Cut Down Day part dieux

In compliance with the league's mandatory roster rules, the patriots cut 7 more players today to trim to 65 plus 6 european league excemptions. No real big surprises today, mostly no name guy and others you'd expect to see anyway. The list from the Patriots website is as follows:

Anderson, Jason WR
Gould, Robbie K
Krug, Ryan G
Morton, Chad RB
Pili, Ifo DL
Poteat, Hank CB
Thomas, Santonio DL

Anderson played well in the preseason and may very well end up elsewhere this season. Morton never got on the field and Poteat was just behind too many talented CB's. If they clear waivers they can be added to the 8 man practice squad.

As you heard here last week, most sources are saying the toughest competition will be for the final WR spot. The consensus NOW is Branch, Givens, Brown and Dwight are safe. Bethel Johnson is on the PUP and doesn't take up a roster spot. That leaves Andre Davis, PK Sam and David Terrell all vying for possibly ONE spot. Maybe they'll keep six, so only one of them would be cut. I THINK that Davis is a lock because Belichick wouldn't have thrown away a fifth round pick just to cut the guy. Not only will it be interesting to see who they cut, but also where they end up.

Tell your cousin PhiL you heard it here!

Patriots all Class

In a surprising move, the Patriots cut 3 players today, 24 hours prior to the deadline to trim to 73 players. The players, Rohan Davey QB, Cedric Cobbs RB, and Dexter Reid S, were cut early to try to find a chance to play somewhere else. They could have easily found suitors to trade Davey especially, but didn't want to dictate to him where he'd have to play. Belichick stated that he'd like Davey to go somewhere that is a fit for him, and that Davey will be a player in this league.

Cobbs and Reid were second year players both drafted in the 4th round last year. Reid was just outplayed by the other Safeties and Cobbs just couldn't get on the field to be evaluated.

The remaining cuts will be announced by 4pm tomorrow, but don't expect more 'name' players until the roster gets trimmed to 64.

For the first time since training camp began, Tedy Bruschi made an appearance at Gillette Stadium today. He worked in the weight room before visiting the locker room to say hello to his friends on the team and in the media.

That's More Like It

The New England Patriots showed that they are just about ready to defend their title with a resounding victory at Lambeau Field. This was the most Patriot-like performance we've seen thusfar this pre-season and it was long overdue.

So much for not being able to stop the run. Green ran 11 times for 23 yards and lost a fumble to McGinest when Wilfork slashed into the backfield and Chad Brown knocked the ball lose. As a team GB ran 29 times for only 96yds for a 3.2 average. I'll take that any day of the week against any team in the league. Conversely, the Pats and especially Dillon looked strong running the ball. Dillon carried 14 times for 70yds, 5 yards per carry and a touchdown. As a team the Pats carried 34 times for 155, a 4.6 average.

So much for 3rd down conversions being a problem. The Patriots were 8 for 17 while holding GB t0 6 for 16. More importantly, the first team offense scored on 5 of its 7 posessions and GB needed a fluke play on a punt to get anywhere near the end zone.

So much for being bad on special teams. Other than the fluke play on the punt that hit Ty Poole in the back, special teams were very good. They were able to make plays on returns and stuff GB. They averaged nearly 30 yds per kick return while holding GB to under 20. Another good play that won't show in the stat sheet was the play by Tim Dwight on a punt. While waiting for the punt to come down on his own 10 yd line, he waved for a fair catch and moved forward a couple of steps. The defenders bought the decoy and went towards him. The ball landed slightly behind and to the right of him and bounced into the end zone. GB never had a chance to down the ball because they got duped.

OK so there were a few penalties, but as the anouncers suggested, that happens in pre-season on special teams because guys realize that they are on the chopping block and they are trying to make something happen.

Ben Watson was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 49 yards. It looked like they really wanted to work him into the offense. Did you see him come in motion and wreck defensive lineman on running plays? He is a devastating blocker and I think they used him well without showing him off too much. Sooner or later his catches will be downfield and not just in the flat. I just think they don't want to give too much away.

Now we are merely days from the opening kick-off. Don't expect to see many starters on Thursday night. Do expect to see a lot of passing, Belichick has to find some way to sort out these wide receivers. The only way to do that is to air it out to these guys and see who will make plays.

Tell your friends you heard it here!

The Brady Bunch

I'm just looking at the wide receiver position and I'm baffled by the trade for Andre Davis. Yes, I loved watching him play at Virginia Tech with Mike Vick and I thought he was pretty damn good. Yes, the Pats had two 5th round picks and giving one up is not a huge deal. Where and when is he going to play and how does that affect who gets cut?

Branch is probably the only guy who definitely has a job. It would surprise me if they cut Brown, but if they decide to go younger and taller and they do cut him, I wouldn't be shocked. It's been hard to judge the likes of Terrell and PK Sam who have both only returned to practice this week. (Funny how they couldn't practice until another WR was added.) Bethel Johnson is still yet to see the practice field. Could they cut him and give up on the fastest guy on the team, a former 2nd round pick? How about this Anderson guy who has looked like the best receiver they have through 2 pre-season games, a long shot but you NEVER know. That brings me to David Givens and I'm just going to float this out there for you. He is one year away from unrestricted free agency and has a one year, $1.4 million contract. IF the Pats have had a hard time getting a long term deal done and IF he wants to test the free agent market, then I can see him getting traded so the Pats can at least get 'value' in return for his loss. The WR lineup would still include Branch, Terrell, Brown, Davis, Johnson, Sam, Dwight, Anderson. Bethel Johnson is currently on the PUP list and they might just keep him there until week 6 and then decide to cut, activate or place him on IR. Dwight has a 'cuttable' contract that won't hurt them cap-wise.

Next Tuesday is the first round of cuts and teams have to get to 65 players plus the NFL Europe players.

Running Scared?

As much as I enjoyed San Diego and the content of the seminar itself, it's good to be back home. I've tried to read as much as I could about the Pats that was written while I was gone. There seems to be this recurring theme that the Pats can't stop the run.

They have given up 150 yds/game for a 4.4 average so far this pre-season. Last season they gave up only 98 yds/game for a 3.8 average. When Belichick was confronted with with the problem stopping the run he got VERY defensive and told reporters not to look too much into the numbers. Still, for a superbowl team that has lost their coordinators, their starting MLB's and has a starting QB that has looked anything but sharp, they'll absolutely have to stop the run if they want any chance at repeating.

So why haven't they stopped the run so far? Rudy Johnson and Duece McAllister are not slouches. The new middle line backers are still picking up the system. The entire starting defensive line hasn't played together very much. Belichick is not game planning to stop the offense, rather he's just running defensive coverages. My conclusion is that they may give up more rushing yards than last year, but it won't be as bad as some people are making it out to be.

My true concern is their 3rd down play, or lack thereof. They are LAST in the league this pre-season in 3rd down conversions allowed. They've given up something like 70% of third down conversions, which is terrible. On the offensive side of the ball they're in the bottom five at converting 3rd downs. Watch for a marked improvement in this area during tonight's game at Lambeau Field, I'm sure it's been high on Belichick's list all week.

I hope to post one or two more times today as time permits.

Marquis Hill. From? (just warming up)

It's your turn....

OK, so I was just landing in San Diego when the Pats kicked off the 2nd half. Then, due to a delay with baggage and traffic, I got to see the final 5 minutes of the game. Now it is your turn to tell everyone and me, because I want to know what happen in the game, what you thought about it.

And You Used to Laugh at Me.....

How many times have I been so enamored with Tom Brady that I have told you guys I would vote for him when he runs for president? That Tom Brady has that leadership ability and would go into politics and that he'd have my vote? Remember that you heard it from me when it actually happens.

Tom Brady on the cover of GQ magazine has been the talk of the town for the last couple of days. The photo shoot has him posing as a cowboy. The cover, with him on it, poses the question, "The best there ever was?" One of the pictures is Brady with a goat. The significance of the goat? G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). His teammates didn't let him get away with it though. Koppen and Light got copies of the GQ cover and taped them to the back of their jerseys so Brady had to look at himself on the covers for the whole practice.

Getting into the article, and the president thing here are some excerpts: (I told you so!)

"Indeed, his ease in the spotlight—the way he actually draws strength from pressure—is what has prompted speculation that he might run for U.S. Senate someday. "As a Patriots fan, I don't want Tom Brady running for office anytime soon because I want him to be our quarterback," says Bob Shrum, who was the chief strategist on John Kerry's presidential campaign. "But everyone in Washington got excited when Brady said he might be interested in politics someday. It wouldn't be automatic for him, but I'll tell you, if I was in the Massachusetts Republican Party, the shape it's in, I'd go after him." "

"Brady professes to be "intrigued" by the prospect of running for office and hedgingly avers that "if the opportunity comes, hopefully, I'll be ready to kinda delve into that." Last year, wittingly or not, he did kinda delve into that, sitting in Laura Bush's box during President Bush's State of the Union address, nestled between Joyce Rumsfeld and Alma Powell in what many observers took to be a tacit endorsement of the incumbent presidential ticket. A Bush staff member e-mailed the Drudge Report to crow, "It was a touchdown from Kerry's own 40-yard-line!"Brady insists his appearance was apolitical. "I was invited," he says. "I thought, 'What an honor. I'm an American. I'm getting to sit with the first lady of the United States at the State of the Union.' I thought it was one of the coolest things I've ever done." "

"Although he says he has yet to sort out his party affiliation, Brady does keep making little sorties into the political arena. While in Washington for the White House Correspondents' dinner in May, he taped a segment for ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos in which he said, "I enjoy the greater good, I think, of what this country has to offer.... The things that I feel are fulfilling for me are beyond, you know, throwing a football. It's making influence in people's lives. And if that's politics, that's politics." "

So mark me down for one vote for Brady for President in what, 2028? 2032?

The question asked was when are the cuts and who will be cut.

The rosters have NOT been trimmed and I don't think they get down to 55 guys until the week before the season starts. Then they get 5 extra NFL europe allocations plus whoever is on IR and the PUP. At this point it's just to hard to say without seeing what everyone brings to the table. It is really just a numbers game. Do they want 5 WR and 4 TE or 6WR and 3TE. Do they want 6 CB and 3 Safeties or 5CB and 4 Safeties. Belichick has been known to have 10 or 11 DB's. That may mean one less receiver. It all depends on who's performing on special teams. They'll carry 3 extra LB's because they play super special teams (Davis, Izzo, Mallard).

My guess for QB is that Brady and Flutie are 1 & 2. Davey will probably hang around if they can't get anything in a trade. Cassell can be the 4th and not officially take a roster spot if they designate him to NFL Europe. I think that is the best thing to do to let him get playing time and still have all 4 QB's

Running Back is a mystery. Obviously Dillon, Faulk and Pass are in. I don't think they're going to keep Cobbs & Chapman, one will have to go. Belichick will take the best availabe regardless of draft status, but Chapman has already been to Europe so I'm not sure they go that route with him. If Cobbs can't get on the field how can he make the team?

It's easy to pick the first four WR's. Branch, Givens, Brown, Terrell. On the Bubble are Dwight, Johnson, Childress, Morton, Anderson. Money-wise the most cap friendly cut is Dwight, but he's been great on returns and Bethel hasn't even played. This MAY be the year that Bethel gets cut. My guess is that they go with 6 WR especially because NONE of them has a history of staying healthy for a whole season.

TE is easily Watson and Graham. The battle for the third one is between Fauria and Weaver. Belichick may surprise us and keep all four and cut a LB or DB. Who knows.

No one from the D Line goes. Hill, Green, Warren, Seymourmoney, Wilfork, Bailey, who did I forget?

There will be a Plethora of LB's and now that Rookie Ryan Claridge is on IR there won't be any surprises here.

DB will be the most interesting. Are they willing to cut veteran acquisitions for the rookies? I think if any of them go it will be Antwan Edwards, Dexter Reid or Chad Scott.

That's the best I can do for now unless you have a question about a specific player.

Convenient change to Patriots Report

In a move to make it easier for everyone to post their comments, you no longer have to 'log in' to post YOUR comments. So let's hear 'em!

A chink in Brady's ARMor?

Much has been made lately about Tom Brady's throwing or lack thereof. Tom Curran, of the ProJo, had 3 entries on his BLOG on Friday night when he realized that Brady wasn't going to play. He also had 2 stories in the ProJo about Brady being inactive or not throwing in practices. There have been calls to WEEI from concerned fans about the lack of Brady throwing the ball in practice. From my point of view, what's the big deal? Does Brady know the offense? Didn't stories come out at the end of the year last year that Brady couldn't even lift his fork on on Mon & Tues following games? and that he sometimes didn't throw at all during the week leading up to games? Yes. Yes. and Yes. So don't you think Belichick is smart to sit him out and rest him vs. his own team? YES! I'd prefer Brady have an arm in December and January than an arm in August, and you?

I just want to point something out that I noticed about Brady a couple of months ago, during the June mini camp. Take a look at these pictures, notice anything a little out of the ordinary?



Does Flutie look like he's 10 years old or what?

Honsetly though, besides that, what do you notice?

Tom Brady making a statement about his former Michigan teammate. The guy HE made the #4 overall pick coming out of college. Look at the #'s on the shorts. Brady wearing Terrell's #10 and Terrell wearing Brady's #12. Take that for what it's worth.

One note I forgot to add about Friday's game: Wesley Mallard was pretty damn good on special teams. He's one of the guys they brought in, a 'linebacker' that is here to be like Izzo and just be a special teams ace.
He is.

Here are some common observations from camp on Sun and Mon:

Ben Watson is back with a vengeance.
Mike Vrabel has not been seen, on the field or off.
Ty Poole has been the best player in the secondary.
Tim Dwight has been superb on punt & kick returns.

What did you think about the game?

That has been the first thing most people have asked me since Friday night. My first impression was that there was really not a lot to say and that is probably still the case, but here are some thoughts anyway.

I think everyone was pleasantly surprised with Matt Cassell. While I indicated to you that he was one to watch, I never anticipated his ability to run. He did a great job scrambling for 1st downs when the play wasn't there rather than try to force the issue. I was quite impressed with his TD pass because he read the blitz, audabled to the right play and then executed. Could this spell the end of Davey? He certainly was unimpressive, and inaccurate.

The Running game looked pretty good, Dillon had the one long run, typical for the preseason Pass looked good, but the RB of the day was Kory Chapman. Evidently Cobbs didn't make the trip because he was held out of Wednesday's practice with injury. Good for Chapman for making the most of his opportunity. It will be interesting to see how Belichick interprets Chapman's performance and if that puts him in contention with Cobbs for a roster spot. Stay tuned.

I didn't really notice Mankins with the exception of the one sweep play, but when the Pats ran it was mostly behind Mankins and Light. If we can say that the running game was good, then you can say that Mankins played well and will probably be the opening day starter.

Overall on offense we really didn't get to see how good they might be because there was no Brady Branch Watson or Gameplanning. Look for a lot of Flutie this Thursday vs New Orleans.

The defense was good and bad, but not that bad. I think teams are going to have a HELL of a time trying to pass against that secondary. It really didn't matter who was in, the Bengal receivers were blanketed. Rookie Ellis Hobbs (Iowa St) led the secondary in tackles, but that's because of playing time. I really didn't like what I saw agianst the run, so that was bad. You can take that with a grain of salt because Seymour and Warren weren't there, Vrabel was injured early, and Beisel and Brown are new. Hill had a nice strip on a pass rush, but I was hoping for more from him especially given the amount of time he got. I did like Rodney Bailey who seemed to do quite a bit when he was in there.

If I'm with the Bengals I'm VERY HIGH on Odell Thurman #51. That guy was EVERYWHERE, great 2nd round pick.

You'll be on your own for Thursday's game vs. New Orleans, as I'll be in San Diego for a seminar. I'll try to get you a post or two before I leave town.

All is quiet behind enemy lines.

Try as I might to find something - anything to relay to you from the Cincinnati papers, there was nothing to be found. There isn't even one quote from the normally outspoken receiver Chad Johnson. Here are some of the ho-hum headlines from the two papers: "Season of Promise: Bengal's First Test" "Fewer Chances Mean Much Greater Attentin for Schobel" "Think You Can Dance?" "Still No Deal for Pollack" "Dillon Finds Peace With Pats" Very lame articles, especially the 'first test' column, glad I don't live there.

Tonight's game is at 7:30pm on Channel 5. Make sure that you don't start watching at 7:35 because you may miss Brady. Hopefully tonight's game will give me something to 'BLOG' about tomorrow.

Looking over the regular season schedule

I've already posted that I think the Patriots have one of the toughest schedules in the league, especially the first 6 weeks leading into the bye. My intention was to write about 3-4 intriging match-ups, but I couldn't narrow it down that far, especially with the Jets 'landing' Ty Law. Just about every game has something to offer.

Raiders Who doesn't want to watch the season opener against Randy Moss and Lamont Jordan. It's also a chance to see how this team came through an off-season of change.

@Panthers The first time we get to see the Panthers since Superbowl 38. Evidently there is
still some bad blood between some of the players. (Steve Smith hates Ty Poole)

@Steelers The AFC championship rematch. Why does it seem like we always have to play AT
Pittsburgh? We'll see how good the Steelers are in this one.

Chargers Doesn't get any easier for the Pats in week 4. How will they stop Gates &
Tomlinson?

@Falcons In my opinion this will be an easy win for the Patriots, but it will be exciting to
watch Vick. The Pats will have a Philadelphia-esque scheme and completely shut
this team down.

@Broncos OK, aybe this one is not as interesting as it once was, but it is a tough road game.

BYE

BILLS Our first look at JP Losman and superstar waiting to happen Willis McGahee. Super
but older Defense with essentially a rookie QB, all division games are tough.

COLTS Manning & Co. This should be the biggest regular season game of the year for both
teams. How many years has Manning's season ended in Foxborough? Given the
relative ease of the Colts schedule, this game most likely will be played for home field
advantage in the playoffs. You know they don't want to come here in January AGAIN.

@DOLPHINS How boring is this team going to be? Great Defense, no QB, a rookie RB, they
will be the most boring team in the league by far. Still, division game on the road is huge.

SAINTS A very mediocre team and maybe the seasons first 'easy' game. It will be fun to see
the saints offensive weapons: McAllister, Horn & Brooks.

@CHIEFS This may also have big playoff implications and it is always difficult to win at
Arrowhead, but who are the Chefs?

J.E.T.S. This rivalry really didn't need more fuel on the fire. Just when you thought you had
enough of the Ty Bowl hype, Ty Bowl 2 happens 3 weeks later.

@BILLS

TAMPA BAY This game might not mean much to TB this late in the season.

@JETS

DOLPHINS

Law to the Jets

In a move that surprised no one, division rivals signed the oft-injured cornerback Ty Law. I hope they don't think he's their ticket to a division championship or a superbowl trip. Ty Law is/was one of the best if not THE best CB in the league since about the 1998 season. IF he stays healthy he will be an upgrade over a rookie draft pick for the Jets. As we all know in New England though, one player does not make a team. Isn't that right Lawyer Milloy, Drew Bledsoe, Damian Woody, Ted Washington, Tebucky Jones, etc etc.

Ty will be great for the Jets vs teams with only one wideout, for example Chris Chambers in Miami or Mushin Muhamid with 'da beers'. He really won't make much of a difference against the Pats because he probably can't stop a guy like Branch, who's too quick. Law might be able to 'shutdown' Terrell or Brown and I'm sure the Pats will concede that and know they can still win. I can't wait for the 2 Jets games, the hype will be off the charts.

Thank you Ty Law for your 10 years of service, the probowls, the superbowls and good luck with the Jets - you're going to need it. No one knows your tendancies better than Belichick.

A few observations from today's training camp session.

I was lucky enough to get out to Foxborough this afternoon for Pats practice. Here are some observations:

Tom Brady is fantastic. EVERY pass he threw was a completion. During one drill, a receiver would run a 'fly' pattern straight down the field as fast as they could. Each was covered by a DB running stride for stride. I guess the idea was to try to see if the QB could find a place to get the ball to a covered receiver. Brady completed every pass, in stride, beautifully dropping the ball in just over the defender softly into the hands of his receiver 50-55 yards downfield. Unbelievable. The crowd was going nuts.

Also on the QB front, get ready to see a LOT of Matt Cassell. He took all the reps with the second team while Flutie and Davey split time with the 3rd string. You'll see that this kid looks a lot like Brady from his build, his demeanor (poise) and the way he throws the ball. He looks to be a pretty good fit at backup QB, almost like they cloned Brady. (Pichewy chomp)

Why is it that when I get excited about a guy because of his physical skills they end up hurt? Bethel Johnson still has yet to practice PK Sam did not practice for like the 5th day in a row and today, there was no sign (and I was hunting for him) of Ben Watson. Fauria and Weaver both looked good and IF Watson can get on the field it will be hard to cut one of those guys. The catch of the day was made by Graham. Brady was being pressured on the edge by Colvin and blindly through the ball to where he knew Graham would be running down the seam. Graham looked over his left shoulder, in traffic, leaped up while turning over his right shoulder, arms outstretched and hauled it in. WOW!

Logan Mankins is a beast.

Randall Gay did not dress, starting corners were Poole and Sammuel in front of Harrison & Wilson. The rest of the corners/safeties were all pretty much unremarkable except for Dexter Reid who missed a couple of coverages.

I didn't see much of Beisel with the first team, inside backers were Brown and Vrabel with Colvin and McGinest on the outside.

Vince Wilfork is enormous. He looks like a big #0.
Marquis Hill is pretty damn big too.
You really can't imagine how huge Corey Dillon is until you see him from 15-20 yards away. It is hard to picture someone that big being that fast.

I don't know how David Terrel could have been overlooked by a lot of writers, he looks like an impact player to me. Pencil him in for 40-55 catches and 6-8 TD's. Don't look for him on my fantasy squad though.

I can't wait for Friday night's game.

I do highly recommend going to one of these practices if you have the opportunity. The parking is free, the admission is free, the fans are all pumped. At one point the players lined up on one sideline and sprinted the width of the field towards the bleachers and the place erupted. Bring your own water, 5 bucks a pop. I didn't even want to know what the beers were going for. Until next time, tell your friends you heard it here!

Not football related...

Heard on WEEI this week:

What do you call a drinking establishment who's patrons are genetically engineered lesbians?

A Clone-dike bar


On the Anniversary of Pee Wee Herman being caught in the movie theater on WEEI host offered this defense for him. It's not really his fault, he just walked in the wrong door. Had he gone in the next door, the door to the dry cleaners he would have been fine. The sign in the dry cleaners window says 'drop your pants and jacket off'.

I figure if sports radio can get away with it, so can I.

Going out on a limb?

I want you to think for a moment. Over the past 4-5 seasons, who is the quarterback that has been injured the most?
I seem to remember a severe ankle sprain, a concussion, a thigh injury, a wrist injury, a back problem, a bad left leg, something with one of the fingers on his throwing hand and most recently a major sternum (chest) injury. This guy nearly retired because at the age of 30, he can't even pick up his kids.

If you answered Steve McNair I have to agree, or at least that's my point. McNair, a tough guy by all accounts, only agreed to return to the Titans when they hired Norm Chow of USC as the new offensive coordinator.

In a move that is amusing to me, not that I really wish any physical harm to any player, the Jets hired offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger because they like his verticle passing game. Did I mention that Heimerdinger was McNair's offensive coordinator? He was. Chad Pennington had better strap his helmet on pretty tight this year.

So am I going out on a limb when I make the prediction that Pennington will not finish this season? Backup Jay Fiedler had better learn the offense pretty quickly.

Who is going to lose to the Patriots in the Superbowl?

There may only be 2 or 3 'good' teams in the NFC this year, but that is an improvement over last year when only the Eagles were considered contenders. A bunch of moves were made by NFC teams in effort to put a finger in their proverbial leaky dams.

NFC east
This division is certainly the Eagles to lose. But with holdouts at starting RB and DE, the other starting DT shot in the stomach, problem child T.O. and the lack of initiative from McNabb to step up and light a fire under his team, that might just happen.
Philadelphia 13 - 3
Dallas 9 - 7
New York 7 - 9
Washington 5 -11

The League has also installed a highway for the Eagles. No matter what happens with their holdouts, they have a pretty easy schedule and the fact that there is not much competition in the NFC, particularly the NFC east, bodes well for them. I like the Cowboys this year, but much like their Texas counterpart in Houston, the schedule is too tough. I don't think Plaxico Burress is the answer in NY and neither is David Patten in Washington.

NFC south
A lot of the 'experts' are picking Atlanta to win this division easily. I have a hard time with that based on last years' playoff loss at Philly, but how do you discern a difference between TB, Carolina and N.O.?
Carolina 10 - 6
Atlanta 9 - 7
Tampa Bay 7 - 9
New Orleans 6 - 10

The Panthers were 1-7 in their first 8 games last season. They played 6 eventual playoff teams during that stretch. They went 6-2 to finish the season, playing against 2 eventual playoff teams. They had a TON if injuries last year, and a very light schedule this year. I cannot pick Atlanta because teams will study the film of the Philly loss and, until Vick learns to beat that scheme, they will lose a lot of games. TB and NO have tough schedules, particularly on the road.

NFC north

This is always one of the most intriging divisions in all of football. Just when you think Favre is too old he wins the division or, most recenlty, the Vikings hand it to him.
Minnesota 11 - 5
Green Bay 9 - 7
Detroit 8 - 8
Chicago 5 - 11

Minnesota has this division easy this year for two reasons. First, they play only an average schedule. Second, they have added some serious help on defense. Losing the Moss distraction is addition by subtraction. Green Bay will hang tough, but their schedule sucks as does Detroit's. Chicago will get some players back from injuries, but c'mon their QB is Rex Grossman!

NFC west
Would you ever in a million years have believed?
Arizona 10 - 6
Seattle 9 - 7
St Louis 9 - 7
San Francisco 1st overall pick - again

The Arizona Cardinals will win the NFC west and make the playoffs this year. (That's how much competition the Eagles have in the NFC this year.) The pieces are in place to be the most surprising team in the NFL this season. Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald are the best trio of receivers in the league. The last time there was an outstanding trio Curt Warner was throwing to them, what a coincidence! Can you say greatest show on grass? The defense won't be great, but it will do enough to win the division. Seattle and the Rams are pretty good teams with tough schedules and SF isn't worth mentioning.

Four division winners are Eagles, Panthers, Vikings and Cardinals.
In an unprecedented season 5 NFC teams are 9-7 for 2 wildcard spots.
My wildcard guesses are Dallas and Seattle.
The Vikings beat the Eagles at Philly in the NFC Championship only to lose to the Pats in another close superbowl.

Who to watch on the Defense

First and foremost I'll be watching 'Seymour money', he'd better be playing his butt off. Felger beat me to the punch this morning in regards to Rosie Colvin. We should see a vaslty improved, much more agile Colvin this season. Now onto the guys we haven't really seen that bear watching this preseason.

Monty Beisel #44 As I mentioned, the KC coaching staff was very disappointed to lose this guy. He is just coming into the prime of his career. He is fast and has always been a playmaker. This is the guy that will be most like Bruschi. It will be interesting to see how he and Brown pick up the system.

Chad Brown #98 This guy is a footbal player. Big, fast, and aggressive, he is the active leader in sacks for the entire NFL. He is on record as saying that the system is very tough, so he'll probably make a couple of mistakes early, but he'll be a huge factor on this defense.

Rodney Bailey #96 He was signed form Pittsburgh before last season only to tear his achilles tendon and miss the season. I don't think there is anyway that he cracks the starting line up, but you can never have too much depth on the defensive line.

Guss Scott # 29 Guss made quite an impression early in camp last season before an ACL injury koncked him out for the season. He is a smart, heady safety who anticipates well. Despite his small size for a safety (5'10'') he is not afraid of big contact.

Ellis Hobbs #27 and James Sanders #36 This year's 3rd and 4th round picks. Hobbs is a corner and has gotten quite a bit of work as the nickel which might put him as the #3 CB on the depth chart. Also in his favor is his intellect. He was honor society through HS and 3 time Iowa St. Scholar Athlete of the year. (go cyclones?) Sanders seems to have a nose for the ball, forcing many fumbles and seperating receivers from the ball. He is also a demon on special teams.

And the AFC winner is....

I wouldn't be a true New England fan, a homer if you will, if I didn't pick the Patriots to win it all. As a matter of fact the 'homer' in me actually thinks that this team could go undefeated, but I'll settle for 13 - 3. We'll know everything we need to know about the 2005 Patriots within the first 6 weeks. Besides hosting the Randy Moss Raiders and the 12-4 Chargers, the Pats will play AT Carolina, AT Pittsburgh, AT Atlanta and AT Denver. It's a tough schedule to just play the road games from our division (Miami Jets Bills). So this year, in addition to the 'other' obstacles (Weis Crennel Ted & Tedy) the schedule won't be easy.
On the flip side, the league has created a 16 lane, well lit, super highway straight from Indianapolis to Detroit (the sight of Superbowl XL). I just don't understand why the league loves Peyton Manning and his whiny coach so much. OK, so they have to play at Baltimore and Seattle. Their toughest game is @ NE, so the NFL has provided them a bye week before the Pats, just to make sure they'll be ready. Don't forget that they'll also have to play juggernauts SF, Houston, Jax, Cleveland and Arizona.

AFC east
Upon initial review, My order was NE, Buf, Jets, Miami. After reviewing the schedules and watching a LOT of NFL network I give you my revised final standings as :
New England 13 - 3
New York 10 - 6
Buffalo 8 - 8
Miami 6-10

Buffalo just has too strong a schedule to take 2nd and while the Jets have some tough road games, they may go undefeated at home. Miami should hold it's own in many games, but they really don't have a very easy shedule.

AFC north
I AM actually picking this division based on schedule and off-season moves, not based on my dislike of the city of Pittsburgh.
Baltimore 11 - 5
Pittsburgh 10 - 6
Cincinnati 9 - 7
Cleveland 3 -13

Baltimore's schedule is too easy. Pittsburgh has a hell of a raod schedule. Cincinnati MAY get 2nd and 10-6 if one play goes their way vs. Pitt, so watch those games closely. For some reason the cellar-dwellars all have hard schedules this season and Crennel has himself a brutal one.

AFC south

The road to the Superbowl in the AFC this year goes through Indy. The other three teams in this division seem pretty average so this division is picked purely based on schedule.
Manning 14 - 2
Jacksonville 8 - 8
Tennessee 8 - 8
Houston 6 - 10

I like Houston, I REALLY do, but again, their schedule is one of the toughes in football. Jax and Tenn should be completely average this year. Indy has an easy division, an easy schedule and they will HOST the AFC championship game this year. -yet another obstacle for the Pats.

AFC west
Who the hell knows what will happen in this division. It's just too damn hard to tell, though to me, KC looks to be the best team.
Kansas City 11 - 5
Denver 10 - 6
San Diego 9 - 7
Oakland 6 - 10

KC improved its defense on paper and I think the O won't be what it has been, but the schedule is favorable. Denver is an enigma to me, but they can run the ball and again, the schedule is favorable. There is NO way Drew Brees repeats last year's performance and the QB controversy will ruin this team. Oakland may outscore everyone this year, but they have NO defense and Collins led the league in INT's thrown last season. They also have a killer schedule.

For the Playoffs your 4 division winners are NE, Baltimore, Indy and KC.
I have 3 teams at 10-6 but only 2 wild card slots, but I'm going with the Jets and Steelers.
AFC Championship game will be NE @ Indy.
It will be even more enjoyable to watch a dumbfounded Peyton Manning walk off his home field shaking his head in disbielief as the Pats go on to the XL Superbowl.

As pink floyd once said....Hello.

...is there anybody out there?

If you're there, I don't know it but I'll go on anyway.

The preseason schedule begins for the Pats next Friday! Woohoo! That being said, who should we look for while watching every second of action?
Here are some interesting OFFENSIVE players/battles to watch for beginning in Cincinnati next week:

Ben Watson #84 No surprise here, right? He led the team in preseason receptions last season before being knocked out for the season in week 1. Rumor has it that he actually tore the ACL during the preseason and tried to play anyway.
Also watch for the battle between Fauria and Weaver for the 3rd TE spot because most people believe only one will make the team.

PK Sam #14 Michael Felger of the Herald raves about him. Last year at this time he raved about Watson. Sam has matured in the offseason and has been making some nice grabs thusfar in camp.

David Terrell #10 I've only heard things like: 'too slow' and 'not enough seperation' from the reporters covering camp. Belichick however, has raved about the work ethic and how he puts in 100% on every play and how there is this trust level between he and Brady. We all assume that Brady wants his former Michigan teammate to succeed. (GO BLUE!)

Cedric Cobbs #34 After having a full offseason to learn a pro offense, we should see him 'think' less and just go out and run on instict. It should be exciting because he is supposed to be a pure RB with great insticts.

You'll be watching for Flutie anyway, right?

Matt Cassell #16 I have heard/read nothing negative about this kid. Good size, great arm, makes good reads, throws a beautiful ball, the offense runs smoothly when he's in the huddle whether it be the 2nd or 3rd team. He MAY even challenge Flutie to be the #2 guy on the depth chart. Rohan Davey, don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way to Cleveland!

Logan Mankins #70 We heard all of the things about him after he was taken in the first round: strong, agile, a bit of a mean streak. Sounds good to me. He will look great at Gaurd between Light and Koppen. Can you say 3rd and short over the Left side? IF however, Gorin and Ashworth are having trouble at right tackle, don't be surprised to see Mankins over there and Hochstein playing LG. There is a reason why the Patriots capitulated to Mankins and didn't make him sign a 6 year deal. They wanted him in camp on time because they think he's going to start.

Plenty of time to write tomorrow. I'll probably post who to watch on defense and also my thoughts around the league. Sooner than later I'll tell you the division winners, the wild card teams and who the Pats are going to beat in the superbowl.

After my fantasy draft I'll tell you who around the league will have a break out season.

God bless the NFL Network, 55 games in 25 days!!!!!

The Short Bus...

Special Teams.

Special Teams has been the focus of training camp this year, after a very poor showing last season. The Pats were in the bottom half of AFC teams in kick return yards, punt return yards, kick return yards allowed and punt return yards allowed. As a result, Belichick/Pioli went out and added depth.

Returners Tim Dwight and Chad Morton are here to push Bethel Johnson. Rookie CB Ellis Hobbs has looked good returning Punts as well.

The Pats added LB Wesley Mallard as a special teams specialist, ala Don Davis and Larry Izzo. These guys along with the DB's who are fighting for a roster spot (Hobbs, Sanders, Reid) should improve the coverage team considerably.


Josh Miller and Adam Vinatieri are among the best in their respective fields and of course long snapper Lonnie Paxton is the best in the league.

Defense.....

Obviously on the defensive side of the ball, the Pats have big holes to fill. I don't believe the 'loss' of Romeo to be that big of a deal. From all reports, Eric Mangini is one of the best young minds in the NFL. Not only that, but keep in mind that he has been with Belichick since he was Belichick's ball boy in Cleveland circa 1995. Additionally, the players have all stated to a man that they don't notice a difference in the meetings or on the field.

As far as linebackers go, this MAY be where the Patriots hurt the most. Not only were the Ted's very productive stat-wise, but also were key to making presnap reads and adjustments on the fly. Those reads and adjustments are what makes Belichick's defense work. Without a seasoned veteran in there to 'quarterback' the D, they might get guys out of place and give up a big play every now and then. From what I gather, the Pats are experimenting with Vrabel and Harrison being the man so there is no added pressure on Beisel and Brown. Those two 'new' inside LB's have all they can do just to learn the system. Early interviews with Chad Brown the 11 year veteran downplayed the complexity of Belichick's D saying tht he had been in every scheme and done everything that could be asked of a linebacker. That was before it was shown to him. Immediately after the Pats first 'passing camp' Brown was singing a different tune. He started saying things like, I've never seen this before, it's so complex, I just want to learn my responsibilities. That being said, Brown and Beisel are expected to be major contributors this season. Beisel is just coming in to his prime and word from Kansas City is that the coaching staff was devastated when he chose to come to New England. Don't be surprised to see Matt Chatam getting a lot of playing time this preseason, as he's been turning heads at camp.

Greedy Pig, Richard 'Seymour Dollars' has returned to camp and everyone seems happy about it. This is the youngest, most talented, deepest D-Line in the League. They are without a doubt the strength of this years Defense. I'm excited to see Rodney Bailey play, after they signed him from Pittsburgh he tore his achilles tendon and missed all of last season. So far no one can really say whether or not Marquise Hill has made any strides this off season. After coming out of college early from LSU the Pats drafted him in the second round last year. He spent all season on the bench and only played when it didn't count against the 49ers, but he comes with high expectations.

That leaves the secondary. I can promise you that you will not see troy Brown play defense this season. At cornerback the Pats have Gay, Samuel, Poole, Poteat, Hobbs, Starks, Chad Scott and if need be Eugene Wilson. At Safety they have Wilson, Harrison, Guss Scott, Sanders, Reid, Edwards and if need be Don Davis. That is a lot of depth. Accordingly, there are some great battles for playing time going on right now in camp. One day Gay and Poole are with the first team, the next day Samual and Starks, etc etc. There is no one covering camp that has guessed who the starters will be at Corner. Patriots.com currently has the depth chart at corner as Gay and Samuel with Poole and Starks as the backups. Safety is a lock for Harrison and Wilson. The interesting battle is to be the 3rd man in. Guss Scott turned heads as a rookie last year before tearing his ACL and has looked solid so far this year. He is battling with Antuan Edwards, a veteran that signed from Green Bay, to be that 3rd guy. Sanders and Reid will be huge on special teams and for a rookie, Sanders might acually warrant a chance to be the 3rd man as well.
It will be interesting to see how Belichick uses all of the new pieces this year. He seams to have a knack for putting guys in the best possible position to succeed, and the outstanding depth will only add to what Belichick and Mangini can do. Remember, it was Mangini that first suggested that Troy Brown play cornerback in training camp last year.

Busy times ....

I've been busy from 7AM until 11PM for quite a few days in a row. Please look for a real post on Wednesday Aug 3rd. Anybody have a referral to a good executive assistant for a busy real estate office?