New England Patriots Hit Bye Bye Bye Week with Tough Stretch Looming Ahead

It’s bye week 2009 for the New England Patriots, and this season is gearing up to be one of of the most epic seasons to be a fan of the New England Patriots.

This is a season that saw the return of Tom Brady, an emotional milestone that one probably would not even begin to comprehend unless you are a true diehard fan of my beloved Pats.

It is a season that saw the end of Scott Pioli holding back Bill Belichick in his true genius. Not only is this team performing in such a high capacity, they drafted 12 rookies, most of whom are getting decent play time.

Myron Pryor is one who sticks out in my mind as a serious find. The kid just has a motor that doesn’t quit and has been providing quality push when rushing the passer.

Darius Butler is another rookie who is shaping up to follow the footsteps of some of the better cornerbacks to play, ever.

Other rookies this year that I feel will end up being marquee names for years to come, are Brian Hoyer, Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, Pat Chung, and Sebastian Vollmer. There are also some key free agent finds like safety Brandon McGowan and corner Leigh Bodden, not to mention the continued growth of previous draft choices and defensive leaders Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather.

It is a season that saw the trade of a figurehead of the team, Richard Seymour, to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round draft pick. This pick is shaping up to be a very high pick as well, one that will certainly bring a future keystone to this Patriots franchise.

It is also a season that saw the retiring of Tedy Bruschi, which, while depressing, was necessary. His presence on ESPN is comforting, though, as well as his also being a voice of reason in that twisted anti-Boston medium.

The bye week comes almost midseason. At 5-2 the Patriots sit atop the AFC East and will stay that way no matter the outcome of this week’s divisional matchup between the Jets and Dolphins.

The two losses the Patriots suffered were games they should have won, and as devastating as they may have felt at the time, it is promising to see the team close to the top after struggling to perform at their finest.

This season has seen an awe-inspiring comeback to open the season, lowest of lows in the doubters of Brady against the Jets, highs of beating up on weak teams like strong teams do, and a painful last minute loss—a last minute loss against a team that we may face, in the same place, in the AFC Championship game for a chance at revenge.

The Pats will take this week to heal up, having had a few painful injuries, as well as some small “bumps and bruises” every game.

Matt Light was injured, and rookie Sebastian “Seabass” Vollmer has played very well in replacement. Seabass did get mildly hurt himself, however, and may have compensated for this by committing a few holding penalties against the Bucs.

Downhill runner Sammy Morris and solid veteran pickup running back Fred Taylor were also hurt, leaving most of the running duties to Laurence Maroney. Despite all the criticism of Maroney, he has played well enough, just continuing to show flashes of the running back we hoped he would be.

One thing looking forward is the Patriots cannot look back. They need to forget about their two losses and only build upon their recent successes. The biggest point is that the next five games are going to define their 2009 season.

Week Nine they face the Miami Dolphins at home, then they travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in a Sunday night game, then it’s back home against the Jets, then off to New Orleans to square off with the high-flying Saints on Monday night, and then back south again against the Dolphins in Miami after a short week.

The Patriots are going to wave bye to the bye week and plunge head first into the meat of their schedule, and only be better for it.

We’ll see where they stand after the second game versus Miami, but they currently rest in a position to take charge of their destiny and mark the year of the return of Tom Brady as one of the most memorable, meaningful, inspiring, hopeful seasons ever.

Let’s hear it for FOUR in FOURTY-FOUR!

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The Day Of The Patriots | The Day Of DirecTV

Living outside the local network area can be a depressing experience for the true fan of any NFL team. Luckily, DirecTV offers NFL Sunday Ticket!

Now, things seem simple. Just get DirecTV, and the Patriots will be beamed right into your living room every week. As an added bonus, you’ll get to watch every other game in which you have remote interest.

Unless, of course, your apartment complex does not allow satellites on the roof, and the only place they do allow them is on the north side of a two story building (dish must face south).

What does that mean?

No DirecTV, meaning no NFL Sunday Ticket for this Patriots fan living in San Diego.

But alas, this Patriots fan has MOVED! And guess who is coming tomorrow? That’s right, the DirecTV installation guy to hook up a glorious NFL Sunday Ticket feeding satellite dish to my 50-inch HDTV.

Now, I’m going to experience the returning year of TB12 in luxury.

I had been driving 45 miles out of the way to go to a bar full of Patriots fans to watch the games. That was becoming a stress point in my marriage, so this works out perfectly.

Still I have to keep a crappy cable company for internet. But thank my lucky stars this place faces the absolute perfect direction for a perfect angle on the satellite.

Let’s talk about the return of Tommy and his Pats for a minute.

Week one of the preseason was a great showing, and he looked good in my opinion. I did seem to see a little throwing of the back foot, as well as a few passes he didn’t step in to. Other than that, he looked very much in control of the offense.

In week two, the offensive line played like a bunch of school girls and blew a blocking scheme audible. Tommy got rocked, but bounced right back up as if nothing happened. This equals good.

So they lost 7-6. This does not surprise me considering it is a preseason game, and I don’t care at all. All I wanted to see was Tommy take a hit and be alright, as well as the defense look good (which they did).

A few of the draft picks are turning out to be great surprises. Of course, Julian Edelman, but then I was expecting great things out of this sleeper. He is pretty much a lock for the 53 in my opinion.

Myron Pryor has a motor that doesn’t quit, and I have enjoyed watching him. Ron Brace as well, and then it looks like the D-line is very strong and deep this year.

The Patriots have been showing a lot of 4-3 alignments, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything considering that is a trend every year in the preseason.

Darius Butler looks like he has the making of a great cover corner in the NFL. In week one he gave up a big pass interference penalty, which ultimately led to a touchdown. The Eagles decided to go for two, then Darius picks it off! What does he do? Marches right off the field still ticked about the penalty. That is the sign of a true professional in my mind.

Sebastion Vollmer has shown good signs, although this past week he looked like a lost mule on a few snaps.

Kevin O’Connell needs to get it together. He looks like a lost school boy looking for mommy in the crowd out there.

I could go on forever.

And I will, later.

New England Patriots: Happy Tom Brady Day?

Today.

Today Tom Brady will take the field in a game against an opponent.  Yes, it is a preseason game.

Today is a day I have been waiting for for months. 

Today is a day I have been thinking about since that other day that is forbidden to speak of.

Today is the day the world will be able to see Tom Brady move, slide, throw, and just play the game of football in an actual game environment.

Today, I am on duty and can’t watch the game.

Today. 

Pats’ Fans Beware: Steeler Troll Hole

They threw me in a hole,

Threw down a rabid Steeler troll.

It plucked away my eyes,

I thought no one heard my cries,

I started screaming WHY?

Then not so much to my surprise,

some a-hole screamed out: cheater, DIE!

 

This is a weak joke of a poem, but if you fancy yourself some kind of “poet,” just shut up.

New England Patriots: Derrick Burgess Just Became My Binky

The other 31 teams in the NFL were just officially served their notification to duck and cover this year.

The New England Patriots acquired a proven pass rusher.

All year, my only desire was to see the ball stuffed down the throats of the other teams, and their quarterbacks flattened on the freaking ground.

My desire to watch this man explode with quick tenacity, and decimate teams’ offensive confidence is matched by NOTHING.

The final piece just fell into place. Vegas better cut down those Super Bowl odds a little more, or some people going to get RICH.

Count on it this year, the Patriots will be like a broken ATM spitting out money for anyone betting on them to make the spread.

19-0. Super Bowl XLIV victors.

Done.

New England Patriots: “Remember When We Cheated This Year and Won 18 Games?”

Oh that’s right.

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Hey, what the Patriot say to the Steeler?

Stealer? What’s up brother!?

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68 days, and counting…….

POLL: Which Active Patriots Jersey Do You Own?

 Patriot Pat says…

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So I have a problem. I have an obsessive issue that requires attention. I can only allow myself to own one jersey of one active player on the Patriots. 

Rodney Harrison has been my jersey for the past six years, and now I am going to have to look into a new one.

What am I to do? How does one really choose? 

Choosing Rodney for me was simple. He was a freaking maniac, and I was psyched to have him on the team; especially after going to a Chargers game in San Diego with a friend one year and watching him plow through players like I used to plow snow afta a Nor’Easta!

So what jersey do you primarily wear on game day?

I need some expert advice.

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Andrew Cahill is a true Boston sports fan. Check out his Web site, “Patriot Pat’s Patsies.”

The countdown to the NFL’s HELL is on…

New England Patriots: Whatever It Takes, I Need Some Pepper This Year

 Patriot Pat says…

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• According to Miguel the Patriots have $4.7 Million in cap space.
• The outside linebacker position is the weak point of the Patriots’ defense.
• The Patriots are overstocked with potential nose tackles.
• Trading Vince Wilfork will free up another $1.7 Million in cap space.
• 2009 is the final season on Wilforks’ contract.

• There could be an increase of big nickel packages, utilizing the amount of depth we have at safety. 
• We could see an increase in the use of four linemen, with any number of lineups behind them. Again, this will utilize the depth we have.
• The one question in the defense is that of the outside linebacker position, but the young players (Crable, Redd, Woods) could rise to the occasion this year.

This really makes me want him on our defense, no matter what. Whatever the cost is.

New England Patriots: Your Quest Is To Slay the AFC Beast

 Patriot Pat says…

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Critics have truculently said that the AFC East will be weaker this year, in that it will be facing off against tougher opponents. That may be true that they are facing tougher opponents, but that sentiment should as well be applied to those teams that are playing against the AFC East—a division which I believe we should affectionately term the AFC “Beast.”

Gone are the days of peace during the Patriots’ parade to victory, and this battle should be one that will last for many years to come. Certainly things will be more interesting in the coming years.

Although it is four months prior to the beginning of the regular season, I feel comfortable in making my presumptuous predictions. That is based on there not being any seriously unforeseen events coming until then—barring any injuries—that would change my mind.

After taking a seriously in-depth look at each of the team’s current situations, schedules, and opponent’s situations, I have come to the conclusion that the AFC East will be the beast of the league.

New England Patriots—2008: 11-5 | 2009: 12-4

Of course—the Patriots fan predicts the Patriots. Isn’t that what you are all saying right now? Well, in all seriousness, how can you not? The Patriots are coming off an offseason that is unparalleled in recent memory.

Tom Brady is returning from a serious knee injury, and has used his time off to allow other lingering injuries to heal completely. He is testing better physically know than he has in years.

They have revamped their secondary, and may even still add a veteran linebacker to an already impressive corps.

Their offense will continue to impress, and their defense has room to improve upon from last year.

I won’t get into the Patriots’ situation so much in this article, but be on the lookout for a comprehensive look into the Patriots’ roster situation as we head into training camp during the coming months.

Losses: Baltimore, Indianapolis, New York Jets, and Miami. 

New York Jets—2008: 9-7 | 2009: 11-5

The fans in New York should be proud of their team headed into the 2009 season. The team’s strongest aspect last year was its defense, and they have made huge progress in making it even tougher.

They started with stealing defensive mastermind Rex Ryan away from the Baltimore Ravens. Then they continued their defensive building by trading for DB Lito Sheppard and signing free agent LB Bart Scott. 

Defense wins championships, right?

They also took the draft as an opportunity to aggressively pursue the only missing piece of the puzzle in my mind—quarterback. Last year, Brett Favre was just terrible. He consistently made atrocious decisions in key situations, and was generally reckless with the ball.

I fully expect Sanchez to start ahead of Clemens. Even though he is a rookie, and performances like Flacco and Ryan’s of last year are uncommon, he will have similar success this year. He is a smart player who will adapt quickly in my opinion—no matter what his former coach, or all you pessimists think.

Why would I feel so strongly about this? Well, to be frank, I am fearful of the Jets in the coming years.

Losses: New England, Miami, Buffalo, Atlanta, and Indianapolis.

Miami Dolphins—2008: 11-5 | 2009: 10-6

The creator of the Wildcat will have a new toy to play with in Pat White. The Wildcat as it is known now will have a different look in 2009, in my opinion.

Bill Parcells took over the Dolphins and in one year turned a 1-15 team into an 11-5 team. Some people will argue that was on the virtue of an easy schedule, and even though they do have a harder schedule this year, I am expecting the Dolphins to perform admirably.

The Dolphins travel north into colder weather only once the last half of the season. That trip is to Buffalo where I plan on seeing them win. The other three away games in the last half of the season are in Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Carolina.

I think they handle Tennessee this year.

Losses: Atlanta, San Diego, New York Jets, Carolina, New England, and Pittsburgh.

Buffalo Bills—2008 7-9 | 2009: 9-7

The Bills offense should stop nothing short of being termed a stampede this year. The receiving combination of a healthy Trent Edwards to Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, along with Marshawn Lynch and Dominic Rhodes on the ground, will lead to some serious yardage and points.

As history will show us however, offense will not solely get the job done.

They did draft Aaron Maybin, who will provide some pass-rushing ability for coming years, and along with former first round pick Donte Whitner heading up their defensive backfield, their passing defense should improve from their 12th in the league ranking.

They did not make many moves to improve against the run, and that will be a big weak point as it gets deeper into the season.

The downfall for the Bills this year will be their division record of 3-5.

Buffalo have to watch out for predators like the AFC Beast.

Losses: New England x2, New York Jets, Miami x2, Tennessee, and Indianapolis. 

 

Don’t get me wrong, the entire league is full of extremely strong and determined football teams, but if you ask me, the strongest division is the AFC Beast. 

Their difficult schedules will only solidify this point by the end of the year.

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Andrew Cahill is a true Boston sports fan. Check out his Web site, “Patriot Pat’s Patsies.”

The countdown is on…

New England Patriots—First and Foremost

 Patriot Pat says…

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For myself and the Patriots, first and foremost comes the franchise. Above anything else considered when exploring your fanhood, should be the love of the team—the entity, or essence, that is the idea of the team.

They are the New England Patriots, and they are our team. 

No matter what anyone says about them, they are our team, and we will love them. Of course we love individual players who make up the roster, but above all we should value the team.

It could be Tony Eason, Steve Grogan, Doug Flutie, Babe Parilli, Jim Plunket, Scott Zolak, Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, or Matt Cassel calling the signals, and we will love our team.

Coaches and players come, and owners come and go. The one thing that remains is the Patriots—the team.

It would be truly spectacular if I could sit down, and write a fabulous story about the exact moment when I became a fanatical fan of the Patriots. The truth is that being a fan of the Patriots is just how it is.

It is what it is.

I have been a fan since before I can remember. I can’t tell you that I remember that first game I ever watched with my father, or the first time I considered them as my team.

There was a time when I feared they would be the Hartford Patriots. I remember that very well, because that was a very dark time for us true fans. 

Then Robert Kraft, an avid lifelong fan of the Patriots, came to the rescue and revamped the franchise. He took a team that lacked stability and turned it into an old reliable.

There hasn’t been a team nearly as successful as the Patriots during his tenure as the owner of our franchise. They have had two losing seasons in the 14 plus years he has owned the team, and have managed 156 regular season wins, only 68 losses, five conference championships, and three Super Bowl victories. 

But, I digress.

The Patriots are the solid rock in my life. Just as coaches, and players come and go, they are that solid thing I can turn to when things in my own life come and go.

There will always be offseason workouts, mini-camps, signings, trades, preseasons, regular seasons, and if we’re lucky, post-season games for me to look forward to.

So, if you are wondering why the picture for this article is a picture of Matt Cassel, know that I am proud of the man, loved him while he was quarterback of my team, and wish him nothing but the best.

Of course I mourned the loss of Tom Brady last year, but remember that above all, we should love the team most—not just who makes it up. 

One last thing, it doesn’t really matter how you became a Patriots fan, just that you be a true one if you are.

I really just don’t remember.

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Andrew Cahill is a true Boston sports fan. Check out his Web site, “Patriot Pat’s Patsies.”

The countdown is on…

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