Mediocrity All Around

The NFL loves parity and wants all of their teams to be equal so that they have a shot at the playoffs. After three weeks, they got what they wanted.

Of the 32 teams, 19 have a losing record, while six are 2-1. The Pats, along with six others remain at the top at 3-0.

The four winless teams have a long road to .500. They can still get there and make the playoffs, but the odds are against them.

Welker's Last Stand

The New York Giants had Wes Welker in for a workout today. He desperately wants back into the NFL after not being invited to any training camps.

Welker is at the point where his age and history of concussions is working against him. He feels he can still play and be productive. He is probably right, but only a team in a dire situation would think of signing him.

Like so many players before him, Welker is not leaving the game on his own terms. The decision is being made for him.

Game #213

Tom Brady has set many team and league records, but he has reached new heights. He threw his 400th TD in yesterday's beating of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Brady also became the all-time leader in games played for the Pats with 213 after passing Bruce Armstrong. He is also tied with Steve Grogan for the most seasons played with the team at 16.

In this era of free agency and the tremendous injury rate, it seems hard to believe this record will ever be broken.

Steven Gostowski is in his 10th season with the Pats and has 141 games with them. He has a chance if he can stay productive and stay with the team. He could price himself out of their salary range like Adam Vinatieri did.

Everyone Gets Hurt

It's only week three of the season and teams have been hit by the injury bug. A report indicated that 15% of the players have been injured. I don't doubt that.

Injury reports can be misleading. The Pats put almost everyone on it. Tom Brady's shoulder made the report for over two seasons.

Too many player are getting hurt. There is no solution in sight. An 18 game season will not help the situation.

Notre Dame By 29

UMass will play perhaps the biggest football game in its history when they go up against Notre Dame in a nationally televised game at 3:30pm.

The Vegas line is Notre Dame by 29 points, with and over & under of 59. This game has blowout written all over it. Nobody is giving UMass much of a chance.

It's a great payday for the school and gives it great national exposure for free by being on television.

UMass has played better than their record shows. That's true for the last few years, but the program has only a few wins to show for all their effort and financial cost.

If they can play a competitive game, it will be a great boost for the program.

Tom & Ben

Some are saying that the NFL has it out for Brady because they did not name him AFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against Buffalo. He threw for 466 yards and three TD's. The Bills gave up the most passing yards by one player in their team's history.

The award went to Ben Roethlisberger who threw for 369 yards and three TD's against the San Francisco 49er's.

Brady had better passing numbers, but why did the award go to Big Ben? Will this happen again this season?

A Place For Peyton

Peyton Manning is under a microscope this season. Many have commented on how he can barely move and has lost the zip in his arm.

There are reports that he has lost the feeling in the tips of his fingers because of his previous neck problems. If this is true, he really needs to think about retiring after this season.

What will the Broncos do if the team fails to win? It would take a lot to bench him. He is such an icon and legend.

The last thing fans want to see is him not leaving the game on his own terms. He has meant too much to the NFL to see his star fade.

Suh Being Suh

I don't believe in large dollar free agent contracts. They rarely work out. The players never see the final year for whatever reason.

The Miami Dolphins decided to go big when they signed Ndamukong Suh to a 6 year/$114 million contract. They felt he would anchor their defensive line for the rest of the decade.

The Dolphins lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday to even their record at 1-1. Only nine teams in the league have given up more yards than the Dolphins.

What is more troubling is that Suh has been freelancing on his own and not adhered to the calls made by the Defensive Coordinator. There are already rumors of problems in the locker room.

Suh has incredible talent, but carries a lot of baggage because of his aggressive play which leads to penalties and fines.

He will last about two seasons with the team before they get tired of him.

Johnny Time

Johnny Manziel fans are all excited that their guy got a start against the Titans in place of the injured Josh McGown.

Manziel finished 8 of 15 for 172 yards and lead his team to a 28-14 win. Most of all, he threw a 60 yard TD on the second play to Travis Benjamin and later connected on a clutch 50 yarder to him with 2:52 left in the game.

All of this will bring Johnny's fans out of the woodwork. They will want to see more of him. They will have that opportunity next Sunday when the Browns host the Raiders.

They need to remember that it was only one game.

Getting Richer

Players, coaches and fans are at the mercy of the NFL schedule. Some of it doesn't make sense with playing on Sunday and then on Thursday.

The only reason behind the schedule is the $3.1 billion that the teams will receive for broadcast rights in 2014. Players get a big chunk of the revenue which drives salaries higher and increases the value of the teams.

As a result, several NFL teams are among the wealthiest professional sports franchises in the world according to Forbes magazine. The Dallas Cowboys top the list with a value of $4 billion, followed by the Pats with a worth of $3.2 billion and the Washington Redskins at $2.85 billion.

The league continues to find new revenue streams which will only increase salaries and the value of the teams.

Pictures Are Revealing

The New York Giants have a big mess on their hands with Jason Pierre-Paul. Newly released photos show the devastating injury to his hand.

His 4th of July fireworks accident changed his career and life forever. He lost his right index finger and part of his thumb. His middle finger is still bandaged. He claims he will play this year, but the Giants are treading lightly.

I don't see how he can return before the end of the season. This looks like a lost year for him, especially with it comes to money.

Whether he can ever play again remains to be seen.

Many Will Get Cut

Nominations for the Hall of Fame came out today. Brett Favre and Terrell Owens should make it on the first ballot. The list is filled with players who had brilliant careers, but not all of them will make it.

Of the 108, the list will be trimmed to 25 in November and to 15 finalists in January. The process is controversial and doesn't make everyone happy.

The Pats had Lawyer Milloy and Mike Vrabel make the list. I'm not overly optimistic on their chances. It will be interesting to see what happens with the voting.

Brady's Hat

People who hate the Pats have the perfect punching bag with Tom Brady and Deflategate. It's far from over.

He did his mandatory weekly press conference in front of his locker. A hat showing support for Donald trump was prominently displayed on one of the shelves.

When asked about it, Brady voiced enthusiastic support for Trump. Social media captured this story big-time.

Many Pats fans made remarks about Brady. I think they are wrong. Brady has the right to support whoever he wants, but he must have known this would cause a firestorm.

It just gives the haters more to hate about the Pats, but deflects it away from Deflategate.

Peyton's Time

With an opening day loss to the Baltimore Ravens, there is already talk that Peyton Manning might be done. He showed up on the team's injury report with a back issue to complicate things.

Denver didn't have much of an offense with Manning having a line of 24/40 for 175 yards, with one interception returned for a TD.

He knows he must rebound against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday or there will only be more talk. Ironically, it was after the Chiefs soundly beat the Pats last year that we stated to hear talk that Tom Brady might be done.

Joe Thomas - Ironman

Offensive linemen have the least glamorous position in the NFL, but there are many special players at the positions.

LT Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns started his 113th consecutive game yesterday. He has never missed one after being the third overall pick in the 2007 draft and has played 7,917 consecutive snaps. He did this while having a torn MCL on three different occasions. Nothing has prevented him from being selected to the Pro Bowl eight times.

It's a shame that he has never played on a decent team where he could showcase his abilities and skills during the playoffs.

Out of Control Early

It seems like every Division 1 team schedules a few easy games against FSC schools. These former Division 1A teams usually go on the road for a big pay check and a beating.

Boston College carried it to the extreme yesterday in their 76-0 beating of Howard University. It was such a mismatch that BC lead 62-0 at the half. BC cleared their bench during the second half, but Howard ended up with only 11 yards of offense on the day.

BC picked up an easy win and only needs five more to qualify for a bowl game. The NCAA only allows one win against FSC schools to count toward their bowl bid.

What happened against Howard was not unique. The scoreboard is filled weekly with lopsided scores. The losing teams do it willingly because they get paid well and receive great exposure.

Six More Years

Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant recently signed a very lucrative 6 year/$70 million contract with $45 million guaranteed.

Owner Jerry Jones has anointed him as the face of the franchise. Will he regret doing this at some point?

Bryant has all the talent in the world. He had a brilliant 2014 season, but always seems to be one step away from some off the field transgression.

Will Bryant and the Cowboys stay together for another six years at that price? It remains to be seen.

A New Gate

The Pats are facing their newest controversy with "Radiogate" after the headset issue during the Steelers game. Coach Mike Tomlin went into a tirade by saying that his team always as problems with their headphones and other communication equipment at Gillette Stadium.

When pressed further, he backed off a bit, but the damage was already done. The NFL went on record to say that they are in charge of the headphones and the rainy night played a role.

All of this came to a head today for Coach Belichick during a conference call. He went off on the critics of the team and the anonymous sources that accuse them of cheating.

This is just the beginning. There will be more to come and it's only the first week of the season.

2015 Begins Tonight

The long road begins for the Pats tonight when they face the Steelers on national television. They will unfurl their Super Bowl banner, much to the chagrin of many people around the country.

So much has happened since their last win over Seattle. Whoever thought that Deflategate would reach the height that it did? In recent days, it brought back Spygate after eight years.

The Pats, like most teams, have already been hit by injuries. The 53 man roster tonight will not be the one that finishes the season.

The Gate Era

Pats fans should get use to a new era around the team involving its controversies of Spygate and Deflategate.

The media talk will never go away. This story will stay around for a long time.

Fans need to deal with that. It's not easy for some. It wasn't suppose to get like this, but here we are.

The Pats are one of the favorites to make it to the AFC Championship Game. We'll be talking about this in December.

ESPNgate

It's hard to make sense about the latest report by ESPN linking Spygate and Deflategate. They feel that the Pats were issued a harsher punishment to make up for their perceived slap on the wrist in 2007.

The timing is very dubious, coming days after Tom Brady's four game suspension was vacated. Commissioner Roger Goodell claims to have not read ESPN's report.

This thing will never go away. Spygate and Deflategate will be with the Pats, Belichick and Brady forever.

No Head Games

Bryan Stork is a good example of the new NFL concussion protocol which is designed to protect the player. Stork's availability against the Steelers is in question as he still needs to pass several tests.

In the past, this wouldn't even be news. Stork would be out there playing in spite of having head issues.

Former Pats LB Ted Johnson had a very public battle with Coach Belichick over his playing with concussion symptoms. He ended up retiring days before the start of the 2005 season to the surprise of everyone.

Dez 2015

Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant has all the potential to be one of the all-time greatest NFL receivers. He is on pace with the great Calvin Johnson after the first 75 games in their career.

His star looms big in Texas. He was made for that place. Jerry Jones will always have a big presence in his career. They were made for each other.

Fans love them.

Wayne's Money

I think most fans thought that WR Reggie Wayne would make the final roster. Apparently, he asked Coach Belichick for his release which was granted. The coach issued a statement praising Wayne as an exceptional player.

We are now hearing rumors that he thought the practices were too difficult. That seems rather odd coming from such a great player.

No matter what, he will pocket his $450,000 bonus for 11 days of work. He stood to earn another $1 million for making the roster.

He must have really wanted out of here.

Maybe More Tebow Time

It looks like Tim Tebow might make it with the Philadelphia Eagles as their third quarterback after the team traded Matt Barkley to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional 7th round draft pick.

Tebow continues to be a controversial figure after being away from the game for two seasons. His throwing style gets debated on a regular basis.

He remains a popular choice among fans. I hope he makes the roster.

Chaper 1 Completed

Tom Brady and the Pats prevailed in federal court when his four game suspension was vacated. It was based on due process and the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league plans to appeal the ruling.

How much longer will this continue? Will Brady need to appear in court in the future?

This is far from over.

Expecting Injuries

The preseason games are like one big car crash with all teams losing players for extended periods from injuries.

The Pats lost FB James Devlin for the season after he broke his leg last week. Teams are losing players at critical positions.

Team owners talk about fewer preseason games and a longer regular season. A 17-18 game schedule would create so many more injuries.

The preseason schedule is a financial bonus to the owners. There is not much incentive to eliminate the games.

Last Chance

This was the day that so many players fear of. Teams cut down to 75 and will be at 53 by Saturday. It didn't bode well for many throughout the league.

Some might get another chance, but for others it will be the end of their career. They could try to stay as a "street player" for a few years and get a few tryouts with other teams. Maybe collect some game day checks.