Patriots-Broncos Prediction

This week 12 match up will be crucial for both teams involved. The Patriots look to avoid losing 2 straight while also knocking Denver down a notch, and the Broncos will look to supplant themselves as the best team in the NFL. Overall this game is going to be wide open with two elite quarterback with history battling for bragging rights. Both teams will look to pass early and often to neutralize the pass rush and with neither teams secondary being able to handle the opposing offense I think this game will turn into a relative shoot out. Look for Shane Vereen and Demaryius Thomas to have big games offensively. Most likely a mistake will win this game, so if its not Ridley fumbling then look for Manning to have a crucial interception. I have the Patriots winning and the only reason is because the "bend but don't break" mentality  on defense will slow down the Broncos just enough.

Patriots 34 Broncos 31 in a fun back and forth offensive game

4 Keys to a Patriots Win Against Denver

The upcoming Patriots- Broncos game will be the toughest test for this years Patriots team, it will also be a crucial factor in AFC playoff seeding. Here's what The Patriots need to do to beat the Broncos on Sunday night.

Press Coverage --- I read an article this week on how quickly Manning got the ball out against the Cheifs in last weeks game. In case you didn't know the Chiefs are one of the top pass rushing teams in the league but they didn't get to Manning once. Manning's quick release and timing with his receivers is too good to allow a free release. The Patriots corners will have to push up and battle these receivers at the line to disrupt Manning's timing and make him hold onto the ball longer.

Pressure Up The Middle --- After watching Tom Brady operate for his entire career in Foxboro, Patriot fans should know that rushing of the edge against elite quarterbacks rarely works. Elite quarterbacks will simply step up into the pocket, away from the edge pressure, and deliver and accurate pass downfield. However no quarterback in the NFL is comfortable with pressure right in his face, and that's exactly what the Patriots need to do. The Pats need to find a way to generate a good pass rush up the middle, luckily for the Patriots Peyton Manning  can't scramble like Cam Newton can.

Be Effective Deep and Outside --- Every team in the NFL knows that Tom Brady can tear up a defense over the middle with Gronk and slot receivers so the Broncos will likely clog the middle of the field. The Broncos secondary leaves a lot to be desired and the Patriots need to look for Dobson and Thompkins on the outside and over the top of the defense when the coverage allows it., looking for chunk yardage more often then usual.

Run off the pass --- As bad as the Broncos are in pass coverage they are very good at stopping the run, ranking in the top portion in the league. The Patriots need to establish the Passing game first and then run when the defense is on it's heels. The Patriots need to use Ridley and Vereen on draw plays and shotgun runs to take advantage of a pass rush that will be attempting to get to Brady.

WARNING - Do Not Re-Sign Aqib Talib

Aqib Talib has been an impact player so far this season there is no doubt of that. The Pass break up he had to end the game against the Falcons was textbook, and his shutdown of Jimmy Graham was unbelievable. However come end of the season it would be in the Patriots best interest not to re-sign Aqib Talib to a multi year deal. Don't think because I don't want the Patriots to re-sign Talib that I don't like him as a player, It's actually quite the opposite. I love Talib as a player, I love his prototypical size, I love his man cover ability, I love his hilarious comments (two shirting it/ in it to wiiiiiin), and I love what he allows the Patriots to do. There is no doubt Talib makes the Patriots defense a whole lot better but the Patriots need to look for an alternative this off season for 2 reasons.

Character Issues First of all Talib has played amazing this year, which will probably cause salary concerns when Talib asks for 10+ million dollars.  However If i was the GM of the Patriots I would re-sign Talib in a heart beat at almost any price if not for his character issues. Talib has a bad history off the field but more importantly, when Talib fought with Panthers wide out Steve Smith this past week all it showed was that Talib does not care about the team like he should. In a crucial game coming off the Bye week, against a surging  Opponent, and the week before the broncos game Talib is out on the field jeopardizing his teams chance of victory. If he  cannot control himself in that situation then whats too say he wont do the same thing in the playoffs.

Health Once again Talib is injured heading into week 12 and may miss the game. Not only has Talib missed many games already with the Patriots he also seems to always miss key games. Last year he was injured during key games against the 49ers and in the Playoffs against the Ravens, and this year he has missed divisional games, part of the Panthers game, and may miss the Broncos game. you want your star player to be on the field making plays when it matters and Talib hasn't been on the field in crunch time at all since arriving from Tampa.

Unfortunately for the Patriots Aqib Talib is too much of a liability too be re-signed for the next few years.

4 Reasons The Patriots Are Still My Superbowl Pick

Coming off the late loss to the Panthers many New England Patriots fans were left heart broken, however the Patriots are still 7-3 and have a 2 game lead in the AFC East. The Patriots are still my pick to win the Superbowl and here's why.

1. The Secondary --- Despite the Patriot's inability to get off the field against the Panthers the secondary continues to be a strength for this team on paper. I don't know whether Talib will be back next season or if Dennard will be in jail but if the Pats secondary gets healthy come playoff time they will be a stingy defense. 
2. Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich --- The Patriots defensive line has been decimated on the interior, but the defensive end position is thriving. Ninkovich and Jones have the tendency to cause sacks for other players, both players come off the edge and force the quarterback to compensate often times running into the arms of another Patriots linemen. If Jones  and Ninkovich can make opposing quarterbacks adjust the entire game becomes easier for the defense.
3. Playmakers --- Offense, defense, or special teams the Patriots have play makers. On offense the Patriots obviously have Brady, but they also have Gronk, Shane Vereen who is quickly emerging as an impact scat back, Arron Dobson who can take the cover off of defenses, Kembrell Thompkins who can beat almost anyone off the line of scrimmage (plus did you see that insane spin move against the Panthers?!?!), and Amendola/Edelman for the underneath passing. Overall the Patriots offense is balanced and full of play makers. On Defense the Patriots have forced a turnover in almost every game over the past 3 years. Ninkovich always seems to be in the right place and the secondary often times picks off quarterbacks at opportune moments. Lastly on Special teams the Patriots have had excellent Punt coverage from Mathew Slater. This may not seem important, but in big games starting a team deep in it's own territory is a huge advantage.
4. Old Dogs --- The New England Patriots still have a better 1-2 punch than Manning to Welker and Stafford to Calvin Johnson.The Patriots have the always lethal combination of Belichick and Brady.The Combination has gone to multiple 5 Superbowls and if anyone knows how to get to another it;s those 2.

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Patriots - Panthers What we Learned

Being a Patriots fan I was extremely disappointing in the loss against the Panthers, but I have to admit it was a fantastic game and must have been great to watch for all non-Patriot fans. Nonetheless the week eleven match up between the Patriots and Panthers revealed a lot about the Patriots, here's what I saw...

Aqib Talib Doesn't Like Steve Smith  ---- In case you missed last nights game I can fill you in that Aqib Talib and Steve Smith are not friends. I can also tell you that both players looked like big babies on the field fighting and jeopardizing their teams chance of winning. Don't get me wrong I love scrappy players especially at corner where a player needs a certain swagger to succeed, but I would much rather see Talib shut down Steve Smith than get in a fight.

Offensive Line Woes --- The Patriots went into last nights game knowing how good the Panthers D-line is, the Patriots also had two whole weeks to prepare for the challenge. If the O- line could just give Brady a little better pass protection then he could have carved up a weak secondary. Numerous times Brady was forced to quickly throw short because of a pass rush in his face, and on the final drive Brady had practically no chance the way the line was protecting.

No Regression Here ---  Despite the line not holding up in front of him Brady was borderline sensational. Up until the final drive Brady's completion percentage was over 85 percent. Brady was excellent working through his reads and making good quick decisions and accurate throws to receivers all over the field. In my book his most notable throw was the drop from Vereen on the final drive. Brady put perfect touch and arc on that pass and it should have been caught. This pass to me showed that Brady can still make every throw in the book. No regression here.

 Major Competition at Running Back --- Shane Vereen played exceptional for his first game back and between the tackles Blount ran very well and made better decisions this week. With both Vereen and Blount playing well and Ridley fumbling in a situation that may have lost the game, it will be interesting to see who gets reps at RB going forward.

The Patriots Need Talib AND Dennard --- When the Patriots have both Talib and Dennard playing they have one of the best secondaries in the league this season, but when either one doesn't play it leaves Arrington outside and he simply cannot tackle in space. The Game winning scoring play in last nights game was a mirror image of the game winning catch and run by Michael Crabtree on who? you guessed it Kyle Arrington. He is a great slot corner but the Patriots need 2 outside corners so Arrington isn't on the outside.

Barely any holding calls --- Lastly I have more of an odd thing than anything. I didn't see many holding calls at all in last nights game. I'm not talking about the defensive backs holding receivers I'm talking about offensive linemen holding D- linemen and blitzers. I'm not trying to sound like I'm complaining the Patriots should have won because of a holding call, the Patriots simply were outplayed, but I was surprised that with Chandler Jones, Kawann Short, Greg Hardy, and Charles Johnson all playing neither offensive line was called for much holding.

6 Things To Look For Patriots - Panthers Week 11

This weeks Monday Night Football match up between the Patriots and the Panthers could  prove to be a crucial win for either team. The Patriots come into the game looking to prove once again they are still an elite team, while the Panthers are looking for a statement win to show they are for real. Here's what to watch for in this weeks matchup

The Patriot's Run Defense --- The Run defense has been incredibly soft since Wilfork and Kelly went out with injury ranking in the bottom portion of the league in yards allowed. How effective will Spikes be blitzing the A Gap? Can Velanno and Jones hold their ground? Can Hightower make tackles at the second level? Also can the Patriots minimize holes for Jonathan Stewart and keep Deangelo Williams contained? The Patriots may have trouble keeping the run contained against a solid RB grouping and the bruising Cam Newton.

Patriots Gameplan Post Bye --- The Patriots are 10 and 2 coming off of the regular season bye week since 2001.With the extra week of preparation, look for Belichick, McDaniels, and Patricia to have an in depth game plan.Most notably watch the offensive game plan as Mcdaniels tends to struggle getting the offense opportunities against good D-lines (EX. Bengals, Giants)

Alfonzo Dennard's Replacement --- With Aqib Talib coming back this week it is fairly safe to say Steve Smith will be under wraps, but with Dennard being ruled out the matchup between either Kyle Arrington or Logan Ryan and Panther's wide out Brandon Lafell becomes very important. Arrington has shown great ability as a slot corner this year but has struggled against outside receivers, while Logan Ryan has made some great plays and showed play maker potential but struggles with consistency in coverage. Lafell could be seeing a lot of balls thrown his way, if he can get open and make plays it could be trouble for the Patriots.

The Offensive Lines --- The Patriot offensive line has been inconsistent this year at best. Solder has been solid but with Volmer out the Panther's defensive ends will try to exploit Marcus Cannon. The match up the Panthers will want to take advantage of the most is Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short vs the week interior line of the Patriots. The entire interior line for the Patriots has struggled especially Ryan Wendell and Dan Connelly. Look for the Panthers to try and collapse the pocket and bring pressure right in Brady's face. When the Panthers have the ball look for a fresh effort from Chandler Jones and Chris Jones. The Patriots D-line will have to sacrifice some pass rush to contain Newton but either Jones could shoot in quickly and  make a play before Newton can scramble.

Containing Superman --- Bill Belichick always tries to neutralize the other teams best player and he will try and do that this week by keeping Cam Newton in the pocket and making him be on time and accurate with his throws. The Patriots are known for their discipline but also play a lot of man coverage this year. If the D-line allows Newton to break contain it will be a big gain and a difficult tackle for any Patriot defensive back.

The Patriot's Passing Game ---- The Patriot offense has been atrocious this year at times but the offense recently put up 55 against the Steelers and coming off a bye week expect the Patriots to be sharp. Brady's connection with rookie Aaron Dobson will be huge because the Patriots will need him to challenge the Panthers deep so they don't load the box and completely stop the run. Also Brady needs to be on time and accurate with his passes to the smaller receivers if the Patriots are to succeed against the Panthers top tier defense. Lastly, will Kembrell Thompkins get any targets this week? He has flashed talent but has moved so far down the depth chart he was a healthy scratch against the Steelers.

I Just Gotta Hate on Lebron Sometimes

We All know that Lebron James is a fantastic player and hey ill admit when he plays for team USA I'm rooting for him, But I'm still a Celtics fan and I'm always hoping they "beat the Heat" especially when Lebron is consistantly whining. so being a C's fan, when I was searching the random mess that is Youtube and came across this video I couldn't help but share it and hate on Lebron a bit.

8 Pictures That Summerize The Improved Patriot Defense

Not the Right Time for Jeff Green

A couple of amazing games happened in the past 2 weeks for the Celtics. The first being an amazing win over the Heat and the second being an amazing loss to the Bobcats .....however throughout this season one positive thing stands out and that's Jeff Green. He is averaging almost 18 points a game and is shooting over 40% from three, he has quietly emerged as a very good player for this Celtics team. So Jeff Green's emergence is a good thing right? wrong! Unfortunately for us Celtics fans Green is just now performing like everyone had hoped he would when they traded for him, except their is no Paul Pierce or KG playing with him. Green's excellent play has come too late for the Celtics and Green is now stuck playing alongside the likes of Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger. The only thing worse then thinking about Green's great play coming too late is thinking that his great play also in a way has come too early. No one expects this Celtics team to be a playoff contender this year and they likely wont be for 3-5 years. Therefore the next time the Celtics are legitimately contending Jeff Green will be in his early thirties and will have his best days behind him. Green is an above average wingman in the NBA right now, but the prime of his career undoubtedly has occurred at the worst possible time for the Celtics.

Desean Jackson's Impact on Patriots MNF

Assuming Aqib Talib returns for the game against the panthers then Desean Jackson should be the biggest talking point. Why is Jackson the main talking point when he doesn't even play for the Panthers? Because it's important to learn from the  past. Think back to the Patriots pre season game against the Eagles. Aqib Talib shadowed Desean Jackson and unlike his performances against Julio Jones, Jimmy Graham, and Vincent Jackson Talib was consistently beat in coverage. Desean Jackson beat Talib all over the field and really hampered the Patriot's defense. So why is Desean Jackson important in terms of the Panthers? Agility! You see Talib has had no problem shutting down the tall rangy receivers that oppose him but he does seem to have problems with small quick receivers. Players with immense agility are the only players in this league that give Talib a Problem, and Steve Smith is one of those players. Unlike Jackson, Steve Smith actually plays for the Panthers and could be giving Talib fits this Monday night. When you add in that Talib hasn't played in what seems like forever , Smith could be a game changer come 8:40 on Monday. Leaving Talib on an Island this week in coverage could be the Patriot's biggest mistake if they want to shut down the Panther's offense.

What is Brady's Best Attribute?

Ask anyone and they could name you a handful of elite quarterbacks past and present, but what they cant tell you is why. What makes a terrific quarterback? many people would say "oh he has a great arm" but if it were that simple Brady Quinn would be one of the best quarterbacks ever. Other people would say it's outstanding athleticism, or accuracy, or smarts but Michael Vick, Chad Pennington, and Andy Dalton respectively have one of these traits but they are not elite.  Every quarterback in the NFL has a good arm, and can make all the throws, So what is it that makes Brady elite? I'm here to tell you that what makes Brady elite is his unique ability to throw the receiver open.

Throwing the receiver open is a trick that every NFL quarterback uses at times to get a completion to a well covered receiver. Whether it's throwing a back shoulder ball, leading the receiver, throwing a jump ball to a bigger receiver, or throwing it where only the wide out has a chance of getting it every QB does this but none quite like Brady. Brady consistently throws his passes purposely wide,low,high,or unnecessarily fast to a receiver so that the receiver is the only man who can make a play on it. Several examples this season come to mind, the first is looking back at the game winning drive against the saints. On the final game winning reception Kembrell Thompkins was in the corner of the end zone literally with a Saints player right next to him but Brady threw a ball where if Thompkins doesn't extend and jump for the pass it sails through the end zone harmlessly. yet the Saints player could never make a play on it. An incredibly tricky throw that required a lot of brass and ended with a unlikely win for the Patriots. The second example of Brady throwing a player open is Arron Dobson's first TD catch vs the Steelers. On this play Dobson streaks down the left sideline. Brady looks his way but Dobson has a corner back glued to his hip, textbook coverage. However Brady delivers a nearly perfect back shoulder ball that allows Dobson the chance to make a play on the ball. Brady's great throw results in Dobson's falling TD catch in the front corner of the end zone.

Every elite Quarterback has one unique thing that makes him great. Brady's ability to throw receivers open has been one of the main reasons why even with awful or inexperienced wide receivers Brady still puts up points. The wide outs don't have to get open. Brady makes them open with his outstanding throws.

Patriots - Panthers Early Prediction

The Patriots first test after the bye week is a bit of a surprise, the panthers were nothing to write home about last season but come into this weeks match up with a 6-3 record and are fresh off an impressive win vs the 49ers. The Monday night match up  should be a good one with both teams matching up admirably. Both teams get after the quarterback well but look for the Patriots D - line to sacrifice pass rush for the sake of keeping Superman in the pocket, while the panthers D-line will pin their ears back and go all out attacking Brady. The Panthers will try to exploit the terrible patriot run defense with both Cam Newton and the Running backs.Ultimately I think this game comes down to who can win in the air . Newton will be contained to throws from the pocket and simply cannot match Brady's productivity with throws from within the pocket especially when Newton has little quality at wide out.

Final Verdict Patriots 30 Panthers 24

Vareen's impending impact

I don't expect Shane Vareen to play vs Carolina and if he does I expect him to have a limited role because of his injury. But I think it's important to take a look at what Vareen will bring to the Patriots as he progressively returns.

First things first, despite the patriots recent outbreak vs the Steelers the offense has been bland and relatively ineffective. Vareen won't be able to doctor many of these problems ( he can't catch the ball for Thompkins and Dobson) but he can create a pressure release valve for Brady when he drops back. Rather then having to force the ball to tightly contested receivers Brady will have the ability to dump the ball down to Vareen and just watch him pick up yardage. Vareen has better hands then bolden who has been playing the scat back role and also is more explosive in open space then any of the running backs. Having the option to throw short to the safety valve and pick up chunk yardage after the catch will take some pressure off of Brady and the offensive line.

 Speaking of the offensive line the Patriot's line could use some help in pass protection and Vareen is just the guy to help. Vareen is just a standard blocking running back but he can help the offensive line with his speed and ability in open space by utilizing screens. When the patriots line up in passing situations they will be able to snap the ball and let the opposing linemen attempt to get after Brady then sneak the ball to Vareen in open space with blockers. The simple screen game can help neutralize opponent pass rushes and get Brady in rhythm with simple passes.

Lastly in my opinion, Vareen will have his biggest impact with his versatility. Although Ridley, Blount, And somewhat Bolden are all geared towards tough downhill running, Shane Vareen has much more offensive versatility. The Patriots will utilize Vareen with shotgun runs, wheel routes, and splitting out wide as a wide receiver. The great versatility that Vareen possess can cause matchup problems most notably a linebacker attempting to cover Vareen one on one.  Look for Brady to exploit any matchup problems caused by Vareen's versatility

Who Wins The 2014 Superbowl???

Hey guys so today I decided to look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the teams that I think have a chance to win the 2014 Superbowl. Feel free to comment if you disagree or have anything to add.(The teams are in no particular order)

The Patriots ---- As you all know I'm a home teamer but every team has a weakness or two and there is no exceptions here.

Strengths --- 

Tom Brady --- Brady is still an elite quarterback and anyone who argues otherwise is wrong. He seems to be having a resurgence midway through this season and already has a couple comeback victories

The Secondary –- What a strange thing to think the patriots have as a strength this year. Nonetheless the patriots secondary has done well this year. Only thirteenth in the league but with Talib in the lineup they have been much better, shutting down all number one receivers they face.

Weaknesses---

Run Defense --- rated in the bottom three for rushing yards against per game is bad enough. But with the two starting DT on the IR and with no run stopping personnel behind them the pats are in trouble.

Health --- The Team is absolutely decimated right now. Both Starting DT are out for the season, all pro linebacker Mayo is out, the number one corner, starting safety safety, and starting end are all out short term. The team might literally fall apart.

The Broncos

Strengths---

That Outrageous offense --- Peyton Manning looks like a man possessed through the first half of the season and the Welker/D.Thomas combo has been absolutely lethal. This passing game is nearly unstoppable for any opposition.

 Ball Hawks – The Broncos currently are first in interceptions, that’s a momentum swing field position, and another position for the killer offense.

Weaknesses ---

Pass Defense --- The secondary may be intercepting a lot off passes but they all too often looked over matched in coverage. Many will attempt to attribute this to the fact that teams are always trying to come back but the secondary simply looks slow at times.

Release at The Line of Scrimmage --- For wide receivers getting a release vs tight man coverage is crucial to get open for the Quarterback. I have no doubt that Thomas Can get off the line but I know first hand that Welker cannot and the Colts may have created a sort of defensive blueprint to beat the Broncos.

Running the Football--- Denver may have the offensive weapons to not have to run but if they need to run out the clock this could haunt them. 23rd in the league in rushing and a very low yards per carry.

The Green Bay Packers

Strengths ---

Rogers --- Everyone who watches football knows that Aaron Rogers is a phenomenal quarterback. He has the ability to decimate just about any defense if he is on. The fact of the matter is he has done it before and no one would be surprised if he won again.

Eddy Lacy --- Finally the Packers have a run game this year. Lacy is leading all rookies in rushing yards so far and is an absolute truck running between the tackles, when he's running well the Packers offense is much more effective.

Edge Rushing --- Always have to mention Clay Matthews

Weaknesses ---

Rogers --- With Rogers being out for multiple weeks that will greatly hurt the Packers in the short term, but I'm more interested to see how rusty Rogers will be when he does return from injury. If he isn't sharp the Packers could get bounced early from the playoffs.

Lack of Play Makers in the Secondary ---Trumon Williams, Morgen Burnett, and Sam Shields are all adequate Defensive backs for the Packers but they lack big plays. only 3 picks going into week 10. With Rogers out the defense may get exposed more.

The Seahawks

Strengths ---

Entire Defense -Not Going to lie the Seahawks Defense is absolutely stacked. Two very good corners in Sherman and Browner, a very good safety in Thomas, and a freaky front seven that can stop most teams.

Chunk Yardage on offense --- The Seahawks may not have a great offense but when they get yardage it tends to be in large chunks. Going into week 10 the Seahawksa had 30 plays go for 20 yards or more. The Seahawks, when playing well, can effectively stretch opposing defenses.

Weaknesses ---

The Qb – I can't say that I am confident in Russell Wilson's ability to lead the Seahawks to a title. He is incredibly erratic at times and most of the superbowls in the last decade have been won by tall pocket passing Quarterbacks.

Long Drives --- I said as one of the Seahawk's strengths that they pick up alot of chunk yardage, but what they can't do well Is sustain long drives. The Seahawks are 27th in yards per game going into week 10 and have had problems getting long scoring drives. They can score on a short field but can they produce long sustained drives in crucial scenarios.

The Chiefs

Strengths ---

The Pass Rush --- Tenacious D-line. Going into week 10 leading the league in sacks, doesn't get better then the best

Opportunistic Defense --- So far this year the chiefs have been relatively effective when pouncing on other teams mistakes forcing 8 inceptions and 12 fumbles. The stout defense has really made it easier on the offense.

Jamaal Charles --- So far this year Jamaal Charles has bounced back incredibly from his injury prone past two years. He has rushed for 725 yards already and is looking to build another strong season. He also makes life a lot easier for Alex Smith and the other offensive players.

Weaknesses ---

Run Defense --- All the getting after the quarterback the Chiefs do causes problems in their run defense. The Defensive linemen lack discipline and can be caught up field trying to chase the quarterback and losing contain on the outside. This leaves them susceptible to a lot of run pays especially the draw.

Lack of Offensive Play Makers --- The Chiefs may be undefeated but they certainly have there inefficiencies on offense. On the outside Bowe is a solid possession receiver but hes no Calvin Johnson or Brandon Marshall. Alex Smith is more of a safe quarterback then a guy that will light a team up. And Jamaal Charles can't run the ball every time. Do they have enough to score on elite teams.

Patriot's Underperforming Players This Season

Hey Everyone, earlier today I wrote a blurb on who I thought was exceeding expectations this year for the patriots so far, so I figure why not follow that up with who I think is under performing this year.

Jaime Collins --- When the patriots drafted Collins in the second round all i heard on him was how much of a freak athlete and how versatile he was, but so far this year he has barely seen the field and has really looked raw out their especially in man coverage (something he was supposed to be quite good at). By no means am i saying give up on the kid, he doesn't even have a full season under his belt but i would like to see him press other LB for reps.

The O line --- The Patriot's offensive line came into this year 100 percent in tact from last year but their has been huge disappointments across the board. Solder has been a little weak in pass protection, Mankins has graded out as an average linemen this year, while Wendell and Connolly have both had problems being out  matched physically. Overall the line has been sub par but their is always room for improvement especially after a bye week.

Kembrell Thompkins --- As soon as training camp started and into the pre-season Thompkins was touted as the number one wide receiver on the outside but he was a healthy scratch against the Steelers and wasnt even targeted on 14 plays in the game before that. He has flashed but he can't put it all together and its showed in his playing time.

Kyle Arrington --- Arrington has continued to be a top tier slot corner, shutting down every slot receiver sent his way. However Arrington serves the role as back up outside corner and when he is forced to play on the outside he has been just terrible. He seems to lose any field awareness when playing outside of the slot.

And lastly ..... Whoever put Blount as the kick returner--- To see the250 pound force that is Blount tearing up field at you on kick returns must be a fearful sight but he simply isn't fast enough or quick enough of a decision maker. Especially with Boyce on the roster who is a speed demon....... But in bill we trust.

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Patriot first half surprises

Looking at this patriots team their are a lot of players who have impressed unexpectedly. Take a look
Impressed
      Alfonzo Dennard --- Dennard has essentially been another number one corner playing the number two wide receiver. He has shown excellent ball skills swatting down many passes and only lets up passes that thread the needle. Has been especially important because Arrington can't play outside.
      Chris Jones --- I don't think anyone this year would have expected the fourth DT to make some impressive plays but Jones has been effective. He may not be the best run stopper but he is a very good penetrating DT and who can forget that great sack where he literally barrel rolled to the qb
      Devin Mccourty --- I have been a huge fan of McCourty since he has been on the team but for some reason he lost his ability to turn around at corner. So naturally safety would make it easier on Mccourty but I certainly didn't think he would have such a great season. He has been terrific covering the deep portion of the field and over the top coverage on wide outs. And to my surprise he has been a great tackler this year.
       Don't'a Hightower ---- many people will cite his poor performance in the game directly after Mayo went down. But he has cleaned up a lot of his coverage and covers the flats really well. He also has absorbed most of the tackles that mayo would normally make.
       Aaron Dobson --- I love the kid. And the fact that he has had a lot of drops is a rough start. But not many people realize welker dropped many passes as well. Nonetheless Dobson has shown great improvement and consistently gets open. Highlighted by him torching Ike Taylor for 81 yards.
      Steve Gregory --- Last season I refered to him as the punter because he had high socks and always was trailing the play. But this season with Mccourty emerging Gregory has been able to step up and play the robber role as a safety. Effectively containing the middle of the field and delivering some pop on receivers over the middle to break up plays.
      Stephen Gostkowski ---- after looking very bad last year at times and having questions of confidence he has been nearly perfect. Can't ask for better then that out of your kicker.
      Nate solder --- The offensive line has been a large criticism this year but Solder has been solid particularly in the run game. Plays run to the left have many times ended with huge holes and chunk yardage.
   

Bearded Pleasure

What is it that makes a player great. Is it raw athletic ability? hand eye coordination? anticipation and instincts? A great coach? Great Teammates? Likely its a combination of all of these... or perhaps it is just having a killer beard!!?!?!

The Red Sox are not the first team to grow gnarly playoff beards but they are the most recent victors to showcase this wonderful method.Is it any coincidence that the 04 and 2013 Red Sox were underdogs all throughout the playoffs but somehow managed magic..... while having beards. Is it a coincidence that the 2010 - 2011 bruins were able to pull off a miraculous upset over Vancouver ... with huge beards. Not only has the Beard produced amazing upsets over the years but a lack of a beard has caused the exact opposite. (The Beard Givith and the beard takith away) How Strange that an elite young scoring prospect with a quick trigger in Tyler Seguin could barely hit an open net in the playoffs as he struggled to grow a beard, while just 2 years earlier Mark Recchi at  the age of 87 could fly around the ice, score goals, and fist fight Canuck players.

I'm not saying having a beard does or does not make a championship team. But if you're facing an underdog opponent who has a grizzly beard.... you're in for a fight.

What the Patriots Need to Work on Over The Bye

Wow!! the Patriots enter the week 10 bye with a 7-2 record, 2 games atop of the AFC east and coming off what looks like the resurgence of the offense. But by no means is this team perfect, for every good win (the saints) their was a bad loss (The Jets). Here is what i think the patriots should focus on during week 10

Brady's Connection --- As good  as the Patriots looked vs the Steelers the unfortunate fact is that the Patriots have not looked sharp on offense and the wide receivers still look a little lost at time. In a week where the Patriots can run a wider variety of drills It would be good to perfect that timing between Brady and the receivers and get Thompkins and Dobson to stop double catching.

Figuring out a run stopping package --- Although the Patriots traded for Isaac Sapoaga the run defense still could use  a lot of work. The Patriots can't count on Vine Wilfork or any other big name nose tackle coming to their rescue so they need to figure out a way to stop the run. The Patriots have tried 5 linemen formations and have Spikes playing a huge amount of snaps but they need to find some way to effectively stop the run.

Integrate returning players --- Most notable Shane Vareen. The kid was electric week one and if he can continue that kinda play as a scat back that would be outstanding for this patriots offense. But he hasn't played in 2 months so he needs to get re acclimated to the game. Also Armon Armstead could be integrated into the DT rotation to help with the run, or just give other tackles rest.

Figure out the secondary with and without Talib --- obviously everyone is looking for Talib to come back and the Patriots will be thankful to have him playing. look for the patriots to slowly work him back into playing. Also the Patriots need to figure out how to defend the pass without Talib. Talib has been injury prone and the Patriots cant survive with the Arrington playing outside.

And Lastly..... In Depth Gameplan for the Panthers --- This is one of Bill's best aspects as a coach. The Patriots get an entire extra week to game plan for the Panthers and they need to make sure they take advantage of it. No Doubt Belichick is working on that already.

Don't forget to comment and give your opinion on any  aspect of this article, and feel free to share

Tough Reality for Collie --YXKH9RDJ6Z6P

The NFL is a difficult league to get into, not only is it hard to get into but it's nearly impossible to stay on a team if you aren't an elite player. With so much competition players who have had jobs in the NFL for years suddenly could find themselves without a job. Austin Collie is a perfect example of this. Collie has shown some good looks at the wide out spot for the New England Patriots this season and even had 2 catches on a game winning drive vs the Saints. However Collie was sent packing this week by the Patriots after suffering a knee injury that would likely keep him out for a while. Collie is now left without a job and injured attempting to get his career back on track quite frankly he's just another on a long list of players struggling to stay  afloat in the NFL.  YXKH9RDJ6Z6P

I'm glad the Celtics are 0-4

Not going to lie, I love to watch my home town teams win, and that's why I am so happy that the Celtics are win less through four games this season. Don't get me wrong I would much rather have the Celtics beating LA and New York in the playoffs, scoffing at Melo and Kobe as they run away with late victories based on team defense and stars stepping up. Unfortunately the days of old are just that... old.... and in Brooklyn now, so this years Celtics team is forced to rebuild and I'm happy with how they are playing. I want Avery, Sullinger, Green and all the other players with potential to get on the court and get experience. If the Celtics continue the trend of getting their young players experience on the court and losing they will eventually land a big rookie. This big time rookie won't be coming into a team like the bobcats but instead will come into a team where all the players have at least a few years of experience and several already have playoff experience. When the Celtics eventually do land that big rookie, whether they make a big trade like ray and KG or ride the star rookie like the Thunder they will be back on top and in good shape for another long stretch of dominance.

Polamalu not elite vs the Patriots

Troy Polamalu is viewed by many as an elite safety in the NFL and in some ways he is an extremely good play maker but the same instinct that makes him a great play maker also makes him susceptible to fakes, misdirections, and locking on to the quarterback. This was extremely apparent to me one 3 huge plays in the game against the Patriots

 Brady to Amendola part one --- on this play Amendola runs a seam route right up the right hash mark slowly fading to his left. The Steelers are back in what looks like a cover three with Polamalu covering the middle third of the field deep between the hash marks and two other DB's covering from the right hash mark to the sideline and the other covering from the left hash mark to the sideline effectively splitting the deep part of the field into thirds. Amendola gets a clean release and sprints straight up the field. Once he passes the linebackers (who are in short zones) he is still in the middle of the field therefore it is polomalu's job to pick him up, however Tom Brady starts the play looking deep down the right side, hee looks their for about 2-3 seconds and Polamalu overzealous to a play drifts ten yards to his right. This lack of discipline sees Amendola wide open for a catch and run into the endzone.

Brady to Amendola part 2--- on Amendola's second big play of the day the Steeler's play call on defense is hard to distinguish because of Polamalu's blown assignment. Prior to the snap The patriots have two wide outs on the right side close to the o-linemen,Polamalu is deep over the middle but faded a little to the right so he is lined up with Amendola. After the snap both Patriots receivers  run vertically up the field and about 10-12 yards up the field Amendola breaks diagonally in towards the middle of the field while the other reciever darts out diagonally on a post towards the sideline. Polamalu who lined up over the middle of the field decides to go with the receiver who broke towards the sideline rather then stay inside which would make no sense in any coverage. nonetheless Amendola is wide open for a 30 plus yard gain.

Lastly --- In a rather key scenario of the game after the Steelers caught up and had seemingly all the momentum the Patriots attempt to drive down the field and regain momentum. the Steeler defense looked very tough and the patriots faced a key third and long. Dobson starting on the left side runs a 7 yard in route and is marginally well covered but brady decides he is going to throw anyway. Polamalu jumps the route actually reacting very quickly and getting up the field from behind dobson. the only problem is Polamalu gets there a second early and tackles dobson before the ball gets there.  A costly pass interference that led to a Patriots score.

Troy Polamalu may be a very good playmaker in this league and he usually plays better then he did vs the patriots, but this week he was putrid in coverage and led to the early deficit for the steelers.

Patriot's outlook vs Steelers

Looking ahead to tomorrows week 9 game against the Steelers I fully expect the patriots to pick up win 7 and here is why

On Offense --- The Patriots most likely will have a tough time running the ball as the Steelers have an over sized d-line that loves to stop the run. Unless Ridley is looking really lively the patriots will have to look to pass the ball. When passing the offensive line is going to have to contain the blitzing linebackers off the edge and attacking the A gap. This could be an especially tough task without Vollmer but the patriots line usually finds a way. Brady looking down the field is going to have to pick up on the mismatch. The Steelers have some good coverage players (Taylor, Polamalu) but don't have the depth to cover three wide outs and gronk. the mismatch will be the target.

Defending the Steelers --- The Patriots actually match up extremely well vs the Steelers offense. First off containing Big Ben actually should be quite easy as the patriots rushes almost always stay in their lanes and set the edge. The Steelers have also had o- line issues this year and look for Chris Jones to occasionally shoot up the middle. When the Steelers run look for the patriots to give up some yardage in chunks as they have for the past few weeks but generally keep Le'Veon Bell under wraps. When the Steelers pass look for the patriots to play a good mixture of man and zone to keep giving Big Ben different looks, and look for Mccourty to be solid over the top. If their is no talib again ( which i would not mind as i want him healthy) i look for Dennard to lock up Antonio Brown at the line and take him out of the game. The Steelers don't have many explosive offensive players so if Dennard can do his job it will make everyone else on the pats d have an easier day

Key Matchups

Mccourty vs Sanders --- The Steelers haven't been doing to well on offense this year but wide out Emmanuel Sanders can still challenge the safety deep. Mccourty needs to keep his form and range to make sure there are no big plays.

Ike Taylor vs Dobson\Thompkins --- Taylor over his years in the NFL has been an excellent corner but he has lost a step in his years, and against young athletes he has to be strong at the line of scrimmage to avoid a big play.

Woodley vs Pats O-line --- Woodley is a dynamic rusher and against a decimated pats line if he can get pressure he can be a real problem for the patriots passing game. The Steelers will need the pressure

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now (Besides Tom Brady)

As you may know i am a huge home teamer and therefore i already think Tom Brady is the best quarterback ever and he can't be on this list. nevertheless here are my top Quarterbacks right now

1. Peyton Manning ---- Just look at the numbers this year. He was gifted a great wide receiving core and he's making it happen. nuff said
2. Drew Brees --- A terrific Qb if you are looking to constantly air it out on offense. He puts up big numbers and distributes the ball well, and he wins!!! ( atleast when Sean Payton is involved) 
3. Andrew Luck ---- maybe a surprise pick here for many but Luck does the one most important thing in the NFL.... he wins. Made it to the playoffs last year with a mediocre colts team surrounding him and beat Denver this year, Can be erratic but gets results.
4. Aaron Rodgers --- perhaps a surprise here as well as Rodgers ranks fourth on my list (fifth if you count tom) He is placed this low is because of his inconsistency during the regular season and the gifts he has been given.Rodgers isn't the most consistent winner despite having an outstanding group of wide receivers, and when gifted with an outstanding group of wide receivers i don't think he pushed them to the next level.
5. Russell Wilson --- The man could easily miss 3 easy passes in a row to go three and out but he could just as easily complete 10 straight. He's streaky but he's good at the end of games and keeps the Sea hawks from being  one demensional. 

Sorry too RGlll, Kaepernick, Flacco, the bad Manning , Roethlisberger, Romo, Ryan and all the other QB's that didnt make it.

this is my opinion,do you agree with these picks?