Sports talk show hosts say the craziest things. It helps with the ratings sometimes.
The one I heard today boasted of an easy win by the Pats over the Jaguars. Why would they say that?
The Pats are a 15.5 point favorite, but what does that really mean? All that stuff is about the gambling side of the game.
They need to win.
Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn declined an offer to interview for the vacant coaching job with the Jaguars. He knows that other offers will be available, but that isn't the case for everyone.
There are candidates out there who are more than willing to be part of a dumpster fire. It has been a difficult time for owner Shad Khan who has a winning percentage of .259 since buying the team in 2012.
The job has a lot of positive aspects to it, especially with former 2021 overall #1 Trevor Lawrence at quarterback.
For some reason, nobody can help the team win.
Pats WR N'Keal Harry has become a punching bag for the fans and media over things that have gone wrong this season.
He played 61 of the team's 64 offensive snaps during last Sunday's loss to the Bills, but was involved in two big plays that impacted the outcome.
He dropped a pass that would have been for a first down. On the next play, he tipped a ball into the hands of the Bills defense who put an end to the drive.
Harry draws more attention because he was a first-round pick. Coach Belichick's track record for drafting receivers has not been good.
The media loves to compare Harry's stats to other receivers drafted in 2019. This happens all the time, but isn't fair.
A player's draft position has nothing to do with their future success in the NFL.
With each team having two games remaining, it's quite remarkable that only 8 of 32 of them have no chance of making the playoffs.
This is great for the league as the competition has come down to the last two weeks of the regular season.
Things will really change this weekend.
The Bills never punted the ball yesterday during their 33-21 win over the Pats. That is unusual in most games, but it was the first time in Coach Belichick's head coaching career that the opposition didn't need to kick the ball away.
In fact, it was over a streak of 474 games going back to his days with the Browns. That sounds like one record that will never be broken. It would take too many other factors for it to happen.
The Pats lost 33-21 to the Bills today which resulted in both teams being 9-6 in the AFC East. If they finish with the same record, the Bills will make the playoffs because of their better record within the Division.
The Pats will play the 2-14 Jaguars next week and finish with the Dolphins who are fighting for a playoff spot.
There is no guarantee that the Pats will play in the post-season. They need to win both games to have a chance.
The Jets (3-11) and Jaguars (2-12) play Sunday in a battle for a higher draft pick. The season has been a disaster for both teams.
Jet fans wonder if they will ever have a playoff game again. The team is 26-68 over the last six seasons. Zach Wilson has not been the solution. It's much more than him.
The Jaguars are moving on from Urban Meyer. They have many issues in all phases of the game.
Memphis was scheduled to play Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl today, but it was canceled due to Covid infections on the host team.
It was already a questionable game with Memphis coming in with a 6-6 record to face Hawaii at 6-7. The cancelation was at the last minute with no opportunity to line up another opponent.
Memphis traveled all the way for nothing, but at least they saw the sites.
It was only a matter of time before a college football team had to withdraw from a bowl game because of a Covid outbreak.
Texas A&M has canceled their appearance in the Gator Bowl on December 31 against Wake Forest because of a high Covid rate among players.
Rutgers has expressed an interest in playing, but will need a waiver from the NCAA because of their losing record of 5-7.
It raises the question of whether a sub .500 team should be allowed to play, but at this point, the Gator Bowl either finds another team or they cancel the entire thing.
The media wastes too much time making comparisons between Mac Jones and Tom Brady. They are two different players and should be treated as such.
They like to compare them statistically, but fail to mention that Brady sat during his rookie year and never got a chance to play until Drew Bledsoe got hurt.
Jones won the competition over Cam Newton in training camp. He didn't get the job because someone else got injured.
QB Mac Jones has been taking some heat for saying the Pats had a bad week of practice before they lost to the Colts.
Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels sidestepped the question during a session with the media, but the coaching staff most likely wasn't happy with his comments.
He will probably have a counseling session on how to comment in the future.
The Pats lost 27-17 to the Colts on Saturday night, but didn't do much right in the process. They were bad in all three phases of the game, including having a punt blocked for a touchdown.
Coach Belichick was very testy in his post-game press conference. He repeated the same answers over and over with frustration.
He began his press conference today with an apology to the media for how he acted after the game. It was rare to see something like that from him, but he was clearly wrong with how he treated them.
They were only trying to do their job, but he made it more difficult with his behavior.
The Jets lost 31-24 to the Dolphins today to drop their record to 3-11. At this point, they are playing for a top pick in the draft. This will be their 11th straight season without a playoff game.
Optimists can point to them having two of the first ten draft picks and four in the first two rounds. Pessimists will mention the selections of GM Joe Douglas that haven't worked out.
Jet fans try to stay positive, but they know next year could be just as bad.
Tonight's game is big for the 9-4 Pats and 7-6 Colts. Its outcome will certainly alter the AFC playoff picture as it will change every week going forward.
All we keep hearing is that the Pats must stop the Colts running game with Jonathan Taylor. Let's see what happens with that.
I took the under of 45 points. Can't understand why the Pats are getting 1.5 points.
Sports talk shows exist to give someone a platform to say almost anything. Tonight's host was talking about the future plans of Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. His name comes up every year for head coaching jobs.
This host was trying to get inside Josh's head. It made for a topic of discussion and a way to pass time on the radio.
The station gets great ratings even if they are talking about the make believe. Nobody knows the future of Josh. They can only talk about it.
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer finally got fired today after posting a 2-11 record in his first season in Jacksonville. The losing was bad enough, but there was a long list of incidents that finally lead to his termination.
Some of the stories emerging were getting ugly. It will only get worse if the team sues him to get back the four years left on his contract that was paying him $10-12 million annually.
It's a no-win situation for Meyer and the Jaguars. His best option is to seek some type of financial settlement and try to go back to a college job if he desires.
A few teams are headed towards a losing record. It's only a matter of time before coaching changes are made. There is turnover every year. Some is obvious, but not all.
The Bills started off as the favorites to win the AFC East. Now, they are hoping to make the playoffs as a Wild Card after losses to the Pats and Bucs.
The worst part is the ongoing chatter on social media to fire coach Sean McDermott and Offensive Coordinator Brian DaBoll. It's never a good sign when this starts.
With four games left in the season, more teams will fall out of playoff contention this weekend.
If the Bills don't make the post-season, anything could happen when it comes to the coaching staff.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is a great example of why teams should not pay a huge amount of money to anyone playing that position.
Their former #1 draft pick in 2017 found immediate success in the NFL. In 2019, they gave him a four year/$64 million contract extension. Since then, he has missed 23 of 33 games, including being out for the rest of this season with an ankle injury.
There is no doubt that McCaffery is an exceptional player when healthy, but that has become a long-term issue in his case.
The Carolina Panthers are 5-8 and likely out of the playoffs. They are desperate to get to a winning record. One more loss will eliminate them.
Cam Newton got pulled yesterday in the team's 29-21 loss to the Falcons. The coaching staff has reached a point of panic.
He stayed on the bench and posted a line of 15 of 23 attempts for 178 yards. He also ran for 47 and one TD.
His game stats were fine. Plays need to be made or the game turns out differently.
It keeps getting worse for the Jaguars and Coach Urban Meyer with another 20-10 los to the Titans to fall to 2-11.
He is taking a lot of heat on social media for a poor post-game handshake with Coach Mike Vrabel who got his first coaching job with him at Ohio State. It was awkward.
Will he last the season? I can't believe he wants this to continue next year. There is a ton of money involved on both sides.
I think he would be a better fit and find more joy at the college level. The money might be an issue, but these guys always seem to make out in the end.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and fans are watching their season spin out of control. At 2-10, they are playing out the schedule and hoping to avoid injuries.
The season has been a disaster for first year coach Urban Meyer. He came to the team with a great deal of hype and will probably be the first coach to get fired.
Some coaches do better in college than the NFL. Meyer is one of them. He tried the NFL, but it didn't work out.
There is always too much hype about college quarterbacks. The best go in the first round, but are they overrated?
Mac Jones was the fifth one picked when the Pats took him with the 15th overall selection. Things fell into place when they landed him.
He has the best statistics of any rookie with 270 completions for 2,869 yards and 16 TD's.
Every situation is different for each first-year player. Time will tell the story of their career.
Every team can look back and see players they should have signed or drafted. They made the best decision possible based on what they knew. Sometimes it came down to the dollar amount.
The Jets did that with kicker Nick Folk who spent seven productive seasons with them before they released him in early 2017 rather than resign him as a free agent.
Folk is at the top of his game with the Pats where he has spent the last three seasons. Meanwhile, the Jets just signed their ninth kicker since they time Folk walk.
Kicking continues to be a problem for the Jets.
College football will have 44 bowl games this season. If a team has a 6-6 record, they are almost guaranteed a spot somewhere.
Boston College 6-6 (2-6 ACC) will face East Carolina 7-5 (3-3 AAC) in the Military Bowl on December 27th in Annapolis, MD.
ESPN will broadcast most of the games. They make money for them overall. Why stop now?
The Pats beat the Bills last night 14-10 to stay at the top of the AFC with a bye week ahead of them.
Some people on Facebook were less than happy with the play calling of Josh McDaniels. They questioned the relentless running of the ball and Mac Jones only throwing three passes.
They kept commenting as the Pats ran the ball 46 times for 222 yards, but their negativity stopped when they saw the final score.
The Steelers are struggling with a record of 5-5-1 going into their game today against the Ravens.
We are now hearing rumors about this being the end of Ben Roethlisberger's time in Pittsburgh. He will be a free agent, but it sounds like it will be a mutual parting.
Will Ben retire or look for another team that wants a quarterback who will be 40 during the 2022 season?
His ticket to the Hall of Fame has been punched, but does he really want to damage his legacy for trying to play another season? He has made a fortune in the NFL, but many players can't walk away from the game when it's their time.
Pats QB Mac Jones is showing his great potential. His shirt is the top selling NFL quarterback jersey in the UK according to the league.
He has taken steps to trademark his name in the form of MJ10. He has a chance to make a lot of money in the next few years.
There isn't always loyalty in college football. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly accepted a ten-year deal with LSU in spite of his team being 11-1, ranked 6th nationally and looking at a possible playoff spot.
The biggest losers are always the coaching assistants. They don't always have the option of going to a new team.
Most of the Notre Dame assistants are staying in South Bend. New coaches don't usually get to select all of their staff. Contractual obligations prevent movement at times.
A coaching career offers little long-term job security.
Spring football has never really made it. Various leagues have tried and failed. Basic expenses have made it unprofitable.
The USFL plans to play again in 2022. Before they have any games, they need to resolve some of their lawsuits from unpaid bills, especially for hotels and stadium rental.
If they can't resolve this issue timely, they will never be able to play after 2022. There is only so much money that investors are willing to lose.
Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly shocked the football world when he announced that he would be leaving to accept a 10 year/$100 million contract to coach at LSU. There is great speculation on why he would leave after so many successful years.
He has never won a National Championship and probably feels that LSU gives him the best opportunity. The money offered must have been hard to turn down.
Cam Newton is still the starter for the Panthers according to Coach Mike Ruhle.
That's all the matters for Cam who is trying to keep his career alive. Newton got pulled in the team's loss after going only 5 /21 for 92 yards and two interceptions.
It's good that they have their bye week. Cam said he needs to study the play book.
This is a great opportunity for him to secure his future with a team.
The NFL these days is so different now, especially with parents of players taking to social media to voice their criticism.
Odell Beckham's father gave his thoughts about the Browns limiting his son with their play calls on offense. The team ended up releasing him shortly after.
Now we are hearing from Kareem Hunt's father about Baker Mayfield not throwing the ball enough.
Players are expected to avoid the noise, but comments from parents don't help.
The Pats beat the Titans 36-13 today to increase their record to 8-4. Their next game is a crucial one against the Bills on MNF.
Both teams need the win very badly in their battle for the AFC East. Neither wants to be the Wild Card.
With five games remaining, they need to go 2-3 to beat the Las Vegas "over line" of 9.5 wins for the season.
It's hard to define success on the college level. Some fans and alumni are never happy even when they have a Bowl game.
Teams get there with records of 8-4 and 7-5. Eventually there is grumbling about the quality of the game.
It finally happened for Skip Holtz who was fired after nine seasons at Louisiana Tech.
In the end, the seven consecutive bowl appearances were not enough to keep everyone happy. The games were often meaningless ones made for television.
He will take his 64-49 record at Tech and move on.
Titans Coach Mike Vrabel has tried to convince the media that Sunday's game is not about him and Coach Belichick. The media continues to stir the story line given the connection between the two.
It makes for interesting discussion, but the players still need to do their part. We shall see on Sunday.
Today was a big day in the lives of seniors who play high school football.
For most of them, it will be the last organized game they ever play. Only a small fraction play in college or a semi-pro team.
It has been a journey for each of them. Some have played since they were quite young. Others started later.
In the end, they were all on the same team trying to achieve a common goal of winning a game.
They will never have it again.
UMass travels to play New Mexico State on Saturday. A pair of 1-10 teams with nothing to show for the season.
It's been a rough year for the Minuteman program, but they move forward.
They are still getting 6.5 points which is always nice. The over/under is 59.
One guarantee is that they will be 2-10 or 1-11 for the season.
Now that the Pats are 7-4, we are seeing people jumping onto the band wagon again. These are the same ones who gave them no chance of making the playoffs before the start of the season.
It happens all the time. They are fair weather fans. They will be the first to abandon the team when things don't live up to their expectations.
The Pats are looking good at 7-4, but wins are never guaranteed. They have a great collection of players that have come a long way since they were 2-4.
DB J.C. Jackson is having a great season with six interceptions. That goes with the 22 in his 4th season where he can become a free agent in March.
How much is the team willing to pay? There are teams out there that will open their check book and spend out of control.
This will be an interesting case of what happens to a young player who prices himself out of the team's market.
Things change week to week, but the Pats are on top in the AFC East at 7-4. The Bills lost to fall to 6-4.
The plot will change each week throughout the league, but this weekend was bad for a few teams.
The same thing will happen next week.
UMass lost 33-17 to Army to extend their losing record to 1-10 on the season. The Minutemen played a very competitive game and narrowed it to a two point deficit in the fourth quarter.
They beat the guys in Vegas who set the line at 37 points, with an over/under of 56. They close their season next week at New Mexico State. They still have a chance to beat the odds of 1.5 wins on the season.
There are so many candidates from the Belichick era worthy of the team's Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, many others get overlooked from the time before Robert Kraft bought the team.
TE Ben Coates entered many years ago, but his accomplishments don't even get any consideration from the Hall of Fame in Canton. He played for the Pats from 1991-1999 before spending his final season with the Ravens.
When he retired, he was fourth among tight ends for all-time receptions with 499 for 5,555 yards and 50 TD's. At the time, he trailed Ozzie Newsome, Shannon Sharpe and Kellen Winslow who are all enshrined in Canton.
He had five Pro Bowl selections and was All-Pro twice. In spite of his accomplishments, he has never been a finalist because of his numbers.
His only chance might be the Veteran's Committee down the road.
As Week 11 of the NFL begins, only five teams are basically out of the contention for making the playoffs.
At this point seven or eight losses is a tall hill to climb. That includes the Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars and Texans in the AFC, while the Lions with eight losses is out of it in the NFC.
After this weekend, a few more will be added to the list.
The Pats are on a four game winning streak to raise their record to 6-4. They face a critical test on TNF against the Falcons.
With seven games to go, they have a chance to make the playoffs and beat the Vegas line of wins for the season set at 9.5
They need to go 4-3 the rest of the way. It remains to be seen.
RB LaVeon Bell was released today by the Ravens after not having an impact on the offense.
It's the latest chapter in the career of a player who left a lot of money on the table with the Steelers. Things didn't work out with the Jets before he had a chance to be with the Chiefs when they won the Super Bowl.
Some team will pick him up because he had great accomplishments in the past.
What is his future in the NFL at 29 and limited production in recent years?
Now that more than half of the NFL season has passed, we can get a better look on how various first round draft picks have worked out.
Pats QB Mac Jones was the fifth QB selected, but has a great chance of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
He already has five games with a passer rating of greater than 100. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, the first and second overall picks, each have one while Trey Lance and Justin Fields have not reached that mark.
This type of stuff happens annually. It's just another example of how inexact the draft really has become.
Cam Newton got on the field today for two plays with the Panthers that produced a running TD by him and one thrown.
His 2 yard TD run was the 71st score of his career, an NFL record for quarterbacks.
He later threw a short pass for another one which helped the Panthers beat the Cardinals 34-10.
UMass continued its disaster of a season today when they lost 35-10 to Maine at home to fall to 1-9.
The Minutemen jumped off to an early 10-0 lead, but it was all downhill from there.
With two games left, they face Army and New Mexico State on the road.
Las Vegas oddsmakers set their win total at 1.5 this season. It might be impossible to get that second win.
The Odell Beckham Jr drama is over for now after he signed a one-year deal with the Rams. We will never know how serious the Pats were, but it's over for now.
What type of impact will he have on the team? Will it be a positive one?
It's good to see that Cam Newton signed a one-year deal with the Panthers. He can go back to the place where it all started when he was the #1 overall pick in 2011.
He has $4.5 million guaranteed and can earn up to $10 million. More importantly, he has a chance to start with Sam Darnold being out for a few weeks.
This is probably the best opportunity for him to showcase his talent for 2022 and beyond.
Deion Sanders has made a positive impact as head coach at Jackson State. His team is 5-1 this season and looking good. He has a 9-4 record as a coach.
There are already rumors of him being a candidate for the vacancy at TCU. It would be a big leap to a major program, but he appears ready to take that step.
He has really helped the Jackson program. Would he feel comfortable handing it off to someone else?
Fenway Park in Boston is a great place to watch a baseball game, but not other sports. The Pats played there back in the 1960's.
In recent years, they have hosted NHL outdoor games as well as high school and college football.
Four local high school teams will be playing there in the next two weeks. I'm sure it's a thrill for the players, coaches, families and the schools.
A few years ago, I saw UMass play one of their games. Our seats were horrible and located in the corner of the end zone. We ended up moving to some better seats that were empty.
It's a novelty and a lifetime memory to play a game there. It's just not a good place to watch one.
Odell Beckham Jr will know where he stands by Tuesday afternoon at 4pm. If no team claims him off waivers, he will become a free agent and can sign with any team.
It's hard to gauge the interest in a very talented player who comes with a lot of baggage.
Will he ever find a team that he can work with to utilize his talents and make him happy to play?
When Saints QB Jameis Winston suffered a season ending knee injury against the Bucs, many thought that Cam Newton would ride to the rescue. It looked like his best opportunity.
However, the Saints have Trevor Siemian and Tayson Hill. Coach Sean Payton appears to be ready to go with them.
Cam will continue to sit and wait for a call that might never happen.
Things have not worked out well for WR Odell Beckham Jr and the Cleveland Browns. He is having his worst season with 17 catches for 232 yards and no TD's.
A fan posted a video of his analysis of some of Beckham's plays when he was open, but QB Baker Mayfield chose not to throw to him.
Beckham's father got involved when he reposted the video to his Instagram account. He made a vague claim that his son was being avoided in the game plan.
Whatever is happening should not be a situation where a player's parent gets involved. This sounds too similar to Tom Brady's father who was always willing to talk to the Boston media.
Will the Jets have a quarterback controversy once Zach Wilson returns in two weeks from an injury?
Mike White lead them to a thrilling 34-31 win over the Bengals while throwing for 405 yards and three TD's.
It was the most yards by a Jets quarterback since 2000, while White was only the second QB to throw for 4,000 yards in his first start. The other was Cam Newton.
White has been signed and waived by the Jets 11 times since 2019, but will start against the Colts on Thursday night.
They have a $35 million commitment to Zach Wilson, the overall #2 draft pick this year, but Coach Robert Saleh knows he must win now as his job is on the line.
The Pats upset the Chargers today 27-24 to even their record at 4-4. There are always thing that could have been done better. The defense came up big.
It's easy to point out mistakes. I'm not a fan of the writers who analyze the players and have a list of the "ups and down".
One play can be all they remember you by, but it's not always fair.
There is too much emphasis on putting up numbers.
UMass dropped their record to 1-7 with a 62-17 loss to Liberty. They controlled the ball for over 36 minutes, but it wasn't reflected in the final score.
They ran 10 more plays than Liberty, but were only 7/19 on third down. They gave up another 604 yards of offense, with 409 passing and 195 on the ground. Liberty scored at will
UMass continues to be dominated by their opponents with four games left with Rhode Island, Maine, Army and New Mexico State.
Las Vegas set their total wins at 1.5 which is a very low bar. Can they impact the gambling line?
Former Pats punter Zoltan Mesko made the social media news cycle when he recounted a story of being told by Coach Belichick to try and swat Tom Brady's passes away with a tennis racket during practice.
He was playing the role of JJ Watt who was notorious for slapping passes with his long arms. Apparently, the whole process aggravated Brady because he was having trouble hitting receivers.
Mesko played with them for three seasons after they drafted him in 2010 during the 5th round. He lost his job to Ryan Allen at the end of the 2013 training camp.
His accomplishments as a college punter at Michigan rank him as one of the all-time great college punters.
The Packers beat the Cardinals 24-21 on Thursday Night Football. The game went to the very last series of the Cardinals who were inside the 10 and going for the win before Kyler Murray threw an interception in the end zone
The Cardinals lost their first game to become 7-1. The final score beat the under of 51. A TD would have gone over.
The Packers turned the ball over on fourth down before the Cardinal's last stand. They had a TD reversed by the replay official which impacted the over and under.
It was quite a game.
Names get tossed around all the time for various coaching positions in the NFL and college. Some of it ends up being a rumor, but information gets out.
Former NFL and USC QB Carson Palmer provided some input to a group involved in hiring a new football coach for the school.
Mike Tomlin of the Steelers found himself being asked about it. He was agitated about the question and ended his press conference.
There are too many unfounded stories, but he was really upset. His comments should put an end to further speculation.
When Bucs WR Mike Evans caught Tom Brady's 600th career TD pass, he unknowingly gave it to a fan in the stands. It set off a series of negotiations to get it back.
The fan really made out, but people are discussing it on social media on whether he should have asked for more.
He ended up with two signed jerseys and a helmet from Brady, one signed Mike Evans shirt and his game cleats, $1,000 gift card to the Bucs team store, two seasons tickets for the 2021 and 2022 and one Bitcoin from Brady.
Although he made out big, he should consult a tax advisor as he will have some tax implications.
Peyton & Eli Manning do a great job with their alternative MNF broadcast on ESPN2. It has good ratings because they are entertaining. Their guests always add a lot.
Tom Brady spent the second quarter with them. He offered some interesting insights without tipping to any opponents.
The show is very unique and is made for Peyton's domineering personality. He has great chemistry with Eli who offers great analysis.
The news had a story earlier today of the huge rainstorm in Northern California that has flooded some places.
Tonight's game between the Colts and 49er's is being played in the heavy rain which has inundated the Bay area.
The game is going on regardless. It's difficult for the players, fans, coaches, camera people, security and anyone else there tonight.
The most important thing is player safety in these situations.
Big time college football programs don't put up with losing seasons or not going to bowl games. Coaches with winning records get fired after a losing season.
LSU Coach Ed Orgeron has agreed to part ways with the school after going undefeated in 2019 and winning a National Championship. A record of 4-3 record this season and 49-17 record under his tenure wasn't enough to keep it going.
The school will pay the remainder of the $16.9 million owed to him through 2025 for the extension he signed in 2019.
The 1-5 UMass Minutemen will be on the road to play 2-4 Florida State. They are probably getting a good amount of money for taking on another loss.
These types of games help fund the UMass program at the expense of having a good winning record.
UMass in getting 35.5 points, with an over/under of 60. Florida State is looking for a win to get to the magic number of seven wins to get a bowl bid.
Some of the Boston sports talk show people tried to make a big deal out of a comment from Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels when asked about who calls fourth down plays. They turned out to be big in the team's loss to the Cowboys.
He said that Coach Belichick has the final say. It makes sense. I'm sure they discuss their options. Belichick has lived and died with some of his decisions, but you can't argue his success.
NFL players and have benefited by the new rules for using Injured Reserve designations. The three weeks minimum allows teams to treat the player without calling it a season ending injury.
The Pats just used it for LB Chase Winovich who injured his hamstring in the team's loss to the Cowboys. He will miss games against the Jets, Chargers and Panthers. Will he return after that?
The problem for some players is that someone is taking their place. The key for any player is get get healthy and back on the roster.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said that the team has reached out to Cam Newton in light of Russell Wilson missing several games because of a finger injury.
Cam recently announced that he is vaccinated. That opened at least one door in Seattle.
I'm sure he wants to see if he gets interest from other teams. The Seahawks won't wait forever.
The Pats dropped their record to 2-4 after losing to the Cowboys by a score of 35-29 in overtime.
They gave up 445 yards of passing and had trouble again converting on third down.
If 9-8 can get them into the playoffs, they would need to finish the rest of the way at 7-3.
The news is reporting that Cam Newton got a Covid vaccine shot. Will this get him back to the NFL or even a tryout?
This might be his best chance for an opportunity. It seems like time is running out on him. Nobody is beating a path to his door.
When the Pats play at 1pm, they are getting some of the second and third broadcast teams of the respective network. It will change Sunday when they have a 4:25pm game against the Dallas Cowboys in Foxborough.
Coach Belichick's team will be getting 3.5 points with an over/under of 50.5
Both numbers look good, but you never know how it will end up.
After five games, we are looking at the achievers and those who could get into a precarious situation.
At 2-3, the Pats are on the bubble. If they lost last week, they would be looking at 1-4 and a slim chance of making the playoffs.
The Jaguars and the Lions are both 0-5 and basically out of it unless they have a drastic turnaround.
As we go into Week 6, quarterbacks have been injured around the league. There are jobs available at some level, but we never hear anything about Cam Newton.
Will he end up sitting out the season? If he wants be be a starter, the interest might not be there from teams.
Injuries happen in games. Some are worse than others. They can end a season, career or impact the player later on in life.
We saw two great examples of that yesterday in the Giants loss to the Cowboys. QB Daniel Graham suffered a concussion on a violent collision that spun his head in an awkward way. He stumbled as he tried to get up and was in no shape to continue.
RB Shaquon Barkley rolled his ankle in a very grotesque way. The pictures of it were awful. It's amazing that he didn't suffer a fracture. He will miss a few games.
These types of injuries happen too frequently. They get magnified by the attention they get in this day and age of social media and 24/7 news coverage.
This isn't anything new. It's the ugly part of the game.
The Pats were able to squeeze out a 25-22 win over the Texans with a last second field goal to increase their record to 2-3. Next Sunday's game against the Cowboys will be very critical to get them on a winning track.
A columnist wrote an interesting analysis of the game, but also wanted to lay blame on Damien Harris, Steve Belichick and Josh McDaniels.
I don't think it's ever productive to point fingers, but writers need to do that. They are finding the Coach's son to be a punching bag when things go wrong on defense.
UMass got a win today when they beat 0-7 UConn, 27-13. The Minutemen are now 1-5 going into their bye week.
They finally had a game where they dominated another team in all the statistical categories starting with total offensive yards 407 vs 291, passing 160 vs 128, rushing 247 vs 163, time of possession 39 minutes vs 21 and first downs 22 vs 14. They also won the critical turnover battle 0-3.
Things will get tougher in their next two games when they travel to play Florida State and Liberty.
UMass will host UConn tomorrow. It will be a pair of winless teams with five and six losses respectively.
The Minutemen will be getting five points with an over/under of 57. Their defense has been terrible all season. They give up too many yards, especially on big plays. Third down is another issue.
The offense has its bright moments, but it's never enough.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith saw his first meaningful action since 2017 in the Seahawks loss to the Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
He lead them to a score in the fourth quarter after Russell Wilson injured his finger when he got hit, but a late interception ended any chances for the Seahawks.
The former second round pick for the Jets in 2013 has lasted this far in the NFL with four different teams. He is still young enough to be a good back-up for a team that needs one.
It was only a matter of time before the Pats released CB Stephon Gilmore. The former Defensive Player of the Year and the team could not agree on a long term contract. They wanted to see his level of play once he came off the PUP list. That's the story the media is going with.
Someone will sign him, but at what price? He wanted a substantial raise from his current pay of $7 million. The team wasn't willing to take a risk on a 31 year old injured player when they need to sign JC Jackson to a new deal.
They only pay so much for anyone. It remains to be seen whether they can do it with Jackson, who at age 25, will command top dollar on the free agent market.
It's sounding like the Pats will be signing LB Jamie Collins to a free agent contract. Nothing is official until they announce it.
The Lions were not happy with his play. They tried to trade him, but couldn't get what they wanted.
This would be his third time here. His play could give him an opportunity for another payday on the free agent market.
It didn't take long for social media to comment on the brief meeting between Coach Belichick and Tom Brady after the Bucs defeated the Pats last night by a score of 17-16.
With cameras and microphones in their faces, they embraced for a few seconds before walking away. The comments started right after that.
Getting no attention was the 20 minutes that Belichick spent talking to Brady later on in the Bucs locker room.
The Pats and Bucs game tonight has been hyped to death to the point where it's getting very boring. How much more can they say about Belichick and Brady?
The recent book excerpts released this past week only add more to the fire. Coach Belichick has already said that he never would've had the success he had with out Brady. What more can he say?
UMass fell to 0-5 today with a 45-7 loss at home to Toledo. The game was never close.
The Minutemen could only get 134 yards in the air and 23 on the ground, while Toledo had a balanced offense of 232 passing and 223 running.
First downs is always a critical stat and UMass lost that one 23-8. Toledo ate up chunks of yardage every time they touched the ball with an average gain of 6.2 yards compared to 2.6 for UMass. It was a recipe to extend their losing streak to 16 games.
Next Saturday will be quite a game at home with 0-5 UConn. Somebody will win and be 1-5.
NFL teams have a heavy concentration of players from certain schools. It's the reality of big-time college programs.
Last week on active rosters, Alabama had 54 formers players, followed by Ohio State (50), LSU (47), and Georgia and Notre Dame each with 36.
The list of the top 10 schools is always interesting,
The Jaguars and Bengals are playing on Thursday Night Football. QB Trevor Lawrence is a great example of a winning player going to a bad team.
If his team loses tonight, it will be four consecutive ones which will exceed his total in high school and college.
Coming into the NFL, his career record was 86-4. None of that matters now.
The media and talk shows are salivating over excerpts from a new book about all the things going on behind the scenes with the Pats.
There are some interesting allegations, but everything is from anonymous sources. It's up to the fans whether they believe them.
It's always easy to throw things out there, based on third party sources.
Boston College already has four wins and can qualify for a bowl with two more. They had easy victories over Colgate, UMass and Temple before winning in overtime against Missouri.
They travel to Clemson this weekend where they are 14.5 point underdogs. They have their work cut out for them.
The rest of their schedule gets more competitive, but they should get at least two or three wins which will be enough to get them into a bowl.
Players get hit on every play, especially anyone running with the ball in their hands.
Pats RB James White took a huge hit yesterday which resulted in a partial hip dislocation. He will miss an unknown amount of games.
Injuries can happen on any play. Yesterday was just another example. It's something players need to deal with.
The Pats lost 28-13 to the Saints to drop their record to 1-2. All the doomsayers are pointing to the Bucs game next Sunday with Tom Brady. Another loss could put them in a dire situation to start the season at 1-3.
Teams that start 2-1 have a 54% chance of making the playoffs, while a 1-2 record gives them 25%.
The Pats have a challenge ahead of them.
Players with talent and suspensions from the NFL eventually make it back into the league. WR Josh Gordon has been re-instated after six previous suspensions for substance abuse issues.
He is cleared to play in Week 4 if there is a team willing to sign him. There is no doubt that he will find a suitor. He has immense talent and is a great example of what might have been.
He still has a few years left to write his legacy. Hopefully, it works out for him.
UMass plays Coastal Carolina where they are getting 36 points with an over/under of 67.5
I went with taking the 36 points and think they can keep it under.
Everyone expects UMass to be 0-4 after tomorrow.
It's a tremendous honor to be nominated to the Hall of Fame, but for many of the candidates, this is as far as they will get. The list of 122 modern-era nominees will be trimmed down to 18 prior to Super Bowl LVI.
Vince Wilfork made the list for the first time, along with previous finalist Richard Seymour. Other nominees who played for the Pats include Tedy Bruschi, Ben Coates, Wes Welker, Logan Mankins, Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison, Asante Samuel, Jeff Feagles, Brian Walters, Steven Jackson, Fred Taylor, Chad Johnson and Adrian Wilson.
All of them are worthy nominees, but many will never make it as finalists because there are others at the same position..
We keep hearing rumors of a possible trade involving CB Stephon Gilmore or WR N'Keal Harry. Gilmore and Harry are still on IR and can't play until after Week 4.
Gilmore was Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 while Harry as not lived up to his hype as a first round draft pick in 2019.
It doesn't look like the Pats are looking to give Gilmore a new contract before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. They probably want more for Harry than any team is willing to give them.
Coach Belichick loves to talk about special teams because that was one of his first assignments in coaching. Having been around the NFL for 47 years, he has seen all sorts of changes in the game.
When asked a question about long snapping, his answer lasted nine minutes with over 1,500 words and all sorts of references to players of the past.
His knowledge of the game is endless.
UMass lost 42-28 to Eastern Michigan. They actually dominated the stat sheet. Both teams had over 500 yards of offense with equal time of possession
The Minutemen turned the ball over twice which made all the difference. They were competitive throughout the game, but still dropped to 0-3.
They are better than what their record shows
USC already became the first school to fire their coach when they let Clay Helton go after posting a 1-1 record.
The rumor mill went into overtime with all sorts of speculation about Urban Meyer leaving the Jaguars to take the job.
Meyer made his NFL coaching debut, but the Jaguars lost which only fueled speculation that he would jump back to college. He shot down those rumors, but many wonder if his heart is in the NFL.
There will be some teams that will be 0-2 after this weekend. It's not a good spot to be in. Players and coaches will hear it from the media and naysayers.
The so-called experts say that 0-2 teams have only a 12.6% chance of making the playoffs.
Nobody wants to be on this list.
Boston sports talk radio is already making the Jets game a must-win situation. If they fall to 0-2 and lose to the Saints. it sets up Tom Brady to end their season by making them 0-4.
Anything can happen. Every team deals with its own offensive and defensive issues. Things either get worked out or they don't.
Some teams start the season by losing. It's very easy to be out of the playoff picture by the mid-point of the season.
Rumors start about potential landing spots for Cam Newton. The word is Washington because they feel that Coach Ron Rivera would want nothing more than a reunion with him, especially after losing Ryan Fitzpatrick for a few weeks.
Rivera said they were all set when asked about Cam. He certainly knows him as a player after the Panthers drafted him first overall in 2011.
Some will try to read into their relationship. Nobody really knows. Cam isn't the same player Rivera and the Panthers drafted. Everyone knows that.
It looked like QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was finally going to lead a team when he signed with the Washington Football Team.
That all came to an end yesterday when he suffered a hip dislocation during his team's 20-16 loss to the Chargers.
He will miss at least three weeks and perhaps more. It doesn't end his season at this point, but he will be returning as a 38 year old.
The Pats were on a drive late in the fourth quarter when Damien Harris fumbled the ball of the Dolphins eight yard line as they were trailing 17-16. That basically cost them the game.
Coach Belichick will preach ball control to the end. It can determine the outcome of a game as it did today.
UMass played a very competitive game against Boston College, but lost 45-28 to lower their record to 0-2.
They were in the game for most of it, but gave up the big plays, especially on third down. For the second week, they were unable to stop the running game.
Very few teams can ever win when they give up 270 yards on the ground. The same holds true in the NFL.
It was inevitable that Tom Brady would put up great numbers last night. He threw for 379 and four TD's against the Cowboys. His final drive set up a game winning field goal in the last seconds.
His performance was easy talk show fodder for second-guessing the Pats for not re-signing him. Nobody wants to accept the fact that Belichick wanted to move on from him and Tom wanted to be a free agent.
Fans should be happy to see him do so well. Rob Gronkowski caught two TD's and looked strong out there.
The 2021 season starts tonight when Tampa Bay hosts Dallas in Thursday Night Football. Much is expected from the Bucs this season after their Super Bowl win and returning all of their starters.
Anything can happen on a play. We only need to look at the Pats season opener in 2008 when they lost Tom Brady for the season during their first offensive series.
Have we seen the last of Cam Newton? His name has not been heard in the rumor mill around the league. There is always a market for a quality back-up quarterback, but there is silence.
Last year, the Pats were the only team that expressed interest in signing him. Do teams think he is finished?
Cam plans to make an announcement on Friday, but nobody really thinks it's about retirement. He might speak about his vaccination status and release from the Pats.
Every weekend of college football has a bunch of mismatches. Teams schedule weaker opponents for a few easy wins. If they get six, they qualify for a bowl.
Teams such as UMass line up to take a beating and get a big financial payoff. For some state schools, it's a way to bring in additional revenue.
With all the bowl games, they need teams with winning records or close to it. Easy wins help out.
WR Chris Hogan will continue his remarkable NFL journey with the Saints in Week 1 against the Packers. He signed at the start of training camp, released in the final cut, but was re-signed by them.
It's a great deal for him because his salary will be guaranteed for the season. The Saints get an experienced veteran on the cheap, but who can make a contribution.
Hogan was forced to step away from professional lacrosse to get to the Saints camp. It has worked out well for a guy who never got selected in the 2011 Draft.
He signed with the 49er's, Giants and Dolphins all in his rookie year. He blossomed with the Bills before signing with the Pats. He went to three Super Bowls with them, where they won two.
He left in free agency for the Panthers where it didn't work out. He spent 2020 with the Jets before signing with the Saints as a free agent.
Staying healthy has been a challenge for him at times.
There will be 15 new starting quarterbacks in the AFC with eight of them being under 25.
That's a sharp contrast with the NFC that has eight starters over 30 and four of them over 35.
Every quarterback needs to be ready to play.
Every year, we see some of the great players of their time waiting for a chance to be signed to a roster.
Some realize the writing on the wall and decide to retire, while others are determined to play one more season because they feel they can still make a contribution.
Such is the case with running backs Frank Gore and Adrian Petersen who are third and fifth on the all-time list for rushing yards. Their opportunity could happen at some point as teams start to experience injuries.
WR Larry Fitzgerald is undecided on his future. He can still play at a high level, but what else is there to accomplish other than a Super Bowl win? In his 263 games, he trails Jerry Rice for #2 all-time with 1,432 catches for 17,492 yards and 121 TD's.
UMass starts their football season tomorrow against Pittsburgh. Las Vegas oddsmakers set a line of 1.5 totals wins by the Minutemen. This doesn't sound very optimistic.
On the other hand, DraftKings has given them 38 points with an O/U of 57. I took the under and the 38 points.
You never know with college games. I'm sure there will be some crazy outcomes this weekend.
Every sports team wants the newest stadium with lots of suites and all the extras. The Pats were the exception when they built Gillette Stadium as it was privately financed.
The Bills are the latest to make noise about a new stadium by threatening to move. This immediately got the attention of elected officials.
There is a proposal to have a new one ready by 2027 that will have have 60,000 seats and dozens of suites. The $1.6 billion cost will be shared between the team and public.
What will Buffalo and the state of New York get out of this? Any type of public funding for a stadium or arena is a future burden for taxpayers.
The project will never be built for $1.6 billion. The cost will be much higher.
Coach Belichick and his staff do a great job in tweaking the 53 man roster and practice squad. They continue to make moves.
To some observers, it looks like Mac Jones is the only quarterback on the roster with Brian Hoyer being signed to the practice squad and Jarrett Stidham on IR.
This will change in the next few days for Hoyer. Belichick is moving the pieces around on the board. They will probably bring in another quarterback.
The Cam Newton era came to a sudden end today when the Pats released him from his contract. He is now a free agent.
Mac Jones is the starter with Brian Hoyer as the backup. Jarrett Stidham can return mid-season.
Will the team sign someone? We shall see.
Coach Belichick hasn't announced the starter for the opening game against Miami. For so long, fans have heard that Cam Newton is the starter.
He doesn't need to say anything for at least a few more days.
When WR Calvin Johnson and Coach Tom Flores were inducted into the Hall of Fame, they set the standard for the broad gap in age between the newest living members.
Flores waited forever and finally made it at the age of 84, while Johnson strolled in on the first ballot at 35.
Flores was becoming a victim of time and the amount of other worthy candidates. Johnson had a short, but very productive career.
To illustrate the longevity of Tom Brady, Johnson played between his 8th and 17th season as he prepares for #22.
College football begins today with a huge slate of games. What a difference between college and the NFL when it comes to point spreads and the over and under.
Many teams schedule games in obvious mismatches in order to pad their win total for postseason bowls. UMass is a great example. They take a regular beating in their games, especially against SEC opponents, but get badly needed revenue for the program.
The final preseason game is this weekend for all teams. They will need to trim their rosters to 53 players. Next week will be filled with all sorts of personnel transactions.
Some players will get another opportunity if they are signed to the practice squad or another team. Others will sit and wait for another chance. It can take all season in some instances.
There are those who will never play another snap after this weekend. They just don't know it.
It doesn't always work out for players drafted no matter what team selects them. Although RB Sony Michel was a first round selection in 2018, more was expected of him. The Pats didn't exercise their fifth year option on his contract.
Rumors surrounded him at training camp about being traded. The Pats finally did it yesterday when they sent him to the Rams for a 5th and 6th round picks in the 2022 draft. It helps resolve the logjam at that position.
He will always be a footnote on first round picks that didn't fulfill their hype.
It's a huge challenge for teams to make it through training camp and preseason games without losing players to season ending injuries.
The Jets found out the hard way during a joint practice with the Packers. Their top free agent signing DE Carl Lawson will be lost for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon. He was expected to be the leader on the defensive line, along with Quinnen Williams.
They signed him to a 3 year/ $45 million contract back in March. Will the team stick with him for 2022 or cut their losses if he doesn't make it back to his former level?
I have been a fan of the NFL since 1966 when I was 13. It has changed so much over the years. I still remember when they went to a 14 game season after playing 12 for so long. The Pats were in the former American Football League.
They played six preseason games back then. Training camp was longer, but players had no mini-camps or team training facilities.
I think the new three game format works better. Teams will have more time to tweak their roster before their opening game.
At this stage of training camp, the Pats have a surplus of talent at running back and linebacker. Some good players will be released and sign with other teams.
NFL teams never make it though the season without someone from these groups getting injured. They will wish they still had them, but it happens every year.
UMass will open their football season on the road in two weeks against Pittsburgh. They are 38 point underdogs, with an over/under of 57.5.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have their season win total at 1.5 which should make UMass fans nervous.
If someone wants to take a big risk, they can put $100 down on UMass winning the National Championship. They might have a better chance at winning the lottery, but a national title would yield $100,000 in the payout.
The Pats beat the Eagles 35-0 in the second preseason game. Every team in the NFL has a group of players who are fighting to stay on the roster.
It was important to get exposure tonight because most of them won't make the team, but have a better chance somewhere else.
Every year, the NFL draft has a group of quarterbacks selected in the first round.
In 2018, Baker Mayfield was the first pick, followed by Same Darnold 2nd, Josh Allen 7th, Josh Rosen 10th and LaMar Jackson 32nd.
They have all played at a different level. Some have cashed in on a bigger contract.
Josh Rosen was drafted by the Cardinals and has already made stops with the Dolphins, Bucs and 49er's who released him the other day. No team claimed him off waivers.
LaMar Jackson has made the biggest impact as a player. Josh Rosen just signed a mega-contract.
Rosen is now a free agent. He needs to find a team that wants him.
Tim Tebow wanted to try and make it back to the NFL as a tight end with the Jaguars. It was his best chance to make a roster as he was being reunited with his former college coach, Urban Meyer.
It all came an end today when he was released by them. There is no doubt it's over for him in football after a great start to his career in Denver after being their first round pick in 2010.
Bills QB Josh Allen cashed in with his huge 6 year/$258 million contract that has $150 million guaranteed.
They are committed to the 7th overall pick in the 2018 draft for a huge amount of money. He lead them to a 13-3 season last year and gives the fans hope.
Players are voicing support for it. More money for quarterbacks raises the salary bar for everyone else. It's only a matter of time before this one is exceeded.
The pandemic prevented most teams from having any fans at home games, but that didn't stop the increase in value for NFL franchises by an average of 14%.
The Cowboys continue to lead with a worth of $6.5 billion, followed by the Pats ($5.0 billion) and the Giants ($4.85 billion). The Bills are at the bottom at $2.2 billion, but still a significant amount.
Signing Tom Brady not only helped bring a Super Bowl win to the Bucs, but it also increased their franchise value by 29%.
They should hope that he plays as long as he can.
Football teams only have so many numbers with the expansion of rosters. Every team has already retired a few worn by their former stars. A player like Tom Brady should definitely have his retired at some point.
Where do you draw the line? The Pats gave out Rob Gronkowski's #87 to rookie 7th round pick, Tre Nixon.
Many fans were upset and expressed outrage on social media, but teams must look at their future needs for issuing numbers.
When LB Tedi Bruschi retired, he said that his number should be worn by other players and keep the legacy of it alive. Many players wore it before him. Donte Hightower is doing a good job with it so far.
The Pats and Washington open their preseason tonight. So many questions need to be answered. The talk show people will spend countless hours analyzing the performances of Cam Newton and Mac Jones.
For some players, this will be their only chance to show their stuff. Players will get released from teams all around the league after this first set of games. Some will get signed by another team, but others will never play another down of football. They just don't know that yet.
It looks like Pats TE Dalton Keene might miss the season because of a knee injury. The team's third round pick in 2020 struggled to make a contribution on offense.
This didn't stop someone in the media from saying he was a wasted draft pick. Injuries can happen to anyone.
Very few teams ever make it through training camp without having a player suffer a season ending injury. It can happen during a game, practice or some freak accident.
When players are put on IR, a door opens for someone else. LB Raekwon McMillan suffered a torn ACL during practice last Thursday. He was one of the many free agent signings by the team during the off-season.
It opened the door for former LB Cassh Maluia. Their 2020 6th round picked had been released by the team in March, but is now back. It also gives Harvey Langi a better chance at making the roster.
I watched a replay of the Hall of Fame Induction speeches. They were excellent and from the heart.
Only the best of the best have even a chance of getting there. Some should, but they get buried in their position or they time out in popularity with the electors.
Calvin Johnson made it at 35 on the first ballot. Coach Tom Flores finally got in at 84. It took forever, but at least he can enjoy it now.
When Nick Saben was fired by the Dolphins after the 2006 season, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
He was hired by Alabama where he has won seven National College Football Championships. They just amended his contract for the sixth time since 2007.
So far, he has made almost $100 million with them. His latest deal will keep him under contract through 2028. It will be another $84.8 million in his bank account.
The money keeps flowing. He has a great recruiting system in place to ensure that his team will be competitive for years to come.
The Pats are two point underdogs against Washington next Thursday in their first preseason game. That has given the media plenty to talk about.
They never give up on asking the coach about it. He will just be moving on to Washington.
The NFL starts tonight with the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Steelers. The regular preseason begins next Thursday.
This will be the last Sunday without football until after the Super Bowl in February.
We are getting closer to the start of the regular season.
It's going to be very interesting to hear Calvin Johnson's Hall of Fame Induction speech. He spent his entire ten year career with the Lions and has a fractured relationship with them.
The team was horrible during his career. As one of the greatest receivers ever, he basically wasted his career with them.
There are only 90 spots in training camp. When a player gets hurt, someone else benefits by getting more snaps. Being placed on Injured Reserve allows unsigned players to get a chance.
There are players who will get cut during camp and get signed late in the season. It happens every year.
Cardinals DE Chandler Jones missed most of last season with a biceps injury. He appeared in five games and recorded one sack. This was a huge departure from the All-Pro's 2019 season when he had 19 sacks, while forcing 8 fumbles and recovering three.
All of this has not stopped him from complaining about his five year/$82.1 million contract with one year left.
Jones wants a new one or a trade. He said he will report to training camp, but indicated he is not happy in spite of having $31 million in guaranteed money.
Nobody expects the Pats to keep four quarterbacks on the roster, but things got a little murky with the status of Jarrett Stidham who started experiencing soreness in his throwing shoulder.
Everyone was hoping that he could avoid surgery, but he had it yesterday and will miss at least twelve weeks. That brings him back by late October, assuming everything goes as planned.
The team claimed Jake Delgado off waivers. He was with them for a time last season on the practice squad.
He will now be part of the quarterback room with Cam Newton, Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer.
Fans were finally able to watch the Pats practice today in one of the few sessions that will be open to the public.
Players commented favorably about it as they know it will only happen a few times before the season starts.
Some teams do more than others when it comes to allowing the fans to watch from the stands.
We shall see how the NFL reacts to the increase in Covid cases with the Delta variant. Several teams, including the Pats, have players or coaches who tested positive. Some had even taken the vaccine.
No matter what, the NFL will never have a 100% vaccination rate. That doesn't happen anywhere.
What will happen in the next few days as training camps open?
It sounds like the Packers and Aaron Rodgers have a chance to resolve their crisis which is really all about money and security.
I can understand why the team is reluctant to commit a fortune to him. The Packers are the only NFL team owned by public shareholders. Management must do whatever is in the best interest of the ownership.
We shall see in the days ahead.
Tom Brady continues to set marks that will be hard to break. Nobody might ever start ten Super Bowls.
Brady started five after the age of 37, while John Elway had that total in his career. Next up with four are Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, Peyton Manning and Jim Kelly.
Brady's accomplishments after turning 37 are amazing. Anyone trying to break this record would need to play for a dynasty like the Pats and have no plans to retire until in their 40's.
The NFL wants its players to take the Covid vaccine to avoid a disruption of the season, but there is only so much they can do.
No games were canceled last season, but a number were postponed. The Pats had that happen twice.
The league announced that any canceled games not made up will be a forfeit on the behalf of the infected team. To emphasize their point, players on both teams will miss a game check for that week.
It's hard to say if things will ever get to this point. There are many unknowns going into the season.
The Pats have a surplus of running backs going into training camp, but injuries can change that real fast.
What is the future of Sony Michel with the team? They didn't pick up their former 2018 first round pick's fifth year option. That doesn't bode well for his future here.
Is there an interest in him from other teams? If they plan to cut him, they should try to get at least a 5th round pick in a trade.
Alabama sophomore QB Bryce Young is expected to be the starting quarterback at Alabama this season.
The school is a football factory with a direct path to the NFL for many who choose to play for Coach Nick Saban.
With the recent ruling about college athletes making money from their name, image and likeness, Young is on the verge of making over six figures from it.
Although he has never started a game, the cash is flowing in his direction.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was in classic form today during his press conference. He stated that nothing was more important than winning a Super Bowl.
He seems to love every moment of doing this. His ownership of the Cowboys have made him untold billions and cemented his legacy in the game.
The Cowboys certainly have their questions for this season as do many other teams.
Jones will be leading the charge and loving it.
Pats DB Kyle Dugger will be wearing #23 this season after the retirement of Patrick Chung. They had a conversation about the number being reissued.
Much is expected from Dugger who has delivered in his first two seasons. He has all the potential to be another Patrick Chung.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is a great example of a highly drafted quarterback who struggled during his first season as a starter.
He was the #5 overall pick in the 2020 draft and viewed as ready to lead a team. The Dolphins were so confident in him that they benched veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick who eventually left for free agency.
Jacoby Brissett was signed as a backup. The job is Tua's to lose during training camp. It should be quite a competition.
Tom Brady had knee surgery back in February to repair a torn MCL.
While this is a significant injury, he apparently played through the 2020 season with it.
He reached a point where it needed to be repaired.
When OTA's ended a few weeks ago, it created a scenario where many players were left on their own until training camp.
Several stories involving players have made the news. It sounds like another year of some getting themselves into legal situations.
It never makes the league look good.
Some players eventually realize that their playing days are over. Such was the case for WR Ted Ginn Jr after announcing his retirement today.
The hand-writing was on the wall for the 36 year old with 14 seasons in the league.
Teams are better off trying to spend a roster spot on a developing player rather than paying a higher price for a veteran free agent.
Will WR N'Keal Harry be with the Pats when they open up training camp on July 28th?
No team ever wants to release a former first round pick, especially after only two seasons with them.
There doesn't seem to be much of a trade market for him. The team needs bodies at all positions in camp.
That could all lead the story in a different direction.
They say that the NFL will find you if you have talent. Arena football is ending in early August.
Some will get invited to audition with a chance to get a spot at a NFL training camp.
It will be a very short list.
WR Ted Ginn Jr is another player who is a free agent and undecided about playing this season.
The former #9 overall pick in 2007 by the Dolphins has been with six teams. He would probably get paid the veteran minimum if he signs with someone.
He knows that teams can replace him with a younger and cheaper version.
Players who are undecided about playing two weeks before the start of training camp often end up retiring, especially if they are free agents.
WR Larry Fitzgerald has reached that point with the Cardinals. The 17 year veteran with 11 Pro Bowl selections is undecided on his future.
He wants to win a championship. It just won't be with the Cardinals.
I read an article that had the Pats keeping only two quarterbacks on the 53 man roster. Can Coach Belichick live with devoting a roster spot to a third quarterback?
It sounds like Cam Newton and Mac Jones are the early favorites, but anything can happen once the team starts to practice.
The CFL is sending out mixed signals about the the start of their season. They recently ended talks with the XFL which would have resulted in games being played in the US, in light of Covid restrictions in Canada.
Training camps are scheduled to open this weekend, with the start of the season on August 5th. The league is considering whether to play all their games in Winnipeg to address Covid issues.
When it comes to personnel moves, you never know with the Pats. CB Stephon Gilmore doesn't feel that he will be traded. He expects to work out some type of deal.
Gilmore is underpaid in comparison to the current market. The Pats could give him a good bump for this year, but I don't see them signing him to a long term contract with dollar amounts that would satisfy both parties.
The media loves to point out the mistakes of Coach Belichick, especially when it comes to the draft. Things have not worked out with their former 2019 first round pick N'keal Harry.
Some are treating this like a unique event for the Pats. It happens all the time with draft picks around the NFL. They don't always work out. It won't be the last time the Pats or another team swings and misses in the draft.
I saw the article once and never again. It was floating the idea of retiring #11 in honor of Julian Edelman.
This idea is crazy and hope the team never does it. Too many other great players have worn that number.
NFL teams don't retire numbers like they did in the past. They need them for the expanded roster and practice squad.
We have been constantly hearing about trading WR N'Keal Harry, in spite of him being a first round draft pick two years ago. Things have not worked out so far to the satisfaction of Harry and the team.
His agent has spoken on his behalf and requested a trade by the Pats to a place where he can have a fresh start.
It remains to be seen the market for him. They could probably get a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. They should do it while teams are looking to tweak their roster for training camp.
Will the Pats keep four quarterbacks during the regular season? That seems a bit excessive with the way Coach Belichick looks at each roster spot.
Will Brian Hoyer serve as a coach/mentor to Mac Jones? Is Jarrett Stidham traded?
This will be one of the hot topics when camp opens.
The Bears are the latest NFL team to be in the market for a new stadium. Their lease at Soldiers Filed runs through 2033. The city seems to think they have them locked in place until then, but the team feels differently.
They have placed a bid on Arlington Park, a 326 acre property in Arlington Heights currently occupied by a horse racing track.
The Bears appear willing to break their lease which would result in a $84 million penalty starting in 2026, the first year that a stadium could be open by.
With a franchise value of $3.5 billion, the financial penalty would be a drop in the bucket compared to the future value of the team with a new stadium.
For all the noise Aaron Rodgers has made, there appears to be a limited trade market for him. Just about every team has committed to their starter. His salary cap impact would be huge to any team that signs him.
It's hard to determine whether the Packers want to go multiple years with him at the price he wants.
This is far from over.
When CB Stephon Gilmore signed his 5 year/ $65 million contract in 2017, it made him one of the highest paid defensive backs in the NFL.
Under those terms, he will play for $7 million this season. This doesn't even get him into the top 13 for pay at that position.
He wants a new contract, but the Pats seem willing to wait out the process. He is also a prime candidate for a trade.
Will he be on the opening day roster?
It's a good day for college athletes after the NCAA removed the restrictions for individuals profiting over their name, image and likeness.
This was long overdue after the organization made tons of money on various licensing agreements, especially those involving video games.
Payment amounts have not been decided upon, but money will start flowing soon.
OL Trent Brown has battled weight issues throughout his career. He has many reasons to stay in Foxborough before training camp.
He has a clause in his contract that will pay him $200,000 if he weighs 365 pounds by July 15th. It remains to be seen if he collects the money.
There are players out there who will never make it to training camp at the end of July. Some will elect to retire or have no other option when their team releases them.
This happens every year. We will hear some great retirement stories from players at all levels in the league.
Retirement comes to all.
I read a column in the Boston Globe that mentioned a number of NFL players and coaches who are on the "hot seat" this season.
These lists are always silly with a claim that Coach Belichick must have double digit wins this season or his legacy is on the line and so on.
They need to fill space on a slow Sunday in June.
Tim Tebow is getting more attention than he should. He is just another guy on the Jaguars 90 man roster, with only 53 spots available.
Every team faces a situation with the roster they bring to training camp. You start with 90 and end with 53. Some could go on IR or the practice squad.
Football will end for some. It happens every year.
During the Coach Belichick era, the team has called upon their running backs to play a certain role in the offense. It has worked out in most cases
How do you compare James White and Kevin Faulk? Both are very similar in their role and had many big games.
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There seem to be talk about a possible trade of DE Chase Winovich. He might be caught up in a numbers game. Maybe the Pats feel they can get a draft pick. It's better than releasing him during training camp.
I saw a breakdown of his contract. Guys like him earn less than $2 million for the season. Teams can always find a cheaper version with a younger player.
The over/under for wins by the Pats is 9 according to DraftKings. Most of the money line is going to more than nine wins.
It's going to be a very interesting season with the extra game.
It's good for Eli Manning and the Giants that they are back together again as he will assume a role in the front office. Some of it is loosely defined, but he will be involved with fan engagement activities and "content development".
He will have his #10 retired on Sept 26th during a halftime ceremony at MetLife Stadium, in addition to being added to the team's Ring of Honor.
Another two NFL players made the news for the wrong reasons. One was shot four times while visiting his family and another was involved in a motor vehicle stop for reckless operation.
They join a list that stands at three, but will have more names before training camp.
It was only a matter of time before a NFL player got arrested during the break before training camp.
Chiefs DE Frank Clark was that guy in Los Angeles after a traffic stop where he was found to have an Uzi in a bag in his vehicle.
He was detained for several hours after his arrest before being release on bond. His case will focus on whether he was legally possessing the weapon in California.
He will now be monitored by the league.
It's always a big deal for players to get featured on the cover of Madden Football which has been around since 1988. This year's video game will feature Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
All players and coaches who are members of their respective unions receive royalty payments for the use of their image by EA Sports.
Coach Belichick isn't a member of the coach's union and has not been part of the game since 2005. It has forced EA to use randomly named characters in his place such as Chad Masters, Josh Moore, Griffin Murphy, Hal Ophamer and the generic "NE Coach". The graphic likeness has a striking resemblance to former front office guy Mike Lombardi.
Belichick has never discussed his reason for opting out and leaving money on the table.
When stars with big contracts demand a trade, the compensation usually isn't the best, especially when they are coming back from an injury.
WR Julio Jones finally got his wish to be traded from the Falcons. He ended up going to the Titans, along with a sixth- round pick in 2023 for a second rounder in 2022 and a fourth in 2023.
The deal leaves the Falcons with $7.75 million in dead salary cap money. The Titans will assume his three year contract, including $15.3 million for this season.
The Falcons are taking a risk, but a healthy Jones will make them a playoff contender.
QB Robert Griffin III faces a career choice at this point. The former #2 overall pick in 2012 is without a team after being released by the Ravens where he spent the last three years as a backup
Injuries derailed his career with the Washington Football Team to the point where he was out of football in 2017 before getting a 1 year/$1 million contract with the Ravens in 2018. He was able to parlay that into a 2 year/$4.5 million deal to be the backup to Lamar Jackson.
Teams are not beating a path to his door, but he recently had an audition with ESPN as an analyst. A television career appears to be an option if he walks away from the game at 31.
Teams around the league are concluding their mini-camps and won't see their players again until training camp starts.
This is always a challenging time for teams to ensure that nobody gets into any legal trouble, but it always happens to a few.
The incidents vary, but it's a mix of what we see every year. It's only a matter of time before we read about someone.
Pats LB Dont'a Hightower spoke to the press today. He cleared up any rumors of retirement and looks to make an impact on the team.
It's well known that his $8 million price tag is a bit high for the Pats. Could he become a salary cap casualty if he doesn't restructure his contract?
The media and sports talk shows are loving the perceived quarterback competition with the Pats.
Cam Newton is the guy until Bill Belichick says otherwise. They say Mac Jones looks good in practice.
Nobody really knows.
QB Cam Newton was on the field throwing the ball for part of the Pats first day of mandatory mini-camp today. He looked fine, but all of that was scripted.
Hopefully, he is well and able to maintain his active role with the offense.
The Pats begin their three day mandatory mini-camp on Monday. Will CB Stephon Gilmore show up?
He is in the last year of his contract that gave him five seasons with $65 million in earnings.
At 31, the Pats don't appear to be ready to open their wallet to a long term deal. He might not have too many options.
We hear a lot of criticism about the four team College Football Playoff system. There are always teams left out much to the anger of fans and the media.
ESPN currently pays $470 million annually for the broadcast rights. If the playoffs expanded to 12 teams, the rights could be worth $1.9 billion annually according to experts.
That's enough money to get the decision makers thinking about a change.
Teams are trying so hard to keep players from getting injured during OTA's. Cam Newton is a prime example of what can happen on one play.
The stark reality is that so many teams often lose a rookie draft pick to injury before the end of training camp. Some of these players aggravate a previous situation, but freaky things happen every year.
The media was quick to jump all over Jaguars rookie QB Trevor Lawrence after he threw two pick-6's during practice.
As the number one overall pick this year, he will be under a microscope and face all sorts of criticism if the team doesn't do well.
It remains to be seen if they can get off to a good start. Trevor will have his challenges ahead of him.
After losing $4 billion in revenue last year, the NFL really wants to fill stadiums with fans who will spend all sorts of money.
There is a great incentive to have a safe and healthy season this time around.
The media is creating a quarterback competition between Jarrett Stidham and Mac Jones during the absence of Cam Newton. The media will draw their own conclusions and spin the story.
Nobody knows how long Cam will be out. Some might claim to know, but they really don't
It looks like Nick Saban can coach at Alabama as long as he wants to after signing an extension that will keep him there until February 2028.
He will be 77 by then which gives him eight more seasons to add to his legacy after wining seven National College Football Championships, including one at LSU.
His career record stands at 256-65-1, while being 165-23 with Alabama since 2007. He has a tremendous recruitment process in place which brings him the best players annually.
It's interesting to look at NFL teams and see who's showing up at their OTA's. Tom Brady has been leading a group of Bucs at the New York Yankees training complex.
Players who feel secure can afford to skip them. The bottom 20% of the roster might not see the end of training camp. They know they need to make some type of impression on the coaching staff.
When QB Cam Newton injured his throwing hand Friday, Jarrett Stidham and Mac Jones moved up to get more snaps with the first team. It gave Coach Belichick a reason to keep both of them around.
Cam might be out until training camp. It was described as a bruise he got after hitting a teammate's helmet while throwing a pass during one of the team's OTA's,
He will now be used as an example of why veteran players should skip OTA's.
Tom Brady told a great story of being at a wedding in 2015 with former Pats QB Cliff Kingsbury who was with the team in 2003.
Kingsbury went on to a successful college coaching career which lead to his present head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals.
It's amazing to think how many have played with Brady.
The great thing about this time of year is that players write their own story with the way they handle being released or traded.
Everyone has a story that repeats through the years. It's part of the game and a personnel transaction.
Former Pats RB Rex Burkhead signed with the Texans today. I'm sure GM Nick Casserio played a major role with their mutual connection to Foxborough.
It's an opportunity for Burkhead to showcase his talent after coming back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 11 last season.
He still needs to make the team. His career is on the line when it comes to his physical well-being.
The sports talk and print media will be sad to see the resolution of the Julio Jones situation. Where will he end up?
Whoever trades for him will either pay his full $15.3 million salary for 2021 or negotiate a new deal.
I don't think the Pats are willing to take on a salary like that, but there are other ways to be creative on a one year deal.
Jones gets a lot of talk because he is so talented, but this is a new season and he wants a fresh start somewhere else.
NFL team owners want fans back in the stands so badly. They lost $4 billion in revenue during the 2020 season because of the ban on fans in most places.
It remains to be seen how attendance will work out, but teams are going full steam ahead to have fans in their seats by opening day.
It will mean so much for the bottom line.
Tim Tebow's attempt to play with the Jaguars has prompted some former players to try and get back into the game.
Former Giants RB Brandon Jacobs claims that he could play defensive end. Will someone give him an opportunity?
It's always a case by case basis when it comes to talent evaluation.
Nobody is never safe on any NFL roster. They might be set at 90 for now, but the bottom few spots are like a revolving door for some teams.
Players get signed for various purposes, especially depth. Others get released to make room for someone else.
There is no job security for some.
Coach Belichick spoke to the media today during the team's OTA activity. All four quarterbacks were taking snaps.
Sports talk radio is relentless to find some type of controversy for the starting job and backup.
As the Steelers start their OTA's, the word is that Ben Roethslisberger has arthritic knees. It's no surprise with him being 39 and wondering how much longer he can play.
It's all about the money and salary cap implications with Big Ben and the Steelers. There is no easy financial way out for the team.
You can't blame him for playing and collecting the millions on his contract. He is a better option than trying to find a replacement.
Adam Vinatieri finally called it a career today after 25 seasons. He had such an amazing ride with the Pats for 10 seasons and 14 with the Colts.
His achievements are too long too list. His career says so much about being undrafted from a Division 2 program and making it.
I'm glad to see that many high school football players in Massachusetts were able to play a short season this spring in light of the pandemic. Most teams played 5-7 games. Seniors had their last moment on the field.
It was really strange looking at the All-Star picks by the local newspaper. They usually do this in late November.
Hopefully the fall season is better for everyone.
How will records be looked at with a 17 game season? It's so hard to compare eras. Players have more games while trying to stay healthy and on the field.
Very few players get through the season without missing a game or more.
Jaguars HC Urban Meyer will now be tied to Tim Tebow forever after giving him a chance to earn a roster spot as a tight end,
If they ever do a movie on Tebow, Meyer will have a feature role.
With roster sizes set at 90 right now, there are a ton of players who won't have jobs once the season starts,
It happens every year, but the practice squad gives so many of them a chance to develop and make the team in some capacity.
The Pats have been so successful because they have been able to develop some talent from the squad. Every team tries to do the same.
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With the recent signing of Brian Hoyer, we are now hearing talk about the future of Jarrett Stidham. Will he be on the roster the first week of the season?
Will Coach Belichick keep four quarterbacks in light of the value he places on every roster spot?
They all need to do their job and get ready for the season. They could play at any moment.
Tim Tebow is officially on the Jaguars 90 man roster. Where he goes from here remains to be seen.
He will have every opportunity because of his relationship with Coach Urban Meyer. Some players around the league are already resentful of that.
Nobody knows how this will end.
When Tom Brady was with the Pats, the team was a regular for nationally televised games. From 2014-2020, they had 35 games broadcast.
As a result of a 7-9 record in 2020 and no Brady, they have been relegated to only three games in 2021. They will have night ones on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, but there will be 15 teams with more broadcasts than them.
Boston sports talk shows can now focus some of their time with the recent signing Brian Hoyer again.
He knows the offense from his years with he Pats. He is the fourth quarterback on the roster, in addition to Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Mac Jones.
I'm sure Coach Belichick had his reason for adding him. He doesn't need to tell every detail. That frustrates many in talk radio and the media to the point where they devote too much time to it.
Some in the media feel that Tim Tebow is getting too much attention. They are probably right, but they are the ones talking about him.
He is a very interesting player and has a great story. Whether or not he makes the Jaguars is another story.
He will never have a bigger advocate than head coach Urban Meyer who coached him in college.
Pats WR Gunner Olszewski has drawn comparisons to Julian Edelman in the way they started their careers after being converted to receivers and catching punts.
Edelman had an outstanding career before retiring a few weeks ago. Olszewski is trying to get more balls thrown his way, but he was on the All-Pro team in 2020 as a punt returner.
It remains to be seen where his career goes, but he is off to a good start.
Many players fade out of sight after time, especially the older ones.
The Pats website had a mention of today being the birthday center Guy Moriss who played in the league from 1973-1987.
In this 15 season, he started 173 games, spending his first 11 seasons with the Eagles before finishing with the Pats. He never made a lot of money.
He was the starting center for the Eagles in Super Bowl XV. After retiring, he spent a career as a offensive line coach at the NFL and college level. He had head coaching stints at Kentucky and Baylor from 2001-2007. He is still involved on the secondary level.
The oddsmakers have given the Pats nine wins this season. It make for an interesting bet.
The over would be a record of at least 10-7 while the under would be 8-9 or worse.
It really spans the possibilities.
Now that the 2021 NFL schedule has been released, fans will need to deal with the endless talk about the Week 4 game with the Bucs and Tom Brady.
It will be on SNF and should draw a huge audience. The media will try to make it a contest between Brady and Belichick. Some will create a false narrative to hype it up and make their own viewpoint relevant.
In the end, it's one more game on the schedule for both teams.
There seems to be an issue about the potential signing of 33 year old Tim Tebow by the Jaguars. He probably wouldn't get a chance except for his former college coach Urban Meyer is now the head guy in Jacksonville.
Is he taking a spot from another worthy player? Time will tell, but he will either make the roster or get cut. The issue will resolve itself.
Coach Belichick has no issue with 5th round pick LB Cameron McGrone sitting out the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
He suffered the injury in the 5th game last season. He was expected to go much higher in the draft, but his playing status for 2021 doesn't look that good. That scared off a lot of teams, but the Pats are willing to give him a shot next year.
Owners of sports teams know that they win the financial game no matter how they do with wins and losses on the field.
The Pats have a value of $4.4 billion according to Forbes. They are the second most valuable NFL franchise, trailing the Cowboys with a worth of $5.7 billion.
Teams took a hit in 2020 when they lost ticket sales due to the pandemic, but the Pats have increased 38% in value over the last five years.
Seahawks WR DK Metcalf would like to be a sprinter on the US Olympic team headed to Tokyo for the rescheduled 2020 Summer Games.
He got a dose of reality the other day when he competed against the best sprinters at the US Track and Field Golden Games.
He finished last in his heat in the 100M while running a lightning quick 10.37 seconds. Unfortunately, the qualifying standard to get invited to compete for a spot is 10.05. The winner of Metcalf's race ran 9.96.
Metcalf is known for his blazing sped, but these sprinters are in another class.
The stories we are hearing about this year's group of quarterbacks drafted in the first round will be repeated next year. Another bunch of names will take their place. It happens every year.
Getting drafted in the first round is a big deal. It can mean a lot of money to the player. Their level of success on the field is another story.
When teams want stadium enhancements, they rumble about maybe relocating to a shiny new place.
The Chicago Bears might be doing that with talk about a stadium being built in Arlington Heights at a former horse track.
A big obstacle is the Bears having a lease agreement at Soldiers Field until 2033. The NFL has not supported breaking leases in the past.
Financing of any place is another story.
Will the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers? Rumors have him going to Denver in some type of deal.
If a trade is made, the Packers need to make sure they don't take a big salary cap hit.
Rodgers isn't doing anything new in the NFL in wanting to have financial security. It might not happen if he stays in Green Bay.
This story will be part of the 2021 season. It's already starting.
The University of Alabama tied the record for having six players selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. It was a typical year for the Crimson Tide who continue to churn out players. They had a total of ten who made the cut.
The SEC continues to dominate the draft, with 32 of the first 64 picks from that conference. They had 65 of the overall 259 selections, ahead of the ACC and Big Ten which had 43 each.
A total of 89 schools were represented, with 56 having multiple ones chosen.
