NFL NEWS: Straight from the Hoodie!

Patriots fill holes while trading down...

2010-04-25T06:45:00.005-04:00

When you look at what the Patriots drafted while trading down, you see a lot of value from their draft.

Pick 22:

Pick 22 turned into CB Devin McCourty, WR Taylor Price, and TE Aaron Hernandez

Patriots trade down from 22 to 24 to 27, where they draft CB Devin McCourty

For the first drop, Patriots received Third-round pick (No. 90), and drafted WR Taylor Price

For the second drop, Patriots received Fourth-round pick (No. 113), and drafted TE Aaron Hernandez

Pick 47:

Pick 47 turned into ILB Brandon Spikes, P Zoltan Mesko, and Carolina's 2011 second round pick

Patriots trade down 11 spots from 47 to 58, then again from 58 to 62, where they drafted ILB Brandon Spikes

For the first drop, Patriots receive Third-round pick (No. 89), which they traded for 2011 second round pick from Carolina

For the second drop, Patriots receive Fifth-round pick (No. 150), and drafted P Zoltan Mesko

Pick 42:

Patriots traded up from 44 to 42, and drafted TE Rob Gronkowski (filling a big need)

Patriots give up Sixth-round pick (No. 190)

Patriots 2010 Draft

2010-04-25T06:10:00.000-04:00

DAY 1

* Traded first-round pick (22) to Denver for first- and fourth-round picks (24, 113).

* Traded first- and fourth-round picks (24, 119) to Dallas for first- and third-round picks (27, 90).

* Drafted Rutgers CB Devin McCourty with first-round pick (27).

DAY 2

* Traded second- and sixth-round picks (44, 190) to Oakland for second-round pick (42).

* Drafted Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski with second-round pick (42).
* Traded second-round pick (47) to Arizona for second- and third-round picks (58, 89).

* Drafted Florida OLB Jermaine Cunningham with second-round pick (53).

* Traded second-round pick (58) to Houston for second- and fifth-round picks (62, 150).

* Drafted Florida ILB Brandon Spikes with second-round pick (58).

* Traded third-round pick (89) to Carolina for 2011 second-round pick.

* Drafted Ohio WR Taylor Price with third-round pick (90).

DAY 3

* Drafted Florida TE Aaron Hernandez with fourth-round pick (113).

* Drafted Michigan P Zoltan Mesko with fifth-round pick (150).

* Drafted NC State C Ted Larsen with sixth-round pick (205).

* Traded seventh-round picks (229, 231) to Washington for seventh-round pick (208).

* Drafted Vanderbilt OT Thomas Welch with seventh-round pick (208).

* Drafted Alabama DE Brandon Deaderick seventh-round pick (247).

* Drafted Georgia DL Kade Weston seventh-round pick (248).

* Drafted Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson seventh-round pick (250).

UNDRAFTED SIGNEES (so far):
RB Pat Paschall, North Dakota St.
DE Dane Fletcher, Montana St.
S Sergio Brown, Notre Dame
S Ross Ventrone, Villanova
WR Bryan Anderson, Central Michigan
DL Kyle Love, Mississippi St.

info from boston.com

NFL Week 10: Putting it on the Line

2009-11-14T19:59:00.003-05:00

Last week went well, finishing 10-3. Doubt anyone picked the upset of Green Bay by Tampa Bay ( In hindsight: Bucs at home, new QB, bye week vs the Packers coming off a big loss to the Vikings. Yes it all makes sense now!). Still think the Eagles should have beaten the Cowboys as well as the 49ers over the Titans. Let's breakdown week 10:

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
Pick - 49ers: Both teams are playing bad lately, but Frank Gore is heating up since his injury. Look for both teams to run the ball...it is not like they both have top notch Wide Receivers. Go with the 49ers at home.

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Pick - Falcons (coin toss): Atlanta has won three of the past four meetings. When Ryan has a 100-plus passer rating, the Falcons are 8-0. Turner rushed for over 100 yards in both games against the Panthers last year. Delhomme has thrown for at least 294 yards in three straight games against the Falcons. Look for the Falcons to get it done on the road.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins
Pick - Dolphins: Tampa was lucky last week (although playing at home, and coming off a bye is always a good combination for a win) but don't look for lightning to strike twice. Tampa Bay has taken three in a row though against the Dolphins. Miami's Joey Porter has seven sacks in three career games against the Bucs (rumor is that Porter is not playing though). Still taking the Dolphins although fate is on the side of the Bucs.

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Pick - Vikings: Minnesota has won 14 of the past 15 meetings. Minnesota has scored in 29 of 32 quarters this season. Favre has beaten the Lions six times in a row. Vikings should handle the Lions easily.

Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets
Pick - Jets: Jacksonville has won four of the past five meetings. When Garrard has a 100-plus rating as a starter, the Jaguars are 15-4. The Jets lead the NFL in rushing. With one more sack, Shaun Ellis would become New York's all-time leader in sacks. Hate picking the Jets, but they will get it done at home.

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick - Steelers (coin toss): Most likely the game of the week! The Steelers have won five of the past six meetings and own a 48-30 overall series edge, including the playoffs. Pittsburgh was without its Pro Bowl safety in the first meeting between these teams (Steelers loss) and he was missed. The Bengals have not beaten the Steelers two consecutive times since 1998. When Cincinnati has at least 25 rushing attempts in a game under Marvin Lewis, it is 26-1. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is undefeated against the AFC North at home (7-0). Chris Henry is on IR. Have to take the Steelers at home.

New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams
Pick - Saints: The Rams have won three of the past four meetings. New Orleans rallied from an early 14-point deficit to knock off rival Carolina, 30-20. New Orleans is going for its first 8-0 start ever. The Saints average a league-high 37.9 points per game. Don't look for an upset here. Saints win on the road.

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans
Pick - Titans (coin toss): The Titans have won five of the past six meetings. The Bills are 14-6 all-time after a bye. Buffalo ranks second in the NFL with 15 interceptions. Young has won six consecutive games as a starter. Titans RB Chris Johnson leads the NFL in rushing with 959 yards. Take the Titans at home.

Denver Broncos at Washington Redskins
Pick - Broncos: The Broncos have won three of the past four meetings. The Broncos have won five of six against NFC opponents. Denver is third in the NFL with 26 sacks. The Redskins are just 4-12 in their last 16 games. Portis is out, and Betts is banged up. Look for the Broncos to get back to their winning ways.

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
Pick - Raiders (coin toss): Oakland has won three of the past four meetings. The Chiefs have won six consecutive games at Oakland. Kansas City QB Matt Cassel is 7-4 on the road as a starter in his career. Kansas City has surrendered an AFC-high 30 sacks this season and that has kept the offense from sustaining many drives. The Raiders have enough talented pass rushers (Richard Seymour, Greg Ellis, Tommy Kelly) to exploit the Chiefs' weakness. This game could go either way. Go with the home team.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Pick - Cardinals: The Cardinals have won four of the past five meetings. Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney has 11.5 sacks in his last six outings against the Cardinals. After playing extremely well at home last year and struggling on the road, the script has completely flipped this season for the Cardinals. They are just 1-3 in front of the home crowd, and have been outscored by 39 points in those three losses. Still taking the Cardinals at home.

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
Pick - Cowboys (coin toss): The Cowboys have won three of the past four and own a 16-12 overall series edge, including the playoffs. Cowboys QB Tony Romo has won 13 consecutive November starts -- the longest such streak for a quarterback since 1950. When Ryan Grant has 22 or more rushing attempts, Green Bay is 10-1. Dallas is heating up, Green Bay is cooling off. Take the Cowboys on the road.

Philadelphia Eagles at San Diego Chargers
Pick - Chargers (coin toss): The Eagles have won two in a row, but trail the overall series, 5-4. Philadelphia's Brent Celek leads NFC tight ends with 486 receiving yards this year. Fourteen of Eagles CB Sheldon Brown's 18 career interceptions have led to scores. The Chargers have won four consecutive games against the Eagles at home. San Diego WR Vincent Jackson has a touchdown catch in four consecutive games. Eagles should struggle going to the west coast, so take the Chargers at home.

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Pick - Patriots (coin toss): Another game of the week! Indianapolis has won four of the last five meetings, but has a decisive disadvantage in the overall series, 44-28, including the playoffs. Brady has thrown for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games. Patriots RB Laurence Maroney has a rushing TD in three consecutive games. Indianapolis has won 17 consecutive regular-season games. Manning leads the NFL with 222 completions this year. Manning vs Brady (and Belichick), I am going with the Patriots on the Road (a tall order to fill!)

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Pick - Ravens: Baltimore has won five of the past seven and has a 14-7 overall series edge. Baltimore's Ed Reed has more interceptions vs. Cleveland (eight) than any other team. Even though Cleveland is coming off a bye week and are at home, it just will not be enough. Raven's win on the road.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!
Stat info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0 wk5: 9-5 wk6: 9-5 wk7: 10-3 wk8: 8-5 wk9: 10-3

Patriots vs. Dolphins: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-11-09T21:46:00.003-05:00

Patriots 27, Miami 17

The Good:

Tom Brady went 25 for 37 for 332 yards, his third straight game with more than 300 yards and team-record 27th of his career.

Randy Moss had two big plays for the Patriots. He hauled in a 36-yard reception to set up Laurence Maroney's 1-yard TD plunge in the first quarter, and took a short pass and raced 71 yards for the go-ahead score. Moss finished with six receptions for 147 yards.

Laurence Maroney rushed 20 times for 82 yards and a touchdown.

The Bad:

Field Goals instead of Touch Downs! The Patriots settled for field goals after facing first and 10 from the 24-, 27-, 11-, and 12-yard lines.

The Dolphins ran 11 plays out of the Wildcat for eight yards and six plays for 59 yards out of the Pistol formation. The Dolphins used both formation extensively on both of their touchdown drives, but the Patriots stifled both by the fourth quarter.

The Ugly:

Miami quarterback Chad Henne was in the midst of making a throw when Tully Banta-Cain came in with the hit. The loose ball was ruled a fumble and Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas picked it up and returned it for the touchdown. The ruling was changed to an incomplete pass as the Dolphins keep possession.

Game Notes:

With their victory over the Dolphins, the Patriots took a two-game lead over the second-place New York Jets and a three-game lead over the third-place, defending division champion Dolphins in the AFC East.

Junior Seau, who rejoined New England Oct. 14, has won his last 25 regular-season games with the Patriots, the longest personal winning streak by a player since the 1970 merger.

Since 2001, the Patriots are 71-17 in games played after Nov. 1, including playoffs. Bill Belichick is 11-8 vs Miami as Patriots coach.

The Patriots snapped the Dolphins' four-game streak of scoring more than 30 points in a game.

The Patriots have now won seven consecutive games coming off a bye.

The Patriots' streak of coming up with a turnover in 15 consecutive games ended.

Notable Quotes:

"We can't just keep kicking field goals out there." -- NE Patriots QB Tom Brady

"He's so fast,It's always nice for a quarterback when you see the back of (No.) 81 sprinting down the field." -- NE Patriots QB Tom Brady

"Everybody did what they had to do and 71 yards later it was a touchdown." -- NE Patriots WR Randy Moss

Scoring:

Miami Dan Carpenter kicked a 52-yard field goal (Miami 3, Patriots 0, 9:34, 1st quarter)

Patriots RB Maroney scores TD (Patriots 7, Miami 3, 6:58, 1st quarter)

The Patriots were 7 yards away from the end zone but were unable to score a touchdown, settling for Gostkowski's 30-yard field goal. (Patriots 10, Miami 3, ,9:05 2nd quarter)

Pat White, the Wildcat and a pass interference call against the Patriots moved the Dolphins down the field, eventually setting up Ricky Williams' 15-yard touchdown run. (Patriots 10, Miami 10, ,6:03 2nd quarter)

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 38-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 13-10 lead. (Patriots 13, Miami 10, 2:45, 2nd quarter)

The Patriots squeezed out another 3 points on Gostkowski's 34-yard field goal with .01 left in the first half. (Patriots 16, Miami 10, 0:00, 2nd quarter)

The Dolphins burned 10:09 off the clock and ended the 16-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass from running back Ronnie Brown to Joey Haynos. (Miami 17, Patriots 16, 4:51, 3rd quarter)

Tom Brady found Randy Moss up the middle and Moss handled the rest, avoiding a tackle and sprinting 71 yards for the touchdown. Moss also caught the 2-point conversion to give the Patriots a 24-17 lead. (Patriots 24, Miami 17, 3:15, 3rd quarter)

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 40-yard field goal in the final two minutes, his fourth of the day. Patriots win! (Patriots 27, Miami 17, FINAL)

Game Info from NFL.Com and Boston.com

NFL Week 9: Putting it on the line

2009-11-08T08:27:00.002-05:00

Last week went extremely bad ... should have gone with my gut on two of the games (Ravens, Titans) instead of going safe. I originally had the Vikings, but flipped to the Packers at home. Not sure what happen to the Cardinals against the Panthers...the defense really stepped up. The Rams had to beat someone this year, so why not the Lions! Let's see if we can make up on some wins this week.

Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons
Pick - Falcons: The Redskins have won six of the last eight meetings. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is 10-1 in his career at home. ... Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez has scored in all three of his home games this season. The Redskins' have the second-ranked pass defense.

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears
Pick - Cardinals (coin toss): The Bears have won five of the past six meetings. The Cardinals are 3-0 on the road for the first time since 1982. Arizona's Tim Hightower leads all NFL running backs with 39 catches. When Jay Cutler has at least a 100 passer rating, his team is 13-0. Johnny Knox is second among rookies with four touchdown catches.

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
Pick - Bengals: The Bengals have won seven of the past 10 meetings. Ravens QB Joe Flacco has at least one touchdown pass in seven consecutive games. Carson Palmer is 7-3 in his career against the Ravens.

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
Pick - Colts (coin toss): Indianapolis has owned this series, having won 13 of the 14 all-time matchups. Texans QB Matt Schaub has already thrown for a career-high 16 touchdowns. Peyton Manning is 7-0 at home against the Texans and has 20 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in those games. Schaub will be missing Owen Daniels. The Colts secondary is depleted after three player injuries this week. Houston actually has a chance to beat the Colts this week.

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick - Jaguars (coin toss): Jacksonville has a 5-2 overall series advantage. Chiefs QB Matt Cassel has a 7-3 career record on the road as a starter. Jones-Drew has 50 touchdowns in 53 career games. With Larry Johnson suspended for this game, Charles has his chance to show he can be the team's No. 1 running back.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Pick - Patriots: New England has won four of the past six meetings, but still trails the overall series, 49-38, including the playoffs. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is 7-2 against the AFC East. New England has won 24 consecutive regular season games with Junior Seau on the roster.

Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick - Packers: Six of the last nine games have gone Tampa Bay's way. Josh Freeman debuts as the starting QB for Tampa Bay. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has posted a 100-plus passer rating in five consecutive games.

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
Pick - Saints: Carolina has won six of the past seven meetings and has a 16-12 overall series edge. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme, who started his career in New Orleans, is 8-2 against the Saints. When DeAngelo Williams rushes for 110 yards or more, the Panthers are 10-0. New Orleans is averaging a league-best 39 points per game.

Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks
Pick - Seahawks: The Lions have won three of the past five, but trail the overall series, 6-4. Former Seahawks Maurice Morris and Julian Peterson, now with the Lions, face their former team for the first time. Seattle's John Carlson has five touchdowns in his past seven home games.

San Diego Chargers at New York Giants
Pick - Chargers (coin toss): San Diego has won two of three, but New York has the overall series edge, 5-4. New York's secondary has failed to defend the long pass over the past three weeks and that flaw could prove to be fatal against the Chargers. Rivers has 11 touchdowns in his past five outings against the NFC. Though the Giants are enduring a three-game losing skid, Brandon Jacobs has actually played his best over the past three weeks. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry over that span and has added five catches for 34 yards. When Justin Tuck records a sack, the Giants are 15-3.

Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers
Pick - 49ers: The Niners have won two of the past three meetings and have a 7-4 overall series edge. The Titans have won five straight against the NFC. Niners RB Frank Gore has three 60-plus yard TD runs this year. Chris JOhnson has become the king of long touchdown scampers with four rushing scores of at least 50 yards already this season.

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Pick - Eagles: The Eagles have won four of the past six meetings. Romo has won 12 consecutive Nov. starts. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb has won 11 of his past 16 starts against Dallas.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Pick - Steelers (coin toss): The Broncos have won four of the past five and have a commanding 16-9-1 overall series edge, including the playoffs. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 4-0 on Monday Night Football. Roethlisberger has a touchdown in seven consecutive games. Orton has lost just two home games in his career. Denver's Elvis Dumervil leads the AFC with 10 sacks.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!
Stat info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0 wk5: 9-5 wk6: 9-5 wk7: 10-3 wk8: 8-5

NFL Week 8: Putting it on the Line

2009-11-01T08:37:00.001-05:00

Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
Pick - Broncos (coin toss): The Broncos are going for their first 7-0 start since 1998. ... Denver has a 15-5 all-time mark after a bye. Flacco has thrown at least one touchdown in six straight games. Broncos are hot, Ravens are not. Sticking with the Broncos until they prove different.

Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills
Pick - Texans: The Bills have won the last two meeting. Houston has won four of its past six road games. Texans LB Brian Cushing leads all NFL rookies with 56 tackles. Owen Daniels leads all tight ends with 39 catches, 497 yards and five touchdowns and could be a matchup nightmare for a Bills team that has struggled with tight ends all season. The Bill can suprise you, but the Texans should have enough offense to win this one on the road.

Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
Pick - Bears: The Browns have won three of the past four meetings. Cutler can put his road woes behind him this week as the Bears head back to Soldier Field. At home, Cutler has been one of the league's best quarterbacks, throwing four touchdowns, without an interception in two games. Browns QB Derek Anderson has 10 touchdowns in his past eight games against the NFC. Cleveland LB Kamerion Wimbley has a sack in each of his last two road games. Bears WR Johnny Knox is tied for the rookie lead with four touchdowns. Chicago's Greg Olsen has a touchdown in three of his last four games. Bears need to step up from last week.

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys
Pick - Cowboys (coin toss): In his first three seasons, the Cowboys' Austin had 18 career catches for 354 yards and three touchdowns. In the past three weeks alone, he has surpassed all of those numbers, with 19 catches for 440 yards and four touchdowns. Seahawks WR Nate Burleson has nine receiving touchdowns in his past 12 games. Seattle's Patrick Kerney has four sacks in his last four games. Leaning towards the Cowboys since they are at home.

St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions
Pick - Lions (coin toss): Battle of the Bad! The Lions have won four of the past six meetings. St. Louis' star running back is the league's third-leading rusher this season, but he has yet to score a touchdown. Lions RB Kevin Smith has 515 yards from scrimmage in his last five home games. Detroit K Jason Hanson needs 16 points to reach 1,800 for his career. Take the Lions only because they are at home.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Pick - Packers (coin toss): The Packers have won six of the past seven meetings and have a 49-46-1 overall series edge, including the playoffs. While the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season in a 27-17 loss to the Steelers at Heinz Field, the Packers cruised to a 31-3 victory over the Browns in Cleveland. Favre has won eight of his last 10 November starts. Minnesota's Percy Harvin leads all rookies with four touchdowns. Rodgers has a 100-plus passer rating in five straight games. Packers WR Greg Jennings has a touchdown catch in his last three November games. Hard for a team to beat an opponent a second time. Look for the Packers to step it up at home.

San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts
Pick - Colts: San Francisco has won seven of the last nine meetings. When Alex Smith has a 95-plus passer rating, the 49ers are 5-0. Peyton Manning has 108 touchdown passes in his career against NFC opponents. Colts WR Reggie Wayne has a touchdown catch in four consecutive games. Colts look unbeatable right now, especially at home.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
Pick - Dolphins (coin toss): The Jets have won eight of the last 11 meetings. This game features the league's top two rushing teams. The Dolphins have won six of their past seven against AFC East opponents. The Jets are 4-1 when Mark Sanchez has a touchdown pass. Miami is a surprising team with the wildcat...look for the win on the road.

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
Pick - Chargers: The Chargers have won 12 in a row. This game features two of the eight original AFL franchises. Russell was benched after turning the ball over three times in the first half against the Jets, but he will apparently get the start in San Diego. Oakland's Zach Miller leads all NFL tight ends with a 16-yard per catch average. San Diego's Shaun Phillips has 9.5 sacks against Oakland in his career. The Raiders are a mess, so go with the home team.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
Pick - Jaguars: Jacksonville has won three of the past four meetings. When Garrard throws two or more touchdowns, the Jaguars are 12-4. Maurice Jones-Drew has scored 48 touchdowns in 52 career games. Titans QB Vince Young has an 18-11 record as a starter. Young will be a good change of pace for the Titans, but the Jaguars should still do well on the road.

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals
Pick - Cardinals: The Panthers have won five of the past six meetings. If you take out a blowout loss to Peyton Manning and the Colts, the Cardinals have had one of the best defenses in the league. Delhomme has won all four of his regular-season starts against the Cardinals. This is not the same Panthers team of the past. Delhomme might be benched if he starts off bad. Take the Cardinals at home.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Pick - Eagles: The Giants have won four of the past seven meetings. After starting the season on fire, Manning has cooled off in his last two games. He has completed just 48.5 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions over that span. Manning has won four straight starts at Philadelphia. Giants rookie Hakeem Nicks has a touchdown in four consecutive games. When Eagles CB Asante Samuel has an interception, his teams are 22-2. Eagles might not have Westbrook, which could make all the difference in this game. Take the Eagles at home.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
Pick - Saints: The Saints have won five of the past six meetings. When Michael Turner has at least 19 carries, his teams are 14-1. John Abraham has 6.5 sacks in eight Monday night games. The Saints are the first team in history to score 45-plus points in four of their first six games. Since joining New Orleans, Brees has beaten Atlanta five out of six times. Saints are too hot to pick against...plus they are at home.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!
Stat info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0 wk5: 9-5 wk6: 9-5 wk7: 10-3

Pats vs Bucs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-10-26T23:40:00.002-04:00

Patriots vs. Buccaneers (35 - 7)

The Good:

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and had more than 300 yards as the Patriots (5-2) beat the Buccaneers 35-7 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather intercepted Josh Johnson on Tampa Bay's first two drives, including a 39-yard pick-six on the Bucs' opening drive, after which the Patriots never trailed. Meriweather finished with two tackles to go along with his pair of interceptions.

For the Patriots, it was their first victory on the road this season after losses at the New York Jets and Denver Broncos.

The Bad:

The Buccaneers forced Brady into two interceptions, but followed both takeaways with a three-and-out.

The Ugly:

Patriots DE Ty Warren was carted to the locker room with an ankle injury and did not return.

Game Notes:

Tom Brady threw two interceptions, breaking a streak of 184 pass attempts without an interception.

New England has at least one takeaway in 14 straight games.

With two receptions, New England's Kevin Faulk became the 26th RB in NFL history to reach 500 receptions.

Notable Quotes:

"I'm feeling great," Brady said. "I keep rolling. That's two wins in a row. We went out there and put two touchdowns on the board there in the second half. We had plenty of distractions coming over here, but everybody was really energized. To get the win and fly home and have a (bye) week off is just great."

"It's a great way to end this week," Bill Belichick said. "It's been an enjoyable couple days here and glad we could end it on a positive note."

Patriots vs. Titans (59 - 0)

The Good:

It took six weeks, but Brady finally looked like himself, albeit against the Titans' 31st-ranked pass defense. Playing in the rain and snow, Brady completed 19 of his first 20 passes, displaying the accuracy -- especially on the long ball -- that was missing from his first five starts. Brady finished 29 of 34 with 380 yards and tied a career-high with six touchdowns before he was replaced by rookie QB Brian Hoyer on New England's second drive in the third quarter.

Patriots LB Junior Seau was active for the Patriots, finishing with two tackles and a fumble recovery.

Wes Welker caught 10 passes for a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bad:

When you win 59 - 0, not too many things could go bad.

The Ugly:

Patriots RB Sammy Morris left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

Game Notes:

The Patriots' 59 points on 619 total yards are both franchise records. They scored 45 points in the first half, the most for any team in a half since 2002.

NFL Week 7: Putting it on the Line

2009-10-24T22:57:00.002-04:00

Just returned from vacation, but wanted to at least get my picks done. :-)

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals
Pick - Bengals (coin toss): The Bengals have won four straight over the Bear. The Bears' second-year running back has been a disappointment so far this year. He has more fumbles (three) than touchdowns (one) and is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. Tough to go against the Bears coming off the bye week, but leaning to the Bengals at home.

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns
Pick - Packers: Green Bay hasn't played in Cleveland since 1995 (Green Bay has split its last four games with Cleveland). Rodgers has been sacked a league-high 25 times. The Browns' best chance to score may come with Cribbs returning punts or kicks or scrambling out of the Wildcat formation. Taking the Packers on the road.

San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans
Pick - Texans (coin toss): Schaub has put up stunning statistics. He has 1,644 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions in the past five weeks. After a lengthy holdout, San Francisco's rookie wide receiver is expected to see plenty of action against the Texans and may even get the start. Frank Gore will be returning from his Ankle injury. Giving the edge to the Texans at home.

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Pick - Chargers: San Diego has won four of the past five meetings. San Diego swept Kansas City last season, winning each game by a single point. Chiefs QB Matt Cassel has thrown 132 consecutive passes without an interception. The Chargers should have enough offensive weapons to win this game on the road.

Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick - Vikings (coin toss): The teams have split their last eight meetings. Despite suffering a defensive meltdown in the fourth quarter, the Vikings survived to beat the Ravens, 33-31, when Baltimore kicker Steven Hauschka missed a 44-yard field goal try as time expired. QB Brett Favre aims for his fourth straight game with a 100-plus passer rating. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has a 9-1 record against the NFC at home. Since 2007, the Steelers lead the AFC with 104 sacks. Tough to pick against the Steelers, but they are struggling to hold on at the end of games.

Indianapolis Colts at St. Louis Rams
Pick - Colts: Indianapolis has a league-high 14-game regular-season winning streak. Since 2004, the Colts are 48-7 when Manning has at least two touchdown passes. Just can't imagine the Rams having the upset here, even playing at home. Colts didn't need the bye week to prepare.

New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in London)
Pick - Patriots: These teams have met only six times and the Patriots have won four of those matchups. Tampa Bay has given up the league's third-most passing touchdowns (13) and is allowing opposing quarterbacks a 101.0 passer rating this season. Tom Brady threw for five touchdowns in the second quarter as the Patriots leveled the Titans, 59-0. This is a great matchup for the Patriots to win overseas.

Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers
Pick - Panthers: Carolina QB Jake Delhomme has won eight of his last 10 games against the AFC. When Jonathan Stewart has at least 14 carries, the Panthers are 9-0. Take the Panthers at home.

New York Jets at Oakland Raiders
Pick - Jets: Thomas Jones rushed for a career-high 210 yards last week. JaMarcus Russell has 10 turnovers already this season and Ryan's aggressive scheme is built around forcing mistakes from the opposing quarterback and creating takeaways. Leaning towards the Jets on the road.

Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
Pick - Cowboys (coin toss): Dallas has won four of the past six meetings. Marion Barber has the most rushing touchdowns in the NFC since 2006 with 34. Jason Witten has 422 receptions since 2004, the second-highest number among tight ends. Actually feel Atlanta is a better team, but the Cowboys have had an extra week to prepare.

New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins
Pick - Saints: While Brees and the Saints' passing offense gets all the attention, it is actually the running game that is ranked in the top five this season. The Saints are averaging the most points in the league (38.4). Brees has won five straight against the AFC. The Dolphins are 12-8 after a bye. Miami has won two straight at home. Take the Saints until they show they can actually be beaten.

Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants
Pick - Giants (coin toss): The Cardinals established a new team record by allowing just 14 rushing yards last week. The Giants pride themselves on having one of the best and deepest defensive lines in the NFL. That unit, however, is coming off perhaps its worst game of the year against the Saints. Look for the Giants to bounce back at home.

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
Pick - Eagles: The Redskins have won three of the past four meeting. Washington's offensive struggles continued in a 14-6 loss to previously winless Kansas City. Philadelphia suffered a 13-9 upset loss in Oakland. Still shocked that the Eagles lost to the Raiders last week...look for the birds to get back on track on the road.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!
Stat info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0 wk5: 9-5 wk6: 9-5

NFL Week 6: Putting it on the Line

2009-10-17T19:30:00.002-04:00

Tough week for picks...lots of coin tosses. Let's look at how Week 6 in the NFL could unfold.

Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals
Pick - Bengals: (coin toss) The Bengals had a 3-0 series lead, until losing last season. They now have a 3-1 edge. For the fifth consecutive week, Cincinnati played a game that was decided in the final minute. Houston was stuffed four times at the goal line in the final minute at Arizona and lost, 28-21. In games against three of the top six run-stopping units in the league (Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Denver), Ced Benson has averaged 91 yards and a touchdown. Now he gets to play the Texans' 26th-ranked run defense.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Pick - Packers: Green Bay has owned Detroit over the last decade, having won 15 of the last 17 meetings. The main culprit for Green Bay's sluggish 2-2 start has been its offensive line. The Packers have surrendered a league-high 20 sacks. The Lions have improved from last in total defense to 22nd this year. Lions' Matthew Stafford, and Calvin Johnson still out with knee injuries. Doubt the Packers needed the bye week to prepare for the Lions.

St. Louis Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick - Jaguars: The Rams were undone by four turnovers in a 38-10 blowout loss to the Vikings. ... Jacksonville showed up in Seattle, but did not exactly perform, in a 41-0 loss to the Seahawks. Backup Kyle Boller failed to energize the Rams' offense in his two-game stint as a starter and now Bulger returns after sitting out with a shoulder injury. WR Mike Sims-Walker was held out last week for the Jags for breaking team rules.

Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings
Pick - Vikings: (coin toss) Baltimore fell victim to Cincinnati's latest fourth-quarter rally, losing 17-14 at home. ... Minnesota jumped on St. Louis early and coasted to a 38-10 victory. Over its two-game losing skid, Baltimore has been called for 19 penalties, resulting in 161 penalty yards. After getting sacked nine times in the first three games, Favre has been taken down just twice in the last two weeks. It may get tougher to avoid sacks against a Ravens defense that already has 11 sacks. Minnesota QB Brett Favre is 5-0 for the first time in his career.

New York Giants at New Orlean Saints
Pick - Saints: (coin toss) Giants Defense vs. Saints Offense! The Giants have won four of the past six meetings. Giants QB Eli Manning, who grew up in New Orleans, is 6-1 as a starter indoors, including a win in Super Bowl XLIII. New Orleans is averaging 36 points per game, which leads the NFL. Coming off the bye week, and playing at home gives the edge to the Saints, although the Giants are the better team in the NFC.

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick - Steelers: The Steelers have beaten the Browns 11 straight time. Pittsburgh's Pro Bowl safety has not played since he suffered a knee injury in Week 1. His absence has had an impact on a Steelers pass defense that has slipped to 14th. Anderson is coming off the worst statistical game of his career, having completed 2-of-17 passes for just 23 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Steelers have struggled late in games lately...shouldn't be an issue this Sunday though.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick - Panthers: The two teams have split their last four meetings. Carolina got its first victory of the season by rallying past Washington, 20-17. ... Tampa Bay was unable to keep up with Philadelphia and suffered a 33-14 loss. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme is 8-2 in 10 career starts against the Buccaneers. TE Kellen Winslow had his first 100-yard receiving game for the Buccaneers last week, with nine receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Look for the Panthers to win on the road.

Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Redskins
Pick - Redskins: (coin toss) The Chiefs have dominated this matchup, owning a 6-1 overall series edge. Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel recorded his 11th career touchdown catch last week. ... Kansas City QB Matt Cassel is going for his fourth straight game with two touchdown passes. ... When RB Clinton Portis rushes for 100-plus yards, his teams are 33-10. Going with the home team...only real advantage the Redskins have in this game.

Philadelphia Eagles at Oakland Raiders
Pick - Eagles: Beyond issues with accuracy, decision-making and reading defenses, Russell's biggest problem in recent weeks has been his ability to keep hold of the ball. He has lost four fumbles in the past two weeks. The Eagles have an attacking defense that has forced five fumbles this season, so Russell could be in trouble if he does not improve his ball security.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
Pick - Seahawks: (coin toss) Arizona used a goal-line stand to hold off visiting Houston, 28-21. ... Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck had four touchdown passes as the Seahawks leveled the Jaguars, 41-0. In three home games, the Seahawks have 10 sacks (they have only four in two road games) and are allowing just eight points a game. The Cardinals can put up the points though.

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots
Pick - Patriots: New England struggled offensively in the second half and allowed Denver to rally for a 20-17 overtime win. ... The Titans fell to 0-5 with a 31-9 home loss to the Colts. Since 2007, Tom Brady is 12-0 at Gillette Stadium with 25 touchdowns and just five interceptions. While Brady is completing 61.7 percent of his passes, his precision has deserted him at key moments this season. Tennessee is better than the record reflects, but the Patriots should have enough to get it done at home.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Pick - Jets: The Bills have won three of the past five meetings. Buffalo's offense continued to sputter in a 6-3 loss to Cleveland. ... A thrilling Monday Night Football game ended with the Jets suffering a 31-27 defeat at the hands of the Dolphins. In his first game with the Jets, Edwards was sensational, catching five passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. QB Mark Sanchez has a touchdown pass in four of the Jets' five games.

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Pick - Falcons: (coin toss) The Bears have won eight of the last 10. Chicago has struggled to contain opponent's top receivers this season and White is coming off his best game of the year. The Falcons are likely to challenge a vulnerable Bears secondary by getting the ball to White on a variety of patterns. The Georgia Dome is a tough place to play and the Falcons' offense is especially potent on its home turf. Jay Cutler is the first Bears quarterback since 1970 to post a 100-plus passer rating in three straight games. Look for a close game, but Matty Ice wins it at home.

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers
Pick - Broncos: (coin toss) The Chargers have won five of the last six meetings, are at home and coming off a bye. That should be enough reasons to pick them. Though to go against them, but the Broncos are firing on all pistons right now. Broncos QB Kyle Orton is 26-12 as a starter. ... Denver RB Knowshon Moreno leads all rookies with 337 rushing yards. ... Chargers QB Philip Rivers is 4-0 on Monday Night Football with a 106.9 passer rating.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!
Stat info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0 wk5: 9-5

Patriot News and Notes (Brady, Seau, Light, etc)

2009-10-15T06:30:00.002-04:00

The BIG Play is MIA: "You're right we haven't hit them this year," said Brady. "Coach [Bill Belichick] hammered into us today we haven't had a pass over 40 yards yet this year in five games. It's something that I got to do a better job at. There is only one way to do it and that's to go out there and work on it, and you know ultimately we got to hit 'em. That's why you go out there and play quarterback you got to go out there and complete the balls that are there, and when you have opportunities down the field, you don't get them often and you have to take advantage of them."

It's official: Junior Seau is back with the Patriots: "It's good to have Junior back," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "He brings a lot of energy and experience and toughness to our team. We've been talking about this for a little while and we're glad we worked it out here in the last day or two and we're glad to have him."

"There’s a linebacking corps that we have now that was probably in first grade when I was a rookie. So there’s a lot of youth, but they can play the game," Seau said. "So if there’s anything I can do to help them either in the meeting room or the weight room, whatever it may take, it’s gong to be fun playing with them. But they're definitely young."

Junior Seau, who officially rejoined the Patriots today, was at practice wearing No. 55. Derrick Burgess, who used to wear No. 55, is now wearing No. 53.

Matt Light Injury Update: Patriots left tackle Matt Light, who injured his right knee in the Patriots' 20-17 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, has no significant ligament damage in his knee or ankle, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Light was hurt on the first play of the fourth quarter, a pass from Tom Brady to Wes Welker. He was helped off the field and eventually to the locker room and did not return. He was wearing a large black knee brace after the game.

Belichick's Thoughts on Tennessee: "Tennessee is one of the most talented teams that we’ve seen in awhile. I know what their record is. But as far as what we have to prepare for, the team that we’re seeing, their coaching staff, their scheme and the players -- they’re very good. [There’s] no real doubt about how they won 13 games last season. They’re really good across the board. They’re a tough team. They’re very physical. They can run the ball. They can stop the run. They are averaging over five yards per carry and giving up less than three, so they do a great job on the line of scrimmage -- on both sides of the ball. They’re an explosive team. [They get] a lot of big plays from Chris Johnson, and in the passing game with Kerry Collins, and his group of receivers and tight ends. All of that’s behind a very good offensive line. Defensively, they’re -- as I said, in the running game -- outstanding, very disruptive. [They] have some very experienced guys in the secondary, big-play guys: [Cortland] Finnegan, [Michael] Griffin, [Chris] Hope and players like that. [They have a] good kicker, good coverage teams. [They are] a lot to get ready for, a very talented team, a team that I have a lot of respect for -- Jeff [Fisher], and the job that they do down there. I’m sure it will be a physical game like it always is against them. They are certainly tough on the line of scrimmage."

Patriot Defense Against the Broncos: "We have to get better than what we played against the Broncos. We have to play better, have to coach better, do a lot of things better. We had some opportunities to make some plays which could have really made a big difference in that game and we fell short. So we have to work to improve in that area. We have to get off the field a little better on third down. We’ve been doing OK in that, though we didn’t do well enough. We had some opportunities on some tipped balls [that] we have to come up with in those situations and we certainly can’t let people drive the length of the field on us. Both [touchdown drives] were aided by some penalties which is something we were doing better early in the year. We have to get back to that." -- Dean Pees

Info from Boston.com

NFL Week 5: Putting it on the line (The Morning After)

2009-10-12T22:43:00.003-04:00

Probably would have done better if I could have made my picks later in the week (was traveling). Flipped one pick (Atlanta to San Fran) at the last moment, and of course flipped it wrong. Two other picks I most likely would have changed with info that came out later in the week...12-2 sure would have looked better than 9-5. Here is how week 5 finished up:

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens (Incorrect) - Everything pointed to a Bengals upset in this game. The Bengals played for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who was on the sidelines just three days after the death of his wife, and gave him the game ball. Where this game was a coin toss one for me, that would have been enough to flip this pick. With 120 yards on 27 carries, Bengals RB Cedric Benson became the first player to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens in 40 games, while his teammates held the Ravens to 82 yards on 18 carries.

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills
Pick: Bills (Incorrect) - Even with how bad they have been playing, there is no way the Bill should have lost this game. The Bills fumbled twice, the second of which ultimately cost them the game. Returner Roscoe Parrish muffed a punt with 2:59 left, which gave the Browns great field position at Buffalo's 16-yard line. Browns QB Derek Anderson completed just 2 of 17 for 23 yards and an interception.

Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers
Pick: Panthers (Correct) - Redskins TE Chris Cooley was held without a catch for the first time since his rookie season (2004). Panthers DE Julius Peppers had a season-high two sacks. ... Special teams led to both of Carolina's touchdowns. A 55-yard kickoff return by Kenneth Moore set up the first score and a recovery of a muffed punt set up the second touchdown.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions
Pick: Steelers (Correct) - The Steelers made the most of their trips inside the red zone, coming away with three touchdowns on all three of their trips. The Lions lost their top offensive threat, WR Calvin Johnson, in the first quarter. He left with a thigh injury and did not return. Going into the season, Ben Roethlisberger was a career 63 percent passer. The Steelers have increased his attempts this season and with that Big Ben has increased his percentage to 74 percent after completing 23 of 30 attempts for 277 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Cowboys (Correct) - Austin set a club record with 250 receiving yards, eclipsing the previous mark held by Hall of Famer Bob Hayes, who had 246 on Nov. 13, 1966. Aside from catching the winning score, Austin put the Cowboys ahead late in the fourth quarter on a 59-yard touchdown reception.Chiefs QB Matt Cassel threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Mike Vrabel, who now has 11 TD receptions in his career.

Oakland Raiders at New York Giants
Pick: Giants (Correct) - Ahmad Bradshaw may not have gotten the most carries, but he clearly made the biggest impact. He gained 110 yards on only 11 rushing attempts and scored two touchdowns. He also added a key 55-yard catch on a third-and-24. JaMarcus Russell fumbled three times, losing all three. Eli Manning left prior to the end of the first half after re-aggravating his foot injury. He did throw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in less than a half of action.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles (Correct) - Welcome back Donavan McNabb. Rookie WR Jeremy Maclin had a breakout game for the Eagles with six receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Tampa Bay wanted to establish Cadillac Williams on the ground, but had to abandon the run after falling behind early. Quarterback Josh Johnson ended up attempting 50 passes.

Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams
Pick: Vikings (Correct) - Vikings DE Jared Allen recovered two fumbles. Allen scooped up an unforced Kyle Boller fumble and took it 52 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Rams buried themselves with three turnovers -- all fumbles -- in the first half, then added one more on a red zone interception from Boller in the second half.

Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ers (Incorrect) - Originally had picked the Falcons, but drank some the Niners coolade. Should have stuck with the team coming off the bye week and a QB like Matty Ice! Falcons WR Roddy White busted out against the 49ers. He caught eight balls for a franchise-record 210 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yarder in the second quarter. Entering the game, the 49ers' fifth-ranked defense had given up an average of 13.2 points per game. Against Atlanta, San Francisco surrendered 477 total yards and 45 points. Atlanta RB Michael Turner, who had two TDs entering the game, rushed for 97 yards and three scores.

Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Cardinals (Correct) - The Cardinals appeared to be losing steam as the Texans rallied from 21 points down to tie the score and were driving to score the go-ahead points. But Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie stepped in front of Schaub's pass and raced 49 yards for what proved to be the winning touchdown. Schaub and Cardinals QB Kurt Warner both topped 300 passing yards, but the key was the one crucial turnover by Schaub.

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Pick: Patriots (Incorrect) - I don't pick against the Pats...but the Broncos usually do have their number (Denver has won four of its last five against New England). Adding Josh McDaniels to the equation (plus playing at home), it doesn't surprise me that the Broncos did it again. The Broncos drove 58 yards on the first series of overtime to set up Matt Prater's 41-yard winning field goal.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Jaguars (Incorrect) - Another pick I would have flipped had I heard Matt Hasselbeck was starting (plus the home field advantage). He had four touchdown passes and pulled together a Seattle offense that had struggled mightily without him. Garrard was sacked five times and lost two fumbles. He was unable to help Jacksonville sustain any drives, because he was consistently pressured when he dropped back. Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker was made inactive for breaking team rules.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Pick: Colts (Correct) - Manning was 36-of-44 passing for 309 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. In the final minute of the first half, he led the Colts on a six-play touchdown drive that sent the home team into the locker room to a chorus of boos.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Pick: Dolphins (Correct) - Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown scored on a 2-yard run with 6 seconds left. Brown's score capped a wild 35-point fourth quarter. Ricky Williams had 138 scrimmage yards, the big game coming on a 59-yard reception. New Jets WR Braylon Edwards scored a touchdown on his first reception with the team.

Game Stats from NFL.com

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0 wk5: 9-5

Pats vs. Broncos: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-10-12T21:41:00.002-04:00

Hard fought game...Patriots struggle against the wildcat offense of the Broncos (aka Wild Horses Offense) and lose it in overtime. Broncos always seem to have the Patriots number. Even more so with Josh McDaniels as coach!

The Good:

Jerod Mayo, the 2008 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, returned to action after missing three games with an injury. Midway through the first quarter, Mayo forced a fumble on a tackle of Denver RB Knowshon Moreno that was recovered by S Brandon McGowan at the Denver 45-yard line.

Runningback Sammy Morris averaged 4 yards per carry (17 for 68) and finished with 107 total yards when you factor in his three catches for 39 yards.

TE Benjamin Watson connected with QB Tom Brady on his third touchdown of the 2009 season with a seven-yarder in the second quarter.

The Bad:

The Patriots were 0 for 6 converting third downs in the second half. In all the Patriots were 5 of 14 on third down.

Stephen Gostkowski missed a 40-yard field goal just left of the goal post, ending a streak of 12 consecutive field goals.

Denver recorded 321 yards through the air, compared to just 209 from New England. Patriots WR Randy Moss was held to just one catch for 36 yards.

Logan Mankins picked up a foolish unnecessary roughness penalty in the second quarter on the end of a 3-yard run by Kevin Faulk, barreling into Wesley Woodward from behind when the play was all but over.

Logan Mankins was also beaten by Vonnie Holliday on the strip-sack of Tom Brady with under two minutes to go, which turned out to be the Patriots' last best chance to win the game.

Brandon Meriweather in the fourth quarter picked up a taunting penalty after he flew in to keep Eddie Royal from catching a pass, which helped set up the tying score. The penalty was a tough call, but Meriweather shouldn't have given the referee a chance to even call it by lingering over Royal and gesturing.

The Ugly:

Losing to the Broncos in overtime of course!

Denver handed Tom Brady his first overtime loss. He fell to 7-1.

Patriots left tackle Matt Light left the game with what appeared to be a right knee injury in the fourth quarter.

Game Notes:

The Patriots eight-yard scoring pass from QB Tom Brady to WR Wes Welker was the first touchdown pass against Denver in 2009.

Randy Moss lined up deep on defense during Denver’s final play of the first half and intercepted a QB Kyle Orton pass to secure New England’s 17-7 first half lead. It is his first career interception.

The New England Patriots have had at least one forced turnover in 13 straight games.

K Stepen Gostkowski’s 53-yard field goal in the first quarter is a career-high, besting a 52-yard field goal he had vs. Chicago on November 26, 2006.

New England scored scored 17 points against a Denver defense that was ranked second and was allowing just 6.5 points per game through the first four games of the 2009 season. New England’s 17 first half points were more than Denver allowed in a single game in 2009.

Notable Quotes:

Denver coach Josh McDaniels may have said all week Sunday's game would be just like any other, but after the 20-17 overtime win, McDaniels said, "I lied."

“Just collectively as an offensive unit, we’re just not consistently doing things as well as we need to do them,” Bill Belichick said. “All the way across the board. It’s not one position, it’s not one player. It’s not one particular type of play. We’re just not as efficient and as precise as we need to be. There’s no other way to put it.”

"Josh is a great coach, so he's obviously learned a lot and he's got the team playing well," Tom Brady said. "Pretty impressive for a first-year coach. He's a hard worker and he certainly deserves it. They're playing well."

Scoring:

Wes Welker catches his first TD of the season, an 8-yard pass from Tom Brady to move the Patriots ahead with 6:44 left in the first quarter. The play capped a seven play, 62-yard drive that burned 4 minutes, 16 seconds off the clock. (Patriots 7, Broncos 0)

The Patriots managed three points after the turnover thanks to Stephen Gostkowski's 53-yard field goal (Patriots 10, Broncos 0)

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall grabbed an 11-yard pass from Kyle Orton in the end zone for Denver's first touchdown of the game. (Patriots 10, Broncos 7)

The Patriots came right back to answer Denver's touchdown using 4:26 to get down field and score when Brady completed a 7-yard pass to Benjamin Watson for the touchdown. (Patriots 17, Broncos 7)

Matt Prater kicked a 24-yard field goal with 7:22 left in the third quarter, helping the Broncos chip away at the Patriots' lead. (Patriots 17, Broncos 10)

Brandon Marshall broke away from Leigh Bodden's grip and dove into the end zone to help the Broncos tie the score at 17-17 with 5:27 left in the fourth. (Patriots 17, Broncos 17)

OT: Denver won the coin toss in overtime and received the ball first. The Broncos remain undefeated, walking away with a 20-17 victory courtesy of Matt Prater's 41-yard field goal in overtime. (Patriots 17, Broncos 20) FINAL

Game Info from NFL.Com and Boston.com

Week 5: Putting it on the line

2009-10-07T21:24:00.003-04:00

Need to make my predictions early this week (will be out of town). On paper, many of these games could go either way. Only have one real upset for the week. Lets look at how week 5 unfolds...

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens - The Bengals have won six of the past nine meetings. Shayne Graham barely snuck his field goal inside the right upright as time expired in overtime to give the Bengals a 23-20 win over the Browns. Ravens should be fired up after losing a game to the Patriots they felt they should have won.

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills
Pick: Bills - The Browns have won the last two meetings. Offseason hope has given way to regular-season reality in Buffalo as Owens has failed to make much of an impact for the Bills. Give a slight edge to the Bills playing at home.

Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers
Pick: Panthers - Washington has won seven of the eight all-time meetings. A coin flip game, but the extra week to prepare, and being at home should give the edge to the Panthers.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions
Pick: Steelers - Pittsburgh has won six of the past seven meetings. The Steelers jumped out to a 28-0 lead and held on late to defeat the visiting Chargers, 38-28. ... Detroit lost quarterback Matthew Stafford to a knee injury and was trounced by Chicago, 48-24. Steelers have not won on the road this year, but that should all change this weekend.

Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Cowboys - Dallas has taken three of the last four meetings. Romo has completed only 57.6 percent of his passes with one touchdown and four interceptions in his past three games. The Cowboys are playing bad, but the Chiefs don't have enough to stop them. It is funny to think of this game as a possible upset, but it really wouldn't surprise me.

Oakland Raiders at New York Giants
Pick: Giants - Oakland has won four of the past five meetings. The Raiders suffered breakdowns in every phase and were clobbered in Houston, 29-6. New York finished its three-game road trip undefeated and will finally get to play at Giants Stadium for the first time since Week 1. Look for the fans to be fired up as they welcome home the 4-0 Giants.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles - Tampa Bay has beaten Philadelphia three straight times. McNabb is scheduled to get the start...a good team to come back against. McNabb needs four passing touchdowns to become the eighth player in NFL history with 200-plus passing touchdowns and 25-plus rushing scores.

Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams
Pick: Vikings - St. Louis has taken four of the past five meetings (don't hold your breath this week though). The Vikings look for their first 5-0 start since 2003. Favre is the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams. After a great Monday night game, this one has let down written all over it.

Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ers - The Niners have won three of the past five meetings. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan is sixth in the NFL with a 100.4 passer rating. ... 49ers QB Shaun Hill is 7-0 as a starter at home. ... San Francisco LB Patrick Willis had a career-high 2.5 sacks in Week 4. This game could go either way. Falcons are coming off a bye, so they have had extra time to prepare.

Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Cardinals - The Texans have won the only game between the two teams. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner needs one 300-yard passing game to become the fifth player with 50 in a career. Another coin flip game, but give the edge to the Cardinals playing at home, and coming off a bye.

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Pick: Patriots - The Broncos have won five of the past seven meetings. With a still-developing, young defense, New England has turned to a much more aggressive defense. Since 2006, Brady is 10-0 in October. Denver RB Knowshon Moreno leads all rookies with 249 yards rushing. Giving the edge to the mentor vs. the student.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Jaguars - The Seahawks have won three of the five all-time meetings. Seattle TE John Carlson has a touchdown catch in four of his past five home games. In the past two weeks, the Seahawks have allowed Jay Cutler and Peyton Manning to shred their secondary.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Pick: Colts - Tennessee has won three of the past five meetings. The Colts have won 13 straight regular-season games dating back to last season, which is the longest current streak in the NFL. ... Manning is 9-5 in his career against the Titans with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Titans are struggling...and could be 0-5 by the end of the weekend.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Pick: Dolphins - New York has won eight of the last ten meetings. Mark Sanchez turned the ball over four times as the Jets suffered their first loss of the season. The Dolphins' second-ranked rushing defense should keep the Jets running game in check. New York's defense ranks third in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 14.3 points per game. ... Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown is averaging 108.7 yards per game on the ground. These teams are closer than you think and the game could go either way. Going with the Dolphins and the upset for Monday night!

Week 4: Putting it on the Line (the Morning After)

2009-10-05T21:50:00.003-04:00

A great weekend of football, ending with Brett Favre becoming the only quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams in the league! Now that is a cool stat! I too went undefeated by getting all fourteen picks right this week! Here is the NFL review of week 4:

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Pick: BEARS (correct) - Bears rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox broke the 21-21 tie after halftime, taking the kickoff 102 yards for the first return touchdown of his career. The Lions couldn't get anything going in the second half. After scoring three touchdowns in six drives of the first half, Detroit had minus-8 yards in the third quarter and then could only muster a field goal in three fourth-quarter possessions

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Pick: BENGALS (correct) - Bengals kicker Shayne Graham nailed a 31-yard field goal during the final seconds of overtime to secure another come-from-behind victory for Cincinnati.

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans
Pick: TEXANS (correct) - Raiders RB Justin Fargas was tackled in the end zone by Texans rookie LB Brian Cushing for a safety midway through the third quarter. Houston WR Jacoby Jones then took back Oakland's ensuing free kick 95 yards for a touchdown to give the Texans a comfortable 29-6 lead.

Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts
Pick: COLTS (correct) - Seahawks QB Seneca Wallace completed more passes, but only averaged 4.6 yards per pass play. Colts QB Peyton Manning nearly doubled that with 8.6 yards per pass play. The Colts have won 13 consecutive regular-season games, the longest current streak in the NFL.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick: JAGUARS (correct) - The Jaguars scored on five of their first six drives, while the Titans continued to be their own worst enemy. With three more turnovers Sunday, the Titans now have 11 total on the season.

New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: GIANTS - Giants WR Steve Smith caught a career-high 11 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs converted just 2 of 15 third-down attempts.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
Pick: PATRIOTS (correct) - Baltimore's potential game-winning drive stalled as Mark Clayton dropped a perfect fourth-down pass that would have given the Ravens a first-and-goal. The Patriots took a knee and ran out the remaining 28 seconds off the clock. The Patriots scored touchdowns on three of five trips inside the Ravens' 20.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins
Pick: REDSKINS (correct) - Tampa Bay CB Aqib Talib had a career-high three interceptions. TE Chris Cooley's 17-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter got Washington kick-started though.

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Pick: DOLPHINS (correct) - The Dolphins dialed up just 22 passing plays in an attempt to ease Chad Henne into his first career start. That was made possible by a ground game that totaled 250 yards and three touchdowns, including 200 combined rushing yards from Brown and Williams.

New York Jets at New Orleans Saints
Pick: SAINTS (correct) - New Orleans' defense actually outscored its offense. The Saints are known for their explosive passing game led by Drew Brees, but it was the defense that led them past the Jets with two touchdowns.

Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos
Pick: BRONCOS (correct) - The Broncos are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2003. ... Kyle Orton is 7-1 in his last eight starts. ... The Broncos have allowed 26 points in four games this season. ... The Cowboys haven't beaten the Broncos since 1995.

St Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ERS (correct) - In pitching the shutout, the Niners allowed 177 total yards, had five sacks and scored two defensive touchdowns, including DE Ray McDonald's 11-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter.

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: STEELERS (correct) - Mendenhall rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, all career-high marks. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. It's the first game this season that Roethlisberger finished with more TD passes than interceptions. Jeff Reed hit a 46-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh a 38-28 lead with 43 seconds left. The Steelers led 28-0 in the third quarter but needed the late points to ice the win.

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Pick: VIKINGS (correct) - Favre is now only quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams in the league! The Packers, trailing 30-23, failed to recover an onside kick with less than a minute remaining. The Vikings led 30-14 in the fourth quarter, but had to hold off a rally from Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Game Info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3, wk2: 8-8, wk3: 14-2, wk4: 14-0

Pats vs. Ravens: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-10-04T22:29:00.002-04:00

Patriots go to 3-1 after beating a very tough Ravens team. The Patriots held the Ravens to 21 total points (and just 14 points on offense) after the Ravens came into the game ranked second in the NFL averaging 34.3 points per game. Baltimore's potential game-winning drive stalled as Mark Clayton dropped a perfect fourth-down pass that would have given the Ravens a first-and-goal. The Patriots took a knee and ran out the remaining 28 seconds off the clock.

The Good:

Tom Brady's numbers weren't prolific (21 of 32, 258 yards, one touchdown, one fumble lost), but he spread the ball around to nine different receivers and scored the Patriots' first touchdown on a 1-yard QB sneak in the first quarter.

Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden grabbed the team's first interception of the season with a leaping, sideline, toe-tapping grab to stop a Ravens drive at the Pats' nine-yard line with 1:11 left in the first half.

Before Sunday, the Ravens had not allowed a rushing touchdown in four games. They gave up two to the Patriots.

The return of Wes Welker steadied the Patriots against the blitz-happy Ravens. While he only tallied 48 receiving yards, Welker led the team in receptions (6) and gave Tom Brady a reliable outlet against pressure.

The Bad:

Ravens LB Terrell Suggs blew past Matt Light, then sacked Tom Brady, who fumbled the ball. Dwan Edwards picked up the loose ball in the end zone.

The Ugly:

Patriots safety James Sands appeared to injury his right shoulder with 1:15 left in the first half attempting to chase down Ravens RB Ray Rice.

Ravens tackle Jared Gaither was taken to Mass General for tests on his neck and shoulders.

Game Notes:

The Patriots have started the season with at least three wins in their first four games for the fourth straight season and are the only NFL team to begin each of the last four seasons with a record of 3-1 or better through their first four games.

The Patriots demonstrated marked improvement on offense, converting three of five possessions in the red zone into touchdowns. On the last nine attempts, they only scored one.

With his third-quarter touchdown reception, Randy Moss moved past Marshall Faulk into sixth all-time, with 137 career touchdowns.

The Ravens have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 39 straight games (longest active streak in the NFL).

Notable Quotes:

"Flat out drop...It was a perfect ball. Joe put it on the money. To not come up with it is tough. It cost us the game." -- Ravens WR Mark Clayton

"That was quite a finish...Stop them on fourth down twice in the fourth quarter, that's when you've got to be there. Luckily, we were." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

The Patriots went ahead 10-7 on the next series with a 1-yard sneak by Brady: "Head-to-head with Ray Lewis, I certainly wasn't thinking of that one going to bed last night." -- Patriots QB Tom Brady

Ray Lewis complained about rushing the passer penalties that helped the drives on which Brady and Morris scored. "Without totally going off the wall here, it is embarrassing to the game. Brady is good enough to make his own plays, let him make the play." -- Ravens LB Ray Lewis

Game Scoring:
Patriots strike first on a Gostkowski 32 yd. Field Goal (Patriots 3, Ravens 0)

The Ravens wrapped up an impressive drive with a 20-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco to a leaping Derrick Mason on third and goal. The combo connected six times on the scoring drive. (Patriots 3, Ravens 7)

Tom Brady used his legs on the Patriots first touchdown drive as he ran in the final six yards on two straight runs, including a QB sneak from one-yard out. (Patriots 10, Ravens 7)

Sammy Morris gave the Patriots a 17-7 lead on a 12-yard run. The play capped a six-play, 63 yard drive. (Patriots 17, Ravens 7)

Ravens LB Terrell Suggs blew past Matt Light, then sacked Tom Brady, who fumbled the ball. Dwan Edwards picked up the loose ball in the end zone. (Patriots 17, Ravens 14)

Following the Ravens defensive touchdown, Tom Brady led the Patriots right back down the field throwing a 14-yard toss to Randy Moss. (Patriots 24, Ravens 14)

Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw a 13-yard TD pass to Willis McGahee with 14:17 left in the game. (Patriots 24, Ravens 21)

The Patriots melted 7:07 on a 15-play drive, which was capped by a 31-field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. (Patriots 27, Ravens 21) FINAL

Game Info from NFL.com and Boston.com

Week 4: Putting it on the line

2009-10-03T09:36:00.002-04:00

After a great week 3 going 14 - 2, week 4 is definitely more of a challenge to predict. There are a lot of games that could go either way.

Byes: Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Philadelphia

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Pick: BEARS - The Lions finally come into a game on a winning note. They are definitely improved, but I'm not thinking they make it two in a row. RB Kevin Smith was great last week, but got hurt in the game. Chicago has won six of the past eight games, although the Lions almost ended there losing streak last year against them. If the Lions can not expose Chicago's secondary with Charles Johnson, look for the Bears to win at home.

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Pick: BENGALS - The Bengals have won seven of the last nine meeting and come into this game on a high note (by beating the Steelers week 3). Derek Anderson replaced Brady Quinn at quarterback for the Browns. Although the Browns should be better this week with Anderson at the helm, it won't be enough. Look for the Bengals to eat up the clock with Ced Benson and win this one on the road.

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans
Pick: TEXANS - The Texans have won three of the last four meetings. Oakland will need to run on Houston to have a chance in this game. Houston was unable to contain Maurice Jones-Drew, who scored three TDs, and lost 31-24 to the Jaguars last week. The Texans will win this one on the road with the passing game though.

Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts
Pick: COLTS - Peyton Manning, enough said! Actually, the Colts have struggled against the Seahawks, who have won three of the past four meetings. Manning is off to one of the best starts of his career though. He leads the AFC in passer rating (117.7) and is also atop the conference in touchdown passes with seven. The Seahawks are banged up, so look for the Colts to win at home.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick: JAGUARS - The Titans have won four of the past five meetings. starting 10-0 last season, the Titans have begun 2009 at 0-3. There has to be a clear sense of urgency for the Titans to win, especially since all of their losses have been close games. Going with the upset here though, and picking the Jaguars to win at home.

New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: GIANTS - The Giants have won six of the past seven meetings and have a dominant 9-2 overall series edge. New York handed the Bucs a 24-0 shutout. The Chiefs went into Philadelphia and got rocked in a 34-14 loss. The Giants rank fifth in the league with five interceptions and rank first in passing defense. It is going to be a long day for Matt Cassel and the Chiefs. The Giants win this one on the road.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
Pick: PATRIOTS - This game spells upset all over it the way the Ravens are playing this season, but everyone knows I won't ever pick against the Patriots (why would I since they always find a way to get it done!). All four meetings between these two teams have been won by New England. The Patriots' defense revolves around confusing opposing quarterbacks and forcing them into mistakes. New England held second-year QB Matt Ryan in check last week and hopefully will do the same to Joe Flacco. Ravens will shut down the running game, so it will be up to Tom Brady and the Defense to win this one at home.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins
Pick: REDSKINS - Hand me a coin please... The Bucs have won the past three regular-season meetings. After one of the worst offensive peformances in team history last week, Byron Leftwich will be replaced by Johnson as the team's starting QB. Hopefully the Redskins can rattle Johnson, so take the Redskins at Home.

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Pick: DOLPHINS - Two teams that are tough to get a read on (another coin toss).The Bills have won four of the past six meetings. Chad Henne's gets his first start at quarterback for Miami. Look for the wildcat and the Miami heat to wear down the Bills. Here is hoping TO goes for zero catches a second week in a row as well! Miami wins at home.

New York Jets at New Orleans Saints
Pick: SAINTS - The Saints have taken four of the past five meetings. Brees is leading the league in passer rating so far this season and has thrown for an NFL-high nine touchdowns. This is a classic battle between one of the league's best quarterbacks (Brees) and one of the league's most innovative defensive minds (Ryan). I usually lean towards defense, but I think offense wins at home this weekend!

Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos
Pick: BRONCOS - Another tough game to pick. The Broncos have won the past three meetings. The Broncos have played phenomenal defense this season and rank first in the league. In perspective though, they have faced the league's worst two offenses the past two weeks and played against Cincinnati's 24th-ranked unit in Week 1. The Cowboys' have the third-ranked offense right now, but is banged up at Running Back. Going to stick with the Broncos for the upset at home.

St Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ERS - The 49ers have won six of the past eight meetings. With Frank Gore out this week, the rookie Coffee will take over the starting role at running back. San Francisco's loss last week was about as exruciating a loss as a team can experience. The players must quickly put that defeat behind them and avoid a costly let-down against the winless Rams. Niners QB Shaun Hill has won both of his starts against the Rams. 49ers win at home.

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: STEELERS - Pittsburgh has won six of the last seven meetings. The Steelers have dropped two straight close games and find themselves two back of first-place Baltimore. Watch out for Philip Rivers in this game...The quarterback leads the league with 991 passing yards through three games. Chargers Tomlinson looks ready to play, Steelers Parker doubtful to start. Still going with the Steelers at home, but this game definitely has upset written on it.

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Pick: VIKINGS - The Packers have won five of six to take a 49-46-1 overall series lead, including the playoffs. They have never played against Brett though! This is the game Favre has been waiting for since leaving Green Bay. This game will end up being about Adrian Peterson though, who is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and already has four rushing touchdowns. Did I mention Green Bay's defense is ranked 23rd against the rush. Vikings win at home.

OK, so going with three Underdogs in the Jaguars (over Titans), Dolphins (over Bills), and Broncos (over Cowboys). There are definitely additional upset teams in the Ravens (over Patriots), Jets (over Saints), Chargers (over Steelers), and Greenbay (over Vikings). That makes seven game out of fourteen that could go either way!

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!
Stat info from NFL.COM

wk1: 13-3 wk2: 8-8 wk3:14-2

Week 3: Putting it on the line (The Morning After)

2009-09-28T22:55:00.005-04:00

14 - 2! Redemption after last weeks 8 - 8! Here is how week 3 in the NFL finished up.

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Pick: RAVENS (Correct) - Baltimore had 28 first downs to Cleveland's 11, finished with 479 total yards to Cleveland's 186 and turned the ball over just once, while the Browns had four turnovers.

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets
Pick: JETS (Correct ) - With the Titans trailing by seven, Collins finished the game by throwing 13 straight incompletions in the third and fourth quarters. The Jets' Mark Sanchez became the first rookie QB since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to win his first three games.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: STEELERS (Incorrect) - The Steelers scored on their first three drives, but faltered down the stretch, punting twice before Roethlisberger's final desperation throw. The Bengals, on the other hand, punted on their first three drives but finished strong, scoring touchdowns on two long drives in the fourth quarter. The Steelers have lost their last three road games.

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions
Pick: LIONS (Correct) - This was the Lions' first regular-season win since Dec. 23, 2007 as they snapped a 19-game losing skid. Detroit RB Kevin Smith had his third career 100-yard rushing day before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
Pick: TEXANS (Incorrect) - Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns!!! Texans Chris Brown fumble at the one yard line was costly!

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Pick: VIKINGS (Correct) - 49ers running back Frank Gore had one rush before he left the game with an ankle injury in the first quarter. The Vikings went ahead in the game on Brett Favre's 32-yard touchdown pass to receiver Greg Lewis with two seconds left on the clock!

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots
Pick: PATRIOTS (Correct) - The Patriots have not lost consecutive games since Weeks 9 and 10 of the 2006 season. Running back Fred Taylor totaled 105 rushing yards on 21 carries, including the Patriots' first touchdown. It was Taylor's first as a member of the Patriots.

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: EAGLES (Correct) - The Chiefs were 0-for-11 on third down and were unable to sustain any sort of offensive flow against a swarming Eagles defense. Kolb passed for 327 yards and two touchdowns without committing any turnovers against the Chiefs.

Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams
Pick: PACKERS (Correct) - The Packers didn't turn the ball over and scored 13 points off of the Rams' three turnovers.

New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: GIANTS (Correct) - The Giants had 28 first downs, compared to just five by the Buccaneers. The Giant running backs also had huge holes to run through, compiling 226 rushing yards on 49 carries.

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills
Pick: SAINTS (Correct) - Terrell Owens did not make a catch for the first time in 185 consecutive games! Saints RB Pierre Thomas recorded 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, all in the second half.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Pick: BEARS (Correct) - Devin Hester broke a tackle and raced 36 yards for the game's deciding touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Pick: BRONCOS (Correct) - The Raiders like to run the ball, but it was the Broncos who controlled the game on the ground. Denver outrushed Oakland, 215-95.

Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers
Pick: CHARGERS (Correct) - Chargers safety Eric Weddle intercepted Chad Henne's pass and returned it 31 yards for a score with 5:45 left to put San Diego up 23-6.

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: COLTS (Correct) - Colts QB Peyton Manning threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns. The Cardinals turned over the ball three times, including twice inside the red zone. Warner was sacked four times.

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
Pick: COWBOYS (Correct)- The Cowboys came into the game without a sack and the defense had not yet forced a turnover. Against the Panthers, the team took down Delhomme three times and forced three turnovers.

Game Stats from NFL.COM

Wk1: 13-3 Wk2: 8-8 Wk3: 14-2

Pats vs. Falcons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-09-27T21:58:00.002-04:00

Pats vs. Falcons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A nice win against a good team. Patriots are still struggling in the red zone, trading TDs for Field Goals. It was good to the the Patriots run the ball and get Fred Taylor in the game.

The Good:

Patriots shut down Atlanta TE Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez made his first and only catch of the game on a 16-yard reception on the Falcons' first offensive play of the fourth quarter.

Randy Moss and Fred Taylor have both eclipsed 100 yards for the day. At the 2-minute warning, Moss had 9 catches for 108 yards, while Taylor had rushed 20 times for 107 yards.

Despite settling for four field goals in five visits inside the red zone, the Patriots did execute in some key situations. They went 7 for 10 on third-and-short situations and 3 for 3 on fourth downs.

James Sanders recovered an Atlanta fumble forced by fellow safety Brandon McGowan at the Patriots 27 with little less than four minutes to play in the half.

The Falcons erased a potential touchdown when wide receiver Michael Jenkins was called for offensive pass interference (pushing off against Leigh Bodden) on what would have been a 36-yard touchdown reception.

The Patriots' defense surrendered a first-drive touchdown, but, even with an injury to defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, limited the high-flying Falcons to a field goal over the final 54 minutes of play.

Falcons QB Matt Ryan failed to throw a TD pass for the first time this season.

The Bad:

Felt bad for the Falcons having to waste a challenge on this call. Referees totally missed an incomplete pass by Matt Ryan, instead calling it a fumble and Shawn Springs returned the ball for a touchdown. The Falcons challenged immediately and the play was, correctly, reversed to an incompletion.

The Ugly:

Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork was shaken up late in the second quarter while helping to tackle

Atlanta running back Michael Turner. He did not return to the game.

Patriots WR Wes Welker was inactive for the second straight game with a knee injury.

Game Notes:

With a late first-half catch, Randy Moss recorded career reception No. 862, tying him for 12th best on the

NFL's all-time receiving list alongside former Jacksonville standout Jimmy Smith.

The Brady to Baker TD was the 200th TD pass of Brady's career. He is the 27th player in NFL history to reach that milestone and fourth fastest to the mark.

Randy Moss caught 10 passes for 116 yards. His 61 games with at least 100 yards receiving are second most in NFL history to Jerry Rice's 76.

Notable Quotes:

“The plan was for him [Gonzalez] to not have any catches and he had one, so obviously the plan failed (laughter)" -- Patriots safety Brandon McGowan

"We can't keep kicking field goals, I know that" -- Patriots QB Tom Brady

"There are a lot of new faces in the locker room...We're still developing and we still have a pretty explosive offense." -- Patriots TE Chris Baker

"It’s a great win for us and we’ll take it and still understand that there are a lot of things we need to do better. Anytime you beat a good football team like that – and we made some real critical plays: a few fourth downs, some short yardage ones, fourth and one on our own 25 yard line – whatever that was – and made that. That was big for us." -- Patriots QB tom Brady

Scoring:

The Falcons put points on the board in their first possession as Jason Elam boots a 26-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 72-yard trek over 5:39. (Pats 0 - Falcons 3)

Stephen Gostkowski splits the uprights with a 21-yard field goal to cap a monster 15-play, 81-yard scoring drive that ate 8:39 off the clock. (Pats 3 - Falcons 3)

The Patriots snapped their five-quarter touchdown-less streak with Fred Taylor's 8-yard run early in the second quarter. The drive covered 51 yards on six plays over 2:29. (Pats 10 - Falcons 3)

The Falcons tie the game on a Michael Turner 2-yard touchdown run. The scoring drive covered 59 yards on eight plays over 2:58. (Pats 10 - Falcons 10)

Stephen Gostkowski booted a 33-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 58-yard scoring drive that covered 3:36. James Sanders' fumble recovery set up the trek. (Pats 13 - Falcons 10)

The Patriots' offense again sputtered in the red zone and New England settled for a 22-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. The drive covered 79 yards on 13 players over 5:59. (Pats 16 - Falcons 10)

Stephen Gostkowski split the uprights with a 33-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. The boot capped a 70-yard, 16-play scoring drive over 6:59. (Pats 19 - Falcons 10)

Patriots TE Chris Baker hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass from QB Tom Brady to cap a six-play, 72-yard scoring drive that spanned 3:08. (Pats 26 - Falcons 10) FINAL

Info from boston.com and nfl.com

Week 3: Putting it on the line

2009-09-26T21:02:00.004-04:00

Should have just flipped a coin last week, going 8-8. Let's look at week 3:

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Pick: RAVENS - Offensively and defensively the Ravens are just clicking on all cylinders. Joe Flacco should not have any problems with the Browns defense. Baltimore has won four of the past six meetings to extend its overall series lead to 13-7. Ravens win at home.

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets
Pick: JETS - Hate taking the Jets, but they are getting it done on defense with just enough offense to win. In Week 12 of last season, the Jets handed the 10-0 Titans their first loss of the season. The Titans are definitely not your average 0-2 team though, but the Jets should be able to contain Chris Johnson. New York has won four of the last five meetings. Jets win at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: STEELERS - Going with the Steelers on the road. Cincy is still flying high beating the Packers on the road. Beware of Antwaan Odom in this game...he was a one-man wrecking crew last week tallying five sacks. The Steelers' offensive line has been vulnerable, giving up six sacks already this season. Steelers have won the last five meetings. Steelers win on the road.

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions
Pick: LIONS - Washington has won three in a row over Detroit. The Redskins were unable to score a touchdown, last week but their defense held strong. I was leaning towards Washington, but if Portis does not play, I think the Lions finally break there losing streak and upset the Redskins. The Lions are definitely improved, and the Redskins are struggling. Lions win at home for the first time in a LONG TIME.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
Pick: TEXANS - The Texans snapped out of funk of week one and put up the points week two. They also gave up 31 pts, and it is a divisional game, so anything could happen. Houston has won four of the past six matchups. Texans win at home.

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Pick: VIKINGS - The top to running backs this season go at it in this matchup. AP is banged up though. I still think you have to go with the Vikings at home. This game could be an upset though since the 49ers are defininitely improved over last year. Still need a passing game though. Vikings win at home.

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots
Pick: PATRIOTS - Everything points to the Patriots being upset by the Falcons. Is there a healthy Patriot WR even playing? That does not bode well for Brady and the boys. The Falcons have given up an average of 5.1 yards per carry defensively this year and now they are without perhaps their best run-stuffer, rookie DT Peria Jerry. If the Patriots can get the rushing attack going, victory should be theirs! Being a Pats fan, I am going with the home team to pull this game out with Special Teams, a rushing attack, and Defense! Patriots win at home.

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: EAGLES - McNabb is out again, and most likely wont be back till after the bye week. Kolb should be able to get the offense going, even with a banged up Westbrook and Jackson. Eagles win at home.

Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams
Pick: PACKERS - The Rams and Packers have split their last eight meetings. The Packers need to redeem themselves after last weeks lost to the Bengals. The Rams defense did well against the Redskins, but the Packers definitely have more offensive weapons to stop! St. Louis has lost its last five home games and is just 2-14 at the Edward Jones Dome. Packers win on the Road

New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: GIANTS - Run, run, run! The Giants running game has not been great, but should have a big day against the Buccaneers. With an established running game, Eli and crew will pick the Bucs apart. New York has captured six of the last nine meetings. Giants win on the road.

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills
Pick: SAINTS - New Orleans has won three of the past five meetings. Saints are banged up at the running back position, but that shouldn't hold Brees and crew off. Buffalo is ranked 31st against the pass. Saints win on the road.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Pick: BEARS - Seattle has won three of the past five games. Tough to pick against the Seahawks at home, but with Hasselbeck out due to injury, the Bears should get it done on the road. Seattle's offense changes significantly with Wallace under center. While Hasselbeck is more of a traditional drop-back passer, Wallace tends to scramble and use his legs to make plays. Chicago's defense should keep him in check. Bears win on the road.

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Pick: BRONCOS - The Broncos have won six of the past eight meetings. Oakland hasn't beaten Denver twice in a row since 2002. The Broncos are starting to play like a team, and should have enough offense to roll past the Raiders. Broncos win on the road.

Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers
Pick: CHARGERS - The Dolphins have won seven in a row against the Chargers. If LT doesn't play, the Dolphins could upset the Chargers at home. San Diego failed to score on a touchdown on any of its five trips to the red zone last week, an area in which Tomlinson traditionally excels. Chargers win at home and break the losing streak against the Dolphins.

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: COLTS - The Colts have won the past three meetings. Last weeks game definitely took its toll against the Colts, eventhough they won in the end. The question is will the Colts have enough in the tank on defense to deal with the rested and high-powered Arizona offense? Colts win a close one on the road.

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
Pick: COWBOYS - Battle of the turnover teams. Dallas has won seven consecutive regular-season games against Carolina. If the Cowboys do lose this game at home, keep the knives away from Jerry! Cowboys get their first win at their new stadium.

Week 2: Putting it on the line (the Morning After)

2009-09-21T20:08:00.003-04:00

Week 2: Putting it on the line (the Morning After)

Usually I don't crash this bad in my picks till much later in the season! Seven Correct, 8 Incorrect, OUCH! Here is hoping the Colt win so I can at least break even! lol Let's see what went wrong!

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Winner: Falcons (Correct) - Have to thank Tony G for letting me get this one right.

Minnesota Viking at Detroit Lions
Winner: Vikings (Correct) - A moral victory for the Lions for hanging in there with the Vikings and holding AP under 100 yards.

Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers
Winner: Packers (Incorrect) - Can't beat the Bengals when you are flat on your back. Defensive end Antwan Odom sacked Rodgers five times, while rookie LB Rey Maualuga brought down Rodgers once and forced two fumbles.

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars
Winner: Jaguars (Incorrect) - Arizona went 0-5 last season flying to the coast. Guess it doesn't matter this year! Warner was not sacked by the Jaguars, and had plenty of time to shred the defense and then set an NFL single-game record for completion percentage, at 92.3 percent. So much for picking the Jags due to jet-lag!

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Winner: Raiders (Correct) - This game was always a coin toss, one which the Chiefs should have won. Despite losing, the Chiefs dominated the Raiders in total yardage (409-166) and time of possession (38:39 to 21:21).

New England Patriots at New York Jets
Winner: Patriots (Incorrect) - The Jets just outplayed them on Defense, and brought just enough offense to win this one. The Patriots committed 11 penalties for 89 yards, including three for delay of game...That did not help the cause any! If Wes Welker was healthy and played, I think the Pats would have one.

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles
Winner: Eagles (Incorrect) - What was I thinking??? The Saints offense is for real! The Eagles finished with 463 total yards, but that number is somewhat deceiving. Four Philadelphia drives ended in turnovers.

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
Winner: Titans (Incorrect) - Close but no cigar! Titans RB Chris Johnson scored three times -- twice rushing and once receiving -- on plays of 57, 69 and 91 yards. Matt Schaub rebounded from a rough outing in Week 1 against the Jets to post 357 yards passing and four touchdowns on the Titans. Schaub completed 25 of 39 passes, 10 of which went to Andre Johnson, who finished with 149 yards and two touchdowns. I should have picked the Texans in the first place since I picked them to go to the play offs!

St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins
Winner: Redskins (Correct) - Though the Redskins did not finish their drives (they were 0-for-5 in red-zone efficiency), their domination between the 20s helped them hold the ball for almost 35 minutes and wear down St. Louis.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills
Winner: Bills (Correct) - The Buccaneers committed 11 penalties for 97 yards. Bills RB Fred Jackson ran for a career-high 163 yards on 28 carries and added six catches for 25 yards. Enough Said...

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Winner: Seahawks (Incorrect) - Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck left the game at the end of the second quarter with bruised ribs and did not return. Led by Gore, San Francisco dominated on the ground, outrushing Seattle 256-66. Seattle would have had a better chance with Hasselbeck in the entire game.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears
Winner: Steelers (Incorrect) - The Steelers' final two drives were among their longest of the game, each lasting 10 plays. The drives took more than eight minutes off the clock, but both ended with wide-left field goals by Jeff Reed.

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos
Winner: Broncos (Correct) - The Broncos recorded 25 first downs to just 11 for the Browns. Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil recorded a career-high four sacks and forced a Josh Cribbs fumble in the third quarter.

Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers
Winner: Chargers (Incorrect) - Another team that traveled well and won on the road. The Chargers struggled mightily in the red zone, kicking four field goals measuring 29 yards or less. Can't swap field goals for touchdowns.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Winner: Giants (Correct) - The Cowboys turned over the ball four times, including three interceptions thrown by Tony Romo. That led to 24 points for the Giants.

MONDAY NIGHT GAME:

Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins
Favored Colts
Winner: Colts - Even short a WR, there is more than enough Colts offense to go around.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!

Stat Info from NFL.COM

Pats vs. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!!!

2009-09-20T18:32:00.006-04:00

Maybe I should just call it the Bad and the Ugly this week. It was probably a good thing I couldn't see this game at my home in PA...probably would have thrown something through the TV. Last year, I blamed the Patriots not making the playoffs due to the lost to the Jets that season. Let's hope this is not a repeat of last year! Can't win games settling for Field Goals instead of Touchdowns! This game was definitely the tale of two halves. The Patriots owned the first (time of possession 18:41 and total offense 197 vs. 55), and the Jets the second (the score tells you that)!

The Good: (not much here from a Patriots perspective)
Leigh Bodden recovered a Leon Washington fumble at the Jets 17 (fumbled forced by Vince Wilfork)

Chansi Stuckey appeared to catch a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez, but the Patriots challenged and the call was reversed as Stuckey didn't get both feet down inbounds

The Bad:
The Patriots receiving corps takes a hit with Wes Welker (knee) inactive for today's game

Darrelle Revis intercepts a Tom Brady offering on a deep, play-action toss to Randy Moss

Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather tweaked his right ankle on a kickoff return by Leon Washington in the first quarter and left the game. Meriweather returned to the field with the defense on the opening play of the second half and missed a tackle on 45-yard completion from Mark Sanchez to Jerricho Cotchery.

New York managed 141 yards of total offense in the third quarter and had the ball at its own 42 to start the fourth

The Jets did not sack Brady, but Rex Ryan's constant blitzes (at times using six or seven men to rush the passer) were effective enough to throw the Patriots offense off its game. The Jets hurried Brady 15 times and knocked him down another five times. Expect to see more teams do this against the Patriots.

The Patriots committed 11 penalties for 89 yards, including three for delay of game(two of them coming on consecutive plays in the third quarter).

The Ugly:
THE PATRIOTS LOSING TO THE JETS 16 - 9!!!

Patriots had one last chance to tie the game up as they took over at their own 10 with 1:48 to play. NO Brady magic today though! Figures the final play would be a Tom Brady pass to Joey Galloway being batted down by Jets Safety Kerry Rhodes (guess he backed up his tweeter talk). Why couldn't it have been anyone else!?!?!

Game Notes:
The game was the 100th meeting between the two teams who entered the game tied 49-49-1 in the overall series. Now the Jets are ahead.

Patriots linebacker Gary Guyton has the helmet with the green dot, which indicates that he'll again be the one handling radio signals from the sideline.

Former Patriots backup quarterback Kevin O'Connell was serving as the Jets' emergency third QB today, but was also a captain. He was at midfield for the pregame coin toss. I am sure he was able to help the Jets out more than just those roles, having memorized the Patriots playbook while being Brady's backup.

Notable Quotes:

"Give the Jets credit... they outplayed us, outcoached us, played better than we did for 60 minutes. That's the story of the game. We had our chances, but we didn't finish them." -- Patriot Coach Bill Belichick

"We didn't do much, it was poor execution a lot of the time. We all gotta do a better job, I gotta do a better job throwing the ball, being more accurate, making better reads. A lot of things are correctable, that were not so good today. You gotta give the Jets credit, they played a good game, defensively... We had our chances." -- Patriots QB Tom Brady

"I don’t know what fits as embarrassment. We were able to get the job done and got the win today." -- Jets Safety Kerry Rhodes

"You gotta give credit to the Jets, there's no way to sugarcoat or feel sorry for yourselves, they won the game, they beat us and that's it." -- Patriots WR Randy Moss

"This is Week 2. We're 1-1, we'll go back to the drawing board, get ready for Atlanta. There's a long way to go." -- Patriots TE Chris Baker

Scoring:
Stephen Gostkowski boots a 45-yard field goal for the first points of the game. (Pats 3 - Jets 0)

Stephen Gostkowski kicks a 25-yard field goal to increase the Patriots' lead. The scoring drive covered 53 yards on 9 plays over 3:30. (Pats 6 - Jets 0)

Jay Feeley boots a 33-yard field goal to cap a 10-play, 52-yard scoring drive that spanned 5:31.(Pats 6 - Jets 3)

Stephen Gostkowski splits the uprights with a 29-yard field goal to cap a 14-play, 79-yard drive that spanned 5:42. (Pats 9 - Jets 3)

The Jets wasted little time finding the end zone in the second half with Mark Sanchez completing a 45-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery before a 9-yard touchdown toss to Dustin Keller. (Pats 9 - Jets 10)

Jay Feely booted a 24-yard field goal to cap an 11-play, 49-yard drive that spanned 3:59 (Pats 9 - Jets 13)

Jay Feely split the uprights with a 39-yard field goal on a that drive covered 63 yards on 14 plays over 8:21. (Pats 9 - Jets 16) FINAL

info from boston.com and nfl.com

Week 2: Putting it on the line

2009-09-19T19:24:00.004-04:00

Week 2: Putting it on the line

Glad week one of the NFL season finally came. There were some great games and match-ups to start off the season. Glad my Patriots pulled off the win against the Bills! Last weeks picks went 13-3 (Missed on the 49ers (picked Cardinals), Jets (picked Texans), and Broncos (picked Bengals). Here are the picks for week 2:

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Favored: Falcons
Winner: Falcons - going with the home team!

Minnesota Viking at Detroit Lions
Favored: Vikings
Winner: Vikings - Sorry Lions, tough to pick you any week!

Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers
Favored: Packers
Winner: Packers - Bengals didn't show much last week against the Broncos, and won't match up against the Pack.

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars
Favored: Jaguars
Winner: Jaguars - Arizona went 0-5 last season flying to the coast...plus the Cardinals are banged up at WR.

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Favored: Chiefs
Winner: Raiders - Hard to go against the Chiefs at home, but the vote is still out on Cassel. I think the Raiders running game and defense will come through in this one on the road.

New England Patriots at New York Jets
Favored: Patriots
Winner: Patriots - I never pick against the Patriots. It might be challenging against the Jets, but the Pats defense will baptize Sanchez into the NFL the right way!

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles
Favored: Saints
Winner: Eagles - This would have been an easier pick with McNabb in the line-up. I just believe the Eagles Defense is going to step it up against the Saints Offense.

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
Favored: Titans
Winner: Titans - Houston looked flat last week against the Jets. The Titans played tough against the Steelers. Have to go with the home team!

St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins
Favored: Redskins
Winner: Redskins - Like the lions, it is going to be tough to pick the Rams any week until they show something.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills
Favored: Bills
Winner: Bills - Bills had the Patriots on the ropes last week, and almost pulled off the upset. This week they role over the Buccaneers

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Favored: 49ers
Winner: Seahawks - This is going to be a close one, and everything points to the 49ers winning at home. That is why I am taking the Seahawks on the road...offense is going to win out over defense in this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears
Favored: Steelers
Winner: Steelers - Tough game on the road for the Steelers. Two great defenses playing each other, but the Steelers will trump that with their offense. They just need to keep Matt Forte in check.

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos
Favored: Broncos
Winner: Broncos - This is a coin toss between two struggling teams. Leaning towards the Broncos at home. If Moreno gets the running game going, it will help the passing game.

Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers
Favored: Chargers
Winner: Chargers - Don't worry about LT not playing, there is more than enough offense to go around. I don't expect Flacco to have another 300 yard week against the San Diego Defense.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Favored: Cowboys
Winner: Giants - Yes, going against the Cowboys at home! Both teams are equally matched offensively...the Giants win this one on Defense!

Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins
Favored Colts
Winner: Colts - Even short a WR, there is more than enough Colts offense to go around.

Wow, going with seven road teams and against four favorites! But that is why it is called putting it on the line.

Please note, nerangers picks are done for fun only!

Pats vs Bills: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

2009-09-15T13:38:00.003-04:00

Patriots 25 - Bills 24 (Brady's Back! Patriots pull off a come from behind victory!)

If you shut off the TV with six minutes to go in the game, figuring the Bills were winning 24 to 13 over the Patriots, then you missed quite a game! Never count the Patriots out! The Patriots played well most of the game, but seemed to be out of rhythm in the first half. Then again, Tom Brady has not played in a significant game since Super Bowl 42! The Patriots did not seem to have an answer for shutting down RB Fred Jackson, but did keep Mr. Owens in check for the night. The Patriots definitely have some things to work on, but came up big when it counted!

The Good:
The Patriots pull out an improbable 25-24 triumph over the Bills as TE Benjamin Watson catches two TD passes from QB Tom Brady over the final 130 seconds of play.

Bills returner Leodis McKelvin fumbled on the kickoff return with Pierre Woods stripping the ball after Brandon Meriweather made the initial stop. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski recovered for the Patriots at the Buffalo 31 with 1:56 to go giving the Patriots one more chance to win the game (and they did!).

Terrell Owens was held to just two catches for 46 yards! He looked slow from all the popcorn he has been eating.

Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 378 yards and two TDs and even rushed for 9 yards to try and get a first down!

The Bad:
Fred Jackson produced a 10-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass from Trent Edwards (Bills 24 - Pats 13) with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter.

Linebacker Adalius Thomas picked up a personal foul penalty for unnecessary roughness after whipping Buffalo QB Trent Edwards to ground at the end of a 10-yard sack.

Aaron Schobel intercepted a Tom Brady offering and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. Coming off a play-action fake, Brady seemed to want to flip the ball over the oncoming defensive linemen to Sammy Morris, but Schobel simply reached up and grabbed the ball, then outraced Morris to the end zone.

The Ugly:
Patriots second-year linebacker Jerod Mayo was shaken up on a play at 4:19 of the first quarter. Trainers attended to Mayo, looking at his right leg (knee area), before he walked off the field under his own power. Mayo never returned to play in the game.

Scoring:
Stephen Gostkowski missed a 41-yard field goal attempt badly to the right (Patriots 0 - Bills 0).

Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Shawn Nelson. The drive covered 68 yards on six players over 3:17. (Patriots 0 - Bills 7)

Fred Taylor's 1-yard touchdown run capped a 14-play, 72-yard drive that spanned 7:12. (Patriots 7 - Bills 7)

Aaron Schobel intercepted a Tom Brady offering and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. (Patriots 7 - Bills 14)

Buffalo came up with a defensive stand inside its 10 and the Patriots settled for Stephen Gostkowski's 20-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. (Patriots 10 - Bills 14)

Bills kicker Rian Lindell booted a 40-yard field goal to cap a 42-yard, 7-play drive that spanned 3:25. (Patriots 10, bills 17)

Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski booted a 28-yard field goal to cap an 11-play, 66-yard drive that spanned 5:49. (Patriots 13 - Bills 17)

Fred Jackson produced a 10-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass from Trent Edwards. The scoring drive covered 62 yards on 13 over 6:11. (Patriots 13 - Bills 24)

Benjamin Watson reeled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady, but the 2-point conversion pass to Watson failed, keeping Buffalo out front by five with little more than two minutes to play. (Patriots 19 - Bills 24)

Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson reeled in a 16-yard touchdown pass -- his second in little more than a minute -- from Tom Brady as the Patriots have improbably come from behind to take the lead over the Bills. (Patriots 25 - Bills 24) FINAL

Game Notes:
Wide Receiver Randy Moss caught back-to-back receptions on the Patriots' first drive of the second half. With 850 career receptions, Moss leapfrogged Rod Smith into 14th place on the NFL's all-time receptions list. For good measure, Moss caught a third straight pass for career reception No. 851, which tied him with Irving Fryar for 13th on the all-time list.

Notable Quotes:

"Well, that was an exciting game — got that one going. It was a great effort by our team. I’m really proud of the players; not that we played our best, but we hung in there. We kept playing, down by 11 with four or five minutes to go in the game and we came back and made the plays we had to make to win." --Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

"That was as close as it gets. There were a lot of situational plays that we needed at the end that we made, and had we not made them, we probably would not have won. But we put ourselves in that position." --Patriots QB Tom Brady

“There wasn’t a plan, you just have to step up. Everyone has to play. No mistakes. Correct your mistakes. If you make a mistake, hopefully you can come back and make a big play. That’s what happened and we came out with a win. That’s what we’re out here for, to win. Buffalo played a hell of a game, we just made the plays when they counted.” -- Patriots LB Pierre Woods

“If I ever had another chance, I would probably do the same thing. Next time I get the opportunity, I am going to hold on and make a better decision." -- Bills CB Leodis McKelvin

“When I caught the ball, I didn’t know if I had two feet inbounds or if my momentum took me into the end zone. If I downed it, it may have been a safety, so I decided to bring it out.” -- Bills CB Leodis McKelvin

info: boston.com

Hold Out Over - Seymour to the Raiders!

2009-09-12T15:38:00.000-04:00

According to multiple reports, former Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour is reporting to the Raiders today, ending the five-day saga that followed his trade from the Patriots to the Raiders last Sunday in exchange for a 2011 first-round pick. Unless Seymour fails his physical with the Raiders, his reporting would consummate the deal for good.

Seymour told the paper he was "blindsided" by the trade and that he planned to be in uniform for Oakland on Monday night when they open the season against the San Diego Chargers.

"When you get blindsided, you should take a moment to gather your thoughts. I have a lot of personal issues more pressing than football." Seymour said the personal issues involved relocating his family to South Carolina after the trade, which forced a significant change of plans for his family.

Putting it on the line: My 2009 NFL Super Bowl Prediction

2009-09-10T14:52:00.002-04:00

Everyone one else does it, so why not me? Here is my 2009 NFL Super Bowl Prediction...with a little help from statistics and my gut!

Bill James invented a formula called the Pythagorean expectation to estimate how many games a team "should" have won based on the number of points they scored and allowed. I won’t go into all the math that is involved, but it is interesting how it can be applied to predict wins for the following season. I like using it to try and predict how NFL teams will do during the season. Based on the criteria the theory uses, here is a list of teams that will improve from last season (played under their potential and will win more games), or regress (played over their potential and will win less games). The Pythagorean expectation usually has about a 75% accuracy rate. Don’t get confused…improving doesn’t imply they will make the play-offs! See Detroit Lions!

Note – the wins in ( ) is how many the team won in 2008.

Teams that should Improve:
Jacksonville Jaguars (5 wins), San Diego Chargers (8 wins), Kansas City Chiefs (2 wins), Philadelphia Eagles (9 wins), Green Bay Packers (6 wins), Detroit Lions (0 wins!), New Orleans Saints (8 wins), Seattle Seahawks (4 wins)

Teams that should Regress:
Miami Dolphins (11 wins), Indianapolis Colts (12 wins), Denver Broncos (8 wins), Dallas Cowboys (9 wins), Washington Redskins (8 wins), Carolina Panthers (12 wins), Atlanta Falcons (11 wins)

My Predictions: (Note - I have five teams not returning to the play-offs from the previous year)

AFC East:
New England Patriots (in play-offs)
Miami Dolphins (out of play-offs)
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills

Notes: The Patriots return to the top of the division, and a first round bye in the play-offs. The Dolphins do regress as predicted – no play-offs this season!

AFC North:
Pittsburgh Steelers (return to play-offs)
Baltimore Ravens (return to play-offs)
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns

Notes: The Super Bowl Champs defend their title and home field during the playoffs…the Ravens right behind them!

AFC South:
Indianapolis Colts (return to play-offs)
Houston Texans (in play-offs)
Tennessee Titans (out of play-offs)
Jacksonville Jaguars

Notes: Although predicted to regress, I think there is too much talent for the Colts not to win the division. Texans beat Titans on tie breaker! Sorry Titans, no play-offs this year. Although predicted to improve, I don’t it will be enough for the Jags against the other three teams in the league.

AFC West:
San Diego Chargers (return to play-offs)
Denver Broncos
Oakland Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs

Notes: Chargers definitely will be improved and win the division again. Regressing sure seems like the right prediction with everything that is going on in Denver! Improving from 2 games shouldn’t take much for the Chiefs. Still will be at the bottom of the division though

NFC East:
Philadelphia Eagles (return to play-offs)
New York Giants (out of play-offs)
Dallas Cowboys
Washington Redskins

Notes: The Eagles are picked to improve, and should win the division and make the play-offs again (last year wild card). The Giants are close but do not make it in this year. The Cowboys and Redskins are both picked to regress…and I can see that happening to both teams.

NFC North:
Green Bay Packers (in play-offs)
Minnesota Vikings (return to play-offs)
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions

Notes: A much improved Green Bay Packers team wins the division and makes it to the playoffs…a close second will be the Vikings returning to the play-offs by winning a wild card spot. The Lions are listed to improve, so one measly win should not be out of the question this season (they could get lucky against the Rams or the Browns!)

NFC South:
New Orleans Saints (in play-offs)
Carolina Panthers (return to play-offs)
Atlanta Falcons (out of play-offs)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Notes: Saints predicted to improve, and should win the division…Panthers win other wild card slot. The Falcons are close, but do not make it in. Tampa Bay gets first pick in the 2010 draft!

NFC West:
Seattle Seahawks (in play-offs)
Arizona Cardinals (out of play-offs)
San Francisco 49ers
St. Louis Rams

Notes: Seahawks predicted to improve, and should win the division…Cardinals drop out of the play-off hunt. Sorry, last year was a nice run, but a lucky one!

AFC Play-offs:
Steelers – first round bye
Patriots – first round bye
Chargers vs. Texans
Colts vs. Ravens

Steelers vs. Colts
Patriots vs. Chargers

Steelers vs. Patriots

AFC Champion - Patriots

NFC Play-offs:
Eagles – first round bye
Packers – first round bye
Saints vs. Panthers
Seahawks vs. Vikings

Eagles vs. Vikings
Packers vs. Saints

Eagles vs. Packers

NFC Champion - Eagles

Super Bowl: Eagles vs. Patriots (Winner PATRIOTS)

Hey, would you expect anything less from a Patriots fan trapped in Eagles Country??? Would love to have a rematch against Green Bay though!

Patriot News and Moves

2009-09-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

The Patriots have traded defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round draft choice. Jerry McDonald, of ANG Newspapers, reports the Oakland Raiders will use DL Richard Seymour as a right end and occasionally slide him inside. Cable said he's talked with Seymour, and Seymour told him he wants to be with the Raiders. "We have attempted to make a deal. There are some issues still between him and the Patriots that are being worked out. Hoping that will be resolved as quickly as possible. We know that the player wants to be here, but we have no control really over those issues. That’s really all I’m going to talk about it for now."

Former Patriots quarterback Kevin O'Connell has been traded to the New York Jets. O'Connell was waived by the Patriots last Monday and was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions, who used the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft to select Matthew Stafford. It's possible that Rex Ryan is looking for an edge by bringing in O'Connell to get information on the Patriots, who play the Jets at the Meadowlands on Sept. 20.

The Patriots released receiver Greg Lewis. Lewis, a seven-year veteran, was acquired from the Eagles in March. The Patriots acquired Lewis along with a seventh-round draft choice for a fifth-round draft pick.

The Patriots announced that DT Titus Adams, WR Terrence Nunn and DT Darryl Richard have been signed to the practice squad. All three players were with the team in training camp.

The Patriots announced that they have added four players to their practice squad:
T Patrick Brown, DL Adrian Grady, QB Isaiah Stanback, and CB DeAngelo Willingham

Former Patriots offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan has been awarded to the Kansas City Chiefs on waivers.

The Patriots have claimed safety Bret Lockett on waivers from the Cleveland Browns. Lockett, who played in college at UCLA, had signed with the Browns as a rookie free agent after the draft.

Former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who retired last Monday after 13 seasons in New England, didn't take long to find a post-pro football career. Bruschi is going to be part of ESPN's football lineup, the network confirmed.

Here are your New England Patriots!

2009-09-05T19:47:00.002-04:00

Here is the breakdown of the Patriots' 53-man roster:

Quarterback (2): Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (Note - it will be interesting to see if the Patriots go after a Veteran QB, since Hoyer was an undrafted rookie)

Running back (5): Kevin Faulk, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Sammy Morris (No real surprise here that the Patriots held five RBs, especially where three are over the age of 30,,,RB Chris Taylor (shoulder) has also been placed on IR)

Tight end (3): Chris Baker, Benjamin Watson, Michael Matthews (Note - A suprise that Dave Thomas was traded to the Saints, and that the Patriots picked up Matthews from the Giants. The Patriots had given up a 2010 fifth round pick for Alex Smith who was cut)

Receiver (6): Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Julian Edelman, Sam Aiken

Offensive line (9): Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, Sebastian Vollmer, Rich Ohrnberger, Ryan Wendell, Dan Connolly

Defensive line (7): Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, Jarvis Green, Ron Brace, Myron Pryor, Mike Wright

Hybrid defensive end/linebacker (2): Derrick Burgess, Tully Banta-Cain

Linebacker (6): Jerod Mayo, Adalius Thomas, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Rob Ninkovich (Note - Rob Ninkovich made the team in place of Ray Ventrone ... George Bussey (knee) on season-ending injured reserve, Shawn Crable (groin) has been placed on season-ending injured reserve)

Cornerback (5): Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley

Safety (5): Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Pat Chung, Brandon McGowan, Matthew Slater

Specialists (3): Stephen Gostkowski (K), Chris Hanson (P), Jake Ingram (LS)

The Patriots released the following players today:

DL Titus Adams
OL Wesley Britt
CB Herana-Daze Jones
LB Paris Lenon
CB Jamar Love
WR Terrence Nunn
OL Ryan O'Callaghan
DL Darryl Richard
TE Alex Smith
S/WR Ray Ventrone

Patriots: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Pre-season game 4)

2009-09-04T21:36:00.001-04:00

Patriots 38 - Giants 27

The Good:

The Patriots scored 38 of the game's final 41 points to rally from a three-touchdown, first-quarter deficit. New England wraps the exhibition season at 3-1 overall, its only loss a 7-6 defeat here at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis rumbled on a 32-yard touchdown run, his third touchdown of the night. His other two TDs were 1 yard runs.

Defensive back Brandon McGowan returned an errant Andre Woodson offering 27 yards for the Patriots first score of the night.

Rookie wide receiver Terrence Nunn returned a kickoff 49 yards and also drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on kicker Lawrence Tynes (tackling out of bounds) to set up a short field.

The Bad:

The Giants completed all nine passes they attempted against the Patriots' reserve defense for 229 yards and 3 TDs to open a big lead early. David Carr was 6 of 6 passing for 153 yards and 2 TDs, while receiver Sinorice Moss reeled in a pair of touchdown catches.

Special teamer Matthew Slater injured his left arm while returning a kickoff after the Giants' third score of the night. Slater tried to brace his fall with an extended arm and it bent at an odd angle.

The Ugly:

Can't be too critical since it is the fourth exibition game of the season. Most of the starters were not playing.

Game Notes:

Patriots owner Robert Kraft used "executive privilege" to add recently retired linebacker Tedy Bruschi to the team's 50th anniversary squad, naming the 13-year standout the defensive captain.

This year, less than a week after the Patriots released second-year QB Kevin O'Connell, Bill Belichick gave all the snaps to undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer while veteran Andrew Walter remained on the sideline. Hoyer completed 18 of 25 passes for 242 yards for one touchdown with no interceptions. (Note - Andrew Walter's was cut by the Patriots the next day)

Quotes:

"OK, well that’s, I thought, a good way for us to end the preseason. Obviously, spotting them 21 points isn’t the way we want to start the game. But I thought we came back, competed hard and played at a good level after we kind of got the things righted a little bit there in the second quarter." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

“The game is four quarters. We were down early but we try to play four quarters and try to pull out the win and keep doing our job and keep competing on every play and things just turned around for us.” -- Patriot RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis

“I just looked to help backside and he threw me ball. I looked at him, but I didn’t expect him to throw it since I was sitting right there. Obviously he gave me a gift.” -- Patriots S Brandon McGowan

Additional News:

The Patriots have released backup quarterback Andrew Walter. Walter's release leaves the Patriots with just Tom Brady and rookie Brian Hoyer at quarterback and could be a precursor to the acquisition of a veteran backup QB.

Info from Reiss Pieces, boston.com

Patriot News and Moves (Brady, Bruschi, and more)

2009-09-01T06:42:00.002-04:00

Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi announced his retirement at an "important player announcement" Monday morning (10:45) at Gillette Stadium. Bill Belichick was emotional when speaking of Tedy Bruschi, calling him the “perfect player.”

QB Tom Brady's shoulder should be fine: Christopher L. Gasper, of The Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (shoulder) still has a sore right shoulder, but a source close to the situation said there are not any concerns about it at this time.

The Patriots confirmed the release of quarterback Kevin O'Connell today, and also released veteran long-snapper Nathan Hodel. The departure of Hodel appears to signal that rookie Jake Ingram has won the long-snapping job. -- Reiss Pieces, Boston.com

Patriots interested in QB A.J. Feeley? Jason LaConfora, from NFL Network, reports New England is one of several teams looking at veteran options at the quarterback position. The Patriots are among the many teams to express an interest in Philadelphia's A.J. Feeley. Some execs believe New England is where Feeley will end up, but, according to a source, the Eagles do not plan on parting with Feeley until they know how long Michael Vick will have to sit out. -- Jason LaConfora - NFL Network

•Rookie ILB Tyrone McKenzie (knee) has been placed on season-ending injured reserve.

•OT Mark LeVoir (shoulder) has been placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.

•Rookie WR Brandon Tate (knee) has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.

Patriots: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Pre-season game 3)

2009-08-30T20:54:00.002-04:00

Patriots 27 Redskins 24

The Good:

Tom Brady was 8 of 11 passing for 95 yards and a TD in the first frame. Randy Moss has five catches for 63 yards. Brady hooked up twice with Moss for touchdowns for the first time since the 2007 season.

Patriots cornerback Jonathan Wilhite stepped in front of a Colt Brennan offering (intended for D.J. Hackett) and took the interception 99 yards the other way for a touchdown

Stephen Gostkowski booted a 31-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining to lift the Patriots over the Redskins, 27-24

The Bad:

Tom Brady, appeared to tweak his right shoulder on a hit from Albert Haynesworth late in the first half. He briefly appeared on the sideline to start the second half, but returned to the locker room before the Patriots' first offensive series, turning the reigns over to Kevin O'Connell.

Patriots rookie defensive back Pat Chung fumbled a punt for the seconds straight week, this one bouncing off his helmet. Also for the second straight week, fellow rookie defensive back Darius Butler bailed him out by recovering the fumble

Matthew Slater had a fair catch interference for the second week in a row. It's an inexcusable penalty, but it is unlikely to affect his roster spot

One area that stood out is how the nickel package (5 defensive backs) couldn’t consistently get off the field. While there were signs of life with the pass rush at times, the Patriots couldn’t consistently synch up their rush with coverage.

The Ugly:

The 73-yard busted play to tight end Chris Cooley!

Marko Mitchell hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Colt Brennan to tie the game late in the third quarter. The drive covered 44 yards on five plays over 2:41. The short field came as a result of a Kevin O'Connell interception.

Note - The Patriots have made a surprising move at quarterback Sunday, informing backup Kevin O'Connell that he has been waived, according to a league source.

Game Notes:

Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn't provide much insight into the status of quarterback Tom Brady in his postgame press conference with the media. "He's got some bumps and bruises like everyone else who played in the game," said Belichick.

Quotes:

"I mean, it wasn't like I was hitting Gisele or something; he's the quarterback. It was good, it was fine. I mean, I was trying to tackle him, but I wasn't trying to hurt him. I'm not that type of a player, you know? I'm actually a big Tom Brady fan. I'm a big Patriots fan. I've always like the Patriots, I've always liked Coach Belichick. I just like the way [Brady] is." -- Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth

"I’m sure he has some bumps and bruises like everybody else who played in the game." -- Patriot Coach Bill Belichick

Patriots: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Pre-season game 2)

2009-08-21T22:36:00.001-04:00

Patriots 6 - Bengals 7

Sorry, there is not a lot that can be said for this game. Brady played for two series. The Patriots definitely were trying to get the running game going. The Patriots also ran the 3- 4 Defense more than last week. As Coach Bill Belichick pointed out, there is a lot of work still left to do!

The Good:

Patriots LB Jerod Mayo registered a 6-yard sack of Bengals QB J.T. O'Sullivan to help force the Bengals to punt on the game's first drive.

Tom Brady completed 4 of 8 passes for 57 yards over two series.

The Bengals went for it on 4th and 7 at the New England 27, but Adalius Thomas registered a 1-yard sack to force a turnover on downs.

Bengals TE Daniel Coats hauled in a 27-yard pass from QB J.T. O'Sullivan after getting behind Patriots LB Shawn Crable, but safety Brandon McGowan made a big hit to jar the ball loose and cornerback Terrence Wheatley recovered for New England.

Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski booted a pair of field goals (32-yard and 41-yard)

The Bengals put together a lengthy 14-play drive that trekked to the Patriots 6. But without their starting kicker (and not wanting to go to Chad Ochocinco's foot again), Cincinnati went for it on fourth down and an incomplete pass gave the ball to the Patriots.

The Bad:

Patriots QB Tom Brady avoided getting hit hard while playing 24 snaps in last week's win over the Eagles, but he finally endured a big shot in the first quarter tonight. Bengals DE Robert Geathers ran straight past Patriots RT Nick Kaczur and absolutely flattened Brady on a first-down pass attempt.

Patriots RB BenJarvus Green Ellis fumbled at the Cincinnati 12 and defensive back Marvin White recovered for the Bengals. The forced fumble was credited to safety Tom Nelson.

Patriots safety Patrick Chung tried to haul in a punt early in the fourth quarter, but it went straight through him (officially scored a fumble). The Patriots averted disaster when Ray Ventrone tipped the ball to the side and Darius Butler fell on the ball at the New England 5.

Special teamer standout Matthew Slater loses awareness and has fair catch interference on a punt.

The Ugly:

Watching Chad Ochocinco booting the extra point with kicker Shayne Graham sidelined. Doug Flutie did it better!

Game Notes:

Belichick seemed upset in the aftermath of the team’s 7-6 loss to the Bengals, but a look at the tape seemed to soften his tone. “Within [the mistakes], there were plenty of good individual performances,” he said, also noting that there were times when four or five things were good on one play, but one other breakdown hurt the play and "if we could get that one thing straightened out that would make things go a lot better."

Quotes:

"I think it’s pretty obvious out there tonight that we certainly have a lot of work to do and a long way to go. I think we were pretty sloppy in every area of the game: had a lot of penalties, didn’t convert on third downs, missed too many tackles – just generally had too many mistakes, too many errors in every phase of the game with every unit, pretty much in every area. It’s just an inconsistent performance that even though there were some positive things out there, especially offensively, [they] were overridden by mistakes. Quite a few of them were self inflicted. We had our opportunities and didn’t take advantage of those as well as we should have either and the same thing in the kicking game. We have a long way to go. We have a lot of work to do. We’ll have to get back at it tomorrow. We have a long week for Washington and we’ll take advantage of that time and try to get a few of these things straightened out so we can perform a little bit better in game conditions. So that’s it." -- Patriot Coach Bill Belichick

Game Info from Reiss Pieces, Boston.com

Patriots: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Pre-season game 1)

2009-08-15T07:18:00.004-04:00

Are you ready for some football? I had the opportunity to attend the Patriot - Eagles exhibition opener at Lincoln Financial Field. The Patriot faithful were definitely outnumbered this evening! As a Patriot fan, it was great to see QB Tom Brady back on the field commanding the team! It was also a lot of fun to hear the Eagle fans discussing (pretty passionately at times) their thoughts on the Michael Vick signing! Either the Patriots were in slow motion the second half of the game, or Buckley and Maclin were just that fast! Eagles Kicker David Akers missed a 43-yard field goal wide left with under a minute to play to keep the Patriots on top, 27-25.

The Good:

Quarterback Tom Brady is officially back! Brady tossed two touchdowns in his return to the field (both to tight end Chris Baker), while rookie Julian Edelman returned a punt 75 yards for another score for a 27 - 25 win over the Eagles in both team's exhibition opener at Lincoln Financial Field.

Sammy Morris led the team with 12 carries for 54 yards. Julian Edelman topped the team with five receptions for 37 yards. Jerod Mayo registered a team-high 5 tackles.

Patriots rookie Pat Chung blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt by David Akers with 46 seconds remaining in the first half.

Rookie receiver Julian Edelman totaled five receptions and had a 75-yard punt return for a score.

The Bad:

The Patriot defense looked slow and vulnerable at times on the field. (Note - one can see why the Patriots might consider playing more four-man fronts. It puts Jerod Mayo in more of a leadership position and opens opportunities to showcase his playmaking ability).

The Ugly:

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was intercepted by Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown on a long toss to Randy Moss. The throw was underthrown and off-target.

Tom Brady's return against the Philadelphia Eagles was overshadowed by a bigger comeback. QB Michael Vick stole the headlines from Brady with news that the recently reinstated quarterback had signed with the Eagles.

Game Notes:

Linebacker Jerod Mayo wore the communication device in his helmet for the Patriots' preseason opener against the Eagles. This is the second year that a defender can communicate with a coach through the device. Last year, Mike Vrabel (now with the Chiefs) was the primary Patriots defender with the device.

It would be too early to say that the Patriots are moving away from a base 3-4 alignment, but they've spent a lot of practice time on the four-man line and that was their primary package during the game.

Quotes:

"This is a real small step for this team in a long journey. We're on a mission this year. This is the first step, it's a small step, but it's a step in the right direction." -- Patriot QB Tom Brady

“It was good to come down here and win. You know Philadelphia is a good football team and they certainly hammered us last year and I was happy to see that we could at least be competitive this year. I thought that we played hard. Certainly there were a lot of mistakes and a lot of things that we still have to work on. It was good to see us make a few plays. We played better in the red area and on third down overall as a team. We got some production out of the kicking game and hit a few plays on offense and scoring in the red area. That was very important as far as final score goes." -- Patriot Coach Bill Belichick

"I have a lot to learn. That play -- the punt return -- everyone just executed the play the way we designed it to be. One thing led to another. Totally a team effort, the blocks were there. They did their job, I did mine." -- Patriot Rookie WR Julian Edelman

Game Info from Reiss Pieces, Boston.com

Patriot News and Moves (as of 8/12/09)

2009-08-13T06:26:00.002-04:00

Brady ticketed to start: The Boston Herald reports New England Patriots QB Tom Brady said he expects that he will make more than a cameo appearance in the team's preseason opener. Head coach Bill Belichick said he and Brady haven't talked about the plans they have for his playing time, and Brady said the same thing. However, when asked what he expects, Brady didn't hesitate. 'I'm expecting to play,' Brady said. 'There's no reason why I wouldn't. I've been out here doing everything.' Brady is a terrific competitor, and we're sure that he wants to feel how his knee responds in game action. If he gets hurt, everyone will bray about how terrible a decision it was to play him, but we trust Brady on this one. -- footballguys.com

There was no Patriots movement regarding either DT Vonnie Holliday or Kevin Carter, the veteran free agent defensive tackles who were brought in for visits within the last week. The chances of either signing are beginning to appear less likely. -- Boston Herald

After keeping tabs on 22 practices, Patriots owner Robert Kraft offered his assessment of Bill Belichick and his team. "This is Bill's 10th year, and this training camp, he's never worked harder," Kraft said. "The players have never worked harder." The team has had 15 full-pads workouts, which didn't go unnoticed. Kraft even offered a lighthearted jab at his buddy, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. "I heard that one of our big rivals in the Midwest just put pads on Monday for their first practice," Kraft joked. -- Boston Herald

Yesterday, the newest issue of Details magazine was released with Tom Brady styling on the cover. In the accompanying story, Brady is asked about his relationship with Bill Belichick and laughs about a tale of the coach scolding him. "And I'll be sitting there thinking, I'm a (freaking) nine-year veteran, I've won three (expletive) Super Bowls - he can kiss my (butt)," Brady told the magazine. Brady knows he left himself open to ribbing with the modeling shots. In 10 years, he said, "I've heard just about everything." -- Boston Herald

Singer Jon Bon Jovi, a noted friend of Bill Belichick's, watched the Patriots afternoon practice from the sidelines, toting a camera around his neck the entire time. Bon Jovi's son also was in attendance. -- Boston Herald

Patriot News and Moves (as of 8/9/09)

2009-08-09T20:36:00.001-04:00

The Patriots bolstered their defense by acquiring two-time pro bowler DE/OLB Derrick Burgess from the Oakland Raiders. Burgess, 6-2, 260 pounds, is a veteran of eight NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2001-2004) and the Oakland Raiders (2005-2008). Burgess originally joined the NFL as a third-round draft pick by Philadelphia (63rd overall) out of Mississippi in 2001. He has accumulated 227 total tackles, 47 sacks during his career. In his two pro bowl seasons ('05 and '06) Burgess accumulated 27 sacks combined.

Ian R. Rapoport, from the Boston Herald, notes that when Belichick finally traded with the Eagles for Greg Lewis in March, it was a long time coming. In fact, the Patriots coach disclosed yesterday that he has actually been attempting to trade for the versatile receiver since he was a rookie in 2003. And when Belichick spoke with Eagles coach Andy Reid about the eventual trade that sent cornerback Ellis Hobbs to Philadelphia in April, they joked about whether Reid wanted to reclaim Lewis.

"Greg has killed us every time we played them," Belichick said. "We haven't been able to cover him. We knew a lot about him coming out (of Illinois for the draft) and we spent a lot of time with the (Illini players). We were interested. It was like an annual conversation I had with Andy Reid, where we would discuss Greg Lewis. He's just a guy that we've had a lot of interest in who fits our system. He's a smart guy, a high-character guy at a really good price who is versatile."

Patriot News and Moves (as of 8/5/09)

2009-08-06T06:36:00.001-04:00

Adam Teicher, of The Kansas City Star, reports the Kansas City Chiefs have claimed free-agent QB Matt Gutierrez (Patriots) off waivers from the New England Patriots. It just makes sense. The former Michigan and Idaho State quarterback was released by the Patriots yesterday when the team decided to sign former Raiders quarterback Andrew Walter. Gutierrez could have either landed in Denver or in Kansas City as both Josh McDaniels and Scott Pioli are familiar with his playing style. He's not a bad quarterback, and could battle with Tyler Thigpen for the second-string job behind Matt Cassel. The Chiefs have been a landing spot for former Patriots now that former New England Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli is general manager there. Matt Cassel, Mike Vrabel, Vince Redd and Monty Beisel, all former Patriots, are on the Kansas City roster. -- footballguys.com/boston.com

Kevin Carter deal not imminent? Free agent Kevin Carter spent yesterday at Gillette Stadium, a source close to the defensive end said. The 6-6, 305-pounder, who most recently played for the Buccaneers, might work out for the Pats today. While Carter was interested enough in the Patriots to make a visit, it is not clear if a deal is imminent. If he signs, the 35-year-old Carter would provide some depth at end. -- Boston Herald

Madden 10: Patriots in Super Bowl; Brady MVP? We're not saying the Madden video game series is always correct with its simulations, but Patriots fans might be encouraged to know the popular gaming franchise has predicted a trip to Fort Lauderdale and Super Bowl XLIV for New England based on the company's official preseason simulation (against the Eagles again!). What's more, Madden's simulation predicts an impressive bounce-back season for quarterback Tom Brady, who the game pegs to be named NFL Most Valuable Player after throwing for 4,500 yards and 47 touchdowns. -- Boston Globe

Christopher L. Gasper, from the Boston Globe, notes that you know training camp is off to an uneventful start when after six days the biggest controversy revolves around backup quarterbacks. Tom Brady is healthy and entrenched as the starter, but there is some intrigue regarding who will be Brady's backup, as the Patriots brought in veteran Andrew Walter to compete with second-year signal caller Kevin O'Connell. -- Boston Globe

(Note - Undrafted free agent Brian Hoyer may be destined for the practice squad now that Walter is on the roster)

Belichick plays mix and match: Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the time is coming for him to begin experimenting with players at various positions. It happens every camp, as left tackles become right tackles and inside linebackers become outside linebackers. "(The point is to) build up our depth and to also possibly create more value for the player with his position versatility," Belichick said. "A lot of guys that have kind of been in one spot are reaching a point here where you'll start to see them in some different spots." -- Boston Herald

The Patriots received a special visitor, as former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan spent the day watching as a guest of Bill Belichick. -- Boston Herald

Patriot News and Moves (from 8/4/09)

2009-08-05T06:43:00.001-04:00

Tom Brady believes receiving substantial playing time in preseason games is a must. Thanks to a foot injury, the Patriots quarterback missed all four preseason games in 2008. He wonders if an increased level of preparation would have helped him avoid torn ligaments in his left knee that forced him to sit out virtually all of last season. "It was unfortunate that I wasn't out there last year because hopefully that really could've helped me out in terms of my timing for the first game," Brady said yesterday in an interview on Sirius Satellite Radio's Mad Dog Channel. "You never know if I could've avoided the hit that I took had I been out there to understand the presence in the pocket. So I want to be out there to participate." -- Boston Herald

The Patriots are scheduled to host free agent defensive end Kevin Carter on a visit to Gillette Stadium, according to an NFL source. Carter, 35, has been one of the NFL's most durable players over his 14-year career, never missing a regular-season game. ... Carter could add depth and production on the defensive line, although he has turned down other overtures earlier this year. The Lions had visited with Carter and were interested in signing him. -- Boston Globe

Jeff Zillgitt, of USA Today, reports New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said the team feels like they have a good competition at running back this year. RBs Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk are all in the mix. The Patriots have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2004, and so far there it appears they will have a committee approach again in 2009. Belichick said he plans to put the running backs out on the field and let them compete. 'I think we would be able to get production from all of them because that's what they have done in the past,' Belichick said. -- USA Today

Christopher Gasper, from the Boston Globe, reports Kevin O'Connell acknowledged that in his second camp he expects more out of himself and so does the team, but he has been a little inconsistent during the first four days of camp. Belichick said Friday that O'Connell progressed during the offseason. "I think he certainly understands the offense better than he did last year," said Belichick. "He's got to continue to work on the execution. The offense demands a lot of different things and has a lot of different elements to it. Multiple receivers, multiple tight ends, play actions, spread offense - all those kinds of things. I think Kevin's come a long way in terms of being under center, which is something he did very little of in college at San Diego State. Most of the time he was in the shotgun, so some of the things under center are mechanically a lot better than they were last year." -- Boston Globe

Patriot News and Moves (from 8/3/09)

2009-08-04T06:20:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday QB Tom Brady - Brady turned 32 on 8/3/09

The Patriots have released third-year veteran Matt Gutierrez.

The Patriots have officially announced that they've signed free-agent quarterback Andrew Walter. Walter (6-6, 230) spent the last four seasons with Oakland. He entered the league in 2005 as a third-round draft choice out of Arizona State. Walter has started nine of 15 games and completed 174 of 333 passes for 1,919 yards and three touchdowns.

In signing Andrew Walter and releasing Matt Gutierrez, the Patriots put a priority on adding more experience behind quarterback Tom Brady. The club had also worked out five-year veteran Cleo Lemon last Friday.

Alex Marvez of Foxsports.com reported that the Patriots are interested in free-agent defensive end Kevin Carter. Carter has one of the more remarkable statistics for a defensive lineman in that he has never missed a game over his 14-year career. Carter is scheduled to visit with the club on Tuesday. -- foxsports.com

Outside linebacker Vince Redd, who was waived by the Patriots on Sunday, has been claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Adam Caplan of Scout.com. The Chiefs' general manager, Scott Pioli, spent the last nine years in New England running the personnel department.

Pats DT Jarvis Green denies saying he wants to play for Saints. Did he really mean it when he was quoted as saying he wanted to finish off his career with the New Orleans Saints? "This is my last year with the Patriots ," Green was quoted in The Courier of Houma, La., and on HoumaToday as saying. "I'd love to come home and finish off as a Saint." Green claimed the above sentiment was completely false. The Louisiana native, who is in the final year of a contract with the Patriots that will pay him $2.5 million this season. -- Boston Herald

Joey Galloway - It was Pats or Steelers: Joey Galloway's thought process as a free agent was much simpler. "I wanted to win," said Galloway, entering his 15th season. "That's it. I talked to here and Pittsburgh." Galloway picked the Pats over the defending Super Bowl champs, giving Belichick his much-needed, do-everything receiver. Four days into camp, the union between the former eighth overall pick in 1995 and one of the league's most prolific offenses appears positive. Ask Galloway about playing with Moss, Welker and quarterback Tom Brady . All you get is gushing. "These guys are talented," said Galloway, who last played for the Buccaneers. "That's what you see first. That's not a secret. They're intelligent guys. That makes it a lot easier to go out on a football field and communicate." -- Boston Herald

Former Pats WR Troy Brown invests in beer company: Since his 2008 retirement, former Patriot WR Troy Brown is an investor in Narragansett Beer, among other projects. He said fans still recognize him, an experience that he cherishes. "People will talk about the games they saw me play in my career and how much they appreciated the way I played the game," said Brown, the franchise's all-time leader in catches with 557. "It's got to make you feel good. To still be recognized in the community somewhere, outside of your helmet, it's a good thing." -- Boston Herald

Patriot News and Moves (8-2-09) Part2

2009-08-03T06:15:00.002-04:00

Patriots great Troy Brown stopped by the team's walkthrough practice Sunday afternoon and chatted with reporters. Brown told reporters he didn't rule out getting back into the game in a coaching or personnel capacity. "Football is what I know best," said Brown. "That's what I did for 30 years of my life. After doing it for so long I want to try some different stuff. But we'll see what happens. It's always in the back of my mind." -- Boston Globe

Robert Kraft on interest in Michael Vick: "Well, I think each situation would probably be unique and I can't speak about how things work in other areas or other teams. This is a complicated one. I would think that most owners would want to have some kind of input into the decision, at least, I wouldn't do it from a football end but just understanding everything. But for us, that's an academic problem because we've got the No. 1 player at that position in the world as far as I'm concerned and why would we ever want to do anything that would take him off the field for one play?"

The Patriots released second-year outside linebacker Vince Redd. The team also signed free-agent outside linebacker Rob Ninkovich and rookie defensive back Jamar Love. -- Boston Globe

One nugget from Bill Belichick's SIRIUS Radio interview to pass along: He called the competition at tight end, with Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker, Alex Smith, David Thomas and Tyson DeVree, the best he's seen in his 10 years with the Patriots. -- Boston Globe

The Patriots are the NFL's oldest team - an average of 27 years, 93 days, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. -- Boston Herald

Patriot News and Moves (8-2-09)

2009-08-02T06:56:00.001-04:00

Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork is entering the sixth year of the six-year rookie contract he signed in 2004. He would have preferred a lucrative long-term extension.

The popular website Profootballtalk.com is reporting that the Patriots hosted veteran free-agent quarterback Cleo Lemon on a visit at Gillette Stadium on Friday.

The Patriots announced that punter Tom Malone has been waived. The Patriots had been the only NFL team to open training camp with two punters and two snappers on the roster. Waiving Malone opens a roster spot, perhaps for a player at a different position.

Safety Antwain Spann, who was released by the Patriots on Monday, has signed a contract to join the Buffalo Bills.

Brady expects to play in Pre-season: Quarterback Tom Brady's injured left knee is progressing to the point that he should be on the field for preseason games. In a wide-ranging group interview, Brady was asked if he thinks he'll play in the preseason, and if he'll push to play.

"Yeah, I think I'll play," he said. "Last year, it wasn't like I wasn't supposed to play. I would have loved to have played, but some circumstances came up where I couldn't. I think it's really important for a quarterback to be out there playing. If you're the leader of the offense, you have to be out there leading in the preseason and the practices. I'm excited for those games, because I think we can make improvements in those games."

Matchups will determine RBs playing time: Mike Reiss, from the Boston Globe, reports Kevin Faulk should get the most playing time in the Patriots backfield because he's such a big part of the passing game. When it comes to the more traditional running back role, Reiss thinks it will be a committee, with Fred Taylor getting the first crack, followed by Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney. Matchups against the opposition should play a big part in determining playing time.

Belichick on Michael Vick: Here is a nugget from Bill Belichick's interview with SIRIUS NFL Radio, in which he explained his approach in answering questions from media members about Michael Vick.

Bill Belichick: (laughs) "Yeah, you know, sometimes - and you know what, I'm not trying to be evasive or difficult. Really, if it was a simple yes or no answer I'd be happy to give it. In a lot of cases there are different shades of gray. Sometimes players, depending on the situation, things can change quickly. Players you don't have interest in, a short period of time later you do, and players that you do have interest in, a short period of time later you don't for one reason or another. Pat (Kirwan), you've been on that side of it before and you know how that can change. We were actually in a situation very recently, within the last 48 hours, where as a group staff we were talking about a particular player and we kind of collectively said, 'You know, we really don't think we have much interest in that player at this time.' And by the next morning we were talking to that player and his agent about trying to get something done. That's kind of the nature of it and I'm always reluctant to go out there and say, 'We're not going to do this,' or, 'We're not going to do that,' and then a day or two or a week later then you look like an idiot when you've changed. Really, the truth of the matter is, things do change and the situation changes and that changes what your perspective is on a different situation, whether it's a player or it could be a lot of things."

Source: boston.com

Patriot News and Moves (7-30-09)

2009-07-30T06:17:00.000-04:00

The Patriots announced the signing of Hawaii long snapper Jake Ingram, one of their two sixth-round draft choices. Ingram (6-3, 235) began his college career as a walk-on defensive end in 2005 before making the move to a long snapper. Only draft pick not to sign yet is linebacker Tyrone McKenzie (third round).

Safety Antwain Spann, who was released by the Patriots on Monday, is scheduled to work out for the Buffalo Bills on Friday.

The team announced the release of rookie defensive back Jamar Love, who had signed as a free agent out of Arkansas on April 30, 2009. The Patriots also announced that they have signed DB Herana-Daze Jones, and released OL Jermail Porter.

The Sporting News has put together a ranking of the top 50 coaches of all-time -- in all sports -- and Bill Belichick is No. 20.

The fifth-annual SIRIUS NFL Radio Training Camp Tour will stop at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, August 1. The "Movin' The Chains" show, with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan, is scheduled to broadcast live from training camp from 2-6 p.m. that day.

Patriot News and Moves

2009-07-28T06:11:00.002-04:00

The Patriots announced the signing of rookie safety Patrick Chung. The 5-foot, 11-inch, 212-pound Chung was the first of the Patriots' four second-round picks, taken No. 34 overall. That was the pick the Patriots obtained from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for quarterback Matt Cassel and outside linebacker Mike Vrabel.

The team announced the release of safety Antwain Spann after the Chung signing.

According to an NFL source, Patriots second-year outside linebacker Shawn Crable and veteran left defensive end Ty Warren will start training camp on the team's physically unable to perform list. Crable's inclusion on the list is a surprise, as he participated in organized team activities during the off-season. Warren had surgery on both groins in January and also had a procedure to clean up his right knee in February.

The Patriots also placed rookie wide receiver Brandon Tate on the PUP, who is rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered playing for the University of North Carolina.

Additional PUP players: rookie offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger, offensive tackle Mark LeVoir (shoulder), rookie defensive lineman Darryl Richard and offensive lineman Jermail Porter.

The Patriots are hosting rookie Missouri defensive end/outside linebacker Stryker Sulak. Sulak was a sixth-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders this year, 199th overall, but was waived before signing a contract.The Raiders selected Sulak with a draft choice they acquired from the Patriots in a draft-day trade -- the Patriots shipped a second-rounder (47th, S Mike Mitchell), fourth-rounder (124th, WR Louis Murphy) and sixth-rounder (199th, Stryker Sulak) for the Raiders' second-round pick (40th, DT Ron Brace).

Pats are now 9 out of 12 (rookie signings)

2009-07-18T15:16:00.002-04:00

July 15th - The Patriots have signed rookie defensive lineman Darryl Richard, the second of their two seventh-round picks (No. 234 overall), to a four-year deal.The 6-foot, 4-inch, 290-pound Richard was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for Georgia Tech last season, after he had 34 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks. One of Richard's greatest assets -- on and off the field -- is his intelligence. He scored a 37 on the Wonderlic intelligence test given to NFL draft prospects. That was the highest score of any Patriots draft pick, and the top mark among all defensive linemen in the draft.

July 16th - The Patriots have locked up yet another draft pick, signing offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer, the fourth of the team's four second-round picks (taken No. 58 overall). The 6-foot, 8-inch, 315-pound Vollmer was born in Düsseldorf, Germany; he did not start playing football until he was 14, but still led his German prep school team to a pair of national titles.

July 16th - The Patriots have reached a deal with third-round pick Wide Receiver Brandon Tate. It is for four years with a $755,000 signing bonus. A wide receiver/kickoff and punt returner, Tate was the first of the Patriots' two third-round picks, taken No. 83 overall. He is one of only nine players in NCAA history to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game and he holds the Carolina records for career kickoff and punt returns for scores (six) and single-season combined kickoff and punt TDs (three). Tate is still recovering from his knee injury and did not participate in the off-season practices that were open to the media. He had surgery on Oct. 15 and could start the season on injured reserve.

July 16th - The Patriots are continuing their spree of deals with draft picks. According to a league source, the team and seventh-round pick Julian Edelman have come to terms on a deal. Taken with the first of the team's two seventh-round picks (No. 232 overall), he was a dangerous dual threat quarterback the last three seasons at Kent State. But the Patriots are converting Edelman to wide receiver, where he showed encouraging progress between rookie mini-camp and the team's mandatory mini-camp.

July 17th - The Patriots have signed another draft pick, locking up nose tackle Ron Brace. Brace hadsagreed to a four-year deal with the club with roughly $2.82 million in guarantees. Brace, a Boston College standout, was the Patriots' second overall selection in the 2009 draft and the second of the team's four second-round picks, taken with the 40th overall selection. The 6-foot, 3-inch, 330-pound Brace is a native of Springfield and attended Worcester Burncoat High School. He teamed with BC's B.J. Raji, a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, to give the Eagles one of the top interior defensive line tandems in the nation last season.

July 17 - The Patriots have come to an agreement with fifth-round pick offensive lineman George Bussey. According to a league source, Bussey, an offensive lineman from Louisville, has agreed to a four-year deal. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 306-pound Bussey is the ninth of the Patriots' 12 draft picks to reach a deal with the team.

Note - The only remaining picks who haven't signed or come to terms are the team's top overall pick, safety Patrick Chung, third-round pick linebacker Tyrone McKenzie and sixth-round pick long-snapper Jake Ingram.

Patriots sign draft pick Butler

2009-07-12T06:25:00.001-04:00

The Patriots have agreed to a four-year deal with second-round draft pick Darius Butler. A league source has confirmed the details of the contract that Patriots cornerback Darius Butler, the third of the team's four second round picks (No. 41 overall) has agreed to. Butler gets a four-year deal for about $4.125 million.

Butler gets more than $2 million guaranteed in the form of a $440,000 roster bonus and a $1.6275 million guaranteed option bonus. His base salaries will be $310,000 (2009), $395,000 (2010), $582,000 (2011) and $770,000 (2012).

It is a mild surprise that Butler is the first of the Patriots' four second-round picks to sign. He is a client of mega-agent Drew Rosenhaus, who is known as a tough negotiator, but Rosenhaus said it was a "very smooth negotiation."

Butler is the second of the Patriots' 12 draft picks to come to terms on a contract. Offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger agreed to a four-year deal worth approximately $2.2 million on June 12.

Patriots not interested in Vick

2009-06-29T06:14:00.000-04:00

Sources tell Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post that one team that won't be interested in QB Michael Vick is the New England Patriots. Many have felt that Vick might be an option in New England, but Lombardi says he's told that the scheme and the lack of potential to become an eventual starter aren't suitable to him. New England has a history of taking troubled players and turning them around but it did seem that Vick would have been a stretch in this system. -- Michael Lombardi, National Football Post

Patriot News (June 13 - 20)

2009-06-20T06:57:00.000-04:00

As part of the Patriots All-Access program, Belichick was asked about some of the team's younger players stepping up. Outside linebacker Shawn Crable, who is a candidate to replace Mike Vrabel, was part of his answer. "Players like Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable and guys like that, they've been in here the whole offseason. They haven't missed a day," Belichick said. "I don't think you have to ask them to step up. I think they want to step up and be the players they can be and hit their potential."

The Patriots have hired Frank Edgerly for a position in their scouting department, the Asbury Park Press reports today. Edgerly has served the last 10 years as head coach at Red Bank Catholic High School.

As expected, the Patriots announced the signing of fourth-round pick Rich Ohrnberger. Ohrnberger reached terms with the team last week on a four-year deal worth approximately $2.20 million, including a $451,000 signing bonus. The 6-2, 291-pound Ohrnberger was taken with the No. 123 overall pick, which the Patriots obtained by sending the two fifth-round picks they received from Philadelphia for cornerback Ellis Hobbs to the Baltimore Ravens, who also sent a sixth-round pick (long snapper Jake Ingram) back to New England.

The Patriots announced that rookie inside linebacker Antonio Appleby has been released. Appleby was originally signed by New England as a rookie free agent out of Virginia on April 30, 2009. The Patriots have Jerod Mayo, Tedy Bruschi, Gary Guyton, Eric Alexander, Paris Lenon and Vinny Ciurciu as options at the position, with Mayo and Bruschi the returning starters. Third-round draft choice Tyrone McKenzie was projected to help, but he tore his ACL in rookie minicamp and is expected to miss the season.

Patriots News: Wilfork and Harrison

2009-06-05T06:10:00.000-04:00

Pats NT Vince Wilfork talks in third person about contract status

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Vince Wilfork termed his status "day-to-day." He wasn't sure if he'd be able to show up for any practice session, mandatory or otherwise, if his contract situation wasn't resolved. He indicated this could go on for weeks, even months, which would put training camp into play. "My main thing is that Vince Wilfork is looking out for Vince Wilfork, point-blank. Whatever it may be. If it calls for me to miss something I'm going to miss it because I look toward the future. That's how I'm going to roll. Something may change in a couple of days, something might not change. I'll take it day by day. I'm looking out for my family and myself. That's the bottom line." -- Boston Herald

Rodney Harrison not apologizing for style of play

Rodney Harrison explained that it was important to him to leave the game while he could still walk. He said he respects the game too much to put his ex-teammates "through the joyride" of a comeback. He made no apologies for his style of play over his 15-year career with the Pats and San Diego Chargers. "People have called me a dirty player," Harrison said. "I'm a very passionate player. I also understand that this is not volleyball. This is a very violent, physical game, and if you hit someone in the mouth, they're not going to be your friend. That's what the game of football is." -- Boston Herald

Patriots help fans get their passports

The New England Patriots , who will play their first international regular-season game in London in October, are teaming up with the U.S. Postal Service to help fans get their passports. -- Boston Herald

Patriots Rodney Harrison - NFL to NBC

2009-06-04T06:18:00.000-04:00

Patriots Rodney Harrison is going from the NFL to NBC

The 36-year-old Harrison announced that he is retiring after 15 seasons (the last six with the Patriots) to pursue a broadcast career as part of NBC Sports' NFL coverage.

Holding a conference call in which he officially announced his retirement, he opened with a joke: "Today is a very exciting day for me. Contrary to what you guys have reported, I just got off the phone with Coach Belichick and I'm very excited about getting acclimated with my teammates and getting back out on the field. Knee feels great. He told me that I don't really have to report until September 1. So I'm very excited about that."

There was silence on the conference call, before Harrison said "I'm just pulling your leg."

The move to leave the NFL was expected. Harrison was part of NBC's coverage of Super Bowl XLIII in February and also did work for the NFL Network during the playoffs. His contract with the Patriots expired after the 2008 season.

Harrison joined the Patriots in 2003 and won a pair of Super Bowl rings. A two-time Pro Bowler, he is the only player in NFL history with more than 30 sacks (30.5) and 30 interceptions (34).

“Rodney Harrison is one of the best players I have ever coached. In the biggest games, in any situation and on a weekly basis, his production was phenomenal. Rodney is the best practice player I have seen in 35 years in the NFL, which is a testament to his exceptional passion for the game and his desire to sustain and improve his level of play. Regardless of his status on the team and in the league, Rodney’s approach to preparation spoke volumes about his devotion to the team and his ability to raise every player’s game. Rodney embodies all the attributes coaches seek and appreciate – toughness, competitiveness, leadership, selflessness, hard work, intensity, professionalism – and coming from Rodney, they are contagious. I am honored to have coached Rodney Harrison and am grateful for his significant impact on my career and the success of the New England Patriots.” -- Coach Bill Belichick

An apprehensive Tom Brady?

2009-05-31T06:59:00.001-04:00

Karen Guregian, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (knee) said during a radio interview that he likely will be a little apprehensive during games early in the season when players will be falling around his legs.

'I'm sure there's some aspect of that. I couldn't imagine there wouldn't be. Obviously, in this camp here, I haven't noticed that at all. How much, and to what degree remains to be seen. I'm anticipating going out there and feeling great and trying to do my best to lead those guys without any apprehension. If you do doubt, it will have an effect, sometimes noticeable, sometimes not noticeable. I'd love to get to the point where I completely forget about it. I'm inching toward that every time I take the field either in practice or off-field conditioning. That's when you really want to move past it,' Brady said.

Brady, Maroney, and Lenon

2009-05-28T06:27:00.001-04:00

David Lefort, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (knee) participated in practice Wednesday, May 27. Brady, who wasn't wearing pads, was throwing to new acquisition Joey Galloway and familiar target Randy Moss.

David Lefort, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots RB Laurence Maroney (shoulder) participated in practice Wednesday, May 27. Laurence Maroney is currently 4th on the depth chart behind Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk.

The Patriots have officially announced the signing of linebacker Paris Lenon. When rookie Tyrone McKenzie injured his knee in rookie mini camp, it created the need for more depth, and Lenon with potential contributions on special teams, an important part of the equation, has a chance to fill the void. -- Boston Globe

Signs point to DE Jason Taylor landing in New England

2009-05-09T08:04:00.001-04:00

Shalise Manza Young, of The Providence Journal, reports free-agent DL Jason Taylor (Redskins) is expected to make a decision on his future by the end of May and signs point to him signing with the New England Patriots. The Patriots drafted only one linebacker in the 2009 NFL Draft and there are some that believe Taylor and New England already have a handshake agreement in place. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has also allowed veterans to stay at home until training camp begins at the end of July in the past, giving them a playbook and telling them to stay in shape until camp begins. Patriots owner Robert Kraft has already said this off season that Taylor can become a Patriot if that's what he wants. Chris Mortensen of ESPN is also reporting this as well. The Patriots certainly know how to get the most out of older veterans so this move would make a lot of sense.

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Patriots Rookie LB McKensie out for season

2009-05-06T20:10:00.001-04:00

Patriots rookie linebacker Tyrone McKenzie, who was injured during the team's rookie mini-camp last weekend, is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, according to a source close to the rookie.

The season-ending knee injury is the latest obstacle in McKenzie's hard-luck football career, which was temporarily suspended in college when a car accident involving his mother forced him to leave school and work at a hotel to take care of his family.

McKenzie was selected in the third round of this year's draft (97th overall). Prior to draft picks participating in a mini-camp, their agents receive a tender letter and an injury protection agreement from teams. Last year's 97th overall pick, Bengals receiver Andre Caldwell, received a reported four-year, $2.265 million contract with a $560,000 signing bonus. Because the Patriots agreed to negotiate in good faith, McKenzie can still expect to sign a similar contract to Caldwell's.

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Patriots like their Tight Ends

2009-05-02T09:14:00.001-04:00

In trading for Buccaneers tight end Alex Smith, the Patriots further load up at a position in which they already had strong numbers with five players.

The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Smith is considered a combination type tight end, who is a factor as a blocker and in the passing game, although he is not overly physical at the line of scrimmage and is more of a "move" option. His versatility should help the Patriots in both the running and passing games.

Bill Belichick's view on the trade: "That's something that has kind of been, I don't want to say in the works, but has been out there for a while," he said. "We just felt like, given the player and the situation and what the compensation was, it was something that we wanted to do. I feel like Alex is a good player. He's done a lot of different things for Tampa Bay -- in the passing game, in the running game, pass protection. Smart guy. Athletic. In Coach Gruden's offense, which they ran down there, you see him doing a lot of different things, lined up in different spots -- playing on the line, playing off the line, playing in motion, playing split out, different kind of routes and so forth they run. I think you see him with a versatile set of skills. Can play in the kicking game. Athletic. We'll see how all that comes together, but we felt at this point that it gives us good depth at that position and we felt like the compensation was fair, so we went ahead and did it."

Current TEs on Roster (with year contract expires):
Alex Smith (2009)
Chris Baker (2013, option bonus after 2010)
Benjamin Watson (2009)
David Thomas (2009)
Tyson DeVree (2010)
Brad Listorti (2009)

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Patriots Rookie Draft - Belichick's Thoughts - Day 2

2009-04-27T09:14:00.002-04:00

"We had an interesting day today. Things turned out at the end a little different from the way they looked like they were going to start. I’ll just kind of recap things for you from the way they unfolded this morning. We came in and had the four picks in the third round and Jacksonville pretty quickly came after that first third round pick and we pushed that into a second round pick in next year’s draft. And then we selected Brandon Tate. He’s a very versatile player, an explosive returner. He was a very productive player at North Carolina the last couple of years. I think a combination of factors, certainly the injury and other factors, probably led to him being available at that point in the draft and we felt like that was a good value at that point. And then Tennessee was involved in that third pick and we pushed that to the 2010 draft as well in the second round. And then in the compensatory pick we took Tyrone McKenzie. He’s an interesting player that we caught up with at the Senior Bowl. He started off at Michigan State, was a productive player there. He had some family situations so he had to leave Michigan state [and] go to Iowa State. Started in that program -- same thing at Iowa State. Went to South Florida, walked on at South Florida, and again jumped in and was an immediate impact player on that program as well. I think his versatility and being involved in some different defensive systems, how quickly he was able to adapt and be productive and show his flexibility and versatility in those things was pretty impressive at a very high level and really almost immediately he was a positive impact in those programs. So it kind of felt like we were going to have a little lull in the action there and kind of get caught up and get reorganized a little bit and [we] ended up making a trade with Philadelphia for the two fifth round picks at the top of the fifth round. We traded Ellis [Hobbs] there. I’ll just say that the Ellis Hobbs trade was not really something that we anticipated. It was just one of those things that, based on the way things went and where are team was and what the opportunity was with Philadelphia and so forth, we felt that that was the best thing to do for our team. So we made that transaction, and then moved back up into the fourth round to take Rich Ohrnberger. Rich is a strong, physical inside player at Penn State. He’s played primarily guard, but has also worked at center. I think he has some versatility in there. [We] also moved into the sixth round as part of that trade and ended up picking up Jake Ingram, a long snapper from Hawaii. And then we added a couple more big guys along the way with [Myron] Pryor and [Darryl] Richard and [George] Bussey. So we ended up with three offensive lineman, three defensive lineman [in this draft] and I just don’t think you can ever enough of those guys. That’s not any kind of commentary on anybody who’s here or isn’t here, it’s just we had picks, they were available and they’re not usually there and we took them. I think it’s a little bit unusual that we ended up with all three [offensive] linemen who were non combine guys and the fact that they weren’t at the combine and kind of the way that we evaluated them in their private workouts and so forth, I think all of them are pretty impressive, all different. [Sebastian] Vollmer is a big right tackle, a big good-looking right tackle type of guy. Ohrnberger is more of an inside player, center/guard type. Bussey played right tackle at Louisville on the same line as [Eric] Wood and was a very effective player there. And [Julian] Edelman, of course, is another non combine guy who played quarterback at Kent State. A very good runner. We see him as a player who has some versatility, probably as a receiver, maybe a running back. We’ll see how that goes. He also played in the kicking game, so we kind of took him as an athlete and we’ll just see how all that works out. That’s kind of where we are here at the end of the day today. A big day of team building. We’re looking forward to bringing everybody in this weekend and seeing how that crop looks. Sorry for the long-winded recap, but I think that’s most of it."

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Patriots Picks and Trades - Day 1

2009-04-26T07:15:00.005-04:00

The rumors of the Patriots moving up in the draft was just that - rumors! The Patriots actually traded out of the first round, adding additional picks in the second and third rounds (that is where the value is based on economics of the NFL). The Patriots definitely did not address the areas of ILB, OLB, or DE day 1, areas whick many felt were the pressing needs of the team. There did seem to be capable players on the board to fill those needs (James Laurinaitis, Rey Maualuga, Everett Brown, and Connor Barwin) at the times when the Patriots were selecting. Most will not question Bill Belichick when it comes to drafting, but I think he could have addressed the needs listed above, and still have gotten many of the players he drafted. In Bill We Trust...

Day One Summary:
Patriot traded out of the first round

(Round 1 - Pick 23 - 23d overall - The Patriots acquired a 2009 first-round selection (No. 26 overall – LB Clay Matthews) and a 2009 fifth-round selection (No. 162 overall) from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2009 first-round selection (No. 23 overall – T Michael Oher).

(Round 1 - Pick 26 - 26th overall - The Patriots acquired a 2009 second-round selection (No. 41 overall – DB Darius Butler), a 2009 third-round selection (No. 73 overall) and a 2009 third-round selection (No. 83 overall) from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2009 first-round selection (No. 26 overall – LB Clay Matthews) and a 2009 fifth-round selection (No. 162 overall).

Round 2 - Pick 2 - 34th overall - From Kansas City - Patrick Chung, S, Oregon

Round 2 - Pick 8 - 40th overall - From Oakland - Ron Brace, DL, Boston College

Round 2 - Pick 9 - 41st overall - From Green Bay - Darius Butler, CB, UConn

(Round 2 - Pick 15 - 47th overall - The Patriots acquired a 2009 second-round selection (No. 40 overall – DL Ron Brace) from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a 2009 second-round selection (No. 47 overall), a 2009 fourth-round selection (No. 124 overall) and a 2009 sixth-round selection (No. 199 overall)

Round 2 - Pick 26 - 58th overall - Assigned - Sebastian Volmer, OL, Houston

Patriots now have four third round picks for Day 2

My Patriot draft would have looked more like this:

#34 - ILB - Rey Maualuga or James Laurinaitis
#40 - DT Ron Brace - like the pick in case things with Vincent Wilfork do not work out
#41 - CB Darius Butler - love the pick, many had him going in the first round
#58 - S - Rashad Johnson - Since the Patriots picked a safety with their first pick, I picked one here. I did not want to make an assumption that Patrick Chung would be available at this pick. I am sure the Patriots are preparing to replace Rodney Harrison's role.

I do think that Sebastian Volmer would have still been available in the third round for the Patriots to draft.

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Patriots Rookie Draft - Belichick's Thoughts - Day 1

2009-04-26T06:08:00.008-04:00

"We had an interesting day today. I think, as I said in the pre-draft press conference, we’ve never really gone into a draft, kind of like the way we did today, with the late first-round pick [and] three second-round picks with a lot of flexibility. We started off the day with six picks in the first three rounds and we ended up with eight picks in the first three rounds. It felt like that was a good area to be in this draft from a depth standpoint and the quality of the players we were getting with those picks. So we felt like that kind of worked out. We didn’t know it was going to go that way, but it worked out that way. We’ll see how the day goes tomorrow. I wouldn’t rule out any movement tomorrow either. We’ll just have to see how that goes.

The first pick, Patrick Chung, the kid has had a lot of production at Oregon. [He’s] a good solid player. I think he does everything pretty well. He plays the run, plays the pass, man coverage, had a real good Senior Bowl, good in the kicking game. So he’s a strong player on all three levels of the field [and] on special teams. And then let’s talk about the other defensive back, [Darius] Butler. [He’s] a real good athlete and another good Senior Bowl guy. He had an excellent workout at UConn. He’s a high-quality kid, smart, a very good understanding of the defense, [and is] a well conditioned athlete. The two big kids — [Ron] Brace and [Sebastian] Vollmer – Brace is an inside player, big man, powerful, explosive. So he gives a good element of size and power. Vollmer is a big offensive tackle. He’s played both sides. He’s played left side and also played right side at the East-West game. All those guys are mature guys. [They’re] guys that have had full good careers, played in all-star games [and] have had a good track record all the way through their college careers. So we are looking forward to getting them on the field and letting them compete for the opportunities that we have on our team. [There are] a couple local connections. It’s coincidental, but it’s always good to build your roster with guys from BC, UConn and the New England area. It’s a little added cherry on the top." -- Patriots' media relations department

Day One Summary:
Patriot traded out of the first round

(Round 1 - Pick 23 - 23d overall - The Patriots acquired a 2009 first-round selection (No. 26 overall – LB Clay Matthews) and a 2009 fifth-round selection (No. 162 overall) from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2009 first-round selection (No. 23 overall – T Michael Oher).

(Round 1 - Pick 26 - 26th overall - The Patriots acquired a 2009 second-round selection (No. 41 overall – DB Darius Butler), a 2009 third-round selection (No. 73 overall) and a 2009 third-round selection (No. 83 overall) from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2009 first-round selection (No. 26 overall – LB Clay Matthews) and a 2009 fifth-round selection (No. 162 overall).

Round 2 - Pick 2 - 34th overall - From Kansas City - Patrick Chung, S, Oregon

Round 2 - Pick 8 - 40th overall - From Oakland - Ron Brace, DL, Boston College

Round 2 - Pick 9 - 41st overall - From Green Bay - Darius Butler, CB, UConn

(Round 2 - Pick 15 - 47th overall - The Patriots acquired a 2009 second-round selection (No. 40 overall – DL Ron Brace) from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a 2009 second-round selection (No. 47 overall), a 2009 fourth-round selection (No. 124 overall) and a 2009 sixth-round selection (No. 199 overall)

Round 2 - Pick 26 - 58th overall - Assigned - Sebastian Volmer, OL, Houston

Patriots have four third round picks on day 2

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What do the Patriots Need?

2009-04-23T18:44:00.002-04:00

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe breaks down all of the positions...

Quarterback:
Short-term need: Depth. With Tom Brady returning from his left knee injury, adding a fourth option to the depth chart -- either in the form of a veteran or a developmental prospect -- seems like a smart move as extra insurance.

Long-term need: Moderate. Brady is signed through 2010, O'Connell through 2011 and Gutierrez through 2009.

Running Back:
Short-term need: Lead blocker. The Patriots didn't run many two-back sets with a standard fullback in 2008 -- they're more of a one-back team -- but had Heath Evans in that role when needed (e.g. Denver game). The late-season emergence by Russ Hochstein in that role could lead them to not directly fill Evans' void.

Long-term need: Moderate-to-high. Kevin Faulk's contract expires after the 2009 season, so keeping an eye on a possible pass-catching type of back could be on the radar. Taylor, Morris, Maroney and Green-Ellis all have deals that expire after the 2010 season.

Wide Receiver:
Short-term need: Answers at No. 3. The Patriots' base offense is a three-receiver set, and Jabar Gaffney -- who was on the field for 66 percent of the snaps in 2008 -- has signed with Denver. So filling the void at the No. 3 receiver spot, with Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis top candidates, is the top question.

Long-term need: Moderate-to-high. Galloway is on a one-year deal. Moss is signed through the 2010 season, while Welker and Lewis are inked through 2011.

Tight End:
Short-term need: Minor. The free-agent signing of Chris Baker should make the Patriots stronger at the line of scrimmage, and deeper than they were last season.

Long-term need: Moderate-to-high. Watson and Thomas enter the final year of their contracts. Baker's deal includes an option bonus after 2010 that essentially makes it a two-year deal.

Offensive Tackle:
Short-term need: Minor. Every offensive tackle on the roster from last season returns.

Long-term need: Moderate-to-high. Kaczur, the starting right tackle, has a deal that expires after the 2009 season. Light is signed through 2010. While LeVoir, Britt and O'Callaghan have been utilized in short stretches, and have proven to be effective, questions remain if they would be long-term answers.

Offensive Guard:
Short-term need: Minor. Every offensive guard on the roster from last season returns, with the addition of veteran C/G Al Johnson.

Long-term need: High. Both Mankins and Neal, the starters, enter the final year of their contracts. While Hochstein and Yates have filled in when called upon, they aren't considered long-term answers.

Centers:
Short-term need: Minor. The Patriots return the same personnel from 2008, with the addition of Johnson (1 year deal, $950,000) in free agency.

Long-term need: Minor. Koppen, the starter, is signed through 2011.

Nose Tackles:
Short-term need: Minor. Wilfork has become a top-flight player in the Patriots' base 3-4 scheme and seldom comes off the field on early downs. Wright is a prototype short-term fill-in.

Long-term need: High. Wilfork enters the final year of his contract, so if the team re-signs him, the long-term need is negated. Wright is a hard working backup who doesn't project as a full-time starter at nose. Adams spent last year on the practice squad.

Defensive Ends:
Short-term need: Minor. The top of the depth chart returns from 2008.

Long-term need: High. Seymour, Green and Smith are entering the final year of their contracts.

Outside Linebacker:
Short-term need: Moderate to high. The Patriots traded Mike Vrabel, creating a void at one of the starting outside linebacker spots. It's possible the replacement is on the roster -- either in the form of one player or a combination of players -- but it remains an unknown.

Long-term need: Moderate to high. It is difficult to project without seeing the year 1-to-2 progressions from Shawn Crable (2008 third-round pick) and Vince Redd (2008 rookie free agent). Woods will be on a one-year deal once signing his restricted free agent tender and Banta-Cain is also on a one-year deal.

Inside Linebacker:
Short-term need: Moderate. The Patriots return their top three players from 2008. Mayo hardly came off the field, while Bruschi (early downs) and Guyton (third down) split time.

Long-term need: Moderate to high. Bruschi enters the final year of his contract, so grooming a future replacement is likely on the radar.

Cornerback:
Short-term need: Moderate. Hobbs returns after starting last season and free-agent signees Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs -- as well as 2008 draft choices Terrence Wheatley (second round) and Jonathan Wilhite (fourth round) -- figure to challenge for starting cornerback spots as well.

Long-term need: Moderate to high. Hobbs and Bodden have contracts that expire after the 2009 season, and if they're not back, it creates more openings at the position.

Safety:
Short-term need: Moderate to high. Meriweather and Sanders, who started as a tandem throughout the second half of last season, return in 2009. The Patriots entered last season with Rodney Harrison, Meriweather and Sanders at the top of the depth chart, so they aren't as deep at this point. Springs would probably be the third option, but he's more of a cornerback.

Long-term need: Moderate to high. Sanders and Meriweather are signed through 2011. Springs is also signed for three seasons.

Specialist:
Short-term need: Moderate. Gostkowski is coming off a Pro Bowl appearance and Hodel was signed to fill the void as snapper when Lonie Paxton signed with the Broncos. The competition to watch is at punter.

Long-term need: High. Each specialist enters the final year of his contract.

Patriots' 2009 schedule

2009-04-14T20:51:00.002-04:00

A look at the Patriots' 2009 schedule, as seen on Patriots.com, the team's official Web site:

Sept. 14 (Monday) -- vs. Buffalo (7 p.m., ESPN)
Sept. 20 – at N.Y. Jets (1 p.m., CBS)
Sept. 27 – vs. Atlanta (1 p.m., Fox)
Oct. 4 – vs. Baltimore (1 p.m., CBS)
Oct. 11 – at Denver (4:15 p.m., CBS)
Oct. 18 – vs. Tennessee (4:15 p.m., CBS)
Oct. 25 -- at Buccaneers (in London, 1 p.m.)
Nov. 1 -- BYE Week
Nov. 8 – vs. Miami (1 p.m., CBS)
Nov. 15 – at Indianapolis (8:20 p.m., NBC)
Nov. 22 – vs. N.Y. Jets (4:15 p.m., CBS)*
Nov. 30 (Monday) – at New Orleans (8:30 p.m., ESPN)
Dec. 6 – at Miami (8:20 p.m., NBC)*
Dec. 13 – vs. Carolina (1 p.m., Fox)*
Dec. 20 – at Buffalo (1 p.m., CBS)*
Dec. 27 – vs. Jacksonville (1 p.m., CBS)*
Jan. 3 – at Houston (1 p.m., CBS)*

* subject to flexible scheduling

No opponent is coming off a bye before facing the Patriots.
No opponent is coming off a short week before facing the Patriots.

Patriots.com lists the four prime-time games:

Home: Buffalo (Monday night)

Away: Miami (Sunday night), Indianapolis (Sunday night) and New Orleans (Monday night)

Patriots haven't contacted Julius Peppers agent about trade?

2009-03-22T19:45:00.001-04:00

Julius Peppers would love to play for the Patriots . That much remains true. But while there has been a report that the Patriots are primed to make a deal for the Carolina Panthers defensive end, they have yet to drop a dime to his agent, who at this stage would need to broker such a transaction. Carl Carey, who represents Peppers, indicated last night he had not yet been contacted by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, or any other member of the organization. He claimed several other teams have asked him to gauge Peppers' interest. Just not the Patriots. "No, they haven't been in touch," Carey said of the Pats, "but we have had preliminary discussions with GMs from other clubs in the league." While Belichick didn't comment on whether he had spoken to Carey, he did say on WEEI yesterday that in the cases of franchised players such as Peppers, he preferred dealing with the club, as opposed to an agent. Given Peppers has yet to sign his $16.68 million franchise tender, the Panthers cannot have conversations with other teams about him. Carey, however, can talk with teams and pursue a potential contract. After acknowledging there were no trade talks with the Panthers because there can't be, Belichick sounded as if he was nudging Peppers to sign the tender, saying he didn't like using an agent as a go-between. -- Boston Herald

Ben's Take: I've learned over the years not to believe anything Belichick says to the media. He's a spin doctoer who has created cheap copies in Mangini, Weis and McDaniels around football. Bottom line... If Peppers wants to play in New England, the trade happens! -- Ben Maller's NFL rumors

More New England Patriot Roster Moves...

2009-03-16T19:32:00.001-04:00

Coming:

You've gotta hand it to the Patriots, they're always willing to stockpile receivers. A little more than a week after acquiring Greg Lewis to help replace the departed Jabar Gaffney, they added Joey Galloway to the mix on a one-year contract.

The Patriots officially announced the signing of cornerback Shawn Springs. Springs spent the past five seasons with the Washington Redskins after playing the previous seven with the Seattle Seahawks, who chose him with the third overall pick of the 1997 draft out of Ohio State. He has started 147 of his 157 games with 32 interceptions and six fumble recoveries.

The Patriots have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with free agent cornerback Leigh Bodden. The 27-year-old Bodden was released by the Detroit Lions on Feb. 9, after a season in which he had one interception -- although it was the only interception by a defensive back for the 0-16 Lions, who had just four all season. Bodden played last year for the Detroit Lions after spending his first five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, who signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent from Duquesne. Bodden had 13 interceptions and five fumble recoveries in 75 NFL games, 53 of them starts.

The Patriots have signed free agent offensive lineman Al Johnson. The 30-year-old Johnson is a veteran of six NFL seasons with the Cowboys, Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.

The Patriots made official the re-signing of nose tackle/defensive end Mike Wright, who received a four-year deal for about $7.5 million with playing time escalators that could increase the value of the deal by about $10 million.

The Patriots also re-signed offensive lineman Wesley Britt and safeties Ray Ventrone and Tank Williams.

The Patriots have signed a replacement for long snapper Lonie Paxton, who defected to Denver on the first day of free agency, signing a five-year, $5.38 million deal. New England announced today it has signed longtime Arizona Cardinals long snapper Nathan Hodel.

Going:

Larry Izzo, the Patriots' long-time special teams standout who played on all three of the franchise's Super Bowl champions, signed with the New York Jets.

The Patriots' signing of Shawn Springs probably signals the end of cornerback/safety Lewis Sanders career as a Patriot.

In the Works?

The trade that sent Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs appears to be only the first phase of some major wheeling and dealing by the New England Patriots this offseason. The second phase, NFL sources say, is likely to involve a trade that would send . . . Julius Peppers to the Patriots in exchange for the second-round pick (34th overall) they received from the Chiefs Feb. 28.

Patriot Roster Moves

2009-03-06T06:23:00.002-05:00

The Patriots keep busy during the Free Agency period...

Coming:

Free-agent cornerback Shawn Springs is expected to sign with the Patriots. The 33-year-old Springs would address one of the Patriots' more pressing needs which is cornerback help. Springs (6-0, 207) is a 12-year veteran who was released by the Redskins last week after Washington re-signed DeAngelo Hall. More to follow on this one.

The Patriots have acquired Receiver Greg Lewis from the Philadelphia Eagles. Trade compensation according to league sources, the Patriots give up a 2009 fifth-round pick and, in return, receive Lewis and a 2010 seventh-round pick. One part of this deal that was surely enticing to the Patriots is the economic aspect of it. Lewis, 29 is signed for the next three seasons at reasonable prices -- $650,000 (2009), $670,000 (2010) and $725,000 (2011) -- and the Patriots inherit that contract.

The Patriots formally announced the signings of linebacker Eric Alexander and safety James Sanders.

The Patriots announced that they have re-signed punter Chris Hanson. Hanson joins Tom Malone on the roster at punter. He finished last season strong, delivering one of his finest performances in the wind-blown finale at Buffalo.

Going:

Fullback Heath Evans, who has been a steady presence for the Patriots over the last three-plus seasons, agreed to terms on a deal with the New Orleans Saints. The Patriots presumably wanted Evans to return, but were likely only willing to extend themselves to a certain point. The Saints stretched them to an area they must have not wanted to go.

The Broncos have reached an agreement with Patriots free-agent running back LaMont Jordan. Jordan would be the third Patriot that former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has plucked from his old team, joining long-snapper Lonie Paxton and wide receiver Jabar Gaffney.

The Patriots have waived outside linebacker Darrell Robertson.

Visits:

Cornerback Chris Carr
Quarterback Patrick Ramsey
Reciever Joey Galloway
Center Al Johnson

Patriots James Sanders agrees to terms

2009-03-01T17:19:00.002-05:00

Adam Caplan, of Scout.com, reports New England Patriots have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent SS James Sanders (Patriots) on a three-year deal worth $9 million. Sanders, 25, turned down more money elsewhere to return to the Patriots.

In the past, Sanders has been credited by Patriots coaches with aiding the overall communication of the secondary, as his knowledge of the overall defense is considered valuable. He is a projected starter at safety for 2009 alongside Brandon Meriweather.

Consider this a band-aid...the Patriots will still be bringing in other players for the secondary. The Patriots have arranged a free-agent visit with CB Shawn Springs, who was released by the Redskins after five seasons. The Patriots also hosted free-agent CB Leigh Bodden on Friday. The sides did not reach a contract agreement though.

Bruschi not happy Pats traded Vrabel

2009-03-01T13:32:00.000-05:00

Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi responded via email last night to the trade of fellow linebacker Mike Vrabel, one of his closest friends on the team, and someone he shared three Super Bowl championships. Here's what he wrote: "We've lost perhaps our best all around football player. Defense, offense, special teams, Vrabes did it all. His intelligence and on field adjustments can not be replaced. This team has just changed immensely. " -- Boston Herald

Cassel and Vrabel to the Chiefs

2009-02-28T19:03:00.002-05:00

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced they have traded a second-round pick (No. 34 overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots for QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel. The deal is contingent on both players passing a physical and reporting.

It might seem that the Patriots didn't receive enough compensation for this trade, but you have to the market conditions. The Chiefs seemed like the most likely spot for Cassel to land, especially with Scott Pioli as the GM. For the Patriots, after KC, there wasn't a large market for Cassel, which was a result of three main factors: Not every team needed him; not every team could afford him; not every team was willing to part with what it would take to acquire him (draft pick).

If it was just the #34 pick for Cassel, it would seem like both sides won out. Since LB Mike Vrabel was a part of the trade though, it would seem that another draft pick was probably warranted (like a fourth rounder). The Patriots did free up over 17 Million in Cap space by doing this trade...something is probably looming on the horizon.

Stay tuned...

Patriots looking for help in secondary?

2009-02-28T07:09:00.002-05:00

CB Leigh Bodden (Lions) has left Foxborough without a deal. His agent, Alvin Keels, said that Bodden's trip went "really well, however." But the sides were not able to reach a deal. "We will continue to talk over the next couple of days," said Keels.

It looks like the Patriots will have to consider other options to fill arguably their greatest need, a playmaker in the secondary (they never did fill the Asante Samuel void). The Patriots ranked 26th out of 32 teams on third down last season, a statistic that partly reflects struggles in pass coverage.

The free agent market is not considered strong at corner, with Bryant McFadden (Steelers), Ron Bartell (Rams), and Jabari Greer (Bills) some of the top remaining targets. It looks like Lito Sheppard will be going to the Jets for draft picks.

-- Boston Globe

Patriots Splash into Free Agency...

2009-02-27T19:16:00.001-05:00

Coming:

Adam Schefter, of NFL.com, reports free-agent RB Fred Taylor (Jaguars) has agreed to terms with the New England Patriots. Terms of the deal are not available, but Taylor is expected to finish his career in New England.

The Patriots are close to finalizing a contract with free-agent TE Chris Baker. The sides have agreed to the financial terms to make Baker a Patriot. He was considered a top tight end on the free-agent market, a combination type who contributes in the blocking and passing game.

Going:

Adam Schefter, of NFL.com, reports the Denver Broncos have signed free-agent WR Jabar Gaffney (Patriots) to a four-year, $10 million deal that includes $3 million guaranteed.

Adam Schefter, of the NFL Network, reports the Denver Broncos have signed unrestricted free-agent LS Lonie Paxton (Patriots) to a five-year deal worth $5.3 million. The contract includes a $1 million signing bonus.

The Patriots today traded linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs. It is not yet clear what they will get in return. A veteran of 12 NFL seasons, Vrabel, who signed with the Patriots as a free agent in 2001, was entering the last year of his current contract and was due to make $2.2 million in base salary, but count $4.3 million against the cap. It's possible his trade was done with an eye towards creating more cap space for the Patriots.

In Waiting...

The Patriots are scheduled to host free-agent CB Leigh Bodden. The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Bodden played for the Lions last season after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Browns. He had a career-high six interceptions with the Browns in 2007 while playing under former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.

Info from KFFL.com and Boston.com

Pats get ready for Free Agency

2009-02-27T06:18:00.002-05:00

The Patriots, according to Adam Schefter of NFL.com, have the second-least amount of salary cap space with $3.2 million.

The Patriots tendered restricted free agent OLB Pierre Woods at the second-round level. The one-year tender for Woods is for $1.54 million.

The Patriots did not submit a tender offer on OL Wesley Britt, another restricted free agent. Britt could potentially stick with the team with a reduced contract.

Recent talks on contract extensions for FB Heath Evans and OL Russ Hochstein did not result in a deal, and thus both players are headed for the unrestricted market. Both could still potentially return to the Patriots.

Safety James Sanders doesn't have a deal with the Patriots to keep him off the market yet, and it doesn't appear one is going to be reached to keep Sanders from entering free agency. Sanders, 25, would be an attractive option for teams in the market for a safety and would garner interest from other teams.

With more NFL teams switching to a 3-4 defense this year, the free-agent market for a player like defensive lineman Mike Wright could expand. Wright is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, which begins at midnight. Barring an unexpected change today, he plans to test the market.

Long snapper Lonie Paxton, who has been with the club since 2000 and thus is one of the few players who was on the roster in all three Super Bowl-winning seasons, is scheduled for unrestricted free agency.

Patriots ILB Eric Alexander will not receive a restricted free agent tender from the Patriots; instead, he's agreed in principle to a one-year deal, according to a league source. The one-year agreement, which has not been signed, is less than the $1.01 million low tender in restricted free agency.

Info from Boston.com

Banta-Cain back in the Patriots fold; Washington and Yates released!

2009-02-18T18:52:00.003-05:00

The New England Patriots have signed free agent linebacker Tully Banta-Cain.

Banta-Cain, 28, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round (239th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2-inch, 250-pound linebacker played for the Patriots for four seasons from 2003-06, playing in 54 games with five starts over that period. Banta-Cain was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an unrestricted free agent on March 3, 2007, and played for the 49ers for two seasons (2007-08), playing in 28 games with 10 starts for San Francisco. For his career, Banta-Cain has played in 82 games with 15 starts and has recorded 97 tackles (65 solo), 12.0 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 71 special teams tackles.

Last season, Banta-Cain played in 12 games and recorded seven tackles (3 solo) and 19 special teams stops. He was released by the 49ers on Feb. 11, 2009.

------------------------------------------

The Patriots released WR Kelley Washington and C/G Billy Yates today. Washington, 29, has primarily been a special teams contributor in each of the last two seasons since signing with the Patriots. Yates, 28, has been a valuable reserve at center and guard, filling in as a starter in seven games in 2008. Both players were entering the final year of their contracts.

Patriots: Tag, Cassel's it!

2009-02-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

Patriots franchise Cassel

The New England Patriots announced Friday that they have utilized their 2009 franchise designation on quarterback Matt Cassel.

The cost of the franchise tag (the average of the top five highest-paid players at a given position) on Cassel is a one-year tender for $14.65 million, according to the transition and franchise tag numbers released Jan. 30 by the NFL Players Association. Since the franchise tenders are guaranteed, Cassel would count more against the cap than Brady, who is scheduled to carry a cap charge of $14.62 million for 2009.

The 26-year-old Cassel, who made 15 starts after Brady's injury, completed 63.4 percent of his passes and threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. -- Boston Globe

Pats QB Cassell wont be able to chose his next landing spot?

Matt Cassel will more than likely net a tidy sum for the Pats in the form of draft picks, and no one in recent seasons has proven more adept than using picks as currency than New England. While it is unfortunate for him that he will likely not be able to choose his next landing spot, Thursday's game of tag seems to assure that he will be in another uniform when training camp rolls around. -- Providence Journal

Patriots Coaching Exodus; Expensive Backup QB?

2009-01-24T09:10:00.001-05:00

Matt Cassel Oks backup plan with Patriots:

If the Patriots decide to keep Matt Cassel as Tom Brady's backup, Cassel's OK with it. Speaking to Comcast SportsNet's Michael Felger last night, Cassel said contract discussions with the Patriots have not yet begun, but when they do he'd be open to returning in a reserve role. "If the situation is what it is, then I would accept it and I would continue to do what I have done my entire career which is work hard, put my best foot forward and continue to work on the things that I need to and put out my best effort," Cassel said. Cassel did a series of TV interviews yesterday after accepting the award as Vizio's Top Value Performer of the Year. Speaking to ESPN, Cassel made it clear that he doesn't expect there will be a QB controversy if both he and Brady return. "This is Tom's team," he said. "The Patriots have been Tom's team. He's built that franchise up with his own two hands. He's the guy, and he was the MVP the year before. I realize that. He's been such a mentor for me that I would say, 'No, there is no quarterback competition.' But I've learned so many things from Tom, and hopefully it'll help me in my career." Beginning Feb. 5, the Patriots will have two weeks to decide whether or not to place the franchise tag on Cassel. The assumption is they will use it and tender Cassel a one-year deal worth roughly $14 million. -- Boston Herald

TE coach Pete Mangurian won't return to Patriots:

Pete Mangurian, who served as Patriots tight end coach the last four years, will not return to the team in 2009. Mangurian has been in discussions with the Buccaneers about being part of new coach Raheem Morris’ staff in Tampa Bay. Mangurian’s departure is the fourth among Patriots assistants this offseason, as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels (Broncos head coach), special assistant/secondary coach Dom Capers (Packers defensive coordinator) and special teams coach Brad Seely (Browns assistant head coach/special teams coordinator) have moved on. -- Boston Globe

Patriots name O'Brien quarterbacks coach

2009-01-22T19:08:00.000-05:00

Whoever the Patriots' starting quarterback ends up being next season - Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, or Kevin O'Connell - he will be working with Bill O'Brien as his position coach. With the departure of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels, Patriots coach Bill Belichick has decided, according to two sources familiar with the team's thinking, to turn over McDaniels's quarterbacks coach job to O'Brien, who served as the Patriots' wide receivers coach in 2008. The 39-year-old O'Brien will not officially replace McDaniels, who was introduced as coach of the Denver Broncos Jan. 12, as offensive coordinator, but he will inherit some of those duties and have input into the play-calling. Most likely, Belichick will take on a greater role in the team's offensive strategy and game planning to ease O'Brien's transition. -- Boston Globe

Patriots Way...Pioli was a big part!

2009-01-15T19:49:00.000-05:00

Scott Pioli is going to be missed by the Patriots Organization and Patriot fans alike...would have liked to see what he could have done with the Lions though...now that would be the challenge!

At his introduction as GM of the Chiefs, Pioli was asked about the “Patriots Way” and if he can bring some of that to Kansas City. He was asked to describe the “Patriots Way.” “It’s about a group of people who work passionately together and work very hard,” he said. “The only promise that I’ll make today to the Kansas City Chiefs and to the Kansas City Chiefs’ fans is that there will be no one in this league working harder than me to get this done. The ‘Patriots Way’ starts with hard work, discipline, and creating a culture where everyone is on the same page, everyone knows their role, everyone believes in the system, and everyone does their job. People understand their roles and they are selfless about their roles. That is the core of the ‘Patriots Way’.”

Pioli is Chiefs bound...

2009-01-13T20:35:00.000-05:00

The Kansas City Chiefs have formally announced the hiring of Scott Pioli as general manager today.

Pioli, 43, has been with the Patriots for nine years and won a pair of Sporting News Executive of the Year awards. While the Chiefs were 2-14 a season ago, they are not a hopeless situation. They are expected to be approximately $30 million under the salary cap and own the No. 3 overall selection in the draft.

“Scott Pioli was an integral part of the many championships the New England Patriots have celebrated this decade and I would like to thank him for his countless contributions throughout the past nine seasons." --Patriots Owner Robert Kraft

"To sum up in words everything Scott Pioli has meant to this organization and to me personally would be difficult, if not impossible. From the day I met him, he has demonstrated a passion for football and respect for the game that is second to none. It has been extremely gratifying for me to follow Scott's career ascension from the bottom of the totem pole in Cleveland to his place as a pillar of championship teams in New England. Now with the opportunity to steer his own ship and a vision of building a winner, there is no more capable, hardworking, loyal, team-oriented person than Scott Pioli." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

Pioli is the second significant departure from the Patriots' staff this week. Yesterday, 32-year-old Josh McDaniels, who had been the teams offensive coordinator for three seasons, signed a four-year contract worth $8 million to replace Mike Shanahan as head coach of the Denver Broncos.

Pioli's most likely replacement with the Patriots, director of player personnel Nick Caserio, was already generating buzz as a future GM in his own right, particularly following the success of his predecessor Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta. Caserio recently was mentioned by Browns owner Randy Lerner as a candidate for Cleveland's GM opening.

Patriots McDaniels to Broncos, plus other news

2009-01-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels named Broncos new Head Coach.

The Denver Broncos have reached an agreement to hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. The Denver Post is also reporting that Patriots special assistant/secondary coach Dom Capers is under strong consideration to join McDaniels' staff. -- Denver Post

Pete Mangurian could land Patriots OC job

There's no immediate word on who will succeed Josh McDaniels with the Patriots. Tight ends coach Pete Mangurian is the only member of the current staff with pro offensive coordinator experience, serving in that capacity in 2003 with the Falcons. Wide receivers coach Bill O'Brien was offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and Duke before joining the Pats in 2007. McDaniels could not be reached last night, and the Patriots declined comment on his impending departure. -- Boston Herald

Patriots VP Pioli is looking more like the Chiefs' main man

Once thought to be the Chiefs' leading candidate, now there is no doubt: Scott Pioli is their man, according to an NFL source. Perhaps more important, Pioli's interest in the Chiefs and a potential new career challenge has grown. All that stands in the way is hashing out a contract agreement, or perhaps a late pitch from the Patriots (who lost offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to the Broncos yesterday as head coach), or a last-minute change of heart from Pioli. -- Boston Globe

Patriots no longer interested in Pacman

With the news of Pacman Jones' upcoming release in Dallas, attention shifted immediately to potential landing spots for the troubled cornerback. Because of its need at the position and flirtation with Jones and the Titans last offseason, New England loomed as a possible destination. Although Jones' past transgressions could be tolerated if the Pats saw him as their missing defensive link, we hear that his middling play this past season effectively eliminates him from their plans. -- Pro Football Weekly

Vikings to make run at Pats Matt Cassel?

It's looking more likely than ever that the quarterback the Vikings will target is the Patriots' Matt Cassel, who could cost $30 million in guaranteed money as well as first- and second-round draft picks. The Vikings' first-round pick is expected to be between Nos. 21 and 23 overall this spring. -- Pioneer Press

Viking Interest in Cassel?

2009-01-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

Vikings eye Pats QB Matt Cassel?

It was clear Thursday after Brad Childress' postseason media gathering that the Vikings' coach has no No. 1 quarterback heading into next season. That makes it a good bet the team will pursue New England's Matt Cassel if the Patriots are reasonable about a trade. If not, the next best bet for a starting quarterback appears to be Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck. With the Vikings expected to save about $13 million by not re-signing free agents Matt Birk, Darren Sharper and Jim Kleinsasser, and saving at least an additional $5 million in guaranteed money that it would have taken to extend quarterback Tarvaris Jackson's contract, the team should have the resources to justify spending on a clear No. 1 quarterback. Jackson, whom the Vikings still figure has considerable upside, is expected to return to backup status. Cassel, expected to be given the franchise tag by New England, could cost the Vikings as much as $30 million in guaranteed money, plus first- and second-round draft picks. Hasselbeck might cost a second- or third-round draft pick that could escalate if he were to perform well. -- Pioneer Press

Vikings looking to add QB from free agency or trade

Four days after Tarvaris Jackson struggled in the Vikings' wild-card playoff loss to Philadelphia, Brad Childress did not completely close the door on Jackson being his starter in 2009, leaving open the strong possibility of pursuing a quarterback through the draft or free agency. He didn't mention it, but a trade also is an option. Free agents include Kerry Collins, Jeff Garcia, Kurt Warner, J.P. Losman, Dan Orlovsky and Chris Simms. The Patriots reportedly will place a franchise tag on young standout Matt Cassel, but the Patriots could trade him if Tom Brady makes progress in his return from a knee injury. -- Star Tribune

Vikings QB odds for 2009

Who will be the starting quarterback for the Vikings for the first game of the 2009 season?

Tarvaris Jackson 3/2
Gus Frerotte 7/4
Any other veteran QB 2/1
Any rookie QB 9/2
John David Booty 5/1 -- Bodog

Patriots Pioli on the move? Plus Tedy Bruschi update

2009-01-06T18:46:00.000-05:00

Chiefs were expected to be meeting with Pioli

In beginning the search for a new general manager, Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt laid out the qualities he wanted in Carl Peterson's successor: a shrewd talent evaluator, a strong leader, a good communicator, someone with experience in building a winning NFL team. It seemed inevitable from that point that Hunt would have Scott Pioli, New England's vice president for player personnel, on his search list. Hunt, along with interim president and general manager Denny Thum, were expected to interview Pioli on Monday for the vacancy. -- KC Star

Pats Scott Pioli talks with Kansas City

Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli met with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt yesterday to interview for Kansas City's general manager job. It's unclear where the two met, though sources said it was not in Kansas City. The interview was Pioli's second in as many weeks, coming on the heels of a meeting with Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner in New York. Pioli is considered the hottest general manager on the market, thanks to the three Super Bowl titles he helped orchestrate with the Patriots. He might decide to stay in New England, but there are reasons to go to Kansas City, where fans held signs proclaiming, "We want Pioli," during the team's final home game. The roster is loaded with young, cheap players, the team projects to be $30 million under the salary cap, and renovations on Arrowhead Stadium are scheduled to be completed by 2010, giving the team what will amount to a new home. -- Boston Herald

LB Bruschi wants to return to the Patriots

Tedy Bruschi signed a two-year contract last February, and as long as the Patriots want him back, the inside linebacker intends to honor that contract and return for a 14th season, according to a source with knowledge of Bruschi's thinking. The 35-year-old Bruschi missed the final three games of the 2008 season with an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. The source said Bruschi will not need surgery on the knee and that if the Patriots had made the playoffs and played a first-round game last week, Bruschi possibly could have suited up. With a lack of experience at inside linebacker - not counting late-season fill-in Junior Seau - it would make sense for the Patriots to bring Bruschi, who will turn 36 in June, back for another season. Bruschi will have a $1.9 million base salary next season and carry a cap charge of $2.6 million. -- Boston Globe

Pats Scott Pioli talks with Kansas City

2009-01-06T18:44:00.001-05:00

Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli met with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt yesterday to interview for Kansas City's general manager job. It's unclear where the two met, though sources said it was not in Kansas City. The interview was Pioli's second in as many weeks, coming on the heels of a meeting with Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner in New York. Pioli is considered the hottest general manager on the market, thanks to the three Super Bowl titles he helped orchestrate with the Patriots. He might decide to stay in New England, but there are reasons to go to Kansas City, where fans held signs proclaiming, "We want Pioli," during the team's final home game. The roster is loaded with young, cheap players, the team projects to be $30 million under the salary cap, and renovations on Arrowhead Stadium are scheduled to be completed by 2010, giving the team what will amount to a new home. -- Boston Herald

Pats Scott Pioli talks with Kansas City

2009-01-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

Patriot News and Notes

2009-01-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

Franchise tag for Matt Cassel?

The Patriots are preparing to franchise quarterback Matt Cassel next month rather than let him walk away in free agency, according to a published report. Following up on a report in the National Football Post, ESPN reported yesterday that the Pats will apply the tag to Cassel for a little more than $14 million. Franchising Cassel will give the Patriots some protection in the event starting quarterback Tom Brady is not ready to go because of knee surgery. The move also will allow the Pats to get something for Cassel, who's coming off a breakout year, should they deem Brady healthy and want to trade his understudy. -- Boston Herald

Pats unlikely to keep LaMont Jordan

Although the Patriots got some nice production out of LaMont Jordan when he was healthy, his injury propensity and the Patriots' depth at running back make it unlikely they'll keep the thumping free agent around. On the other hand, Laurence Maroney will get one more crack to prove he's the quality running back the Patriots thought they were getting when they tabbed him with their first-round pick back in 2006. -- Pro Football Weekly

Eagles owner a fan of Pats Belichick

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie doesn't have a vote for Associated Press Coach of the Year - those go to 50 sportswriters/media members around the country - but if he did? "Bill Belichick and his staff would get my vote. They did one phenomenal job," he said. "It's not just losing Tom Brady. They lost Laurence Maroney and Adalius Thomas and Rodney Harrison, the list goes on and on, but they continued to get better in the course of the year with a [first-year starting] quarterback. I've always been a huge fan of Bill in terms of how he's run that team. This season, I think, was extraordinary." -- Boston Globe

Patriots' Mayo wins defensive Rookie of the Year award

2008-12-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

I guess no one is questioning taking linebacker Jerod Mayo at the 10th overall pick any more. Mayo was named the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year, earning 49 of a possible 50 votes.

Mayo, a quick and physical inside linebacker led the Patriots with 139 tackles this season. Mayo led the Patriots in tackles seven times, with five games of at least 10 stops. His best performance came in a 34-31 overtime loss to the Jets when he finished with 23 tackles, 17 solo.

"It definitely was a surprise [to come in and contribute so much immediately]. Those guys had won 18 games last season, so there wasn’t too much in my mind to improve on an 18-win team. But the opportunity presented itself to go in and play, [the coaches] had the confidence to put me in the game, and hopefully, I didn't disappoint." -- Patriots LB Jerod Mayo

"Jerod's done a lot for us. We've asked a lot of him and from Day 1 he's really been a well-prepared, very mature player who can do a lot of things: play the running game, play in the passing game, blitz, helps us in the kicking game." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

Pats could tag then trade QB Matt Cassel

2008-12-30T18:43:00.001-05:00

What the heck are the Patriots going to do with Matt Cassel? Under normal circumstances, they'd probably say sayonara to the backup who emerged from Tom Brady's shadow and forged a borderline Pro Bowl season. But with questions persisting over the health of Brady's surgically repaired left knee, the Patriots find themselves in a bind. If the Pats let Cassel walk rather than pay him No. 1 money, they run the risk of having no starting quarterback should Brady suffer a setback. But if they put the franchise tag on him for roughly $12 million and Brady returns to full health, they will sport one of the most expensive backups in history at 10 percent of 2009's $123 million salary cap. Their other option would be to franchise and then trade Cassel and receive a return on their four-year investment in him rather than letting him leave for nothing. It's unlikely the sides would reach a long-term contract agreement, since barring a career-ending setback, Brady is the team's present and future QB and that's the end of that. -- Boston Herald

Patriots Scott Pioli Interested in Browns' job; McDaniels on the Radar

2008-12-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

Patriots Scott Pioli Interested in Browns' job:

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has updated its initial report regarding the Browns' interest in Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli. As a Patriot fan, I would hate to lose Scott Pioli!

Scott Pioli, the New England Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel, is believed to be very interested in the Browns general manager job and is expected to interview for the position soon, multiple league sources told The Plain Dealer today.

The Browns have been granted permission by the Patriots to interview Pioli and could talk to him as soon as Tuesday. Pioli has also been contacted by either the Kansas City Chiefs or Detroit Lions and will interview for that job as well, a source said.

Josh McDaniels on the Radar for Browns' Head Coaching Position:

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is on the list of candidates that owner Randy Lerner is considering for the Cleveland Browns' head coaching vacancy, the Associated Press reports today.

McDaniels has roots in Ohio, as he was born in Barberton, Ohio and attended Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio.

Patriots GM Pioli has interest from Browns

2008-12-29T12:40:00.000-05:00

New England GM Scott Pioli is compelling to the Browns and other teams. He brings the sense of leadership, but is he finally ready to leave the NFL's model organization? Pioli worked in Cleveland under Bill Belichick in the early 1990s, and he is good friends with Tribe GM Mark Shapiro and Cavs GM Danny Ferry. The Browns believe Pioli would bring the same sense of stability to any NFL team that Shapiro and Ferry have delivered to their franchises. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Patriots vs Bills: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Final 2008 Edition)

2008-12-29T08:38:00.001-05:00

Patriots Game 16: Patriots 13 - Bills 0

As a Patriots fan, it was awful to have to pin your play-off hopes on the Jets winning. I just could not cheer for the Jets…it just seemed so wrong! I decided I would just cheer against the Dolphins! In the end, the Jets let us Patriot fans down (you just knew they would!), and there will be no post season for the Patriots. I do tip my hat to the Dolphins though…what a difference a season makes. Represent the AFC East Proud!

The Good:

New England's special teams made the difference in a game played amid wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski connected on 2-of-3 field goals, while Punter Chris Hanson averaged 48 yards on four punts.

The Patriots won with a rushing attack that produced 168 yards and ate up 32 minutes of the clock.

In going 6-of-8 for 78 yards, Quarterback Matt Cassel's 12-yard completion into the wind to Wide Receiver Wes Welker on fourth down set up Running back Lamont Jordan's score. He also hit Welker for a 14-yard pass on third down in helping set up Gostkowski's 23-yard field goal that put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter.

Cassel also rushed three times for 19 yards and chipped in with a 57-yard punt late in the game. Note: It will be interesting to see what the Patriots do about Matt Cassel in 2009.

The Bad:

The conditions were so bad that the goal posts had to be centered three times before game time, and again in the second quarter before Gostkowski missed a 26-yard attempt. Another stoppage came in the third quarter, when referee Gene Steratore had his hat blown off and was forced to chase it 20 yards downfield in front of a cheering crowd.

The Ugly:

The Patriots were knocked out of the playoff picture Sunday afternoon when both the Dolphins and Ravens won their games (Guess not every team can be as lucky as the Philadelphia Eagles, who made it to the play-offs with a win over the Cowboys, and losses by the Bucs and the Bears). The Patriots have the same or better record than seven of the twelve-playoff teams.

Final Thoughts:

"I'm really proud of our team today. Going 11-5, winning the last four, coming here today, I thought we played well as a football team." -- New England Coach Bill Belichick

"As disappointed as we are that the season is over, I remain very proud of this team." -- New England Coach Bill Belichick

With one catch for 13 yards, Patriots WR Randy Moss upped his career total to 13,201 yards, moving to ninth in the NFL, 3 yards ahead of former Buffalo star Andre Reed.

The Patriots became the first 11-5 team to miss the playoffs since Denver fell short in 1985.

Brady behind on recovery schedule

2008-12-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

Tom E. Curran, of NBCsports.com, reports today that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is behind schedule in his recovery:

Brady, who had the ACL and MCL in his left knee ripped in the first quarter of the season’s first game, is well behind schedule in coming back from the surgery performed in early October, the source said.

The problem began with the infection that set in soon after the Oct. 6 surgery performed by Los Angeles-based doctor Neil ElAttrache.

After the infection was detected, Brady went through six weeks of antibiotics and surgical irrigation of the infected area. The infection finally cleared but as it currently stands, both the ACL and MCL remain “loose,” the league source said. Meanwhile, scar tissue that built up in the knee as Brady’s body battled the infection is still present and might need to be surgically removed.

Bill has a Heart...

2008-12-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

Tuesday is a regular day off for the New England Patriot players, but the Patriots have shuffled their schedule this week. Coach Bill Belichick had the players practice on Tuesday to give them Christmas off.

And you thought Bill was the Grinch!

Merry Christmas Everyone...

Will the Jets help the Pats?

2008-12-22T19:28:00.000-05:00

According to a Boston Globe report, the Jets-Dolphins game on Sunday, as well as the Ravens-Jaguars game, have both been moved to 4:15 PM EST start times. The Patriots-Bills game will remain at 1:00 PM EST. What this sets up is the likelihood that, if the Patriots win, the Jets will already know if their season is over and therefore possibly reduce their motivation to beat Miami. A Ravens loss also puts the Jets in the playoffs, but the Ravens are at home against a weak Jacksonville team and are not expected to lose that game. In short, the season still comes down to how badly the Jets want to beat Miami and thus put the Patriots in the playoffs if they win at Buffalo.

Patriots vs. Cardinals: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-12-21T21:51:00.000-05:00

Patriots Game 15: Patriots 47 - Cardinals 7

The Good:

Despite inclement conditions, Quarterback Matt Cassel completed 20-of-36 passes (55.6 percent) for 345 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, good for a 116.1 passer rating.

Wide receiver Wes Welker returned an Arizona punt 28 yards to the Cardinals’ 33-yard line, allowing the Patriots to begin their first offensive possession in Arizona territory and set up a 33-yard drive that ended in a LaMont Jordan touchdown and a 7-0 Patriots lead.

Arizona running backs Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower finished with 36 yards on 14 carries, while New England's backs totaled 170 yards on 37 carries, including New England's first two touchdowns by LaMont Jordan and 88 yards from Sammy Morris.

Wide receiver Randy Moss raced away with a 76-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass from Matt Cassel on the first play of the third quarter as the Patriots extended their lead over the Cardinals to 38-0.

Brandon Meriweather recorded a strip-sack of Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and Jarvis Green recovered for the Patriots at the Arizona 15 late in the third quarter.

The Bad:

The most trouble the Patriots seemed to have with the snow came when Welker was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for making a snow angel just beyond the end line after his touchdown as the Patriots jumped into a 28-0 lead with 1:52 left in the half. NFL definitely stands for No Fun League.

Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour left the game in the second quarter with a back injury and did not return, but the injury is not considered serious.

The Ugly:

Ummm, the Weather!

Final Thoughts:

"We are happy to win. Now, we have to get back at it and get back into the division against Buffalo next week. Whatever else happens, happens. There’s nothing we can do about that. We just have to do what we can do, which is win today and go out there and play well against Buffalo next week. A lot of guys played well. It’s hard to single anybody out today. We had a lot of guys step up all the way around in all three phases of the game. It was a real good team win." -- New England Coach Bill Belichick

"I’ve never played in snow before, so it was a first for me, but it actually was a lot of fun." -- New England QB Matt Cassel

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski set a Patriots single-season record with his 34th field goal, breaking the mark of 32 set by Tony Franklin in 1986.

Wide Receiver Randy Moss tied Marshall Faulk for sixth in NFL history with his 136th touchdown.

The Patriots won for the 12th consecutive time in December. New England is 10-0 at home when snow is falling at kickoff.

The Patriots have enjoyed tremendous recent success in cold weather and improved to 17-1 since 1993 when the kickoff temperature is 30 degrees or colder.

The Patriots scored 47 points today, marking their fourth game this season scoring 40 or more points, tying a Patriot team record.

Playoff Scenarios:

To earn a wild-card berth, the Patriots will need the Ravens (10-5) to lose to the Jaguars (5-10), or tie, at home in the season finale.

To win the AFC East, the Patriots will need the Dolphins (10-5) to lose to the Jets (9-6), or tie, on the road in the season finale.

Patriots get no help from the Ravens

2008-12-21T07:18:00.000-05:00

It is not looking good for the Patriots, but there is still a glimmer of hope. The Ravens' 33-24 win over the Cowboys on Saturday night have definitely hurt the Patriots' playoff hopes. Had the Ravens lost, the Patriots would have earned a playoff spot with victories in each of their remaining two games. Now, the Patriots will need to win those two games (home vs. Arizona Sunday; at Buffalo in Week 17) and still will require some help to qualify for the playoffs because they now lose all tie-breakers.

Option 1: To earn a wild-card berth, the Patriots will need the Ravens (10-5) to lose to the Jaguars (5-10), or tie, at home in the season finale.

Option 2: To win the AFC East, the Patriots will need the Jets to lose or tie in one of their remaining two games (at Seattle on Sunday; home vs. Miami in Week 17) and the Dolphins to lose or tie in one of their remaining two games (at Kansas City on Sunday; at N.Y. Jets in Week 17). Since the Dolphins and the Jets play each other week 17, one should definitely lose. Here is hoping the Jets struggle on the West Coast.

Patriot fans, keep your fingers crossed.

Patriots vs. Raiders: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-12-16T23:02:00.000-05:00

Patriots Game 14: Patriots 49 - Raiders 26

The Good:

WR Randy Moss caught two of Matt Cassel's career-high four touchdown passes in his first game against the Raiders since his trade to New England last season.

LaMont Jordan added a 49-yard touchdown run against his former team.

The Patriots became the first team this season to score touchdowns on its first four offensive possessions. Cassel threw TD passes to Kevin Faulk, Moss and Welker, with Morris also scoring on a 29-yard run.

Ellis Hobbs returned a kick 95 yards for another score, giving New England five touchdowns in the first 17:14 of the game.

Sammy Morris (117 yards, 14 carries, TD), LaMont Jordan (97 yards, 12 carries, TD) and Kevin Faulk (45 yards, 6 carries) lead a dominating running attack.

Receivers Wes Welker and Randy Moss team up for 12 receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns.

Rookie cornerback Jonathan Wilhite recorded his first career interception when he picked off a JaMarcus Russell pass inside the Patriots’ 5-yard line in the second quarter.

Vince Wilfork blocked an Oakland extra point in the third quarter. The blocked extra point was the first by the Patriots since Oct. 6, 2002, when Tebucky Jones blocked an Olindo Mare extra point in the Patriots’ 26-13 loss at Miami.

The Bad:

Tight end Benjamin Watson can't hold on to the ball in the second quarter, as it bounces off his chest and leads to an interception.

The Ugly:

Kickoff coverage team Unit comprised of Heath Evans, Larry Izzo, Ray Ventrone, Kelley Washington, Mike Richardson, Lewis Sanders, Matthew Slater, Sam Aiken, Antwain Spann, Brandon Meriweather and Stephen Gostkowski surrenders a Justin Miller 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Final Thoughts:

"I just can’t say enough about Matt Cassel. I’ve been through that myself a couple years ago, I know what that’s like. I thought he did a great job in his preparation, his focus, and showed a lot of commitment to the team. He carried us a long way today. He deserves all the accolades he gets. It was a tough situation for him but he really stood up and met the challenge and played well in not the greatest conditions out there." -- New England Coach Bill Belichick

Matt Cassel's play helped keep New England (9-5) in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East with Miami and the Jets. The Patriots are also tied with Baltimore for the second wild-card spot as they try to make it back to the playoffs despite losing star quarterback Tom Brady to a season-ending injury in the opener.

Wes Welker, who had a franchise-record 112 catches in 2007, became the first player to have back-to-back 100-catch seasons with the Patriots and became the eighth player in NFL history to achieve the feat.

On a 14-yard reception from Matt Cassel in the third quarter, Randy Moss moved into the top 10 on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list.

The Patriots’ victory over Oakland was Bill Belichick’s 100th regular-season victory as Patriots head coach.

The Patriots improved to 22-2 in the month of December since 2003. New England has won 10 straight December games.

The Patriots improved to 9-5 on the season and have won at least nine games for the eighth straight season.

Matt Cassel threw four touchdown passes, setting a new single-game career high and tying the sixth-best single-game touchdown performance in team history.

Patriots vs. Seahawks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-12-12T06:11:00.000-05:00

Patriots Game 13: Patriots 24 - Seahawks 21

The Good:

QB Matt Cassel directed his second career fourth-quarter comeback, helping to rally the Patriots to a 24-21 victory following a 21-13 deficit entering the fourth quarter.

Safety Brandon Meriweather ties for a team high with seven tackles, and surges up the middle for a strip sack, recovered by Richard Seymour, that seals the win.

Receiver Wes Welker totals a season-high 12 catches and totals 134 receiving yards, bouncing back from last week's performance against the Steelers when he was knocked out of the game in the third quarter on a Ryan Clark hit.

Linebacker Mike Vrabel plays every snap but one, finishes tied for a team high with seven tackles, and is the glue on a defense that lost starters Vince Wilfork, Tedy Bruschi and James Sanders in the first half.

RB Sammy Morris plunged into the end zone on a 1-yard scoring run to give the Patriots their first lead of the game with 2:44 left in the game.

Safety Brandon Meriweather caused a fumble on a blitz, stripping the ball from quarterback Seneca Wallace. Defensive lineman Richard Seymour recovered. The turnover will seal the win for the Patriots, 24-21.

The Bad:

The Seahawks total 134 rushing yards on 26 carries (5.2 avg.)

The Ugly:

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork (shoulder) Safety James Sanders (shoulder) and linebacker Tedy Bruschi (knee) left the game due to injury.

Final Thoughts:

"It was a great example of 60 minutes. I thought our team really did a good job of hanging in there today. We didn’t get off to a real good start, but they hung in there, they kept fighting. Just plugged away for 60 minutes and came out of there with a win." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

The Patriots (8-5) withstood injuries to three other defensive starters, a rare two-touchdown receiving day by former teammate Deion Branch and a 21-13 deficit early in the fourth quarter to improve to 21-2 in December since 2003.

Bill Belichick earned his 150th career win, including the playoffs, becoming the 17th head coach in NFL history to win 150 games

Wes Welker had 134 receiving yards, the highest single-game total by a Patriot this season.

On an 11-yard completion to Kevin Faulk in the fourth quarter, Matt Cassel exceeded 3,000 passing yards for the season, becoming the seventh player in Patriots history to throw for 3,000 yards or more in a campaign.

Veteran linebackers Junior Seau and Rosevelt Colvin each made their 2008 debuts on a second-and-six play with 13:43 left in the second quarter. Colvin was signed by the Patriots on Wednesday, Dec. 3 and Seau was signed on Friday, Dec. 5.

Pats need help to make the playoffs!

2008-12-10T10:45:00.000-05:00

Some teams control their own post season destinies (Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Colts, and Steelers). The same can not be said for the Patriots.

Even if the Patriots win all three of their remaining three games (at Oakland, vs. Arizona, and at Buffalo), they are not a sure thing for a playoff berth since the tie-breaking procedures under the following circumstances are not in their favor:

If the Patriots and Jets both win out to go 11-5, the tiebreaker goes to New York, which would own a better division record (5-1 to the Patriots' 4-2).

If Miami wins out to finish 11-5, they would hold the tiebreaker edge over the Patriots because of a better conference record. (That is actually the third tiebreaker in this scenario. The Patriots and Dolphins would have the same division record at 4-2 and the same record against common opponents at 2-2.)

If Baltimore wins two of three to finish 11-5, they would win the tiebreaker over the Patriots because of a better conference record.

If Indianapolis wins two more games to finish 11-5, they would own the tiebreaker since they defeated the Patriots head to head.

If Pittsburgh wins one of its final three games to finish 11-5, they would have the tiebreaker since they defeated the Patriots head to head.

For the Patriots to make the playoffs then, their only realistic bet is to run the table and pray for some help along the way.

From Surf to Turf: Welcome back Junior!

2008-12-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

It seems improbable that a 39-year-old who hasn't played football for more than nine months could go from the sunny comforts of the beach to the cold brutality of an NFL field in a matter of days. But then, extraordinary feats are nothing new to Junior Seau.

The Patriots officially signed the 12-time Pro Bowl on December 5th, bringing him back for a 19th NFL season and his third with the Patriots. To make room for Seau on the 53-man roster, the Patriots placed linebacker Adalius Thomas (broken right forearm) on injured reserve, ending his season. The Patriots have suffered significant attrition recently at linebacker. They re-signed veteran Rosevelt Colvin Wednesday, and the position has been hit by injuries to Pierre Woods (jaw), Tedy Bruschi (sore knee) and Vince Redd (ankle), as well as Thomas.

Seau takes it all in stride: "I have no time to get all drama, I just don’t. I don’t want to go Oprah on you,” Seau said. "It is what it is. I was cutting up oranges for a cooler for [daughter] Cindy Seau and now I’m here putting on cleats. That’s life. You have to make adjustments and make them quick."

LB Colvin returns to Patriots

2008-12-03T19:58:00.000-05:00

Linebacker Rosevelt Colvin inked a one-year contract with the Patriots this morning, according to a league source. Colvin, who played for the Patriots from 2003-2007, has been out of football this season after being cut by the Houston Texans at the end of training camp. He addresses a need at outside linebacker, where the Patriots have been without Adalius Thomas (forearm) and also had Pierre Woods leave Sunday's loss to the Steelers in the third quarter with a mouth injury. -- Boston Globe

Patriots vs. Steelers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

2008-12-01T19:31:00.000-05:00

Patriots Game 12: Patriots 10 – Steelers 33

Sorry, this weeks review really should be titled the Ugly, the Uglier, and the Ugliest! This game was the tale of two halves! The Patriots looked like they had control of the game, right up until three minutes before the half. After that, it was all Steelers, as the Patriots just kept turning the ball over...and over...and over!!!

The Good:

Considering the Patriots were playing the #1 Defense, the running attack was not too bad. RB Kevin Faulk led the team in rushing (73 yards, 6 carries) and receiving (48 yards, 7 catches). RB Sammy Morris was strong on the goal line (2-yard TD run) and finished with 45 yards on 10 carries (4.5 avg.).

On a 9-yard reception in the third quarter, Kevin Faulk moved past Irving Fryar into sole possession of fourth place on the Patriots’ all-time receptions list.

Linebacker Mike Vrabel showed solid hands with a first-quarter interception that setup the Patriots' only touchdown of the game.

The Bad:

WR Sam Aiken, whose primary role is on special teams, was flagged for two penalties in the kicking game, which hurt the team's field position.

QB Matt Cassel looked to be back to his old form, finishing 19 of 39 for 169 yards, with two interceptions and FIVE sacks

CB Deltha O'Neal cannot win the man-to-man match-up on two Steelers touchdowns, a 19-yard pas to Santonio Holmes and an 11-yard pass to Hines Ward.

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a 27-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter.

The Ugly:

Amid dropped passes and turnovers, the Patriots could never get in a rhythm on offense. They finished 1-for-13 on third-down tries.

Leading receiver Wes Welker left late in the third quarter after being leveled by safety Ryan Clark. There was no update on his condition.

In the third quarter, Matthew Slater fumbled away a kickoff, setting up Roethlisberger's 11-yard scoring pass to Ward. Slater filled in for Ellis Hobbs, who sat out that play after suffering cramps.

QB Matt Cassel fumbled on a strip-sack by Steelers linebacker James Harrison and linebacker LaMarr Woodley recovered at the New England 26.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison registered his second strip-sack of the game by forcing Matt Cassel to fumble with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter and James Farrior recovered for Pittsburgh.

QB Matt Cassel was intercepted by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu with 9:13 remaining on a pass intended for Benjamin Watson.

Lawrence Timmons intercepted a Matt Cassel offering with 3:27 to play and returned it 89 yards to the Patriots 1.

Final Thoughts:

Pittsburgh had not won in New England since a 24-21 overtime victory in 1997.

"You can't beat Pop Warner teams doing that." – New England Patriots left guard Logan Mankins

We had a lot of opportunities out there today. We weren’t able to take care of some of the ones we had. Pittsburgh took advantage of those. That was really the difference in the game, the turnovers.” – New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

“Rain is rain. Snow is snow. Sun is sun. It is all about who takes care of the football better out there and who is able to force turnovers better out there. They did a better job of that than we did.” – New England Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi

“I always say as a wide receiver your job is to get open, catch the ball and score touchdowns. … I put a lot of blame on myself because I think this team really looks to me to do my job week in and week out. – New England Patriots WR Randy Moss

NOTE: The Patriots (7-5) remain a game behind the New York Jets in the AFC East. They are tied with Miami in the division and trail Indianapolis and Baltimore by one game in the wild-card race.

Patriots vs. Steelers: Breaking it down

2008-11-29T07:38:00.000-05:00

The Steelers are a big, physical, tough team! It doesn't mean the Patriots can not beat them though.

The Patriots rushing attack will have its hands full with the Steelers Defense. Opponents are averaging 2.9 yards per carry against the Steelers. The Steelers are surrendering just 66.5 rushing yards per game, putting them on pace to break their single-season franchise record of 74.7, in 2001. Look for the Patriots to still rush, but not get a lot of yardage.

When the Patriots get into the Red-zone (yes, they will!), they will be facing the league's No. 1 team in scoring defense. The Steelers are holding opponents to an average of 14.5 points per game. Red-zone success has been key, as they rank No. 1 in that category, holding opponents to 11 touchdowns in 32 possessions (34.4 percent). Offensively, they rank fifth in the red zone (20 touchdowns, 31 trips, 64.5 percent). The Patriots offense has been on fire lately, so they will put the Steelers to the test.

The Steelers have been banged up at cornerback in recent weeks, which forced CB Fernando Bryant (who was with the Patriots in training camp) onto the field after he was signed as a free agent. With that in mind, the Patriots will likely look to test matchups in that area in multiple-receiver packages.

The Steelers do have issues with pass protection. The Steelers have surrendered 35 quarterback sacks on the season, the same total as the Patriots. Only the Bengals, Lions, Rams and 49ers have allowed more. The Patriots will need to get to Ben Roethlisberger to slow the Steelers down.

Like the Patriots as well, the Steelers have been bitten by the injury bug. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (shoulder), running back Willie Parker (knee, shoulder), cornerback Deshea Townsend (hamstring), cornerback Bryant McFadden (forearm), safety Ryan Clark (shoulder), and tight end Heath Miller (ankle) are a few of the notable players who have either played through injuries or have been sidelined by them.

The Patriots have been great of the offensive side of the ball in previous weeks...the defense now needs to step it up this weekend.

What is in the cards for Matt Cassel?

2008-11-27T08:17:00.000-05:00

Could Patriots lose out on Matt Cassel?

There is the outside possibility that the Patriots and Matt Cassel's representatives could hammer out a contract extension before the start of the 2009 league year in late February/early March. But given that Cassel is already close to the open market - which most players yearn to hit just once, especially when their value is rising - there is likely to be little motivation for him to pursue an extension. Plus, the Patriots simply might not be able to offer him what others can: a starting opportunity. Which is why, in the end, the Patriots are likely going to see another team benefit from an asset they produced. In a sense, they are handcuffed by their own success. The consolation prize in that case would be a compensatory draft choice in 2010. If Cassel lands a megabucks contract elsewhere - and other pieces fall into place - chances are the Patriots would receive the highest possible compensatory draft choice, a third-rounder. -- Boston Globe

Will Pats tag QB Matt Cassel?

Patriots QB Matt Cassel's stunning emergence (he hadn't started a game since high school prior to this season) and potential earning power (he's making the minimum $520,000 this season) are becoming more powerful stories each week. So given all that, what are the Patriots' options with such a valuable asset? One possibility is assigning Cassel the franchise tag. The player is tendered a one-year contract at the average of the top five players at the position, which will be approximately $14 million for quarterbacks in 2009. While some might see the tagging of Cassel as potentially violating the spirit of the rule, the Patriots would have a strong case if they made the decision out of concerns about Tom Brady's health. Still, financial considerations could lead the team away from that choice. If Cassel was counting about $14 million against the salary cap, coupled with quarterback Brady's $14.6 million charge, the Patriots would have almost $29 million of the projected $123 million cap on two players. The transition tag is another option, although it's seldom used. A player with that tag would be tendered a one-year contract that averages the top 10 salaries at the position, which for quarterbacks could be in the range of $10 million in 2009. -- Boston Globe

Matt Cassel named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

2008-11-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for games played the 12th week of the 2008 season (November 20, 23-24). This is Cassel’s second AFC Offensive Player of the Week Award. He won the award in Week 7 of 2008.

Cassel led the Patriots' offense to 530 total net yards (the second-highest total in team history) and also added an eight-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. His 415 passing yards marked the fifth time in NFL history that a quarterback totaled 400 or more passing yards in consecutive games (400 yards against Jets on 11/13/08). The first-year starter is the first player to register 400 passing yards in back-to-back games since Billy Volek accomplished the feat in 2004 with the Titans (426 yards on 12/13/04 and 492 yards on 12/19/04). -- Boston Globe

NFL could suspend Pats key blocker Matt Light

2008-11-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

Matt Light's fate is in the league's hands. The NFL is reviewing the skirmish between Light and Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder toward the end of Sunday's 48-28 victory in Miami. Light was blocking for a 30-yard field goal when he became entangled with Crowder, who lost his helmet. Light landed a few punches to Crowder's exposed head before both were ejected. League spokesman Greg Aiello said last night that NFL director of football operations Gene Washington will investigate the incident, which is standard operating procedure after such altercations. A decision to suspend and/or fine Light could come as soon as today, though the league typically doesn't confirm such information until Friday. He'd have the right to appeal, and it's possible his appeal could be heard before the weekend. -- Boston Herald

Patriots vs. Dolphins: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-11-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

Patriots Game 11: Patriots 41 – Dolphins 28

The Good:

QB Matt Cassel went over 400 yards passing for the second straight week (Cassel completed 30 of 43 passes, including touchdowns of 25, 8 and 29 to Moss, and ran for a score).

WR Randy Moss was the recipient of all three of Cassel's touchdown passes, totaling 125 yards on eight catches. In a game that featured seven lead changes, Moss was responsible for two of them.

RB Kevin Faulk is a dual threat with eight rushes for 53 yards and a touchdown, and adds six catches for 52 yards.

Any chance the Dolphins had of rallying back was nullified when Patriots CB Brandon Meriweather intercepted Chad Pennington on the drive after the 29 yard Cassel to Moss TD.

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork anchored the defense's solid performance against the run, as the Dolphins were held to 25 rushing yards on eight "Wildcat" plays, and 62 yards on 19 carries overall.

The Bad:

Three times the Patriots lost the lead (but also took it back three times).

The Dolphins made four trips inside the 20-yard line and score four touchdowns.

In the first quarter alone, right guard Stephen Neal was called for a holding penalty, a personal foul (offsetting), and a false start.

RB Sammy Morris loses a fumble in the second quarter that is ultimately turned into seven points by the Dolphins. He finished with eight carries for 35 yards.

The Ugly:

Miami linebacker Channing Crowder and New England tackle Matt Light were ejected midway through the fourth quarter. Crowder lost his helmet when blocked by Light on a field-goal attempt and shoved Light, who responded by taking several swings at Crowder's head.

Final Thoughts:

"It's nice to come down to Florida and win. It certainly hasn't been a great venue for us through the years. It's good to come out on top. I thought our players stepped up and played hard today. Miami is a good football team. We definitely had our hands full. Offensively, we had a lot of good production, other than when we had some penalties and a couple miscues. I thought those guys really stayed after it and moved the ball effectively. Defensively, we were just trying to hang in there." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

In Week 3, the Dolphins burned the Patriots for 119 yards and four touchdowns using their "Wildcat" package. This time around, the Patriots were ready, holding Miami to 25 yards on eight direct snaps to Ronnie Brown.

New England bounced back from an overtime loss to the Jets on Nov. 13. Since the start of the 2003 season, the Patriots are 17-1 in games following a loss.

Matt Cassel became the first QB in Patriots franchise history with back-to-back 400-yard games.

Tidbit: The Patriots are 6-0 when winning the coin toss. They are 1-4 when losing the toss.

Patriots vs. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-11-18T22:37:00.000-05:00

Patriots Game 10: Patriots 31 – Jets 34 (OT)

The Good:

Rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo fills gaps in the running game with authority, finishing with a team-high 20 tackles (16 solo), while adding one pass defended.

Randy Moss' 16-yard touchdown with one second left, in which he kept his feet in bounds and caught the ball outstretched while falling out of bounds is one of the great clutch catches in recent memory.

The Bad:

Kickoff coverage Unit, comprised of Kelley Washington, Pierre Woods-or-Le Kevin Smith, Sam Aiken, Heath Evans, James Sanders, Larry Izzo, Gary Guyton, Brandon Meriweather, Matthew Slater, Ellis Hobbs-or-Ray Ventrone and Stephen Gostkowski struggled to contain Leon Washington.

While the Patriots out gained the Jets 511-375, New York made the plays when it counted, going 9-of-16 (56 percent) on third downs, while New England was just 4-of-14 (28 percent).

The Jets scored on their first three series, plus a 92-yard kickoff return by Leon Washington, four days after scoring on all seven of their first-half possessions in a 47-3 rout of the St. Louis Rams.

Cornerback Ellis Hobbs can't make the play on a 46-yard catch in the second quarter that sets up a touchdown to give the Jets a 24-6 lead.

The Patriots picked up a pair of first downs on their second possession of the second half, but the drive was short-circuited by a mis-communication on a shotgun snap that led to a 24-yard loss when Matt Cassel wasn't ready for the feed from center Dan Koppen.

The Ugly:

Jay Feely knocked in a 34-yard field goal with 7:11 remaining in overtime to give the Jets a 34-31 win. The victory gave New York sole possession of first place in the AFC East!!!

Brett Farve played mistake free football! After seven consecutive games with an interception earlier this year, Favre didn't throw one for the second straight contest. Favre went 26-of-33 for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and was 5-of-6 for 54 yards in OT, setting up Feely's winning field goal.

The Patriots had won eight consecutive overtime games (including playoffs) before falling to the Jets. It was the longest such streak in NFL history.

Final Thoughts:

"I would say it was a tough loss. I thought our players fought hard. We made a lot of plays, the Jets made a lot of plays. In the end they made a couple more than we did. Give them credit. We’re close, just not quite good enough tonight." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

"Anytime you can come back from a 24-6 deficit, it's a building block. That was great for the team." -- Patriots QB Matt Cassel

“This is big win for the morale of the team. The enthusiasm and the excitement of the guys on the team, I haven’t seen that in a long time. It brings back fond memories of what I got accustomed to." -- Newly Jets acquired CB Ty Law

The loss to the Jets wasted a brilliant performance by Matt Cassel, whose first pro start after Brady's season-ending knee injury in the opener came in a 19-10 win over the Jets. Cassel completed 30 of 51 passes for 400 yards, all career highs, and three touchdowns. He ran eight times for 62 yards.

WR Wes Welker extended his record of catching at least six passes in a game to start the season to 10 games.

Matt Cassel threw for 400 yards and ran for 62 yards, becoming the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to have 400 or more passing yards and 60 or more rushing yards in a game. His 62 rushing yards are the most by a Patriots quarterback in a game in more than 30 years.