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Patriots All-Access Preview

September 9, 2011 By 1 Comment

The 2011 regular season debut of Patriots All Access airs tonight on WBZ-TV at 7 p.m. and immediately following on Patriots.com.

Among the highlights…

  • Coach Belichick explains his reasoning behind some recent roster moves as the Patriots get ready for their week one contest on Monday Night Football in Miami. He also breaks down the Dolphins on the Belestrator.
  • Sights and sounds from an eventful Patriots preseason.
  • Steve Burton sits down with Patrick Chung, now the longest-tenured safety on the Patriots.
  • All Access follows Leigh Bodden’s “Path to the NFL.”
  • A look back at the ten year anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 through the eyes of Patriots past and present, including owner Robert Kraft, Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe, Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown and Joe Andruzzi.
  • Patriots Football Weekly’s Paul Perillo and ESPNBoston’s Mike Reiss share their opinion and analysis of the Dolphins matchup.

Video Preview:

Filed Under: Media

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

Can’t Watch Tonight? NFL Network Replay Schedule Here

August 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As a reminder, here are the stations that will carry tonight’s Patriots/Buccaneers game:

Maine: Portland – WMTW-TV Channel 8, Bangor – WVII-TV Channel 7.

Connecticut: Hartford – WCTX-TV Channel 59. 

Vermont: Burlington – WVNY-TV Channel 22.

Hawaii: Honolulu KHNL-TV Channel 9.

Alaska: Anchorage KIMO-TV Channel 13.

Canada: (Quebec/Maritimes): Rogers Sports Net East.

Once again, the duo of Don Criqui and Randy Cross will call the games. Tonight’s game starts at 7:30pm EDT.

The game will be rebroadcast on the NFL Network at the following times:

  • Friday, 8/19, 4:00 PM ET
  • Sunday 8/21, 7:00 AM ET
  • Tuesday 8/23, 4:00 PM ET

Set your DVRs as those aren’t exactly in prime-time.

Filed Under: Media

You Only Practice Twice

August 18, 2011 By 2 Comments

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

So what exactly IS the deal with Albert Haynesworth?

The Patriots make the trade for him, he shows up, passes his physical and his conditioning test, practices twice, and we’ve not seen him again.

Speculation from the usual suspects is predictable – he’s dogging it, he’s a bad dude, he’s just lazy, turn your radio onto either sports radio station in town, and you’ll likely hear some variant of that.

Then there was the piece last weekend from Dan Pompei of the National Football Post, who wrote the following:

Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth might not be long for New England. One day before this story came out by my guy Mike Reiss, one NFL executive familiar with the Patriots ways told me he believes one or both of the big name acquisitions will be cut before the season starts. The front office man thinks coach Bill Belichick will use the controversial players to help control and send a message to his locker room.

Say what? Since when exactly has Bill Belichick done anything like this? “Controversial” players brought in by Belichick have a pretty decent track record. Belichick cuts players because they can’t help his football team, not to send any sort of message to the locker room.

Mike Reiss feels that Belichick answered that statement with what he said during his Patriots Monday appearance on WEEI this week.

A lot of discussion about Albert Haynesworth and his lack of practice time. Bill Belichick to sports radio WEEI on Monday: “I think Albert has been great since he’s been here. He’s worked hard. He’s done more than really what we’ve asked him to do. He’s put in a lot of extra time and a lot of extra effort to get back on the field, to study, to catch up on things from a playbook standpoint that’s he a little behind on.” Translation: Haynesworth is going to be a big part of what the Patriots do.

Reiss, arguably the most plugged-in and perceptive reporter on the Patriots beat, reads into what the coach said, and draws a reasonable conclusion.

But still….Haynesworth has only those two days of practice? What the heck is going on? This is where things get dangerous, as without information, people are left to speculate. Mostly, people tend to speculate to the negative, which leads to the “dogging it”, “bad dude” comments we’ve heard locally. Others, such a Tom E Curran and Karen Guregian recall that Haynesworth has needed “maintenance” sessions during previous training camps, including injections in his knees, and perhaps that is what is going on here. Could be.

In looking at the situation, I can’t help but see how similar it is to Randy Moss’ first camp here in New England. You’ll recall. Moss gets traded to New England for a fourth round amid rumors and talk that he was dogging it in Oakland, a bad teammate, and a bad guy on and off the field. He comes to training camp, lights it up for a practice, then is out soon thereafter with what was reported to be a hamstring injury. He’s not seen again in the preseason. Speculation runs wild that Moss is in danger of making the club, that he will in fact be cut.

What was happening those weeks where Moss was not at practice? He was getting ready for the season. Perhaps the Patriots saw all they needed to see in that initial practice – they could see he still had it, so there was no need to push him back onto the field. They wanted him ready for the season. As an added bonus, it gave opponents zero tape from which to prepare for the Patriots with Moss. It seemed to work out pretty well.

Is it careless speculation to conclude that something similar is happening here with Haynesworth? Some reporters are tying to put a timetable on things – “If we don’t see him back in a week, I think he could be in danger of being cut.” I don’t see it like that at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see Haynesworth at all the rest of the preseason. Perhaps the Patriots saw all they needed to see in those two days of practice, during which Haynesworth reportedly was dominating the Patriots offensive linemen. Their focus now is making sure he is ready to start the season. From Belichick’s Haynesworth has been studying and catching up on the playbook, which sure seems like a positive.

I’m not too concerned about it. If we get to the week of the season opener, and he’s still not at practice, then perhaps there’s something to be worried about, but let’s get there first.

 

 

Filed Under: Roster

Patriots 2011 Preseason Television Network

August 11, 2011 By 2 Comments

For those of you across New England, or eastern Canada, here is the listing of TV stations that will carry tonight’s preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Note: In the past, the games had also been carried on stations in Honolulu, Hawaii and Anchorage, Alaska. That is apparently no longer the case.

Massachusetts: Boston – WBZ-TV Channel 4, Springfield – WWLP-TV Channel 22.

New Hampshire: Manchester – WMUR-TV Channel 9.

Rhode Island: Providence – WNAC-TV Channel 64. (Reader note: Last year In RI, the Pats/Saints got moved from WNAC (64) to their digital channel MyRI TV, which is 64-2 because of the So You Think You Can Dance finale.  That channel is also carried on Cox, Comcast, Full Channel and Verizon in RI. If you have Satellite, you might be out of luck.)

Maine: Portland – WMTW-TV Channel 8, Bangor – WVII-TV Channel 7.

Connecticut: Hartford – WCTX-TV Channel 59. 

Vermont: Burlington – WVNY-TV Channel 22.

Hawaii: Honolulu KHNL-TV Channel 9.

Alaska: Anchorage KIMO-TV Channel 13.

Canada: (Quebec/Maritimes): Rogers Sports Net East.

Once again, the duo of Don Criqui and Randy Cross will call the games. Tonight’s game starts at 7:30pm EDT.

The game will be rebroadcast on the NFL Network at the following times:

  • Friday, 8/12, 4:00 PM ET
  • Sunday 8/14, 7:00 AM ET
  • Monday 8/15, 7:00 AM ET
  • Tuesday 8/16, 4:00 PM ET

 

Filed Under: Media

From Rexy, With Love?

August 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

So Shaun Ellis is now a member of the New England Patriots. For Jets fans, this may not have the exact same emotional impact as Ty Law suiting up for the New York Jets did for Patriots fans, but its close. On the surface, it seems like a tremendous move for the Patriots, getting a guy who seems to be able to seamlessly fit into their defense, while removing a key cog (and thorn in their side) from the Jets. Was this a gift from Rex Ryan and the Jets?

To get the NY perspective on Ellis and his move to New England, we reached out to one of the biggest Jets fans out there, Brian Bassett, founder of The Jets Blog to get his perspective on things.

The biggest question around here, seems to be why the Jets didn’t make more of an effort to retain his services. Did they think he was over-the-hill?  “The Patriots postseason game dispelled any notions of that in both New York and New England, I am sure.” Bassett says. He adds “Ellis is a very capable player, maybe a tad “under the radar” but he’s a solid player who gives it his all every down and is extremely durable. Given the need, I think that Shaun Ellis is still entirely capable of starting, but I don’t know that he’d be as effective at this point in his career in that role over the course of a whole season – he’s probably better suited in a situation like New England offered, working in a situational role to as needed.”

So you think he can contribute to the Patriots in 2011?  “Most definitely, this guy is fiendishly suited for a Belichick-ian system. While he’s not exactly ripping off sacks in scores (as most DLs aren’t in a 3-4), he’s still a very capable two-gapping 3-4 End who can stuff the run, tie up blockers to free the OLBs or provide pressure on the QB when required.”

Right. Pressure on the quarterback. Something that has been lacking in this team the last few season. What’s the best way to use him if you want to generate pressure?  “As a pressure player he’s best one-gapping, even if it’s from the interior of the defensive line. As just pointed out, one of his biggest strengths is his ability to play the 3-4 End spot or move inside to the 4-3 Tackle based on need.”

Bassett then says, “He’s extremely versatile and is a solid contributor, but don’t expect him to be the second coming of Richard Seymour.”

I think at this point, we’d welcome the second coming of Jarvis Green, circa 2004.

Given Ellis’ career in New York and his status with the Jets, his departure seemed pretty curious. Then you had Rex Ryan flippantly saying that he wouldn’t be wishing Ellis well in New England. Did the Jets misplay this situation?

Bassett doesn’t think so. “Shaun Ellis has been making comments to the press about wanting to finish his career as a Jets since Rex came to New York. Shaun made it clear he wanted his contract re-worked to reflect that. Rex and the front office rebuffed his advances (both privately and publicly), citing Rex’s policy of not extending veteran deals. Rather, the required Ellis to play out the string, and hoped to get him to come back at a low-cost.”

So did the lack of urgency mean that Ellis was expendable? “While he was a valuable piece of the Jets defensive line in Rex’s first two years, it was clear that he wasn’t “Rex’s guy” and the shoe was going to drop eventually – a fact made very obvious when Rex brought in Trevor Pryce midway through last season to help bolster the team’s depth at line. ”

OK, so maybe he wasn’t as “must-keep” guy, in the head coach’s eyes. But couldn’t he have handled that press conference a little better? “As far as what Rex said to the press in the past week about not wishing him well? That’s Rex and it was conflated in the media. He’d say the same to Ellis in a private moment as he would to the press. While he respects Ellis and appreciates his contributions, he’s not looking for him to come to New York and terrorize his QB like Ellis did to Brady in January.”

So Bassett doesn’t seem to be moaning and wailing over the loss of Ellis. How are Jets fans in general reacting to this”

“I think by and large, Jets fans are disappointed to lose Ellis. Ellis was the last man standing from the much ballyhooed Jets 2000 NFL Draft class. One of four rookie first round draft picks. In New York, he’s jokingly referred to as “The Dean of the Defense” or “The Dean” for short. Through four coaching staffs, even more coordinators, he was a guy that the Jets could count on to pretty much be playing every game, contributing, pressuring the QB and stuffing the run.”

He concludes “While Wilkerson represents the future of this team at the DE spot, easing Ellis out and Wilkerson in would have been a nice cushion for Jets fans … but the economics of the thing and the strained relationship between the Jets and their longest tenured starter were too much for the situation to hold together.”

What about the comparison to Ty Law going to the Jets? (The first time) It’s not a perfect comparison, Law had won Super Bowls here and been one of the top players in the league, and was still a top-notch cornerback. I’m not so sure how much Ellis has left.  “It’s an interesting comparison,” Bassett says, “and I do think that the Patriots over-reached for his services. But then again maybe they’re paying more for their production. Consider it Kevin O’Connell in reverse. Ellis ain’t as good as he once was, but he’s as good once as he ever was.”

It remains to be seen what Ellis can contribute to the Patriots in 2011. Given the reported size of the contract, it seems like they’re figuring on him being a pretty big piece to the puzzle. The two games between the Patriots and Jets should be even more interesting than usual, and many eyes will be on Ellis, seeing if Rex Ryan and the Jets made a mistake handing Ellis to the Patriots without much of a struggle.

 

Filed Under: Columns, Roster

Tonight on Patriots All Access

June 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tonight on Patriots All Access on WBZ-TV in Boston at 7 p.m. and immediately following at Patriots.com:

  • Dan Roche re-caps an unusual spring for the Patriots, as urgency in the NFL’s labor negotiations pick up steam.
  • Lyndsay Petruny chats with members of the Patriots coaching staff about the importance of Father’s Day.
  • From the All Access vault, a trip to Oklahoma City with receiver Wes Welker to learn what those closest to him think motivates the Patriots Pro Bowler.
  • All Access is at the 1986 New York Giants championship team reunion with Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
  • Patriots Football Weekly’s Paul Perillo and ESPNBoston’s Mike Reiss offer their thoughts on when the NFL labor impasse will be resolved and how it will impact the 2011 season.

Video Preview:

Filed Under: Media

Chris Warner’s Patriots Draft Central

April 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Editor’s note: This year the format of our draft coverage has been somewhat different than in past years. Rather than player interviews (and to our chagrin, not a single player PD interviewed ended up getting drafted by the Patriots), Chris Warner led a one-man charge into examining the NFL draft from as many possible angles as possible.

Here are the results.

Pats Draft Scenarios: Day One - Who might the Patriots take on day one?

Pats Draft Scenarios: Day Two How about day two?

Pats Draft Scenarios: Day Three Day three, anyone?

Pats Draft Scenarios: The Perfect Mock Draft – Chris would like to see things fall this way.

Pats Draft Scenarios: Pro Day Pop-Ups – Who impressed at various Pro Days?

Pats Draft Scenarios: Picks To Avoid – Please, please, please don’t take these guys.

Pats Draft Scenarios: Please Don’t Take Offense – We’re all set there, thanks.

Pats Draft Scenarios: Six For The Sixth – Longshots, but still intriguing.

Pats Draft Scenarios: Testing, 1-2-3 – Who tested the best at the combine?

Pats Draft Scenarios: In Belichick We Trust, Mostly – He’s going to trade, I just know it…

Pats Draft Scenarios: A Primer – What do the Patriots need, and what are the strengths of this draft?

Pats Draft Scenarios: The Machines Take Over – What happens if we take the national mock drafts, and combine them?

Pats Draft Scenarios: Local Talent – Who are the kids from local colleges that might get drafted?

Pats Draft Scenarios: The Too-Early Mock – A very early edition of the mock.

The NFL Draft: Superlatives – You remember your high school superlatives? “Most Likely to Succeed” etc? Chris names the superlatives of the 2011 NFL draft class.

We’ll also include the detailed positional reviews from the in-season “College Scout” series from Greg Doyle

College Scout – Quarterbacks

College Scout – Running Backs

College Scout – Wide Receivers

College Scout – Tight Ends

College Scout – Offensive Line

College Scout – Defensive Linemen

College Scout – Inside Linebackers

College Scout – Cornerbacks

College Scout – Safeties

College Scout – Special Teamers

College Scout – QB and RB Review

With all of these post, if you see a player of interest, look at the bottom of the post, and you’ll see all players mentioned in the post tagged. Click on the tag, and you’ll be brought to a list of all articles on Patriots Daily that mention that player.

Filed Under: The Draft

Patriots 2011-2012 Schedule

April 20, 2011 By 8 Comments

Here is the Patriots’ complete 16 game schedule for the 2011-2012 regular season*, with links to the NFL.com game center and the opponent’s team website (home games in bold).

Regular Season

  1. 7:00 PM, Monday, September 12, 2011 at Dolphins (ESPN)
  2. 4:15 PM, Sunday, September 18, 2011 vs. Chargers (CBS)
  3. 1:00 PM, Sunday, September 25, 2011 at Bills (CBS)
  4. 4:15 PM, Sunday, October 2, 2011 at Raiders (CBS)
  5. 4:15 PM, Sunday, October 9, 2011 vs. Jets (CBS)
  6. 4:15 PM, Sunday, October 16, 2011 vs. Cowboys (FOX)
  7. BYE – Sunday, October 23, 2011
  8. 4:15 PM, Sunday, October 30, 2011 at Steelers (CBS)
  9. 4:15 PM, Sunday, November 6, 2011 vs. Giants (FOX)
  10. 8:20 PM, Sunday, November 13, 2011 at Jets (NBC)
  11. 8:30 PM, Monday, November 21, 2011 vs. Chiefs (ESPN)
  12. 4:15 PM, Sunday, November 27, 2011 at Eagles (CBS)
  13. 8:20 PM, Sunday, December 4, 2011 vs. Colts (NBC)
  14. 1:00 PM, Sunday, December 11, 2011 at Redskins (CBS)
  15. 4:15 PM, Sunday, December 18, 2011 at Broncos (CBS)
  16. 1:00 PM, Saturday, December 24, 2011 vs. Dolphins (CBS)
  17. 1:00 PM, Sunday, January 1, 2012 vs. Bills (CBS)

Playoffs

  1. Wild Card Playoff – Saturday January 7 or Sunday, January 8, 2012
  2. Divisional Playoff – Saturday, January 14, 2012 or Sunday, January 15, 2012
  3. Conference Championship – Sunday, January 22, 2012
  4. Super Bowl XLVI – Sunday, February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

*Assuming of course, that there IS a full 16 game schedule.

Filed Under: Featured, News

What Will The 2011 Draft Yield For Patriots?

January 27, 2011 By 1 Comment

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Ugh.

I can’t believe we’re already focused on the draft. The Senior Bowl is this week, and we’ve already been getting reports of various prospects and whether they might be good fits for the Patriots.

Many of us hoped that the Patriots might still have a game to play at this point, but that’s not the case. So we’re stuck pondering the future. An unknown future, what with the labor uncertainty in the NFL, which makes things seem even more bleak.

Looking ahead, what needs will the Patriots look to fill come April? My best guess is that they will focus on both sides of the line, looking to get more victories at the line of scrimmage. I also think they might look at the running back position – Ian Rapoport at the Boston Herald (a former Alabama beat writer) has been beating the drum for ‘Tide running back Mark Ingram since the start of the season.

One thing we do know. The Patriots will come out of this draft with an impact player.

There has been criticism of the Patriots drafts among the local media, especially in the period between ’06 to ’08. But there is one point that is indisputable.

In every single season of the Bill Belichick era, save one – 2002 when they drafted Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch – the Patriots have drafted at least one player who went on to play in the Pro Bowl or be named 1st or 2nd team NFL All Pro.

Check it out:

2010 – Devin McCourty, Pro Bowl, 2nd team All Pro
2009 – Sebastian Vollmer – 2nd team All Pro
2008 – Jerod Mayo, Pro Bowl, NFL All Pro
2007 – Brandon Meriweather, 2-time Pro Bowl
2006 – Stephen Gostkowski – Pro Bowl, NFL All Pro
2005 – Logan Mankins, 3-time Pro Bowl, All Pro
2005 – Matt Cassel – Pro Bowl
2004 – Vince Wilfork – 3-time Pro Bowl, NFL All Pro
2003 – Ty Warren (NFL All Pro 2007)
2003 – Asante Samuel 4-time Pro Bowl
2001 – Richard Seymour 6-time Pro Bowl,NFL All Pro
2001 – Matt Light -  3-time Pro Bowl
2000 – Tom Brady, 6-time Pro Bowl, NFL All Pro

Now, you might quibble with some of the selections (ahem, Brandon Meriweather) but he has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, it counts for something. (For the record, I hope they find a way to move on from him this offseason.) You might scoff at a kicker being on the list, but Stephen Gostkowski more than filled the shoes of the great Adam Vinatieri, and his leg on kickoffs is a huge weapon to have. But overall, every single season the Patriots are adding an impact player through the draft.

How does this compare to other teams?

Just looking at the Patriots main AFC rivals, only Pittsburgh has a similar track record. They don’t have a Pro Bowler from their 2010 or 2009 drafts yet, but in every other season except 2002, they’ve drafted an eventual Pro Bowl player.

Indianapolis did well for a while, but they’ve stumbled in recent years. Look at 2001 through 2004: Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders. Then look at the last few years.

San Diego doesn’t.

Baltimore doesn’t.

The Jets don’t, though they’ve been surprisingly good in the draft.

The bottom line is that while the Patriots have stumbled badly in the draft some years, they’re certainly not alone in this regard. However, every year, somewhere along the line, they’re going to draft a player who will make an impact for them. Another thing to keep in mind is that because the team is generally very good year in and year out, there are going to be limited opportunities and roster spots for rookies, especially in a year like 2007.

Finding players who can play each year is a big part of the reason they’ve remained among the top teams in the league for so long.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With:

Guest Column – Let The Silly Second-Guessing Begin

January 19, 2011 By 7 Comments

A guest column from George Cain

Like many Patriots fans, I’m still in shock over what happened to the New England Patriots on Sunday evening. Desparate for answers and comfort, I have turned to something many people do during a crisis – group therapy.

Unfortunately, the Boston Media is not the place to go for that therapy. Ironically, the Big Show and Ron Borges who I have criticized the last couple years, seem to be the only people offering sane responses.

Dennis & Callahan, Andy Hart, Michael Felger, Tony Massarotti, Andy Gresh, Gary Tanguay…wow are you kidding me? To quote Gru from “Despicable Me” who said, “this is garbage, you actually like this?”

Top 5 stupid analyses I have heard since the debacle.

  1. The Welker benching changed the tone of game. (Dennis & Callahan)
  2. The Patriots are too business-like and that doesn’t work in the postseason. (Andy Hart)
  3. Rex Ryan’s rah, rah style works better. (Numerous sources)
  4. Bill Belichick has lost his mojo. (Numerous sources.)
  5. The Patriots aren’t built to win a championship. (Michael Felger)

The last one might be the only one with a hint of truth to it.

Let me dispel a few myths.

The Welker benching! – So that caused Tom Brady to be confused and the Patriots to allow a fake punt to be called? Kind of a stretch.

The Business-like approach worked from 2001-2007, and that 2007 had all veterans.

Rex Ryan’s rah, rah, rah approach works better! Well, it works for the Jets. But the last FIVE Super Bowl winning coaches are: Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Tom Coughlin, Tony Dungy and Bill Cowher. Cowher was probably the most rah, rah of that group. While all of them are more animated than Belichick with the exception of Dungy none were thump your chest guys. And let’s not forget that the Jets haven’t won anything yet and the other 3 coaches still alive, Lovie Smith, Mike McCarthy and Mike Tomlin are not thumpers either.

Belichick has lost his mojo! Yes, the fake punt no matter whose fault it was, and the poor time management in the fourth quarter don’t look great for Bill, but three turnovers versus zero will lose you playoffs games. (Counting the punt and the turnover on downs)

It’s common when you’re doing a TV show or filling 4 hours a day on the radio to take a micro-look at every aspect of the team. But, let’s talk about this game.

Tom Brady, threw 4 interceptions the entire regular season. He threw one on the first drive, ON FIRST DOWN that cost them at least 3 points and probably 7. People have remarked it didn’t actually cost them points. Well sure it did. They didn’t score on that drive and the Jets possession took up about 10 minutes of game time. Time they could have used in the second half. If the Pats score 10 points on their first two possessions there is no fake punt attempt and the game is completely different. What really happened is this young, inexperienced defense was carried by a guy who had one of the all-time great seasons in the NFL. And when he played bad or just ok they either lost or nearly lost. The two Jets losses, the Packer and the Browns losses are examples of that.

Fact is people have forgotten that in 2001, 2003 and 2004 it was a complete TEAM. And that team had a great defense. A defense that could bail you out when your QB made mistakes and guess what people, FELGER, CALLAHAN, HART, he did!!

2001 Playoffs – Brady’s only played a quarter against the Steelers and threw for 146 yards in the Super Bowl. He was money when they needed but he didn’t carry them.

2003 Playoffs – 201 yards against the Titans, they win 17-14 on the strength of the defense and special teams. 237 yards against the Colts but threw a KEY pick in the end zone that almost let the Colts back in the game despite 5 INTs. Brady was great in the Super Bowl.

2004 Playoffs – 144 yards passing against the Colts. Defense gave up 3 points. 207 yards against the Steelers as the Patriots dominated in all 3 phases of the game. And let’s not forget Brady had a key fumble in the Super Bowl early and if not for Rodney Harrison’s play early on, it could have been a crushing loss for the Pats.

My point is, look at who is still standing in the playoffs, they all have great defenses. Did defense lose the game Sunday? No, but when the QB struggled they didn’t help win it. Two TD’s following Patriot scores. So, while it’s easy to nitpick every move, from the Welker benching to Spygate, people need to remember the NFL is a game about turnovers ask the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots turned it over and that’s why they lost to a team they beat 45-3.

The local media and fans are stunned. They should be stunned and I still think if the Patriots won this week they could have gone to the Super Bowl despite their “business-like” approach. The Jets needed to play a perfect game AND hope the Patriots didn’t. That’s what happened. It’s really that simple. This team will win another Super Bowl when they have a team that doesn’t rely on one player to always be above average for them to win. It’s easier to game plan for one side of the ball.

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