Fred Taylor Could Be Key in Helping the New England Patriots Defeat the Jaugars

Well the holiday season is just about over and you know what that means, the NFL playoffs are right around the corner and like most of this decade the Patriots are gearing up for the push to the finish line.

As the Pats prepare for this weekends game against the Jacksonville Jaguars there are plenty of questions swirling around. The usual ones that have gone on for most of the year. Where does the offense go in the second half? Is Randy Moss not trying all the time?

The big question this week, though, is what is the status of Fred Taylor?

Taylor, who has been out since Week five with an ankle injury has been questionable the past couple of weeks. This past week, he had his best practice as he was out there for most of the week and it looks like he will be able to play as he is a game time decision right now. Taylor could be the difference maker this week.

After spending his entire season with the Jaguars, he came to New England this past offseason. The Pats were hoping Taylor could bolster the running game, and he did for the four weeks he played. Before Fred went down he had rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He was especially good in week three’s victory over the Atlanta Falcons where he rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown.

The running game hasn’t been too good this year as the Patriots have been mostly a passing team first and this will hurt them in the postseason if they can’t figure out how to pound the ball and kill the clock.

Taylor’s best asset to the game tomorrow will be the fact that he has knowledge of the Jaguars playbook. After playing their for most of his career he has a great idea of what kind of plays the Jags run which could bode well for the Pats.

If Freddy can help the Pats defense out by letting them know what kind of plays the Jags might run and how many times they run them a game then it will give the Pats a great chance and with a victory help them clinch the AFC East title for the seventh time this decade.

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Adalius Thomas Needs to Grow Up and Stop His Complaining Already

Is anybody as sick of Adalius Thomas and his complaing as much as I am. After being late to a  practice and then acting like it wasn’t a big deal and pretty much calling out Bill Belichick it’s time to call him out.

Thomas was signed as a free agent for the Pats during the 2006 offseason. He signed a five year contract worth $ 35 million with a guaranteed $ 20 million. At the time this seemed like a great deal. The Pats linebackers were starting to age and Thomas was expected to take their places.

Thomas who had orginally been drafted by the Ravens in 2000 was just coming off of an All Pro year where he recorded a career high 106 tackes and 11 sacks. He seemed like a perfect fit for the Pats defense.

His first year in New England wasn’t his best as he rotated in and out at linebacker for the Pats. He finally got his chance at starting after Rosevelt Colvin was placed on injured reserve in November of the 2007 season.

He continued to be the starter entering the 2008 season leading the team in sacks with five until he was placed on injured reserve in Week 10. This has been his best season so far.

This year he kept getting playing time but as the season went along his playing time began to dwindle and came to a low when he was deactivated for the Titans game in late October. Since the move his playing time has come few and far between which has led him to call out others.

After being deactivated he seemed suprised and when asked if it would help to fire him up to play better he said that he doesn’t need something like that to get his game going. Well what does he need because that sure didn’t work as he hasn’t done anything since.

The latest incident came this past Wedensday. Thomas along with three other Patriots, Randy Moss, Gary Guyton, and Derrick Burgess were all late to practice and were immediately sent home by Belichick.

They were only nine minutes late but when 56 other guys make it to the practice on time there is no excuse to be late. Thomas said he was late because he was caught off guard by the snow and he had no idea that it was supposed to snow. I can’t buy that at all. Did he seriously not see the weather report at all or hear about it from someone else.

The real reason for calling him out now though is his reaction to being sent home. Thomas said he was dumbfounded and had no idea why he would be sent home for being just a few minutes late.

Just like after he was deactivated he said this was not motivation at all and that this is something for kindergartners. There were some other things but I don’t think there exactly appopriate to write here.

The point of this is that it’s time for Thomas to grow up already. The Patriots for the better part of this decade have been a very tight knit group of players who always have each others back. There hasn’t ever been a player who doesn’t go along with the ” Patriot way” until now.

Most Pats fans don’t expect Thomas to be back next year and it will be for the best. He hasn’t bought into the Patriots system since being here and will go down as one of the worser signings by the Pats this decade.

It will be intersting to see what Belichick does with him with four games remaining in the regular season. If he does play him will Thomas play harder because he is now playing to show off to other teams what he still has left in the tank or will he just give nothing since he has already given up on this team.

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Patriots vs Dolphins: Pats Second Half Offensive Woes Continue in Loss

I wasn’t going to write about this game until tomorrow but I have to try to blow off some steam here.

The Patriots fell to 7-5 after today’s 22-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins and all of a sudden the race for the AFC East has become a lot tighter.

The one thing that stood out to me today was the Patriots offense struggling to score points in the second half. This has been a continuing trend the entire season and will end up finishing the Pats if they can’t right the ship.

The Pats led 14-10 going into the locker room at half and had played pretty well. The second half though was a complete 180. The offense was able to put up just seven points and couldn’t do much of anything.

After hitting Sam Aiken for an 81 touchdown just over three minutes into the third quarter the offense seemed to wilt. The one play that will stick out in minds of Patriots fans for the rest of the week was the interception by Vontae Davis in the endzone.

The Pats were driving and looking to go up nine.

Facing a second down from the seven yard line, instead of running the ball, the Pats decided to throw and Tom Brady was picked off ending a drive that may have won the game for the Pats.

Why they didn’t just try to pound the ball up the middle with Sammy Morris has boggled my mind since the interception.

I know Moss can go up and catch pretty much any ball but Morris was having a good game up to that point and it just seemed logical to attempt a run on second down when you still would have had another down to throw it if you hadn’t scored on second down.

Like I said earlier this has been a continuing trend all season long. The most points the Pats have put up in the second half all year long was 15 in week one against the Buffalo Bills.

Throughout the 12 games the offense has averaged just nine points in the second half including being shutout twice against the Broncos and Jets. 

The most shocking part about this is that this is seemingly the same Patriots team from 2007 that set plenty of offensive records.

I realize Brady is coming off an injury and obviously isn’t the same player he was two years ago but it seems like the offense can only play well in the first half and then in the second half they transform into a completely different unit.

The Pats hadn’t lost back to back games since week nine and ten of the 2006 season. If they had been able to win they would have all but locked up the division.

Instead, both the Jets and the Dolphins trail the Pats by just one game with four to go.

Something else to look at is that this team doesn’t seem to play sixty-minute football anymore.

In years past, we saw the Pats play all game long and never stop hustling. All of a sudden it seems like they want to play for about 30 to 40 minutes and then just give up which doesn’t bode well for the futre.

The offense will just have to rebound and look to have a good game next week as they host the Carolina Panthers. With four games left to go the Pats will have to win every one of them to guarantee themselves the AFC East division title and at least one home game in the playoffs.

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House of Horrors: Patriots Look for Key Road Win Over Dolphins

As the Patriots get ready for this week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, one can’t help but look back on the history of this rivalry and notice one key thing: No matter what record these two teams have, the Patriots always seem to struggle when they play in Miami.

All-time, the Pariots have played 44 games in Miami including the playoffs. They have gone 11-31 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. That isn’t exaclty something any Pats fan wants to read as they get ready to watch this Sunday’s game.

There really isn’t any reason for this that I can think of at least. For some reason the Pats have just had a hard time winning down in Miami. This decade they have gone 4-5 in Miami and will look to close out the decade finishing 5-5.

With Miami just two games back and the Patriots recent road struggles this is just about a must win game and will go a long way in determining if the Pats have a chance at doing some damage in the playoffs this year.

In their first meeting back on November 8, the game wasn’t determined until about a minute left in the game. The game went back and forth for the most part as the Pats took the lead right as the third quarter came to a close.

The Dolphins would take the lead in the fourth quarter on a Ronnie Brown pass to Joey Haynos.

It would only take a minute for the Pats to retake the lead as Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a 71-yard pass giving the Pats the lead for good as Stephen Gostkowski added a FG late.

This game is expected to be much the same with only a few changes.

Ronnie Brown will not play in this game after his season was ended against the Tampa Bay Buccanners after Brown injured his right foot and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.

Brown was the leader of the wildcat that ripped through the Pats defense in week three of last year and his injury will change the way the Dolphins go about this game.

The Dolphins still have Ricky Williams—who has done a great job in his place and shown that his career is not over yet. If the Pats can neutralize Ricky they should win the game.

Another thing that will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this game is whether or not the Pats offensive line can contain Joey Porter and Jason Taylor.

In their first matchup the Pats held Porter to zero tackles and Taylor to just three tackles. The offensive line will have to do another stellar job and give Brady time in the pocket so he can find the open receivers.

Can the Patriots win on the road? This has been the question all season long.

The one thing most people haven’t noticed is who the Patriots have lost to on the road. Indianapolis, New Orleans, Denver, and the Jets were all undefeated when the Pats went to play them.

Aside from New Orleans every one of those games were close and the Pats know they need to win on the road to show they have a shot in the playoffs.

If the Pats can win this game they will all but have secured themselves as AFC East Champions. With all this said, it should be another great game in one of the best rivalries in the NFL today.

My prediction is 28-17 Patriots.

 

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New England Patriots All Decade Team 2000s: Offense

The New England Patriots have had their best decade in history during the 2000’s. This has definately been a decade Pats fans will remember for a long time.

The Pats won their first Super Bowl Chamionship in 2001 and then went on to win another two in 2003 and 2004. They have gone on to play in the Big Game four times and have won four AFC Championships.

For a team that had been known more as a bottom feeder since their inception in the league in 1962 they have suddenly become a dynasty on par with the Packers of the 60s, the Steelers of the 70s, the 49ers of the 80s, and the Cowboys of the 90s.

With so many championships there have been so many great players to come through this team in just this past 10 years alone.

Feel free to voice your opinion if you agree or disagree and feel like somebody else should have made the list.

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Patriots-Saints: What We Learned from the Pats’ Loss to the Saints

For all the hype that the Patriots vs Saints game brought with it, it certainly didn’t live up to all that hype unless you are a Saints fan.

The Patriots got absolutely throttled 38-17 in a game that was pretty much over by the end of the third quarter. The Pats got beat in every facet of the game, and if it wasn’t for the offense showing up in the first half and the Saints stepping off the gas pedal in the fourth quarter, this game good have been much uglier.

While this was a tough game for the Patriots, they were able to take a lot away from this game that will help them as they get ready for next weeks game against Miami and the rest of the season.

1. If the Patriots can’t win on the road, then they shouldn’t expect to go anywhere in the playoffs. So far this year, the Pats have been perfect at home, going 6-0, but the road game has been a completely different story.

The Pats have a 1-4 road record and their only win has come at a neutral site in London against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The way things are going the Pats will most likely have to play at least two road playoff games and if they can’t turn their road woes around then they will be ousted in the divisional round.

 

2. The defensive line has to get more pressure on the quarterback.

While watching last night’s game, a lot jumped out at me. The Patriots weren’t getting pressure on Brees at all. He had as much time as he wanted to too find an open receiver and every time he got that time he hit his wide receiver.

Likewise, Brady was rushed almost every down and it showed as he threw two picks and looked flustered after every play.

The defensive line has been a boost to the defense for years now but they’ve struggled this year to get to the quarterback and if this continues the opposing quarterback will pick apart the secondary all day long.

 

3. The Pats secondary isn’t what it used to be.

Most Patriots fans already knew that the secondary isn’t as good as it used to be. It was probably the biggest question mark coming into this season after losing some key veterans. The secondary has had some good games but for the most part they have struggled to stop the better QB’s in the game.

In last night’s game, they looked completely lost as Drew Brees picked them apart for five touchdowns and had their heads spinning. They say defense wins championships and if this secondary can’t find a way to stop the big plays from happening then the Pats aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

 

4. The offense can’t continue to just show up for the first half only.

The most inconsistent part of this team has been their inability to score points in the second half. The Pats are one of the best first half teams when it comes to scoring but once the second half starts its as if their is a completely new team out there that has never played together before.

In three of the Patriots four losses they have had the lead at half but come out and done nothing in the second half. They were shutout twice in the second half against both the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos. If the offense can’t keep up their play for an entire game, then they stand no chance in the playoffs.

 

I still believe the Pats can fix these problems before the playoffs start and make it to the Super Bowl but after watching last night’s game a part of me realized that they are starting to fall from the elite of the NFL. As long as the Pats still have BB and Tom I have total faith in them and still believe they can make it to the Super Bowl.

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Is Julian Edelman the Next Wes Welker?

Julian Edelman is quickly becoming one of Tom Brady’s go-to guys.

Watching Edelman reminds me a lot of Wes Welker. They are both smaller than the average NFL player but make up for it with their quickness and ability to cut back quickly.

When the Pats traded for Welker back in 2007, not many thought much of it, since Welker had only had one really good year for the Dolphins in 2006.

As soon as Welker stepped onto the field for the Pats, though, he had an immediate impact, finishing tied for the most receptions in 2007.

The very next year even with a quarterback who hadn’t played since high school Welker again was right up at the league lead for receptions with 111.

Now the Patriots have their next Wes Welker. Edelman was another player who wasn’t thought much of. The Patriots drafted him in the seventh round of this year’s draft.

Originally, Edelman was a quarterback for Kent State and had never played wide receiver. He didn’t even attend the NFL Combine, but the Patriots gave him a private workout and were impressed enough to draft him.

Edleman started his first game in Week 2 against the Jets as Wes Welker sat out with an injury. He led the team with eight receptions for 98 yards and finished with 138 all-purpose yards.

He hasn’t had a real breakout game since Week 2 but has made some very timely catches, including tonight’s game where he made a key third-down catch.

He picked up enough yards for the first down, helping the Patriots to a victory over the Jets.

Edelman’s ability to make the catch and then pick up yards after the catch is his best asset. Just like Welker, he is able to gain a good amount of yards after the catch by dodging linebackers who can’t keep up with his quick feet.

He can even play quarterback when called upon as in tonight’s game when the Pats tried a trick play by sending Edelman in motion and taking the snap, although this play didn’t result in a first down.

Edelman’s dual threat ability will be a big part of the Patriots offense for years to come and keep defensive backs on their heels trying to keep up with him.

I’m sure all Patriots fans will enjoy hearing the saying “Brady to Edelman for the touchdown” for a long time.

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Move Over Matt Light, Sebastian Vollmer is Ready to Take Over

Protecting a quarterback’s blind side is the key to a team having a good offense. Matt Light has had the job of protecting Tom Brady’s blind side since being drafted by the Patriots in the 2001 draft.

Light has been great ever since, making the All-Rookie Team in 2001 and being a Pro Bowler in 2006 and 2007. His pretty good year was interrupted by an injury suffered against the Denver Broncos.

Then in steps Sebastian Vollmer. Had anyone heard of this guy before the season started? If not, you will certainly know his name by the end of the season. The Pats drafted Vollmer in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Vollmer didn’t even start playing football until he was 14 and didn’t start to play tackle until his sophomore year at the University of Houston. He made an immediate impact though, making First Team All-Conference USA.

After being drafted by the Patriots, he wasn’t expected to get much playing time since Light was already a solid player at left tackle. But Light’s injury opened the door for Vollmer, and he has taken full advantage of it.

Vollmer has already gone up against some of the best defensive lineman and linebackers in the game and played tremendously. He was able to neutralize Joey Porter and held him to zero tackles in a big Patriots win.

Then he faced off against Dwight Freeney and was able to contain him to give Tom Brady more than enough time, though the Pats fell just short.

Vollmer also has an advantage over Light in that he is six years younger.

While Matt Light is expected to come back before the season ends, I think Vollmer should keep his starting job for his performance. Belichick has been known to go with the hot hand, most notably keeping Brady as the starting QB after Drew Bledsoe was ready to return.

If Light does start, don’t expect Vollmer to just go away. A great battle is ahead between these two to see who starts for the Patriots at left tackle.

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Move Over Matt Light, Sebastian Vollmer is Ready to Take Over

Protecting a quarterback’s blind side is the key to a team having a good offense. Matt Light has had the job of protecting Tom Brady’s blind side since being drafted by the Patriots in the 2001 draft.

Light has been great ever since, making the All-Rookie Team in 2001 and being a Pro Bowler in 2006 and 2007. His pretty good year was interrupted by an injury suffered against the Denver Broncos.

Then in steps Sebastian Vollmer. Had anyone heard of this guy before the season started? If not, you will certainly know his name by the end of the season. The Pats drafted Vollmer in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Vollmer didn’t even start playing football until he was 14 and didn’t start to play tackle until his sophomore year at the University of Houston. He made an immediate impact though, making First Team All-Conference USA.

After being drafted by the Patriots, he wasn’t expected to get much playing time since Light was already a solid player at left tackle. But Light’s injury opened the door for Vollmer, and he has taken full advantage of it.

Vollmer has already gone up against some of the best defensive lineman and linebackers in the game and played tremendously. He was able to neutralize Joey Porter and held him to zero tackles in a big Patriots win.

Then he faced off against Dwight Freeney and was able to contain him to give Tom Brady more than enough time, though the Pats fell just short.

Vollmer also has an advantage over Light in that he is six years younger.

While Matt Light is expected to come back before the season ends, I think Vollmer should keep his starting job for his performance. Belichick has been known to go with the hot hand, most notably keeping Brady as the starting QB after Drew Bledsoe was ready to return.

If Light does start, don’t expect Vollmer to just go away. A great battle is ahead between these two to see who starts for the Patriots at left tackle.

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Super Bowl XXXVI: A Moment That Inspired a Nation

Super Bowl XXXVI was one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time and also had one of the greatest endings. It had one of the biggest upsets of all time as the New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams even though they were 14-point underdogs.

While winning the Super Bowl meant a lot to the Patriots, their players, and their fans it meant even more to a country who was looking for some glimmer of hope.

Just five months before the game was played, terrorists hijacked four airplanes and crashed two of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, completely destroying them and killing just under 3,000 people.

All of a sudden Americans felt vulnerable and were always worried when the next attack might happen. All sports were suspended for more than a week as people waited to hear the news of just what happened.  

When football finally resumed the Patriots played their first game in New York against the Jets. Offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi came out of the tunnel carrying two American flags for his two brothers who were both part of the New York Fire Department. Everywhere across the country at every game a moment of silence was held to recognize all those who had lost their lives.

Fast forward to February 3, 2002. The Rams and the Patriots are preparing to play one another for the right to be called World Champions.

The Rams were “the greatest show on turf” led by QB Kurt Warner and wide receivers Torry Holt and Issac Bruce. Meanwhile the Patriots were led by a sixth-round draft pick who was only playing because Drew Bledsoe was injured in the second game of the year. The Patriots weren’t given a chance by pretty much anybody as they were just 5-11 they year before and the Rams had won the Super Bowl just two years ago.

American spirit was alive all around the Louisiana Superdome as there was red, white, and blue everywhere. Before the game, the logo for the Super Bowl was changed from what was originally supposed to represent the culture of New Orleans to the U.S. states with an American flag as the background.

As the pregame introductions were being done the Rams came out like every other team had in previous years by having their offense introduced individually. Then the Patriots prepared to come out, and instead of coming out individually, they came out as a team changing the way every Super Bowl after that would be done. You just knew we were gonna see something special after this.

The first quarter was a relatively normal quarter as the Rams were the only team to put up any points as they hit a field goal to make it 3-0.

Then in the second quarter the first big play happened as Ty Law picked of Kurt Warner and returned it 47 yards to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. The Rams would get the ball back and again turned it over as Ricky Proehl fumbled at the Patriots 40 which was recovered by Terrell Buckley. Brady would lead the Patriots down the field and hit David Patten for an eight-yard touchdown pass with just 31 seconds left giving the Patriots a 14-3 halftime lead.

The halftime show was hosted by U2 and one of the best in Super Bowl history. They played a couple songs and then came played “Where the Streets Have No Name.” During the playing of this song two backdrops were revealed to have the names of all those who passed away on September 11. Then toward the end of the song lead singer Bono opened his jacked to reveal an American flag stitched on the inside.

The second half began and the third quarter was much like the first quarter as the only scoring came of an Adam Vinatieri field goal. The end of the third quarter saw the Rams drive down to the Patriots two-yard line just as the quarter ended. T

he first play in the fourth quarter was a QB sneak by Warner who fumbled and Tebucky Jones ran it all the way back but the play was called back because of defensive holding by Willie McGinest. Two plays later Warner ran it in to the cut the Patriots lead in half at 17-10.

The Rams forced the Patriots to back to back three and outs and then took the ball down the field and scored a touchdown after Kurt Warner hit Ricky Proehl for an 18-yard touchdown tieing the game at 17.

Most people figured the Patriots would kneel the ball and take the game into overtime since the Patriots had no timeouts left but Bill Belichick decided to go for it. With 1:30 to go Tom Brady led the Patriots down the field hitting J.R. Redmond three times to get the ball to the 41. He then hit Troy Brown for another 23 yards and finished it off with six yard strike to Jermaine Wiggins getting the Patriots the Rams 30. Brady spiked the ball with seven seconds left and out came Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri drilled the 48-yard kick to give the Patriots their first ever Super Bowl title as time expired as red, white, and blue confetti exploded everywhere.

This was just what this country needed. The Patriots were 14-point underdogs and defied all the odds to defeat the Rams and win their first Super Bowl. The Patriots rose from the ashes as a team that was just 5-11 the year before and had lost their No. 1 quarterback to an injury just two games into the season. They gave hope to a country who was looking for even the smallest glimmer of it.

Bob Kraft owner of the Patriots said it best when he said as he was holding the Super Bowl trophy “We are all Patriots and tonight the Patriots are World Champions.”

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