picks, one of which came on a Hail Mary and none of which have occurred since Week 6, and it’s pretty obvious. As great as Brady was in his other MVP year of 2007, he’s even better this year, especially considering how little assistance he’s gotten from his defense..

Offensive Player of the Year: Philip Rivers, Chargers – Rivers is on pace to pass for 4,890 yards, just over 200 short of Dan Marino’s all-time record for a season. He’s been magnificent this year, shrugging off an injury to his favorite target Antonio Gates and the ugly contract dispute that kept his other favorite guy, Vincent Jackson, out until this past week by throwing for huge yards and a ton of scores to immortals like Legadu Naanee and Seyi Ajirotutu. Last week against the Colts was his first game of the year without a TD pass; the two weeks prior, he had eight. The reason Rivers won’t win MVP is because the Chargers sucked for the season’s first two months as they always do, and are only now getting in gear. It will be hard to keep away from this award, though.

Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews, Packers – After rolling up 8.5 sacks in his first five games, this second year demon linebacker has slowed down a bit, notching just three in his last five. But the impact he made early on and the subsequent fact that he’s the main focus of every opposing offensive coordinator’s game plan when they get ready for the Pack makes him the choice here, just ahead of Chicago’s Julius Peppers.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mike Williams, Bucs – The Bucs are such an amazing story, being 7-4 and in the thick of the playoff hunt despite winning just three games last year and having the youngest roster and coach in the league, someone needs to be recognized. Why not Williams, the rookie receiver out of Syracuse who’s probably been Tampa’s most consistent performer other than QB Josh Freeman. Williams has 45 catches for 701 yards and six TDs, has caught at least four passes in eight of 11 games and has put up 85-plus yards four times. The Bucs still have to play Atlanta and New Orleans again this year and may just miss the postseason thanks to being in the same division as those two powers. But they still make for great copy and Williams is a big reason why.

Devin McCourty For ROY? He Should Be In The Running.

Defensive Rookie of the Year (tie): Devin McCourty, Patriots; Ndamukong Suh, Lions – McCourty gets major props here for being the only real playmaker on the lousy Pats D and showing signs of being the kind of shutdown corner that can potentially take away an entire side of the field already. Suh, the mammoth defensive tackle out of Nebraska, has eight sacks, scored a TD in a win over Washington on which he literally shooed away Redksins receiver Santana Moss, who was trying to make a tackle, like Moss was a mosquito, and has shown the athletic ability to line up both at end and linebacker in certain situations. Either of these two future stars would make a worthy choice.

Coach of the Year: Todd Haley, Chiefs: See below for more on KC’s great story but as far as Haley is concerned, he’s on the verge of doing something no Chiefs coach has done since Dick Vermeil – make the playoffs. Kansas City had eight wins in its previous three seasons. It has seven this season and will likely win at least three more. Haley has a ton of experienced folks helping out in a major way (again, see below) but someone has to captain the ship and he’s done it in outstanding fashion. Honorable mention to the Bucs Raheem Morris and the Pats Bill Belichick.

Bad Coach of the Year: Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals – It’s not Whisenhunt’s fault the \kurt Warner retired. It is his fault that he, a) didn’t have a viable substitute for Warner, and b) allowed the entire rest of the team to completely and totally collapse in Warner’s absence. The Cardinals defense, which was very good two years ago when they got to the Super Bowl and pretty good last year when they won the NFC West and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs, has most of the same guys this year but are atrocious (they made the 49ers offense look like it was 1989 on Monday night). Warner didn’t play defense last I checked. This team is hideous and it’s a miracle they’ve won three games. They look like a college team. That’s on the coach.

Least Valuable Player: Randy Moss, Pats/Vikings/Titans – Three teams, 11 games, 26 catches, 352 yards. If anyone has any suggestions as to a single player whose had less of a positive impact anywhere than Moss has (or hasn’t) had this season, let us know.

This Week’s Five Best Teams

1. New England: It does kind of feel like the glory years of 2001-2004 around here these days. But it’s hard to truly channel that great era knowing that those teams had defense ranging from good to exceptional. Someone, anyone not named McCourty or Wilfork has got to step up and lead that group and he has to do it soon. Obviously, Monday night’s game is for all the regular season marbles making that seem like a good time to start.

2. New York Jets: Hey, have you heard Rex Ryan this week? I know, that’s a silly question since it’s impossible to ever turn on the TV or a computer without seeing or hearing something that he’s said to call attention to himself. The most recent is that he wants to “kick (Bill) Belichick’s ass.” Not literally, one would hope, but still, what’s the point of saying something so ridiculous? People keep saying this week that Ryan’s way of doing things works just as well as Belichick’s, it’s just vastly different. Really? It works just as well? How many championships has Rex Ryan won? The guy is 18-9 in the regular season and 2-1 in the playoffs. As a wise, former Pats (and Giants and Jets and Cowboys) coach once said, “let’s not send him to Canton just yet.”

3. Atlanta: More impressed with the Falcons this week in light of their enormous win over the Packers. They managed three scoring drives of at least 11 plays in that 20-17 victory against a top-flight defense, and my buddy Matt Ryan completed 24 of his 28 passes, including the first 14 he attempted in the second half. Still, it’s going to take a big win on the road to truly convince me they’re for real. Sunday in Tampa is their next shot.

4. New Orleans: The Saints probably should have lost to Dallas on Thanksgiving but the fact that they got a huge play out of their defense (Malcolm Jenkins’ 25-yard chase down of Roy Williams and subsequent robbery of the ball, which by the way may have been the greatest defensive play I’ve seen all year), then went the length of the field to win the game in the closing minutes spoke volumes about where they’re at. Probably safe to say that there isn’t a single team in the NFC that wants to see the defending champs right about now.

5. (tie) Chicago/Baltimore: Break up the Bears. Chicago’s fourth straight win, a not as close as the score might indicate, 31-26 stomping of the Eagles, was not only convincing and playoff-esque, it was by far the best game Jay Cutler has ever played. 14-of-21, 247 yards, four TDs, no picks, no fumbles, no pouting. Could the league’s favorite frat boy finally be figuring it out? As for the Ravens, they keep finding ways to win despite not playing their best, as last week’s 17-10 decision over the Bucs attests. If they beat the Steelers at home on Sunday night, they win the AFC North.

This Week’s Five Worst Teams

1. Carolina: How bad is it to be a Panther fan? After watching the horrible Jake Delhomme do for another team what he’d been doing to you for years in last week’s game against Cleveland, which is to say, throw a couple of awful picks and allow the opponent to hang around in a game it probably had no business being in, your kicker, the estimable veteran John Kasay, snap hooks a 42-yard field goal at the final gun that would have netted you your second win of the season. Oh, the humanity.

2. Arizona: If anyone had the misfortune of watching last Monday’s suckfest between the Cardinals and the 49ers, you saw a team that barely looked like it belonged in the UFL let alone the NFL (hint: it wasn’t San Francisco). In addition to making just eight first downs all night, getting carved up by a running back (Brian Westbrook) who hadn’t played all year, making a quarterback (Troy Smith) making his fourth start in four years look like Joe Montana or Steve Young then having to sit back and watch their own QB have an epic, postgame meltdown in front of the media in the aftermath, the Cards racked up a whopping 13 yards rushing. Or, their fewest total since 1953, spanning 845 games. Nauseating.

3. Cincinnati: After the massive display of sucktitude put up by the Bengals on Thanksgiving night against the Jets, I didn’t think it would be possible to see anything worse, at the very least in the same weekend. These guys should call up any buddies the have who play for Arizona and thank them personally.

4. Denver: Never mind that Josh McDaniels has completely blown his first chance at coaching in the NFL pretty much every which way, with all of the recent dredging up of Spygate the latest in a long line of enormous fuck ups on his part (and, if you believe what you read, probably also cost him a chance at coming back here after he gets fired thanks to what he allegedly said about the Pats). Let’s pay attention to the Broncos defense, which is historically awful. They’ve allowed 184 points in their last five games, 95 to the Raiders and Rams (??!!) combined. That, dear readers, isn’t very good.

5. Detroit: The Lions deserve credit for coming out so tough against the Pats and playing really well for a half despite starting their backup QB and tailback. It shouldn’t be too surprising that they got themselves in trouble in the second half and were thus completely swarmed under. If they ever get healthy and stay that way, it will be interesting to see if they can be any good. Some of a foundation seems to be there.

What’s Trendy

- Sam Bradford, Rams: Another Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate propelled his team to its first road win in over two years last week at Denver. Bradford was 22-of-37 for 308 yards and three TDs with no picks, the first 300-yard game and three score game of his career. He’s averaging 249 yards over his last four games with eight TDs over that stretch and has 11 TDs vs. just one INT with while completing 64 percent of his passes and posting a 94.1 passer rating over his last six. Not too shabby for a rookie and probably the biggest reason the Rams are staring down an unlikely playoff berth.

- Peyton Hillis, Browns: This guy’s dream season kept on rolling last week against the Panthers when he scored three more TDs, giving him 11 on the season. The last two Browns to rush for 11 scores in one year? Leroy Kelly and some dude named Jim Brown. He added 131 yards on 26 rushes (5.0 YPA) in Cleveland’s 24-23 win and now 905 yards on 199 rushes through 11 games.

- The Chargers defense: San Diego is doing it’s usual late season thing thanks in no small part to its great QB, Philip Rivers. But the defense looks outstanding in its own right, especially last week in another win over the Colts. The Chargers had five turnovers and ran back two picks for scores in their 36-14 rout of Indy.

What’s Not

- Peyton Manning, Colts: Sure, there have been some injuries, but Manning doesn’t look himself this season, especially lately. he has seven INTs in his last two games and nine in his last four, three of them losses. If the playoffs started today, the Colts would be out. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King even took Manning out of his weekly Top 5 MVP countdown, surely weeping while doing so. What’s this world coming to, anyway???

- The Titans – Yuck. Tennessee has now lost four straight to wind up in the AFC South basement. No offensive TDs in nine quarters. Nine first downs and just 162 total yards last week against the Texans and their high school defense behind rookie, sixth-round QB Rusty Smith. Jeff Fisher received a hearty defense in this space last week but if he calls many more games like the one against Houston, in which Smith attempted 31 passes while Chris Johnson, only the best back in the NFL, had just seven rushes, he may be the one who has to go.

- Everyone associated with the Steelers who won’t just shut the fuck up: Really, it’s beyond silly at this point. James Harrison continuing to bitch and whine after every illegal hit he makes and the subsequent fine, that the league is out to get him, he’s not doing anything illegal (note to James – yes, you are) and that he’s going to keep playing the same way (another note to James: great idea, now get ready to write some more checks). Coach Mike Tomlin undermining his own credibility and embarrassing himself by actually saying that all of Harrison’s fines might affect his ability to send his kids to college (by the way, Harrison signed a $50 million contract this past off-season). Hines Ward getting into the act with complaints about the league’s greater priorities during which he contradicted himself at least four times in about 10 sentences. It’s really, really boring at this point. Maybe if the Steelers started playing better instead of getting blown out at home by a major rival and needing a minor miracle to beat Buffalo, they’d not feel the need to continue their constant, unending whining.

And finally...

They may wind up in direct competition with the Pats for a playoff berth somewhere down the road, but even so, it’s hard not to at least sort of root for the Kansas City Chiefs as they continue their out-of-nowhere run toward the postseason from the top of the AFC West. The Pats Midwest affiliate is 7-4 following last weekend’s thrashing of Seattle and have four very winnable games of the five remaining on their schedule and with next week’s battle with the Chargers in San Diego, which may well decide the division, looming.

It’s hard to imagine any of the so-called experts having the Chiefs anywhere near the playoffs this late in the year when all the pre-season picks came out, but thanks to an extremely well-balanced offense and a young, maturing defense, they’ve done just that and former Pats players and staff have their fingerprints all over it. Matt Cassel, who cashed in after a very good year in place of Tom Brady in 2008, looked like he was stealing money last year and even earlier this season. But he’s coming into his own under the tutelage of the guy who had the most input in making Brady great, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Cassel, who threw 16 TDs but had 16 INTs last year, has 18 TDs against just one pick over his last seven games, with a 22/4 ratio for the season. Young running back Jamaal Charles is already over 1,000 yards with 1,021, and has done it on just 161 attempts, which is only 6.3 YPA. And Charles is spelled by veteran bruiser Thomas Jones, who has a tidy 712 yards on 176 carries. No wonder they’re first in rushing offense. They’re also fourth in scoring offense (25.9 PPG) and sixth in total yards (375.2 YPG). Why can’t the Pats get guys like that? And we didn’t even mention receiver Dwayne Bowe, who had a monstrous 13 catches for 170 yards and three scores against the Seahawks. 13 of his 14 TDs have come in the past seven games and he’s on pace to finish the year with 20.

Romeo Crennel runs the defense, which is only allowing 21 PPG, good for 14th in the league. He’s got Mike Vrabel leading the troops and one of his old bosses, Scott Pioli, supplying him with players. Hard to argue with those kinds of pedigrees, eh?. And even though coach Haley never worked in Foxboro, again, he’s probably as good a bet for Coach of the Year as anyone. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that the Chiefs will meet up with the Pats some time in January. That scenario would provide the ultimate measuring stick for this exciting, surprising team.

Filed Under: Columns, News

Ticket Watch – Patriots/Jets Prices Soaring

December 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

You may have seen the Boston Herald article this morning that reported how ticket prices to Monday Night’s Patriots/Jets clash are soaring.

Patriots matchup with Jets sends ticket prices soaring

The graphic below breaks down the prices by section, pointing you to the best values. Click on the image for more options.

This is also a “rivalry weekend” in the NFL with several other big divisional games on tap. How does interest in this game compare to elsewhere in the NFL?

Filed Under: TiqIQ

Worry Wart – Game Twelve vs. Jets

December 2, 2010 By 4 Comments

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

Here they come. The obnoxious house guests who brag about how well they’re doing and refuse to acknowledge your success. Yup, the 9-2 New York Jets will be arriving in Foxboro this weekend to take on your 9-2 Patriots.

You know, in case you hadn’t heard.

Judging by the last time these two teams met (not good), and looking at the visitors’ propensity to clutch victory out of the firm grasp of defeat (I’m looking at you, Cleveland and Houston), we have much to worry about this week.

How Do You Spell That Again? In what may be the silliest chant in all the NFL (I mean, really, we get it: you can spell) the J-E-T-S invade a quiet New England village this Monday night. That’s just seems scary by itself.

Mark Sanchez Is Actually A Dangerous QB Now.

Mark My Words: Not sure what happened to the goofy version of Jets QB Mark Sanchez that kept showing up on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” but have to say that we miss that guy. You know, the one who threw the ball up for grabs in scrimmages and seemed to fail to take things seriously. Now, it appears, New York actually has a quarterback. Weird.

Seriously, No Pressure: Perhaps most disconcerting about New England’s lack of a pass rush last week was watching the opposing quarterback run for first downs. Somehow Shaun Hill resembled Michael Vick out there. While Sanchez appears about as mobile as the Andrea Doria, he has used his feet well when necessary.

Freddy’s Dead? So what’s the deal with running back Fred Taylor? He got no time in Detroit, leaving BenJarvus Green-Ellis to run on three days’ rest. Will he contribute vs. the Jets, or will we write more verses to the ballad of Danny Woodhead? (And how will Mighty Mite Woodhead do against his former team?)

There’s A Small Catch: Two, actually. While we have been humbled by our prediction that this offense would struggle without Randy Moss (certainly seemed logical at the time), we have yet to see how smaller, quicker guys like Wes Welker and Deion Branch fare against a defense like the Jets’. While Welker had his way with the Chartreuse Ruffians last year (15 grabs, 192 yards), cornerback Darrelle Revis covered Moss in that game.

Lots of matchups to consider, making this a contest to watch. Which means…

Make Yourself Youthful: The Pats’ defensive overhaul has brought a level of athleticism lacking in Foxboro for years. They added two rookie tight ends and a baby-faced running back who’d probably get carded buying cigarettes. With all the young’uns, we’ve got to ask – how will they take the Monday Night Football hype? Is the 10-day run-up too much? I mean, if the Worry Wart’s having a hard time coping, I can’t imagine being a 22-year-old player.

(Actually, I can imagine that. And it’s a helluva lot of fun.)

It’s A Shayne The Way You Mess Around With My Heart: Happy to have kicker Shayne Graham for many reasons (not the least of which is his name providing endless puns), but we wonder how he’ll do in Monday night’s below-freezing weather at Gillette. We hope that won’t matter, but we worry it will.

Sure, it’s only a game. We’ll just keep telling ourselves that.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

Filed Under: Columns

Tiebreaker Overview (Or, Why This Game Is Important)

December 1, 2010 By 9 Comments

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

We know that Monday night’s Patriots/Jets game means a ton in terms of playoff and division positioning. Even radio talk show hosts who don’t have the slightest idea of the actual tiebreakers involved know that this is a very important game for both teams. One says it gives him an ice cream headache. Let’s look at some possibilities.

To review, here are the official NFL Tiebreaker rules in play here:

TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION

If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.
Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss

If we start with the first tiebreaker, it is easy to see that this game is much more important to New England. If they win, they will tie the season series with the Jets. A Jet victory means they have swept the two regular season games, and the Patriots will need to finish a game ahead of them in order to win the division and a probable first-round bye. A Patriots loss puts them a game behind the Jets, meaning they’d have to make up two games over the last four in order to win the division. Very tough.

Moving on to the second tiebreaker. At the moment, the Jets are 3-0 in the division, while the Patriots are 2-1. A Patriots win ties them in terms of divisional record. Each team has a game with the Bills and Dolphins remaining on their schedule – the Jets have both of those games at home, while the Patriots still have to go to Buffalo and host Miami in the season finale. A win by the Patriots on Monday night does not help them all that much if they end up losing one of those remaining AFC East games.

If the Patriots win on Monday night, the season could come down to the third tiebreaker, which is common games. Here are the games the two teams have in common:

Buffalo – both teams have beaten the Bills once, and have one more game to play with them.

Miami – both teams have beaten the Dolphins once and have one more game to play with them.

Baltimore – The Jets lost to the Ravens, while the Patriots beat the Ravens.

Pittsburgh – The Patriots have beaten the Steelers, while the Jets play them on December 19th in Pittsburgh.

Green Bay – The Jets have lost to the Packers, while the Patriots play the Packers at home on December 19.

Minnesota – Both teams have beaten the Vikings.

Detroit – Both teams have beaten the Lions.

Chicago – Both teams have yet to play the Bears, The Patriots on December 12th and the Bears on December 26th, both at Soldier Field.

Cleveland – The Patriots lost to the Browns while the Jets beat the Browns.

Cincinnati – Both teams have beaten the Bengals.

Patriots 7 wins, 1 loss.

Jets 6 wins, 2 losses.

Remaining to play:

Patriots – Bears, Packers, Bills, Dolphins

Jets – Dolphins, Steelers, Bears, Bills.

So even though the Patriots have a slight edge at the moment in common games, every game remaining on the schedule for each team is also a common opponent game.

Could they end up tied through that? If the Patriots win on Monday, and the both the Patriots and Jets win their remaining divisional games, and the Patriots lose to the Packers (Rodgers is gonna hang on that D, bro) while the Jets sweep their remaining games, the teams would both be 13-3 and tied in the division and in common games. That would lead to the fourth tiebreaker – conference record. Other scenarios could happen, of course, if the Jets lose to the Steelers while the Patriots lose to Bills, the Patriots win with a 10-2 common opponents record to the Jets 9-3.

In the first scenario in the previous paragraph, both teams would then be 10-2 in the AFC.

That brings us to the 5th tiebreaker – strength of victory. That would take some figuring. Remember, this isn’t strength of schedule, that’s #6, this is strength of victory. So that means margin of victory? No. (See the first comment below for a good explanation of strength of victory vs strength of schedule. ) The remaining games will have a lot to say in determining strength of victory.

Confused yet? Let’s just say Monday night is a pretty big game, and then we’ll go week-by-week from there.

Filed Under: Games, News, Opponents
Newer Posts »