Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Lamar Night


The Pats are favored over the Ravens by 3 1/2 points. Many in the media feel that the Pats might suffer their first defeat of the season when they play Sunday night.

They are saying Lamar Jackson is a better quarterback then Tom Brady. If they base it on statistics, they might be right.

It will be interesting to see how the defense attacks Jackson and the Ravens offense.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Big Pay For Them


There is no doubt that some major college head football coaches get so much money, especially at state schools.

They are always the highest paid state employee compared to anyone.

The Governor in Alabama makes $126,000 annually, but Nick Saban earns $8.9 million.

Dabo Swinney checks in at $9.3 million with Clemson while the South Carolina leader get s $106,000.

There is certainly a lot of pressure to win at this level.



Monday, October 28, 2019

Watt Dims For Season



JJ Watt has been a three time Defensive Player of the Year, but seems to have an injury jinx that his robbing him of his career.

He suffered a torn left pectoral muscle against the Raiders yesterday and will be lost for the season.

He played all 16 games last year after missing most of 2016 from two back surgeries and most of 2017 with a broken leg.

His injuries could happen to anyone, but Watt might be one of those players whose career gets cut short because of the toll on his body.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Special Stats


Where do they come up with some of the stats we hear almost instantly?

When the Pats had a field goal blocked by the Browns today, it was their first one by an opponent since 2006.

Every team in the NFL has had at least two during that period.

There is no doubt that this will be a big focal point at team meetings this week as Coach Belichick places such a great emphasis on special teams.


Saturday, October 26, 2019

UMass Loses Again


When a team scores 35 points from 239 yards of passing and 200 rushing, they should usually win the game.

It didn't matter for UMass today as they lost 56-35 to UConn. Both teams came into the game with a 1-6 record.

UConn had 539 yards of offense from 213 passing and 326 on the ground.

Once again, UMass continues to have one of the worst defenses in Division 1 with no hope in sight for improvement this season.



Friday, October 25, 2019

Will There Be 21?


Will Tom Brady play next year? That seems to be a big question from the media. He has no contract with the team after this season. It was a "mutual agreement" when they decided to do that.

His time left in the NFL is short. He likes to say he can play forever, but nobody ever did it.

He has done the greatest job keeping his career alive. Winning always helps.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The End For Bennett


It was inevitable that the Pats would move on from Michael Bennett. His signing had so much promise, but he complained about playing time.

I will never blame him about that. I thought he would have a bigger role in the defense.

His value goes down if he doesn't play. They did him a favor by trading him to the Cowboys. I wish him the best.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

End of Josh 2.0


It was shocking to see the tenure of Josh Gordon come to an abrupt end today when the Pats placed him on IR.

He thought differently and said he could again play this season.

Will the team make an injury settlement with him?

I hope he has success in the future if he signs with another team.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Is It Harry Time?


Will Pats WR and first round draft pick N'Keal Harry play this season? He is practicing with the team during their short window to activate him to the 53 man roster.

They need a lot of help on offense, but only so many players can play on that side of the ball.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Sam's Moment


The Pats beat the Jets tonight 33-0.They dominated in all three phases of the game as Coach Belichick would say.

Jets QB Sam Darnold said it all when he talked about seeing ghosts.

That will always be an epic sound bite.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Great Lamar


Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is a very gifted player. He is so exciting to watch, but I wonder how long his playing style can last in the NFL.

The list is long of running quarterbacks who went down and lost their speed. Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick were so fast at one time, but their star faded too soon from injury.

We should enjoy these players.


Saturday, October 19, 2019

UMass Can't Lose Today


It was a great day for the UMass Football program. The 1-6 team had a bye week so there was no way they could lose another game.

Who knows whether they can beat UConn on Homecoming Weekend.

Once again, the season is headed to another losing record.

Why can't they win? The team has great practice and training facilities.

Their schedule is so difficult as an Independent.



Friday, October 18, 2019

Brady Does It Better


Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is a dual threat with his passing and ability to create a play when he runs. He was MVP last year while making it look so easy.

Tom Brady will never be considered a runner, but he can fall forward to get one yard for a first down when it really matters.

Last night against the Broncos, Mahomes tried a quarterback sneak that ended in disaster. It looked like a horrible knee injury, but has been diagnosed as a displace knee cap that could keep him out for up to six weeks. He is very luck that it wasn't for the season.

All of the great running quarterbacks start with an injury like this. Hopefully, it doesn't effect him long term.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Giving Up Too Much


There are a lot of teams that have no problem trading their future first round picks for a player they want.

The Jaguars finally traded disgruntled CB Jalen Ramsey to the Rams for first round picks in 2020 and 201, as well as a fourth-rounder in 2021.

It was a lot to give up for one player who is probably the best at his position in the league.

It remains to be seen if this was a good deal for both sides.


Wednesday, October 16, 2019

N'Keal Time


The Pats drafted WR N'Keal Harry in the first round this year. He has been injured, but finally practiced with the team for the first time.

There is a short window to activate him to the 53 man roster or place him on season ending IR.

It sounds like he might be ready, but we never know.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Bennett Out Monday Night


Will Michael Bennett be traded in light of his suspension for the Jets game? He has been very vocal about his lack of playing time and it finally boiled over with some type of discussion that got out of hand.

The Pats don't want to release him before the trading deadline because he could become a free agent and end up with a team they could face in the playoffs.

They will most likely trade him just to get something in return.




Monday, October 14, 2019

Ben Watson Back


It looks like Ben Watson will be back with the Pats tomorrow. He will return for a lot less money.

They will get him cheap because at age 38, he doesn't have too many options.

The Pats no longer have a fullback. It sounds like they might be going with three tight ends.

There is no doubt that the list of fullbacks is short.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Low XFL Pay


Nobody really knows if the XFL will succeed, but they won't be going broke paying their players.

The average salary will be $55,000 for the season, with a guaranteed minimum of $1,040 per week. They can max out at $4,947 per week with roster and win bonuses.

With salaries like that, fans can expect to see glorified college football or something on the level of the CFL where the pay is even less.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

UMass 1-6


UMass lost 61-29 to Louisiana Tech. They drop to 1-6 with nothing to look forward to on the schedule.

It didn't help that they gave up 304 yards of passing and 365 on the ground. You can never win doing that.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Johnson Out


Pats FB Jakob Johnson was a nice story this season. He is the only player on a NFL roster from the special program for European players. He was doing a great job filling in for James Develin.

Johnson injured his shoulder last night in the team's win over the Giants and has been placed on Injured Reserve. The extent of the injury is unknown, but I'm sure Coach Belichick did not want to tie up a roster spot waiting for his return.

Does this leave an opening for Ben Watson to return after being released earlier this week? Belichick said that Watson was released due to a lack of a roster spot available. They can also sign him for a less money as his contract was voided upon his release.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Biggest In 40 Years


When the Pats play the Giants tonight they will be 16 1/2 point favorites. This is the biggest spread in the last 40 years for a Giants team facing any opponent. The over/under is 42 1/2.

It will be a tough game for Big Blue with RB Shaquon Barley and WR Sterling Shepard out with injuries.

The defense of the Pats continues to be one of the best in the league. The bigger question is whether Tom Brady and the offense can really get going tonight.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Too Soon Between Games


The Pats and Giants will play on Thursday Night Football. It should get great ratings, especially in the Boston market.

Fans around the league love it, especially when their team is playing. However, it comes with a risk to the players.

Matthew Slater made a great a point when he said the time is too short between games when it comes to player safety.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Gronk's New Career


Some fans keep kidding themselves into thinking that Rob Gronkowski will return to the Pats this season. Other than joking around, he has not given any indication that he will be back.

Fox Sports announced today that he will added to their NFL Sunday program as a studio analyst. It remains to be seen if his personality will transition to success in that role.

It's a great opportunity for Gronk, but he will need to be serious most of the time.


Monday, October 7, 2019

UMass Now 1-5


The season for UMass continues to spiral downward after their latest loss of 44-0 against Florida International University. It dropped their record to 1-5 with more losses expected.

They were bad on both sides of the ball with only 38 yards of rushing and 77 passing. Their defense continues to one of the worst, giving up 278 yards on the ground and 263 passing.

There is no relief in sight as UMass plays a very tough schedule as an Independent.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Redskins 2019


Everyone is expecting the Pats to easily beat the Redskins today. The franchise has seen bad days during the ownership of Daniel Snyder.

Tickets were once impossible to get, but now the stadium has removed or covered many seats rather than show the emptiness.

The Redskins are a great example of how ownership can impact the franchise.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Nugent For Now


Mike Nugent is the new kicker for the Pats after Stephen Gotskowski was placed on Injured Reserve with a hip injury.

The former 2nd round pick of the Jets in 2005 is very well traveled around the league, with additional time with the Cardinals, Buccaneers, Bengals, Bears, Cowboys and Raiders.

His brief tenure with some teams has resulted him in only appearing in 164 games over 15 seasons.

He needs to perform well right from the start, otherwise his time with the Pats will be short.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Not The Last Kick


Some Pats fans must be happy that kicker Stephen Gotskowski has been placed on season ending Injury Reserve with a hip injury. He will undergo surgery very soon.

We will never know what procedure was performed or how long he dealt with it, although it was a factor last season and beyond. His hip must have finally given out.

They say he will come back and ready like nothing happened.

Some fans have been so critical of him because of his missed kicks. They didn't even think he might be injured.

Hopefully he has many more years with the team.



Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Jordan Richards 2.0


Fans can act so childish at times. It doesn't matter their age. They say so many stupid things, especially with the availability of social media.

After the Pats resigned free agent Jordan Richards, fans began to complain about the former safety who was here from 2015-2017. He was a punching bag for some back then because of a few plays.

I'm sure Coach Belichick wants him on the team.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Watson Back


It remains to be seen if TE Ben Watson plays on Sunday after serving a four game suspension for PED's.

The Pats knew this would happen when they signed him. It was a move they felt comfortable with after the retirement of Rob Gronkowski.

How much will he help the offense? Tom Brady had a terrible game against the Bills. The team is 29th in rushing yards per game.

It's early in the season, but they need to get it going.