Bleacher Report - Articles by Erik Frenz

What Went Wrong for the New England Patriots Monday Night?

Erik Frenz — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:43:23 -0500

Ding-da-ding my cell phone goes off at 9:52 Tuesday morning. A charming reminder from my boss, a Chargers fan, of the night before.

"Old fashioned ass kicking! The death of a dynasty."

What a wonderful way to start the day.

Who saw that beatdown coming?

Nobody, really. That’s why they have all those “any given Sunday,” “that’s why they play the games,” “every team who plays the Saints this year gets trounced by Drew Brees ” clichés in football. Even fans in New Orleans thought this would at least be a close contest.

So what exactly did we see Monday night?

Realistically, everyone (myself included ) should have seen this coming. The Patriots have only performed really well when they’re playing lesser talent. They only have two wins this season against teams that currently hold winning records—the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens, both of whom are bordering on mediocrity.

What made anyone think that they could beat a team of excellence like the Saints?

The analogy has been used to compare the Patriots this decade to Mike Tyson and that might be fitting; early on, they stunned everyone with how methodically they won, and no one knew how to stop them.

Like Tyson after Buster Douglas fight (or for the Patriots Super Bowl XLII), the chinks in the armor became exposed. Now, they are a feast for anyone who has the firepower to expose those weaknesses.

The Patriots defense has performed well enough all season to get the job done, but the weaknesses had already been exposed prior to this game;a mediocre run defense coupled with inexperience and a lack of top-flight talent in the secondary.

The Saints had the tools to capitalize on both of these weaknesses and they did so in explosive fashion.

As much blame as the defense have been given, the offense didn’t perform up to its standards either.

Tom Brady failed to get into a rhythm as he was bombarded with blitzers all day. I anticipated a much better performance against a blitz-heavy defense after he picked apart the Jets last week.

Against the Saints though, he overthrew wide open receivers three straight times to set up a 4th down, where the Patriots had to settle for a field goal.

So what’s next for the Patriots?

If there’s a silver lining to be found, Bill Belichick says that the errors he saw exposed in the game against the Saints are “correctable” .

If there’s another light at the end of the tunnel, it’s Belichick’s December record with New England is an astonishing 32-6 in his nine-year tenure as head coach.

Those teams were much different than this one. He was working with much more talent on defense and in the running game in years past than he is now. Only time will tell if New England’s wily head coach can get the best out of his men going into the playoffs.

Another thought that might offer a glimmer of hope for New England fans, is to what extent was Monday night’s rout a show of excellence by New Orleans compared to a show of weakness by New England?

It’s clear that New Orleans is 11-0 for a reason. Although their opponents haven’t all been top-flight contenders, New Orleans has been getting everyone’s best game all season and performing with excellence.

We all know how Belichick usually fares the week after a loss, especially one as heartbreaking as this. This season's Patriots have proven to be a confusing bunch.

But with the way the Patriots played against the Saints, we could be in line for a December that leaves New England with more questions than answers. Their weaknesses have been exposed and their opponents now have video surveillance (no pun intended) of the chinks in the armor that were so heavily gashed in the Bayou.

The Patriots' remaining schedule features the prototype middle-of-the-road teams they've feasted on all season. With a schedule that leaves Miami, Carolina, Buffalo, Jacksonville, and Houston in wait, we could be in line for many snow angels at Gillette Stadium in the month of December.

The Patriots and their fans definitely hope that's the case.

Patriots-Saints: One Massive Breakdown To End Them All...

Erik Frenz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:40:50 -0500

Never have I seen a game with such little importance in the playoff picture be billed with such heavy hype.

It’s been billed by some as a potential Super Bowl preview, while others see it as a game with the makings for an offensive shootout. Others still think the defensive minds of Bill Belichick and Gregg Williams will dictate the outcome of the game.

Talk about a logjam of story lines, this one is chock-full of them. Ironically, the Saints will need to go through the only team to finish a season 16-0 if they want to accomplish the same feat.

So let’s break down every section of both teams to get a better idea of what may occur this Monday night, starting with the forgotten boys of this battle:

The Defenses

New England : 16.4 points per game (second ), 187.3 pass yards allowed per game (sixth ), 109.4 rush yards allowed per game (14th )

New Orleans : 20.4 points per game (13th ), 214.9 pass yards allowed per game (15th ), 115.7 rush yards allowed per game (20th )

New England’s defense allows the second-least points in the league, but New Orleans scores the most points in the league.

One would figure that the advantage would clearly lie with New Orleans in this one, and they might be right. The Patriots have only sacked the quarterback 18 times this season, and the Saints’ offensive line has been one of the best in football by only allowing 13 sacks on Drew Brees.

It will be up to New England ’s secondary to keep their receivers blanketed, but we all know how that battle usually works out, especially with a field general at quarterback. A cornerback can’t cover a receiver all day, and the Patriots haven’t generated a legitimate pass rush this season.

The Patriots’ secondary has proven to be no group of slouches, however, intercepting 13 passes this season. With the bevy of talent the Saints have backed up at receiver, I’d expect to see more of the same from Drew Brees—a spread attack that will test the depth of New England ’s secondary.

The Saints' defense, however, is a different story. They rank first in the league with 20 interceptions, and have generated 24 sacks on the quarterback. Though their overall performance hasn’t been as stellar as New England ’s (as noted above), they’ve had a penchant for big plays.

Big plays don’t always win big games, though.

New England ’s defense has been more fundamentally sound all season, and though they’ve still given their fans migraines on third down, they’ve certainly done better about stopping opponents from scoring.

Needless to say, both defenses will be tested in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Advantage: New England

The Offenses

New England : 29 points per game (third), 302.3 pass yards per game ( second), 113.8 rush yards per game (16th )

New Orleans : 36.9 points per game (first), 266.2 pass yards per game (sixth), 154.3 rush yards per game (fifth)

One might be surprised to know that New England has outgained New Orleans through the air by almost 400 yards. The Patriots have also thrown 84 more passes than the Saints.

As the old adage goes, there are as many paths to the top of the mountain as there are people climbing it. These two offenses have achieved very similar success in very different ways. While the Saints have enjoyed their success by spreading the ball around to their plethora of options at receiver and running back, the Patriots have heavily utilized their all-stars in putting up their breathtaking numbers.

Randy Moss and Wes Welker are both having monster seasons, even by their standards; Welker’s league-leading 79 receptions and Moss’ near-1,000 yards put both players on pace to record their best totals in those categories in each of their careers.

Marques Colston has made some sensational snags, and is putting up respectable numbers compared to his other seasons.

The surprise of New Orleans’ offense has been Devery Henderson, who has 521 receiving yards. The Saints have been highly successful spreading the ball around; they have four receivers with over 300 yards on the season, while New England only has three of those.

Moss and Welker account for over 57 percent of New England ’s total receiving yards. The closest any New Orleans tandem comes to that number in the Saints’ aerial attack is 44 percent, by Colston and Henderson.

With all the hype around New Orleans’ passing attack, one might also be surprised to learn that New Orleans’ rushing attack is ranked higher than their aerial assault, and has 40 more rushing yards per game than the Pats. The Saints have also run the ball 40 more times than the Patriots.

New Orleans has outgained New England by 305 yards on the ground , and averages 4.8 yards per rush; New England falls .3 shy of the league average, as they gain 4.0 yards per carry.

Both teams love to utilize receiving options out of the backfield; Reggie Bush has almost as many yards receiving as he has rushing, and Kevin Faulk (not surprisingly) has 60 more receiving yards than rushing yards.

The Saints feature the recently popular two-back system, with Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell both at over 500 yards rushing on the season.

The Patriots, due to injury, have relied less on their running game than in the past (which is saying a lot). Laurence Maroney is the teams leading rusher with 455 yards and six touchdown runs.

Due to more flexibility, and also the crowd noise in the Superdome , I have to give the advantage to the Saints. They’ve done more, albeit against less talent, than New England has, and have done it consistently through this season.

Advantage: New Orleans

The Coaching

Bill Belichick: 145-89, 15-4 in the playoffs

Sean Payton: 35-23, 1-1 in the playoffs

Although this isn’t a playoff game, I think it’s important to note the playoff records of these coaches. Bill Belichick has far more experience than Sean Payton when it comes to big games (though that didn’t seem to bother Colts’ first-year coach Jim Caldwell in Week 10). With this being a potential Super Bowl matchup, the pressure is on for both teams.

Payton is held in high regard as an offensive wizard. He uses smoke and mirrors, trickery, and a wide variety of tools to create an offense that works like magic.

Belichick, on the other hand, is revered as a (evil) genius. His defensive schemes have remained effective throughout his tenure as head coach, and his players often reflect his own mentality—wily individuals with a knack for making the smart play, reading and reacting.

If offensive mastermind Sean Payton can out-think Belichick’s defensive genius, it could be a long day for the Patriots’ defense.

Belichick is rarely outsmarted by an opposing coach, though. He is definitely more big-game-tested than his opponent. I’d say the pressure is on Payton to produce a game plan effective enough to defeat the Patriots.

Advantage: New England

The quarterbacks

Tom Brady: 66.4 completion percentage, 3,049 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 100.4 quarterback rating

Drew Brees: 68.1 completion percentage, 2,746 yards, 22 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 105.8 quarterback rating

Matchups between two of football’s elite quarterbacks don’t happen very often, especially in non-conference games. This game has promise to be a shootout, as mentioned before.

I can’t really say it much better than Gil Brandt already did , but maybe I can shed more light on this epic discussion.

Although these two quarterbacks are incredibly comparable this season, statistically speaking, their styles are almost black-and-white different.

Brees has had his success carving up defenses by utilizing his multiple threats at receiver. His athleticism and ability to spread the ball around have been key to New Orleans’ change of fortunes this season.

Brady has done what any quarterback would: make use of his most lethal weapons. His presence in the pocket has made up for his lack of athleticism, as he has an innate ability to feel the pressure and to evade it.

The defenses of both teams will have their hands full, trying to confuse two quarterbacks who have seen virtually everything. Brady has good days and bad days against blitz-heavy defenses like the Saints. The Patriots, on the other hand , are masters of disguising their coverages and blitzers , showing blitz to make a quarterback think he has no time in the pocket, or faking a three-man rush and bringing the heat.

Since these two quarterbacks are so evenly matched, in the end , I give the advantage to the quarterback who doesn’t have to deal with crowd noise. Brady has played well in the Superdome in the past, though, so don’t be surprised if both quarterbacks have a great game.

Advantage: New Orleans

Overview

The Saints know they will be getting the best New England has to offer; the Patriots have a huge chip on their shoulder and a big point to prove after the crushing loss to the Colts, the “other” biggest game of the year.

Plus, they have a chance to deliver a crushing loss to the currently-undefeated Saints, and do to them what the Giants waited until the Super Bowl to do to New England in 2007.

Bill Belichick loves to turn off the opposing team’s biggest playmaker . With that being Drew Brees, who is having an MVP season, it will be no small feat to simply shut him down.

To shut him down isn’t necessarily to shut down the entire New Orleans’ offense, though; as stated above, the Saints have been even more successful running the ball than passing. Shutting down Drew Brees forces the Saints to become one-dimensional, though, and the Patriots have been highly successful against the run.

I think time of possession could play a huge factor in this game; either quarterback will have a field day in the second half if the opposing defense is tuckered out from too much time on the field.

In the end , I believe this game will come down to the final possession. Call me a homer if you want, but I’m going with New England in this game.

Brady and Belichick have a ton of experience in big games, and the fact that they haven’t gotten it done in those big games this season is just more indication to me that they’ll get it done this time around. They’re due to have that big game where their execution is near-perfect and where they hang on for the full 60 minutes of football.

I can make one safe assumption: whichever team wins, they'll start with "New."

Will The Real New England Patriots Please Stand Up?

Erik Frenz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:12:59 -0500

My Daily WTF came to an abrupt but not so mourned end when I began to run out of things to scream at.

Last Sunday, I screamed “WTF” at my TV enough times to make up for more than a month without my daily series.

I need a heavy dose of zithromax just to kill the infection in my ear from hearing the same rehashed conversations over whether Belichick’s infamous decision to try to convert a 4th-and-2 on the Patriots 29 yard line while up by 6 points with 2:08 left in the game.

Talk about a dead horse topic, this one was simply D.O.A.

Should he have or shouldn’t he have, isn’t the question here. Belichick’s philosophy of always moving on to the next thing didn’t work quite as well last week, when he was constantly being reminded of his decision and asked about it.

I could have dealt with the discussions for one week. People play Monday morning quarterback every week, so I could have dealt with that. Even after Tuesday, I didn’t quite feel like I wanted to remove my ears in spite of the sound or to forcibly remove my eyeballs while watching ESPN.

I should have known this was coming. With ESPN’s limitless selections of topics in sports, they’ve decided to ride this one like a rocket to space. They’ve gone so heavily with that decision, in fact, that they’ve even brought in rocket scientists to mathematically determine whether Belichick made the right decision.

The discussion ran on so long, it became evident that analysts had forgotten about a huge game against the division rival New York Jets later on in the week, who were only two games behind New England with plenty of football left to play. They’d already lost to the Jets once this season, and I've never counted them out of the game at all.

Of course, we all know that wasn’t the case , as Mark Sanchez hardly even gave his team a chance with rookie mistakes abound.

The Patriots defense shut Sanchez down for most of the game, only allowing one touchdown pass against four interceptions and a lost fumble on a strip sack.

So it’s clear that this is a tale of two teams: the good Patriots, and the dominant Patriots.

The good Patriots compete with tough teams, in games that end up being nail biters most of the time.

This “good” team is the one we saw against the Ravens, the Broncos, and the Colts. They do just enough to win, which is sometimes good enough and sometimes not. The good Patriots won’t make it past the wild card round of the playoffs.

The “dominant” team is the one we’ve seen against the Buccaneers, Titans, and Jets. They need to play their dominant style football against more competitive teams.

At this point, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots finished 2-2 in November. Looking toward their upcoming game against the Saints, it’s tough to say where the Patriots defensive backs are at this point. They slouched in the second half two weeks ago, but dominated all 60 minutes against the Jets.

The Patriots will need to do what they’ve done every season under Bill Belichick—play their best football in December and January. The question is, can these Patriots answer the call and be dominant?

Turning The Tables: Patriots Defense Stifles Mark Sanchez

Erik Frenz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:26:56 -0500

The once loud-mouthed Rex Ryan has found himself in quite the quandary over the past few weeks. A week after losing a 24-22 heartbreaker (literally?) to the Jaguars in the final seconds, the New York Jets were pounded by the Patriots in a 31-14 shellacking last night at Gillette Stadium.

The game was reminiscent of the last contest between these two teams, in that one team’s defense dominated the stat lines. This time, the game belonged to New England’s defense.

Unlike last week, where defensive lapses galore left the Patriots perplexed as Peyton Manning and the Colts repeatedly marched up the field in the fourth quarter of their 35-34 head-scratcher of a heartbreaker, the Patriots’ defense generated three of its five turnovers in the final quarter of Sunday’s match-up.

The tone was set much earlier on, though, when Leigh Bodden intercepted a first-quarter pass from Mark Sanchez and took it all the way back for a touchdown. That was just the first of three Bodden picks, and four thrown by Sanchez.

Sanchez summed up not only his day, but much of his season, when he said after the game, “I have to play smart. I tried to do a little much against a great defense.”

Although the Patriots generated only two sacks, it seemed that pressure was a problem for Sanchez all night. He didn’t have nearly the time he wanted to have in the pocket. He repeatedly hung onto the ball for far too long, stared down receivers, and made too many rookie mistakes to count.

The New York Jets, with a defense once lauded for their physical play, have given up just over 28 points per game in their past three contests (Miami, Jacksonville, and @ New England). Once a team heralded for their youth and swagger, the Jets are now a team that is “desperate” according to middle linebacker Bart Scott.

The Patriots, however, have revealed their true identity more and more over these past few weeks. They are a team that can win the games they should win, and in convincing fashion. The competitive games against tough teams still seem to be an issue for them, though.

They’ll get another chance to prove their mettle against the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome, in what should be one of the most entertaining games of the regular season.

Bengals-Steelers: A Step Outside the Box

Erik Frenz — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:26:31 -0500

Not very often do I write coverage on games that don't involve the New England Patriots.

The implications of this game, I felt, were big enough to warrant a step outside the Northeastern box I've resided in for so long.

Well...Heinz Field is still in the Northeast. So maybe this isn't a step too far outside the box.

This game wasn't much of a step outside the box, either.

The Bengals have won a lot of low-scoring games this season, and they did so again today.

One step outside the box, though, was Pittsburgh's offense, which scored 27 or more points in its past five contests; they produced only four field goals today.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who has thrown a touchdown pass in every game this season, failed to do so today. The Steelers have become a passing team this season, but that seems to be what doomed them today.

Roethlisberger is one of the most "outside the box" quarterbacks, excelling when he is on the run. He is still sacked too often in key spots.

On three red-zone possessions, the Steelers failed to produce a touchdown. He was sacked two times on plays from inside the 10. One of those sacks was a drive-killer on 3rd-and-8.

Carson Palmer took a step outside the box by also failing to throw a touchdown pass, but his efficiency was on par with his season numbers; he completed exactly 60 percent of his passes.

Contrary to Roethlisberger's four sacks resulting in 28 yards lost, Palmer was only sacked twice for 21 yards.

After being swept by the Bengals for the first time since 1998, it may be time for Pittsburgh to return to its run-heavy days.

It's still unclear whether Roethlisberger can carry an offense on his arm alone, as he's always had top-notch run support until this season.

Mike Ditka said it best on NFL Sunday Countdown when he mentioned that the Bengals spent all off-season building their team to beat the Steelers.

They wanted to take a step outside the box with an aggressive, hard-nosed team that played physically on defense as opposed to the paper-tiger defensive units the Bengals have fielded as of late.

The Bengals pulled off the season sweep of the Steelers by beating them at their own game.

With the result of today's game, it's tough to say whether it would benefit the Steelers more to go back to thinking inside the box, figuratively and literally.

Would they be better off going back to pounding the ball down the defense's throat in the running game? Or should they think outside the box with the aerial assault and hope that things continue to develop?

All season long, the Bengals have succeeded by proving all their doubters wrong. It appears the Bengals have taken a step outside the box, no longer the victim of total domination at the hands of their black-and-gold rivals, and appear to be on their way to a huge step outside the box for Marvin Lewis...a winning record.

Only time will tell if this is a step outside the box, or merely a quick escape from it.

Patriots on a Roll: Aerial Assault Overwhelms Dolphins

Erik Frenz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:16:13 -0500

The Miami Dolphins have been a thorn in Bill Belichick’s side since he first arrived in New England. He is only 10-8 against the turquoise and orange Florida fish, and five of his 10 division losses since 2002 have come at the hands of Miami.

Miami’s Wildcat offense, which was averaging a piddly 1.7 yards per play over the past three games, finally found stride against New England on several big plays. On Miami’s three scoring drives, they seemed to move the ball at will. Pat White gashed the Patriots for a 33-yard gain on his first snap of the game. Following this, he led the offense with several plays out of the Wildcat, including a 15-yard pitch to Ricky Williams.

The Dolphins have the winning formula against teams that rely on their quarterback. They’ve been able to win the time of possession battle, and did so again today, albeit by a slim margin of four minutes.

They soaked up a ton of game clock on their third quarter opening drive, a whopping 10:09 to be exact. Running back Ronnie Brown tossed a touchdown to tight end Joey Haynos in the third quarter, and Dan Carpenter kicked the go-ahead PAT.

But the Patriots answered back just over 90 seconds later with a long catch-and-run by Randy Moss, who stiff armed and stumbled his way free from rookie cornerback Vontae Davis for the score.

Thus is the juxtaposition that has plagued the Dolphins all season: soaking up the clock on offense, but unable to make a stop on defense.

Their defense is stout against the run, ranking fifth overall in yards per game, but allows the seventh most points of any team and ranks in the bottom half for passing yards and total yards allowed per game.

Dan Dierdorf, for all of his witless statements, said it best when he mentioned that the Dolphins severely lack an explosive pass attack. Although Ted Ginn, Jr. and Davone Bess are two of the fastest receivers in the league, they drop a lot of catchable balls and run a lot of short routes.

To sum it up, Tom Brady had 13.3 average yards per completion, whereas Chad Henne had 11.5. And today was one of the Dolphins’ better days, statistically speaking, in the passing game. It may not be fair to compare Henne to Brady (though, interestingly, both played at Michigan), but even still, the Dolphins are ranked almost dead last in yards per passing attempt.

They rank fourth in rushing yards per game, and fourth worst in passing yards per game. They’re averaging under six yards per passing attempt and their opponents are averaging over eight. In today’s NFL, a non-existent passing game simply will not suffice, and can’t win ball games.

The Patriots, meanwhile, are finally hitting stride on offense. Although they “only” put up 27 points this week, which pales in comparison to the 59 against the Titans or 35 against the Buccaneers, the Dolphins always play the Patriots close, and they’ve also been much more competitive than either of those winless-at-the-time teams.

Brady threw one touchdown and one interception in today’s win, and completed over 67 percent of his passes. He’s been on a roll over the past few weeks, and though he didn’t provide one of his more spectacular performances, he reached 300 yards passing for the fourth time this season. While it’s hardly on pace with his 2007 MVP campaign, one can hardly be disappointed with his performance following reconstructive knee surgery.

How I, or anyone else, expected him to immediately begin turning in numbers reminiscent of that season is a wonder. Perhaps it was an empty hope? Regardless, New England is back in winning form after starting 3-2 and being dubbed "past their window of success."

For a difficult month of November, where they face two undefeated teams, two of the best offenses in the league and the No. 2-ranked defense, a win is an excellent start. With their offense finally finding stride, the Patriots are primed to maintain momentum in November.

New England Patriots Restoring Confidence, One Game At A Time

Erik Frenz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:16:56 -0400

After a stretch in their first three games where they couldn’t seem to pull away from their opponents, the New England Patriots have returned to their 2007 ways, putting up points in bunches on everyone in their path.

The New England Patriots rocked the Tennessee Titans 59-0 in one of the biggest blowouts in NFL history, in the snowy mess of New England’s home Gillette Stadium.

Then, New England proved they can dominate in olde England, too. They laid the smack down on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the tune of 35-7 at Wembley Stadium.

We have seen the full spectrum of what to expect from the Patriots this season already, and we're only in Week Seven; close games, blowouts, high-scoring shoot-outs, and low-scoring defensive struggles.

We’ve seen this not only in how they win or lose, but also in terms of the team’s play. The offensive line looked deteriorated and old in the early portion of the season, but they have done remarkably well keeping Brady upright and free from pressure over the past few weeks.

The running game has only showed flashes of brilliance over the season, but hasn’t been given much of a chance to shine behind the gun-slinging offensive gameplan the Pats have employed.

From Tom Brady in his rusty first few weeks to the 2007 record-setting pace he’s been on over the past two games, the Patriots have seemed to follow the lead of their king, the most crucial piece to the puzzle.

When the Patriots were handed their Week Two loss by the Jets, it seemed that this team could be in disarray and in need of an overhaul. This was thought to be especially true in the trenches, where they could neither protect Brady from pressure nor create any pressure on defense.

These past two weeks, their offense has been firing on all cylinders and is finally getting the ball rolling. They’ve been deploying multiple formations to frustrate their opponents (as if lining up across from Tom Brady isn’t frustrating enough).

From empty backfields to two tight ends and everything in between, the Patriots have seemingly been playing offense on a whim...and it’s working.

We must bear in mind, though, that the Patriots’ season has already been somewhat of an anomaly.

Not only did they face undefeated teams in their first five games, but they then had the pleasure of facing winless teams in their last two.

The two games against the Titans and the Bucs have helped get the Patriots moving in the right direction headed into their bye week, and they’re finally on a roll on offense.

414 yards of offense this week. 619 yards of offense last week.

Granted, they’ve faced two winless teams over the past two weeks, but 94 points in two games while only giving up seven is an accomplishment no matter who you’re facing.

And speaking of the seven points allowed, how about the defense? Five interceptions and four forced fumbles in the past two games is pretty remarkable, especially when only giving up two interceptions to the opposition.

Their defensive line may not be producing the sack totals that are synonymous with the stoutest units in the league, but they are finally pressuring the passer into poor, early decisions.

One admirable trait of the defense is the ability of the youth to step in and produce. Jerod Mayo has proven this year and last that he is a force on the defense and can be a leader just like his predecessor, Tedy Bruschi.

Brandon Meriweather is developing into one of the more notable safeties in the league. It’s not unrealistic to think that he will soon be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Bob Sanders, guys who lead with their nonstop motor.

The team was in need of a boost in confidence after a mediocre start to the season, and that's exactly what they got (with the help of some inept franchises).

With four difficult games coming up (MIA, @IND, NYJ, @NO), they will need to be spectacular on both sides of the ball to come up with wins.

If these two weeks prior to the bye were a warm-up for the Patriots, then the four weeks afterward can be a harsh realization for the rest of the league that the Pats are as good as advertised.

The Daily WTF: Richard Seymour Said What?

Erik Frenz — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:56:18 -0400

In one of the many blockbuster moves this offseason, and just days before the regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots traded their star defensive end Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.

The move was highly criticized by fans on both ends of the deal.

Fans in New England felt they were getting rid of an excellent player who had been a key component to the organization for almost a decade.

Fans in Oakland didn’t want to see their future mortgaged on the faith of a defensive lineman whom many have speculated is in the twilight of his career.

As it turns out, Seymour has played extremely well, even though his defense hasn’t. He’s registered 23 tackles and four sacks in only six games, with a pass defended and a forced fumble.

Despite his efforts, the Raiders’ defense ranks in the bottom half in every statistical category, including 16th against the pass and a miserable 28th against the run.

So it came as a shock when ESPN reported Thursday morning that Seymour predicted a playoff appearance for his currently 2-4 Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders look up at the 6-0 Denver Broncos and the 2-3 San Diego Chargers in their division, along with a host of other teams throughout the AFC that appear primed to make a run at the two Wild Card spots.

Despite the controversy, Tom Cable fully supports his players talking with that kind of confidence. He knows it’s good to have that type of confidence in the team, saying, “You’re not going to get anywhere until you start to believe in where you’re going.”

Cable went on to say, “It’s good to stick your neck out a little bit, but know with that comes the responsibility of backing it up.”

"The Daily WTF" Goes To…

ESPN for making something out of nothing. As it’s their job, they will always report anything a player says, and as they must run sports programming 24-7, they will talk about it endlessly regardless of its actual relevance.

Seymour is just trying to get his team to play with some confidence. They need it after being called out so many times over the past few months for a lack of heart. Antonio Pierce even said playing against them was like playing a scrimmage game.

It seems out of the ordinary for Seymour, because it’s something he never had to do in New England—the team already played with so much confidence. When a team has that, good things follow.

This isn’t the type of prediction that teams are going to put up as “bulletin board material” either, because it doesn’t call out any specific team or player.

Sure, it may mean the team has to perform exceptionally well this Sunday. In the end, though, the only person this prediction affects is Seymour because ultimately, he’ll be the one who either looks like a zero or a hero.

He’s playing the best of any player on the defense, so excuse him if he has a little confidence. This is what Seymour was brought in to do—bring veteran leadership to a defense that severely lacked in that category.

After playing under Bill Belichick for eight years, Seymour knows a thing or two about making that type of prediction: at the end of the day, it means nothing. It only matters what you do on the field.

He’s hoping that his prediction will mean nothing in a good way.

Sources:

Contra Costa Times

The Daily WTF: Umps Miss Several Calls in ALCS Game 4

Erik Frenz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:41:56 -0400

Before I begin, I’ll set my own record straight: this is not a diatribe to follow the lines of Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals in 2002.

I’m not going to sit here and point fingers about conspiracy theories, all the while playing mysterious music in the background .

I do not think that there was any sort of “fix” on Game 4 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and formerly-California-then-Anaheim-now-Los Angeles Angels. I do not think the refs, namely Tim McClelland, intentionally missed or blew any of the calls that may or may not have aided the Yankees in their 10-1 rout of the Angels on Tuesday night (it also helps that one of the controversial calls went against the Yankees).

I do, however, think the MLB needs to look at this situation and address it very carefully.

I sat in my living room watching ESPN the morning after this game, dumbfounded at the number of times I was seeing these missed calls, and how blatantly obvious they were when seen on my TV screen.

First, second base umpire Dale Scott ruled Nick Swisher safe on a pick-off at second base where he was clearly out by several inches.

McClelland rectified the bad call moments later. On a fly ball to left field, Torii Hunter made the catch and threw home. The throw was wild, but Hunter contested that Nick Swisher left the bag before he had caught the ball. McClelland agreed, and ruled Swisher out.

Finally, on the most embarrassing missed call of the game, with both Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada near third base, Mike Napoli came to third for the tag on Posada. When he saw that both men were off base, he promptly tagged both out for the apparent double play...which only resulted in one out.

Why? McClelland only saw Posada off base, and assumed that Cano was on at the time of the tag.

Judging by their reactions, over 45,000 fans at Angel Stadium knew the calls were bad just moments after they were made.

45,000 people. And we put the faith and integrity of the game in one person’s hands.

Of course, there will be missed or blown calls when the ump(s) only get to see the play once, but to the extent which we witnessed in Game 4 is simply absurd on a professional level in any sport.

Even if the calls hadn’t changed the game, can we allow someone who makes a living off making the correct calls to miss so many in a championship series game?

Who’s more at fault here: the umpire for missing the calls in the first place, or the league for not implementing a system which would allow the ump to review those calls?

My answer to this question leads me to my Daily WTF.

The Daily WTF goes to...

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. With advancements in modern technology, having no instant replay seems almost primitive.

After this debacle, I’m sure it’ll be pretty high on Selig’s to-do list.

As stated earlier, it’s not feasible to expect one person to be able to see so many things simultaneously. With advancements in technology, including slow-motion, freeze-framing, high-definition screens, and multiple camera angles, there’s no practical reason to refrain from re-addressing the instant replay rules.

The NFL has been using a limited instant replay system since 1986, and adopted the ability of coaches to challenge calls on the field in 1999. Major League Baseball has been around over a century, and just a couple of years ago adopted a system to review certain calls.

Even the NHL reviews potential game-changing calls and goals that could fall into question.

The events of Game 4 are perfect proof that an instant replay system must be integrated into MLB’s rules somehow.

Officials must be held accountable for their calls, but it will be much easier to correct those calls if Selig simply opens up to change and forward thinking in his league.

WTF, Bud Selig?

Sources:

NFL.com
ESPN.com

The Daily WTF: Michael Crabtree Holdout Ends

Erik Frenz — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:51:25 -0400

Michael Crabtree was a diva before he ever set foot on an NFL playing field.

The story begins on Apr. 21, 2009. The Oakland Raiders are selecting seventh overall in the first round. Desperately in need of a wide receiver, everyone and their brother who had a big board assumed that Crabtree was the consensus pick at that spot.

Instead, Al Davis went with yet another 40-yard wonder by the name of Darrius Heyward-Bey in lieu of Crabtree failing to clock a time on the heralded dash. Crabtree was picked three spots later by the San Francisco 49ers, and so began a saga of drama.

Feeling he was more talented than the receiver taken before him, Crabtree felt he should be paid like the pick he should have been. The 49ers saw things differently; they felt that he very well may have been a top-five talent, but they had the privilege of selecting him later than that, and therefore wanted to pay him like the pick he actually was.

Crabtree, having never done anything on an NFL field, already felt he had the right to get paid more than someone who was taken before him. With that kind of elitist attitude, it’s easy to wonder which of the 32 teams would actually take a chance on him had he actually gone through with his re-entry into the 2010 NFL Draft?

My question is: how long will he last under Mike Singletary? The NFL legend coaches with the same hard-working, selfless mindset that helped him find a place in Canton, OH.

In any case, it doesn’t seem as though Crabtree fits that mold. Hopefully for everyone in the 49ers' organization, his concern with off-field matters, including money and his image, won’t get in the way of him becoming the gritty, grind-it-out contender Singletary has asked his players to be.

The Daily WTF goes to…

Eugene Parker, for allowing this to go on as long as it did.

At any time in the process, Parker could have stepped in and, for the betterment of his client’s career, told him to sign the contract and get on the field to start earning more money for a possible re-negotiation down the road.

What a novel concept: a rookie actually earning the money that is being given to them? None other than Clinton Portis would know of that, who was drafted in the second round and used himself as a battering ram into a bigger contract.

Crabtree was essentially Parker’s pawn for testing forbidden waters. Parker was trying to violate an unwritten rule on the draft order and how it determines contracts.

Had Parker been able to pull this off, he would have been a king

Instead, he’s just a nail, and MC Hammer is…well, the hammer that struck the deal.

We don’t really know who was pulling the strings in terms of why this deal took so long to get made. Was Parker out to make a name for himself as one of the greatest agents ever? Or was Crabtree really that conceited about his own value?

That’s why it’s hard to dole out only one WTF today. Either Crabtree or Parker could have ended the holdout at any point by simply thinking about the long-term effect this could have on Crabtree’s career (as first-round holdouts have historically struggled).

The holdout didn’t have a single positive outcome for Crabtree. After missing all of training camp as well as the first four weeks of the season, it will take a lot of hard work to get Crabtree up to speed.

Furthermore, he ended up signing a contract that probably looks almost identical to the one that was presented to him after the draft. Now, all he has to show for it is a lot of rust.

I’m sure Crabtree hopes to land in Canton, just like his coach, at some point. Letting his play do the talking instead of his agent will help in that matter.

WTF, Parker and Crabtree?

The Daily WTF: Edwards Explodes on Givens; LeBron Responds

Erik Frenz — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:28:16 -0400

Braylon Edwards spent a lot of last season dropping passes.

Looks like he’s found something new to drop: people.

Edwards was out late on Sunday night, after his team had just fallen to 0-4. Early Monday morning, he got into a skirmish with Edward Givens, a promoter in the Cleveland area.

Givens is a good friend of LeBron James, and the King was quick to counter with a jab of his own. He caught the attention of nearly every media outlet in the nation when he called Edwards' violent actions “childish. My friend is 130 pounds.”

We need to look no further than the ever-reliable source of quotes and concrete information, Twitter, for a rebuttal from Edwards, where he says “I have no issue with LeBron. I respect and admire him.”

The league is looking into the matter and will hand down a decision on the matter when all the dust has settled.

The Daily WTF goes to…

Braylon Edwards. No surprise here.

Regardless of whether or not this story turns out to be 100 percent true, Edwards has been involved in many other off-field incidents in the past. Having paid a $150 fine and 30 hours of community service for driving 120 mph, it’s clear that Edwards doesn’t make the brightest decisions.

Throwing a punch is no different.

That’s where the line is crossed between acceptable and unacceptable. Ask anyone from Tom Cable to LeGarrette Blount about how one punch can give you as much bad publicity as, or even more than, Britney Spears.

He was even picking a fight with teammate Pat Sims during the game. Luckily for him, he must have learned from Steve Smith’s mistake that cost him a suspension a year ago.

To top it all off, Braylon Edwards is a 6’3”, 215 pound professional athlete, throwing a punch at a 5’7”, 130 pound poindexter. LeBron said it best when he pointed out that it’d be like “punching one of my kids.”

As for Edwards' Tweet in response to LeBron, it’s too easy to say anything on Twitter, let alone to try and clear the air on “beef” between you and another Cleveland superstar.

WTF, Braylon?

Sources:

Examiner.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com (2)

The Daily WTF: Ravens Rip Refs

Erik Frenz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:17:40 -0400

Shortly after the New England Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-21 in Foxboro on Sunday, the game was already caked with controversy.

John Harbaugh and some of the Ravens defensive players began taking shots at the referees for a couple of poor roughing the passer calls, which saved New England drives.

The first call came when Haloti Ngata was right in the face of Tom Brady. He released the ball, and a split second later, Ngata’s hands made contact with Brady’s helmet. The yellow flag was quickly followed by raised hands in disgust along Baltimore’s bench.

John Harbaugh even drew a second penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, barking in the ref’s ear like an angered pitbull.

Later on, Terrell Suggs was trying to avoid hitting Brady, and in so doing dove to the ground toward Brady’s legs. After his shoulder pad grazed Brady’s right knee, the All-Pro quarterback pointed to his knee and asked the ref for a flag. The ref obliged and the 15-yard personal foul was called.

Ray Lewis is quoted as saying, “It is embarrassing to the game...Brady is good enough to make his own plays, let him make the play.”

After Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs’ roughing the passer call, former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney Harrison “called out” his former teammate, saying with a grin that he should “take off the skirt and put on some slacks.”

The jabs at the refs went beyond the questionable calls, though.

In reference to a Willis McGahee run on fourth-and-one that was measured short of the first down marker, Ed Reed went as far as to say, “the spots were terrible.”

The Daily WTF goes to...

I can’t hand out just one of these today. There’s just too much “WTF” for one person.

Roger Goodell gets some of the heat here. Troy Polamalu is exactly right in his assessment from a year ago that the NFL is “becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch,” even going so far as to say that the NFL is becoming like a “pansy game” and that the fines are more about money than player safety.

Ironically, he was fined for those remarks.

Let the guys play. It's hard enough to reach the quarterback, having to constantly wonder whether you have to stop or if you have enough time to reach him without getting flagged makes players hesitant in their pass rush.

While I do agree with these and more comments about how the NFL is becoming soft, rules are rules for a reason. Tom Brady went down in week one last season because someone hit him low.

Obviously, he’s going to be looking for people doing it again. No one can really blame him for that.

The Ravens, however, took the weak way out. Instead of mentioning Mark Clayton’s drop on a fourth-quarter, fourth-down pass which hit him right between the “8” and “9”, they went right to digging into the refs for a couple of bad calls.

Would those bad calls have won or lost the game? No; even Ray Lewis admitted that. Perhaps converting on fourth-and-one earlier on would have helped win the game? Or maybe Mark Clayton making that catch?

The referees get the final WTF. They can’t seem to get it right with these calls. ESPN pointed out a missed call earlier in the same game, where Patriots defensive end Ty Warren took two large steps into a fierce tackle after Joe Flacco had already released the ball.

Brian Cushing laid a vicious blow to JaMarcus Russell’s head, clearly after the throw, which also went unflagged.

On WEEI radio this morning, Tom Brady remarked that those calls go both ways. He mentioned a couple of similar calls earlier on in the season that went against them (probably in reference to the Buffalo game).

There seems to be no measure of consistency with these rules, as with many others. Pass interference calls are too often missed and/or unclear. Some days, players can get away with a lot more than they can other days.

As evidenced this weekend, that can be said for plays, not just days.

WTF, guys?

Sources:

Patriots.com
ESPN.com
WEEI.com

The Daily WTF: Ted's Dead Head

Erik Frenz — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:01:02 -0400

Needless to say, the above picture is not the cryonically frozen Ted Williams, who has made national headlines for years, always in controversial fashion.

The version of Ted Williams of which I speak would confuse the holy heck out of Jessica Simpson, who would once again begin to question what she's been eating all these years out of those Chicken of the Sea cans.

Regardless of what's been in those cans, the thought of what Alcor employees did to Ted Williams' head is enough to give you indigestion.

According to his book Frozen: My Journey Into the World of Cryonics, Deception and Death, former Alcor employee Larry Johnson claims he watched an Alcor official swing a monkey wrench at the frozen head of Williams twice, in an attempt to knock off a can of tuna; Johnson states that cans of tuna are often used as pedestals for the severed heads.

The first swing took new meaning to the phrase knock your face off. The Alcor official hit the skull dead center, as "(t)iny pieces of frozen head sprayed around the room." The second swing hit the can and dislodged it.

Johnson cites a crack in Williams' skull as further evidence of the abuse and mishandling of Teddy Baseball's preserved likeness.

Alcor officials claim that the severing of the head is commonplace in terms of the preservation process, and that cracking is a normal after-effect of the process (not necessarily a sign of mishandling, or monkey wrench use for that matter).

Although Johnson wasn't present, his in-depth research helps him describe Ted Williams' day of cryonic freezing in such a manner that it resembles the horrific events of Abu Ghraib, where US soldiers posed with the helpless bodies of their POWs. Several people posed for pictures with Williams' body, both before and after the audacious act was accomplished.

The Daily WTF goes to...

John Henry Williams.

It was a close call between John and those at Alcor, but think about it: none of this would have happened if Ted's own children had simply obeyed his will. The motor oil-stained "legal document" bearing Ted's signature is about as rock solid in legality as a glove not fitting OJ's hand.

Even if he really signed the paper, there's no telling if he even knew what he was agreeing to, considering how unofficial, informal, and illegible the scrawled piece of parchment is; his children claim it was signed "during a tender moment" just before a surgical procedure (at which point, Williams may or may not have been looped out on meds).

Bobby-Jo Williams fought tooth and nail to have his father's will honored, but could no longer afford the legal battle.

Unfortunately, John Henry Williams died of leukemia shortly after his father's death, or else we may be able to learn the truth about this horrific chain of events.

It's so sickening that I felt compelled to write a poem about it:

Listen to my Will

Your cryonic face is
an empty (cracked) shell of the
symbol of an American hero.

You fought for your country
and your teammates.
What a disgrace for it to end this way.

This wasn't what you wanted.
You would have chosen a fiery grave
followed by a dip in the ocean
over this ice cold encasement.

That paper, stained in motor oil,
scrawled with the penmanship of a first-grader,
has turned a funeral into a circus.

Pictures of you in uniform,
US Air Force and Boston Red Sox,
are tarnished by your ice body,
frozen against your figurative and literal will.

While it may eventually come out that the accusations against Alcor made by Johnson in his book are false, John Henry Williams will always fall under public scrutiny for what his decision has done to the legacy of Teddy Baseball.

WTF, John Henry Williams?

Sources

Associated Press
The Smoking Gun
MSNBC

The Daily WTF: Jeff Garcia Rips Oakland Raiders

Erik Frenz — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:50:45 -0400

Quarterback Jeff Garcia put the Raiders on blast, aiming his cannon straight for the organization that elected to release him and start JaMarcus Russell.

He started by saying it's unfortunate that "the entire work ethic and the entire goal of the team is really put upon one guy's shoulders."

He continued by adding that Russell may be more of a workout warrior than a battlefield leader, saying, "When you put him on the field in a one-on-one workout session, he'll make every throw for you."

When it comes to his leadership?

"That's where maybe things aren't where they need to be."

Garcia could be perceived as bitter, but he's been nothing short of a class act all the way throughout his career.

It's likely that he's incredibly torn up about not being the starting quarterback for the championship caliber Oakland Raiders </sarcasm>.

The Daily WTF goes to...

The Oakland Raiders, who haven't known what they're doing ever since they fired Jon Gruden.

Although he's in the right, Garcia still gets a slap on the wrist for the way he talked about the Raiders' roster, saying, "It was to a point where I felt like guys who walked through those doors that just were there to collect a check and not really interested in putting everything that they had within themselves on to the football field."

What did the players on the team do to deserve those remarks?

Garcia has been a class act in the past, but I'm not sure what he was thinking by saying this. Maybe he's right, but calling them out unprovoked is uncalled for.

He had every right to put the organization on blast. It could be argued that he had the right to call out JaMarcus Russell's ineptitude as a quarterback after they chose him to be their starter while releasing a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

After all, Russell's work ethic has often been questioned, and it's fair to say that he can't carry the team like a franchise quarterback should be able to.

Yes, JaMarcus Russell showed promise toward the end of last season, but he is still a young quarterback with a lot to learn. Garcia is exactly right in the indictment of the organization, for putting Russell on the spot at such a young age when it's clear he's not ready for it.

Garcia isn't the only Raiders quarterback taking shots at 2007's first overall draft pick, either; Rich Gannon said on his Sirius radio show that Russell doesn't have the right mechanics in footwork, but also that he can't read the NFL's complex coverages.

Quarterbacks taken with the first overall selection have proven inefficient in reading coverages in the past, and Russell appears to be no different.

Although he had a strong showing at the end of the 2008 season, he did it against the Buccaneers (who went 0-4 in December) and the Texans (who had the 22nd ranked pass defense in 2008).

The Raiders had no idea what they were thinking releasing Garcia. It can obviously create a divide when there's a quarterback competition, but he could have (and would have been open to) mentoring a young quarterback.

Could this have been the season for the Raiders to make a run at the Super Bowl? No.

Even with Garcia under center, they wouldn't have made a run at the playoffs, but it's quite obvious they have a better chance of winning games with Garcia over Russell. Winning breeds winning, especially in the NFL, where confidence, knowledge, and work ethic are so key. Garcia possesses all of those qualities, along with a heap of leadership.

"Maybe it's because how things have been for a number of years now out there and they just don't see the hope," he said.

WTF, Raiders?

Sources:

The Clarion Ledger
ESPN.com

New England Patriots: FIve Reasons They Are Underperforming

Erik Frenz — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:07:17 -0400

The New England Patriots have gotten off to a rough start, barely eeking out a win against Buffalo in Week One and then scoring only nine points and failing to take advantage of a rookie quarterback in a loss at the Jets.

Here are five reasons for the rough start.

1. The offensive line (namely, the offensive tackles)

At the hands of two of their division rivals, the Patriots' offensive line has been manhandled for two straight games. Speed edge rushers give offensive tackles Matt Light and Nick Kaczur fits.

You'd think they would have learned their lesson in the Super Bowl?

What about last season, when Matt Cassel was sacked a ridiculous 42 times?

The Patriots have continually failed to pick up offensive linemen in the draft in any round that matters, and they feature the same group of starters that got beaten like a red-headed stepchild in Super Bowl XLII and all of last season.

I honestly thought the free agent/trade moves that brought in tight ends Chris Baker and Alex Smith would help the blocking schemes.

When the Patriots chose to get rid of Alex Smith, who is a great hybrid tight end, and to keep Benjamin Watson, who has been more of a receiving tight end in the past, I began to scratch my head in wonder, but continually trusted Bill Belichick to make the right call.

Needless to say, the offensive line will have to step things up and protect Brady with a greater sense of urgency if they're going to get the ball moving through the air once again.

John Abraham is another speedy and agile edge rusher, though, and could give Matt Light fits all afternoon. It will be up to him to help keep Tom Brady off his back.

2. A complete lack of commitment to the running game

The problem on Sunday versus the Jets wasn’t a lack of production from the running backs; it was a lack of trusting them. Brady threw 47 times despite never finding a rhythm. He has thrown 100 passes in two games, versus 43 rushing plays called in that span.

Come on, really? Robert Kraft inked a check in Fred Taylor’s name for $2.3 million, and he’s only carried the ball 17 times? Laurence Maroney only 16? As a team, the Patriots are only averaging 3.6 yards a carry, but Fred Taylor is averaging 4.2.

The Patriots have gone back to their 2007 formula: pass heavily to set up the spread formation runs. The only problem is that opposing defenses have caught on and blitz on every down. If the defensive linemen don't get to the quarterback, the linebackers are usually in position to clog up the holes in the running game.

One would think that draw plays would be the solution here, but the Patriots have tried everything from shotgun hand-offs to putting tight ends in the backfield as blockers.

They simply need to call more effective run plays.

Take a second look at the offensive line; the linemen who have been the best at their jobs this season are Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal. They continually hold their own against defensive tackles. The Patriots need to run the ball up the gut more often.

At the beginning of the season, I would have never imagined myself saying this, but it seems that every time they hand off to Maroney and he runs up the middle, he gains solid yards. Even though his average is a paltry 3.4, I see a lot of his usual tap dancing on outside runs, which could be detrimental to his average.

Belichick needs to take a second look at his running game and figure out the best way to get the ground game off the... ground.

3. The defense isn't getting a pass rush

We can thank the late-preseason departure of Richard Seymour for this one, folks.

Yes, the trade that I was calling a good look into the future seems to have completely overlooked the present. Regardless of the value of that 2011 first-round draft pick from the Raiders, it pays no return right now.

Seymour's ability to soak up blockers on the right side allowed outside linebackers more freedom to reach the quarterback.

The effect of Seymour is felt all the way through the defense. Without those holes being clogged, opposing offenses seem to abuse the once-unstoppable defensive line in the running game.

Without the push from the right, allowing linebackers to break the pocket, quarterbacks have forever to throw. Mark Sanchez was hardly even touched on Sunday, and was only sacked on a play where he surrendered.

The Patriots defense was fortunate to face a very young offensive line in Week One, when the Bills started three linemen who had never started a game.

The sad thing is the next four games (vs. Falcons, vs. Ravens, at Broncos, vs. Titans) are against highly-regarded offensive lines, especially Denver and Tennessee. All of the above could potentially feature more than one All-Pro.

All this means is that Belichick will have to find ways to utilize his personnel in the most effective way to pressure the quarterback.

4. The offense's lack of familiarity/chemistry/communication

This sounds so general, but let me explain:

Under a new offensive coordinator, after a full year off, Tom Brady has a lot of new targets (Joey Galloway, Chris Baker, Fred Taylor, Julian Edelman) with whom he has yet to build any level of comfort or rapport.

Not to mention, Wes Welker was out of action on Sunday (an absence which is much more important than anyone is letting on).

There are obviously going to be changes (in terms of personnel) over the course of any offseason, but Brady is dealing with a bit more here. Even when Peyton Manning had his injury and surgery last season, he still had pretty much the same cast of characters in terms of his weapons with very few minor changes, and he still had offensive masterminds Tom Moore and Howard Mudd there with him every step of the way.

Granted, Brady still has Belichick, but in terms of the offense specifically, it appears the Patriots miss the wizardry of Josh McDaniels.

Give them a few games to gel and to get used to one another, and they'll be fine. The scary thing is, with how the Jets are performing recently, by the time the Patriots get the ball moving, it may be too little, too late.

5. Tom Brady still isn't 100 percent comfortable

Tom Brady has yet to get back in a groove and still doesn't show the level of comfort in his knee that any of us would like to see. Wouldn't you be a little worried about stepping into throws after getting a busted ACL and MCL for that exact reason?

He still doesn't show the willingness to step into his throws and unload a rope. In the face of a heavy pass rush, he is still timid.

It will be a couple of weeks before the situation is fully remedied, but against a paper tiger Atlanta Falcons defense, I can see Brady having a bit more time in the pocket and becoming more comfortable. Although the Falcons' defense ranks fifth in points allowed this season so far, they rank in the bottom half of the league in nearly every other statistical category.

As mentioned earlier, John Abraham could be chasing Brady all over the field, but it will take more than just his pressure to phase Brady. The Falcons will have to continually overload with the blitz, and Chris Houston simply isn't a good enough cornerback to be left on an island against Randy Moss. If that's the matchup, you can expect Brady to find his favorite target for more than a few hook-ups.

In conclusion...

There's a lot that needs to be done before the Patriots will get back to their dominant ways of old. I could really use an escape tactic and boil it down to simply players stepping up and Belichick working his magic, but it will take more than that.

The offense needs to gel.

They need to regroup and find their identity, both offensively and defensively.

They need to prove why they are the dominant team of the decade by winning the battles in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

They need time to do this, but unfortunately, time is of the essence when there are only 16 games in the season, and where every game counts as much as the one before it and after it.

Tom Brady Eats Clutch Cakes for Breakfast: Pats Sneak by Bills, 25-24

Erik Frenz — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:51:17 -0400

With the Patriots down 24-13 in the fourth quarter, a stat line flashed on the bottom of the screen of ESPN’s Monday Night Football. It reminded viewers that in November/December 2007, Tom Brady led four fourth quarter comebacks.

If Brady keeps up this type of magic, I may be making a lot of revisions to his top five clutch moments of all time.

The offense looked out-of- sync for most of the game leading up to the final quarter of play. Brady was hurried by the Bills’ speed rushers, who continually blew by Matt Light (aka “Todd” Light, as he was continually called by Ron Jaworski...) and forced a lot of pressure on the Patriots star quarterback.

On their first scoring drive of the fourth quarter, Brady continually picked up first downs by dumping off to Kevin Faulk, throwing good intermediate passes to Benjamin Watson, and by utilizing Wes Welker in the slot.

The drive was vintage Brady. Every play was a pass. Brady was 8-for-11 for 81 yards on the drive, and 11-for-14 for 112 yards and both of his touchdowns in the 4th quarter.

The score stood at 24-19 after a failed two-point conversion, which is still much more comfortable than 24-13.

Brady had the help of a huge turnover on special teams, but his first drive alone still gave them a chance to hold the Bills on defense and get the ball back on a punt.

What surprised me was the astonishing ability Brady had to find Moss on all sorts of routes. In routes, flat routes, button hooks, et al. were utilized in the Patriots offense.

With Brady back under center, this offense appears to be back to its 2007 formula. Brady was a whopping 39-for-53 for 378 yards on the night. Although the Patriots held the ball for a full 14 minutes longer than the Bills, that’s still a rather gaudy number for pass attempts in one game.

What about the Pats' defense?

They looked lost at times, and confused at others. They had a very difficult time reaching Trent Edwards all night, despite the Bills starting three brand new offensive linemen, marking only the second time in NFL history that a non-expansion team has done this (the first being the 1981 Redskins).

Edwards wasn’t picked off once, looked comfortable in the pocket, and was even allowed to scramble out two times for big yards. Despite having traded in a lot of their old players for new, fresh young athletes, it seems that the Patriots remain a bend-don’t-break defense that simply doesn’t have big play-ability. They can get the stops at times, yet they totally cave at other crucial moments.

The corners did an excellent job blanketing receivers in spite of the lack of rush, holding Lee Evans and Terrell Owens to a combined five catches for 71 yards; that’s good production for a No. 1 option, but for two receivers billed as top-flight options, that’s quite disappointing.

There’s no lack of intensity out of the players; Gary Guyton lit up Fred Jackson on a screen pass, jarring the ball loose in the process to force the incompletion. Brandon Meriweather continually lit up anyone who crossed the middle of the field. The Patriots’ defensive linemen and linebackers, when they were reaching Trent Edwards, were laying hard hits on him (although two of them got flagged).

They just need to make it a habit of reaching him more often. Too many times, I heard Mike Tirico say that the Pats were rushing three on passing downs. They need to be more aggressive than that, and utilize their speed on the outside with players like Derrick Burgess and Adalius Thomas.

If they can generate more of a pass rush, this defense could be one of the top-flight units in the NFL this season.

So what have we learned about both teams?

The Bills continue to drop the ball late in the game when they have a lead. This was a problem constantly last season, as we saw them choke in the 4th quarter numerous times.

The Patriots continue to come up clutch. As long as they have Tom Brady at the steering wheel, they can count on that much.

Rich Get Richer, Raiders Get Richard: Seymour Trade Shocks Patriots Nation

Erik Frenz — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:21:52 -0400

The Raiders and Patriots have gone back and forth with some pretty eyebrow-raising deals over the past few seasons.

Although trading Richard Seymour to the Raiders for a 2011 first-round draft pick isn’t quite as shocking as the Raiders trading Randy Moss for a 2007 fourth-rounder two years ago, it bears the same heir of “what the...” that the previous trade entailed.

As a first-round selection the year of the Patriots’ very first Super Bowl victory, Seymour was (and remains) a symbol of the Patriots dynasty: He was a Pro Bowl player and a veteran leader on a defense stacked with young talent at nearly every position.

The Seymour trade, in conjunction with Tedy Bruschi’s retirement last week, the trade of Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs, and Rodney Harrison’s retirement a few months ago, all leave the Patriots without a veteran defensive leader.

Where the Patriots’ defense was once scoffed at for their age, the Patriots have said “not anymore” to those critics, and “see you later” to a ton of veteran talent.

While Patriots nation remains in shock over this latest wheel-and-deal by New England’s front office, there are many positives to be derived from the situation.

The Raiders continue clinging to hopes of JaMarcus Russell fulfilling the potential they saw in him to make him their first-round selection of the 2007 NFL draft.

Needless to say, the Raiders don’t look like they’re coming out of the woods anytime in the next two seasons. With a lot of rebuilding to do, the 2011 first-round draft choice the Patriots picked up figures to be a top 15 selection at worst.

The rich just keep getting richer.

Likewise, Richard Seymour is approaching the twilight of his career. I had heralded him as the best defensive player in the AFC East (albeit a highly contested selection), and I’m not backing down from that; his impact on the defense as a whole was immeasurable if only for his ability to consistently soak up the blockers and allow the linebackers to make plays.

His days as an “impact defensive linemen” were clearly behind him, as his sack totals began to diminish, and injuries began to plague him.

So what does this mean for the future of the Patriots' defense?

Seymour is more of a 3-4 defensive end, and the Patriots have been slowly making the transition to a 4-3 alignment. They would have been spending a lot of money on what would have been a situational player.

With Ty Warren, Ron Brace, Vince Wilfork, and Derrick Burgess all fighting for starting spots on the defensive line, at least one of the five would have been (literally) an odd man out.

Still, that's a lot of money to spend on someone who's not playing every down.

The Patriots no longer have to worry about which of their big three free agents (Seymour, Wilfork, and Logan Mankins) to re-sign this coming offseason. By cutting ties with Seymour, they save themselves cap space now, and the potential headache next season.

Age had become a pressing concern for New England's defense. By picking up a first-round selection, not only do the Patriots avoid cutting a player, they also get immense value down the road when they acquire a player of their choosing. With this latest move, none of the players on the Patriots’ defensive roster have been with the team through all three Super Bowl victories.

They shed about $3 million in cap space, but they save cap space for the future since he was up for free agency after the 2009-10 campaign. Likewise, they eliminate the worry of being forced to re-sign the former Pro Bowler.

The Patriots lost a veteran defensive leader on the line who, while effective, was losing his explosiveness. In return, they got a first-round pick in 2011, the season after the uncapped year, and they shed a lot of cap space which could have been blown on a player who could have potentially seen a wealth of time on the bench.

At the expense of Richard, the rich really do just get richer, don't they?

Symbol of a Dynasty: As Tedy Bruschi Retires, Who Will Step Up for Patriots?

Erik Frenz — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:34:40 -0400

Tedy Bruschi was a constant symbol of hard work, grit, and determination on the Patriots.

He was a great locker room leader and was consistently a defensive captain. He was an inspiration to every player on the defense, especially following his comeback from a career-threatening stroke.

For all of his value as a motivational leader and as a symbol of the Patriots organization over the course of the decade, his retirement isn’t the end of the world from a football perspective.

Look on the bright side: At least Bill Belichick won’t have to consider embarrassingly cutting Bruschi during the brutal 27-man roster chop over the next two weeks.

What’s sad is that the last image we have of Bruschi is in the preseason game versus the Washington Redskins, where he busted coverage against Chris Cooley and gave up a 73-yard reception to the tight end.

But we must remember him for his many accomplishments, his big plays, and the big games in which they occurred.

A sack and an interception helped the Patriots win by three points in Super Bowl XXXIX, the last championship team Bruschi played on.

The 2004 AFC Championship Game versus the Colts comes to mind, where Bruschi recovered two fumbles by the Colts offense.

I couldn’t have loved any man other than my father more than Bruschi on that day.

As the “glory days” of New England’s defense began to wane, so did Bruschi’s career.

He was never the same player after his stroke.

The intensity was still there, but the speed definitely was not.

Still, he was a crucial part of New England’s defense and was always serviceable as a sure tackler even in the latter stages of his career. But even this began to wane over time, as the sheer strength and athleticism of younger players would sometimes overwhelm the much older man.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the defense performs without their staple at middle linebacker.

Who will the Patriots turn to for his replacement?

They could continue the development of undrafted free agent Gary Guyton, who started a couple of games for New England last season. He already has knowledge of New England’s system and could be aided by the presence of so much talent and experience around him.

The Pats could also turn to veteran linebacker Paris Lenon, a free agent pickup from Detroit.

Fortunately for the Patriots, 2008 first-round draft pick Jerod Mayo figures to pick up a lot of the slack left behind by Bruschi. It’s safe to say last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year learned a thing or two from his elder. Mayo’s career could parallel Tedy’s, leading the team in tackles numerous times and leading a stingy defense all the way to a Super Bowl.

If he can find his penchant for the big play, as Bruschi did, Mayo could go down in Patriots lore, just like Bruschi will.

Now with Bruschi's retirement, most of the major components of the Patriots dynasty on defense have either retired or been sent away.

Bruschi, along with Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, and Rodney Harrison, have all moved on from their “glory days” as leaders of one of the top defenses in the league.

The time has come for a new era of New England defense. It’s time for the Patriots' youngsters to step in and make a name for themselves.

Brandon Marshall: Yet Another Wide Receiva Diva

Erik Frenz — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:14:59 -0400

Michael Irvin. Keyshawn Johnson. Terrell Owens. Chad Ochocinco. Plaxico Burress. Michael Crabtree.

Now, you can add Brandon Marshall to the laundry list of wide receivers in the past and present who have been known as divas.

My five-day vacation from work began this morning. To begin, I drove around with my iced coffee and thought of a good article to write. The folks at WEEI Sports Radio were discussing the massive amounts of drama surrounding the scenario out in Minnesota involving He Who Must Not Be Named (for fear of giving him the media attention he hungers for).

Having heard enough of this dead-horse topic, I tuned into another local sports station, where they were discussing the NFL.com report on Brandon Marshall’s status with the Broncos. Marshall had been caught on tape by local news, putting his diva on display.

Hand the ball to the ball boy? Nope, he punted it the other direction.

Why try to catch a pass when he could just as easily swat it away and avoid doing any real work?

Ever heard the expression, “run, don’t walk?” Apparently, Marshall hasn’t. He strolled along while the rest of the team ran during practice.

Could anyone really wonder why he was suspended from the Broncos for conduct detrimental to the team?

If Josh McDaniels hadn’t done anything about this situation, how would it have made him look? In a summer where one player (who will still not be named) dictated the tempo of Vikings’ organized team activities and training camp, McDaniels refused to be walked all over by an egomaniac.

Although many people have questioned if McDaniels learned anything from Bill Belichick, he has proven that he learned at least one thing: never be held hostage by any player, no matter the skill level.

Belichick did it by sitting Bledsoe when he had confidence in Brady. He did it by benching Terry Glenn during his diva moments. Now, McDaniels has followed the model set by the evil genius himself.

The question now becomes, what end does the new head coach hope to reach by implementing this suspension? Of course, Marshall will still get paid, so he isn’t concerned with it nearly as much as one may think.

This is probably just a “statement move” by McDaniels to prove the earlier point that he won’t be held hostage. More than likely, it will be a temporary suspension until either a) the Broncos and Marshall work out a new contract to satisfy him, or b) the Broncos can work out a trade with another team.

Option a seems a little less likely, if only because they would probably have already worked out the new contract if that was their plan. Perhaps wide receivers such as Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin will still be on the market?

McDaniels may no longer have the star power in Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, but at least he’s proving that he won’t tolerate childish behavior on his squad.

Source
NFL.com

Tom Brady's Competitive Fire Still There, But Patriots' Backup QB Options Strong

Erik Frenz — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:27:16 -0400

The position of most reverence in New England also happens to be the last stop on my journey through the Patriots’ roster.

After a heavily-truncated 2008 campaign, Tom Brady returns in rare form to the field.

Many have speculated the possibility of a repeat of his astounding numbers in 2007. Regardless of the likelihood (or lack thereof) of another record-breaking season, he quelled any burning questions about his confidence in his knee when he hurled multiple passes down field to Randy Moss and Joey Galloway in the preseason opener against Philadelphia.

The look of intense concentration in his eyes before the game, coupled with his utter infuriation at the lone interception he threw, both showed that his competitive fire hasn’t burned out in his 12 months off the field.

He even expressed regret that he was untouched by the Eagles’ front seven, saying he wished someone would just “blast [him]” so he could remember what it feels like. He got his wish, as he was tossed and thrown to the ground by Cincinnati Bengals’ linebacker Keith Rivers. Later, defensive end Robert Geathers took Brady’s words to heart and nailed him to the ground with a vicious sack.

The question remains: what happens if Brady’s knee wears out or gets hit again and he needs to sit out a couple of weeks? Who can the Patriots fall back on?

As usual, the depth chart is filled out with a veritable who’s-who of late-round draft picks. Julian Edelman, Kevin O’Connell, Brian Hoyer, and Andrew Walter will all compete for time at quarterback.

They once had Matt Cassel, who led the team to an 11-5 record in 2008, to fall back on. His lack of presence could (but hopefully won’t) be felt in 2009. Even he was once an unproven quarterback drafted in the seventh round, and in the Patriots’ system, he earned himself a starting job and a nice contract. Could be the talent, could be the coaching.

Probably, I think, a bit of both.

With that, let’s look at the depth of quarterbacks at New England’s disposal. God forbid anything happens to Brady and we haven’t at least taken a peak at what’s underneath.

Edelman is listed as a wide receiver on the Pats’ roster, but he figures to be more of a utility player, lining up on occasion as the quarterback in New England’s wildcat packages. His speed combined with his experience as a quarterback both make him a dangerous threat wherever he lines up. He proved that point as a slot receiver and kick returner, even returning a punt for a touchdown in New England’s preseason opener.

Brian Hoyer of Michigan State is in the upper echelon of all-time Michigan State quarterbacks. Despite this fact, he went undrafted in 2009. He entered the market as a free agent and was quickly picked up by New England almost immediately after the draft. His less-than-impressive senior season could be attributed to Michigan’s run-heavy offense and also to several drops by his receivers. He went 11-of-19 in the preseason game versus the Bengals, so he could surely improve.

Andrew Walter is a fifth-year quarterback, having been traded over from New England’s recent farm team, the Oakland Raiders. Drafted early in the third round in the 2005 draft, his opportunities were few and far between in Oakland. He was a third-stringer his rookie year and was given an opportunity to succeed when the team benched starting quarterback Aaron Brooks in Week 1 of the 2006 season. He threw only three touchdowns versus 13 interceptions in eight starts. In two games in 2008, he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. His setbacks in the past figure to fuel his fire in the competition for a roster spot.

O’Connell is also a quick guy, who was known for his scrambling abilities in college, setting numerous school records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Though he only threw six passes last season, mostly in garbage time, he has the skill set necessary to be a leader, and an accurate enough arm to get the job done in New England’s offense. Whether or not he’ll be able to quickly grasp New England’s complex scheme will be essential in determining whether he’ll earn a spot on the roster.

I figure that either Walter or Hoyer will be cut to trim their quarterback depth chart down to three bodies. Edelman will make the team as a wide receiver, but as mentioned above, he possesses the skills to be an excellent option in the wildcat, though the Patriots figure to use that much less with Brady back behind center; why willingly reduce the quality of your quarterback?

Obviously, the depth chart suffered a huge loss when Matt Cassel was traded to Kansas City, but the confidence the Patriots’ front office showed in Tom Brady makes me confident that he’s ready to go.

If Brady is feeling 100 percent come Sept. 14, the Patriots won’t need to worry about a back-up. They’ll have their field general back.

Check-In with the Patriots: Defensive Line

Erik Frenz — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:19:12 -0400

With five articles down in the series and only two to go, I’ll finish up the defensive side of the ball by talking about the defensive line.

In the Patriots base 3-4 defense, which they have utilized with incredible success this past decade, they feature one of the premier defensive lines in the league.

Right end Richard Seymour, left end Ty Warren, and nose tackle Vince Wilfork were all first round draft picks. All three were heralded out of college and lived up to their hype.

Coincidentally or not, all three were chosen prior to a Super Bowl year. Seymour was selected in 2001, Warren in 2003, and Wilfork in 2004.

Wilfork and Seymour have both been selected to the Pro Bowl (which many say is a popularity contest, but I still have both of them in my top five defensive players in the AFC East).

Seymour’s status as a three-time first-team All-Pro is plenty of indication that his ability isn’t overrated. Many would claim that he is injury prone and is losing his athleticism in his age. Thirty years old has been the “death sentence” for defensive ends (although Michael Strahan set the league record for sacks when he turned 30), so we’ll have to see how he performs. He returned to a respectable form last season, registering eight sacks on a defense that had major problems reaching the quarterback at all.

All that being said, the Patriots did a lot for their defensive line in the offseason.

This is the last season on Vince Wilfork’s contract. Drafting defensive tackle Ron Brace out of Boston College in the second round provided insurance against a possible defection by Wilfork should he choose to sign with another team in 2010. Brace is also a player whose value was underestimated going into the draft because of the hype around the man who lined up next to him, BJ Raji.

He sounds like a prototype 3-4 nose tackle, a player whose scouting report on nfl.com reads, “Brace won’t dazzle you in the statistical department, but he has played a critical role to the success of the team in shutting down the run the last two years. With his wide body, long wing span, and impressive power, he can terrorize guards and centers in the trenches.”

Oh yeah, the Pats also traded for some guy named Derrick Burgess. I’d never heard of him before until I found out he was some kind of multi-time Pro Bowler and a former league leader in sacks. I guess he’s supposed to help out the pass rush a little bit. He’s 31, though, so clearly he can’t be that good…can he?

In all seriousness, though, he figures to help out the defensive line in that they will have a better blind-side pass rusher when they line up in the 4-3. His frame (6’2”, 266 lbs.) is almost perfect to be a pass-rushing linebacker when they’re in the 3-4, which has been their preferred package in the past.

The Patriots also have incumbent back-up Jarvis Green, who has lined up at defensive end in the past when the Patriots enter the 4-3, and filled in to replace the injured Richard Seymour for the first few games of 2007.

As for depth at defensive line, let’s just say that the Pats will have their hands full when it comes time to cut down for the 53-man roster. They have a logjam of young talent in the trenches, currently featuring six defensive/nose tackles and six defensive ends.

Familiar names such as Jarvis Green and Mike Wright are most likely safe, but will sit behind Derrick Burgess for playing time. These veterans will more than likely make up the “back-up crew” for the Patriots.

Steve Williams and Titus Adams will battle for spots on the roster with rookies Myron Pryor and Darryl Richard, who are sixth and seventh round picks respectively.

Pryor flashed potential in the Patriots’ first preseason game, quickly breaking the pocket for a huge sack on Donovan McNabb. Adding two tackles, Pryor figures to be a threat in the battle on the depth chart.

Williams doesn’t seem to be far behind. He racked up four tackles in the latter portion of the game.

The defensive line figures to be as versatile this year as they ever have been. Although the defensive ends are all veterans, their leadership and knowledge will serve well for everyone on the defensive line. Wilfork could serve as the catalyst for knowledge to Ron Brace, who could eventually be his successor.

The saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Though the Patriots’ 3-4 scheme has been successful in the past, they were exposed for a lack of athleticism last season. This coming year, with a hybrid of 3-4 and 4-3 packages, I’d expect them to rebound with their adjustments along the line, and I’d expect the defensive genius Bill Belichick to utilize his talent and re-discover ways to get to the quarterback.

Donte Stallworth: Can the Fallen Hero Find His Inner Phoenix?

Erik Frenz — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:57:07 -0400

There are plenty of success stories about people rising from the ashes to make a name for themselves.

For all those stories, there are the fallen heroes whom we either pity or loathe.

Donte Stallworth definitely falls into the latter category.

Rewind about a year and a half ago. The Patriots are on a tear through the entire NFL, and have won 18 games straight in the season.

Stallworth is lined up opposite Randy Moss in Super Bowl XLII. He converts a big 3rd-and-13 for the Patriots in the second quarter, gaining 18 yards and moving the Patriots up to the 26. Things are looking great, as the Patriots are ahead and have the ball with momentum.

He only reeled in three catches that night, as the Patriots lost to the Giants 17-14.

From there, it just gets ugly.

Stallworth was picked up in free agency by the Cleveland Browns, who were coming off of one of their most promising campaigns since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Browns’ passing game figured to be potent with Derek Anderson spreading the ball to Stallworth, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow. Their aerial attack never got off the ground, though, as Anderson couldn’t duplicate his success from the previous season and the Browns finished a messy 4-12.

On March 14, 2009, Stallworth hit rock bottom—and Mario Reyes—hard.

Intoxicated above the legal limit, Stallworth got behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and, in his incoherence, struck Reyes hard enough to kill him.

The accident tragically ended Reyes’ life. It was the hit to Reyes, though, that subsequently caused Stallworth’s downfall.

After he served 24 days of his 30-day sentence, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down the decision to suspend him for a single season.

Stallworth’s has become one of the sadder stories in the league today—while it’s hard to feel remorse for someone who endangered himself and others by driving drunk, it’s incredibly sad that his life was sent down the toilet by one bad decision.

Hopefully, that will be the worst decision he ever makes in his life.

Supposedly, he’ll be reinstated at the conclusion of next season: The Super Bowl.

It could be tough for him to find a home after his lousy decision, but hey, if Michael Vick could do it, so can Stallworth, right?

Incidentally, it will be the two year anniversary of the supposed start of this downward process. Perhaps Stallworth can mark the occasion by becoming the phoenix who rises from the ashes, and make a new name for himself in the process.

Creme of the Crop: The Top Five Defensemen in the AFC North

Erik Frenz — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:57:50 -0400

Time to quit putting off the one segment of this series that I’ve been dreading—the AFC North. How does one sum up four teams—two of which are defensive heavyweights, the other two of which are paperweights—into one article, one list of simply five players who have the most impact on their defense? The Ravens and Steelers can make a case for at least seven of those type of players apiece. It’s not going to be easy, and I’ll probably stir up some controversy along the way, but as always, this is just my take on the situation. I’m not aiming to be agreeable, just to do justice to my opinion on the topic. As usual, the Bengals underperformed last season. In a break from the norm, though, their futility was more represented by their impotent offense than their usual toy soldier defense. They will have to replicate their success on defense this coming season if they want to contend. With the addition of former USC linebacker Rey Maualuga in the second round, the Bengals can do just that. They now feature one of the youngest and most formidable groups at linebacker. Quite contrary to Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a Super Bowl run, predicated mostly by their defense. It really says something when the defense is ranked first against the pass and second against the run. There are simply too many stars to mention in that unit. From top to bottom, the Steelers truly possessed the No. 1 defense last season; with nearly everyone from that team returning, things look bright for their future. The Ravens were a surprising turn-around team last season. Their defense, oddly enough, ranked just below the Steelers in both passing and rushing yards allowed. Despite being mauled by the Giants rushing attack, they still held the distinction of not allowing a single 100-yard rusher all season. The Browns were led into the abyss by former Patriots defensive wiz Romeo Crennel, who was replaced by another former Patriots coordinator in Eric Mangini. Their roster isn’t anything to boast of, though their linebacking corps is respectable. They chronically rank near the bottom in rushing yards allowed, but had the second-most interceptions in the league (the Ravens, incidentally had the most). Their two second-year cornerbacks (Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright) flashed potential to be a second coming of the duo of Frank Minnifield and Hanford Dixon, two shut-down cornerbacks for the Browns in the late-80’s. Their continued development will be necessary before they can truly be considered among the elite impact players of this defensively stalwart division. Honorable Mention: Johnathan Joseph, Domato Peko, Haloti Ngata, Ike Taylor, Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith, Shaun Rogers, Kamerion Wimbley, D’Qwell Jackson, Brodney Pool

Begin Slideshow

Check-In with the New England Patriots: Defensive Backs

Erik Frenz — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:24:21 -0400

Out with old; in with the new.

After being exploited way too many times in the passing game last season, the Patriots were left with the burning question of which position was in more need of an upgrade: defensive backs, or the pass rush.

They chose to severely revamp their secondary.

Boy, did they need it. They gave up the second most passing touchdowns of any defense (27), and they were near the bottom of the league in passes of over 15 yards.

Much of this was due to the small stature of their cornerbacks. Deltha O’Neal (5’11”), arguably the worst cornerback to ever start for the Patriots, was cut from the team early in the offseason.

Ellis Hobbs (5’9”), whose most famous moment as a Patriot was one that highlighted his diminutive frame (a touchdown pass with seconds remaining in Super Bowl XLII) was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for two fifth-round draft picks in 2010.

Almost immediately, they picked up CBs Leigh Bodden and former Pro Bowler Shawn Springs in free agency. Both players may be approaching the twilight of their careers, but both can still be impact players, and both have the coverage skills and physical traits (namely: height) necessary to get the job done in Belichick’s defensive scheme.

I continue to harp on the importance of the combination of veteran leadership and youthful athleticism on the Patriots roster, but the front office has really done a stellar job this offseason of compiling an excellent mix of both to their roster.

Springs and Bodden can provide the role model of great work ethic needed for the Patriots’ plethora of youngsters in the secondary.

Darius Butler was a steal in the second round of the draft, as many had him ranked among the tops at his position. Butler will definitely serve as an apprentice in nickel situations before potentially stepping into a starting role next season.

Second-year cornerback Jonathan Wilhite played in all 16 games, and started four in his rookie season last year. Terrence Wheatley, who missed most of last season with a wrist injury, is another sophomore who will greatly benefit from the presence of the two veterans.

With Shawn Springs coming off injury, and perhaps a little too much hype surrounding the arrival of Leigh Bodden, the secondary may not be the shutdown group people are anticipating.

The group has the tools to be formidable this year, and with the athleticism of the younger players in the unit, they could take the words of the wise and become some of the best in the league in the future.

At safety, former Pro Bowler Rodney Harrison announced his retirement in the offseason. Those who had hopes for a Favre-like return had their pipedreams go up in smoke when he ended his press conference by proclaiming, “When I made my decision to retire, I made my decision to retire...I'm done."

Though none can deny the rich history Harrison has in a Patriots uni as well as throughout his career (the only 30 sacks/30 interceptions safety in league history), the Patriots are more than ready to replace his production, though it may be awhile before they find a leader, or an anchor in the secondary, quite like Harrison.

Third-year safety Brandon Meriweather out of Miami has played well as a strong safety, having nabbed 79 tackles to go along with two sacks and four interceptions while starting only 11 games.

His progress was visible last season; instead of continually trying to “blow up” receivers with a heavy hit stick, he began to make the clean wrap-up tackles in the open field. His continued maturation will be vital for the Patriots’ defense, as he could prove to be a scary force over the middle.

At free safety, we have James Sanders, who started 14 games for New England last season. He wasn’t incredibly productive, nabbing only one interception to go along with his 64 tackles.

The Patriots' first draft pick of 2008 was in the second round, safety Patrick Chung out of Oregon.

I had never heard the name until the Patriots drafted him, but any Pats fan is put at ease by this segment from his scouting report on NFL.com: “Chung evolved into an exceptional leader by mastering the mental aspects of the game and grasping an understanding of the team's defensive objectives.”

From that sentence alone, Chung sounds like a Belichick player through and through—he’s a learner, a true student of the game, who possesses the sound fundamentals and mechanics necessary to make an impact for this defense sooner than later.

In what could be quite the rotation situation, Meriweather will flex back and forth between free and strong safety while James Sanders fills in at free safety. Coverage deficiencies considered, Chung should fill in sparingly at strong safety until he learns the ropes of the NFL game.

With such a strong diversity of talent, the Patriots’ secondary will be as dangerous as they’ve ever been in Belichick’s tenure as head coach.

That spells terrible things for opposing quarterbacks who think they can sneak one past New England’s defensive backs. The veterans have talent for this year, and the young guns have potential for the future.

Check-In with the Patriots: Linebacker

Erik Frenz — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:23:07 -0400

The overall tone of these articles has been dictated by experienced veterans teaming up with athletic youngsters; it's been all about depth for the Patriots this offseason. Linebacker has been no exception.

Of course, we have the rookie phenom out of Tennessee, Jerod Mayo, whose 128 tackles led the team by a landslide last season. His versatility is what made him a player of such high regard for New England on draft day. He proved why the Patriots “reached” for him at No. 10 in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft when he earned the title of Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Mayo will obviously be a 16-game starter again this season (barring injury, of course). He figures to be the team leader once again, and will soon be wearing the coach communication earpiece in his helmet.

The other inside linebacker spot is a question mark, though. Tedy Bruschi has been a symbol of New England’s dynasty for years, but his best days are clearly behind him. Although he can still be counted on to make solid tackles, his speed and athleticism have taken a huge dip in recent years. Offenses have begun to exploit his age and small frame, especially in the red zone.

Who else do the Patriots have, though?

Veteran linebacker Paris Lenon was rescued from the abyss of the 0-16 Lions when he was acquired via free agency this offseason. His experience could be serviceable next to Mayo’s athleticism, and we all know of Belichick’s pseudo “man crush” for veteran linebackers.

Eric Alexander has been with the team for five years. In that time, he's played in 31 games by filling in for spot duty, but he's never even started a game. I doubt that this will be the year where he’s finally asked to step up and start, but if more injuries plague the Patriots at linebacker, he could be asked to fill in.

Gary Guyton filled in extensively for an injured Tedy Bruschi in the second half of last season, even starting in two games. He showed the ability to make sure tackles and react quickly last year. He’s listed as an outside linebacker, but he could become like Mike Vrabel and develop into a great option inside.

The Patriots were depleted at linebacker (especially outside) last season due to multiple injuries. Adalius Thomas was one of the injured last season. Even when he played, he looked a bit slower than usual. He has hit the “doomed” age of 30, where players sometimes see a drastic dip in delivery or performance.

The other outside linebacker spot is where the uncertainty remains. We have the young and inexperienced Shawn Crable, last year’s third-round pick out of Michigan. He could develop into a potent pass rusher. We didn’t see much from him last year, but if he’s a quick learner, he could be utilized effectively as early as this season.

Tully Banta-Cain found his way back onto the team that gained him enough notoriety to earn a big contract from the San Francisco 49ers just a few years ago. After under-performing his contract, he found himself the victim of offseason cuts and the Patriots couldn’t help but pick up a player who is already familiar with the system. His drastic dip in production as of late has me doubting his skills as a pass rusher, though.

We also have Pierre Woods, who’s never done anything remarkable. In fact, the only thing I remember him for is a botched fumble recovery in Super Bowl XLII. He's not an effective pass rusher, though; he only racked up one sack last year when given the opportunity to start three games and play in 12.

The rumblings of trade talks involving the Carolina Panthers and Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers never came to fruition. As the offseason wore on and they failed to address the outside linebacker spot opposite Thomas, it became clear that Belichick and his staff were confident in their youth, and that they planned to utilize Crable, Woods, and Banta-Cain on the edge.

All that went out the window on Wednesday.

The addition of veteran defensive end Derrick Burgess, acquired via trade from the Oakland Raiders, is what brings the group together. His veteran abilities could be used this season, and if he can learn the Patriots way and become more selfless, his mentoring could drastically spurt the growth of the young OLBs.

Although Burgess has seen much success in the past, he took a drastic dip in production last season. He will probably play a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker spot on the team, and could see his stats increase yet again behind a defensive line that’s famous for soaking up blockers.

The price the Pats paid for him (a third round pick in 2010 and a fifth round pick in 2011) indicates that regardless of his output, they won’t be sorry for making the trade.

As Michael Lombardi stated in his article on the matter, "In the AFC East, Damien Woody of the Jets, Brad Butler of the Bills, and Vernon Carey of the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them."

Likewise, the low-end picks used on a former Pro Bowler to acquire a fading Raider with work ethic issues and a bad locker room reputation screams of Randy Moss. If what New England gets from Burgess is anywhere near what we got from Moss in his first season, the entire defense could be made a lot scarier by his presence alone.

The theme for this offseason has been adding depth, depth, and more depth, everywhere on the field. Despite being more quiet than other positions (until Wednesday’s trade for Burgess), linebacker has been no exception.

I wouldn’t be surprised if several outside linebackers are used in a rotation, much like just about every other position on the Patriots’ stacked roster. As mentioned above, we all know of Belichick’s penchant for veteran linebackers, and surely he will figure out a way to utilize everyone to their fullest ability.

The “who”, “where”, and “how” of the matter are all that remain to be seen.

Checking in with the Patriots: The “Fearsome Foursome” of Running Backs

Erik Frenz — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:12:10 -0400

Last season, the New England Patriots relied more heavily on their rushing attack than they have in recent years. This was for obvious reasons, not the least of which was the season-ending injury to Tom Brady in the first quarter of opening day against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Let’s compare the Patriots rushing attack in the past two seasons:

Patriots running backs	Attempts	Total yards	Yards per attempt	Rushing touchdowns
2007	451	1,849	4.1	17
2008	513	2,278	4.4	21

To give a bit more perspective to these numbers, the Patriots ranked 10th in the league in rushing attempts in 2007 versus fourth in 2008. Their yards-per-attempt average was only .1 less than the vaunted Vikings rushing attack last season.

What does this say about the New England Patriots? Well, it says that their offense is multi-dimensional enough to adapt when needed to (and also that the offensive line is a lot better at run blocking than they are credited for).

Of course, they increased their attempts, but the increase in yards per attempt indicates that the additional attempts were justified; the Patriots weren’t just trying to nurture Matt Cassel, they were using the run more effectively.

Imagine you’re a young quarterback who hasn’t started since high school. Aren’t you a bit more comfortable every week knowing that you have a solid rushing attack behind you?

How comfortable do you think Tom Brady feels, knowing that his knee might not be 100 percent perfect for the season opener vs. Buffalo? The fact that he can divert attention away from himself and use the play action pass as effectively as his early years must be helping to keep Brady cool as a cucumber in these hot summer days of training camp.

To add to the three-headed rushing attack of first-round pick Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk, the Patriots signed veteran free agent Fred Taylor. Although he’s on the downside of his career, he will be serviceable behind New England’s nasty line.

We all know that the “Fearsome Foursome” (as I’ve begun calling them) features a slew of runners that are capable of fulfilling multiple duties. Morris and Taylor are both up-the-middle pounders that like to make contact. They will bruise opposing secondaries to slow them down on the outsides, or simply run head-on into a middle linebacker and carry him a few extra yards.

Meanwhile, Maroney makes up for their lack of athleticism with his agility. He does use his lower body strength to barrel into defenders, but likes to use his quickness to break away from them instead.

The backfield is culminated by Kevin Faulk, a.k.a. Mr. Everything. He is excellent in every facet of the game: catching passes out of the backfield, picking up the blitz as a pass blocker, and he proved last season that he is still a legitimate threat when carrying the ball.

Make no mistake, Maroney is definitely the weak link. He must prove his worth this season by producing and avoiding injuries in order to prevent himself from becoming a free agent, where his lack of talent won’t earn him as much money as he’d like.

The four working as one could easily mask any deficiencies of the other, especially if the Patriots plan to run any two-back sets (which it appears they will, a lot). One possible scenario: a shotgun formation, with Faulk and Taylor flanking Brady. A play-action hand-off to Taylor clogs the middle of the field with defenders, while Kevin Faulk runs a quick screen pattern and breaks off a 15-yard gain down the sideline.

That’s no pencil in my pocket.

I am extremely excited just thinking about what this backfield has to offer.

I could be wrong, but I think that the Patriots will lean somewhat on the run in the first couple of games, just to get Brady re-acclimated with game speed. The number of pass attempts will definitely go up, and probably peak around mid-November (depending on how bitter New England’s winter is this coming year). After that, Belichick will once again shift back to the run for December and possibly the playoffs.

As much as the thought of no aerial attack in December has scared me in years past, this time, it doesn’t.

The multi-dimensionality of the Fearsome Foursome is what makes them such a threat. It seems that they will succeed in every facet of the game, no matter what circumstances may arise.

Of course, only time will tell how invincible the Patriots truly are, if at all.

"You're So Vain": When Celebration Exceeds Itself

Erik Frenz — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:36:51 -0400

I cringed when Phil Jackson put on the “X” hat after his Los Angeles Lakers helped him hoist his record 10th trophy.

I sighed in disbelief as Roger Federer adorned his specially designed “15” sweater, adorned with golden numbering, as he held his gold plate at Wimbledon.

These acts of celebration take the very word to a whole new level and create a parade of pomp and circumstance, the center of which is a personal landmark.

In my mind, it has gone too far. Just minutes after Federer’s defeat of Andy Roddick, he put on the sweater. The second place finisher was right there watching. It’s one thing to be all about yourself; it’s something totally different when you throw it in your opponent’s face like a pie.

The same can be said for Jackson and his post-game antic. Not only was he wearing the hat, but it was a different color than the championship hats that the Lakers wore, which were dark gray.

Jackson stuck out like a pile of dog crap in a rose garden.

As ESPN Magazine's Rick Reilly said in his article on the same subject, “For a Zenmaster, it was very un-Zen.”

The fact that these garments were made before the games were even played perturbs me the most. It’s as if they were so certain that they would win, the very idea of them losing never even crossed their mind.

That, my friends, is pushing some dangerous territory. That’s when you’ve begun to underestimate your opponent.

I cringe at the thought, but you could ask Tom Brady for his thoughts on that.

The thought of these two specific moments makes me mad because both are better human beings than that. Both of these accomplishments were monumental for their respective sports, and for these men to show it off to the world.

It’s not as if no one knew that these events were close to fruition, but to anticipate it beforehand screams 19-0: The Historic Championship Season of the Unbeatable Patriots.

If that thought alone isn’t enough to make any Patriots’ fan vomit, then either Phil Jackson’s or Roger Federer’s acts of egotism should at least be enough to at least make you cringe, if not nauseous.

Sources:

Reilly, Rick. "Life of Reilly". ESPN The Magazine. Aug 10 2009: 76.*

*It should also be noted that I gained inspiration from this article, and wanted to express my thoughts on the matter as well.

Check-In With the New England Patriots: Wide Receiver

Erik Frenz — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:15:15 -0400

One of the most heavily-stacked positions on the Patriots’ roster in recent seasons has been wide receiver.

It seems that ever since our deer-in-the-headlights friend Reche Caldwell made those two huge drops against the Colts in the AFC Championship game, Bill Belichick has been hell-bent on making sure nothing like that ever happens again.

My love affair with this year’s starting group has been well accounted for in previous articles, but now, I look to go in-depth with the entire group.

This fleet of wide receivers figures to be the most formidable group in the AFC. There’s no team as stacked at one position from top to bottom as the Patriots are at wide receiver.

The potential matchup problems are uncountable. The different ways these receivers can be utilized are potentially unstoppable. Whispers have already begun about the possibility of Tom Brady repeating his 2007 statistical season with this fleet of wide receivers.

The top three receivers—Joey Galloway, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss—averaged 1,227 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. Even without Moss skewing those numbers, Welker and Galloway alone average out to 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns.

Free agent pick-up Galloway had a down season last year, as he was injured in Week Nine. For three seasons prior to that, Galloway recorded at least 1,000 yards and six touchdown grabs. If he can return to his form from those three seasons, he could be another option to stretch the field for New England.

Moss’ production went down drastically this past year, but that was to be expected after the 2007 regular season record-setting pandemonium that he and Brady wreaked on every team they played. He’s also been drawing a lot of double coverage, but with the addition of Galloway to the offense, safeties will have to respect multiple deep threats and won’t have the luxury of covering Moss with two or three defensive backs.

His dip in statistical production could be a red flag that he’s growing old and losing a step, but I would attribute it more to the incredible amount of double-teams he drew all season long in addition to last year’s starter Matt Cassel’s lack of arm strength.

Last but not least, there’s the ever-productive Welker. The “Slot Machine” was fairly pedestrian before joining New England, but has exploded in his two seasons with the Patriots. He’s hauled in 223 receptions for 2,240 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s been a mark of consistency, with one reception and 10 yards the difference between his two seasons.

Enough from Captain Obvious, though. The Patriots have a logjam of wide receivers at the moment, and it's anyone’s guess who will round out the bottom of the depth chart come September.

With the rampant popularity of the Wildcat formation last year, Julian Edelman may become a name New England fans hear a lot of this coming season. He was a quarterback at Kent State, and performed quite well from that position. Belichick loves players who perform well on special teams, and Edelman served as both a punter and a punt returner for the Golden Flashes. He is a similar player to Josh Cribbs, another Kent State quarterback who was an extremely versatile athlete.

They grabbed free agent wide receiver Greg Lewis, who I feel could be either underrated or overrated depending on how you look at it. He and Sam Aiken, a hold-over back-up from last season, seem to fall into that same group. Their stats are nothing to gawk at, so those who think they could break out might be expecting too much; however, those same low stats may be reason to believe in them as a breakout candidate in 2009.

As usual, Belichick got wily in the draft. He moved around the board, and added UNC wide receiver Brandon Tate in the third round. He is a dynamic receiver, and his progress was helped by having the chance to play opposite Hakeem Nicks. He might be my favorite offseason addition at wide receiver.

In fact, Tate was playing just as well as Nicks before an injury sidelined him for the last seven games of his senior season. Before that, he had 66 receptions for 1,213 yards and 18 scores in 15 contests.

Of course, there’s always the stigma that follows rookie wide-outs, but with his size, he could develop into a viable option in the slot over the season, especially if he and Brady develop rapport. The great news is, even if he doesn’t produce in 2009, he could pay off in spades down the road. He was highly regarded by his training staff in college; they worked with both Reggie Wayne and Michael Irvin, whose college careers were both cut short by similar injuries.

With so many receivers at their disposal, it’s tough to say who will make the roster. Whoever it may be, Belichick will field the best group of receivers and bring the best out of them.

Check-In With the New England Patriots: Tight End

Erik Frenz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:27:53 -0400

I guess this article on the New England Patriots’ group of tight ends could be considered an extension of the segment that I recently wrote on the offensive line. After all, I referenced numerous ways in which the tight end corps will be an essential component to the Patriots’ passing attack this season.

The front office felt it was necessary to add not one, but two extremely athletic tight ends to their group. They acquired former Tampa Bay Bucs' tight end Alex Smith via trade, while adding New York Jets' tight end Chris Baker through free agency.

Both of these players are extremely versatile athletes, the breed of players which beguile both Belichick and Brady.

Both Baker and Smith are known for their pass-catching ability. They both hauled in 21 receptions, and Smith snagged three touchdowns. Their numbers were both eerily similar to Benjamin Watsons, who caught 22 passes and two touchdowns.

What’s more, Watson and hold-over back-up David Thomas combined for 31 receptions, 302 yards, and two touchdowns. On their respective teams, Smith and Baker combined for 42 receptions for 444 yards, and three touchdowns.

The Patriots clearly don’t hold high expectations of Watson to return to his numbers from 2005-2007 (he posted 1,473 yards and 13 touchdowns in those three seasons combined). This could be a “tight end by committee”, with the most serviceable player being utilized for their strengths in a given situation.

Back to their versatility, though, both of their new acquisitions are known for their ability to block athletic pass rushers; this was exposed as a glaring weakness in Super Bowl XLII.

The combination of size, speed, and strength that the new tight ends possess makes them excellent additional blockers against edge rushers such as Calvin Pace, Aaron Maybin, and Joey Porter, among many others whom the Patriots will face this coming season.

Although the Patriots currently possess a lot of depth at tight end, I don’t expect them to take all four tight ends into the regular season, as most rosters feature only three.

To me, the only one who doesn’t make the grade is David Thomas. I’ve held out hope for him to develop in the past few seasons, but the third round pick hasn’t performed up to the standard of his 50 catch, five touchdown season as a senior at Texas.

With Watson, Baker, and Smith sharing time at tight end, the Patriots pack a punch of versatility at a position that they will begin to heavily utilize. Although this is one of the less respected (recognized/discussed?) positions on any teams’ depth chart, it could prove to be one of the most important in the success of the Pats this coming season...for years to come.

At 27, 28, and 29 years of age respectively, Smith, Watson, and Baker figure to be a formidable squad for a couple of years. Watson’s contract is up soon, so the signings could also be a sign that he is out the door.

If that’s the case, the Patriots have done plenty to address the situation and provide insurance in the event of his departure.

Regardless of the outcome down the road, the Patriots' fleet of tight ends figure to be a group that is formidable at worst, and superb at best.

Certainly, they will need to be accounted for on every play.

Check-In With the New England Patriots: Offensive Line

Erik Frenz — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:38:40 -0400

I’m beginning a new series on the New England Patriots, entitled “Check-In.” My follow-up series will be “Check-Out,” which will come at the end of the regular season. Updates (as of yet untitled) will more than likely come throughout the regular season.

Today, I start with the offensive line, which has been an anomaly in the past two seasons.

In 2007, they were the most fearsome squadron in the NFL. Their grizzly facial hair earned them the nickname of the “Bearded Brothers.” Opposing defenses nearly gave up trying in their quest to get to quarterback Tom Brady in his explosive statistical season.

Then, in Super Bowl XLII, the wall came tumbling down around Brady. In 2008, things just weren’t the same; the same group of men gave up the most sacks in the league.

What people don’t understand, though, is that the quarterback plays a huge role in the production of the offensive line.

The obvious has been said time and time again: Matt Cassel is no Tom Brady. His release isn’t as quick, he’s not as quick of a decision-maker, and his instincts were dull last season, having not started since high school.

What isn’t as obvious, though, is the difference it made in the offensive lines play. Brady’s uncanny ability to read the blitz before the snap allowed him to make the necessary audibles and adjustments at the line to maximize his protection.

Although the offensive line is comprised entirely of veterans who understand the game, it’s not as easy for them to pick up a blitz from a linebacker or safety in a pinch; they’re usually face-to-face with a 270-plus pound lineman.

Speaking of the line’s veteran status, a dip in their overall athleticism could also be a reason for the surplus in sacks allowed last season. Left guard Logan Mankins is the only starter on the line below the age of 30 and even he is beginning to approach that mark sooner than later.

They haven’t done much to solve this issue as of late, drafting two offensive lineman in the entire 2009 NFL Draft (the second of which didn't come until the fifth round). Sebastian Vollmer, the 58th overall selection out of Houston, could give right tackle Nick Kaczur a run for his money for the starting position. Vollmer's size and athleticism could prove necessary in neutralizing speed rushers off the edge.

Speaking of speed rushers, although the Patriots haven’t added much depth on the line, they have added a number of nimble tight ends to their depth chart. They picked up Chris Baker, formerly of the Jets, and Alex Smith, formerly of the Buccaneers, to add to incumbent starter Benjamin Watson as his back-up David Thomas.

The Patriots are clearly in need of their combined speed and strength in blocking the edge pass rush.

This should hopefully solve the major problem of a lack of athleticism that the Giants presented them in Super Bowl XLII.

Starting left tackle Matt Light is reaching the twilight of his career, and the other starters aren’t too far behind. It’s clear that the Patriots will have to do more to improve themselves in the trenches down the road. Perhaps their wealth of second-round selections in next year’s draft could come in handy in that regard.

Regardless of what they choose to do next offseason, Brady will make use of what's given to him (as usual) and could make the line look like studs yet again in 2009.

And as always, when all else fails, in Belichick we trust.