Bill Belichick

rlos Dunlap and going for an OLB-type in the second round and/or later. 

We know head coach Bill Belichick has a thing for University of Michigan linebackers. But I’d like to see him take a flyer on a Wolverines running back. I didn’t realize that Brandon Minor was in this draft until recently. But I remember him as the best back in Michigan’s rotation. Minor should have a lot of tread left as he had just 331 carries in four years. He’s well built (6-0 214) and could be this year’s Ryan Grant.

Continue reading "Hours Away"

Moss didn’t have to wait long to see first hand how head coach Bill Belichick emotionlessly make decisions. It was just Randy’s second year with New England that he saw QB Matt Cassel, LB Mike Vrabel, and DL Richard Seymour, three players with 20 combined years of service with the Pats, traded for draft picks and salary cap relief. 

Continue reading "Stayings or Goings Part 1"

atched every defensive play, watching only Thomas to see what it was about AD's play that drew Bill Belichick's ire.

Now, disclaimer, I am not Bill Belichick. I wasn't watching film in the womb. But I would consider myself a fairly knowledgeable Xs and Os fan, who's favorite show is NFL Playbook and who's personal hero outside the Hoodie is Mike Mayock.

Continue reading "A Closer Look at Adalius Thomas in ..."

much of a personality to fit into the Patriots Way and is very likely to clash with the no-nonsense Bill Belichick. Belichick still has his head-butting with Adalius Thomas fresh in his mind and Bill wouldn’t want to put himself through that again. 

Continue reading "Window Shopping"

Head coach Bill Belichick said he isn’t a believer in titles. He just expects people to do their jobs. Well he’s proving it this off-season with his coaching staff. The Patriots will go into 2010 without offensive or defensive coordinators. 

Continue reading "Uncoordinated"

the Patriots defense the lack of a three down outside linebacker is the biggest hole on the roster. Bill Belichick built his championship Giants defense of the 80's around Lawrence Taylor. The Super Bowl winning Patriots teams had both Mike Vrabel and Willie McGinest who could both rush the passer and play stout against the run.

Continue reading "Patriots Defense Only a Pressure Player Away"

Head coach Bill Belichick added Corwin Brown to the coaching staff. The former Notre Dame defensive coordinator now commands the New England secondary. It’s a homecoming for Brown, as he was a fourth round draft pick of the Patriots back in 1993. 

Continue reading "A New Coach"

However Patriots fans are well versed in situations like these. Bill Belichick always does what is best for the Patriots, and in his 10 seasons with the team the Wilfork situation could be the most intriguing decision Belichick has had to make.

Continue reading "Wilfork Decision a Major One for Belichick"

Long thought to be Bill Belichick's specialty they were a mix-and-match group this year. Mayo and Guyton led the way at ILB. Expect Mayo to regain his 2008 form after his knee returns to health this off-season. Guyton should be a nickel linebacker and was out of position playing SILB in the base defense where he struggled in the run game. Expect Tyrone McKenzie to return from injury and take over as the SILB thumper besides Mayo on run downs. He will come off the field in passing situations for Guyton, setting up a solid young trio of linebackers on the inside. A draftee at ILB might not be a bad insurance policy should McKenzie suffer a setback, so keep your eyes on rookie ILBs that are 6' 2" - 6' 4" and over 250 pounds.

Continue reading "2010 New England Patriots Defensive ..."

Head coach Bill Belichick knows he has to make changes to the Patriots in order to reverse the sliding trend. Fortunately, two were made for him. 

LB Junior Seau announced his second retirement. This time he says it is permanent. He wants to spend his days surfing. And defensive coordinator Dean Pees, whose contract expired, won’t resign and will pursue other options. 

Continue reading "Free Agents"

quo;t stop the freight train moving at full speed. 

Now that the season is over, head coach Bill Belichick has to take a real tough look at his team and no one is spared. Players, coaches, and scouts must be evaluated and determine who’s doing a good job and where there’s room for improvement. Based on Sunday, looks like a lot. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Wild Card"

d Brady anything is possible, but 2009 will forever be known as the first year in the second act of Bill Belichick's reign as coach of the Pats. The end is still unwritten.

Continue reading "A Quick Look Back at the 2009 Patriots ..."

Ls Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork are questionable for the season finale. 

Assuming head coach Bill Belichick plays it safe, Warren and Wilfork will be held out of the season finale against Houston. After that, it’s a case by case basis. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 17"

But after his fumble against the Jaguars, Maroney did not get another carry. 

Head coach Bill Belichick won’t throw Maroney under the bus. Instead Belichick said the Pats gave the ball to the hot hand. It’s hard to argue with 12 carries for 95 yards by Morris, but Maroney was off to a great start with five carries for 22 yards. Morris might get the lion’s share as the hot hand, but Maroney wouldn’t had been shut out if he held on to the ball. 

Continue reading "Loose Laurence"

But it was also ingenious by head coach Bill Belichick to arrange the best match-up for his team. 

With the playoffs just two weeks away and New England insured to play a Wild Card game, is there a team fighting to get in that would be the easiest prey for the Patriots in the first round? 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 16"

ment dispelled that rumor. 

The only division is LB Adalius Thomas bumping heads with coach Bill Belichick. Thomas will be inactive for today’s game because of his comments delivered on Thursday. If Adalius remains defiant, Belichick should suspend Thomas for the rest of the year. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 14"

Head coach Bill Belichick’s decision to send them home was interpreted as sending a message. Maybe it was to the four involved, or maybe it was intended for the team. Whichever the case, Thomas wasn’t havin’ that. He fired back about the motivational ploy through the media on Thursday:

Continue reading "Thomas vs. Belichick"

Head coach Bill Belichick doesn’t accept excuses and he sent the quartet home for the day, missing the game plan installation meetings and practice. 

So here’s what we know: Four players booted for the day for being late. Here’s what we don’t know: Nothing else. But it doesn’t prevent speculation from rising. 

Continue reading "The Message?"

But if any coach can pull a team together and make them play great it's Bill Belichick. Turmoil and losses are what forge great teams and great players. Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest had to lose to Brett Favre and the Packers in the Super Bowl before they became the great leaders and players they were.

Continue reading "Rumors of the Patriots Demise Run Rampant"

s, then it’s appropriate that Burgess was downgraded to “53.” 

Head coach Bill Belichick recently praised Burgess for making the transition from defensive end to the hybrid Burgess plays now. I don’t share that praise. Congrats on adjusting, but Burgess isn’t fulfilling his first objective which is to sack the quarterback. 

Continue reading "Left Wanting"

First and foremost is listening to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's interviews from WEEI that are posted as podcasts on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Nowhere else will you find Coach Belichick more open and relaxed. Sure you still get some of the standard responses: somethings were good, some things were not so good... we've got to coach and play better...

Continue reading "Patriots Turn the Page to the Miami Dolphins"

Seems to me like many Patriots fans out there aren't quite as depressed by last night's debacle as they were after the loss to the Colts. Around this time every year you start to really know how good your team is, or isn't. The Saints are good. Really good. The Patriots are not.

Continue reading "Picking Up the Patriots Pieces"

He’s the first quarterback to throw three TDs in a quarter against a Bill Belichick-coached defense. 

5. For the first time since 2005, the Patriots lost a regular season game to an NFC team. That was a week two 27-17 loss to Carolina. That ends a 17-game winning streak against the NFC. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 12"

But Bill Belichick will throw in enough change to be the difference in a Patriots win.Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 12"

Any news outside of their scope of focus is a distraction. 

Bill Belichick, the all-knowing head coach, is keeping his team in line. He’s making sure the only things on his players’ minds are black and gold, Drew Brees, Darren Sharper, and the Fleur de Lis. 

Continue reading "Bill Belichick's Nemesis"

by the Jets since 1986, a span of 371 games. 

Extra point: Yale head coach Tom Williams put Bill Belichick to shame. He went for it on 4th-and-22 and came up short. When he’s ready, Belichick has an opening on the coaching staff for Williams. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 11"

After Sunday night’s game, Indianapolis defenders said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 was disrespectful. 

If they felt that strongly about the alleged disrespect, imagine how the Patriots defense felt. Belichick’s decision was like a no-confidence vote against the defense. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 11"

Whether head coach Bill Belichick is still a genius or now is an arrogant doofus is your opinion. At this point, I’m done with it. 

This argument of Belichick’s decision has been blown out of proportions because of Patriot Nation’s dislike of QB Peyton Manning. It’s a tough loss, but losing to the hated Colts and the commercial face of the NFL left many feeling sick. Feel free to call the ill effects the Manning Migraine. 

Continue reading "Looking Ahead"

I understand why head coach Bill Belichick went for it on fourth and two, but that was the wrong side of the 50 to attempt the play. 

Belichick lost faith in his defense to win the game against an Indianapolis offense with about two minutes left and a timeout. New England had already given up 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Colts offense played no-huddle for the final period. Two 79-yard scoring drives that lasted five and six plays respectively, closed the gap. Those drives were also short, the first one taking 2:04 off the clock and the second just 1:49. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 10"

In the past head coach Bill Belichick, knowing Manning got rid of the ball too quick, brought pressure up the middle to distract Manning and throw off his timing. 

But Manning learned to when to escape the comfort of the pocket and how to hit a moving target when on the move as well. It was the adjustment Peyton needed to close the gap between him and his biggest rival. 

Continue reading "Game of the Year"

feature we're calling "Donning the Hoodie", where yours truly will step into the role of Bill Belichick and lay out a game plan of how the Patriots might game plan against their opponent.

Continue reading "Donning the Hoodie: Patriots Defense ..."

ink that it could somehow have had an effect on the outcome of a game.

The media enjoys attacking Bill Belichick because he doesn't make their jobs easy. The video taping incident should've been an open and shut case. The punishment was severe, huge fines and the loss of a first round draft pick. That's where it should've ended. But that wasn't enough for a mediocracy who had been waiting for something to fuel the fire of dislike they had for coach Belichick.

Continue reading "Of Course Joey Porter Had to Bring ..."

It's Wednesday, and that means that Sunday's AFC East clash between the Dolphins and Patriots is quickly approaching. Finally we're back to games that count for something. With a win the Pats can really put themselves in great position to retake the AFC East and restore order to the galaxy.

Continue reading "More Drama for Adalius Thomas?"

Is the defense legit? The days of old and slow have been replaced with young and unproven. Bill Belichick's Patriot defense version 2.0 will be built around Jerod Mayo, Brandon Meriweather and hopefully a soon-to-be extended Vince Wilfork. Three playmakers at each level of the defense. We've seen a consistent rotation in the defensive backfield, but it looks like Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, and Leigh Bodden are the top three cornerbacks.

Continue reading "The Real Season is About to Start ..."

It is just another road game. 

That’s the approach head coach Bill Belichick took with this game in London, England. Apparently the flight is about as long as a flight to a West Coast game. The accent is different, so is the venue, and the crowd behavior will be unique. But otherwise it’s just another game. It was a big deal the first time the NFL played a regular season game at Wembley Stadium, but there shouldn’t be any fuss about this overseas game. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 7"

I wish head coach Bill Belichick let Dennis Green do the post game press conference for him. I really needed to hear the Patriots let the Broncos off the hook. It was as if New England let off the gas in the second half offensively. I realize New England has a poor record playing in Denver but they can’t use that as an excuse. I don’t think the Broncos are three points better than the Patriots, but the Broncos made the plays and earned the overtime win. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 5"

Praised is heaped upon Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels like he’s the second coming of Bill Belichick, down to the gray hoodie. 

Just like Belichick assembled a team of discarded veterans, sold them on the value of teamwork, and led them to a Super Bowl Championship in 2001, the undefeated Broncos are being compared to that superlative team. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 5"

Great, another University of Michigan linebacker we will eventually put on IR. 

OK, OK, that’s uncalled for and it’s unfair. I’m jaded by Shawn Crable because I had high hopes for him, but he never made the field in 2008 and will miss all of ’09 as well. Maybe it’s because his legs are too skinny to endure the stress from pro football. 

Continue reading "Another Burgess"

triots are still a work in progress and no one understands the process of team building better than Bill Belichick. 

The New York Jets were the better team in week 2. Their defense at this point looks close to the level of the elite defenses of the NFL. The Patriots, especially on offense, do not look elite yet.

Continue reading "What Did New England Patriots Fans Expect?"

Bay LB Derrick Brooks, and there has been no indication that Junior Seau got a call from head coach Bill Belichick. But you can be sure Belichick has those numbers on speed dial if he isn’t satisfied with Guyton’s play. 

Continue reading "Guyton in the Middle"

And Patriot fans had his “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings” statement memorized since Ryan said it in June. 

This whale of a man speaks unfiltered and will never suffer from foot in mouth disease because Ryan can swallow his foot whole. Confidence is one thing, but many believe he crossed into cockiness long time ago. Rex Ryan is larger than life. 

Continue reading "Nothing Wrong with Rex Ryan in my Book"

be thrust into the flames early and often.

There might be growing pains early on, but once again Bill Belichick has set the Patriots up for long-term success. 

Twitter me @PatsPropaga

Continue reading "Richard Seymour: Shipped to the Black Hole"

While the D-line is deeper than the LBs, that doesn’t mean head coach Bill Belichick is abandoning what butters his bread. 

Before giving my take on the subject, I’ll analyze the perspective of the people. 

Continue reading "4-3, or Not 4-3? That Is the Question"

ntic. 

One thing we know for sure is if the starting five isn’t getting the job done, Bill Belichick will find someone who can. Three offensive linemen were drafted and very quickly Sebastian Vollmer is getting a lot of time playing left and right tackle. And Kaczur can’t feel comfortable with the huge Ryan O’Callahan ready to throw his weight around. 

Continue reading "On the Run"

All off-season the biggest question has been who would fill Mike Vrabel's OLB spot in Bill Belichick's vaunted 3-4 defense, but with a deep group of talented defensive lineman, including rookie Myron Pryor who started and looked excellent, and other veterans experienced in the 4-3 defense like Derrick Burgess, Paris Lenon and Rob Ninkovich, the Patriots look like they may be considering a schematic change.

Continue reading "New England Patriots: 4-3 or Not ..."

Burgess has done it before and done so at a decent rate. Head coach Bill Belichick and the coaching staff often gets the most out of their players. 

If Burgess can be half of what Randy Moss became after being traded from Oakland to New England, the Patriots got a heck of a player and another steal of a disgruntled Raider. 

Continue reading "A Burgess Believer"

Surely Bill Belichick will use Burgess smartly, keeping him healthy and productive. Below a video from his dominant 2005 season.

 

Continue reading "Derrick Burgess Becomes a Patriot"

I’m not much of a poker player, but since the beginning of training camp, head coach Bill Belichick has been exchanging cards, looking for a full house. 

They looked at QB Cleo Lemon. DE Kevin Carter seems to be getting serious consideration. QB Matt Gutierrez was cut and QB Andrew Walter signed to replace Gutz. 

Continue reading "Ninkovich in the Cards"

perts suspect the New England Patriots as one of those teams. 

Why? Because when head coach Bill Belichick was asked about Vick, he gave Michael a compliment of being a tremendous athlete, but Belichick didn’t say he had no interest in signing Vick. 

Continue reading "Signing Vick ?"

In the latest issue of Sporting News, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is ranked as the 20th greatest coach of all time. He will have to prove it this year. 

Training camp kicked off with a pair of practices. According to sources, it will be the first of many two-a-days for the team, as Belichick intends on running a tougher, more physical camp than in years past. This is just what the team needs. 

Continue reading "Establishing the Defense"

It seems like just because Bill Belichick doesn't come out and say "WE ARE AGAINST SIGNING HIM" that everyone considers the Pats to be the most-likely destination. Whatever. Not gonna happen.

Continue reading "Patriots Training Camp Begins: What We Learned"

fensive coordinator. 

Much of the offensive responsibilities will be on his shoulders, with Bill Belichick looking over one of them. He hasn’t earned full autonomy, but if O’Brien does a great job with the offense, he will earn the right to make all the calls possibly by the end of the season. 

Continue reading "Camp Countdown"

it, watch the contents, match the handwriting on the label to a Patriots staff member, test it for Bill Belichick DNA to make sure it really was the real thing. Rapoport could learn from Tomase as what not to do. 

Continue reading "Welcome to Patriots Nation"

ker always solid against the Patriots in his days with the Jets, and Smith has the versatility that Bill Belichick loves. Both should push Watson not only as primary blockers, but as receivers in the spread offense as well.

Continue reading "Top 5 New England Patriots Training Camp Battles"

They also remember that head coach Bill Belichick let McGinest leave because Bill felt Willie outlived his usefulness. 

Based on his three years in Cleveland, there will be some fans wanting more. 

Continue reading "Is Willie Willing to Adjust?"

Bruschi witnessed that approach first hand. 

Head coach Bill Belichick, while expressing how difficult the decisions were, still released safety Lawyer Milloy, traded linebacker Mike Vrabel, and already replaced safety Rodney Harrision well before Harrision announced his retirement. 

Continue reading "Last Call for Bruschi in 2010?"

Eventually he got his money, but Seymour had to hold out briefly for his contract. Head coach Bill Belichick values his linemen much more than receivers and corner backs. Unlike WR Deion Brance and CB Asante Samuel, who were both shown the door over contract extensions, Wilfork’s deal will get done because he’s high performance player in his prime at a premium position. 

Continue reading "Closing Speed"

ets already had a new confidence under Ryan.

Then came Ryan stating he  wasn't there to kiss Bill Belichick's rings, a statement that the even-keeled Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss  found to be in a disrespectful tone.

Continue reading "Patriots Have Reason to Fear Rex Ryan's Defense"

It would be easy to say that Tom Brady going down in Week One was the defining moment of the 2008 New England Patriots.

Sure, in many ways it was, but with Brady going down just twelve minutes into 2008 there was still a full season of football to be played. So, ultimately the 2008 Patriots were not defined by a lack of Tom Brady, they were defined by not being able to beat any of the elite teams they faced.In a season where the AFC East was decided by the third tie-breaker (conference record) there were a handful of plays that, had they gone the other way, the Patriots would've been crowned division champs.

Continue reading "The Play that Cost the 2008 Patriots the Playoffs"

Rex Ryan was on WFAN yesterday and served up a bevy of quotes directed at Bill Belichick and the Pats, including a cryptic mention of a "message" that had already been sent to their AFC East foe.

Continue reading "Thank You, Rex Ryan"

  Bill Belichick's comments upon Rodney's retirement sum up how much he meant to the franchise both on and off the field.

He, along with current players like Tom Brady and Tedy Bruschi, and past players like Mike Vrabel and Willie McGinest, are the ones who established the culture of hard work and dedication inside the New England locker room.

Continue reading "Love Him or Hate Him, You're Going ..."

At this time last year, Gary Guyton was just the linebacker with the fastest 40 time at the NFL Combine. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was a running back with a funny long name. 

We had no idea these guys that couldn’t get drafted would become valuable contributors on the field. Guyton was often substituted for Tedy Bruschi. And when the running back ranks were depleted, Green-Ellis started three games and had a 105-yard performance against Buffalo. 

Continue reading "Meet the Rookie Free Agents"

of two AFC Championships irks me a little. 

I guess it boils down to Drew was never one of Bill Belichick’s guys. LB Willie McGinest’s “55” wouldn’t had been assigned to anybody if it wasn’t for the signing of Junior Seau, the reason McGinest wore the number at USC. As of right now, no one dons the nickels jersey and I don’t expect that to change. 

Continue reading "Numbers Game"

Click here to check out a slideshow Eyeball Test for the prominent New England Patriots rookies.

Continue reading "New England Patriots Rookie Eyeball Test"

Reports have surfaced today that the New England Patriots have reached out to Jason Taylor again about joining the team. While we agree with Michael Lombardi that a pass rusher is about all the Pats are missing for another Super Bowl run, we're just not sold on Taylor being the answer.

Continue reading "Thoughts on Jason Taylor and the ..."

In weeks and months leading up the NFL draft a fan is overwhelmed with the possibilities of who their team might add. Everywhere you look there are prospects who would be exciting additions to the team, however once the draft is over you're left with a handful of draftees, a few of whom may be exciting, but the majority of whom are considered boring depth-adding projects.

Continue reading "New England Patriots Post-Draft Depression ..."

It was yet another long and anti-climactic draft weekend.

The Patriots again did what no one thought they would and selected a collection of solid players. Only a couple will be in any position to help the team immediately but the rest will restock the depth at the positions that good football teams value the most: along the lines.

Continue reading "Notes on a New England Patriots Draft Weekend"

ave to wait until next year for him.

Without a proven starter opposite Adalius Thomas, head coach Bill Belichick and his staff wait until the third round for a guy with 4.5 career sacks. Considering the Patriots as a team had 31 sacks last year, that's not giving the secondary much help.

Continue reading "Never Caught Short"

Peter King reports this morning that the New England Patriots are trying to get to the 8th or 9th pick in the draft by packaging their first round pick (23rd overall) and the middle of their three second-round picks. King floats the idea that the Pats could be targetting LSU DE Tyson Jackson but admits he does not know for sure.

Continue reading "Peter King Reports Pariots Looking ..."

As I've been saying for the past year re-signing Vince Wilfork should be priority one for the New England Patriots front office and from this article in today's Boston Herald it looks as if things are headed in the right direction.

Continue reading "Vince Wilfork Happy How Talks Are ..."

It's been a long void but alas the draft is upon us and with 11 picks Bill Belichick will be like a kid in a candy store with a fistful of cash. Who knows what the Pats will do this weekend, I don't even think they do but one thing is for sure and that is that they will be active.

Continue reading "Draft Week is Here Patriots Fans"

ther picking up the phone and dialing their number. 

After the Bills is Denver, with former Bill Belichick understudy Josh McDaniels co-running the show. There are a few factors to consider. One, has McDaniels’ trading privileges been taken away by owner Pat Bowlan after blowing the Cassel trade? If not, did the experience leave a bad taste in Cassel’s mouth, making him gun-shy about trades? Or is Josh taking it personal that Belichick didn’t deal with him even though McDaniels was late to the trade talks? 

Continue reading "Dream Draft"

There's a debate that arises from time to time on any popular team message board, and that is whether or not it's okay for fans to say "we" when referring to their team.

"We really need let L.T. go, he's on his last legs," as opposed to "the Chargers have to get rid of L.T. because he sucks now and I am sick of watching him suck."

Continue reading "It's Okay Patriots Fans, You Can Say "We""

If he can play both, he has the versatility that head coach Bill Belichick wants. 

But whenever I look around at other mock drafts, there’s a name that frequently appears next to the 23rd pick: Clay Matthews Jr. 

Continue reading "In the Minority about Matthews Jr"

I think the trading of Vrabel and the signings of Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs answers what Bill Belichick thought. It was more due to a lack of playmakers in the secondary. This brings us to the second big off-season storyline...

Continue reading "Back in the Patriots-Blogging Saddle"

Can Bill Belichick really swindle the Carolina Panthers into trading 4-time Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers for just the 34th overall pick?

While I'm sure Peppers will stand by his word and push to play with a 3-4 defense, the Panthers know what they have and won't just trade him just to satisfy Peppers.

Continue reading "The Price of Peppers"

-season program once he signs with his next team, but if participation not an issue with head coach Bill Belichick, then the Pats should bring Taylor into the fold. 

There are reports that the Patriots do seem interested in Jason’s services. Considering how Taylor terrorized the Patriots over the years, it’s easy to understand why Belichick would want Taylor, even if only to ensure he doesn’t play against New England this year. 

Continue reading "A Case for Jason Taylor"

trigue me.

When talking about the competition for 3-4 players, especially linebackers, head coach Bill Belichick kinda mentioned Larry English and Brian Orakpo.

NFL.com was nice enough to list top performers for various drills, but they don't list every player, just the top eleven at every position for every drill.

Continue reading "Three Points"

There was something about September 7th, 2008 that felt wrong from the start.

The New England Patriots, coming off the almost-perfect season of 2007, took to their home turf for the season opener at Gillette Stadium, however they weren’t wearing their usual home blue jerseys.

Continue reading "GU! The New "Doh!" for New England Patriots Fans"

Those of us outside of Foxborough cannot predict how Bill Belichick sees young players such as Pierre Woods or Shawn Crable at Outside Linebacker or Jonathan Wilhite or Terrence Wheatley at Cornerback. If any of them project to make significant contributions in 2009 it would affect the decision on who the Pats will draft.

Continue reading "Combine Players to Watch for Patriots Fans"

e seasons under his belt.

Just because Scott Pioli is running Kansas City, don't think he will do Bill Belichick the favor of giving up the third pick overall and a couple more picks for Cassel (though a second and TE Tony Gonzalez would be a great start).

Continue reading "Cassel, Your Tag is Showing"

The best way to get over the end of the NFL season is to immerse yourself in the NFL Draft. Though I'm sure to be experiencing "Draft Fatigue" by mid-March, nothing puts last season's horror show in the rear view mirror better than researching the potential rookie studs the Pats could be adding in April.

Continue reading "Early Thoughts on the New England ..."

In a widely anticipated move, the Patriots hit Matt Cassel with the Franchise Tag today. It was the first day NFL teams could use the Franchise designation and the Patriots wasted no time.

New England can now match any offer Cassel gets from another team, but if they choose not to they will be compensated with two first-round draft picks. Once Cassel signs the tender the Patriots can either trade him or let him play 2009 with a higher cap number than Tom Brady.

Continue reading "Patriots Franchise Matt Cassel"

omote coaches to coordinators following an apprenticeship, then it's not surprising that head coach Bill Belichick would do the same within the front office.

Everyone expected director of player personnel Nick Caserio would replace VP of player personnel Scott Pioli. Well Caserio did get promoted, but not all the way to VP. Caserio will manage the daily operations of player personnel. But Floyd Reese was hired as a senior football advisor.

Continue reading "Reese a Valuable Piece to the Patriots ..."

The loss of Pioli is another story. He and head coach Bill Belichick worked perfectly together for nine years with the Patriots and they built a three-time Super Bowl winner. Excuse me while I make my own rendition of the famous Bill Parcells quote: Belichick didn't buy the groceries, but Pioli knew exactly what Belichick wanted (Pioli is Parcells' son-in-law, so The Big Tuna doesn't mind my twisting of his words for a family member). Pioli was grateful to the Kraft family and to Belichick for his years with the Pats. The best show of appreciation would be to trade KC runing back Larry Johnson to New England at a discount price.

Continue reading "Patriots Job Fair '09"

on to make at the position and Atogwe is a clear upgrade.

When the Patriots met the Rams in 2008, Bill Belichick had this to say about Atogwe:

I can't pronounce his name but he is a very productive guy with eight interceptions last year and he has already had a bunch this year including pre-season. He is around the ball a lot.

Continue reading "The Free Agent The New England Patriots Need"

t coordinator is a in-house promotion.

But does McDaniels' decision sit well with head coach Bill Belichick? Does Josh get Bill's blessing for replacing good friend and fierce opponent M

Continue reading "McDaniels Leaves the Nest"

What Bill Belichick saw in Cassel’s duck-turd preseason performances that made him a believer in Cassel, we’ll never know.  

Cassel led the Pats to a surprising 2-0 start, leading many to believe that even without Brady the Patriots dynasty would keep on rolling. 

Continue reading "2008 New England Patriots: Epilogue ..."

Unlike Drew Bledsoe, Cassel was developed to be the kind of quarterback head coach Bill Belichick wants. Cassel lacks the tendencies that Bledsoe had. Cassel won't make as many mistakes. Belichick and the defensive staff won't fool Cassel like they did Bledsoe. So it would be Belichick's desire to cross paths with Cassel as infrequently as possible.

Continue reading "Tag! You're Going Nowhere"

for the run defense, from first to 15th.

Defensive numbers aren't what's most important, though. Bill Belichick would rather have a defense that bends but doesn't break. In other words, teams could go up and down the field, but keeping the opponents from scoring matters most. That's done by red zone defense and turnovers.

Continue reading "Wanna Trade, Cleveland?"

bly starts in Richard's place.

While it's nothing new to the team, I'm going to repeat head coach Bill Belichick's mantra that worked so well in the past and this season:

Do Your Job.

It's as simple as it sounds. Everyone has their role. Perform yours to the best of your ability.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 17"

Make Their Special Teams Not So Special: The first thing out of Bill Belichick's mouth when talking up the Bills is how good their special teams are. While they are likely to be without Roscoe Parrish, this is still the area where the Bill could hurt the Pats the most. The Pats' special teamers will need to be on their game.

Continue reading "5 Keyz: Patriots vs. Bills"

By now we all know what needs to happen for the Patriots to get into the playoffs, but what happens if and when they get there? 

There are four potential scenarios that could play out depending on what happens this weekend. Assuming the Patriots beat the Bills, which may be a foolish assumption but it's no fun to assume otherwise, here they are:

Continue reading "Potential Patriots Playoff Scenarios"

l has emerged as a viable NFL quarterback, and he'll make some franchise very happy this offseason. Bill Belichick has survived key injuries to the best player in the league, his best defensive player, his heart-and-soul leader of an already beleagured secondary and all of his running backs at some point this year and guided a winning journey. The Patriots have gotten better throughout the season and appear to be peaking at just the right time, only the right time might end a few weeks earlier than expected.

Continue reading "The Waiting Game"

For the substitutes, it comes down to Bill Belichick's mantra for individuals: Do your job.

Mayo and Friends -Since his 20-tackle performance, rookie Jerod Mayo averaged just six total tackles the last three weeks. Mayo and the returning LBs (Junior Seau and Rosevelt Colvin) must return to their standards quickly.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 15"

From bostonsportz.com: 

Here we are, only three games left in the demento 2008 season and the Pats are hanging on to their playoff hopes by a thread. Three things need to happen for New England to make the playoffs: Pats go 3-0, Jets lose one, Dolphins lose one. At least one of these is guaranteed since the Jets and Dolphins play in the regular season finale so it should be an exciting last few weeks of the season.

Continue reading "5 Keyz: Pats vs. Raiders"

They were good in previous stints with New England. But I've been waiting for Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli to overhaul the position like they did the offensive line, defensive line, and secondary.

Continue reading "Younger Depth at Linebacker"

Steelers and I still do for a few reasons: 

A second look – As coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick has an excellent record against teams when they face each other a second time. There are plenty of examples. The Pats were not ready the first time they saw Miami’s Wildcat offense. After breaking it down for the rematch, the Dolphins gained just 25 yards on eight direct snap plays. Back in 2001, a second crack at the Greatest Show on Turf resulted in the franchise’s first Super Bowl win over St. Louis. Even the 2004 Steelers know first hand what can happen. They beat a then-undefeated Patriots team in the regular season, only to get smoked in the AFC Championship. 

Continue reading "Another Shot at the Steelers for the Patriots"

Shoot, even head coach Bill Belichick took a swipe at Smith when he said after the game, "I've seen better safetys than him." Dissed by a head coach? Owch!

I can only imagine how Smith's teammates felt with this second guarantee. How many of them rolled their eyes, wanting to shut Smith up themselves? For a guy that has done nothing in the league, Smith talks too much and his teammates feel the same. He's the friend that keeps getting his buddies in trouble and soon Smith's teammates will tire of sticking up for his loose lips.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 13"

Brady did it to Bledsoe, so it was only a matter of time. Speaking of similarities, I see Bill Belichick standing behind Matt Cassel rubbing his hands together and laughing maniacally like a mad scientist. This is a formula. And this is what

Continue reading "Building a Cassel"