Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Radez

New England Patriots' Fantasy Impact in 2009

Chris Radez — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:26:42 -0400

Fantasy football has become a pillar in the sports gambling world, and an enjoyable way to pass the time for many fans who prefer the free leagues.

As we continue through the month of June, we're coming upon a time when drafts will begin to take place. People will wonder who they should take in the early rounds, and what gems they might find in the later rounds.

Let's take a look at the New England Patriots and see if we can get an idea who will be performers and who will be busts.

The Early Rounds

When I say early rounds. I'm talking one through three... and maybe four.

The first round of drafting is normally dedicated to running backs. In 2009, while the Patriots have a very nice looking stable of backs, they're not likely to have a game-plan which will support an every-down tailback.

Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney all have the potential to be starters in the NFL, but don't take any of them in the early rounds of a fantasy football draft. Not while they're all still with New England, anyway.

Nope, the only guys on this roster who are worth picks in the first four rounds are Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

Brady is a risk. We all know his leg is still recovering, and no matter how good he makes his condition sound... we won't know until he takes the field in September. But, if he's back to his old form, this may be a risk worth taking in the second round.

Randy Moss and Wes Welker are both somewhat reliant on the production of Tom Brady, but both are poised to be the main targets regardless. They will likely produce enough yards, receptions and touchdowns to be worth late second through early fourth round picks.

The Middle Rounds

The early part of the middle rounds, maybe four through eight, probably shouldn't see too many Patriot picks. Guys like Fred Taylor, Greg Lewis, Joey Galloway and Alex Smith should probably be more like eight through twelve type selections, if that.

Don't get me wrong, they'll produce and they'll be very effective on this team. But in terms of fantasy production week in and week out... not a good move.

The only guy that might be worth a high pick in the middle rounds is Chris Baker. New England has always loved getting the tight ends involved, and Baker was a solid player when he was with the New York Jets. Ben Watson and Alex Smith will probably play less of a role in this capacity.

The Later Rounds

One is obvious. New England's defense is going to be scary this year. The only hole in this defense right now is OLB, and there's three guys (Shawn Crable, Gary Guyton and Pierre Woods) working their tails off trying to make sure that this position is no hole in the roster.

As soon as defenses begin to come off the board... snag the Patriots'.

Other than that, Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney could be major steals in the late rounds of any league, if the offensive backfield begins to deplete due to injuries. Both are capable of having really good seasons if the cards fall properly.

Brandon Tate is another intriguing prospect. He is still recovering from injury, but is touted as a wide receiver with very good hands, and may play a role later in the season.

All in all though, it may be best to steer clear from the Patriots roster in your fantasy drafts this season. We all know how well New England distributes the ball around the field, which is never good for somebody looking to draft a high-production running back or wide receiver. Tom Brady may, or may not be, a valuable choice... but is it worth the risk?

That's a decision you'll have to make, when you're on the clock.

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report. Follow me on Twitter.

The Battle Between Relationships and Sports Continues

Chris Radez — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:53:11 -0400

Let's face it guys, the majority of women don't give a crap that the Yankees lost. They don't care that Tom Brady is back on the field, and most of all (and I mean most of all), they're not interested in the Lakers flag you just bought for the front of the house.

In fact, you might as well take it back. You know that even if you sneak it up on it's mount while she's at the store, it'll come back down before dark.

So, how can you detect the level of annoyed-with-you she's reached? When is it time to step away from the television and offer to do the dishes? Here are a few situations you might encounter, and how they should be handled if you want to stay on the good side of the one you care most for (ahem... that would be your woman).

A Bad Day in Suburbia

On your way home from work, Twitter text'd you to let you know that Paris Lenon just signed with your team, the New England Patriots. This guy is an inside linebacker who played for last season's winless Detroit Lions.

Granted, he led that team in tackles...but seriously, they didn't win a single game.

You're pissed. The Patriots needed a pass-rushing outside linebacker, not an undersized inside linebacker who might push your favorite Patriot down on the depth chart.

As you walk in the door upon arriving at your home, you notice that she's just as aggravated as you are. All you did was set foot in your house, and you've already fallen victim to the infamous raised eyebrow.

What to do?

Your woman is supposed to be your lover AND your best friend. She should understand if this Paris Lenon news super-cedes whatever it is that she's pissed about, right?

Wrong. Take the eyebrow as a warning, and don't move or speak. Keep your emotions in check, because even if she's only going to tell you that she doesn't like the way her hair looks today, or that she feels fat, these things are WAY more important than any sports-related issue you might have.

If you shrug these types of things off, and head straight into telling her why you're in a bad mood...consider your evening doomed. In fact, it's best to wait until after you've helped with post-dinner clean-up to even think about mentioning the Lenon signing.

Trust me.

The Awkward Phone Call

We know we suck at talking on the phone. It's not our fault. We were born that way.

In fact, she knows that too. But, she loves you, so every once in a while, she's going to call you. In fact, she might even call you from the local department store while she's treating herself to a shopping trip.

Women love shopping, so she's probably in a great mood when she calls you. You, of course, are on the couch watching the game.

When she asks you if you took out the garbage yet (like she asked you to), you need to spit out an immediate, "Yes babe," as you get up to go do it. Any hesitation, and she'll know you didn't do it yet.

Already, the phone call would be going downhill.

As long as you survived that part of the call, we're now moving onto your opinions on what she's looking at. You can't see what she's looking at, but you need to give your opinion nonetheless.

This is where it gets tricky.

You now need to turn your attention completely away from the game. If she describes two articles of clothing to you, and asks which one she should get, you need to remember the details of what she's describing. The reason being your one-or-the-other answer will not be good enough.

"Why," she asks.

If you don't know why...end of phone call. Now you're in trouble.

Most importantly, at no point during this phone call should you mention the game you're watching, or even react to things happening in it. Never forget that she doesn't like sports, and anytime she thinks you're more interested in sports than her, you'll be spending the rest of the week convincing her otherwise.

Not to mention that any mention of sports will ruin her train of thought, and your conversation will be over.

Her Favorite Show's Season Finale

These shows that they watch (Sex and the City, Lifetime Movies, etc.) don't schedule their programs around important sporting events. You need to prepare yourself for the worst.

I don't care if it's Super Sunday. When she has something she really wants to watch, you need to let her watch it.

If you don't already have a TiVo, or your cable provider's DVR package, now is the time to act. These inventions have saved relationships and marriages across the globe and will continue to do so until the women we love begin to understand our passion for sports.

In other words...forever.

I hope that these guidelines for surviving the above situations will help you in your efforts to keep the magic in your respective relationships. Maybe I'll do a "part two" in the future.

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report. Follow me on Twitter.

Five Reasons the AFC East Is the Most Entertaining Division in The NFL

Chris Radez — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:55:40 -0400

Any fan of the NFL is fully aware of the strength of the AFC East this season. I don't know anyone who knows anything about football that would tell you this division isn't top-notch. Every team in this division has a playoff-capable roster.

What's intriguing to me, is how entertaining this dominant division has the potential to be. Here's five reasons you'll want to watch the AFC East in 2009.

Terrell Owens comes to Buffalo

Let's face it... not matter how tired you are of hearing about him, you like it.

After stints in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas...Terrell Owens is bringing his camera crew to Buffalo. I can't help but think his training camp documentary won't be as successful there as it was in Dallas, but...okay.

Owens thrives on the people around him, and he'll have his hands full in this division. Trent Edwards has already spoken to the press about T.O. being a welcomed addition to the franchise.

C'mon, Trent. With his reputation and history, you're welcoming him into your career? Good luck with that one. You'll be hung out to dry by Week Six. I see this ending badly...sooner than usual too.

Owens will now be facing off against Randy Moss twice this season. That in itself is going to be a show. Everyone loves a little 81 vs. 81.

Jim Kelly was recently quoted in saying "People say he might be a disturbance in the locker room. You know what I say? I hope he is.

"We haven't had anything in the locker room. When you walk into a locker room on Monday and you don't know whether your team won or lost, something's got to change."

I get where he's coming from, but Owens' effect on a locker room is not the kind of influence you want. Maybe I'll be proven wrong.

The Miami Dolphins, Pat White, and the Wildcat Formation

As if "The Wildcat" wasn't interesting enough last season...the Dolphins went and drafted Pat White. This is a guy who's ability to play in the NFL was questioned by many scouts. It was a valid concern, really. But, in Miami...White may have found himself the perfect home.

The Dolphins ran the Wildcat very effectively last season with Ronnie Brown running it, but having Pat White brings an entirely new dimension to this confusing formation.

Brown can throw the ball, but White can throw it even better. No longer will teams be able to stack the line against it, since a pass for a big play is now a much more viable option.

Not to mention, this is still a team that finished the 2007 season with a record of 1-15. Last year's turn-around is still fresh in everyone's mind, and we're all interested to see if they can prove their worth for a second straight year.

The New York Jets' Never-Ending Search for an Identity

Mark Sanchez, eh?

The Jets have been trying to find an identity since Joe Namath left. Last year, they almost had it. They didn't even necessarily need to keep Brett Favre for more than a year in order to maintain that identity.

For most of last season, the Jets were a team that believed in themselves. They came out onto the field with confidence, and were a force to be reckoned with, no matter who their opponent was.

Now they've gone and traded up for a quarterback who will "compete" for the starting role.

Sure...let's trade up in the first round of the draft for a guy who isn't even the best quarterback on the Jets' roster, let alone the best quarterback in the draft.

What the Jets should have done, is draft an elite WR with the pick they already had, and given Kellen Clemens a year to develop.

If Clemens completely flopped, at least you can say that you gave him a chance, and you're moving on. Now... you've got uncertainty instead. Now your fans don't know who you are again. Nice job.

But hey, what do I know?

Tom Brady Returns to the Gridiron

Not long ago, a man named Tom Brady commanded the Patriots to a 16-0 regular season record, setting an offensive record of 50 TDs in one season.

He's back.

After going down in the first game of the 2008 season, Brady has gone through reconstructive knee surgery, and treatment for two different staph infections following the surgery... but he's claiming to have no restrictions in his preparations for the 2009 season.

Randy Moss has also expressed his optimism about Brady's return, saying that this team could exceed the performance of that record-setting offense in 2007.

He and Welker have both been in the system for a couple years now, and they understand the playbook a lot more.

The additions of Greg Lewis, Joey Galloway, Fred Taylor, Chris Baker, and Alex Smith will also help to improve what was already a very potent offense.

Photo Finish

Last year, the AFC East came down to the final week, and three out of the four teams in this division were still in position to take the crown. Expect this season to be no different.

Bill Parcells knows what he's doing down in Miami. He'll be there at the end of December, no matter how good the Pats are.

The Bills have the potential to be right up there in the standings as well. They fell off in the second half of last season, but they've shown signs of being a pretty tough squad. If they can keep Terrell Owens happy and productive, they might find themselves in the hunt late into the season.

The Jets, as stated above, are in for a tough year. Unless Mark Sanchez is the starter in Week One, and does very well all season.. the Jets will be on the bottom of the standings at the end of the year.

But...stranger things have happened. If Sanchez is the real deal, suddenly this team has what it needs to hang with the rest of the division.

Regardless...I think it's quite clear that the AFC East will be one of the most exciting divisions of the 2009 NFL Season. Are you ready for some football??

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report. Follow me on Twitter.

Derrick Burgess on the Radar: Stacked 2009 Patriots Still Filling Holes

Chris Radez — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:34:17 -0400

I'm usually a fan of 'flying under the radar,' when it comes to the talent on my favorite teams. I'd rather not let everyone know how good we are until we're on the field proving it.

I suppose I'll have to accept the fact that the New England Patriots are already topping 2009 preseason power rankings across the web. So much for inconspicuous.

Most writers and fans alike are expecting Tom Brady to be the difference maker, which will have the Patriots playing in January of 2010. I say that's baloney. Don't get me wrong...Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever take the field, and he certainly won't hinder their chances.

Looking at Matt Cassel's numbers from last year is what makes me think Tom 'Terrific' Brady won't be the factor which puts New England over the top. Cassel had close to 3700 yards passing, 21 touchdowns, and posted an 89.4 QB rating. Something tells me that this was not the area New England was worried about.

Again, having Tom back will be good, but it will not be their saving grace.

The real reason the 2009 Patriots are ready for another run at the Super Bowl is the changes that have been made on defense.

Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs add experience to the defensive backfield, and create depth by giving Terrence Wheatley, Jonathan Wilhite and rookie Darius Butler some time to learn and prepare to take on starting roles in the future.

Tank Williams, James Sanders, Brandon Meriweather, and rookie Patrick Chung should create a solid pool of guys to use in the safety positions, and some of those guys may even help out at LB if need be.

If I can say one thing about the linebacker corps, it's that there won't be a lack of competition for playing time. Adalius Thomas, Tedy Bruschi and last year's rookie sensation Jerod Mayo will all get their fair share of time on the field, while Gary Guyton, Shawn Crable, Tully Banta-Cain, Vince Redd and Pierre Woods will compete for theirs.

Recent reports have also brought about the possibility of New England bringing in Derrick Burgess from the Raiders for a second or third round pick in the 2010 draft. Burgess is a DE in the Raiders' system, but would project to be an outside linebacker if he were to end up with the Patriots.

In the trenches, the Patriots bring back Richard Seymour, Jarvis Green, Mike Wright, Ty Warren, and add rookie Ron Brace into the mix. This is not exactly a weak point in the roster.

On offense...this is just getting ridiculous.

Tom Brady returns, and will be passing to Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Greg Lewis, Joey Galloway, Chris Baker, Ben Watson and Alex Smith.

Yikes.

In the ground game, let's just say that depth won't be an issue. The Patriots have added veteran running back Fred Taylor to last years stable which was already quite solid. Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvis Green-Ellis round out the offensive backfield.

As long as the offensive line produces a good season (which has been inconsistent over the last few years), there's no reason why this offense can't march down the field at any given moment during the 2009 season.

In conclusion, I suppose I'll live with the fact that this team is just too darn stacked to fly under the radar this year. Go Patriots!

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report.

Are the New England Patriots Ready To Deal Laurence Maroney?

Chris Radez — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:17:44 -0400

I was recently asked how I thought a trade between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers for Julius Peppers would work. The trade would have to involve freeing up some cap space, even though the Patriots have 11 picks in this year's draft to trade away.

That got me thinking.

The Patriots recently added running back Fred Taylor to the roster, who now projects to be the starter for 2009. They've still got Sammy Morris, who looked really good last season when he wasn't injured. You can't forget to mention Kevin Faulk and BenJarvis Green-Ellis, who both played important roles in the Patriots' offense last year when half the starters were on the injury report.

Laurence Maroney, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2006, has not yet managed a 1,000-yard season for New England. He's been on and off the injury report, and even when he's completely healthy, fans and media alike have questioned his ability to carry the load as an every-down running back.

Do the Panthers have a need for a first-string running back?

Not with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart effectively carrying the load. But, would it hurt to bring in a guy who can spell them in a backup role, and step into a starting role if one of Williams or Stewart were to be injured?

The Panthers recently signed DeCori Birmingham to be their third-string running back.

DeCori who? Exactly.

Is it possible that the signing of Taylor was in preparation of losing Maroney while his trade value is still decent?

Maroney's contract isn't huge by any means, as he's due to make $600 thousand this year, but it might be just enough to bring in Peppers if he's willing to structure his contract in a way that allows the Patriots to make a move.

I'm thinking that a deal which would include Maroney and a second round pick might be enough to get it done.

In any case, the draft is about three weeks away. One would assume that if New England is going to attempt to secure Peppers, they'll want to do it soon.

If they do find a way to do it...watch out AFC.

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report.

Patriots Bundle: Possible Leak of Schedule, Jason Taylor, and Drafting QB's

Chris Radez — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:10:44 -0400

According to reports, the NFL could accelerate the release of the 2009 schedule, due to a leak on the Patriots official website.

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe followed up with the Patriots, who claimed that this would not be the order of the schedule, and that a staff person had randomly selected the games based on last year's template.

Yet they left the "randomly selected" schedule up on their website. I'm living under the assumption that we'll find out the truth by the end of the weekend.

Robert Kraft has openly expressed his wishes to bring Jason Taylor into the Patriots organization. According to a report in the Sun-Sentinel, this will probably not happen.

"I went fishing with J.T. two weeks ago; he wants to be a Dolphin," Channing Crowder said."

That's pretty much the only excerpt from that article I need to read. If Taylor wants to play in Miami, he probably will. These guys (future Hall of Famers) usually get what they want. I can't picture Bill Parcells telling him "no".

That's alright... I've still got my fingers crossed that the Patriots are working on a deal with Julius Peppers.

There have been several reports that the Patriots are hosting QB's for pre-draft visits, the latest one being Stephen McGee from Texas A&M. Make no mistake about it... this has nothing to do with the health of Tom Brady.

This has everything to do with looking for talent at the most important position on the field. The more guys you can develop into good quarterbacks, the more value you have on your roster.

Look at Matt Cassel, for instance. The guy spends a couple years with Tom Brady and the Patriots and suddenly he's the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Patriots earn themselves an extra day-one pick in this year's draft.

This is a guy who started one game in college... as a tight end.

Point proven. If you look for talent at the QB position and develop these guys properly, it pays dividends. Don't be surprised if the Patriots draft a QB with one of their second-round picks later this month.

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report.

B/R's Newest Yankee Fan Wants to Discuss Fanhood: What's Your Take?

Chris Radez — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:54:21 -0400

Let me preface this entry by saying that none of your comments are going to change the way I feel about my fanhood. I entitled the article as such because I'm interested to hear your take, not because I want you to sway me one way or the other.

Growing up, I can honestly say that I wasn't really into baseball as much as I was basketball and football. I always called myself a Chicago White Sox fan, mainly because I thought Dr. Dre looked cool wearing a Sox hat in his old videos.

I was also a huge fan of Frank Thomas.

As far as basketball and football were concerned, I was and still am a Chicago Bulls fan and a New England Patriots fan, so the point of this article doesn't really apply to those sports.

We're talking around 10 years of loyalty to the Chicago White Sox. I can't say that I watched a lot of their games, but I followed their progress in the newspapers and on SportsCenter, as it were.

In early 2005, I moved to Alameda, CA (which is just outside of Oakland). That same year, Frank Thomas became an Oakland Athletic. I immediately starting going to a lot of A's games, and fell in love with baseball.

Not just being able to watch Frank Thomas, and not so much just the A's. Baseball in general had really caught my interest.

I went to a ridiculous amount of A's games in the following years, even after Thomas left (and came back). I loved everything about it...the food, the beer, the brisk air, the ambiance of it all. I was officially an A's fan.

Nick Swisher was one of my favorite players, and I thought it somewhat funny that he was then traded to the White Sox; my old team.

In May '08, I moved back to my original hometown in upstate NY. Still considering myself an A's fan, I found it annoying to follow baseball because I couldn't watch Oakland play at all. I was stuck watching the Yankees, who I had a reputation for despising.

Strangely enough...the more I watched the Yankees with my die-hard Yankee fan friends, the more I found myself enjoying watching their season unfold, as the surprising Devil Rays and the always-competitive Red Sox maintained control of the division.

Now suddenly Nick Swisher is a Yankee. Sure, he's not projected to start...But that's my buddy! (kinda)

I've been poking and prodding myself to do something about my fanhood, so that I can truly enjoy the 2009 season, and I've made my decision. I am now officially a Yankee fan.

There. I said it.

That's three teams in five years. It seems like something should be wrong with that, but I'm okay with it. Seeing as I will live in this area for at least another five years, it seems necessary and pertinent to my love for baseball to become a Yankees fan.

This doesn't mean I won't still cheer for the White Sox and the A's when they're not playing the pinstripes. I still have some love for those teams, but it's time to stand by the home team.

So, my question to you is...How important do you think it is to pick a team, and stick by them? Have I violated a rule of fanhood, or manhood for that matter, by changing teams in the first place?

I'm looking forward to hearing your perspective, and maybe some fanhood stories of your own.

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards, and Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report.

Patriots Bundle: 81 vs. 81, Compensatory Picks, and Patriots vs. Bills History

Chris Radez — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:42:59 -0400

Does anyone remember how exciting 81 vs. 81 was two years ago? Well, now they're in the same division, and they're opening the 2009 season on Monday Night Football.

Yep, that's some serious entertainment. Randy Moss and the New England Patriots will be squaring off in New England against Terrell Owens and the division rival Buffalo Bills.

The game will be the first of an annual kickoff weekend double-header, in which the Chargers and Raiders will follow accordingly.

Thankfully for Patriots fans, most of the media-induced drama will take place in Buffalo. Randy Moss has been much more inconspicuous since coming to New England, but nobody is expecting Owens to arrive in Buffalo and just get down to business.

There will be much talk about the relationship between Owens and his new quarterback Trent Edwards. Owens will do his best to bait Moss into a media frenzy, but in the end...they'll both be showcasing their abilities on the gridiron at least twice a year, which is just plain great for football.

The Bills and Patriots have faced each other seven times in week one. Buffalo currently has beaten New England four of those seven times, including a 31-0 shellacking back in 2003. The Patriots have to be the early favorite in the 2009 opener, but the health of QB Tom Brady will be a major factor as we get closer to September.

In other news, the Patriots have been awarded three compensatory picks in this year's draft, including a third rounder, fifth rounder, and a sixth rounder. New England now has six selections in the top 100. They have their first round pick, three second round picks, and two third round picks.

Something tells me Bill Belichick still has some serious wheelin 'n' dealin to do before draft day, with all of those picks available. One thing to remember though is that compensatory picks cannot be traded.

The idea of Julius Peppers being traded to New England (which was recently made to sound like a more serious proposition by Vic Carucci of NFL Network), has been tossed around quite a bit in the last few weeks. The truth is that these talks can't have much weight, since Peppers hasn't yet signed his franchise tender.

The Patriots and Panthers cannot discuss such a dealing until he does.

I will keep my ear to the wire, and you'll be the first to know how that situation progresses in the near future.

'Til next time...

I'm Chris, co-owner of TheScoreBoards and a Senior NFL Writer (Patriots Community Leader) at Bleacher Report.

New England Patriots Make Day One Splash, Despite Limited Cap Space

Chris Radez — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:18:02 -0500

It was basically assumed that the Patriots, who still need to resign many of their own players if they wish to keep them, would stay at home on day one of free agency. After all, they've got plenty of draft picks to fill out their roster with.

Nope.

The Pats again made a splash by signing free agent running back Fred Taylor, and free agent tight end Chris Baker.

What's even more interesting about this, is that many Patriots fans were under the impression that the offense was set, and this off-season would be more about making the defense younger and faster.

Nope.

The introduction of Taylor reminds me of years ago when they brought in Corey Dillon, a powerful running back who could give the defense some much needed rest when it was necessary.

The Baker signing makes sense, since Ben Watson had an off year, and we all know how Bill Belichick loves to implement tight ends into his offensive game-plan.

Now, the question is, what the heck with the Patriots do with Matt Cassel? I don't know the details of these contracts with Taylor and Baker, but I'm assuming it hasn't left much room under the cap for Rodney Harrison, James Sanders, and a few other key guys on this team.

Do these signings mean that Cassel is likely to be traded before draft day? He'll have to be if they want to have some wiggle room to make transactions with rookies or other free agents.

Things are never left uninteresting in New England, and it looks like 2009 will be no different.

I'm Chris Radez, Senior NFL Writer at Bleacher Report, and Co-Owner of TheScoreBoards.

Brett Favre Retires: Matt Cassel Headed To New York Jets?

Chris Radez — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:56:04 -0500

With Brett Favre retiring (again), the AFC East gets more of a shakeup than you would initially think. This may have been the 3rd place team in the division, but it was an 8-3 team after 11 weeks of the 2008 regular season.

The Jets were a team that seemed like a powerhouse in the AFC.

Now, they're looking for a quarterback again. Is Kellen Clemens the answer? Probably not. If he was, Favre wouldn't have been in a Jets uniform in the first place.

What's available for the Jets in free agency? Will there be a quarterback worth taking when it's their turn to pick in the draft?

If they want to go after another quarterback nearing retirement, Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia are potentially available. Rex Grossman is available, but I'm not sure the Jets would be willing to take a gamble on a guy that hasn't really proven himself yet.

The draft just isn't really filled with standout quarterbacks this year.

It seems like the best option for the Jets may be to enter negotiations with the New England Patriots on a trade which would send Matt Cassel to New York, in exchange for a couple of first round picks.

At first thought, this may seem like a silly concept. Has Matt Cassel played long enough to be worth that kind of trade value? There is no question that he performed really, really well in 2008, but then again... so did Derek Anderson in 2007.

But... Cassel could be a diamond in the rough for the Jets. He's been in the Patriots system for four years. We all know how these two teams like to get inside information on eachother.

Also, Matt didn't just have a great season. He displayed progression. We watched him become more comfortable in his decision making ability week after week. He's only 26 years old, and if he continues to learn at the rate we've witnessed... this kid could be something special.

To pass on the opportunity for a franchise quarterback who knows your division rival's playbook would be downright crazy!

If something like this were to happen, it wouldn't be until draft day. The Patriots need to be completely confident that Tom Brady is going to return to the field with a healthy knee in Week One of 2009, and there's no way they can tell that at this point in time.

In any case... this is a situation that I'll be keeping an eye out for. I'll be very surprised of this is not, at least, brought up for discussion in the coming months.

This column was originally published at TheScoreBoards. I'm Chris, and I welcome your feedback.

Oakland Raiders Fans: Are You Worried About Kansas City Yet?

Chris Radez — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:14:53 -0500

The Kansas City Chiefs won two of their sixteen games last season. Those two wins were produced in games against the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders.

Yes Raider fans, a 2-14 team came into your house and dealt you a loss.

There's been a lot of talk about how the Oakland Raiders will fare next season, with the services of Michael Bush and Darren McFadden in the offensive backfield, and another year of experience under the belt of JaMarcus Russel.

I'm here to tell you, that you should be keeping a close eye on what Kansas City does during the offseason. They're in position to quietly steal the show in the AFC West.

Earlier this week, the Chiefs announced that they're handing over control of all operations to Scott Pioli, former Vice President of Player Personnel for the New England Patriots.

Now, I'm not trying to say that he's going to work miracles in one off-season. The Chiefs aren't going to win the division next year. It's still San Diego's stomping grounds.

But, here is one soundbite from Pioli's introductory press conference in Kansas City:

“We’re going to build a team that is a team; my job is not to collect talent, it’s to build a team,” he said. “Individuals go to Pro Bowls. Teams win championships. That’s our goal here – to build this team with the right kind of people and the right kind of players, and consistently compete for championships. We’re going to build a big, strong, fast, smart, tough, disciplined football team.”

As a Patriots fan, it's hard for me to avoid plugging the decade I've had the luxury of enjoying. It has been a time where, no matter who was on the weekly injury report, and no matter how many guys were sent to IR... my beloved Pats still found a way to win football games.

Scott Pioli was a major contributor in building that environment.

Hard work is underrated in the NFL now-a-days... even after watching the success in New England. There are so many teams that think they can just sign talent and that will be the end of it.

Look at the Dallas Cowboys, for example. They've got all the talent in the world. But, instead of putting in long days and studying playbooks... they were filming a TV show for HBO last year.

The Cowboys didn't make the playoffs this year, with all that talent.

Again... I'm not saying Pioli is about to work miracles in one off-season, but no matter who the Chiefs have on the roster at the start of next season... I promise you that they're going to win more than two games.

Worried yet?

Time To Look Ahead For New England Patriots Fans

Chris Radez — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:40:09 -0500

I've had my head in the sand for long enough. Besides, it wasn't a bad season. I shouldn't even be upset, given the circumstances.

Still, 11-5 with no playoffs is a tough pill to swallow.

However, next season looms and there are many things to think about with this team. I'm still convinced that the Patriots are one of the best teams in the AFC, and with another good draft they will be younger and faster.

First and foremost... what to do with Matt Cassel?

There are reports swirling about the status of Tom Brady's knee. Most reports are saying that Brady's rehab is well behind schedule, despite the fact that the Boston Globe was quick to dismiss such reports.

I think the media just likes the other story better.

Either way, it's a situation that needs to be monitored, as Cassel's future is dependant on it. After starting only one game in college (as a tight end), Matt Cassel finds himself in a position to be one of the most coveted free agents of the 2009 off-season.

The Patriots won't let him go without getting something in return. There have been plenty of reports that they're ready to use the franchise tag on Cassel, in order to make sure the Patriots do not come away empty handed.

The only problem is, this would make Cassel a higher paid quarterback than Tom Brady. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to get paid, but to have him and Brady on the payroll would be ridiculous.

To make a long story short, Matt Cassel will not be a Patriot by week seven of the 2009 season. There are plenty of teams that will be looking to have the pleasure of plugging him into a new system, including the Vikings, Lions, Bears, Jets, Jaguars, Chiefs, and Seahawks.

The only question is, when will this trade occur? If Brady's knee is looking to hold him out of the season opener by the time draft day rolls around, Matt will not have the luxury of training camp/pre-season with his new team. He will need to hang out in New England and be ready to start, if need be.

On the other hand, if Tom looks like he may be ready to go in week one... we could be looking at a huge draft day trade, in which case the Chiefs and Jets (assuming the Lions go after Sam Bradford) would have decent leverage, should they choose to pursue the 6'4" 230lb Cassel.

Another glaring hole that needs to be filled is the Pats' defensive backfield. It continues to be a plug 'n' play defense in New England, and it will continue to be until they land a serious playmaker on defense.

Tedy Bruschi is said to be interested in returning, and will likely play an important roll in grooming the younger linebackers such as DROY Jerod Mayo, Shawn Crable and Gary Guyton.

Scott Pioli is expected to depart from the organization due to a heavy interest in his services by several teams.

The Patriots currently hold the 24th selection in the 2009 draft, and my assumption is that they will use this pick on either a DB or a OL. D.J. Moore out of Vanderbilt, who has announced he will enter the NFL Draft, would be a good pick here if he's available.

I'm kinda rambling now. This was an attempt to get back into writing here at Bleacher Report, and I'll do my best to bring Patriots news to you before someone else does as the offseason continues.

Chris Radez
TheScoreBoards

Thoughts and Reflections From a Patriots Fan at Christmas Time

Chris Radez — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 04:23:31 -0500

First and foremost... I want to apologize to my readers for my lack of recent productivity. I guess I've been more concerned with the State of the Patriots than any type of article writing.

With that being said, I hope everyone reads this entire article and takes it to heart. I've got a lot of thoughts to share which may help you to enjoy your life in the coming year of 2009.

Each and every holiday season, we are all reminded that being around family is important. We're reminded that we've made it through another year, and we prepare our list of things we should do in the new year to improve our lifestyles.

Less than a month later, we accept the fact that our lists can wait until next year, and we justify the lack of time spent with those close to us by saying "everyone is just so busy".

I am not exactly an old man, at 27 years old. Yet somehow, I find myself watching the actions and reactions of folks around me, and I wonder sometimes how people can be so oblivious to what really matters in life.

I'd like to remind everyone that there are some things in life we cannot control. We can't control the weather, which caused power to go out all over Upstate NY just a couple of weeks ago.

We can't control others actions. When somebody is having a bad day, we can't impose our will on them and fix their problems. All we can do is listen and offer advice when asked to do so.

We also cannot control the economy, which has left many folks wishing they could buy more Christmas presents this year.

It seems to have become a common theme for people to live their lives in reaction to their environment, rather than taking action to improve it. What concerns me about this... is that our actions are the one thing that we can control.

When our lives present a twist or turn that we weren't expecting, we have two choices. We can react without thinking, and take the chance of making a bad decision. Or, we can take a few minutes to think about what's happened, and act upon the circumstances based on our own morals and standards.

This basis of thinking applies to all areas of our lives. Every day, you're faced a series of decisions, and it's up to you to make good ones. The more good decisions you make, the more likely you are to be happy with yourself.

I also would like to mention something that I cannot stress enough. It is never, ever too late to turn your life around. I'm living proof of that. All it takes is the motivation to make a difference, and a little bit of will-power.

So much lately, I've seen people who know they make bad decisions all the time. They're unhappy with themselves about this, but are obviously overwhelmed by the idea of 'righting the ship'.

Do not be overwhelmed. You can't change everything at once, but making one change at a time will prove to be easier than you think. You just have to want to.

Here's to hoping that our holiday reminders become year-round lifestyles.

This collection of thoughts turned out to be much more disorganized than I planned for, and I hardly mentioned sports at all... but I hope you've gathered some wisdom from the ideas I've shared with you as we come to the end of 2008.

Go Patriots!

New England Patriots Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Matt Cassel's Toughest Test Yet

Chris Radez — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:00:59 -0500

As a Patriots fan, it's tough to avoid being over-confident about this game, for a lot of reasons.

The Steelers are currently 23rd in the league in points scored per game, 26th in the league in offensive yards gained per game, 18th in pass yards and 24th in rushing yards.

That's bottom half of the league in every category.

They've lost to the Eagles, Giants and Colts... which tells me they have trouble winning big games.

The Steelers had trouble beating the likes of the Browns, Ravens, Chargers, and Jaguars... which tells me they can be beaten by mediocre teams.

Pittsburgh's offense just isn't explosive enough to think they can win against a team that has any semblance of a defense, and with the games they have left on the schedule (NE, DAL, BAL, TEN, CLE), they'll be lucky if they finish 10-6.

Against New England this weekend, the Steelers will have to find a way to get ahead early, or they won't stand a chance, and here's why.

Matt Cassel became the fifth quarterback ever to throw for 400 yards or more in two straight games this past weekend. Randy Moss is making ridiculous catches, and it's leaving Wes Welker open across the middle and in the flat.

Reminiscent of last year, much?

Kevin Faulk is a legitimate enough threat to keep the defense honest, and quite frankly that's all we need from him.

New England played a game against the Jets two weeks ago (those same Jets that are currently considered by many to be the best team in the AFC), in which overtime was needed to declare a winner... and to be honest, a coin flip basically decided the winner of that game.

This past Sunday, the Pats put up 48 points and beat the Dolphins by 20. These are the same Dolphins that annihilated the Pats in week three.

Same teams, same players (actually, the Pats have lost some key guys since then), and the outcome was a complete reversal. Why? It's because New England has improved incredibly since then... especially Matt Cassel. There's no way in hell anyone can deny that.

Not to mention... the Dolphins are also a way better team than they were in week three, and it was still a complete reversal.

SteeleRED was quoted in saying;

"Yes, the lie that your team has been living (that you are a serious AFC contender) will be exposed this Sunday. While I never take any winning opponent lightly, somehow your team fills me with much less dread than in the past."

Say what you want about the Patriots being a "lie" ... but dude, good luck with that when it's game time. I guarantee that BB and Co. have a pretty well thought-out gameplan, and will likely jump out in front early in the game.

Best of luck making that comeback with your bottom-half-of-the-league offense....

From a Steeler's perspective (yes, I do tend to offer both sides of the story), Pittsburgh does happen to be the best in the business in points allowed, total yards allowed, pass yards allowed and rush yards allowed. If Matt Cassel can put up a big performance against a defense such as this one, it will tell us more than enough about his ability.

If Pittsburgh can put a stop to the Patriots' first drive, they'll have a much better chance to stay in this game.

House Of Steel (TheScoreBoards.com) offered a pretty good analysis of why Pittsburgh shouldn't be counted out of this game:

"I will be flat out honest. I know our offense has its woes and the offensive line can be a real joke sometimes. I am honestly believing in the facts that Head Coach Mike Tomlin may fire up these guys enough to believe they can and will upset the Patriots.

Dick LeBeau, love the guy, is a mastermind of the exotic blitz packages. Having the number one defense in the NFL speaks volumes. James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel these men will shut the running lanes down.

The biggest key is closing the pocket down on Matt Cassel. I am not going to take Matt Cassel lightly, he's playing lights out and going to give our secondary a hellish nightmare if he continues to be flushed out of the pocket and throwing a lightening rod to Welker, Moss, and company. The biggest key on defense is containing Faulk, Morris, Green-Ellis and shutting down the passing lanes of Welker and Moss for us to even have a chance.

Ben is Ben, I believe, he will come around and bring the glory back into the offense. I want the 2001 Ben Roethlisberger to show up at Foxborough. If Ben can bring the old magic and get Ward, Washington, and Holmes fired up and playing well, we got a shot. The dark horse is Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth.

They have to come in and bring their best catching game ever. Willie is down, so that is leaves us really looking bad on the rushing front, but Melwede Moore been playing very well in the big games, and he could maul down that defensive line and whip up a couple scores for us.

I think the majority of this game will come down to Special Team. We are a joke there, that is where the Patriots seem to shine better. However, I am remaining optimistic on this part.

We are really matched up pretty evenly with the exception of offensive line and special team. I am giving the Steelers the edge with their stifling defense. I really believe LeBeau is going to win the mental game and finally get into the head of Bill Belichick.

I got a lot of respect for this game, whoever wins, deserves it a lot. Great matchup, great test."

Feel free to join in the game debate all week over at TheScoreBoards, or talk about it in the comment section below this article.

Chris Radez is a Senior NFL Writer and Patriots Community Leader here at Bleacher Report, and he is also co-owner of TheScoreBoards.com.

NFL Playoff Scenarios, Volume Three: Dolphins and Falcons In The Mix

Chris Radez — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:38:31 -0500

Another week in the books, and another chance to have a peek at what the playoffs would look like if they started today.

This week, I've introduced "On The Bubble and Playing Well". In order for a team to qualify for that mention, they need to have won at least their last two games, and be no more than one game out of the playoff picture.

Imagine if we found ourselves with the Dolphins and Falcons playing in the Super Bowl this year?

AFC Playoff Picture

1. Tennessee Titans (9-0)

Two weeks ago, a lot of my readers thought the Packers would deal Tennessee their first loss. Last week, even more of my readers thought the Bears would do it.

Care to take another stab at it?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)

For those of you who are beginning to doubt the legitimacy of the Steelers, please keep in mind that two of their losses were against Mannings, and both of those losses were within one score.

3. New England Patriots (6-3)

The Patriots edge out the Jets due to New England's week two victory over New York. The Jets have a chance to settle the score on Thursday night, but for now... New England takes the division, and the three seed.

4. Denver Broncos (5-4)

My current train of thought has the AFC West taking the four seed, and losing to whatever wild-card team they have to face. Maybe the Chargers will catch fire again and change my perception.

5. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)

Impressive win over Houston in week ten. If they can keep putting points on the board, these guys might be more of a force than I first thought. They've got as tough of a test as they could have in week eleven, as they face off against the defending champs.

6. New York Jets (6-3)

Have the Jets found their rhythm? Was their utter destruction of the Rams a preview of what's to come? With the Patriots and the Titans standing in line to find out, I'm assuming we won't see that type of offensive explosion again any time soon.

On The Bubble and Playing Well: Miami Dolphins (5-4), Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

NFC Playoff Picture

1. New York Giants (8-1)

Last week's win over the Eagles wasn't as close as the score might indicate. The Giants are still in full throttle, and with the way their offense is set up... it could be a while before anyone slows them down.

2. Carolina Panthers (7-2)

The Panthers are in the middle of their month off. They had a bye week in week nine, beat the Raiders last week, and will beat the Lions in week eleven. For their sake, I hope the time off doesn't come with complacency. Matt Ryan and the Falcons await them in week twelve.

3. Arizona Cardinals (6-3)

What a gift it is to be in the NFC West this year. The Cardinals have as many wins as the rest of the teams in the division, combined.

4. Chicago Bears (5-4)

The Bears are atop a division that was supposed to be intense. I have a strange feeling they won't be on top for much longer though... not if the Green Bay Packers have anything to say about it.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

Neither the Bucs nor the Redskins lose their spots during the bye week. Tampa Bay has a tough matchup this week, as they face Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.

6. Washington Redskins (6-3)

Sunday night football against the Cowboys isn't a great way to improve your record, but the Redskins will have to do just that if they're planning to stay in the playoff picture for another week.

On The Bubble and Playing Well: Atlanta Falcons (6-3)

Here's what we'd be looking at in the Wild-Card Round if the season ended today:

Jets @ Patriots; Redskins @ Cardinals; Ravens @ Broncos; Bucs @ Bears

Well would you look at that... it appears as though one of our Wild-Card matchups will be on NFL Network tomorrow (Thursday) night!

Tune in next week!

AFC East Roundtable: Jets vs. Patriots Highlights Week 11 Discussions

Chris Radez — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:16:55 -0500

It's a big week for the AFC East, featuring the Jets and Patriots going at it on Thursday night with first place on the line. With one of those teams sure to improve their wins column, the Bills and Dolphins need to win this week in order to keep a solid place in the hunt for the division title.

We, as Community Leaders in the AFC East on Bleacher Report, decided to get together through email and talk about week eleven.

Chris Radez (TheScoreBoards.com):
One game now separates first place from last place in the division. The Jets absolutely trounced the Rams on Sunday, but New England currently holds the tie-breaker advantage due to their win over New York earlier in the season.

The Jets have a chance to turn the tables on Thursday night, when they travel into Foxboro to face a Patriots team which is a lot more comfortable now than it was when they faced off the first time.

What is the most important thing that the Jets need to do if they want to win the game on Thursday?

Mackenzie Kraemer (Jets Daily):
The key for the Jets is getting the offense going.

The defense has been stout against the run, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis needs to prove to me he can run against a tough run defense before I believe the Patriots will be the first team to get a consistent running game going against the Jets.

To be fair, LaMont Jordan killed the Jets down the stretch of the first game, but starter Sammy Morris managed 0 yards on 8 carries (with a touchdown). That will make the Patriots at least a little one-dimensional.

Darrelle Revis will mirror Randy Moss's every move, and while it would be foolish to predict he will completely shut down the star receiver, Revis is on the verge of being a shutdown cornerback, and Moss probably will not have a great game. This game will be all about how much Wes Welker hurts the Jets on 3rd down because the #2 cornerback has been a little inconsistent for the Jets, and Welker killed the Jets with 7 catches for 72 yards.

Remember, even though New England won the first game 19-10, they only managed 4 more yards than their rivals. If Jay Feely makes an early chip-shot field goal, and Brett Favre doesn't throw a bad interception leading to the Patriots sole touchdown, the result might have been different.

The Jets know they need to cut down on their mistakes to win because the defense has played well enough in the past two weeks to beat good football teams. The offense will surely need to involve Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery more this week, even though Dustin Keller emerged with his first career 100-yard game.

Ryan Burns
I think the Jets need to establish their running game right off the bat. Forget all the emotion and the rivalry, and just go out there and play football. After a rough start to the season, the Patriots have done a good job against the rush in my opinion, stopping premier backs such as Frank Gore, Joe Addai, Marshawn Lynch, and LT this year. The Jets will have to prove that that 3 td performance from Jones was not a fluke, and start running the ball early. In yesterday's game, the Patriots did a phenomenal job shutting down the run on first down, forcing Trent Edwards into 2nd and 3rd and long passing situations that did not help out the Bills.

The Jets also have to confuse Matt Cassel pre-snap. With the Pats offensive line in full force, the Jets may have a hard time getting pressure. If that is the case, they must show Cassel things pre-snap that he has not seen before, perhaps daring him to call an audible in certain situations. Yesterday, Cassel did a great job stepping up in the pocket and moving from read to read pretty seamlessly. The Jets can surely effect his decision making if they give him exotic defensive looks before the ball is snapped.

Jonathan Szenics
As simple as I can put it, the Jets need to play ball control throughout this game, and keep the Pats offense off the field. If they do this with Thomas Jones running like he did last week, along with Brett Favre taking, and making, a few chances down the field, while still not turning the ball over, I believe that the Jets will be hard to beat in this game.

On the defensive side of the ball, again, as simple as I can put it, if they play like they did against the Rams, the Jets should be set.

This is easier said then done though, and that is why the games are played. I am saying 28-24 Jets this week though.

Sergei Miledin
After Sunday's historic win against the Rams it is safe to say that the Jets have finally found their game.

What they face now is possibly the biggest game of the season against the Patriots. The re-acquisition of Ty Law can only help the defense who has caused opposition to turn over the ball eight times in the last two games.

The key for me is Brett Favre. We know what Jones and Washington can do on the ground and while Favre controls the tempo every drive I'm still waiting for a few bomb TD's like his days in Green Bay. He is known for stepping up in big games and this could be his most important as a Jet.

While interceptions to the Patriots seem scary, not having Tom Brady capitalize on the Jets mistakes will prove dividends on Thursday.

Cassel has only thrown seven TD's thus far relying heavily on his backs. The Jets are fifth in rush defense will hopefully stop most of the Patriots offense. I see this game going back and forth but do see Gang Green victorious and in first place when all is said and done.

Matt Schaefer (Bills Weekly):
Well the Jets need to a few things in this game to get the win. For starters they need to stop the run. The Patriots have had great success running the ball and it has been with their 4th string back, BenJarvus Green-Ellis who has scored a TD in four consecutive games. Even with all of the Patriots injuries in the running game, they still average 133 yards on the ground (which is good for 7th best in the league).

The Jets are in a good spot though with one of the top run defenses in the league, only letting up a mere 76.4 yards on the ground. The Jets need to win the battle in the trenches and shut down the Patriots running attack. If they don’t, the Patriots will be able to control the ball, keeping the Jets offense off of the field and tiring out the defense.

The Jets also have to pressure Matt Cassel. The young QB hasn’t put up superb numbers this year (7 TDs, 7 INTs) and can be forced into errors when pressured.

What the Jets have to do though on their blitzing packages is have a man one-on-one with Wes Welker. I know you can’t cover Welker one-on-one but if you put a guy on him that can slow him down and stop him from making the big run after the catch. If the Jets zone blitz a lot of the time, Welker will have another huge game.

Lastly, the Jets have to limit the turnovers. They have a great offense that is 3rd in the league is scoring per game, however turnovers can kill them. Brett Favre is leading the league in interceptions and is facing a Patriots defense that knows how to pick the ball off. They are tied for 8th in the league with 10 picks already this year.

If Favre can get the ball into his team’s hands, they should have a pretty good night with the Patriots secondary so beat up with injuries. He only turned the ball over once in their last meeting and if he can do that again, the Jets stand a good chance to win.

Chris Radez:
I agree with most of your points, Matt. Especially the zone coverage on Welker, as Buffalo primarily used a zone scheme and it resulted in 15 receptions for Moss and Welker.

I think the main aspect of the Jets' offense Bill Belichick will need to gameplan for is Thomas Jones. He had a great game in their 47-3 shellacking of the Rams, and the Patriots run defense has not been all that good.

Miami and Buffalo both have very winnable games in week eleven, with Miami hosting the Raiders and the Bills hosting the Browns. Any chance either team will 'look past' this week and end up with an unexpected loss?

Kyle deManicor:
First, the Jets and Pats will certainly be a very good game, too bad it's on NFL Network. If the Pats stop Thomas Jones and the versatile Leon Washington, then they will win the game. Brett Favre will have no choice but to sling the ball over 35 times, meaning at least two picks.

For the Jets, you guys said it. Stop Welker short and Moss long. If they do that and bring corner blitzes and put pressure on Cassel I believe the Jets will win.

As for my FINS, they can't take the Raiders lightly. I know the Raiders haven't scored an offensive touchdown in 9 straight quarters, but they are kind of like Miami earlier this year. No one took Miami seriously early on and it came back and bit some teams. Now Miami cant do the same and look past the Raiders.

They barely got by a Seattle team who they should've beaten by at least two touchdowns. Rather, they needed the game's final drive to seal the deal. I've been stressing the importance of taking advantage of home field. Miami needs to do so here. If they do, they will be 6-4 with the Pats coming into town in two weeks.

The Raiders offense is stagnant, but Justin Fargas is solid. He ran well against a good Panthers D. Miami has had a tendency to give up the long run. They can't help the Raiders out by doing that. Also, Miami needs to be more sound on special teams. They are giving up way too many yards on kick returns.

As for offense, the Raiders have a good defense so Miami needs to be efficient. It's a good game for Pennington I believe. They need to pound the run and use the Wildcat occasionally to throw the Raiders off balance. I hope they throw a few deep balls to Ginn too. Keep the defense guessing.

Overall, Miami is no longer the underdog, so they need to understand what it's like to win as the favorite. I believe Miami will win this one, and look good doing so.

Matt Schaefer:
The Bills can not look past any opponent for the rest of the season. Each game they have to go in there, giving 110% and trying to earn the win. Due to their 0-3 start in the division, they might have put themselves in a hole that they can’t dig themselves out of.

Now there is still plenty of ball games to go and they do play pretty easy teams, but remember that the other AFC East team basically have the same exact schedule (except for the Patriots, theirs is a little bit tougher).

The Bills are in last place in the division at 5-4 and currently 9th in the AFC standings.

I say the hole might be too big to get out of because of the tiebreakers that determine who makes the playoffs. The AFC East is filled with very competitive teams that are all log jammed in the division. Ties between two division team are decided by:

Head to Head Record (0-1 to all AFC East teams)
Best record in the Division (Pats, Jets and ‘Fins are all 2-1)
Best record in common games
Best Record in the Conference (Pats, Jets and ‘Fins are all 4-3 while Bills are 3-3)

So the Bills have to have a very strong end to the season therefore they should not look past any of the games that they play from here on out. Plus, the Bills are a better team than the Browns, believe it or not, and if they show up to play they shouldn’t lose anyways (that is a big IF though).

Paul Smythe
Thursday's game is crucial for both teams without a doubt. If New York wants any chance to make the playoffs, they need to beat New England Thursday, because they play Tennessee the week after. The Patriots play the Dolphins after New York, so that will be a close matchup as well.

Miami needs to not lose focus on their gameplay just because they are playing a pretty bad team. They need to pretend like their playing the Patriots in week 3 and act as they are the underdog. A win this week would make 4 in a row for Miami which will be big against New England the week after.

Buffalo is playing Cleveland, which should be a win for them. They are coming off of three losses in a row against division teams, so even if their record doesn't show it, I think they are out of the playoffs this year. Though, they have a few easy games in the next few weeks, so maybe they can prove me wrong.

I think that we all can agree that we are in the tightest division race currently in the NFL. I'm excited to see how it all plays out.

Chris Radez:

Me too, Paul. This is panning out to be one of the most exciting division races the AFC East has seen in years.

Stay tuned for next week's AFC East Roundtable, as the 2008 NFL Season continues on.

NFL Network: I Hate You

Chris Radez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:54:49 -0500

So it's only the Browns and the Broncos. I don't care. As a fan of the NFL, I would have liked to see Brady Quinn's debut, which apparently was pretty good. Of course, I can't judge his performance too much, since I was following the game on nfl.com.

Sure, I could have streamed the game online somewhere. I could even pay for NFL Network in addition to all the other crap I don't watch on cable.

It wouldn't even be completely out of line for me to get Direct TV, since every real sports fan is silly to do without it.

Apparently I'm silly.

You know ... I even could have gone to the local sports bar and caught the game there. I almost did too. But, when I called to see if they had NFL Network... I could hear all of the rowdy drunkards in the background.

Don't get me wrong, I do like me some ice cold beer... but most of these bar folks are just jerks.

Once I heard them in the background, I was reminded of why I stopped going out unless it was a special occasion. C'mon NFL ... are you really going to make me go see these goons I went to high school with, whom I've been perfectly happy avoiding?

It just doesn't make sense to me, with all the money the NFL makes, that they feel the need to monopolize the market even more, by forcing viewers to purchase their TV station.

I know this has been mulled over in the recent past, but I guess this first Thursday in November reminded me of how much it annoyed me last year.

I'll keep this short... but gosh, am I the only one who's still really peeved about this?

NFL Week Ten Picks: From a Patriot Perspective

Chris Radez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:58:29 -0500

Football on Thursday already? It seems like Thursday night football didn't used to start until around Thanksgiving... is this new or have I been drinking too much lately?

Could be both... either way, I'm not complaining!

Ryan Burns and I have recently been named New England Patriots Community Leaders, to supplement Mike Dussault in caring for one of the largest communities on Bleacher Report.

Ryan and I have decided to put our heads together and let all of you football fans know who we think will win the games this week, while providing commentary from a Patriots fan's perspective.

Any and all members of the Pats community here at b/r are welcome to join us in future editions of this article. Just drop me a line at chrisradez@hotmail.com, or leave a comment on my profile if you'd like to submit your picks and commentary.

Without further ado...

Thursday, November 6th 8:15pm EDT

Denver Broncos @ Cleveland Browns

Ryan Burns: Brady Quinn gets the start here against the Broncos, who haven't really forged an identity yet. Cleveland takes this game at home, provided Braylon Edwards can catch a pass.

Chris Radez: Denver has proven week after week that they have no defense, and lately the offense hasn't been much better. I'm expecting this to be a high-scoring affair (take the over), but in the end, I like the Browns in this one.

Sunday, November 9th 1:00pm EDT

New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons

RB: Is Atlanta for real? We will see after this weekend. Saints have to win it, and I think they will.

CR: The Saints have beaten the Falcons in each of their last four meetings, including a 34-14 massacre in December of '07. Don't expect this game to be much different. New Orleans will take this one and keep the NFC South looking mighty interesting.

Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears

RB: Kerry Collins vs. "Wrecks" Grossman? I'll pass on that one. The Titans D will win this game...again.

CR: It's tough to pick against the Titans at this point. I can see it now... Grossman's throws will suit his last name well, and Tennessee will continue to roll through it's schedule.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Detroit Lions

RB: The Jags are another team that has an identity crisis. They should win here if only to keep Detroit's magical "0 for the sheet" season alive. C'mon guys I know you got it in you. One loss at a time!

CR: I've got a strange feeling that this will be one of those infamous NFL '08 head-scratchers, and the Lions will completely destroy the Jags in this one. Calvin Johnson has a touchdown in each of his last four games, and I'm thinking he'll get two in this one.

Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans

RB: *when I mentioned this game, Ryan passed out and spilled his beer all over himself. I decided not to wake him for the moment*

CR: Houston has never beaten the Ravens. That changes this week, as the Texans improve their record to 4-5, effectively revamping their playoff hopes.

Seattle Seahawks @ Miami Dolphins

RB: I like Miami at home here, with a 4-4 record, they are quietly creeping into the picture in the AFC East. A win here would send a message to the entire league.

CR: This is my lock of the week. The Dolphins will take it to Seattle, just like most other teams have done when playing this underachieving Seahawks team.

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

RB: After taking undefeated Titans to OT last week, the Packers will be more than fired up to play one of their most bitter rivals. Tons of playoff implications in this game, a must win for Aaron Rodgers and the Pack.

CR: To be honest, the Packers haven't played as well as I thought they would, so far this season. Then again, neither have the Vikings. With both teams at .500, this could get ugly. I'll take Green Bay.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

Be sure to check out Mike's emails with Matt Schaefer, a fan of the hated Bills... as they go back and forth about this week's game.

St. Louis Rams @ New York Jets

RB: Sure the Rams have looked decent since Jim Haslett took over, but the Jets have playoffs on the brain and look to stay competitive in the suddenly stacked AFC East.

CR: This one will be closer than it should be, but the Jets need this one too badly to lose it.

Sunday, November 9th 4:15 EDT

Carolina Panthers @ Oakland Raiders

RB: DeAngelo Hall released, rumors of players wanting Vick, and getting blown out last weekend? Sounds like the Raiders I know. Carolina absolutely destroys Oakland this week.

CR: This is a no-brainer. Will the Raiders ever pull it together and re-assert their commitment to excellence? Panthers roll...

Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers

RB: After Monday Night's thrashing of the Redskins, the Steelers look to be back on track and will attempt to put a damper on Peyton Manning and Barack O'Dungy's Playoff plans. But will it be Lord Byron or Big Ben under center?

CR: The Colts win against the Patriots was a bigger deal than the media is giving it credit for. I know it wasn't pretty... but that's because they were playing a great team. I'm actually going to pick Indianapolis to upset Pittsburgh, and re-energize their playoff hopes.

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers

RB: Even though I'm not a fan of his, I like Rivers to have a big game against the Chiefs, especially at home. Herm Edwards will find a way to lose this game. Huge game for the Chargers to get back on track for the playoffs.

CR: I have no idea which Kansas City team will show up in San Diego, but even if the one that scores points shows up... they tend to blow it in the end. I'll take San Diego.

Sunday, November 9th 8:15pm EDT

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles

RB: The G-Men will take one more step to clinching the NFC East with a victory on the road over Philly. Remember last year how great they played on the road down the stretch? This hostile environment will be a good test for the Giants to see just how good they are.

CR: I really want to pick against the Giants here... but I can't. I just can't.

Monday, November 10th 8:30pm EDT

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

RB: Kurt Warner is partying like its 1999, and Mike Singletary is trying to get his defensive "unit" (pun intended) to play better. However, I think they get roasted in the desert on Monday night. I'll take the Cards.

CR: Coach Singletary ... the Cardinals can score. Can you do everyone a favor and keep your pants on when it happens? Your bum isn't good for anyone.

NFL Playoff Scenarios, Volume Two: Buffalo Bills Fall Out Of The Playoff Picture

Chris Radez — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:52:30 -0500

I had the weirdest dream last night. I was speeding down the highway on a motorcycle (I don't even own a motorcycle) with a cigarette in my mouth (I don't even smoke anymore), and I got pulled over. When the state trooper was writing me my ticket, all of my teeth fell out.

The trooper let me go because he felt bad for me.

Anyhow... just thought I'd share that strangeness with my readers. On to football.

Don't forget... these scenarios are based on what the playoffs would look like if they started today. They are not based on how I think the rest of the season will go.

AFC Playoff Picture

1. Tennessee Titans (8-0)

They needed overtime in order to sneak by the Packers, but they got it done. Lots of you had picked Green Bay to take down the Titans in last week's poll.

You were wrong. Care to pick again?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)

I have to admit, I thought Washington was going to take advantage of the Election Day aura that surrounded them. They didn't, and the Steelers showed that even if they lose their starting quarterback, they're still going to take it to you.

I can think of a few teams that haven't been able to say that this year.

3. New York Jets (5-3)

Last week the Jets weren't even in the picture. Now they're the three seed, and would enjoy home-field advantage in the Wild-Card round. If Brett Favre starts throwing touchdowns to the right team, this could become a concern for the rest of the AFC East.

4. Denver Broncos (4-4)

I find it awesome that Denver lost to the Dolphins. Now we just need for the Chargers to win some games and make the AFC West look legit again. Denver is on the right track, but they need to fill some holes on defense if they want to contend in this conference.

5. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)

Yep, twenty-four unanswered points against the Browns would earn Baltimore a trip to Denver for a Wild-Card matchup that suits them quite well. I'm still not completely sold on the Ravens as a legit contender, but I'd like their chances against Denver... and momentum can do a lot in the playoffs. Ask the Giants, they'll tell you.

6. New England Patriots (5-3)

The loss to the Colts was disheartening, after a pretty well-played game was completely destroyed in what seemed like three seconds. The Pats would still be in the playoffs though, and what a matchup they'd be faced with. A trip to the Meadowlands to face off with Favre and Co. in the Wild Card round would be fitting for Pats fans and Jets fans alike.

I'm sure everyone involved here would be more excited for this game than they've been for any game in a long time.

NFC Playoff Picture

1. New York Giants (7-1)

Absolutely destroyed the Cowboys in Week Nine. I mean... wow. The Giants are having one helluva season, but I'm starting to flash back to last year's Patriots. They sure did play great up until the last few weeks of the season? Did they run out of gas? Will the Giants do the same? Playing with that much heart week in and week out has to wear on you, right?

They've got Philly, who is currently on a three game winning streak, in Week Ten. This should be a good one.

2. Carolina Panthers (6-2)

The Panthers remain in the same spot as last week. They travel to Oakland to face the 2-6 Raiders in Week Ten. I'm thinking 7-2 wouldn't be unreasonable to predict. There's just something about the Panthers this year ... I can't put my finger on it, but I think they're headed in the right direction (and by right direction, I mean NFC Championship Game).

3. Arizona Cardinals (5-3)

The Cards and Bears flip-flop seeds from last week, based on conference record (.600 vs .571). This doesn't mean too awful much though, since the five and six seeds are equally better than both of them, in my opinion.

4. Chicago Bears (5-3)

Rex Grossman is the starting quarterback of this football team. I remember that statement from a year ago... but it didn't turn out so well. Can the Bears remain intact while Orton is out? I'm not so sure... but at least they have Matt Forte to lean on this year.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

I'm really not sure how this would work ... so if anyone else does, please inform me. The Bucs and Redskins have identical records, division records, conference records and non-conference records. I'm giving Tampa Bay the five seed due to a better stat, which is net points (53-3).

6. Washington Redskins (6-3)

The 'Skins and Bucs don't play each other this season, so conference play will be extremely important for the next two months if they can't climb to the top of their respective divisions. A win against the Steelers would have been very helpful for Washington, but they couldn't put it together. I think they're getting their bye week right when they needed it (or maybe a week late).

Currently, the Wild Card Round would look like this:

Ravens @ Broncos, Patriots @ Jets, Buccaneers @ Bears, Redskins @ Cardinals

How about that? The Bills fell right out of the picture, after starting the season on such a great vibe. Still no Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, Vikings, Saints, Jags, Packers .... what a weird season.

Stay tuned for next week's playoff scenarios, as the 2008 NFL Season rolls on.

New England Patriots Lose to Indianapolis Colts: I Blame David Thomas

Chris Radez — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:16:44 -0500

...and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I realize that this rivalry isn't what it was last year, since neither team is playing like they have in the past, but this turned out to be a pretty close, exciting game. It was mostly mistake free on both sides, until it counted.

BenJarvis Green-Ellis just about had the first down in field goal range. All it would have taken was a QB sneak to get the yards needed to continue the drive.

Unfortunately, it appears as though David Thomas didn't realize Green-Ellis was down and the play was over. He knocked one of the Colts' defenders down well after the play had finished, committing a 15-yard personal foul.

This turned what would have been 3rd and 1 into 3rd and 16, and essentially took the wind out of the Patriots' sails.

Yes, I blame David Thomas for this loss, but what I'm even more concerned with is the awful throws Matt Cassel made in attempt to come back and win.

I certainly didn't expect the Pats to come back with what, 45 seconds or something left in the game? But, my goodness...Cassel's attempts to hit Moss and Gaffney were so ridiculously off the mark that I honestly believe I would have done better myself.

If that's the type of throw I should look for when New England is trying to come from behind in a playoff game, I might as well just call it a season right now.

What makes me sad about this, is that through three quarters, I was very happy with the way the Patriots offense was playing. I didn't even care if they beat the Colts or not. I was simply pleased with the progress they had made.

Now I'm thinking that my day dreams of deep playoff runs are just that...day dreams.

NFL Playoff Scenarios, Volume One: Colts, Cowboys Not Playing in January

Chris Radez — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:36:47 -0400

With the September and October months behind us, it's time to start evaluating the current NFL standings and begin to humor the playoff scenarios that would exist.

I will do this each and every week until the actual playoffs commence. Without further ado...

AFC Playoff Picture

1. Tennessee Titans (7-0)

The Titans would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if the season ended today. Of course, it doesn't appear to matter whether they're home or away.

They just win.

I don't see much of a reason for this to change between now and January. The Titans appear to have the proper formula in place to keep on winning. I think they're biggest concern will be keeping everyone on defense healthy, and I have to wonder if a quarterback controversy will arise at some point.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

Pittsburgh currently holds the tie-breaker over New England by way of an undefeated conference record (5-0). They may very well slip down a few seeds before the end of December, if they play like they did against the Giants on Sunday.

I realize it was the defending champs they were playing against, but c'mon. It looked as if the Steelers didn't want to win that game. They gave the Giants every opportunity to win the game late... and the G-Men gladly accepted their gift.

3. New England Patriots (5-2)

The Pats, at this point in time, would win the AFC East with a better division record than the Buffalo Bills.

With Matt Cassel finally beginning to look comfortable, and the Patriots' defense displaying the ability to perform at a high level...a strong playoff run is not out of the question for these guys.

The main question going forward will be whether or not the offensive line can give Cassel enough time to stay comfortable. I have to hand it to him though...Even though he's been sacked consistently, you'd rather see that than have him throwing interceptions on a regular basis.

4. Denver Broncos (4-3)

Denver grabs the four seed by currently standing atop their division. I can't say that I see this team doing much come January, as their defense is just plain awful. The Broncos have allowed 22 more points than they've scored.

San Diego has put themselves in a tough spot, with five losses already in the books. But, don't be surprised if they make a late run at the division title.

5. Buffalo Bills (5-2)

The Bills would be the strongest five seed I've seen in quite some time. Trent Edwards is the real deal, as are Lee Evans and Marshawn Lynch. The defense is opportunistic; these guys will be right in the thick of the AFC East title hunt until the end of December.

Buffalo has a chance to improve their division record (0-1) this weekend as they host Brett Favre and the New York Jets.

6. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)

I'm thinking this six seed will be like a revolving door over the next two months. The Jets currently own the same record but have a weaker conference record than the Ravens. New York and Baltimore do not play each other in the regular season this year, so conference play will be very important in November and December.

Only the Chiefs, Raiders, and Bengals would be dreaming if they thought they had a chance at the sixth seed in the AFC. Other than that...it's wide open.

NFC Playoff Picture

1. New York Giants (6-1)

The Giants would currently claim home-field advantage throughout their quest to defend their championship. If the defense keeps playing the way they have been, I'd like to wish the rest of the NFC luck in trying to take down the G-Men in January.

The question remains...Can Eli Manning maintain his composure and further cement himself among the league's elite quarterbacks? Also...Will Plaxico Burress stop acting like a child and help his team win some games?

2. Carolina Panthers (6-2)

These guys have all the tools to do well in the cold months of December and January. I'm sure Panther fans everywhere are optimistic that they'll get to see how they fare in a February game as well.

Carolina has a stout defense, and suddenly that defense is complemented by a very potent offense. But, right on their tails is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently have an equal division record and a better conference record. This division will be up for grabs until the final week of the regular season.

3. Chicago Bears (4-3)

Two things. First, the Bears get the nod over the Cardinals for the three seed due to a better non-conference record (1-0). I think that's how it would go, since they have equal division and conference records. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Secondly, Chicago and Green Bay are basically equal right now. I think Chicago is only on top of the Packers in the standings right now due to alphabetical order. We still have two Packers/Bears matchups to look forward to this season though...So that will change, and we'll have a clear-cut winner of this division at some point.

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-3)

There will only be one team from the NFC West playing in January, and it's going to be the Cards. How well they'll do against the rest of an unusually strong NFC remains to be seen. I have a feeling a Super Bowl is not in their near future though.

5. Washington Redskins (6-2)

As with the Bills, we've got another very strong five seed here in the Redskins. Washington is neck and neck with the Giants at this point, but I have a feeling this division will be all but decided by the end of November.

The Giants travel to Washington on Nov. 30, in a game that could be for all the marbles. I'm extremely impressed by how the Redskins have responded after the beating they took in Week One. Can they keep it up?

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3)

The Bucs edge out the 5-3 Cowboys with a better conference record. Tampa Bay has played strongly thus far. Do they have what it takes to hang out near the top of the NFC South for another two months?

Right now, this division is 16-1 at home. Only the Saints have lost a home game.

Here's what we'd be looking at for Wild-Card matchups:

Ravens @ Patriots; Bills @ Broncos; Bucs @ Bears; 'Skins @ Cardinals

Well there you have it. If the playoffs started today, there would be no Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, Saints, Vikings, Packers, Jaguars, Jets...not what you expected, eh?

Stay tuned for next week's playoff scenarios, as the 2008 NFL season continues on.

NFL Week Nine: Manning and Co. Playing for Their Playoff Lives

Chris Radez — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:36:27 -0400

I doubt anyone expected that this annual Week Nine matchup between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts would weigh so heavy on the shoulders of Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts' organization.

Especially when Tom Brady went down in Week One.

The Patriots have since managed to put together a 5-2 record, which is good for a share of the AFC East lead. The Colts, on the other hand, could possibly fall to five full games behind the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.

The Colts don't need to win the division to make it into the playoffs, but it won't be an easy road to a wild-card spot.

If the Patriots defeat the Colts this week, it will put Indy at 3-5. With games against Pittsburgh, San Diego, Jacksonville, and one more against the Titans still in their future, Indy would need to pull off a major run as the weather turns inclement if they want to see their record any better than 8-8 come season's end.

We certainly can't count the Colts out of this game. Although, I've been waiting for them to wake up for weeks now, and they continue to put up weak performances.

In comparing Peyton Manning to Matt Cassel this season, Cassel has a better completion percentage, more yards per completion, less interceptions, and a better overall quarterback rating.

Who'd have thunk it?

The Patriots' defense is banged up, but they've shown that they have what it takes to put up a strong performance. Richard Seymour has recorded three sacks and 15 tackles in his last two games, showing that his past injuries have not diminished his abilities.

While the Patriots have been without their main running backs for the last few weeks, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvis Green-Ellis have filled in quite nicely. Faulk is averaging 5.9 YPC this season. He may very well eat the Colts' run defense alive.

The Colts have beaten the Patriots in three out of their last four meetings, but the 2008 season has proven, week after week, that the past means nothing. This should be a different, yet interesting, Week Nine slugfest between the league's premiere organizations.

Tom Brady's Knee Still in Flux After Choosing Own Doc, Patriots Not Happy

Chris Radez — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:25:42 -0400

The New England Patriots wanted Tom Brady to have his procedure done in Boston, using a doctor that they're familiar with.

Tom Brady wanted to have the procedure done in Los Angeles. Whether it was due to his confidence in a doctor there, or his wishes to be near his family, is not clear.

What is very clear is that Brady may now needs to have the entire reconstruction of his knee done over again, which could cause him to miss time during the 2009 season. It goes without saying the the Patriots aren't exactly happy about this.

From what I understand, his knee was infected after the initial procedure was done, and he has gone in twice since then to fight an infection that would cause the hardware used in the reconstruction to be ineffective. The infection, and the procedures to fight the infection, are apparently quite rare.

This changes New England's approach to a lot of things. With the possibility now that Brady may miss time in next year's regular season, the Patriots may feel the need to acquire additional help on offense in the offseason. Be it on the offensive line or at the quarterback position.

It could change the way they draft. It could cause them to spend money they otherwise would not have spent.

With the losses of Laurence Maroney and Rodney Harrison for the remainder of this season, you would think the Pats have enough problems to think about.

Still no word on Sammy Morris' status. Personally, I think he's alright. He may have had some type of family emergency to attend. This is completely speculation by me, but I don't recall seeing him get injured, and he wasn't at the teams walkthrough earlier this week.

Usually, even the injured players are at the media-accessible walk-through.

I've gone off-topic a bit...but the point is, where do the Patriots even start now that they're finding out Tom Terrific might miss more time than initially expected?

As a Patriots fan, I might be out of fingernails by the end of this season.

Monday Night Football: Broncos Have Much More to Lose Than Patriots

Chris Radez — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:46:01 -0400

The Denver Broncos have won nine out of 12 games against the Patriots under head coach Mike Shanahan, including four of the last five.

Denver has the advantage of fielding their starting quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cutler has already passed for almost 1,700 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

While the Broncos will have to play their backup running back, Michael Pittman, said tailback is averaging 4.7 yards per carry on 49 carries this season.

Besides...when has it ever mattered who Denver plays at running back? Not to mention the Patriots are allowing close to 120 yards per game on the ground this year.

The Broncos have a chance to move to 5-2, and will gain a decent amount of separation from the rest of the division with a win tonight.

Denver's offensive line has only allowed two sacks this season, while New England has only brought down opposing quarterbacks seven times thus far. The Patriots had lots of trouble getting to Phillip Rivers in San Diego last week.

All signs point to a victory for the Broncos. So what do the Patriots need to do in order to win?

To be honest, they practically need a miracle. The Pats' defense has been absolutely atrocious, allowing more than 320 total yards per game, while New England ranks 25th in the league with just 298 total offensive yards per game.

That's mostly due to the awful passing game provided by Matt Cassel. His inaccuracy has left the rest of the offense handcuffed and visibly aggravated.

It looks as though RBs Laurence Maroney* and LaMont Jordan will be out yet again, leaving Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk to carry the load. It will essentially be up to those two guys if the Patriots are going to have any type of offensive production at all.

If Randy Moss was actually putting forth some effort, Morris and Faulk might get some help on offense...but Moss has been obviously unmotivated to produce the type of effort he did with Tom Brady under center last season.

This is not the type of performance New England's front office expected when they re-signed him in the offseason.

It's time for the Patriots' defense to wake up and start doing some hitting. I'm expecting Cutler and Co. to test the often-beaten Deltha O'Neal deep...and he needs to make sure he's knocking that ball down. Both times he was beaten for touchdowns last week, he was in position to interrupt the play, but went for the INT instead.

Back to basics, Sir.

As a matter of fact...back to basics, New England Patriots, if you want any chance in this one.

*Update: Laurence Maroney is done for the season, after being placed on season-ending injured reserve. Visit the link for more info.

NFL Week Seven Wrap-Up: Power Outage in Buffalo Leads to a Dull Charge

Chris Radez — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:02:11 -0400

First and foremost, I'd like to thank Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Marvin Harrison for making my various fantasy football teams look like whipping posts during week seven.

With that being said, thank you Steven Jackson (or Dallas Cowboys' defense...or both) for saving one of my teams. The weekend was not a complete bust.

Some of you might be wondering where the heck I've been over the last couple of weeks, being as I haven't written anything since prior to week five. To make a long story short...I moved, switched jobs, and then proceeded to catch the Coxsackie Virus, which has managed to keep me in bed for the last eight days.

Needless to say, I was in no shape to attempt ranking the teams or providing analysis on the games. Thank goodness this intruder appears to have left my body.

Back to football.

How about them Bills? Buffalo handled the Chargers somewhat easily one week after San Diego made the Patriots look silly. One could almost say that the way the Bills played was reminiscent of New England earlier in the decade.

The once Super Bowl bound Cowboys have suddenly lost three of their last four games, and are wondering if they'll even make the playoffs. The lowly Rams handed them a beat down on Sunday, and left Tony Romo wondering if maybe he should have braved some playing time.

The Steelers reiterated their power status in the AFC after dismantling the Bengals. I realize it's just the 0-7 Bengals...but at least they crushed a team that should be crushed. This tells me Pittsburgh is taking no team lightly.

Carolina and Chicago each won very important games for themselves within their divisions. I still giggle to myself when I think of all the people who thought New Orleans was a top contender for the Super Bowl before the season began.

The Ravens stopped Miami from evening out their record, as they found a way to keep pace with what's shaping up to be a very interesting AFC Wild Card hunt.

Tennessee remains undefeated, after stomping on the horrible Kansas City Chiefs. It looks like Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Houston will all be fighting for second place in the AFC South.

Speaking of Indy...they were completely trounced by the Packers this weekend. I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't see that one coming at all. What's wrong with the Colts?

The Jets lost to Oakland. That was such an exciting game that I almost fell asleep just thinking about it. The same could be said for the Browns/Redskins game. Thankfully, I didn't have to sit through that.

I'm still waiting for all of the people who left hate comments on my Power Rankings earlier in the season about my placement of the Seahawks to come forward and admit they were wrong. They lost on Sunday...again.

Who am I leaving out? Oh...the defending Super Bowl Champs. The G-Men were able to tough it out against what looked like a desperate San Francisco 49ers team. I think O'Sullivan might have been a good quarterback in this league if someone had given him a chance earlier in his career. Now he's middle-aged (in quarterback years) and noticeably inexperienced.

Stay tuned for my preview of tonight's Monday Night Matchup between my Patriots and their nemesis, the Denver Broncos.

NFL Week Five Preview and Picks: The Early Games

Chris Radez — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:25:54 -0400

Tennessee Titans (4-0) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

The Titans are traveling to Baltimore to see if they can remain undefeated through five weeks. They'll face a Ravens team which is possibly going to be without RB Willis McGahee, and has only beaten a couple of teams from Ohio.

If you're in a Survivor League, this might be a good choice.

Pick: Titans

Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) at Carolina Panthers (3-1) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

These two teams have only played each other three times, and the Chiefs have won two of those meetings. LB Na'il Diggs is currently on the injury report with an illness, but the Panthers hope to have him back in action before Sunday.

Pick: Panthers

Chicago Bears (2-2) at Detroit Lions (0-3) Sunday 1 p.m ET

This game will probably be the snoozer of the week. Chicago's defense will likely hold Detroit to almost nothing, while Matt Forte and Kevin Jones go to work on the Lions' front seven. Detroit won't be updating the win column this week.

Pick: Bears

Atlanta Falcons (2-2) at Green Bay Packers (2-2) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

Aaron Rodgers injured his shoulder in Green Bay's week four match-up with Tampa Bay. Apparently, he couldn't even sleep on Sunday night because of the pain. There are reports though, that he will start this Sunday regardless of whether he practices for the rest of the week. Don't be surprised if Rodgers comes out of the game and either Matt Flynn or Brian Brohm has to take the field.

None of this will affect the outcome of this game.

Pick: Packers

Indianapolis Colts (1-2) at Houston Texans (0-3) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

I bet Colts fans didn't look at the schedule in August and mark this one down as a big game. It is now though.

Manning is playing like it's still preseason, Sanders is out, and Addai is only averaging 3.3 yards per carry. But, on the bright side, Indy's O-line appears to be returning to health, which could improve all aspects of the Colts' offense.

Matt Schaub is coming off one of the best performances of his career, and the Texans seem to have found some offensive rhythm. This doesn't bode well for the Bob Sanders-less Colts

Pick: Texans

San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Miami Dolphins (1-2) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

Miami has defeated the Chargers in each of the last six times they've played each other. Was the Dolphins impressive week three victory over the Patriots just a divisional fluke, or have they stumbled across a very effective offensive game-plan?

The Chargers have been playing well, and they have a weapon in their corner which has killed them in the past: Chris Chambers. This will be a close one, but the outcome is inevitable.

Pick: Chargers

Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at New York Giants (3-0) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

I've taken a lot of heat in my power rankings articles about where I place the Seahawks... which is near the bottom. New York will help me prove that I'm right about them. Hasselbeck is getting some of his receivers back this week, but that won't help them much.

Pick: Giants

Washington Redskins (3-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) Sunday 1 p.m. ET

It's gut-check time for the Philadelphia Eagles. They'll need to dig down and find a way to win without RB Brian Westbrook. Even if he plays, he will not be as effective as we all know he can be.

DeSean Jackson has played a surprisingly large role in the Eagles' offense over the last couple of weeks, and is making a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He'll need to pull out all the stops in this one.

Washington has played very, very well since losing in the NFL's season opener to the Giants. Jason Campbell has quieted his critics and Santana Moss looks like he's in his prime. This could be a high-scoring affair, but in the end...Philly knows they need this one.

Pick: Eagles

I'll be previewing the late games as well as the Monday Night game later today, so stay tuned!

I'm Chris Radez, co-owner of TheScoreBoards.

NFL Power Rankings: Week Five

Chris Radez — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:10:58 -0400

Welcome to the fifth week of the 2008 NFL regular season. It is in this week when things in football begin to make sense. It is now when teams begin to separate themselves as playoff contenders. This is the time of year when...

...oh wait, it's only the beginning of October? My bad!

The loss by Dallas shakes up my rankings a little bit. In fact, the AFC may have regained some stability, since it now hosts two of the three remaining undefeated teams.

Rank (Last Week) Team (Record)

1. (8) Tennessee Titans (4-0)

Before you scroll straight to the comment section and start bashing me, hear me out.

First and foremost, the Titans haven't lost yet. Secondly, the teams they've played aren't half-bad (Minnesota, Jacksonville, Houston, and Cincinnati). But the third and most important factor that now has them at the top of my rankings is the point differential in their wins.

Tennessee has won their games by a combined 56 points. In just four weeks, I don't care who you are...That's pretty darn good.

2. (7) Buffalo Bills (4-0)

What impresses me the most about Buffalo is their ability to maintain composure and win games from behind. I realize it was only St. Louis, but during the beginning of that game, the Bills looked like they were in rough shape.

They were down 14-6 and had just thrown an interception at one point, but still managed to stomp the horrible Rams 31-14.

Another factor that puts them this high is, again, point differential. Buffalo is up on their opponents by a total of 46 points after four games. That means they're averaging double-digit victories.

3. (2) New York Giants (3-0)

The G-Men fall without playing. After almost losing to the Bengals in Week Three, it's tough to look fondly upon them until they pound Seattle this weekend in a manner that is to be expected.

4. (12) Washington Redskins (3-1)

What can I say? They just beat Dallas over the weekend. Jason Campbell is playing well. These guys look confident after taking such an ugly beating in Week One. They've got another exciting test coming up in Week Five, as they take on Donovan McNabb and the Eagles.

5. (1) Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

After losing a close one to a division rival, Dallas has an opportunity in Week Five to show the Giants how a final score against Cincinnati should really look.

6. (3) Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)

I realize that the Eagles lost to Chicago over the weekend, but they kept it close without the services of Brian Westbrook and with Donovan McNabb less than 100 percent healthy. A huge game against the Redskins next week will tell us a lot about this team.

7. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

The Steelers were able to re-take the lead in the AFC North on Monday night, even without their two main running backs. These guys will have to dig deep if they want to stay in my top 10 though. I'm not sure I like their chances without the classic Steelers running game.

8. (9) San Diego Chargers (2-2)

After a tough first half against the Oakland Raiders, San Diego was able to put together a strong second half and come away with a 10-point victory. I think we all know that this is one of the AFC's top teams, and their record will reflect that come December.

9. (5) Denver Broncos (3-1)

Really? The Chiefs? What the heck happened? I have to think this was a fluke. I mean, I understand that Denver hasn't had much of a defense all season, but...the Chiefs?

10. (10) Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

As I said in last week's rankings, I'm not ready to drop Indy out of my top 10. If they lose to Houston in Week Five (or even come close to losing), then there will be cause for concern.

11. (14) Carolina Panthers (3-1)

For some reason, I'm still not completely sold on these guys. But, they keep winning...So I keep moving them up in my rankings.

12. (16) New Orleans Saints (2-2)

The Saints' schedule hasn't been easy, and they've been in every game. They'll be facing a hungry Vikings squad on Monday Night in Week Five.

13. (17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)

The Bucs came away with a nice win against the Packers, and they, again, showed an ability to run the football. If you can run the football, you can control any game.

14. (4) Green Bay Packers (2-2)

Tough loss to the Bucs...But they should be able to bounce back in Week Five, as they face Matt Ryan and the Falcons.

15. (13) New England Patriots (2-1)

The Pats dropped a couple spots during their bye week, mainly because I'm hearing chatter that they're ready to start rookie quarterback Kevin O'Connell if Matt Cassel doesn't get a lot better, and fast.

16. (18) Chicago Bears (2-2)

Chicago was able to dig down and defeat a very strong team in the Philadelphia Eagles. A win like that has to give that entire team some much-needed confidence in such a tough conference.

17. (11) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)

The Jags hardly beat a pretty sorry Houston Texans team this weekend. They'll have their hands full this coming week, as they are set to face Pittsburgh in Week Five. They'll need to take full advantage of the Steelers' weaknesses on the injury report.

18. (19) New York Jets (2-2)

New York showed that they can definitely put up some points this past weekend. Too bad it was against the Cardinals, or else they might have moved up in my power rankings more. Not to mention all the points they allowed Arizona to score.

19. (15) Minnesota Vikings (1-3)

Things aren't looking good for Minny right now. They'll need to come up big on Monday Night against the Saints, which won't be an easy task. A record of 1-4 will be almost impossible to come back from.

20. (20) Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

I had a feeling these guys weren't as good as people were saying. They beat two teams from Ohio, lost to an offensive backfield-less Steelers team, and now they have to face Tennessee. Not a good scenario.

21. (26) Cleveland Browns (1-3)

Did you notice that I had the Browns ranked one spot higher than the Bengals last week? Now you can see why.

22. (24) Arizona Cardinals (2-2)

I know...They lost. But honestly, the only other team in my bottom 10 that won this weekend was the Chiefs. Think they belong this high?

23. (23) Oakland Raiders (1-3)

The Raiders remain in the same spot because they lost their game in the same way as they did the week before. They were basically dominating their opponent until it was time to close it out. Al Davis is already doing interviews...

24. (31) Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)

All of a sudden, the Chiefs aren't a laughing stock. Okay, maybe that's going a little far...But I'm sure everyone noticed the fact that they beat a pretty good team over the weekend.

25. (25) Miami Dolphins (1-2)

If Miami can take down the San Diego Chargers in Week Five...I think we can officially call the AFC East "up for grabs".

26. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

At 2-2, the 'Niners are still very much in the thick of the NFC West. It won't take much to win that division this year. Whoever does win that division will be the worst playoff team in a long, long time.

27. (29) Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

See above.

28. (22) Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

Absolutely destroyed by Carolina...This team can't seem to win a big game. They've got potential, but they're not there yet.

29. (27) Cincinnati Bengals (0-4)

How on Earth did it get this bad?

30. (28) Houston Texans (0-3)

Houston almost won this week. That's kinda good news, right?

31. (30) Detroit Lions (0-3)

I'm struggling to find anything to say about some of these awful teams.

32. (32) St. Louis Rams (0-4)

The Rams almost looked good against Buffalo...for a little while. That didn't last very long though.

I'm Chris Radez, co-owner of TheScoreBoards.

A Tribute to Troy Brown: The NFL Needs More Folks Like You

Chris Radez — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:32:52 -0400

This morning, Troy Brown announced that his career in the NFL is officially over.

Brown went to college at Marshall, where he was a major offensive weapon, averaging a touchdown on just about every eight times he touched the ball in his last two years there.

He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1993 and remained a Patriot throughout his career. He holds the team record for receptions with 557 and is second on the franchise's receiving-yardage list with 6,366 yards.

In 2004, Brown also started contributing on defense when the Patriots began having troubles with injuries. It was nothing short of amazing the way he was able to step in and play both ways with such impact.

In fact, he became the only player in Patriots history to record a reception and an interception in the same game (against Buffalo on Nov. 14, 2004).

But, in addition to his uncommon stability and performance on the field, his conduct off the field was also extremely admirable.

He has participated in the NomarBowl over the last few years to support the Nomar5 fund. He's also participated in the annual ROSE fund dinner. In addition to that, Troy has also taken part in many charitable golf tournaments and kickoff events, including the huge role he has played with the United Way as a national spokesman.

The list just keeps going. He took part in the Fifth Annual Joshua Frase Foundation Muscle Dream Team Bash, attended the Salvation Army's annual Christmas party at Gillette Stadium, and took 200 underprivileged inner city kids shopping for Christmas, who otherwise wouldn't have been able to.

This past summer, he also held his first Troy Brown Football Camp.

In 2004, Troy earned the New England Patriots Ron Burton Community Service Award for his commitment to the community and helping others.

Needless to say, the NFL would have a much more healthy status in the media if there were more folks like Troy Brown in the league.

Brown has stated that he passed on opportunities to play for other teams in the 2008 season, because it just wouldn't feel right. He will join Comcast SportsNet as an NFL Analyst, and will make his debut tonight on the Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight show at 10 PM EDT.

Thank you so much for everything that you've done in the NFL, everything that you've done off the field, and for affecting millions of lives all over the planet, Troy. Your generosity and poise will not be forgotten.

I'm Chris Radez, co-owner of TheScoreBoards.

NFL Power Rankings: Week Four

Chris Radez — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:03:29 -0400

No bull this week...let's get right to the rankings.

Rank (Last Week) Team (Record)

1. (2) Dallas Cowboys (3-0)

I know I've said in past rankings that the top spot belonged to the Giants until somebody physically took it from them. Well, Tony Romo and the Cowboys handled the Packers pretty well last week. After beating up such a strong team and seeing the G-Men almost lose to the Cincinnati Bengals...I'd say that just about qualifies a shift in power.

2. (1) New York Giants (3-0)

Almost losing to the Bengals moved them down, but the Giants still found a way to win that game, which is good enough to keep them in the vicinity of No. 1.

3. (5) Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

As long as Brian Westbrook can return to health, there's no reason why the Eagles should be afraid of Dallas or the Giants. How about that? Three teams from the same division are at the top of my rankings.

4. (3) Green Bay Packers (2-1)

They lost to the best team in the NFL. Can't fault them too much for that.

5. (9) Denver Broncos (3-0)

Don't look now, but the Broncos currently look like the best team in the AFC. That's just a little bit better than I had predicted for them before the season started.

6. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)

Similar to the Packers' situation. Can't fault them too much for losing to a great team.

7. (6) Buffalo Bills (3-0)

Almost lost to the Raiders. They've beaten three teams with a combined record of 3-6. This week won't be much of a test either.

8. (11) Tennessee Titans (3-0)

I still don't like giving this much credit to the Titans, but their defense has only offered up 29 points so far this season. If they keep winning, they will gain my respect sooner than later.

9. (12) San Diego Chargers (1-2)

Sandy Eggo sure does enjoy getting off to a slow start. They did the same thing last year. But they showed against the Jets on Monday Night that they can mean business any day of the week.

10. (7) Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

Still not ready to drop the Colts out of my top 10. With Manning under center, this team is top tier.

11. (14) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)

This makes three teams in a row with losing records and we're only at No. 11. I feel like I'm making a statement by doing that, which makes me feel important. Don't judge.

12. (22) Washington Redskins (2-1)

I was pretty hard on them after the way they played in Week One. Playing in the division they're in makes a spot in the playoffs look kinda grim, but that doesn't mean they're not good.

13. (8) New England Patriots (2-1)

What a depressing loss to the Dolphins. This will do one of two things for them. It will either make them comfortable with losing, or it will make them work harder. Knowing the Patriots...

You can probably complete that sentence for me.

14. (10) Carolina Panthers (2-1)

I'm sure Carolina was disappointed with themselves after their loss to the Vikings. But with Gus Frerotte playing quarterback, I'm not ready to put Minny over the Panthers in my rankings.

15. (16) Minnesota Vikings (1-2)

I know I just busted on Gus Frerotte less than 30 seconds ago, but he's a better option than Tavaris Jackson at this point. Purple Power is moving in the right direction.

16. (15) New Orleans Saints (1-2)

They showed some life against the Broncos last week, but they didn't show an ability to pull out a win. Game control is a problem.

17 (21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

If they can put up 27 points against a defense like Chicago's, I'm fairly certain they'll do pretty well in most of their games this year.

18. (17) Chicago Bears (1-2)

They are who we thought they were. (Sorry...it's been a while since somebody's said that.)

19. (13) New York Jets (1-2)

Brett Favre is assuming too much. He knows the playbook (contrary to popular belief), but he sees things in the defense that his receivers do not, and that is causing major problems for the Jets.

20. (24) Baltimore Ravens (2-0)

They've beaten two teams from Ohio. The Ravens will have to do more than that if they want to impress me.

21. (23) San Francisco 49ers (2-1)

Again...wins against Detroit and Seattle don't add up to a major boost in power rankings. I'm sure there are some that still think Seattle is a contender, but they're wrong.

22. (27) Atlanta Falcons (2-1)

They've beaten Kansas City and Detroit. As you can see, the quality of victories plays a big part in my rankings.

23. (20) Oakland Raiders (1-2)

Oakland looked pretty good in last week's game against the Bills, but if you can't hold it together for one more quarter when you're up by two scores, that's a problem. There are too many distractions on this team right now.

24. (19) Arizona Cardinals (2-1)

As I said in last week's rankings, Arizona's first two wins (Miami and SF) didn't have me convinced. Their loss to Tampa Bay kinda proved my point.

25. (30) Miami Dolphins (1-2)

Very impressive victory over the Patriots last weekend. If they keep using Ronnie Brown so frequently, they might have found a way to win some games.

26. (18) Cleveland Browns (0-3)

Somebody from Ohio has to win this week.

27. (28) Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)

Somebody from Ohio has to win this week.

28. (25) Houston Texans (0-2)

I didn't expect the Texans to be this bad this year. They're entering a must-win game against Jacksonville this week, and I can't say I like their chances.

29. (26) Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

Okay, so they blew out the Rams last week. Who hasn't?

30. (29) Detroit Lions (0-3)

For some reason I had actually picked Detroit to win last week. I won't make that mistake again.

31. (31) Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)

Still just as bad as they were last week, but at least they gave the ball to Larry Johnson more.

32. (32) St Louis Rams (0-3)

Also equally as bad as last week. You have to feel bad for the fans.

I'm Chris Radez, co-owner of TheScoreBoards.

Patriots' Loss to Dolphins Cements a Refreshing Season for Patriots' Fans

Chris Radez — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:39:41 -0400

One would think after the decade Patriots' fans have had that the loss of Tom Brady and the idea of having difficulty winning the division would cause turmoil in the hearts of fans.

It's only natural to think that way. Why wouldn't a person who's been a die-hard Pats' fan for years be a little unsettled at the way things are going?

There's no turmoil in this Patriots fan's heart and I'll tell you why I'm not feeling even the slightest bit unsettled.

When I look back at the 2000-01 season, when the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, the joy experienced when my underdog Patriots made an unexpected run through the playoffs continuing on to beat the "Greatest Show on Turf" for the championship was a feeling like no other.

It is impossible to recreate that feeling.

In the years that followed, especially last year, New England has been the team to beat. Victories lost some of their greatness and losses became more hurtful.

Being a Patriots' fan, in general, had become almost a chore... watching with one eye open every week, hoping we wouldn't be embarrassed by whatever team we were matched up with.

The rest of the week at the office was never fun after a loss. Not that it happened all that often, but still...

In any event, I would like to welcome all of my fellow Patriots' fans back to the land of uncertainty. A land where each and every Sunday is filled with hope and the most wonderful form of anxiety known to man.

Wins will be more fruitful, losses will be less impactful, and the overall ambiance of Sunday football will return to normalcy.

Enjoy the rest of the season.

I'm Chris Radez, co-owner of TheScoreBoards.