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You Are Not Allowed To Enjoy This Patriots Season

September 9, 2011 By 16 Comments

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Here are your New England Patriots, coming off a 14-2 season, and returning all their key players, while adding a new draft class, and veteran players such as Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis, Andre Carter and Chad Ochocinco.

Should be an exciting season, no? One to look forward to?

Think again.

Once again, if you listen to the local talkmasters on radio or television, you know that in reality, this team is in BIG trouble. Oh sure, the hosts will make sure they tell you once or twice a show that this team will finish 14-2 again and win the AFC East, but the other 99.9% of the time they are on the air, they’re letting you know that this team is a house of cards, just ready to be toppled by the slightest breeze.

The Patriots can’t draft. That is crystal clear. Belichick tries to get too clever every year, trading around, and all he ends up with are stiffs. Every year. He’s completely lost his touch at drafting, and now that all the players from the Parcells era are finally gone, this team has no home-grown talent that they haven’t completely lucked into.

When Tom Brady is is hit, he is a below-average QB

Tom Brady’s window is closing. Unanimous MVP or not, he’s on the way down. He’s not the player he was when they were winning championships. Football isn’t his priority anymore. Globetrotting with his supermodel wife and his kids come first. His teammates wonder about his commitment. Even if Brady were still at the top of his game, the offensive line can’t protect him. Against a good or even decent line like the Jets, Ravens, Giants or even the freakin’ Detroit Lions or Cleveland Browns, the line folds up and Brady goes down. When Brady is getting hit he is an average or below average quarterback and the team can’t win. You think he’s going to repeat the miraculous season he had last year? No way. He’s good for double-digit picks this season.

Running game? BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a pedestrian back at best. Danny Woodhead is on the verge of brain damage from the hard hits he takes, and then you have a pair of fragile, injury-prone rookies who couldn’t get on the field in training camp. Good luck with that.

The receivers are aging. Did you know that Deion Branch didn’t catch a single pass in the preseason???? Welker is disgruntled about a lack of a contract extension, and Chad Ochocinco isn’t smart enough to pick up the Patriots offense and spends too much time Tweeting instead of studying the playbook. The other receivers have no talent and will hopefully never have to see the field. The tight ends will lose their focus this season after the team unceremoniously cut mentor Alge Crumpler. Bringing in another Gronkowski? Get ready for a frat party in the tight end meetings each day, and with Hernandez in that group, well, things could get illegal quickly.

The defense? You do realize that this was the worst third-down defense in franchise history, right? Even those 1-15 and 2-14 teams weren’t this bad. They only survived the season because they forced so many lucky turnovers. That’s not going to happen again.

Albert Haynesworth? You Patriots sycophants are willing to just give him a free pass on everything and think he’s going to actually be a model citizen here? He’s done. He can’t get on the field, he’s lazy, he’s going to have maybe one good game and then tank for the rest of the year. Shaun Ellis? You’re picking up Jets rejects now? Picking up players just because they had a good playoff game against you is no way to build a roster, Mr Belichick. Who’s going to rush the passer? The ancient Andre Carter? Sure, he looked OK against the scrubs of the Tampa Bay Bucs, but what’s he going to do against real offensive lines? Mark Anderson? They guy is a sieve against the run. They cut Gerard Warren? What are they thinking?

The linebacker except for Mayo are a bunch of JAGS and Mayo himself is overrated. The team cut their best two safeties in James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather and are relying on an injury-prone Pat Chung, who single-handedly (along with several others) cost the team the Jets playoff game with his ill-advised fake punt call. That’s your leader in the secondary? Who are the other guys? An undrafted second year player? A guy you grabbed off waivers from the Broncos last year? Another Jets retread? Good luck back there.

The defensive backs are all too big. There’s no way Devin McCourty is repeating his rookie season. He’s not that good. Darius Butler looked OK as a rookie too, remember? Leigh Bodden is coming off major surgery, and Ras-I Dowling is as sturdy as a 5000-year-old Ming Vase. Then you add a guy cut from the soon-to-be AFC South Champs, which are loaded with talent, but still…

This team cannot beat the Jets. The Jets are in the Patriots head, that much is crystal clear. Fact, not opinion.

Overall, you’ve just got to wonder about Bill Belichick’s commitment to this team. Did he try to load up this year, go all-in before he calls it quits? You have to admit, having the NFL Films documentary about him sure looked like he was trying to secure his legacy, Lombardi-style, before riding off into the sunset and taking the job he’s always really wanted, that of the New York Giants.

How do you feel about your season now, fanboys?

Filed Under: Featured

Ticket Watch – Patriots 2011 Season Preview

September 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Here’s a look at the Patriots 2011 home schedule, and which games are most in demand and the current average prices for those games.

Filed Under: TiqIQ

Pats Pregame Points: Game One At Miami

September 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Gronkowski celebrates - Rob, that is

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

And so it begins.

After a fractious off-season and roster overhaul, the Patriots travel to Miami for the inaugural Monday night game of 2011. We figure the Dolphins recollect the repeated poundings the Pats gave them last year and plan to get off to a better start.

Much to discuss going into Week One. For example…

Tommy Can You Hear Me? This preseason has renewed our appreciation for quarterback Tom Brady because New England’s offense seems harder to pick up than a greasy BB. This, we hope, is why Chad Ochocinco has been playing on a different page than the QB. How much can Brady and Ochocinco connect this week? What kind of production can we expect from Deion Branch, who had exactly as many preseason catches (zero) as I did watching from my couch?

The aforementioned receivers look like they’re having trouble getting open, finding about as much separation as Chang and Eng Bunker. With the release of disappointing young receiver Brandon Tate, what will second-year pass-catcher Taylor Price bring to the picnic?

Lots of questions, none of them reassuring.

Another House Key for Another Gronkowski: New England had only Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez as tight ends after letting go of Lee Smith and Will Yeatman in a failed attempt to sneak the promising rookies onto the practice squad. Both get plucked by AFC East rivals (Smith to Buffalo, Yeatman to Miami).

Having two tight ends felt like going off-roading without a spare tire: you could do it, but why tempt fate? Knowing this, Coach Bill Belichick brought Rob’s brother Dan Gronkowski into the fold. The Maryland product saw time at end and fullback with Denver last year, meaning he has experience in a Patriots-like offense under former Broncos coach Josh McDaniels.

Delicious, Delightful, D-linemen: New England has become a line-dominated defense, as evidenced by the whopping 10 players Coach Bill Belichick kept for the D-line. Here’s hoping leviathan Albert Haynesworth can disrupt opponents before exhausting himself, Andre Carter can hassle the QB like he did in August, former Jet Shaun Ellis can rediscover the form that made him such a nuisance last year, and that someone under 30 can make an impact.

Formation Follows Function: With all the above-mentioned defensive linemen, it seems pretty crazy to expect anything besides a 4-lineman, 3-linebacker, attacking style defense most of the time. Crazy … like a fox. New England had some success against Miami’s offense last year using a 3-4 defense. The preseason isn’t necessarily the time to tip your hand, and with a coach like Belichick, there’s a sizable hand to avoid tipping.

In any case, if Miami’s anemic offense (ranked 30th in the NFL last year) can move the ball vs. New England, that’s a very bad sign for 2011.

Bush League: How much will the addition of running back Reggie Bush help the Dolphins? After last year’s offensive output, it certainly won’t hurt.

Still, Waters Runs Deep: Against Detroit, pressure on Brady forced him to run for cover like a crab at a clambake. New offensive lineman Brian Waters, formerly of Kansas City, became a hasty signing after an injury to Dan Connolly. It shows a lack of depth that a 34-year-old guard became a must-have, considering 34 is about 107 in O-lineman years.

On the topic of desperation…

Dearth Of Talent Leaves Pats Aiken For A Longsnapper: You’d think that hiking a football a few yards behind yourself wouldn’t be so complicated. Yet, in the last two years, the Patriots have gone through longsnappers like a five-month-old baby goes through diapers. (Seriously: it’s daunting.)

Free agent pickup James Dearth had half a cup of coffee in New England before being replaced by free agent rookie Danny Aiken, ranked the top longsnapper in the 2011 draft class. Danny, we hope we never have to speak of this position again.

Wishing you a wonderful Monday, folks. That goes for the Patriots, too.

Chris Warner can be reached at [email protected]

Filed Under: Columns, Games

Matchups Of The Week – Patriots at Dolphins

September 7, 2011 By 2 Comments

By Dan Zeigarnik, Patriots Daily Staff

The start of the 2011 NFL season could not have come sooner enough for Patriot fans. It’s finally time to stop the navel gazing and the theoretical preseason debates, because now the answers to all the offseason quandaries will be played out on the field. This is an exciting time for Patriot Nation for there are plenty of new faces to get acquainted with, as New England gears up for yet another Super Bowl run.

While season openers inherently garner excitement for the new beginning and clean slate that they represent for the teams and the fans, there is still an opponent to face and one that shouldn’t be so quickly overlooked. The 2010 Miami team was disappointing mainly because their quarterback woes really hurt them. Despite this, they still beat Super Bowl champs Green Bay and the Jets, while losing to Pittsburg by the score of 22-23. This year, they will surely try to build on those wins, and in this topsy-turvy league a 7-9 team can easily finish 11-5 the following season.

When the Patriots played Miami on the road in week 4 of last year, victory was not at all guaranteed. In fact, there was a decent amount of consternation as the Pats were coming off a loss to the Jets and a lackluster win against Buffalo. New England did little to assuage these concerns when they headed into the tunnel at trailing at half-time 6-7. However, the second half proved to be spectacular, as Brandon Tate returned a kickoff, Pat Chung blocked two kicks and took an interception back for a TD and Rob Ninkovich piled on with 2 interceptions of his own. The result was a 41-14 rout, but it came about in one of the more unusual series of faux pas by the Miami offense and special team units.

So with this in mind, it will be interesting to see how New England looks in these 5 key matchups:

Patriots Secondary vs. Davone Bess and Brandon Marshall

James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather are gone, so there will be a new face at safety to play along side Chung. If Sergio Brown, Josh Barrett, or James Ihedigbo does not pan out there will be a lot of second guessing and questioning of Bill Belichick’s roster decisions. Also, Ras-I Dowling and Leigh Bodden will be patrolling the secondary along with Devin McCourty and it will be important for them to all be on the same page.

Patriots Defensive Line vs. Dolphins Offensive line

There are 3 new defensive linemen and a new 4-3 scheme in place this year. That’s a lot of change even for Belichick’s amorphous game planning style. Shaun Ellis and Andre Carter seem to be ready to set the edge and put pressure on the quarterback. This is something that has been missing for the Patriots in recent years, and fans will be keen to pay attention these 2 new additions. I would be remiss not to mention the Big Kahuna, Albert Haynesworth. Personally, I would only look for glimpses of greatness from him in the season opener as he is still playing his way into shape. If he shows glimmers of frustrating opposing offenses, then it will bode well for the Patriot’s playoff run.

Chad Ochoncinco vs. New England Sports Media

Is Chad frustrated? Of course, he is in a new offense and he is having growing pains for the first time in a long time. Is he suddenly a washed up has-been like Torry Holt and Joey Galloway? Child Please! Those 2 retired shortly after not making the Patriots. Do people honestly feel that Ochocinco wouldn’t be snatched up by another team if he got released? Give the man some time to get acquainted with the new offense. He has too much left in the tank, too hard a worker, too talented, and is too driven to affirm Bill Belichick’s vote of confidence in him to not have a productive year.

Gronkowski and Hernandez vs. Dolphins Linebackers

These 2 electrifying and unique tight ends are entering their second season in the NFL and have been having a great preseason. All signs point to them continuing their stellar performances. Look for them to be used in creative ways, and appreciate them as the anti-Ben Watson’s and Daniel Graham’s of the world.

Special Teams

The new rule about kickoffs being moved up to the 35 yard line is a bit strange. It basically eliminates kickoffs. It will certainly be a change, and it will make that extra commercial break sequence that much more irritating (touchdown, commercial, kick-off, commercial.) If the kickoff is just target practice for the field goal kickers as they try to boot it through the upright, then that break in the action will force more and more people to DVR their game and just start it 30 minutes late (that’s what I do).  Also, there seems to be some trouble brewing on the long-snapper front as the team keeps getting new ones after not signing Lonie Paxton to a long term contract. Hopefully that doesn’t cause costly botched snaps.

Filed Under: Games, Opponents

First Impressions – Miami Dolphins

September 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Patriots travel to South Florida on Monday night to face AFC East rivals Miami and to open the 2011 NFL season for both franchises. Miami is not an easy place to play for the Patriots, nor a lot of other NFL teams, and Monday should be no different. Any division team is tough, to have to open on the road against one is as difficult an opening as the Patriots could have received. Figuring in additionally that play can be sloppy on opening weekend and this all could be to Miami’s benefit. The Patriots no doubt have a more talented offense overall, but whether they’re hitting on all cylinders from the opening gun or not remains to be seen.. The sloppiness, which may be even more pronounced given the off-season lockout, may prevent the Patriots offense from showing its full potential early on.

For the Dolphins Tony “Shades” Sparano is still at the helm as head coach, but on the hot seat. Since a good debut season in 2008 in which the Dolphins won the division, they’ve slipped to 7-9 each of the last two years. Sparano probably has to make the playoff this year to save his job. He’ll go into the season with the same defensive coordinator as last year, the respected Mike Nolan, but with a new offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll. Beating the Patriots Monday night would be about as good a start to the season as they could dream of and it certainly is not going to be an easy game for the Patriots.

Lets take a look at some of the key factors/players, or just interesting stories, for Miami as we get this season rolling:

Sun Life Stadium: This will be the Patriots 12th time playing here during the Bill Belichick years and its one of the few venues he has a losing record in having gone 5-6 his first 11 years with New England. They have won 3 of 4 down there since a 21-0 drubbing in 2006 and, while it’s nowhere near the house of horrors the old Orange Bowl was to the Patriots franchise, still its been an exceedingly tough place to play. Even 2 of the 3 Super Bowl winning teams under Belichick have fallen in Miami. On opening night and on national TV, the crowd should be very loud and disruptive. An early lead for the Patriots would go a long way towards taking those factors out of the game and a long way to evening up the record down there for Bill Belichick.

Brian Daboll, Offensive Coordinator: Daboll is a former Patriots assistant under Bill Belichick from 2000 thru 2006 when he went to the Jets to coach quarterbacks for good friend Eric Mangini. When Mangini got gassed in New York and moved to Cleveland, Daboll went with him, this time as offensive coordinator, for two 5-11 seasons there until Mangini got the axe there. Daboll was let go as well and now has resurfaced in Miami as their new offensive coordinator. Of the mere ten wins Mangini and Daboll managed to put up in two seasons in Cleveland, one was a memorable 34-14 thrashing of their former mentor in New England, Bill Belichick, last season. It was towards the end of that game that Daboll, less than two months from being fired for the second time in three years, arguably showed up his former team and coach with this over-the-top display. While I suppose one can understand the excitement, given how often he was on the losing end of things after leaving New England, it could also be something the Patriots remember as well as they travel to take on his new team in Miami. Without a full off-season to learn Daboll’s offense, how the Dolphins O fares about what is thought to be a newly aggressive Patriots defense could prove to be a key to the game.

 

Rookie RB Daniel Thomas

Daniel Thomas, #33, Running Back: The Dolphins let both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams walk away after drafting Thomas in the second round of this past spring’s draft. This preseason, Thomas had mixed reviews, rushing 31 times for 109 yards and a TD. He’s a big kid at 230 lbs with average speed, but above-average power. Thomas, before he went to Kansas State, was a quarterback at junior college so the Patriots should be aware of the halfback pass. Thomas can throw a little. He’ll split time with Reggie Bush at tailback.

Chad Henne, #7, Quarterback: Henne was predicted by some to be on the verge of coming into his own as an elite QB last season. It didn’t happen. Henne threw 15 Touchdowns versus 19 Interceptions last season and had a mediocre QB rating. Early in camp this season, with rumors swirling the Dolphins were looking to acquire Kyle Orton from Denver to be their QB, the fans caused quite a stir by chanting “We want Orton” at practice and within earshot of Henne. This was something Dolphins Coach Tony Sparano didn’t take too kindly of and lead him to publicly criticize the Miami fans. Now rumors are swirling the Dolphins may be interested in signing recently cut Jacksonville QB David Garrard, something that could further undermine Henne’s fragile confidence. Its imperative for him to get off to a good start on Monday if he hopes to keep his job.

Cameron Wake, #91, Defensive End: Wake, a former Canadian Football League defensive player of the year, has become a terror in the NFL since coming over in 2009. Last season Wake racked up 14 sacks and gave all teams, including the Patriots, fits. Wake is the type of speed rusher that traditionally gives Patriots tackle Matt Light trouble. With Light advancing in years and coming off an off-season that included surgery and limited work in camp, accounting for this player has to be a key to a successful game plan for the Patriots Monday.

Vontae Davis, #21, Cornerback: Davis has become one of the better young corners in the league the last few seasons and certainly ranks with Darrelle Revis of the Jets and Devin McCourty of the Patriots as one of the three best corners in the AFC East. The younger brother of the 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, Vontae could be on the verge of getting all-pro type recognition now headed into his third season. Davis has picked off five passes his first two years despite many teams choosing to largely stay away from him. On Monday, it would be no surprise to see him matched up often against the Patriots new acquisition at wide receiver, Ochocinco. Success by Ochocinco against this corner could indicate he’s not as far behind in his progress as has largely been assumed.

Jimmy Wilson, #25, Cornerback: With Davis, Sean Smith and Benny Sapp ahead of him, the rookie Wilson is likely to see most of his action on special teams. Afterall, he was just a 7th round choice out of Montana this past draft and showed just enough in camp to barely make the team. However, we mention him due to his interesting back story. You see, Wilson spent 2007-2009 in jail awaiting trial for shooting and murdering his aunt’s boyfriend. Two trials, the first of which ended in a hung jury, were held. Finally, in 2009 Wilson was acquitted when the jury in the second trial found he had acted in self-defense. Two years later, the Dolphins drafted him. Amazing. No word yet if Roger Goodell will suspend him for the hung jury. Yeah, yeah innocent until proven guilty schmilty, right Sheriff?

Prediction: We’ll add a prediction segment to the column this year and give you readers a chance to smile over our lack of ability to pick these things. That being said, we’ll forecast that the Patriots offense is the difference and the defense chips in with a few turnovers as New England wins a tough, close game 27-20.

Filed Under: Games
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