Cash For Being Active

When players get injured, we usually hear the same line about wanting to get back out the field with their teammates. In most cases, there is another reason because of game day roster bonuses.

Rob Gronkowski lost a $31,250 bonus when he sat out the season opener. Players will say how much they want to play, but it's really about that extra cash. There is certainly motivation to play when hurt.

Bill & Bavarro

It's always good to hear an interview with Coach Bill Parcells. He was talking about TE Mark Bavarro who is a finalist for the Hall of Fame.

Parcells said that he was one of the best he ever saw.  The Tuna emphasized that Bavarro was the complete package and could have played in any era.

His candidacy will be hurt by his short career of nine years and not putting up the gaudy numbers of today.

I think too much emphasis goes to the skilled offensive players who put up the numbers because of the way the game has evolved. It's tough to compare eras, but Bavarro was one of the best ever.

The Hall of Fame selection process is very flawed

The Axe For Two

The Pats always speak the same line about it being all about the team. That works fine as long as you are on the roster.

After Sunday, two players will lose their jobs when Tm Brady and Rob Ninkovich return. The released players could make it on to the practice squad, but that will come at the expense of two already there.

The roster and practice squad will look different on Monday.

Great Start For Blount

Coach Belichick is not one to dwell on statistics, especially when it coms to individual ones. LeGarette Blount is leading the league in rushing after three weeks. Some of his numbers are a result of running the ball to eat up time. He had several long runs which skew the total.

When Tom Brady returns, the running game will be less. Blount's opportunities to run will also decrease. The Pats need to know they can run the ball when they want to.

If Blount ends up with 1,000 yards on the season, it will be because it was in the best interest of the team.

Circus Rex

Rex Ryan brings his traveling circus to Gillette Stadium on Sunday when the Bills play the Pats. Everyone is awaiting his outlandish statements and predictions. He has already said that it will be a different game without Tom Brady.

At 1-2, Rex needs a win very badly in order to keep the critics at bay. If the Bills win, he will gloat about it. Most fans think he will make his usual mistakes, especially with clock management.

Jets Strayed Off Course

Last Monday, a reporter for the New York Daily News boldly predicted that the Pats would be looking at the Jets in first place in the Eastern Division when Tom Brady returns.

At the time of the story, The Pats were 2-0 and were planning on the last Thursday night's game against the Texans. The Jets were 1-1 with the Chiefs and Seahawks ahead on their schedule.

The writer felt that there was no way that Jimmy Garropolo or Jacoby Brissett could lead the Pats to first place in the Eastern Division in the absence of Brady.

We start this week with the Pats 3-0 and playing the Bills on Sunday. The Jets are 1-2 after today's loss to the Chiefs. The writer said they would win these two games. We will see about next week.

It doesn't look like the Jets will by in first place in Week 5 when Brady returns.

The Next Quarterback

The next week should be very interesting for the Pats with the news that QB Jacoby Brissett might need surgery for a torn thumb ligament on his throwing hand. We will never know the extent of the injury because the story keeps changing.

We are hearing that QB Jimmy Garropolo might be ready for the Buffalo Bills. Coach Belichick will play it close to the vest and say only what is required.

Who starts a week from Sunday?

Who Made Who?

It was 15 years ago today that the Tom Brady era began. Jets LB Moe Lewis took out Drew Bledsoe on a sideline play. It was the beginning of the end for Bledsoe's time with the Pats.

We always hear that Brady made Belichick the success that he is and vice versa.

A report shows that Bill's regular season record with Brady starting is 172-51 and a 77.2% winning rate. Without Brady, it's 13-5 and 77.2%.

The debate will continue.

One QB Tonight

Julian Edelman has probably dreamt of this day his entire life. He will be the backup quarterback tonight behind Jacoby Brissett. He will be one play away from leading the offense.

Coach Belichick certainly feels comfortable with his decision or he would have signed a veteran quarterback.

Nobody but Belichick would go into a game with only one real quarterback.

A Short Game

UMass struggles in its attempt to find its way at the BCS level. They are 24 1/2 underdogs at home against Mississippi State this Saturday. Nobody is giving them a chance.

Every school plays teams that are not on the same level. Schools have scheduled UMass for an easy win. Seven victories gets you into a bowl game.

I think its a sham when BCS teams schedule games with those from the FCS. It's always a mismatch.

Last Saturday, #4 Clemson beat South Carolina State 59-0 in a game that saw the second half quarters shortened to 12 minutes.

This should never have happened. Player safety is very important and can't be compromised. Games like this should not be played. It also deprives the fans when quarters are shortened.

The Ryan Watch

Rex Ryan is on the hot seat after two straight losses. Many think he will be fired before the season is over.

Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman interviewed for the job before Rex was selected. He was the most logical candidate to succeed Rex, in the event of his termination.

Rex went proactive and fired Roman while blaming the two losses on the team's weak offense. Rex and brother Rob are considered defensive geniuses, but the Bills defense is horrible right now.

Nothing is going right in Buffalo. Rex can't fired himself. He took the most logical step because he had to do something to keep the fans happy.

QB #4

Coach Belichick always said there is a backup plan for everything. It will be severely tested after losing QB Jimmy Garropolo and having only one left on the roster.

Everyone seems to think that Julian Edeleman is the emergency quarterback. Will they bring in someone from the streets for a game on Thursday night?

Belichick always said they manage the roster on a weekly basis. This will be a great example.

Jacoby Time.

A season and career can change on one play. We saw that today when QB Jimmy Garroplo went down with a shoulder injury. It looked really bad.

Jacoby Brissett filled in very well and the Pats won 31-24. It came down to the last series of the game when Miami had the ball.

What will happen to Jimmy Garroplo? He was having the opportunity of a lifetime filling for Tom Brady during his four game suspension. His physical well-being and status is now up in the air.

Jacoby Brissett now has his chance. It might never happen unless Jimmy G got hurt. This is his moment.

UMass Wins

UMass fans were wondering if they would ever see their quarterback take a knee in the final play of a game. It happened today when the Minutemen beat Florida International 21-13. Their record moves to 1-2.

They face a challenge next Saturday at Gillette Stadium when they host SEC power Mississippi State. They will be an underdog, but are playing better.

UMass plays a tough Independent schedule. Progress is slow, but brighter days are ahead.

Chooosing From 94

The Hall of Fame announced the final 94 candidates to be considered for enshrinement next year. The selection process will be difficult. Some deserving players will never get in. The Seniors should have been made long ago, in some instances.

Kurt Warner, Terrell Davis, Edgerrin James and Terrell Owens are finalists from the last time. Will one of them make it?

The new list includes former Pats Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison, Ty Law, Drew Bledsoe, and Doug Flutie. The candidacy of local guy Fred Smerlas is still alive.

It will be interesting to see how many of them move forward. This will be the last chance for some.

Those Ryans

Tonight's game between the Jets and Bills is a great matchup. There are so many side stories with Rex Ryan coaching the Bills now and the Jets previously.

Rex and twin brother Rob make a great story line, along with their father Buddy with his 46 defense and the 1985 Chicago Bears.

I'm a big fan of Rex. He does act over the top at times. Brother Rob needs to trim his hair to get a head coaching job.

Rex is on the hot seat in Buffalo. If they lose tonight and start off 0-2, history shows that only 12% of those teams ever make the playoffs.

Either the Jets or Bills will be in that situation after tonight.

Pump It On Jimmy G

Fans need to pump the brakes over QB Jimmy Garropolo. He is 1-0 as a starter. He had a very good game against Arizona.

Some callers on sports talk shows are trying to stir up a controversy about replacing Brady. One writer said that Brady will probably finish his career in Dallas.

Where do people come up with this stuff? Why do they think that Jimmy G will command at least a first round pick? They could only get a 2nd rounder for Matt Cassell after the 2008 season. He lead the Pats to a 11-5 record when Brady was out for the season.

Going For Two

It's always a risky play to go for the extra two points to win the game, rather then settling for a tie and eventual overtime.

The coach is a genius if it works and takes a pounding if it fails. Jack DelRio of the Raiders had his moment Sunday during his team's 35-34 win over the Saints.

The Raiders scored with 47 seconds left and trailed by one. He chose to go for two and the win. It worked out and everyone said it was a gutsy call.

It was a very risky play no matter what. The game was on the line.

Game 1 Done

The Pats beat the Cardinals 23-21 last night. Jimmy Garropolo played well, but turned the ball over which resulted in a score. The same happened to LeGarrette Blount.

The team made great plays when they needed to, but I agree with Coach Belichick's assessment. They  need a lot of work in all three phases of the game. The mistakes like turnovers could have cost them the game.

2016 Starts Tonight

As the Pats to get ready to open the season in Arizona against the Cardinals, there are certainly many questions about their offensive line. They are going with a younger group, but still have Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder.

The line is young and considered to be the main concern after Jimmy Garroplo.

It will be a long night if they can't protect him.

Tebow's Baseball Time

Tim Tebow will be getting his chance at professional baseball after signing a contract with the New York Mets. He will report to the Fall Instructional League.

It remains to be seen if this works out for him. He is getting a chance because of who he is. There must be a lot of baseball players out there wondering about the system that gives opportunity to someone who hasn't played since their junior year in high school.

Many thought the same way when Michael Jordan gave it a shot.

Cam's Swivel Head

Fans got to see for themselves whether QB Cam Newton got a concussion in the waning moments of the Panthers 21- 20 loss to the Broncos.

Cam was called for intentional grounding, but took a vicious shot to the head. He stayed in the game. Nobody from the training staff examined him, but the slow-motion replay was very clear.

There will be a fine for the hit, but how is Cam's head after that hit?

Big College Game Saturday

College football is not as popular in this part of the country. Boston College and UMass both have Division 1A programs, but fail to generate a lot of excitement.

BC has fallen on hard times in recent years. UMass has been a disaster when it comes to winning games.

They face each other on Saturday at Gillette Stadium. Will the fans turn out? Both schools have a huge alumnae in the area. Can they get at least 30,000 in the seats?

Last Saturday night, #127th ranked UMass took on #25 Florida. They trailed 10-7 going into the fourth quarter, before losing 24-7. It was a great showing by them as they were 36 point underdogs.

BC is favored by 16 1/2 over UMass. Everyone expects UMass to continue their losing ways. It should be a great game.

The Start of Jimmy G

This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Pats QB Jimmy Garoppolo. He can make such a statement about his play over the next four games.

Everyone seems to think that his future trade value will command a first round draft pick, based on his play. Let's see how that works out.

This is the biggest chance he will ever get in his career.

What will his record be after four games?

How Long Will Johnny Last?

It seems like QB Johnny Manziel has decided to re-enroll at Texas A&M where he played for three seasons before entering the NFL draft. He will be taking on-line classes according to reports out there.

Is this really going to school? He probably has someone lined up already to do his work.

I don't believe in on-line degrees.

More Than Two Get Impacted

Fans will be happy when Tom Brady and Rob Ninkovich return from their four game suspensions.

When they get activated to the roster, it will come at the expense of two other players who will either go to the practice squad or get released.

There is a trickle-down effect to the practice squad. It's all part of the game.

There are only so many jobs in the NFL. They don't last long.

The Roster For Today

Every team has their 53 man roster and 10 members of the practice squad. One thing for certain is that each roster will change on a weekly basis.

Players will get hurt and placed on IR. Others will move back and forth from the practice squad. Some will get released.

No team ends the season with the roster they started with.

Delusional Over Jimmy G

Pats fans need a reality check with QB Jimmy Garropolo. They seem to think that he will go 4-0 in place of Tom Brady and be traded for at least a first round pick.

More fuel was added to the fire today when the Eagles traded QB Sam Bradford to the Vikings for a first and fourth round draft pick. The Vikings were desperate after losing Teddy Bridgewater for the season.

Delusional fans think that Garropolo will light it up, in spite of never starting a regular season NFL game. The Pats will roll over everyone

While listening to sports talk radio, I heard a caller mention that the Pats should trade Tom Brady for at least two first-round picks, in light of the Sam Bradford deal.

Fans actually believe this stuff.

The Goose Is Done

The television networks seem to remove announcers and analysts at will. Sometimes, it's a contractual issue, but others fade in popularity.

I don't understand why FOX decided that sideline reporter Tony Siragusa will no longer part of any broadcast.

I found him entertaining and informative. He made a quick transition from playing to broadcasting. I hope he finds another job.

Their Last Game Forever

NFL teams are wrapping up their final preseason game tonight, but the bigger story is the roster cut down to 53 players and the practice squad.

Over 700 players will be impacted. Some will find a place on another team. Others will hope for a phone call that will never come.

Many are playing the final game of their football career. They just don't know it.