The Pats are off today and it seems like people are stepping back and taking a look at how things are shaking out thus far. I'm sure BB and company are doing the same thing.

Here's a good article about Meriweather. Glad to see he's turning heads, between him, James Sanders and Tank Williams the Pats are looking like the will be able to at least make a noble attempt at replacing Rodney Harrison when he finally hangs them up. If the Pats take Super Bowl 43 in Tampa I wouldn't be surprised to see him and Bruschi call it a career.

ESPN's camp confidential makes a stop in Foxboro. The usual generic Pats camp questions. Great job, ESPN.

Eric McHugh takes a look at how things are shaking out thus far. Wish there were more articles like this out there but it seems like the biggest question - cornerbacks - is looking promising.

Continue reading "August is Here, One Month Till Pats Season Starts (and I become a Dad)..."

If the Patriots thought they were going to breeze through their 2008 creampuff schedule on their way back to the Super Bowl, they quickly discovered upon their arrival at training camp that they were sorely mistaken. Literally.

No, instead of 2008 AFC East Champs hats and an AFC Championship Game placeholder, all they’ve gotten are beatings from each other on a daily, and sometimes twice-daily, basis.

Eleven of the first 14 practices for the 2008 Pats have been in full pads, with heavy contact.

There have been lots of 11-on-11 goal-line work, including Saturday, when rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo stuffed Laurence Maroney on the 1-yard line and got the win for the defense.

Patriots Fan Weekly reporter Paul Perillo called it the play of camp thus far, and that makes me warm and happy inside.

Continue reading "Patriots Training Camp - Why So Physical?"

Camp is chugging right along and it's hard to believe that the first preseason game is a mere two days away. Check back tomorrow for our 5 Keys to the Game. It might be somewhat of an exercise in futility for a meaningless preaseason game as far as the team goes, but for individual players there's a lot at stake. Some quick hit thoughts and links:

Matt Light and now Ryan O'Callahan are both MIA, along with Stephen Neal. Let's just say the O-line looks a lot different that it did last season. There's still time and it's possible we'll have the same five starters for opening day but as of now I'm a bit nervous. Everyone knows when the opposition can put pressure on Brady it doesn't work in the Pats favor. I have full confidence in Dante Scarnecchia, he's made magic with less. But it's definitely an area of concern to keep an eye on.

Continue reading "Tuesday Pats Stuff"

Okay, I know it’s the preseason and having Keys to Victory is kind of pointless since a victory doesn’t really matter. After all, the Colts have lost 13 of their last 15 preseason games and they’ve done just fine (if you don’t count the postseason of course).

 

So instead here are five things to keep an eye on Thursday night when the 2008 Pats kick off their preseason schedule versus the Ravens.

 

1. Nobody Get Hurt!

Seriously the Pats could lose 70-0 and I really wouldn’t care as long as no one got injured. Okay, maybe I’d be a little concerned if they lost that bad but nothing can derail a season faster than a preseason season-ending injury. We have no choice but to leave this one in the hands of the Football Gods, so I’m going to stop writing about it for fear of bringing on any kind of curse or jinx. Just pray for no injuries.

Continue reading "Five Keys to Victory for the Patriots against the Ravens"

Let me preface this article with this quote from Bill Belichick following last night's preseason opening loss to the Ravens:

It’s the first preseason game. That’s the perspective. We have won them, we have lost them and we lost this one by one. This is the first preseason game. There is plenty of things to work on and plenty of things to correct with everybody. I don’t care what the score is or who you play or anything else. That’s what we will do.

There were some good things last night and there were some bad things. There's no need to rush to judgement about either, there's still a long road to go before the regular season starts and the games start to count. As my Dad always says: don't let your highs get too high, nor your lows get too low.

Continue reading "Patriots Preseason Game One: The Good, The Bad and the Fugly"

The Pats put  Tank Williams on IR today, ending his season. While they can probably overcome his loss it puts the early kabosh on a new wrinkle they'd been experimenting with. Now we'll never know for sure if Tank was actually going to play some inside linebacker, or if it was just a smoke screen. Even  Indy GM Bill Polian was asked about it this week. But that's that. So long Tank, we hardly knew ya.

Continue reading "Tank Williams donezo."

We're just about two weeks into Patriots training camp and we've had one ugly preseason game, a plethora of physical full-pad practices and a legion of fans ready to call Chad "The Chad" Jackson a bust. Yes, football is back and things are starting to take shape for the 2008 Pats.

The biggest issue at this time is injuries. Yesterday the team was missing 17 players from practice. With the newly reduced roster size of 80 players that's nearly a quarter of the Pats nursing some kind of ailment.

The offensive line and defensive backfield have been the hardest hit, though Tank Williams remains the only player to have his season ended on Injured Reserved and we should take that as a good thing.

We're going to maintain a positive outlook and just assume that Bill Belichick is taking his time bringing players back so the injuries don't get any worse. It's been an extremely physical camp for the Pats and they are paying the price for it.

Continue reading "Injuries Hitting Pats Hard"

The Patriots have reportedly signed former Bronco John Lynch to a one-year deal today. This shouldn't be a surprising move to anyone who follows the Pats given Bill Belichick's penchant for veterans.

It's hard to tell if Lynch can fill a situational middle linebacker role that Tank Williams was working at before he blew out his knee for the third time. But he can immediately help out a defensive backfield that has been missing Rodney Harrison from practice for over a week. 

Some may say Lynch is past his prime, but if anyone knows how to get something out of a wily vet it's the Hoodied One. Belichick will put Lynch in a position where he can be successful and his weaknesses (loss of speed being the biggest) are hidden.

It might be a move of necessity given the injuries that may or may not be piliing up for the Pats, but given the type of player Lynch is, and how much he has hurt the Pats in the past, I am excited to see him in the red, blue and silver.

Continue reading "John Lynch is a Patriot!"

If you’re like me you’re more than ready for the taste of last week’s turdfest of a preseason game to be a distant memory. Last week I mentioned a certain something as my number one key and what happens? Well, let’s just say Tank Williams got put on IR this week.

 

Tank was kind of like that hot girl you’re talking to at a bar, things are going well, you start imaging how amazing it will be to see her naked then boom, she disappears leaving you with nothing but thoughts of what could’ve been. Oh well. This week I’m not including anything regarding the “I” word in my Keyz.

 

1. Time to remind the NFL that we still have the best quarterback in the league. Everyone wants to harp on how horrid the backup QBs looked last week. Well guess what? Barring something catastrophic, it doesn’t really matter a whole heck of a lot. Belichick-willing Brady will be taking all the snaps from center in 2008 so everyone needs to relax. The best way to do just that? Watch Brady shred the Buccaneer defense. Once that happens we can all take a deep breath and remember what it’s like to see a quarterback who doesn’t trip over himself.  

Continue reading "Pats Preseason Game Two: Tampa Bay Buccaneers"

There were rumblings around the internet this morning that our beloved Tom Brady was seen at a Rhode Island hospital yesterday for an MRI and now the  Boston Globe has sources saying he won't play this weekend so he can rest a sore foot. This kind of kills my number one Key this week, as I was looking forward to seeing Brady out there slinging it for at least a series or two. Still plenty of time before opening day, hopefully it's as minor as it sounds. 

So now we're going to see good ole' Matt Cassel, this time with (potentially) Randy Moss and Wes Welker. If Cassel wants to prove he belongs in the NFL, the time is now.

Continue reading "Brady Won't Play vs. Tampa, "Resting Sore Foot""

It took me nearly a day to gather the courage to write about the Pats’ Sunday dismemberment at the hands of the Tampa Bay Bucs.

There wasn’t much pretty about preseason game number two.

Brandon Meriweather sustained what appeared to be a significant leg injury early on, and this when they already have Antwan Spann (who? Exactly) starting at safety. If Meriweather is out for any length of time John Lynch is about to be a starter after just one practice.

Matt Cassel was just okay. Kevin O’Connell still looks a couple years away. Matt Gutierrez didn’t touch the field, presumably still suffering from a “bruise”.

Yes, a bruise.

Is this a sign that the Hoodied One has gotten liberal with sitting guys out due to minor injuries?   With nearly a quarter of the team sitting out with some kind of boo boo,  I sure the hell hope so.

Continue reading "Fear Not Patriots Fans, We Shall Pillage Again"

So I haven't really been the most proficient Pats blogger lately and I apologize to the four people who actually click here from time to time. The combination of a baby coming in 13 days and madness at the day job have kind of held me back. And to be honest, it's too easy to get caught up in the hype of preseason and I am trying not to feed into that. The Pats will be fine. Anyway, here are some catch-up links...

As I state constantly Cold Hard Football Facts is the best site for NFL analysis on the web and this article only makes me love them more. Statistically the 2007 Patriots were the most dominant team in NFL history. Sure it came to a horrible end but that has to count for something. I think eventually the 2007 season will be a solid feather in the cap of the Patriots dynasty, even if it didn't end with a Super Bowl win.

Continue reading "Thursday Pats Catch-Up"

The third preseason game is already upon us. In the past you’d hear a lot of talk that the third preseason game is the most important one- where the starters play for much of the game and we start to get a feel for how the team was shaping up.

 

Well, that was then and this is 2008, where we’re not even sure if Tom Brady will take the field (I’m guessing no) and fans are so used to winning that even preseason losses are no longer tolerated.

 

When seeing your team pound the competition is the norm anything less is almost cause for panic. But there’s no need to panic, Patriots Nation. We’re a little more than two weeks away from putting the Super Bowl loss behind us.

 

So Keys for tomorrow night? This gets tougher every week of the preseason, especially since I feel like we’ve got more questions than answers even after two games, but let’s take a shot anyways…

Continue reading "Keys for the Eagles Game"

A bunch of links while we count down to the Eagles preseason game.

Don Banks tries to decide if Pats fans should panic or chill. Put me firmly in the chill category, seriously I know it's a great story for people to write about the demise of the Patriots but it just isn't the case. The biggest advantage the Pats have is Bill Belichick and his game plans, something that doesn't exist in the preseason. Until the real season everyone just needs to calm down.

Speaking of chilling, a poster named "NEInsider" posts from time to time on the ESPN message board. Though we can't tell for sure, it's seems very plausible that this his posts are legit. It's been a while since we last heard from him but a new post popped up today. Take it for what it's worth, but if you're a Patriots fan he always posts stuff that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside:

Continue reading "Pats Gameday Linkage"

Okay, I know ESPN thinks I should be concerned but I'm really not.

Did the Patriots look like a steaming turd against the Eagles? Sure.

But last time I checked the Super Bowl wasn't played on week three of the preseason.

Did we learn nothing from last year's heartbreaking end?

Because what we should've learned is that the only thing that matters is winning the last game in February, and I'm not talking about the Pro Bowl.

Not the games in September. Or even October. And definitely not in August.

February. That's when it counts.

Who's the idiot arguing that Brady needs to be out there to get in sync with the team? Good ol' Mark "pitching my own reality series" Schlereth. 

I don't know if Donko Mark was too busy trying memorize his lines for that soap opera of his but last year Randy Moss sat out the whole preseason.

Continue reading "Patriots Lose Another Meaningless Game, ESPN Declares Dynasty Dead"

There's never a dull moment in the Bill Belichick Patriots Dynasty. They lost their third straight preseason game Friday night, looked generally flat and only added fuel to the fire from the mediots and opposing fans who think it actually means something. 

I know it's been frustrating to watch. The offense looks like the 49ers', the defense looks like the Cardinals', the special teams look like Blaine Beauty Schools'. We're all wondering what happened to the team that just imposed their will upon everyone.

The only enjoyment I've gotten from this is watching opposing fans build a sense of false hope. They're all fooling themselves into believing that the Patriots, with nearly the identical team to the one that went 16-0, suddenly stink.

You'd think from the emails I've gotten from Eagles fans that they just won the Super Bowl, minus Donovan McNabb barfing this time of course.

Continue reading "Pats 0-3 in Preseason, And it Means Nothing."

Good news: Matt Light is back at practice today. Wes Welker walked thru the locker room and looked okay.

So things are starting to look up. And just in time for the regular season. If we have indeed made it thru preseason only losing Tank Williams for the season we're going to be looking pretty good.

John Tomase (first time I've linked to anything of his since the week before the Super Bowl) reports there was a walking cast in Brady's locker. I don't really see this as a big deal seeing as Brady is at practice. A walking boot is often used to immobilize an injury and help it to heal faster. I wouldn't look at it as anything more than that.

In the most hilarious news of the day, some fashion designer's going to design outfits for 31 of the 32 head coaches in the league. The one he won't design for? Take a wild guess...

Continue reading "Monday Bloody Monday Pats Linkage"

Is accordance with league rules, the Patriots had to get down from 80 players to 75 today. They did so by making the following moves:

• Ryan O'Callaghan to IR (season over)
• Stephen Neal to PUP (out until week 7 at least)
• Cut CB Jason Webster
• Cut RB Kyle Eckel
• Cut OL Ryan Wendell

While the cuts of Eckel and Wendell shouldn't be too much of a shocker we can make some assumptions based on these cuts.

• Patriots are happy with their cornerback depth. While Webster looked good early on in camp he just couldn't stay healthy. This leaves Fernando Bryant, Ellis Hobbs and Terrence Wheatley as the top three. Jonathan Wilhite and Lewis Sanders at the next tier and Mike Richardson/Jeff Shoate at the bottom.
• Clearly the decision on Neal was cause for the signings of John Welbourne and Mike Flynn. There will probably be another cut or two at guard, or Russ Hochstein could also be moved to PUP.

Continue reading "Pats Roster Move Analysis"

The end of the preseason is finally upon us and we’re mere days away from games that actually count. It will be nice to finally put both this preseason and last season’s devastating end behind us.

The fourth preseason game is traditionally the least interesting, often times starters don’t even play more than a series or two. If Tom Brady’s absence from practice Tuesday is any indicator, it’s probably a safe bet he won’t even suit up.

Brady’s been having some fun with the media this week. First, there was his infamous walking cast lying in his locker on Monday. That of course led some (like the Boston Herald) to speculate it might mean his 'deep foot bruise' was more serious than anyone was letting on, despite Brady looking fine at practice. 

Continue reading "5 Keys for Pats Preseason Finale vs. Giants"

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm just a little, tinsy bit worried. 

One can only rationalize for so long.

0-4.

Without Tom Brady.

Not a single touchdown in the first half in any preseason game.

But Tom Brady wasn't playing.

31st in Total Yards.

I might be wrong, but I don't think Tom Brady took a single snap. 

29th in Points Allowed.

Well, Adalius Thomas didn't really play much, Mayo's a rookie, Pierre Woods hasn't played much linebacker, Fernando Bryant's getting used to the system, Hobbs was injured, they're working out the kinks.

First Team Defense gave up first quarter drives of 57, 76, and 80 (twice) yards.

Well Belichick isn't really scheming. It's all about the scheme with the Hoodied One!

27th in Rushing Yards.

Continue reading "Patriots Preseason Wrap: 0-4, Could Bruschi Be Shown the Door?"

The Pats cut their roster down to the required 53 players today and there were a couple surprises. The biggest would have to be the release of CB Fernando Bryant. 

Bryant was a staple in the preseason starting lineup and seemed like he had sewn up the job of replacing Asante Samuel. Alas, now he's gone and it looks like rookie Terrence Wheatley or vet Lewis Sanders will now be starting opposite Ellis Hobbs.

I guess seeing Bryant get steamrolled by a Giants running back into the end zone Thursday night should've been an indication that he could be in trouble.

The other surprise is that Matt Cassel is still on the team while Matt Guttierrez has been let go. While many thought Gute outperformed Cassel, clearly the Patriots did not. Kevin O'Connell slips into the third quarterback spot with the potential to be Tom Brady's backup in 2009 when Cassel's deal expired.

Continue reading "Patriots Set Final Roster"

Apparently the Pats weren't quite done with their roster as word has been leaked that Chad Jackson was informed he would be cut today. This is a surprising move, though The Chad didn't have a standout camp he did have a couple TD grabs in what was a lackluster preseason for the Pats. This leaves some question as to who will be the 4 WR on opening day - Kelley Washington, CJ Jones and Sam Aiken are all candidates.

It's always unfortunate when you trade up to take someone as high as the Pats took The Chad and it doesn't work out.

Seems to me that Jackson could not grasp the Pats offense and that was the reason he was let go. This opens up a roster spot as well, stand by to see who's added to the team... 

Continue reading "Chad Jackson Cut"