Bleacher Report - Boston

Ricky Harris, Anthony Gurley Emerging As a Consistent Duo for UMass

Paul Seaver — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:28:28 -0500

There have been plenty of questions raised in the offensive category when looking at UMass basketball to start the season.

Their inconsistency to score the basketball through the first couple of games was evident as the Minutemen lost to Central Florida and Cornell.

However, after scraping together a victory over a pesky Quinnipiac team last Wednesday, UMass put together their best offensive and overall performance in a weekend victory over a struggling Holy Cross team.

With the back-to-back wins, UMass has improved to 4-4 on the young season and eight games in, head coach Derek Kellogg has seemed to have found a consistent duo within his offense.

Senior Ricky Harris was expected to put up big numbers offensively and be the go-to-guy for UMass. He has lived up to those expectations early on.

Harris’ 18.0 points per game and 3.1 assists per game are best on the team in both categories. However, Harris is averaging almost four turnovers per contest as well.

The senior has done a decent job in picking his shots so far this year. Harris is shooting 48 percent from the field, while leading the team in averaging just under 13 shots per game.

It has seemed that Harris, as expected, would be up among the team’s leading scorers each game, but with that being said, the next question would be who else would be there to help contribute?

The answer to that has been Anthony Gurley. A former Top-100 recruit as rated by Rivals.com in 2006, Gurley transferred to UMass following only one season at Wake Forest.

The Massachusetts product has emerged as a key contributor for Coach Kellogg putting up great offensive numbers to begin the year.

Gurley, a 2006 graduate of Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts has only started three of the first eight games. But even when he comes off the bench for UMass he has able to find an offensive flow quickly.

Gurley is second to Harris in scoring, averaging 17.8 point per game and is third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game.

Like Harris, Gurley has shot the ball particularly well at 52.9 percent from the field while leading the team in free throw attempts per game. Through this part of the season, he has been able to display his versatility in being able to shoot, as well as get to the line.

It has not been a great start to the season for the Minutemen, but at 4-4 overall they prepare for a key road game at Seton Hall on Monday. They will enter the game on a two-game winning streak, which includes the victory over Quinnipiac and one over Holy Cross.

Seton Hall is expected to give UMass more of a test than they have had in either of those two contests, but the Minutemen are coming off their best performance of the year and will look to build off that as they head into New Jersey.

UMass (4-4) and Seton Hall (6-0) will match up at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7.

*Photo Credit: Masslive.com/Eric Gallant/J. Anthony Roberts

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Boston College Wins at Michigan, Now Prepares For an Early ACC Test

Paul Seaver — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:38:47 -0500

As part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge this past week, the Eagles of Boston College were scheduled for a road game in Ann Arbor. After struggling in the Old Spice Classic, the Wolverines needed a win to get back on track and avoid falling to 3-3.

However, it was not to be for Michigan. Led by Corey Raji, Boston College came out strong and never looked back.

The Eagles broke out to a 27-18 lead just over the midway point in the first half. Corey Raji had 17 points, and the Wolverines had a total of 18 as a team.

In the second half, it was evident Michigan had dug themselves too deep of a hole. They trailed by double digits much of the second half before making a last ditch effort to come back. Manny Harris banked in a three to cut the lead to 57-51, but BC used a late defensive stop and free throws to seal the game, 62-58.

Michigan was poised for one of their better years, but it has been quite the disappointment to begin the season. Boston College, on the other hand, embraces the statement win in Ann Arborand will look to build on back-to-back road wins as they prepare for an early scheduled ACC matchup on Sunday.

After victories on the road at Providence and Michigan, the Eagles now sit at 5-2 on the season. They have arrived back at Chestnut Hill, as Miami (FL) will pay a visit and provide an early conference test for both teams.

The Hurricanes have been nothing short of fantastic to begin the year, registering wins over South Carolina and Minnesota that highlight their impressive 8-0 start.

It will be the first matchup within ACC play for both teams, which increases its meaning as they do battle in early December.

Despite the consecutive road wins for the Eagles, they continue to play without Rakim Sanders. He is expected to be back very soon for BC; however, the fact remains that the Eagles are willing to make sure Sanders is completely healthy before returning instead of rushing him back to the lineup.

For the Eagles, the key has to be what lies right in front of them. Their game with Miami (FL) marks the beginning of an eight-game home stand, most of which are games in which they are heavily favored.

Al Skinner and the Eagles need to make sure they begin the home stand with a solid performance against the Hurricanes. At 8-0 Miami (FL) has started very strong, led by the play of their leaders Dwayne Collins, James Dews, and Malcolm Grant.

Miami (FL) (8-0) and Boston College (5-2) will tip at 3:00PM tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, December 6th.

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Boston Red Sox Sign Marco Scutaro

Adam Bernacchio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:05:40 -0500

If first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, and try again.

Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has tried and tried and tried to find a replacement at shortstop for Nomar Garciaparra ever since he traded the star shortstop in the summer of 2003.

Perhaps tonight, he has finally tried and succeeded.

According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse , the Red Sox have signed free agent SS Marco Scutaro to a two-year contract. The deal also includes a mutual option for a third year.

No financial terms of the deal have been disclosed yet.

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago I wrote a free agent primer and said that Scutaro would be the biggest bust hitter of this free agent class. And despite Scutaro signing with the team I root for, I am sticking to my statement.

The Ghost of Moonlight Graham doesn’t backtrack on statements.

I don’t care if this deal was for one-year, two-years, or 10-years–I am not a fan of this signing. This has Julio Lugo Part Two written all over it.

I just don’t see how a guy, who was a scrub his whole life and is 34-years-old, has one good year and all of a sudden is going to produce like that on a yearly basis. I am sorry, but I just don’t see it.

What also kills me about the Red Sox signing Scutaro is that they have to give up a first-round pick for the guy. Due to the fact that Scutaro is a Type A free agent and was offered arbitration by the Toronto Blue Jays, Scutaro will cost the Red Sox the 29th pick overall and a supplemental pick in the 2010 draft.

I have a hard time justifying giving up a first-round pick for a stop-gap shortstop.

There are a couple of positives to deal, so I am not going to be completely negative.

First, unlike the Lugo deal, this deal is only for two years. Epstein was smart not to give Scutaro anything longer than two years. Second, this will give slick fielding shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias time to develop in the minors.

The Scutaro signing means Iglesias won’t be rushed to the majors–hopefully.

Scutaro last season hit .282 for the Blue Jays, with a .379 OBP, 35 doubles, 90 walks (seventh in the AL) and 100 runs scored. My guess is Scutaro will bat ninth for the Red Sox in 2010.

The deal is pending a physical and should be finalized Friday morning.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Patriots Defense on the Decline

Chad Klassen — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:16:09 -0500

Maybe when Bill Belichick gambled on fourth-and-two, he was right to think his defense couldn’t stop Peyton Manning and the Colts. New England’s Monday night performance at the Superdome only reinforced the fact that Belichick’s defense is a mere shadow of what it was during their Super Bowl run.

For the second time this season, the Patriots, who themselves took an undefeated season to Super Bowl XLII two years ago, lost to an unbeaten team on the road in primetime.

But unlike the “Rivalry of the Decade” game in Indy, where they dominated the Colts for the better part of three quarters, the AFC East leaders were smacked around in every facet by an impressive 11-0 Saints team that continues to surprise with their explosive offensive attack—and stout defense.

Drew Brees torched the Pats for 371 yards passing and five touchdowns, including a 75-yard bomb to a wide open Devery Henderson during New Orleans' 21-point second quarter. It broke the game open en route to the 38-17 blowout victory.

The busted coverage on Henderson’s TD—with no defender within 15 yards of him—was also a play that exemplified how New England’s defense has performed in 2009, especially against the league’s top team.

Leaving the dubious fourth-down call aside, the unit couldn’t stop Manning with a pair of 17-point advantages. In New Orleans, they didn’t give their offensive counterparts even a chance to take a lead.

Sure, the Patriots shut out the winless Titans in a blizzard at Gillette Stadium, but Tennessee was still seeking out an identity. Since then, defensively it’s only proven itself to give up the big play in three of their four losses to date—whether it’s on the ground or through the air.

New England is only the 12th-best defense in the NFL, allowing 313 yards per game, and its front seven has struggled to stop the run with 109 yards against through 11 games.

Part of the problem stems from the fact the Pats have lost significant pieces from their defense in the last two offseasons—most notably Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel in the secondary through free agency and recently Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour, who were both shipped off to the AFC West.

Luckily, they managed to steal a first and second-round pick from the Raiders and Chiefs, respectively, but they still miss the likes of Seymour and Vrabel in the trenches.

Now, without that strong veteran presence on the field, the losses defensively seem to have finally caught up with the team. In the past, even during the Super Bowl-winning seasons, Belichick managed to replace veterans in key position with young talent, but that's no longer apparent.

The Patriots will most likely survive a pretty watered-down AFC East division, which boasts only one team above .500 in this New England squad at 7-4. But major concerns on defense put Belichick’s bunch in the second tier of the AFC and may mean the difference between a Super Bowl contender and a mere playoff team.

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What the Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas and a Fine Wine Have in Common

Aaron Tom — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:11:48 -0500

Yes, we've all heard the stories of Tim Thomas' meteoric rise from the minor leagues, to Finland, to the NHL, and back to Finland, before finally becoming a full-time member of the Boston Bruins in 2005-06. We've all heard how he, rather suddenly, went from trying to crack an NHL roster to topping the league by winning the Vezina trophy last season.

For a while now, it seems the nation has been gripped with Thomas fever, with article after article highlighting his humble childhood, in which his parents pawned their wedding rings in order to send him to a hockey school, and how he has stayed down-to-earth even after becoming a star.

In fact, in all the great details of his off-ice personality, which show that making loads of money does not change everyone, it can become easy to forget that his on-ice performances are even better.

Ladies and gentlemen, I said it last year and I will gladly say it again: Tim Thomas is the best goalie in the NHL.

His numbers through two months may seem to indicate otherwise, with a 2.36 goals-against-average (good for tenth in the league) and a rather meager .915 save percentage (good for 15th). Perhaps most appalling of all, however, is his rather pedestrian 6-6-3 record, certainly not the mark of an outstanding goaltender. Right?

Well, while numbers certainly serve a purpose, they fail to tell the whole story. Such as how, in four of those losses, Thomas allowed two goals or fewer. Or how just as he regained his consistency and brilliance from last year, he was forced to sit out six games with a mysterious "minor" injury that was believed to be a broken hand.

But as Thomas' long journey to the NHL has proven: you can knock him down, but you can't knock him out. And if history is any kind of reliable indicator, he has spent far too long proving naysayers wrong to let a few problems such as a sputtering offense and a hand injury get in his way.

Mark my words: he'll be back, and with a vengeance.

Much has been made of his hybrid style in net, a mix of the butterfly goalie and soccer goalies all rolled into one. But his style, or lack thereof as the case may be, doesn't matter; like musical genres, they're just labels used to lump goalies into convenient categories that ignore the subtle differences unique to each personal goaltender. All that matters is that he stops the puck.

And Thomas has proven himself to be more than adept when it comes to doing just that, constantly making his rounds on the NHL's "Top Saves of the Week" clips, and usually in the top 3. As a young player of any sport, the first thing you learn is to never give up on a play; Thomas shows you exactly why, consistently snatching pucks away from gapingly wide open nets that most goalies wouldn't have even tried for, much less been successful at stopping.

And he has done so with increasing regularity ever since his debut season with the B's. From the moment he burst on to the scene, you could tell he was going to be a breath of fresh air; there was just something special about the voracity with which he protected his net. Yet at the same time, it wasn't at all uncommon for cameras to pick up shots of the goaltender suddenly smiling from underneath his cage, as if once again replaying his whole career through his mind, and realizing, perhaps for the thousandth time, that he was right where he'd been trying to get all along.

To see such a picture is a refreshing reminder that there are still athletes that enjoy doing what they are doing; that play for the love of the game, rather than solely for the big paychecks that come along with it.

But underneath the smiles is an athlete that is as intense and focused as they come. Chances are, you've seen the footage of Thomas going after Rangers mega-pest Sean Avery after Avery "accidentally" hit him in the head with his stick while skating past during a TV timeout. Or the clip of Thomas knocking down Andrei Kostitsyn of the Canadiens when he hit Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward into the boards from behind. It's these kinds of events that prove Thomas is not only committed to stopping the puck, but also to standing up for himself, and his teammates.

At 35, a time when most goaltenders are approaching (or have effectively hit) the end of their prime, Thomas is somehow managing to get better.

Forget the "what-ifs" that often permeate articles about the guy: "What if he had made the NHL right out of college, would we be mentioning his name along with the Brodeurs and the Luongos?", or "What if he had never made it to the NHL at all?"

The "what-ifs" no longer matter.

All that matters is that he has finally made it, and he is here to stay for good.

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2009 NFL Season: Week 12

C Douglas Baker — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:39:55 -0500

My comments on Thanksgiving Day games can be found here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/298164-2009-nfl-season-week-12-thanksgiving-day-special

GAMES I WATCHED

New Orleans Saints over New England Patriots, 38-17

This was the marquee matchup of the weekend and it didn’t live up to its hype. The Saints spanked the Patriots like an unwanted step child.

The shellacking the Patriots took at the hands of the Saints was a nasty reality check for New England Patriots fans. We must face the fact the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and even the Indianapolis Colts, are the elite teams in the league this year. We are a notch below, along with a handful of other teams, peeking our head over the windowsill wondering how we got left out the party.

I’ll dispense with comments on the Saints in this game by simply saying they are a great team. Drew Brees is absolutely phenomenal and had an unbelievable performance. And defensive coordinator Greg Williams had a brilliant game plan and has really turned this defense around. I’ve been utterly impressed with the Saints all year long and suffering through this game left me even more impressed. I expect to see a Saints versus Vikings matchup in the NFC Championship Game. And if it turns out anything like the wild game they had in the regular season last year, it should be wildly entertaining.

Now on to the Patriots and what to make of the fiasco we witnessed on Monday night.

Let’s start with the offensive, the most fixable problem we face the rest of the season and into the playoffs, which we should reach. The offense has become utterly predictable.

The Saints simply dropped numerous players in coverage and took away the short passing game and Wes Welker, and mostly blanketed Randy Moss. They were able to get decent pressure on Brady, especially in the second half, with only a four man rush.

This was partially because of injuries on our offensive line, which hopefully will get back in shape by seasons’ end. But the Patriots’ offense appears pretty easy to scheme against these days.

We abandon the run way too soon and in the second half, like last week against the Jets, it was bombs away with nobody to throw the ball to. We need to at least mix up our plays a bit throughout the game and come up with less predictable or more creative schemes to get receivers open.

That’s not to say the offense is bad.

We scored 17 points against the Saints and really should have had more but for a few errant throws and interceptions by Brady. But nevertheless, we need to address this. Charlie Weis anyone?

Our defense right now is in a complete rebuilding mode. Most of our starting defensive backs are young players or recent starters and it shows. They have been frequently out of place and burned all year by most teams we’ve faced.

We have just gotten by with it, for the most part, because the offense has been putting up enough points to cover for them. The lousy play by the defensive backs was painfully evident on numerous blown coverages against the Saints. They should be embarrassed.

I hope they are.

Adding to our woes on defense we cannot get a pass rush or pressure the quarterback. Drew Brees had enough time in the pocket to eat a steak dinner and down a few drinks, much less throw the ball to his outstanding corps of receivers. What happened to Adalius Thomas? He has completely disappeared as a playmaker on this defense.

Overall the defense played like it was on a 0-16 team, not a championship caliber team. Now people don’t need to wonder why Bill Belichick went for it on fourth and two to try to preserve the game against the Colts two weeks ago, after Manning torched the defense for two long drives in no time. A punt might have been giving the game away.

The defense, as noted earlier, is in a rebuilding phase and I suspect it will take some time for it to come around. Unfortunately, it won’t likely be anytime soon, and not in time for a significant playoff run.

MVP: Drew Brees, QB

Philadelphia Eagles over Washington Redskins, 27-24

I will say this about the Redskins, all these new players finding themselves in starting roles are playing very hard and being competitive. Even though the Redskins are losing some close games, at least they don’t look as pathetic as they did earlier in the season.

They actually look like they belong in the NFL these days. The oft maligned Jason Campbell played reasonably well other than his two interceptions to Asante Samuel.

This was a game that the Redskins could have won but the Eagles just simply pulled it out at the end. Despite a talented group of receivers, the Eagles seem to greatly miss Brian Westbrook in the lineup. They just aren’t the same. And putting Michael Vick in to run plays seemed mostly counterproductive. It slowed the momentum of the offense.

Hats off to London Fletcher, the Redskins’ middle linebacker. He has been playing All Pro caliber defense all year long, as has Eagles’ defense end Trent Cole.

Finally, while his statistics don’t pop off the page, my MVP goes to Eagles’ wide receiver Jason Avant, whose two big catches in the fourth quarter jumpstarted the offense and the Eagles to their tying touchdown.

MVP: Jason Avant, WR

Minnesota Vikings over Chicago Bears, 36-10

I really felt this game was over before it really started. It turned out pretty much exactly as I expected it to. The Bears defense has not been great this year and the offense, especially Jay Cutler, has been subpar. But really, it’s the Bears offensive line that has been atrocious.

I assume that Orlando Pace was sitting on the sideline in the second half because he was benched for poor play. I feel really badly for Pace in some ways. In his prime he was an outstanding left tackle. But injuries and time spent in the NFL getting pounded on every week has clearly made him past his prime. For his sake I hope to see him retire this year. It’s time.

Meanwhile, Cutler threw his obligatory two interceptions during the game and his receivers did nothing to help him. And what happened to Matt Forte?

The Bears are in big, big trouble going forward. They gave up a boatload of draft picks for Jay Cutler and are in such desperate need of help in so many areas that it may be years before we see this team win again, especially if the Cutler we see now is what we can expect in the future.

Brett Favre had another excellent day, and rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin lit up the field with six catches for 101 yards and touchdown.

MVP: Brett Favre, QB

Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-17 OT

Baltimore eked out a win against the Steelers and finally won a close game. They keep their slim playoff hopes alive. But Ravens fans shouldn’t get too excited.

There is no reason that the Ravens should have had to go into overtime when the Steelers were starting a third string quarterback. They continue to play down to the level of their competition.

That’s not to say that second year quarterback Dennis Dixon from the University of Oregon had a bad game. He actually played quite well. While the Steelers obviously altered their game plan a bit for him, he did throw the ball, and mostly well, throughout the game.

He also made a few nice plays with his legs. I think he has some potential. I felt sorry for him when he threw and interception in overtime that set up the Ravens for the win, but that’s how it goes.

The Ravens offense struggled a bit with the Steelers defense, but who doesn’t. I would say that Michael Oher and Jarred Gaither had a tough time against the Steelers linebackers, but who doesn’t?

For the most part they played really well, but there were stretches of time where I they were getting beat. And if Michael Oher, both last week and this week sure looks like he is moving before the ball is snapped on almost every play, but I guess he’s not since the officials aren’t calling it.

Overall this was a very interesting game given the circumstances. I’m not surprised the Ravens won, I’m just surprised they found it so difficult to do so.

MVP: Ray Rice, RB

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS

If I did a power ranking, the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and Indianapolis Colts would be the top three teams, in that order. There are several teams just below them.

Brett Favre, Drew Brees, and Vince Young had outstanding performances. Vince Young? He’s won five straight games as the starter for the Titans and has looked really good doing it. I wonder if he is going to make me eat my words that he will never be a good starting quarterback in the NFL?

I don’t recall the last highly touted wide receiver out of Florida that wasn’t a bust in the NFL. I’m sure someone will tell me who it is. But Percy Harvin is certainly breaking that streak.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Defensive Player: Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay Packers

Offensive Lineman: Ryan Clady, T, Denver Broncos

Special Teams: LaRod Stephens-Howling, KR, Arizona Cardinals

Rookie of the Week: Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Posted in AFC East, Bill Belichick, National Football League, New England Patriots, NFL, Sports Tagged: AFC East, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Chicago Bears, National Football League, New England Patriots, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sports, Washington Redskins

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Why Mess with Dustin Pedroia's Success?

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:30:00 -0500

Apparently the Boston Red Sox management is in complete panic mode.

Last night there was quite a stir in New England when the name 'Dustin Pedroia' and the word 'shortstop' were all mentioned in the same sentence.

With the shortstop position in complete crisis mode, one "solution" is possibly moving the current and Gold Glove winning second baseman to his old position in while playing for Arizona State in college.

Is this really a smart move?

Pedroia isn't foreign to the position, but he hasn't played it since 2006 while he split between Pawtucket and the Red Sox.

A similar comparison would be when the New York Yankees shifted Alex Rodriguez to third base from shortstop to make room for him on the roster and on the diamond since Derek Jeter already filled in that slot.

Pedroia won a Gold Glove in 2008 and has flashed a lot of leather around in his three full big league seasons.

He's committed only 18 errors in those three seasons out of 2,021 chances and exactly six errors per season.

Why mess with Pedroia's success? And suppose it doesn't work out?

There's already a rumor going around that the Sox are interested in 34-year-old second baseman Placido Palanco who wasn't offered arbitration from the Detroit Tigers.

Wait, another 34-year-old? What is it with these guys?

Marco Scutaro or Palanco?

On a defensive stand point, Palanco made two errors in 151 games and Scutaro had 10 errors in 43 games.

Oh, what to do Boston, can we please get it together?

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Dustin Pedroia's Gesture Broadens Red Sox' Options

Sean Kennedy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:19:55 -0500

The news that Dustin Pedroia is willing to move to shortstop to accommodate the Red Sox is a sign of his selflessness. It is also a sign of his willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team win.

But, naturally, questions have arisen as to whether Pedroia can actually play short, whether he has the range, and, particularly, the arm strength for the position.

However, it's important to remember that Pedroia has a long history of success at shortstop, going all the way back to college.

At Arizona State, Pedroia was a star shortstop that gained national attention. In fact, he beat out Ian Kinsler, another future All-Star middle infielder, for the position.

Pedroia was nothing less than a sensation at short, twice a first-team All-American, and the national Defensive Player of the Year in 2003.

When the Red Sox drafted him out of ASU in 2004, they were particularly compelled by his defensive prowess at the position.

In 2004, Pedroia played 42 games at shortstop in the South Atlantic and Florida State leagues without making an error. He only moved to second base in 2005 at Portland because the Red Sox had another rising sensation at shortstop, Hanley Ramirez.

Despite this, Pedroia still played shortstop in both Portland and Pawtucket. In over 270 minor league games, he made a total of just seven errors.

The evidence is compelling; the guy can indeed play short.

But why would the Red Sox move their MVP, two-time All-Star, and Gold Glove winner to shortstop? Because there are better and more affordable short-term possibilities available at second base this offseason.

The Dodgers did not offer arbitration to free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. The eight-year veteran, who will be 32 in a matter of days, is a career .282/.348/.431 hitter. More importantly, he is a four-time Gold Glove winner.

Hudson made only $3.38 million this past season, and would be a very affordable option to the Red Sox.

The financially struggling Reds need to shed payroll and are apparently willing to part with second baseman Brandon Phillips.

Phillips' contract calls for a guaranteed $17.75 million over the next two seasons, making him too expensive for the Reds. But he is an affordable option for the Red Sox, with a contract that will pay him $6.75 million in 2010 and $11 million in 2011. There is also a $12 million club option in 2012, with a $1 million buyout.

The 28-year-old hit .276 with 20 homers and 98 RBI this year, obviously very appealing numbers. And the guy can play defense too, winning the Gold Glove in 2008.

Thirty-four-year-old Placido Polanco is another option. A two-time Gold Glove winner with Detroit (2007, 2009), Polanco is a career .303/.348/.414 hitter, and over the last three seasons he has scored an average of 92 runs.

At this stage of his career, Polanco would represent yet another affordable, short-term option to the Red Sox, especially since he wasn't offered arbitration by Detroit.

Eleven-year veteran Ronnie Belliard is one more option for the Red Sox.

Though he will be 35 at the start of next season, Belliard is an excellent defensive player and a career .275/.339/.418 hitter. Over the last five seasons, Belliard has averaged 12 homers and 58 RBI, making his defense the essence of his appeal.

Like Hudson, the Dodgers did not offer Belliard arbitration. His last contract only paid him $3.5 million over two years, making him an easily affordable option to the Red Sox. That said, he is a long shot.

The Red Sox clearly aren't eager to move Pedroia to short, but the idea is at least under consideration. There are still other available options at short via the free agent market.

Miguel Tejada wasn't given arbitration by the Astros, significantly lifting his appeal.

At 35, he might accept a two-year offer from the Red Sox to play short in 2010, then move to third in 2011 when Mike Lowell's contract is up.

Though his power has diminished greatly, Tejada is still an offensive force, batting .313 with 199 hits last season.

Tejada may be the most desirable of the free agent shortstops on the market. Players such as Khalil Greene and Adam Everett aren't very enticing, and Marco Scutaro was offered arbitration by the Blue Jays, lessening his appeal.

Orlando Cabrera is a bit of a long shot to fill the gap for the Red Sox.

Now 35, Cabrera led all shortstops with 25 errors last season, while hitting 284/.316/.389.

Aside from his defensive shortcomings, Cabrera's low OBP doesn't fit the profile the Red Sox favor.

Cabrera has diminishing leverage as a free agent. He is coming off a one-year, $4 million deal with Oakland, a figure he won't likely command this winter.

Considering the dearth of quality shortstops available, it's easy to understand why the Red Sox are considering a variety of second basemen instead.

Having their incumbent second baseman so willing and able to move to shortstop may ultimately provide much better options to the club this offseason.

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New England Patriots All Decade Team 2000s: Offense

Ryan Pickard — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:44:40 -0500

The New England Patriots have had their best decade in history during the 2000's. This has definately been a decade Pats fans will remember for a long time. The Pats won their first Super Bowl Chamionship in 2001 and then went on to win another two in 2003 and 2004. They have gone on to play in the Big Game four times and have won four AFC Championships. For a team that had been known more as a bottom feeder since their inception in the league in 1962 they have suddenly become a dynasty on par with the Packers of the 60s, the Steelers of the 70s, the 49ers of the 80s, and the Cowboys of the 90s. With so many championships there have been so many great players to come through this team in just this past 10 years alone. Feel free to voice your opinion if you agree or disagree and feel like somebody else should have made the list.

Begin Slideshow

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.

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What the Marc Savard Extension Means to the Boston Bruins' Future

Ryan Pickard — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:51:16 -0500

I guess I'm a little late to this one, as a couple of other writers have already penned articles about the Boston Bruins signing Marc Savard to a contract extension, so I decided to look at it in another way.

The Bruins announced yesterday that they have signed star center Marc Savard to a seven-year extension worth a total of about $28.05 million. It's set up so he will make more money toward the beginning of the contract and less as the years go on.

If Savard is still around at the end of his contract, he will be 39 years old, which is the obvious reason why he will be making much less, as he will have probably lost a step or two after seven more seasons.

Savard will make $7 million in each of the first two seasons, then $6.5 million in the third year, and $5 million in the fourth year. For the final three years, his salary will drop considerably, to $1.5 million and then to $525,000 for each of the final two years.

Looking at the future of the Bruins, this is a great signing. Savard could have most likely gone elsewhere in the offseason and gotten more money playing for another team, but he decided to stick around in Boston even though he got paid a little less.

Savard has been in Boston for the past four years and has been one of the Bruins' best players since he arrived. He has been at the top of the league in assists each year, averaging 67 per season.

He has also made the All-Star game the past two years and has changed his play dramatically. Considered a one-way player before he came to Boston, usually taking weak penalties in the offensive zone and not helping the defense much, Savard has completely changed his play in Boston and is now a formidable two-way player.

He's been a great mentor to the younger guys, too, helping them learn the way to play in the NHL.

This signing also signals a change in the Bruins organization. In past years they were known as a team that wasn't willing to sign the big-time players, most notably Bill Guerin. Now with this signing, hopefully it will attract other big-time free agents to think about signing in Boston.

Expect Savard to continue to be a great contributor to the Bruins for years to come, and hopefully he might just be able to help the B's bring back the Cup that has been eluding them for far too long.

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Twitter: J.R. Giddens Tarnishing a Reputation That's Already Smeared

Kyle Schnitzer — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:31:37 -0500

The world of technology is great. With all the treats we are given, most of us appreciate them. We realize that everything is available to the public. Such technological advances include Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.

However with all of these gifts, some find a way to tarnish themselves. Whether it be posting a picture of your new back tattoo (Exhales: Michael Beasley) or tweeting during a game (Charlieee).

You can add another embarrassing moment for second-year player J.R. Giddens, currently a backup forward for the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics started the night on a four game win streak. They defeated the Charlotte Bobcats with a 108-90 victory. Led by Guard Ray Allen, who delivered a 27-point performance; accompanied by the typical double-double by Center Kendrick Perkins, who scored 21 points with 12 rebounds.

The win streak comes at a great time as the Celtics travel to the West Coast to face the San Antonio Spurs, who stand in seventh in the Western Conference with a 9-6 record.

They then travel to Oklahoma City to face a young and hungry Thunder squad. It seems that the Celtics have everything going their way. They are spotless. Wrong.

After tonight's victory, Guard J.R. Giddens made an immature post on Twitter; stating, “just got another big road win... 2 down 2 to go.. san ant here we cum...” Cum? You mean come, right? Two problems I have with the post, Giddens had 65 characters left in his tweet. He could have easily added maybe an inspirational message to all his fans, but that followed his tweet.

It's not the first time that Mr. Giddens has been in the spotlight for poor judgment. During his High School years at John Marshall High School, he was arrested in 2002 and charged with “felony counts of conspiracy to commit grand larceny.”

In 2005, when he was still playing for the Kansas Jayhawks, he was the victim of a stabbing to his right calf, where he received 30 stitches to heal the pain. Giddens was later charged with misdemeanor battery as well as disorderly conduct.

The second problem I have is how athletes abuse the power of social networks. Sure, it's great to see an athlete active with the public.

However when one acts in such a way, you tarnish your character as well as the organization you play for.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but when you have 343 followers on Twitter, you don't think one follower wouldn't realize that? Come on J.R, you're better than this.

Through my perspective, athletes should use their nice big school education and realize what their post means and how it can effect their reputation.

It's alright to post like Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Jeff Green, who uses slang on Twitter but uses his brain (“chilling watching college basketball...what yall doing? ). Or even the posts of Memphis Grizzlies Center Hasheem Thabeet (“LOL... hehehe heeeee (with someones voice)”).

My advice to J.R.: You went to Kansas and New Mexico, use your University Studies major to your advantage.

Original Twitter Tweet: http://twitter.com/jgidd4/status/6257876677

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NFL Congressional Testimony to Include Published Mouth Guard Data

Mahercor .com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:06:14 -0500

NFL%20Can%20Help%20Prevent%20Concussions%20Right%20Now&src=sp" name="fb_share"> Paula Duffy

Examiner

More than a year ago I wrote a piece about a simple mouth guard which prevented concussions when worn by athletes. I asked why the NFL wasn't all over it, testing it, buying it, and making it part of their equipment.

The mouth guard was developed and is sold by a dentist named Gerald Maher who for many years has been the dentist for the New England Patriots. As Patriots players got the hang of the device they raved about it, (testimonials on Maher's company's website ) especially players who had already suffered heard trauma.

As those Patriots players like Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel moved about the league they brought their mouth guards with them and members of their new teams were introduced to the device. But this was mere anecdotal evidence and the NFL said it needed peer reviewed studies, in which it never seemed to be interested enough to put into motion.

The Maher mouth guard doesn't prevent all concussions. It works specifically with the lower jaw but its success rate, until recently all anecdotal, is eyebrow raising if not astounding.

And then a few weeks ago, a study was published on Dr. Maher's device. Its study subjects were high school age football players, and according to a statement filed with the House Judiciary Committee by Maher's company, Mahercor Laboratories, LLC, it validates the company's methods of examining a player's jaw and fitting a device to help prevent concussion from direct blows.

Two weeks ago, that same committee, chaired by Representative John Conyers, (D-MI) heard testimony from NFL executives, former players, wives of former players, and medical professionals. The topic was what the league will do with recent study results that found its retired players are 19 times more likely than the average person who never played football to be diagnosed with a memory disorder.

The league now has data it can't ignore any longer. But since the study didn't prove a direct causal link between concussions on the field of play and the condition of the brains of ex-NFL players, it doesn't want to admit anything and says it needs to study the problem in more detail.

In the meantime, concussions occur weekly on every team, some more newsworthy than others.

All the Judiciary Committee did was to give the league its chance to insist that it was working on the problem therefore government intervention isn't necessary.

Some conservative members of the committee used that time to talk about their disdain for poking Congress' nose into a private workplace, even if worker safety is a factor. Funny how OSHA doesn't seem to apply to football players.

Mahercor has an advocate in Senator John Kerry (D MA) as well as endorsements from the ADA, the current president of the AFL-CIO, and a board member of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. It has the study results published in the The Academy of Sports Dentistry's Referring Journal, the Journal of Dental Traumatology,

I have no relationship with Mahercor and write as a journalist and observer. In the year since I began following this story, the concussion problems for the NFL have not only continued, but data about brain damage to former players as young as their mid-thirties is very disturbing.

I think it's time to take some relief where the league can find it right now. As I said, the Mahercor mouth guard isn't a cure for all head trauma. But it's a great start and it seems odd that the league doesn't use its two-minute drill to get some relief where it exists right now.

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/42133/mouthguards_key_to_avoiding_becoming_a_drooling_wreck

Gregg Easterbrook today

Why won't the NFL set a positive example and require advanced helmets? And the league's announcement says nothing about double-sided mouthguards, the fastest, cheapest step against concussions. New England Patriots players wear double-sided mouthguards. If the NFL required them for all players, the NCAA and most high schools would soon follow.

Oct 1/09 research publication

http://www.mahercorlabs.com/pdf/Dental_Traumatology%20Publication.pdf

www.mahercor.com

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Saints Demolish Patriots: Can New England Rebuild?

Mike Gleason — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:39:07 -0500

I don't think I've ever seen a team demolished like that.

There's really no other word to describe it. The Saints took every part of this Patriots team and smashed it to the ground.

The defensive backs couldn't cover anybody. The defensive line couldn't generate pressure on Drew Brees. The linebackers couldn't stop the Saints' running backs.

The offensive line couldn't protect. The receivers couldn't get open. The running backs couldn't gain consistent, positive yardage. Tom Brady couldn't throw the ball accurately.

Every unit of the team was prone to boneheaded mistakes and miscues.

Did the Patriots do anything well? (This is not rhetorical. I'm dying for something positive to take from this game.)

The mind-boggling thing about this season is the fact that the Pats could still wind up 12-4. 12-4? For a team that has looked so utterly hopeless at times?

If the Patriots do indeed end up with that record, it will seem (even to Pats fans like yours truly) fraudulent.

This team has had the good luck to play some truly awful teams and a bevy of mediocre ones. They have failed nearly every test they've come across (except against the Ravens, who are a legitimately tough team).

They would enter the postseason tournament as this year's paper tiger—the one team every year that looks impressive, but does so because it's dealt with subpar competition all year.

I'm sure this isn't pleasant to read (it sure isn't pleasant to write), but can anyone who watched last night's game still hold out Super Bowl hopes for this team?

It seems to have become easy to throw this team's offense out of sync. Teams still respect Randy Moss a bit, but I think they've increasingly realized that Brady has lost his deep-ball accuracy.

Therefore, they've decided to stop Wes Welker, tackling him immediately after he catches short patterns, the bread-and-butter of this Pats offense.

They've started to cover both receivers well, and the team's next options at receiver aren't very scary (Sam Aiken? The suddenly disappeared Julian Edelman?).

Laurence Maroney is probably the one Patriot who you could say played well (trust me, that's weird to say), but he's not the type of workhorse through which one could run an offense.

The less said about the defense, the better. I think, had Brees and company simply been playing against air, they would have had a tougher time of it.

Bill Belichick has said he believes the problems with this team are correctable. I hope so, because week 13 is a little late to rebuild a team.

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Triathlete Shows It's the Size of the Fight in the Dog

Todd Civin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:29:50 -0500

John Young will never be able to dunk a basketball. Probably wouldn't fare very well in the high jump and more than likely will never be asked to put the star on the top of the community Christmas tree.

At 4'4" tall, there are many more "size-dependent challenges" where John Young wouldn't have a very high probability of success, either. But rather than focus on the "can't do's" in life, Young continues to prove to the naysayers, to himself, and, perhaps most importantly, to his 7-year-old son Owen, that it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that is important.

I was introduced to Young by Dick and Rick Hoyt. While doing a story on the famed father/son triathlon duo, they shared an email that Young had previously sent to them. After using the email in my story, Dick and Rick Hoyt—Modern Day Super Heroes, I was thanked by Young for acknowledging his own personal athletic endeavors.

I couldn't let the opportunity pass to delve deeper into the story behind John Young. A new hero was born.

Young was born 43 years ago with achondroplasia, a congenital condition that affects the body’s ability to form cartilage. The affliction, a form of dwarfism, hinders normal bone growth.

Though Young’s parents and siblings are of average size, Young has lived his life with the stature of a "little person", but the heart, drive, and determination of someone three times his size.

Through his refusal to accept size as a deterrent, Young has served as a school basketball coach near his previous hometown of Toronto as well as during a stint in Hong Kong, and at his current school, The Pingree School in South Hamilton, Mass., where he is also a high school mathematics teacher.

He has since moved on to become Pingree's varsity swimming coach, a position that he has a pedigree for. In 1993, Young competed in the World Dwarf Games in Chicago as the sole representative of Canada. He won two gold medals swimming in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke.

"I really enjoyed coaching basketball and hesitated to give it up, but in retrospect, I'm glad I made the switch", he said. "Swimming is a sport I do myself, where with basketball I was really a "book coach." I never really played the sport, I just enjoyed it. It was something I understood."

He is now beginning his fourth season as coach of the Pingree swim team, a program for which he has high hopes.

As a teen in Toronto, he spent his high school years managing the varsity football team, while playing intramural rugby and hockey.

“I’ve always been interested in athletics, either as a fan, participant, or coach,” he explains.

But his latest challenge is as a triathlete, a sport where he can successfully compete against himself and his own personal times, while competing with able-bodied athletes.

"I don't see myself as disabled; in fact I don't like the term", he said. "I see myself as simply differently-abled."

To date, Young has competed in four triathlons. In his first event last July, the Mill City Triathlon in Lowell, Young competed in the aqua bike portion of the event. The aqua bike portion of a sprint triathlon includes a one-third-mile swim in the Merrimac River, followed by a 13-mile back ride.

He found the Mill City event to be "both exhilarating and terrifying", as the water was running both high and fast.

"At one point in the race, for about 15 minutes, I was swimming but not moving because the current was so strong. My wife actually thought I was going to get carried away," he said, laughing.

The one-third mile swim took "50 minutes up and 12 minutes back," John says with a chuckle. After he completed the 13-mile bike ride and went into the record books as an official finisher, he was hooked.

His official time for his first aqua-bike was two hours and one minute.

Young hesitated to participate in the run portion of the triathlons because running is the piece that he finds most physically challenging. However, after some coercion by Pingree Athletic Director Chris Powers, Young decided to add the run to his triathlon repertoire.

"Chris said, 'Just walk the run portion. What difference does it make as long as you finish?'"

He entered the Witch City Triathlon in Salem, Mass., as one of 299 competitors. As the only little person in the field, he cycled faster than 21 competitors and actually swam and ran faster than one finisher.

But in John Young's mind it isn't about winning but simply challenging himself to compete. He admits that he is doing this as much for his son Owen as he is for himself as an exercise in self-esteem building.

"My son was born with the same type of dwarfism my wife, Sue, and I have. About 18 months ago he was really struggling, finally realizing that all of his friends are going to be bigger than him and faster then him. It's difficult for him," explains Young, who also competed last summer in the challenging Timberman Triathlon in Gilford, N.H., and the TDD Triathlon in Douglas, Mass.

"He asked 'Can I get better shoes? Will that make me run faster?' We try to explain to him that there are other ways he is going to find success and running against other people probably isn't one of them."

Following the Witch City event, Young was approached by the team captain of Comprehensive Racing, who asked him to join their team. "He contacted me and said 'If you're going to keep racing, we want you on our team.'"

"I've never been invited to join any type of athletic team. I was always the last one picked. For the first time, to actually be wanted—even at 43 years old—was the coolest thing in the world."

Before I ended my conversation with my new favorite inspiration, Young shared his favorite quote with me, a quote by Ashley Halsey.

"Triathlon has become life in microcosm, a metaphor that gives truth to the wisdom passed from each generation to the next: Work hard and you will be rewarded, have faith in yourself and you will excel; do not falter when an ill wind blows your way."

And that, is why John Young competes.

Upcoming events:

John Young will be competing this Sunday, Dec. 6 in the Jolly Jaunt a 5K walk/run in Danvers, Mass., to benefit the Special Olympics. His personal pledge page contains the following quote:

"Being physically challenged myself, I've gone through much of my life being told by others that there are certain things I shouldn't do because of my short stature. Running and competing in triathlons is one thing I have chosen to do in order to get fit and show people you can do pretty much whatever you set your mind to.

"To that end, I'm participating in the 2009 Jolly Jaunt because I believe in the highly-effective programs run by Special Olympics Massachusetts, and I want to do something to help."

"I have set a goal to raise money for my local-area Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics athletes never pay a cent to participate in any of the 26 different sports offered, so we are raising critical dollars to fund the year-round sports training and athletic competitions for athletes in Massachusetts with intellectual disabilities.

"By running/walking or financially supporting the 2009 Jolly Jaunt, we can improve the lives of some very courageous and dedicated athletes in Massachusetts with intellectual disabilities and other closely-related developmental disabilities.

Your donation will help to provide them with programs and services that will bring them a more healthy lifestyle, as well as happiness and pride and in all that they do."

Feel free to donate on my personal pledge page. TC

Todd Civin is a freelance writer who writes for Bleacher Report, Sports, Then and Now, and Seamheads. He is a supporter of A Glove of Their Own, the award-winning children’s story that teaches paying it forward through baseball.

The Joe Niekro Foundation is the most recent non-profit organization to join the A Glove of Their Own team and will earn $3 from each sale of the book purchased using the donor code JNF636 Joe Niekro Foundation.

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Chicago Cubs Could Provide Solution To Red Sox's Shortstop Dilemma

Matt Trueblood — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:34:06 -0500

Dustin Pedroia, winner of the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player and second base Gold Glove, recently told the Boston Red Sox that he would willingly move to shortstop according to an mlb.com report. Boston asked Pedroia to consider the switch after choosing to decline the option of incumbent shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

Pedroia though is a key cog in the Red Sox's offense. He bats second, has a career line of .307/.370/.455, and has more doubles than anyone other then Baltimore's Brian Roberts since the start of the 2007 season.

That last statistic indicates that Pedroia has the chance to develop more power, which would bump him from the ranks of the best offensive second basemen in the league, to the ranks of the best hitters anywhere in the league.

Since Pedroia also plays fantastic defense around the keystone sack (witness his Gold Glove), and the 9.8 fielding runs above average he posted in 2009, (according to fangraphs.com), the Sox might ultimately decide that moving him across the infield is not worth the risk.

If they do, Theo Epstein will have to look elsewhere to solve Boston's shortstop dilemma this winter. Presumably, since Boston intends either to re-sign Jason Bay or to sign Matt Holliday, have actively looked into trades for slugging first basemen Adrian Gonzalez and Miguel Cabrera, Epstein would be in search of a defense-oriented, cost-effective option to fill that slot.

Enter the Chicago Cubs, who have thus far spent their off-season doing little more than fawning over top prospect Starlin Castro, a shortstop.

Their incumbent shortstop, Ryan Theriot, has been asked to consider a move in the other direction across the middle infield, despite playing above-average defense at his current spot for three straight seasons. Theriot, despite a drop-off last season from a career year in 2008, has a career line of .288/.356/.369 to go along with plus speed and a solid glove at the crucial defensive position.

Entering arbitration for the first time this winter, Theriot stands to make something close to $2 million in 2010, a very manageable number. If Boston is willing to part with a pair of mid-level prospects and especially if they included Jed Lowrie in a deal to provide Chicago a stop gap until the arrival of a big-league ready Castro, the trade could work out on both sides.

Theriot and Pedroia would make a smooth double play tandem, if a diminutive one, and Chicago would gain further strength in its farm system without surrendering any indispensable pieces for a 2010 run at the NL Central Division title, which would be their third in four seasons.

For Boston, Theriot would slide in as a neatly utile "second lead-off hitter," batting ninth and getting on base in front of Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia. He began to pull the ball more in 2009, which hurt his numbers somewhat at Wrigley Field, but could be perfect if he was suddenly taking aim at the middle of Fenway Park's Green Monster.

The deal could cost Boston a solid pitching prospect, but if Epstein and Hendry get it done, it could position both teams well for 2010 and beyond.

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Is Dustin Pedroia the Answer at Shortstop for the Boston Red Sox?

Joseph Doherty — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:14:44 -0500

Dustin Pedroia, the 2008 American League MVP, is rumoured to moving to shortstop. With the Red Sox looking extremely vacant in that area, Pedroia is looking to step up.

He said to ESPN's Peter Gammons, "They've put it out there, and I've told them I'm all for it. I can do it. I can't wait for [Terry Francona] to call me and ask, 'Can you do it?' I can do it. I really want to do it."

Will he be able perform to high enough standards in a new position?

As an All-American shortstop Arizona State he certainly has the abilities. However, for the Red Sox, Pedroia has only played six games in the position. His fielding percentage at shortstop is .952.

Whereas in his four seasons at second base, he has fielded at an excellent .990 percentage. He also been the fulcrum of 289 doubles plays while fielding at second base. For his performances at second base Pedroia managed to win a deserved Gold Glove in 2008.

One could therefore argue that it would be detrimental for the Red Sox to move Pedroia from second to shortstop. It will take time for him to get to a sufficient standard, especially to a equivalent standard of his second base fielding talent.

The loss of Pedroia at second base would mean that Boston would have to look for a new second baseman. This would cause further disruption for Theo Epstein during a difficult offseason.

So what the options for the Red Sox at shortstop beyond Pedroia?

Currently in the depth chart, the Red Sox only have Jed Lowrie. In his career Lowrie has for a .235 average and an extremely disappointing .147 last season through 32 games.

Boston will have look at the options available in free agency. There are currently two Type A free agents still available. They are Miguel Tejada of the Astros and Orlando Cabrera of the Twins.

Tejada, 35, is a career .289 hitter who hits for power. Last year he hit a commendable .313; however, one doubts that the Red Sox will be able to sign the 35-year-old as the Astros are close to keeping Tejada.

Orlando Cabrera is a more realistic option. The Twins have just signed JJ Hardy at shortstop meaning Cabrera is definitely available. He is certainly a better option than Lowrie.

There are rumours that the Red Sox will look to former draft pick Hanley Ramirez in a blockbuster trade. Ramirez has become the face of the Marlins organisation. The talismanic shortstop had an unbelievable season with the Marlins and would obviously be a brilliant option if available.

Ramirez would certainly be the ideal man to play shortstop for the Red Sox. However, the likelihood of the Red Sox bringing him in is small.

The answer at shortstop, though, is currently not in Red Sox organization. Pedroia is just too good at second base. It is unlikely that Francona will want to lose that. Therefore, the Red Sox will have to look to sign a new shortstop, whoever he maybe.

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Has Belichick the Master Finally Been Mastered?

Michael2 Keller — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:00:48 -0500

Watching the Patriots-Saints game last night, it became clear that we may have been witnessing the beginning of the end of an era.

I know, I know. One game does not a trend make. But...

What I saw was something I have not seen on the field or on the sidelines of a Patriots' game in a long time: frustration, confusion, disappointment and fatalism. All of the first three are not new, although not often seen. The last one, fatalism, is one I haven't witnessed before in its true form and in such abundance.

To see Hoody Bill look lost and searching for an answer, any answer, was a shock to the system. He was his typical stoic self in the first half, showing just a little emotion when Brady and company were able to put some points on the board. Then in the second half, he looked like he wanted to be almost anywhere but wearing the headphones and holding his play list on the New England sidelines.

A lot of the reason for that look had to do with the Saints' dominance on both sides of the ball. They were locked and loaded and came ready to play. They were playing at home to a very appreciative crowd and were battling to remain undefeated this season.

Why this happened can be explained by many things that have happened over the past year or so.

Trading Richard Seymour might be one of the biggest, as he took much of the heart and soul from the defense. The injury-riddled group that was left didn't have the heart, the players or the coaching to stop the brilliant performance by the New Orleans offense.

The inability to give Brady his usual time to find open receivers and hit them in stride and the swarming defense that held those receivers to a very low YAC was also a contributor.

I also might have seen the first cracks in the mutual love affair between Moss and his current team, which may not bode well for the chemistry the rest of this season. (Where have we seen this act before?)

These things happen all the time in the NFL to just about every other coach and team. But this is the first time I saw it so distinctly in not only Belichick's face and demeanor, but in Brady, Moss, Welker, et. al.

Maybe, just maybe, we are seeing Billy B and the Patriots sliding back to the rest of the pack.

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

Ryan Pickard — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:23:44 -0500

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Boston news on BleacherReport.com

Dustin Pedroia May Play Shortstop for Red Sox

Jeremiah Graves — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:09 -0500

The Red Sox may no longer need a shortstop.

Just one day after I went on a lengthy diatribe regarding Boston’s inability to find a suitable shortstop, the club has reportedly found a solution.

The solution is none other than current second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

"They've asked me if I think I could play shortstop," Pedroia said. "They've put it out there and I've told them I'm all for it.”

The Red Sox aren’t exactly throwing Pedroia to the wolves by making the transition, as he has plenty of experience at the position.

Pedroia was an All-American shortstop at Arizona State and was drafted and signed as a shortstop in 2004. He played 42 games without committing in error that year but was shifted to second base to make room for then-Red Sox prospect Hanley Ramirez.

He played shortstop infrequently in 2005 and 2006, but in 184 games at the position he committed just seven errors.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s article, the Red Sox's options at shortstop are very limited and uninspiring. The club’s only real options are Marco Scutaro, Miguel Tejada, and Orlando Cabrera, all of whom come with plenty of warning signs and high price tags.

In moving Pedroia to short, the Sox can turn their attention to one of the many second basemen currently on the market via trade or free agency.

Players like Felipe Lopez, Orlando Hudson, Placido Polanco, and Brandon Phillips would all give the Red Sox a more well-rounded and competitive club.

Additionally, the return on investment would be much higher than the Sox could expect to receive by overpaying for Scutaro, Tejada, or Cabrera.

Whether or not Pedroia can make the shift defensively to a full-time shortstop is sure to come under fire, especially by those who feel that this announcement may be more of a smokescreen to drive down the asking price of the aforementioned shortstop options.

For his part, Pedroia feels very confident he can make the move and has been working hard to prepare for the transition.

"I've really worked hard on speed, agility and flexibility as well as all the strength, conditioning and endurance programs," Pedroia said. "It's really helping me. I have much more quickness and speed than I ever had. Maybe there is some question about my arm strength, but I'm working on that. I can do it. I hope it happens."

If the Red Sox do go through with the transition, one could assume that it won’t be a permanent move. The Sox currently have 19-year-old defensive wunderkind Jose Iglesias in the farm system, and he figures to be the shortstop of the future.

Whether it’s a short-term move, a long-term move, or just speculation, it doesn’t change the fact that Pedroia is completely confident that he can handle the transition if and/or when the opportunity arises.

"When the idea of moving back to shortstop was floated to me, I welcomed it," Pedroia said. "I believe I can play shortstop and help get the Red Sox back where they belong."

It will be interesting to see if Pedroia can handle the reins at shortstop or if the team is actually using this as a negotiation tactic with the current crop of free agent shortstops.

Either way, expect Boston to remain busy this offseason, but for now it appears as though the Red Sox finally have their shortstop.

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Here's Jhonny!: Marco Scutaro Not Boston Red Sox's Only Shortstop Option

Lewie Pollis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:20:36 -0500

There are some things in life we know to be true.

The sun rises in the East. Politicians are crooks. Family Guy will never be funnier than The Simpsons was at its peak.

And the Boston Red Sox will sign Marco Scutaro.

With Alex Gonzalez headed for Toronto and J.J. Hardy already traded, we’re told that Scutaro, by far the best shortstop in this year’s free agent class, is as good as signed.

While analysts from every media outlet have already mentally placed him in Fenway Park, the award for most authoritative declaration goes to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi from FOX, who wrote, “the Blue Jays' signing of Gonzalez leaves the Red Sox with virtually no choice but to sign Marco Scutaro.”

And who wouldn’t want Marco Scutaro? He had a breakout year last season at age 34, hitting .282/12/60 with a .789 OPS.

I think it’s safe to say that Red Sox Nation is half-heartedly cheering and pretending to smile, hoping there’s more to the story. If you’re a Bostonian who’s quietly hoping that the Marco Scutaro who will soon come to Fenway is not the same Marco Scutaro who didn’t post an OPS over .750 until his mid-30s, don’t be scared—that indicates only that you are sane.

I doubt anyone really thinks very highly of Scutaro, they just fear that, short of moving Dustin Pedroia , the Red Sox don’t have any other options. Which means that they haven’t thought the situation through very carefully.

Anyone outside of Cleveland ever heard of Jhonny Peralta? Just 27 years old, he’s averaged 18 homers, 78 RBI, and a .769 OPS over five full seasons with the Indians.

No one’s calling him an All-Star, but those are pretty good numbers for a young infielder. More importantly, they’re much better than Scutaro had ever been before his fluky 2009 campaign.

Believe it or not, most Indians fans want to trade Peralta. He has a reputation for being a terrible player, largely based on his offensive streakiness and inability to fill Omar Vizquel’s shoes in the field. I’m one of the many who has called for Peralta to be traded or benched, though I admit my feelings may be a bit irrational.

While Peralta isn’t always on a hot streak, it’s pretty clear that his bat is more potent than Scutaro’s. And even though Jhonny’s career -5.8 UZR/150 at shortstop is unappetizing, his fielding has improved from season-to-season (8.4 UZR/150 in 41 games at SS in 2009). In any event, Scutaro’s no wizard in the field either, with a career UZR/150 of -2.9 at shortstop.

On top of that, the Red Sox wouldn’t have to cede a draft pick, and acquiring Peralta wouldn’t cost them any of their elite prospects. Jed Lowrie would probably head to Cleveland (a change of scenery could do him some good), and maybe a good-not-great prospect like Anthony Rizzo or Felix Doubront.

What do you think, Boston fans? Would you like to see Jhonny’s unusually spelled name on the Fenway scoreboard in 2010?

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Early Hook? Bill Belichick Pulls Patriots Starters with Five Minutes to Play

Genevieve Whitbourne — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:04:53 -0500

The New Orleans Saints played Tom Brady and the New England Patriots right off the field on Monday Night Football —literally.

With approximately five minutes to go, and the score 17-38 in favor of New Orleans, Bill Belichick effectively ran up the white flag.

Belichick pulled, among others, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker. It wouldn’t be a surprise if New England fans stopped watching then, because it seemed that the Patriots had stopped playing, or at least playing to win.

Arguably, victory was no longer an option for New England. They were down by three touchdowns, and putting together three touchdown drives in the closing minutes of a game is almost impossible.

Almost.

But if any team knows that it’s not completely impossible, it should be New England. After all, the other undefeated team this season, the Colts, did just that against the Pats in Week 10.

From the standpoint of someone who just wanted to see a good, close game, it was disappointing to see Belichick take out Brady and other starters.

If this NFL season has taught us anything, it is that wild finishes are possible. Kansas City came back in the second half and beat Pittsburgh—Kansas City! Matt Stafford turned a Hail Mary pass into a legendary touchdown with no time left on the clock.

In the waning minutes of the game, Tom Brady has been as good as any quarterback who has ever played the game. A touchdown drive can take as little as a minute to put together, and with a little over five minutes left, asking Brady and this usually potent Patriots offense to get back in the game doesn’t seem like an impossible task.

Obviously, Belichick thought otherwise. Maybe he was right; he does have three Super Bowl Rings and an undefeated regular season under his belt, so he does know something about football.

The only reason to take out Brady and his starting bunch for Belichick had to be that the game was over. It can’t be that he wanted to give his second string a shot or that he was worried about injury. After all, Belichick leaves his starters in the game when his team is winning by a large margin late.

Seeing a team defeated before the game is even over isn’t fun for a football fan, but it does happen.

But what should be more troubling for Patriots fans is not that their team was beaten with five to go in the fourth, but that their team looked beaten after Brady’s interception in the second quarter.

The interception, which led to a touchdown for the Saints, was the turning point in the game, and it happened in the second quarter. After that, it never seemed as though the Patriots were in the game.

To not recover from an interception in the first half is a problem for a team going into December. The Patriots have not been a good second half team this year, and it is allowing teams to come from behind and get a win. Or, in the Saints' case, it allowed them to pad their lead without much contention.

The Patriots will make the playoffs this year. Their division is down; the Dolphins, Jets, and Bills are not going to be able to overtake them.

Still, this Patriots team needs to play better. Their defense is struggling to stop anybody, and the only road game they won was over Tampa Bay in London.

To make a successful playoff run, a team needs to be able to win on the road and play a full 60 minutes. When Belichick pulled his starters, it felt as though the Patriots were not a team that was going to grind out all four quarters.

One loss to a good team doesn’t make the Patriots a bad team. They will make the playoffs, and once that happens, all regular season bets are off.

Still, New England is going to have to show more grit if they want to make another run at the Super Bowl.

Read more Boston news on BleacherReport.com

Bill Belichick: 55 Minutes of Football is Fine With Me

George Romer — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:54:44 -0500

Bill Belichick has convinced me that not only has he lost his football touch, but he has also lost his mind.

How many times have we heard players and coaches alike preach the phrase “Play 60 minutes of football?” It seems to be a weekly utterance during pregame and postgame interviews league wide. In fact, the new campaign launched by the NFL geared towards keeping children active is called “PLAY 60!” It’s almost to the point of becoming cliché.

Bearing this in mind, can someone please explain to me why, with 5:26 left to play and down by 21 points, would Coach Belichick pull one of the leagues most elite quarterbacks from Monday night’s game?

Did he think that there wasn’t nearly enough time to get back into the game? Perhaps he should’ve checked in with Houston Texan’s Coach Gary Kubiak if he wasn’t clear on that thought.

The Indianapolis Colts humiliated the Texans in week five of last season by scoring 21 points in two minutes and ten seconds to win the game. Some say that that was just dumb luck and I might have agreed, had they not done the same thing to the same team just last week. Granted, this time it did take the Colts about five and a half minutes to pull it off.

Now, I understand that Coach Kubiak was out of town and Belichick didn’t have time to track him down for some advice, but Coach Jon Gruden was in New Orleans last night. Maybe he should’ve asked him.

Surely Gruden would have told him the story about how the Colts deflated his Bucs in 2003 by scoring twenty one points in less than four minutes sending the game into overtime where Mike Vanderjagt kicked the game winning field goal for Indianapolis.

Of course I say these things in jest. Coach Belichick obviously can’t call on other coaches for advice. Nor should he have to. He is supposed to already know these things. In fact, he was given his very own “Play 60” lesson by the Colts just two weeks ago when they overcame a three score deficit in the fourth quarter to beat his Patriots.

The bottom line is that the coach is supposed to have confidence in his team regardless of the situation. Belichick has proved for the second time this season that he does not. When he looked up at the scoreboard and saw 5:26, Bill Belichick committed one of the NFL’s biggest sins:

He gave up.

By benching Tom Brady, he told his team that it’s okay to give up. It’s alright to only play 55 minutes of football. What’s worse? His team bought it!

Try selling that to any of the real elite teams in this league.

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Is Dustin Pedroia Moving to Shortstop?

Adam Bernacchio — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:44:59 -0500

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

According to ESPN’s Peter Gammons, the Boston Red Sox have asked 2B Dustin Pedroia if he would be willing to move over to shortstop:

They’ve asked me if I think I could play shortstop,” says Pedroia. “They’ve put it out there and I’ve told them I’m all for it. I can do it. I can’t wait for Tito [Terry Francona] to call me and ask, ‘Can you do it?’ I can do it. I really want to do it.”

Why don’t the Red Sox just hold open tryouts for shortstops at this point?

You know how Texas A&M has the tradition of the “12th Man Kickoff Team” where members of the student body get to try out for the football team? The Red Sox should do that to fill their shortstop need in 2010.

The Red Sox should just go to Boston College, Harvard, Providence, and UMass to find a shortstop in 2010.

Now if anyone can make the transition from second to short, it could be Pedroia. After all, he was an All-American shortstop at Arizona State University.

Like Gammons said, moving Pedroia to short would allow the Red Sox to pursue one of the top-tier second basemen on the market this winter. There are better options at second base via trade or free agency than there are shortstops.

Orlando Hudson, Dan Uggla, Brandon Phillips, and even Mark DeRosa are all second basemen who can be had this winter. If Pedroia does move to second, out of the group above, Phillips might make the most sense.

Uggla can’t play defense, DeRosa is more of a third baseman at this point in his career, and Hudson seemingly gets hurt every year. Phillips is a great defensive player and is a player that could thrive in the deep Red Sox lineup.

I wrote about the pros and cons of trading for Phillips last month.

The more I think about, the more I think this has a very good chance of happening. Pedroia is the ultimate team player and will do whatever it takes to win. If that means moving to shortstop, then so be it.

“When the idea of moving back to shortstop was floated to me, I welcomed it,” says Pedroia. “I’m excited. Tell Derek (Jeter) to enjoy the gold glove and silver slugger awards while he can. Obviously, I’m not serious about the fun I have with Derek, but I’m never stopping believing in the goal. I believe I can play shortstop and help get the Red Sox back where they belong.”

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more Boston news on BleacherReport.com

Marc Savard Sticks Around: Signs Seven-Year Extension with Boston Bruins

Wayne Whittaker — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:23:29 -0500

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli took the necessary steps in securing one of the league's top playmakers Tuesday morning, as he signed 32-year-old center Marc Savard to a seven-year extension, as reported by TSN .

Savard, who has been the Bruins leading scorer each of his last three years with Boston, is expected to have an annual cap hit of $4.2 Million.

It certainly seems as though Savard gave Boston a bit of a "hometown discount" as No. 91 almost surely could have gotten a more lucrative deal elsewhere. But Boston was where Marc Savard wanted to be, and at the end of the day, this deal is good for all parties involved.

This sort of deal has become quite popular in the post-lockout NHL, as players sign longer contracts (generally monetarily front-loaded) as a way to sneak around salary-cap restrictions. There's little doubt that the league is looking for a way to curb these deals, but until the new CBA is negotiated, teams would be stupid not to take advantage of this sizable loop-hole.

Along with this latest development, Chiarelli has already secured David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Tuukka Rask, and Tim Thomas to long-term deals in the past six months (not to mention the extensions dished out just yesterday to most of the coaching staff, coupled with the deal coach Claude Julien signed in the offseason).

It seems as though Boston's management is doing everything within their power to secure the core of this club for years to come.

Apparently, no one consulted "Senior Advisor to the Owner" and former Bruins GM Harry Sinden about this deal.

"I'm not a fan of his," the surely senile Sinden once quipped, "he's one of those guys who has the batting average but no runs batted in. You know what I mean?"

No, Harry, no one knows what you mean.

Asking Harry Sinden for his opinion about securing talent would be a mistake, as any Bruins fan from the 1990s remembers quite vividly. But, for now at least, Boston management seems to have learned from its past mistakes, and went ahead with the deal without putting to much stock in what Sinden thinks these days.

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, a safe-but-effective gift for any Bruins fans these days may just be a Marc Savard jersey. It's practical, and should be in style until at least the year 2016.

An official announcement is expected from the Bruins within the next 48 hours.

Read more Boston news on BleacherReport.com

Kevin Garnett: Just a Piece In a Larger Puzzle

Nick Gelso — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:35:57 -0500

This article can also be viewed at North Station Sports

Kevin Garnett's recovery has been as scrutinized as the Dow Jones' year long climb back to the 10,000 mark. It seems I have been more patient trying to recover some of my lost retirement dollars then I have been watching Garnett's slow steps towards 100 percent.

Yes, I am guilty. I am one of those guys who winces at every missed opportunity, gasps at every lame landing, and prays that he gets back up with a bounce when he hits the floor. You all pray a little when Garnett goes down, too.

A child of the late 80's and early 90's, I guess you can say I am a victim of "Larry-Legend Syndrome". I still remember, all to well, Larry's struggles in his final seasons. I found myself defending the league's best ever small forward repeatedly from 1989 through his retirement in 1992.

There were moments of brilliance , such as his come-back performance in the 1991 playoffs against the Pacers or his 49 point triple double in 1992 against the Blazers. It was during those moments, I found myself saying to younger fans, "You have no idea how great that man was!"

Yep, that's it. Blame my binocular, bifocal scrutiny of Garnett's every move on "Larry-Legend Syndrome".

Truth is, we are all a little spoiled. Since Garnett's entrance into the league in 1995 as a young and bright eyed teenager, the NBA has been treated to arguably the most passionate and intense player ever to pick up a basketball.

Garnett's tenure in Minnesota was underscored with a 20.5 scoring average. An instant 20-12 machine, he revolutionized the power forward position, combining unmatched defensive intensity and athletic paint play with solid jump shooting and controlled emotional outburst the likes of which we had never seen.

We have all witnessed conniptions from guys who play with their hearts on their sleeves. Bill Lambier, Rodman, Barkley, and Rasheed Wallace all come to mind without effort. Unlike the temper tantrum machines of the past, Garnett was controlled. His rants focused more on his own positives and negatives and less on that of the zebras or spectators.

Garnett came to Boston in 2007, still a player who can dominate the game with strength, agility, athleticism, and the fury he was famous for. That intense passion spilled over to his new teammates immediately and it spread throughout the league. Finally the Big Ticket was in a major market place, poised to dominate.

Boston was again the focus of the basketball world. Soon after, it seemed every team's unlikely hero was banging their heart when hitting a big shot, lifting their team's name on their jersey in proclamation that their squad was for real. Some did it only against the Celtics in a mocking gesture; others did it just because they saw Garnett and the Celtics do it.

Paying the biggest dividends from the KG tornado may have been Paul Pierce.

The "one again-off again" star had only achieved modest success throughout his decade in Boston. Pierce had gotten a taste for success in 2002 as he and Antoine Walker led the Celtics to a surprising Eastern Conference Finals birth.

Paul combined strength, scoring and rebounding with late game heroics to prove that he was the truth. The success he had achieved was often marred by his off-court comments, tumultuous relationships with coaches and culminated with his demands for a trade in 2007.

Danny Ainge had a trade of his own in mind, a swap that would keep Pierce satisfied in green and turn the NBA upside down.

Garnett and Ray Allen arrived in Boston in the summer of 2007. Garnett's contagious intensity infected Paul Pierce and a self-imposed metamorphosis began. The iso-minded, offensive forcer, often whiner, sometimes booed super-star was transformed into a defense first, lead by example player. He forced nothing but was doing everything. The Captain was born.

That was 2008, and, yes, we were a bit spoiled.

Fast-forward to today. Put in the context of the past, it may be a bit understandable to scrutinize Garnett's recovery.

The last four games have been a growth period for Garnett. We have witnessed KG narrowing his aim and connecting on an astounding 22-27 from the field. He has directly had his hand in a game winner against the Knicks and a knock out blow to Miami.

The Ticket has displayed some explosion around the hoop in Boston's recent win streak. His one-on-one defense is showing signs of returning to top form. Yet, Garnett still seems to display a bit of relief when his shot connects. He still displays an occasional "gate" in his step. Though not quite as tentative as the opening games of the season, he still shows some hesitancy in traffic.

"Larry-Bird Syndrome" again? Maybe.

The fact remains, Garnett's progression has been, and will continue to be, gradual. No need to rush it. Boston is stacked with star power and they have his back. Recently, best friend and teammate, Rasheed Wallace told the Boston Globe,

I told you all that the knee is getting stronger. Some people are still worried about it. Everybody keeps asking me about it. But all it is is time. You all thought he was going to be back to the old KG, jumping out the gym [immediately]. He’s taking his time with it and every game is looking better for him.’

After a blazing 6-0 start, the C's adrenaline seemed to drain and the harsh realities set in. This team is not fully set. coaches Rotations are not totally lined up, Big Baby is still out and what seemed to be a glue-like chemistry early on has shown signs of needing a regrouping.

The Celtics hit some road bumps and struggled a bit. Looking out of whack defensively and, at times, confused on the offensive end. Opponents have scored on them and left fans scratching their heads, trying to figure out what's going on with this team. It's not the 27-2 start of 2008-09. That kind of regular season dominance may never again be seen from this team.

Wait a second! Kevin Garnett was out for 25 games last season and we still won 60 games! Shouldn't we be 17-0 with him back?

I have high expectations for this squad. The basketball world has echoed those same expectations. Instant 70 win predictions early on only cemented those expectations. Early road bumps? They don't occur with our team!

Truth is, like any championship contending squad, with the type superstar talent that the Celtics possess, they will experience growing pains. Add to that Garnett's recovery period and you have an early bumpy road.

I don't know about you, but I would prefer some bumps on the way to the mountain top, making us stronger, pulling us together. Adversity builds cohesion on championship squads, right?

The be(a)st is yet to come...

Four straight victories, Garnett 22-27 from the field, two game clinchers, better ups and yet that "Larry-Bird Syndrome" still didn't subside much.

An article published in the Globe this morning peaked my interest. At first it seemed to be the typical story we've all written about KG's return to form. After reading fully, I stumbled upon some quotes from KG himself:

Physically I feel really, really good. But you all have no idea of the [stuff] I go through to come in here and be Grade B, Grade A. So I’m a work in progress. I don’t even think twice about my leg. There’s nothing about this game I second-guess. As a basketball player you have to react. When I am reacting and [stuff] flows, I’m a better player like that. I’m trying to find timing in what [coach] Doc [Rivers] wants and making it come together.

Displaying his (mistaken) hesitancy, KG explains why he has not looked to shoot first recently:

I wasn’t even going to it but Paul was on my [butt] on the bench about being aggressive, take the shot, take the damn shot. Here I’m just a piece that fits in the puzzle. And I’m thinking more defensively since I have been in here, since I stepped foot in here, put the jersey on. I am just more of a defensive player and I like that. Coming in I want to make sure defensively I am sound. When I am not forcing the issue and not thinking everything else just flows. So I think that’s all you see.

I really want to answer your question [about our personality] but I think it’s just too early. Defensively we are a definitely a team that can score the basketball. But until we get the continuity, the rhythm, understanding guys . . . We have not even played . . . the different combinations we played with in practice has not carried over to the court. I keep saying this. I know I am tearing your tape recorders up with this but it’s repetition, consistency and we just have to continue to be like that.’

Just a "piece in the puzzle"...?

It seems my blind-sighted focus on Garnett has left the only puzzle I've noticed to be in my mind, infected with that "Larry-Legend Syndrome" again. I have failed to see the larger picture.

Comparing Garnett's 14 points and seven rebounds per game is unfair when stacking it against his career averages. He is surrounded by five players that average over 10 points per game, and two more who can explode for 20 on any given night.

Dare I say, Garnett is older now. "Old" is not as scary a word as we stack it up to be. The big three are older and more intelligent now. They score smarter not harder. Instead of being the guy's with all the pieces of the puzzle in their over-sized hands, they now share those pieces with capable teammates.

Together, as a unit , the C's will continue to piece together the chemistry that a championship team possesses. Ubuntu may be a word that is rarely heard from these guys in 2009 but it's ubuntu that will guide the way towards filling the holes that complete the puzzle of the 2009-10 season. Hopefully that puzzle has the Larry O'Brien trophy as it's illustration.

This article can also be viewed at North Station Sports.

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Charlie Weis Is Wanted in the NFL

John Lorge — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:32:11 -0500

On Monday, the University of Notre Dame held a press conference announcing that Charlie Weis will not be retained for the 2010 season.

While the college football world speculates if Bob Stoops, Brian Kelly, or Butch Davis will be the next head coach at Notre Dame, my question is where will Charlie Weis go?

Is it realistic to assume Weis will stay in the college football realm?

Notre Dame was the first time Weis coached in college since his four seasons at the University of South Carolina from 1985 to 1988.

Believe it or not, when Weis was hired in South Bend, he had more recently been at the high school ranks (1989) than college.

The man spent over a decade coaching and coordinating for NFL offenses under Hall of Fame coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. He is spectacular at doing what he does best but overmatched as a head coach at the nation's most demanding college football program.

I would not be surprised if Weis takes a year off to evaluate his options and maybe do some TV. The truth is Charlie Weis doesn't have a face for TV though, he belongs coaching at the pro ranks, and these are his options.

Head Coach

This year 11 NFL teams have new head coaches, and there are five coaches who assumed their role in 2008. That means half of the NFL has been coaching their respective teams for less than two years.

Of the first year coaches, only Tom Cable seems to be at risk of losing his job (yes, it seems that Eric Mangini will get at least another year). Charlie Weis is too old and too smart to work for Al Davis.

Perry Fewell is the interim head coach in Buffalo. He has done a very good job with the defense all year, and the team has been playing competitive football under his command. Weis knows the AFC East very well. I'm not so sure he would be running to coach against his former colleague in New England, however.

The Redskins' Jim Zorn was considered a great signing last season but currently sits on the hot seat. Washington is a high pressure coaching job—something Zorn had no experience with. Notre Dame was a high profile position on Weis’ resume, and he has NFC East roots with the Giants, but the job is not open yet.

Other jobs that could be on the market include Dallas, Tennessee (before they had won a game this season there was the ultimatum—either Vince Young goes or Jeff Fisher goes, right now everyone seems happy), New York [Giants], Chicago, Jacksonville, and Carolina, but no moves have been made at any of these places either.

Overall there projects to be a lack of demand for head coaches in the NFL this offseason compared to past seasons.

If Weis were to take a head coaching position, he would have to reacclimate himself to the pro game, and more importantly, find a coaching staff. At Notre Dame, Weis could not find defensive coaches who were capable of getting the job done. Coaches like Jon Tenuta and Corwin Brown had the pedigree to be successful defensive coordinators but simply could not game plan and call plays to keep teams out of the end zone.

Of course, one obvious option to be Weis' defensive coordinator would be Romeo Crennell, who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. The two made one of the best coach/coordinator combos in the NFL under the Parcells family tree and working together again would almost be like a co-head coaching role.

Offensive Coordinator

Calling all of the shots for the Fighting Irish is a big step up from Franklin High School in New Jersey, which is why the whole ordeal may have been slightly overwhelming for Weis.

The truth is Charlie Weis is an offensive coordinator; it's what he does best. Some coaches are motivators, Charlie Weis is an orchestrator. After giving the head coaching game a shot, Weis may be ready to get back to his bread 'n butter.

Currently Weis' former team, the New England Patriots, do not have an offensive coordinator in place. Still using the same Erhardt-Perkins offensive system that Weis put installed, Tom Brady has been able to lead the 2009 Pats to victories, but overall, they haven't been clicking against elite competition.

Bill Belichick is stressed like never before as a coach after Josh McDaniels left the team this summer. New England needs a real offensive coordinator, and Charlie Weis is the best fit.

The move may seem like Weis is running back with his parents after failing in the real world, but Belichick and Weis have a special relationship, and nobody would fault Weis for going back to what worked.

When the Pats offense is killing like they can, everyone will agree it was the right move.

If not New England, Buffalo's coordinator position would be a better fit than the head coaching position. With two very good running backs and some weapons on the flank, Weis' offense could turn Buffalo into the wildcard of the AFC East.

It might be a stretch for Charlie Weis to work under Eric Mangini in Cleveland because he outranked Mangini in New England. Additionally, Mangini seems loyal to OC Brian Daboll, whom he's coached with since being in New England.

If any coach can get Brady Quinn going in the right direction, it would be Weis, though. The Browns are also scouting Jimmy Clausen for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Any team looking to give their offense a shot in the arm should be calling Weis ASAP. Many teams like to bring QB, WR, RB, and OL coaches up the ranks, but if you are looking to win now, Weis is your guy.

Offensive Consultant

It could be as a QB coach, assistant head coach, or offensive consultant, but there are many team's who would like to have Weis as a part of their brain trust.

Weis might not be ready to take control of the Pats offense just yet, but he could be ready to help them game plan and call plays.

This season we saw Sherm Lewis take over the play calling from Jim Zorn, and the move could have other NFL decision makers thinking that some head coaches who came up calling offense need to focus on all three phases of the game more, not just the one they know best.

Weis' success has earned him respect in every NFL locker room, nobody wants to be demoted, but it's hard to dispute brining in an expert of his caliber.

Where Will Weis Wander?

It seems too good to be true, but the best fit for Charlie Wies is the most obvious one, the New England Patriots.

The Pats need some stability in their offense and their staff is currently a coach short. It would be an extremely quick turnaround, but Weis could join the Pats this season and be calling the plays by the playoffs.

If not this year, Weis could walk into the OC role in the offseason, but he may not be willing to step back in the past at all. In that case expect Charlie Weis to take a year off from coaching, or maybe he could relax at the high school ranks like after his last stint in college.

Follow me on Twitter @JohnLorge.

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J.R. Giddens Draws Many Similarities To Paul Pierce

Nick Gelso — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:48:20 -0500

Lee Herman covers the NBA and the Boston Celtics for North Station Sports. Check out more of his great work on NSS.

Everyone knows the starters by heart and could probably rattle off individual stats of each player and their favorite And1 tour move that they are capable of. That’s all fine and dandy, but I’m the fan that looks ahead while appreciating the now. I can see the legs going on the Big Three.

Maybe not now, maybe not next year, but much like Arnie in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, they can go at any time.

Without further ado, our first edition of Meet the Bench:

J.R. Giddens

No. 4 in your program, No. 15 on the bench

Why J.R. first? I don’t know. I’m high on him for no particular reason other than the parallels to Paul "The Truth" Pierce. Blasphemy, I know. Let me give you something to chew on.

Giddens went to Kansas (for two years, mostly because Bill Self retained J.R. as a recruit after Roy Williams had already signed him and then bolted to UNC) and lo and behold, so did Pierce. Rock, chalk, coincidence?

In his second year at Kansas, Giddens was involved in a nightclub stabbing that resulted in 30 stitches in his calf. Count your teeth real quick, that’s about how many stitches were in the dude’s leg assuming you practice good oral hygiene. (The rest of you, Randy Jackson has a number of a guy good with veneers that will make you look like you have a mouth full of halogen bulbs.)

Paul Pierce, stabbed in a night club. Pierce had to face accusations of poor work ethic early in his career and in his loyalty to the team. Giddens was suspended in New Mexico by coach Ritchie McKay who said, “He did nothing illegal, nothing unethical. This program tries to promote being a good teammate, and I want to emphasize that.”

Character issues have swirled around both players at one point or another during their careers, and they could have become embroiled in petty, self-aggrandizing agendas or the Frost-like path less traveled to redemption.

Both players responded admirably. Pierce took the C’s to the...

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Hard-Won Lessons Of 2007: It's Never Too Soon To Peak Late

TR — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:11:46 -0500

As the New England Patriots face yet another undefeated team in the New Orleans Saints tonight, it is almost impossible to avoid thinking about the 2007 Patriots.

No, I'm not parroting the article in Sunday's Boston Globe comparing the 2009 Saints to the 2007 Patriots. It was an interesting read, but I did not find it that relevant.

Despite the fact that tonight's game has been hyped to the point of utter absurdity, it represents a pivotal point in the season for each of these teams.

The Pats have been criticized enough, and they need to prove to the rest of the NFL that they are for real. They are playing for some respect.

This game is also an opportunity for the Patriots to create some real separation between themselves and the rest of the AFC East.

For the 10-0 Saints, home field advantage throughout the playoffs is plenty of incentive, and they understandably want the respect that comes with an undefeated season.

Respect that comes unless you are the 2007 New England Patriots.

The Belichick-Mangini-Walsh-Goodell-Specter drama that unfolded in the wake of game one in '07 is well documented elsewhere, and frankly, the whole thing was such a tempest in a teapot, and I couldn't be bothered recounting it anyway.

What is far more interesting is a look at how that drama affected Bill Belichick and his team.

Regardless of how unclear the memo might have been, it was intended to clarify a league rule that was full of loopholes big enough to accommodate rush hour on the Southeast Expressway. The real point is that punishment was handed out, the NFL microscope landing squarely on Belichick, his staff, and his players, who motored forward.

End of story, right?

"Not so quick," said Belichick. "Does anybody really believe that my team needs to cheat to win games? Watch this."

Belichick's Patriots ignored the criticism spewed at them everywhere they went, leaving host fans seething at venues all over the country. Nobody wanted to lose to a team that they had been led to believe could only win by cheating.

Under the glare of that microscope, Belichick became Captain Ahab. Perfection became his white whale.

He worked his team relentlessly. They responded with the same intensity; they didn't like the idea of being labeled as cheaters, either.

Yes, they embarrassed some teams. Until the Colts in Week Eight, a 24-20 victory for the Pats, their opponents were completely overwhelmed. The Patriots were putting up numbers so gaudy, I almost felt sorry for some of these teams. Almost, but not quite.

To paraphrase John Madden as he commented on one of the Patriots' Monday night massacres: If your defense isn't good enough to stop them, that's on you. Some of these teams need to look at that.

The New England Patriots were on a mission, plain and simple. And I defy anyone to suggest that they were cheating or even bending a rule in 2007.

After the Colts game, the Patriots followed up with a 56-10 humiliation of the Buffalo Bills before heading into the bye week.

Injuries were piling up, Belichick had his players redefining the word "versatility," and the team just rambled on.

After the bye week, the margins of victory became smaller and smaller. The team was tired, and the injuries had taken their toll. By the end of the regular season, it was easy to see that the team had simply peaked too soon. They were running out of gas.

My apologies for resorting to such cliche, but there really are not many other ways of saying it.

During the playoffs, they faced some tough opponents, and had to dig really deep to win those games.

And Super Bowl XLII? They were toast. I don't want to take anything away from the Giants. They played well enough to win, and the Patriots did not.

Fast forward to 2009. We are all aware of everything that has happened since that Super Bowl loss, so I won't repeat it here.

The bottom line is the sum total of everything that has happened during the past 21 months and the New England Patriots are a new and improved team that started out this season with a lot of question marks.

I am not going to suggest that all the questions have been answered. What matters here is that this team has become better over the course of the season.

They began the season with a reliable core, surrounded by a number of players who had a lot to learn. And I believe that, for the most part, they have learned their lessons well.

Yes, there are injuries and other issues, but the 2009 edition of the New England Patriots has not peaked yet.

The Saints are a great team, but in my opinion, they have yet to be challenged. They have very precisely carved up the likes of the St. Louis Rams, the Buffalo Bills, and the Carolina Panthers.

A case could be made that their destruction of the New York Giants was significant, but in all honesty, we know that the Giants have lost several games they should have won. I can't put them on the list with the Rams and the Bills, but they have not played well.

So who wins this game?

Two great teams take to the Superdome field tonight, and one comes out with a lot of pride. The other team gets to say, we played a great team, and we lost.

The Patriots will win this game by the skin of their teeth.

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New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints: The Battle of the Bayou Preview

Lloyd Vance — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:17:09 -0500

WR Julian Edleman and the New Patriots travel to New Orleans to face-off against the undefeated Saints on Monday Night Football

Patriots-Saints: The Battle of the Bayou Preview

ESPN Monday Night Football, 8:30 EST

Broadcasting team: Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico, John Gruden, and Suzy Kolber (sideline reporter)

Week 12 of the 2009 NFL Season has been one of the best for the league that always seems to leave its fans wanting more, but without a doubt the Monday Night Football match-up between the undefeated New Orleans Saints (10-0, the best start in franchise history) and the New England Patriots (7-3) is the cherry on top.

The Super Dome will be rocking as the “New Kids on the Block” (Saints) will take on the “Old Heads” (Patriots) to see who will be “King of the Hill” on the NFL’s playground.

After many had thought they had seen the precursor to the NFL playoffs in “Super Bowl XLIII 1/2” where the undefeated Indianapolis Colts led by MVP-candidate Peyton Manning came back to post an amazing 35-34 win over the Patriots, no one thought there could be a better game.

Well, I am not sure if the game that people are calling, “The Battle of the Bayou” or Super Bowl XLIII 3/4 will live-up to the inordinate amount of hype generated, but you have to admit this is a fascinating match-up that will have the nation’s attention. Sure, a match-up of the undefeated Saints versus the undefeated Colts probably would have created more buzz, but this pairing is just as good, in my opinion.

Even though these two teams’ histories are vastly different—the Saints have never been to the Super Bowl while the Patriots have been to seven Super Bowls, producing three wins all this decade—there is a mutual amount of respect on both sides of the field as two of Bill Parcells’ former disciples will square-off.

Both teams have an embarrassment of offensive weapons and defensively they both can provide pressure that often leads to capitalizing on turnovers and taking them to the house.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who throws compliments to upcoming opponents like manhole covers, recently said of the Saints, “I don’t think there’s any better team in football than the New Orleans Saints. They have no weaknesses that I can see.”

Of the upcoming Monday Night Football showdown, Saints QB Drew Brees (218-320, 2746 yards, 22 TDs and 9 INTs) said, “It’s going to take our best game to beat the Patriots. We know the type of team they are. We know the type of team they’ve been for the last decade. They’re a dynasty. Obviously, that’s one of the organizations we try to emulate. We’re trying to be a contender year-in and year-out and we’ve got to take advantage of these opportunities.”

New Orleans head coach Sean Payton was just as complimentary when talking about the Patriots saying, “We know it’s a good team that we’re playing this week. New England has been a successful franchise and is one of those organizations that has found the right formula. When you play a team like this, you observe from afar the things that they are able to do and how that relates to winning games.”

Any talk of this Monday night thriller has to start and end with the two quarterbacks leading their teams and as an old beer commercial used to say, “It doesn’t get any better than this."

In the year of the quarterback around the NFL, probably the only passers playing better at this point in the season are Manning and Vikings' QB Brett Favre, but that is saying something as both those veterans are shooting for their fourth NFL MVP award.

Payton, in talking about Brady and Brees, said, “Both of these quarterbacks are accurate."

The currently undefeated head coach added, “They’re good decision-makers and can decide quickly where they want to go with the ball based on the looks they’re getting. Those are certainly traits you see with both of them.”

Brees is second in the NFL with a 105.8 passer rating while Patriots QB Tom Brady is not far behind with a rating of 100.4, which is good enough for fifth in the NFL. In the touchdowns department, Brees also has a slight lead as he leads the league with 22 touchdown passes with Brady again not being far behind 20 (ranks fourth in the NFL in this category).

Like any great heavyweight fight, now that the pleasantries have been dispensed by both sides, let’s break this game down.

First off, fans should expect a ton of scoring as this is a match-up of the NFL’s No. 1 and 2 offenses—the Saints average a league leading 420.5 yards per game and the Patriots are next with an average of 416.1 ypg, which is first in the AFC—playing on the Super Dome’s fast track.

The Saints have redefined the term “high-octane” this season with an incredible 369 points scored through 10 games including producing over 40 points four times.

Many are comparing New Orleans to 500+ point plus scoring squads such as the 1999 St. Louis Rams (529 points scored and Super Bowl champs), 1998 Minnesota Vikings (556 points scored and a record of 15-1), and lastly the 2007 New Patriots (NFL record 589 points score and 16-0 AFC Champs) who will have several members from that offense still playing for them on Monday.

For the Saints offensively, Brees spreads the ball around to former Pro Bowl receiver Marques Colston (44 receptions for 687 yards, 15.6 ypc, and 6 TDs), scatback Reggie Bush, breakout player of the year candidate WR Robert Meachem, RB Pierre Thomas, speedster WR Devrey Henderson and many others (hard to believe former NY Giants’ Pro Bowl TE Jeremy Shockey is an afterthought on the Saints roster).

So at times it seems there is no stopping New Orleans. They have outscored opponents 369-204 so far this season and an amazing 18 players have scored touchdowns this season.

Every week seems to be a track meet for the Saints whether home or away even though at times they have sputtered out of the gate a couple of times—average winning margin of 16.5 points. The closest any team has come to beating them were the St. Louis Rams, who lost 28-23, but it wasn’t even as close as the score would indicate.

The Saints offense hasn’t been the team’s only story for 2009 as new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has returned some teeth to a defense that allowed 393 points (24.6/g) in 2008. Williams' aggressive unit has generated seven touchdowns and produced a league-high 29 takeaways including 20 INTs.

The Saints defense starts upfront with pass rushers DE Will Smith (8.5 sacks) and DE Charles Grant providing pressure on quarterbacks that has helped MLB Jonathan Vilma, safety Darren Sharper (seven interceptions, returning three for touchdowns), CB Tracy Porter, and others make the most of their turnover opportunities—Saints are third in the NFL with a +10 turnover ratio.

However, even though the Saints have been stellar at getting turnovers, some teams have been able to move the ball on them at times this season—allowed 204 points (20.4/g), which ranks them 15th in the NFL.

Also, injuries could be a factor for the Saints’ defense as Porter is listed as “doubtful” with CB Randall Gay (hamstring), CB Jabari Greer (groin), DE Bobby McCray (knee/back), and Vilma (knee) listed as “questionable” for the game.

Not to be outdone, the Patriots’ offense is also one of the NFL’s best at passing the football this season. The Pats’ offense is also dangerous and the scary part is that QB Tom Brady (261-393, 3049 yards, 20 TDs, and six INTs) seems to have finally put his devastating 2008 knee injury behind—remember his NFL record six TD performance in the a 59-0 blowout of Tennessee Titans in week six?

Brady will also spread the ball around, but watch for his big play threat WR Randy Moss (63 receptions for 925 yards, 14.7 YPC, and eight TDs with a long of 71 yards), his multi-purpose chain mover RB Kevin Faulk (39 rushes for 192 yards and 29 catches for 252 yards w/ one TD) and his security blanket WR Wes Welker (79 catches for 854 yards, 10.8 ypc, and four TDs plus coming off a career-high 15-catch performance last week) to be much involved in the Patriots game plan.

Last week against the Jets, Welker and Moss combined for 20 catches in a 31-14 win which gave the pair 142 combined receptions through 10 games to surpass an NFL record that was set earlier in the day by Colts Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.

If the Patriots are smart, they will try to establish their running game (Faulk, Laurence Maroney, and Sammy Morris) against the Saints fast defensive line to wear them down.

The Saints are getting DT Sedrick Ellis back from a knee sprain, but controlling the clock will be key for the Patriots to take the air out of the ball to keep Brees’ offensive weaponry on the sidelines. The Patriots’ offensive line also will need to step up too in this game as, at times this season, the unit has struggled with speed rushers.

On defense, the Patriots—ranked third in the AFC with 296.7 points allowed per game—are no slouches in the turnover department either as they lead the AFC with a +12 ratio.

But they will surely need to have big games from improving FS Brandon McGowan (good cover guy TEs), cover corner Leigh Bodden (five INTs including three last week against the Jets), and pass rusher Tully Banta-Cain (five sacks) to keep Brees foot off the gas.

There is no doubt the Patriots still have some playmakers on the defensive side, but you have to wonder if the defections of DL Richard Seymour (traded to the Raiders), SS Rodney Harrison (retirement to NBC), LB Tedy Bruschi (retirement to ESPN) and others have caused their unit to be questioned.

We all know head coach Belichick had questions of the unit in their much-publicized week nine’s loss in Indy. Protecting a slim six-point lead, the three-time Super Bowl winning head coach chose to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory rather than punt and let his defense have a chance at stopping Peyton Manning and Colts offense.

As the whole world knows, the Patriots did not convert the infamous play and now many people around NFL circles are wondering if their defense is championship caliber.

LV’s Pick: These two teams have met 11 times with the Patriots holding a dominating 8-3 edge including winning their last three meetings. The last time was in November of 2005 as the Patriots won 24-17 in Foxborough.

As many are predicting, I believe this game will be a high scoring affair. But in the end, I believe the team that can establish the run and limit turnovers will be the winner.

Lately, the Saints have been a little careless with the football and the Patriots have a strong veteran group that knows how to capitalize on mistakes and win close games. Plus the Pats are 5-0 all-time at Superdome including a Super Bowl win.

Also with the Colts staying undefeated this week, the chances are pretty strong that the Saints will lose—there have never been two 11-0 teams in NFL history.

New England wins late as Brady hits Moss for a game-winning touchdown, 31-28.

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

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