Let's Not Play This Game

The Pro Bowl is being played in Miami a week before the Super Bowl. It's a big switch from the end of the season game in Hawaii. I always have mixed emotions about this contest. I'm concerned about players getting hurt in a meaningless game.

For a players it's an honor and very prestigious to be selected to play. It's been going on since 1951. It has a different format this year with players from the Saints and Colts unable to play because of the Super Bowl.

Five Pats were selected,but only Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfolk are there. Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker sent their regrets. The same is true for so many other players in the league.

The replacement players are considered to having played in this game as long as they are on the game day roster. In a way, this dilutes the honor of being selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Some get there by default.

The selection has been very controversial over the years. In the past, the players and coaches selected the team. There were problems with players being chosen because of their reputation.

The league initiated a policy of incorporating the fan vote. The players, coaches and fans all carry equal weight. This leads to the present problem of fans voting disproportionally from large market teams.

One only has to look into the past and see that Hall of Fame RB John Riggins of the great Redskin Super Bowl teams only played in one. The game is a joke in that respect.

I don't think you can have a "good game" with a bunch of NFL players from other teams trying to play together. This is not touch football. The game isn't like that. You can do it in baseball, basketball and hockey, but not here.

The game continues to be played. I'm just always concerned about someone suffering a career ending injury. Jut look back RB Robert Edwards ( 1998 draft classmate of Fred Taylor ) to see that this game can kill a career.

Vince Speaks

Vince Wilfolk spoke on WEEI the other day. It was interesting to note that the team did not post his interview on their website. Throughout the season, Wilfolk and several other players appeared on the station and the interviews were always posted. That's another story for another time.

Wilfolk spoke strongly how he wants to get a long term contract. He is considered to be one of the elite nose tackles in the league. He has played under his original rookie contract of six years. In fact, the NFL no longer allows six year contract for rookies.

He was very adamant about not wanting the franchise tag. Although it would pay him an annual salary of the top five players at that position, he wouldn't get the large signing bonus or the long term security he is seeking.

He mentioned that there has been no discussion of a new contract since the beginning of the season. The window for discussion is getting smaller. Without a new Collective Bargaining agreement, the league will play without a salary cap for the 2010 season. There is a potential lockout once the 2011 NFL business year starts in February 2011.

Johnathan Kraft stated during the season that the uncertainty of the CBA has kept the team from developing long term plans with some of its players. Wilfolk brushed that aside and mentioned various high profile players throughout the league who have signed with their teams.

I feel that they will franchise Wilfolk which will result in a very unhappy player and a potential hold-out of him from mini-camps or training camp.

The team has a long history of letting free agents walk away. Wilfolk might be the next. He mentioned that wining is important to him, but he also said that a lot of teams around the league are winners. It might get quite nasty before it gets better.

Don't Speculate Now

The Super Bowl isn't until next week and callers to local sports talk shows are going to make this a long season. While driving home tonight, I finally changed the station after hearing many callers saying that the Pats won't win more than six games next season.

No decisions have been made on pending free agents. Nobody from another team can even be signed now. The college draft is in April. Don't these "fans" think that Belichick & Co will analyze the needs of the team and address them. There are obvious holes to fill through the draft or free agency.

All teams will lose players and sign some. They will all participate in the draft. I rather wait until after the draft and see what happens. To speculate now about a dismal season next year is a wast of time. There is too much time before the mini-camps open. A lot will change before then.

What an Ending

The NFC Championship game was something else. As exciting as it was, I prefer that games don't go into overtime. With so much on the line, the officials reviewed 3 of the first 8 plays of the Saints. It's too bad that teams work their way into field goal position and a chance to win. The Vikings had every opportunity to stop them.

I wonder if this is the end of Brett Favre. He took a terrible physical beating during the game. It's amazing that he was able to get up after several of those hits. The guy is amazing with 308 consecutive starts at QB. Nobody will ever break that record.

Favre has come so close in 2 of the last 3 years. Both times he lost in overtime. He had a great season. It's unfortunate that one of the teams had to lose. They both deserved to go to Miami.

It's a great story to see the Saints going. They are one of the few NFL teams that have never played in the Super Bowl. Considering what New Orleans has gone through in the last few years, it will be a real uplift for the city.

AFC Lovefest

This AFC Championship game was a win win for me. I like both teams. I've always been a Peyton Manning fan except when he plays against us. I don't understand how people can hate or dislike a team or player in the NFL.

There are no teams or players I hate. Being a fan and historian of the game, I enjoy it all. Sure, it hurts not having the Pats in the Super Bowl, but what can you do. It's pointless to be bitter. People should enjoy the game and its great players.

Peyton gets criticized for the dumbest reasons. We are watching one of the all-time greats before our eyes. Isn't that good enough for people? Maybe someone can explain to me why I should hate the Colts and Jets. I'm sure they will have some interesting reasons.

Former Pats Looking At Miami

Several former players from the Pats are looking to get another shot at the Super Bowl with their teams.

The Jets will have OL Damien Woody and Brandon Moore. Special teams whiz Larry Izzo is on IR after suffering a season ending injury.

The Saints will go with CB Randall Gay, TE Dave Thomas and FB Kyle Eckel. FB Heith Evans is on IR after being injured earlier this season.

The Jets have the advantage in prior appearances as all three players were on championship teams.

I predict that the Jets and Vikings will make it to the next step.

The Experts Missed On Him

There are a number of people who make a pretty good living scouting future NFL talent for their teams as well as those Mel Kiper types that we see pontificate annually during the shows leading up to the NFL Draft. The NFL has a history of high draft picks who were busts as well as those who had mediocre careers. There are also the diamonds found in the rough. Such is the case of Jets FB Tony Richardson.

At 38, he is the oldest player on the Jets roster and a 15 year veteran who was undrafted in 1994 from Auburn. In his rookie year, he was signed by Dallas to their practice roster and released several times. He made his NFL debut after signing with Kansas City in 1995. He became a blocker for Hall of Famer Marcus Allen. His skills lead him to Pro Bowl selections in 2003 and 2004.

After signing as a free agent with Minnesota in 2006, he received Pro Bowl honors the following season. He signed with the Jets prior to the 2008 season.

During his career, he has played in 202 regular season games, starting in 133. He has 1,666 yards on the ground with 417 carries and 15 TD's. As a receiver, he has 202 receptions for 1,502 yards and 9 TD's.

I'm sure there are many scouts and personnel people in the league who could give a reason why Richardson was never drafted. He has lasted longer than any back who was at the NFL Scouting Combine back in 1994.

At his age, I hope he gets that one last chance to play in the Super Bowl. He had waited his entire career for this opportunity.

Must Stop Them

Here was the scenario during last week's playoff games between the Vikings and Cowboys. There was 1:55 left in the game. The Vikings had a 27-3 lead, possession of the ball on the Dallas 11 yard line and were faced with fourth down. Instead of kneeling down, kicking a field goal or handing the ball off, Brett Favre connected on a TD pass to TE Visanthe Shiancoe for a final score of 34-3.

This incensed some of the Cowboys players,especially LB Keith Brookling who ran over to the Viking bench and started to yell at Vikings head coach Brad Childress for running up the score.

Was the game out of hand at that point? Sure it was. It would have taken a miracle for the Cowboys to score three TD's and three two-point conversions. However, this is not youth football. The Cowboys should have played better defense and broken up the final pass play.

I hate when teams complain about having the score run up on them. They are highly paid professionals, the best of the best. During 2007 season when the Pats beat the Redskins 56-7, Coach Joe Gibbs complained that Bill Belichick ran up the score against his team. Maybe if the Redskins played better, they could have kept the score down to 42-7.

J-E-T-S

The Jets have made it to the AFC Championship game. This is the time for me to admit that I've always like the Jets going back to their win in Super Bowl III.

They were a dynamic team with the likes of Joe Namath, Emerson Boozer, Matt Snell and Don Maynard. Namath was a charismatic, larger than life figure who became a pop icon in the 60's and 70's. It's unfortunate to see his drunkenness on national tv a few years ago, but that's another story.

The Jets were always a star-crossed franchise and like the Pats had some dismal years in the 80's and 90's. I enjoyed their teams of the 80's with the "New York Sack Exchange" defense lead by Joe Klecko and Mark Gastinueu. It was Klecko who broke QB Steve Grogan's leg during the 1985 season. Grogan would stage a heroic comeback at the end of the season to lead the team into the playoffs and a spot in Super Bowl XX.

During the 1994 season the Jets were lead by former Pats coach Pete Carroll. Bill Parcells would have one of his greatest post-game responses after a 24-13 win. Carroll lasted only two season.

There were some great times when Bill Parcells left the Pats to coach and "buy the groceries" for the Jets when they were owned by the late Leon Hess. He took most of his staff with him including defensive coordinator Bill Belichick. He also signed free-agent Curtis Martin to a contract and eventual ticket to Canton.

When Parcells left in 2000, billionaire Woody Johnson bought the team. He had a huge public falling out with Bill Belichick who declined to "become the HC of the NYJ". Johnson publicly ridiculed Belichick, questioning his mental status.

I've always enjoyed the "Tuna Bowls", "Border Wars" or whatever you might call them. When Rex Ryan became head coach prior to the 2009 season, he upped the ante. He made his famous statements about not kissing Belichick's rings and said they would eventually visit President Obama at the White House.

As a regular reader of the NY Post, Ryan is the booming voice for the franchise. He has made his share of mistakes and said stupid things. They backed into the playoffs when the Colts decided to rest their starters in the last game. That is life in the NFL.

He has tweaked the Pats at every opportunity, but I find him entertaining. He is in the nation's largest media market and it plays out well on the stage. The NFL is always fighting its image as being the "No Fun League".

I'm a Pats fan to the very end and wish it could be us in the AFC Championship game. I'm also a fan and historian of the game. I've always like the Jets. They are one of my favorite franchises. I think fans miss a lot when they hate another team. The Pats and Jets have such a long relationship.

My dream match-up would be the Jets and Vikings in the Super Bowl. I'm not sure who I would want to win, but would be happy no matter what the outcome.

One Last Chance

I enjoyed watching the playoff games over the weekend. I predicted three of the four winners, missing perfection by picking the Ravens. I'm glad that the Vikings made the NFC Championship game.

I've always been a fan of Brett Favre. I understand his decision to unretire in 2008 and play for the Jets. It's very difficult to leave the game. Nothing can take its place for most athletes. Favre is definitely at the end of the line in spite of having one of his best statistical seasons ever. I think he has another season or two left, assuming he doesn't get injured

He has played behind a great offensive line in Minnesota and with a cast of skilled offensive players. He jerked the team around earlier this summer in trying to decide whether to play another season, but I think he was trying to make the right decision.

I believe that he was genuine in his actions. He may have been able to use it as leverage against the Vikings, but I think he was torn between leaving the game and trying one more time for a Super Bowl appearance.

He has played 14 seasons since his last appearance in the Super Bowl XXXVI. He lead his team to a 35-21 victory over the Patriots which included rookies of Terry Glenn, Lawyer Milloy and Tedi Bruschi. Tom Brady was still a freshman in college.

Now Brett stands one game away from fulfilling his dream of playing in the biggest game. Will he get that opportunity? The Saints will certainly attempt to deny him.

I've always admired him for the way he plays the game. His iron man streak of consecutive starts may never be equalled. His statistical records may never be broken. He is truly one of a kind. As a fan of the game, I realize that I'm watching one of the greatest. I'm glad he has the chance and opportunity to play the game that could get him back to the Super Bowl. I hope it works out for him.

Playoff Picks

There are four good playoff games this weekend. I thought I would take a moment to predict the winners. I never wager on professional sports. I really have no interest. With that in mind, I am picking who I feel will win the games, regardless of the point-spread and the over and under.

Arizona @ New Orleans - New Orleans
Baltimore @ Indianapolis - Baltimore

Dallas @ Minnesota - Minnesota
New York Jets @ San Diego - NYJ

I think the keys to all of these wins will be the defense. Let's see how right I am.

Did He Just Decide to Move On?

Dean Pees will be leaving the Pats after six seasons with the team, four as defensive coordinator. His contract expires at the end of January. He has indicated that he wanted to move on to a new challenge.

Is he being forced out because of the problems faced on the defensive side of the ball this season? Is he losing his job because of the retirements of Tedi Bruschi and Rodney Harrison and the trading of Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour? Is it because he is coaching a young defense with a lack of leaders? Was it that bad that they needed to sign 40 year old linebacker Junior Seau?

These are difficult questions to answer. As with anything with the Pats, the truth may never come out. It's always a good idea to leave on good terms and not burn your bridges on the way out the door. Pees indicated that he did not wish to renew his contract.

The fact is that Pees suffered from number of physical ailments this year including surgery for prostate cancer and later a resulting blood clot in his leg. He also was stricken during the Houston game with chest pains that were later diagnosed as bronchial asthma.

By leaving now, he is giving the Pats plenty of time to find a replacement before the annual shuffling of coaches around the league. This puts Pepper Johnson, the defensive line coach, in a prime position to assume the role of coordinator.

The Pats need to act quickly as Johnson has been contacted by the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants for the defensive coordinator position with their team.

Two Different Sides of Bill

There was a great story in today's Boston Globe by Bob Ryan concerning the two sides of Coach Belichick's persona. He contrasted the coach we see immediately after the game and the one in the weekly press conferences. He had it exactly right.

Unfortunately for the coach, the NFL mandates that he address the media 10 minutes after the game. This allows for the press to meet tight deadlines. That is certainly understandable. However, there was criticism over the coach's recent post-game press conference which lasted a little over 5 minutes and contained many one word answers.

Maybe the coach could do a better job immediately after the game. I always watch these events. The coach is much different after a win than a loss. No doubt about that. However, he must often deal with some very stupid questions from the media.

After losing to the Ravens, the season was over. It's a bitter pill for everyone to swallow, but to ask the coach about next year is a bit premature.

Contrast him to his meeting the next day with the media and an appearance on WEEI and it's like two different people. When asked an intelligent question, the coach can give a very meaningful and insightful answer. He doesn't always get logical questions from the media. That is their choice, but I feel they need to do a better job in asking their questions.

I could probably ask a better question than a majority of the media who make their living doing what they do.

The Day The Sky Fell

One of the good things about the regular season is that a team can play poorly and have a chance at a better game the next week. Unfortunately, this is not the scenario in the playoffs. One mistake can cost the season. A team's deficiencies are very apparent.

Maybe the Pats went further than they should have this season. They won the AFC East in spite of playing poorly in the second half of many games. As a fan, I thought they could turn things around in the post-season.

I was able to attend the game at Gillette Stadium. The tickets were pricey at $174 face value. I was at the playoff game against Jacksonville following the 2007 season and had a great time. I was looking forward to a well played game.

The day was sunny and very cold, but hey it's January! The Pats won the coin toss and elected to kick. They stopped the Ravens on the 13 yard line. Things looked good until the next play. Ray Rice took a hand-off and ran 87 yards for a TD. That seem to suck the life out of the crowd.

Brady proceeded to throw two interceptions and was strip-sacked. It was 21-0 in the first quarter. Nothing worked well after that. Although Joe Flaco passed for only 32 yards, the Ravens ran for 234.

Brady would throw another interception as well as connecting for two TD's with Julien Edeleman. The game was never close. The Ravens defense was devastating.

Nobody ever wants their team to lose. The way the Pats lost Super Bowl XLII to the Giants was heart breaking. However, this was a very frustrating loss. The team played so poorly. Their effort wasn't there. I was hoping for a competitive game, but it wasn't there.

In retrospect, I guess I saw history made yesterday. It was the absolute worst performance of Tom Brady's career. Hopefully, he will never top it.

The Greatest Catch

One Baltimore Raven who will be remembered forever in these parts is WR David Tyree. He made the iconic "helmet" catch while playing for the Giants against the Pats in the waning moments of super Bowl XLII. It was a crucial catch on 3rd and 5 and kept the winning drive alive. He made the catch with Rodney Harrison draped all over him.

The NFL considers it to be such a highlight that they use it in a promotional commercial for the NFL Network. It's often considered one of the all-time pass receptions.

Since that day, Tyree suffered a serious knee injury during his 2008 season with the Giants. He was released by them prior to the start of this season and was signed by the Ravens on October 13.

No Pats fan will ever forget that catch!

Vinatieri at Crossroad?

The Indianapolis Colts announced that they will be going with Matt Stover as their kicker during the playoffs. He took over for Adam Vinatieri in October after the former Pats legend underwent knee surgery on his kicking leg.

Vinatieri returned to the active roster during week 16 for the game against the Jets. Coach Jim Caldwell indicated that the team was more comfortable going with Stover in spite of his feeling. He felt that Vinatieri was not 100%.

The team decided to keep Vinatieri on their 53 man roster leaving the door open for a possible return to action should the Colts advance deep into the playoffs.

The move could cloud the future for Vinatieri who has trouble hitting field goals from more than 45 yards. His inability to place the ball into the end zone was one of the primary reasons the Pats decided not to re-sign him after the 2005 season.

The Journey of Julien

Julien Edelman's journey through his rookie NFL season has been remarkable. As a 7th round pick, he fought his way onto the roster. What made it so remarkable was that he converted from being a quarterback to wide receiver and return specialist.

He has often been compared to Wes Welker. Both play the slot receiver. When Welker sat out the Jets game in week 2, Edeleman caught 8 balls for 83 yards. Not a bad way to start a career.

Both Welker and Edeleman came unheralded from college. Welker made his NFL debut as an undrafted free-agent and Edeleman as the 232nd pick.

Edelman had a stellar high school career at Woodside High in California. He lead his team to a 13-0 record with 2,237 yards passing, 29 passing TD's , 964 yards rushing and scoring 13 TD's with the ball.

In spite of these numbers, he had no scholarship offers from Division 1 colleges. He enrolled at San Mateo Community College located in the hometown of Tom Brady. He lead the team to an 8-3 record and a #9 national ranking for junior colleges.

He was scouted by a coach from Kent State and received a scholarship offer. He started for the next three seasons as a Tim Tebow clone. During that time, he threw 30 TD passes and ran for 22 TD's. His 1,370 yards of rushing as a senior placed him 15th in Division 1, although he was a QB.

He caught the attention of the Pats and other teams. The Pats lead the charge by sending several coaches to scout him and meet with him personally. As with Brady, he lasted until the 2nd day of the draft. Brady was chosen 199th overall while Edeleman lasted until the 232nd pick.

When he arrived at training camp, the transition to WR and return specialist began. Coach Belichick has often cited his running ability as the reason for the switch. In a dire situation, either WR Isiah Stanback or Edeleman would be the emergency 3rd QB.

Against the Ravens, he will have the opportunity to play in the biggest game of his career with the playoff fortunes for both teams on the line.

Boring People

I'm not sure where some of these talk shows callers come from. They never cease to amaze me. Today, there was discussion of the fact that some view Sunday's playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens to be a "boring match up".

How can they feel that way? It's a one game season. Everything comes down to how the teams play on Sunday. Another game isn't guaranteed for either team. One mistake can end the season.

If that's a boring game, then they must be boring as people. If you can't get worked up for this game, then you really are not a fan.

Bill Fires a Verbal Shot

Coach Bill Belichick has always been diplomatic when talking about players or opponents. He can be very evasive at times.

During his weekly Monday interview on WEEI, he was asked about the report by CBS analyst Charlie Casserly that Tom Brady has three broken ribs. Casserly broke the story last Sunday.

The coach has never been a fan of Casserly. He proceeded to say that nobody has been more wrong than Casserly over the years. He proceeded to rip him for his lack of credibility. He gave him credit for at least attaching his name to the story, but the coach was adamant that Brady doesn't have broken ribs.

Belichick's comments have been picked up by various websites. The normally diplomatic coach probably will not be a dinner guest of Casserly in the foreseeable future.
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To Play Or Not To PLay

RB laurence Maroney was on the sidelines during Sunday's 34-27 loss to Houston. When asked about it, Coach Belichick gave one of his typical evasive answers by saying that he was trying to give certain players additional snaps. Benjarvis green-Ellis played in place of Maroney.

It's unknown whether Maroney has been benched or if was truly a "coach's decision". Since fumbling on the goal line in the first drive of the previous week's game against Jacksonville, Maroney has been banished to the sidelines.

He has four fumbles this season compared to two in his previous three seasons with the Pats. They have all come at crucial times. His non-playing has come at a time when it was disclosed that he has been meeting with Coach Belichick on a weekly basis for one on one discussion.

Has the coach given up on him? Will he play against the Ravens on Sunday? With the loss of WR Wes Welker, it looks like the team will go with four receivers for Sunday's game. Will they dress five backs or will Maroney or Green-Ellis sit the game out.

Maroney had been enjoying a fine season with 9 TD's and 757 Yards on 194 carries.

More Second Guessing

The game is over, but here we go again with the second guessing of Coach Belichick to play key starters in what was a "meaningless "game for them. The only thing to play for was a third seed in the playoffs. Losing Wes Welker for the playoff run will be debated forever.

Welker was hurt when he was running with the ball, making a cut while avoiding a hit. The grass turf caused his knee to buckle. Considering how many violent hits Welker has taken, it was ironic that his season ended without direct contact with a defender.

If the Pats lose next week, the off-season will be filled with discussion whether Brady, Welker or Moss should have played. Moss was knocked of his feet in the first quarter. I'm surprised he hasn't been injured, considering this happens to him every week.

"Rest the starters" they say. Back-up receiver and special teams captain Sam Aiken appeared to hurt himself in the 4th quarter on a sideline play. Anyone can be hurt any time. It doesn't matter who it is.

I'll take a sample of the sports talk shows tomorrow, but I think they will be dwelling on it throughout the week. It could make for a short listening time for me unless talk is focused on the playoff game

A Difference Between Sports

What a difference between football and baseball players. With a playoff spot clinched and nothing to gain on Sunday, Pats QB Tom Brady was very adamant about wanting to play. He said that he had spoken to Coach Belichick and acknowledged that he will be on the field Sunday in spite of a sore finger, ribs, and shoulder.

Contrast that to the days of Manny Ramairez when he played for the Sox. Manny was adamant in wanting days off and often put manager Terry Francona in a precarious position. On more than one occasion, he refused to pinch-hit saying that he was on a day off.

The NFL is filled with players who play hurt every week. The injury list reads like a huge auto collision. Baseball players get a tight hamstring and they miss a week.

The weather conditions they play under are another story. The baseball commissioner took a lot of flack because they were playing the World Series in 40 degree temperatures. That would be ideal weather for football.