The Patriots beat the Bills 56 - 10 on Sunday night. The Bills, a team that was 5-4 and had won 4 straight games playing at home on national TV. The game was over at the end of the first quarter. The Pats could have scored 80. When it mattered the Pats had 7 drives that went as follows: 2 plays 13 yds TD, 6 plays 63 yds TD, 8 plays 72 yds TD, 10 plays 84 tyds TD, 12 plays 72 yds TD, 12 plays 73 yds TD, 10 plays 75 yds TD, 1 play 35 yds TD. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I woudn't have believed it.
Not much to say about that one. Brady was awesome, Moss was unstoppable, the O-line was impenetrable, Adalius was dominating, Sanders had a great game at Safety. OK, Maroney's still dancing and got benched for it, but with the Offense scoring at will this team could win the superbowl with Kyle Eckel. The convincing margins they've posted in their wins have caused many to say that this might be the greatest football team EVER assembled.
Some of those calling the Pats the best ever include Madden, Banks, Felger, Collinsworth, King etc etc. Of course it goes without saying that the Pats have to win out and take the superbowl in February, but these guys don'y see anyone in the Pats way. Here's the numbers: The 85 bears are widely considered the best team in the modern football era. That year, going 15-1 they beat teams by an average of 16 points per game. The greatest show on turf, Superbowl champion 1999 Rams won by an average of 17.7 pts/game. So far this season the Pats have won by an average of 25.4 points per game. That's more than 26 teams in the league score per game! That's the largest avg margin of victory since the 1942 Bears wond by 34 points/game. Again I say, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The 5-5 Eagles are coming to town this Sunday. The Pats are favored by 23.5 points, the biggest regular season spread (not including expansion teams) since the early 70's. I say that spread is not enough. The Pats will tell you it's not enough.
Bob Kraft told Madden and Michaels that in order to clear their name of videogate, the Pats will have to win every game this season convincingly. Tom Brady told Dennis and Callaghan that they're not trying to beat teams 42-28, they're trying to kill teams, trying to blow them out. Don't think the Pats will "kill" the Eagles? One of Philly's WR's at the time of videogate was quoted as saying that maybe the NFL should give them superbowl rings since the Pats cheated to win. Enough said.
Have a great Tanksgiving!!!
Tell your family and friends you heard it here!!
Showing posts with label videogate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label videogate. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Notes, The Bengals game
Let me start by finishing something here. With the videogate thing now behind us, I found a terrific article written about Belichick by Greg Garber, who covered him for years. It has great insight and brings up some terrific points:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&id=3034890
Looks like the league felt like there was some intent to Wilfork's hit to Losman. Small fine, $12,500 and no suspension. That essentially slaps him on the wrist and tells him not to do it again. To Wilfork's credit, he not only apologized on the field, but also personally called the Bills this week to check on Losman. Wilfork's a class act, and hopefully he won't get labelled as a dirty player.
Stallworth addressed the media this week to assure them he's happy. I was curious about him as it was and now I have my doubts that he really is happy. Let's face it, his contract is cut-able after this season and he's got a total of 4 catches. If he doesn't start being more productive, there is no way the Pats keep him on the payroll for next year. According to Miguel's unofficial Pats Salary page, "For the Patriots to retain Stallworth for the 2008 season, they must pay him an option bonus of $6 million by Feb. 25, 2008. There is a subsequent roster bonus of $2 million due on March 1, a second roster bonus of $1.6 million based on playing time, a base salary of $1 million and a $400,000 workout bonus. That totals an exorbitant $11 million for 2008." I think maybe we shouldn't get used to seeing him around unless he wants to renegotiate to stay here.
Monday Night Football.
This one has been billed Moss vs. Johnson. WHY?
Anyway, the Pats will be at Cincy on Monday night. The Bengals should be a dangerous team because they are really up against it. At 1-2, they are in danger of falling a full three games behind Pittsburgh in their division this week. It's almost a must win for Cincy and a team with it's back up against the wall is a dangerous team.
That being said, Cincy also has some injuries to deal with. Their best O lineman, LT Willie Anderson has not practiced this week and neither has TJ Who'syourmamma. In addition, starting RB Rudy Johnson is OUT.
What I see is a weak Cincinnati offensive line that will be dominated by the Pats front 7. Cincy will have no threat of a run game so the Pats will/should be able to generate a steady pass rush without sending too many guys. In the secondary expect soft, deep zones with the intention of making Palmer be patient and throw underneath for 5, 8, 12 yards at a time. The key will be just that, don't give up the big play.
On offense, I think the Pats should be able to do whatever they want. Cincy is 27th against the run (176 ypg) and 27th against the pass (258 ypg). It's just a matter of how the Pats want to score this week. I would expect the Pats to stay balanced, 50% run, 50% pass until they get the big lead then you'll see them run the ball to burn the clock.
It's hard not to pick the Pats for 38 points, so:
Pats 38
Bengals 16.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&id=3034890
Looks like the league felt like there was some intent to Wilfork's hit to Losman. Small fine, $12,500 and no suspension. That essentially slaps him on the wrist and tells him not to do it again. To Wilfork's credit, he not only apologized on the field, but also personally called the Bills this week to check on Losman. Wilfork's a class act, and hopefully he won't get labelled as a dirty player.
Stallworth addressed the media this week to assure them he's happy. I was curious about him as it was and now I have my doubts that he really is happy. Let's face it, his contract is cut-able after this season and he's got a total of 4 catches. If he doesn't start being more productive, there is no way the Pats keep him on the payroll for next year. According to Miguel's unofficial Pats Salary page, "For the Patriots to retain Stallworth for the 2008 season, they must pay him an option bonus of $6 million by Feb. 25, 2008. There is a subsequent roster bonus of $2 million due on March 1, a second roster bonus of $1.6 million based on playing time, a base salary of $1 million and a $400,000 workout bonus. That totals an exorbitant $11 million for 2008." I think maybe we shouldn't get used to seeing him around unless he wants to renegotiate to stay here.
Monday Night Football.
This one has been billed Moss vs. Johnson. WHY?
Anyway, the Pats will be at Cincy on Monday night. The Bengals should be a dangerous team because they are really up against it. At 1-2, they are in danger of falling a full three games behind Pittsburgh in their division this week. It's almost a must win for Cincy and a team with it's back up against the wall is a dangerous team.
That being said, Cincy also has some injuries to deal with. Their best O lineman, LT Willie Anderson has not practiced this week and neither has TJ Who'syourmamma. In addition, starting RB Rudy Johnson is OUT.
What I see is a weak Cincinnati offensive line that will be dominated by the Pats front 7. Cincy will have no threat of a run game so the Pats will/should be able to generate a steady pass rush without sending too many guys. In the secondary expect soft, deep zones with the intention of making Palmer be patient and throw underneath for 5, 8, 12 yards at a time. The key will be just that, don't give up the big play.
On offense, I think the Pats should be able to do whatever they want. Cincy is 27th against the run (176 ypg) and 27th against the pass (258 ypg). It's just a matter of how the Pats want to score this week. I would expect the Pats to stay balanced, 50% run, 50% pass until they get the big lead then you'll see them run the ball to burn the clock.
It's hard not to pick the Pats for 38 points, so:
Pats 38
Bengals 16.
Friday, September 21, 2007
As If You Didn't Know
This week will be one of the easiest weeks all year to pick the Patriots. As if you didn't know, I'm going with the Pats this week. But at least let me throw some reasons out there for you.
First, Offense.
Second, Defense.
The Bills Offense is 32nd in passing, 17th in rushing and 31st overall.
The Pats Offense is 4th in passing, 8th in rushing and 2nd overall.
The Bills Defense against the pass is 27th, the run 30th and 31st overall.
The Pats Defense against the pass is 5th, the run 1st and 1st overall.
Game over.
The Patriots Keys to Victory:
1- avoid a let down
2- block Schobel, he's the only playmaker on Buffalo's D.
3- don't let Buffalo hang around, they'll gain confidence as the game goes on if they're hanging around in the second half.
A victory on Sunday will give the Pats a near insurmountable lead of 3 games over the Bills and either the Jets or Dolphins who play each other this week. Three weeks in, 2 divisional opponents will be virtually illiminated from contention.
The easy pick here is:
Pats 41
Bills 7
JP Losman throws a bomb to Roscoe Parrish who beats Asante for the lone Bills TD and Matt Cassell (I hope) plays the entire 4th quarter.
Videogate:
It appears that videogate is finally over. The Pats gave the league it's cheating materials and the league burned them. Hopefully I won't have to write about it anymore. I did find a great article by SI's Peter King regarding videogate.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/09/19/mob.mentality0924/index.html
Although my respect for King has diminished since I found out some "stuff" about him and the Colts, this is a good article with good sources.
Tell your friends you heard it here!
First, Offense.
Second, Defense.
The Bills Offense is 32nd in passing, 17th in rushing and 31st overall.
The Pats Offense is 4th in passing, 8th in rushing and 2nd overall.
The Bills Defense against the pass is 27th, the run 30th and 31st overall.
The Pats Defense against the pass is 5th, the run 1st and 1st overall.
Game over.
The Patriots Keys to Victory:
1- avoid a let down
2- block Schobel, he's the only playmaker on Buffalo's D.
3- don't let Buffalo hang around, they'll gain confidence as the game goes on if they're hanging around in the second half.
A victory on Sunday will give the Pats a near insurmountable lead of 3 games over the Bills and either the Jets or Dolphins who play each other this week. Three weeks in, 2 divisional opponents will be virtually illiminated from contention.
The easy pick here is:
Pats 41
Bills 7
JP Losman throws a bomb to Roscoe Parrish who beats Asante for the lone Bills TD and Matt Cassell (I hope) plays the entire 4th quarter.
Videogate:
It appears that videogate is finally over. The Pats gave the league it's cheating materials and the league burned them. Hopefully I won't have to write about it anymore. I did find a great article by SI's Peter King regarding videogate.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/09/19/mob.mentality0924/index.html
Although my respect for King has diminished since I found out some "stuff" about him and the Colts, this is a good article with good sources.
Tell your friends you heard it here!
Friday, September 14, 2007
The Punishment
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down his punishment for the Patriots involvement in videogate: 500K fine to Belichick, 250K fine to the Pats and the loss of their first round draft pick. Now, if you want to punish the Patriots franchise, this is a good move. Losing the #1 pick might effect the Pats for the next 10-12 years. Losing a #1 is like losing a guy that was a first round pick, such as Seymour, Warren, Wolfork, Mankins, Maroney or Watson. That's a long term punishment for the franchise. It will probably still be effecting the Pats long after Belichick has gone. The Commish should have penalized Belichick. Suspend him a game or two or four for all I care. That would have been torture for Belichick - and the franchise could keep their next franchise player - next year's first round pick.
There are a lot of looney's out there calling for the loss of the pick and a suspension. Some even called for the Pats First round pick to be given to the Jets! Give me a break. I agree that the fines don't make a dent in their perspective wallets, but the fines in conjunction with the pick are plenty of punishment. Don't be thinking that giving up their #1 is not enough just because they were wise enough to trade for the 49er's first round pick next year.
Then there is the conspiracy theory.
The theory exists that Belichick wanted to get caught. He wanted to make sure that his players didn't believe the hype about them. He wanted to insure that they'd continue to work hard even though many have anointed them superbowl champs. Why else would he be so blatently obvious about filming the Jets signals? Why else would he be so obvious against Manjuvenille, who must know that it's something Bill does/did in the past. Now the players have to prove they're for real by going out and winning a "clean" superbowl. It's not my theory, but take it for what it's worth.
There are a lot of looney's out there calling for the loss of the pick and a suspension. Some even called for the Pats First round pick to be given to the Jets! Give me a break. I agree that the fines don't make a dent in their perspective wallets, but the fines in conjunction with the pick are plenty of punishment. Don't be thinking that giving up their #1 is not enough just because they were wise enough to trade for the 49er's first round pick next year.
Then there is the conspiracy theory.
The theory exists that Belichick wanted to get caught. He wanted to make sure that his players didn't believe the hype about them. He wanted to insure that they'd continue to work hard even though many have anointed them superbowl champs. Why else would he be so blatently obvious about filming the Jets signals? Why else would he be so obvious against Manjuvenille, who must know that it's something Bill does/did in the past. Now the players have to prove they're for real by going out and winning a "clean" superbowl. It's not my theory, but take it for what it's worth.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Raiders East
Just Win Baby.
That was the mantra of the Oakland/LA Raiders of the 70's and 80's. Lie, cheat and steal, but just win. Take steroids (Lyle Alzado et al) but just win. Pay off the officials (see Sugar Bear Hamilton's phantom roughing the passer call in the 1976 playoffs) but just win baby.
Don't ask whether or not the Patriot's image will be tarnished. It's gone beyond tarnished to rusted with holes in it. Let's just examine this year alone. Golden boy Brady always speaks of his strong family values, but has a baby out of wedlock. Harrison, the leader of the team on and off the field, a born again Christian, uses banned substances to "get back on the field". And now blatent cheating during a game with the use of video cameras.
For those of you that have been on another planet, I'll explain. One of the Pats video assistants was on the Jets sideline video taping the Jets defensive coaches signaling plays to the huddle. It is absolutely illegal to video anything on the field at any portion of the game. Manjuvenille, probably accutely aware that Belichick does this, tipped off NFL security in the first quarter and they seized the camera and film. It is this film that commissioner Goodell viewed to determine that the Patriots are guilty.
Touchdown.org supplied visual evidence today with this picture:
That was the mantra of the Oakland/LA Raiders of the 70's and 80's. Lie, cheat and steal, but just win. Take steroids (Lyle Alzado et al) but just win. Pay off the officials (see Sugar Bear Hamilton's phantom roughing the passer call in the 1976 playoffs) but just win baby.
Don't ask whether or not the Patriot's image will be tarnished. It's gone beyond tarnished to rusted with holes in it. Let's just examine this year alone. Golden boy Brady always speaks of his strong family values, but has a baby out of wedlock. Harrison, the leader of the team on and off the field, a born again Christian, uses banned substances to "get back on the field". And now blatent cheating during a game with the use of video cameras.
For those of you that have been on another planet, I'll explain. One of the Pats video assistants was on the Jets sideline video taping the Jets defensive coaches signaling plays to the huddle. It is absolutely illegal to video anything on the field at any portion of the game. Manjuvenille, probably accutely aware that Belichick does this, tipped off NFL security in the first quarter and they seized the camera and film. It is this film that commissioner Goodell viewed to determine that the Patriots are guilty.
Touchdown.org supplied visual evidence today with this picture:
How blatently obvious is THAT?!?!?! How STUPID?!?!?
I think it's indefensible, but Belichick's statement included a line about how he presented his, "interpretation of the rule" to the commissioner. As far as I know Johnny Cochrane is dead and the glove fits, Bill.
Innocent or guilty, this videogate has been hard to swallow as a fan. The problem with being a fan is that "fan" is short for fanatic. It's hard not to be fanatical about your team, hard not to be emotional about them. How many times when your team has won a game have you said, "WE won the game." Right or wrong, you attach yourself to them, you identify yourself with them. That's why it makes us feel ashamed when the Pats get caught trying to "just win baby". The only experience I have had in my life that made me feel like this is when the Priests were getting busted with little boys. (I'M NOT IMPLYING THAT IT IS AS BAD OR DEMEANING THE VICTIMS HERE!) However there are a lot of similarities for me.
I'm catholic.
I was an alter boy.
I grew up around the church.
I identify myself with my church.
I had absolute respect for all the priests I knew, they could do no wrong.
I'm a New Englander.
I played peewee football.
I grew up playing sports.
I identify myself with my favorite team.
I had absolute repsect for all the players and coaches, they could do no wrong.
In both cases I don't know that I can ever look at them the same way. In the back of my mind I'll always have doubts about them. They ARE tainted.
I got offended today because a Dolphin fan kept calling out to me, "CHEATERS......CHEATERS......CHEATERS...." I felt ashamed. Then I thought, WHY? I didn't cheat. I didn't take HGH. As far as I know I didn't have a child out of wedlock. What does it have to do with me? Nothing. This incident gives us a chance to seperate ourselves from our sports heros and that's probably a good thing.
So now, knowing that what they do is NOT a reflection on you, you must ask yourself if you can still morally accept this team and support them no matter what. As for me, I was hurt, but this is just a football team, not my life.
So I say, "Just Win Baby!"
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