It was just a matter of time before former CB Asante Samuel jumped into the Pats controversy. He had some rather scathing comments about Coach Belichick and urged members of the current team to speak up against their coach. This is not the first time that Asante has trashed his former coach.
Samuel was a 4th round pick in the 2003 draft. He left the team as a free agent after the 2007 season. The slapped the franchise tag on him in early 2007. The Pats agreed not to do it for 2008 if they won 12 games or if he played in 60% of the defensive snaps. He met both guidelines after the team's 16-0 record in 2008 and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Samuel is best known for the plays he didn't make in the Super Bowl loss to the Giants. His name will forever be associated with "what if ".
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Everyone is Piling On
The "experts" jumped on the quotes by Carolina defensive backs Chris Gamble and Chris Harris who claimed that Randy Moss quit on the Pats during the game Sunday. They felt that Moss could not take the physical play of being double-teamed and quit as he has done so much in the past.
This has become the staple of talk shows. Coach Belichick was quick to note that the comments were coming from players on a losing team. In an effort to downplay their comments, Carolina coach John Fox said that his role was not to critique the play of Moss.
I've never been into fantasy football. It's based too much on statistics. People judge players by how many yards they get and touchdowns scored. There are too many "fans" out there who base all of their football knowledge on the fantasy game.
Coach Belichick indicated that he evaluates the offense overall, not just looking at one player. When asked by a member of the media to address the recent statistics of Moss, the coach replied "statistics are for losers".
This has become the staple of talk shows. Coach Belichick was quick to note that the comments were coming from players on a losing team. In an effort to downplay their comments, Carolina coach John Fox said that his role was not to critique the play of Moss.
I've never been into fantasy football. It's based too much on statistics. People judge players by how many yards they get and touchdowns scored. There are too many "fans" out there who base all of their football knowledge on the fantasy game.
Coach Belichick indicated that he evaluates the offense overall, not just looking at one player. When asked by a member of the media to address the recent statistics of Moss, the coach replied "statistics are for losers".
Monday, December 14, 2009
Taking Shows Off
I usually enjoy listening to the post-game and daily sports shows discussing the Pats. Now it's getting ridiculous. There is some type of anti Randy Moss campaign going on out there. Caller after caller is accusing him of "taking plays off ".
Nobody seems to recall that Moss suffered from back pain during the Atlanta game. As one who has experienced back problems, this is not some type of injury that goes away over night. Moss has been hung out to dry since he has not been talking to the media and the team has a policy on talking about injuries.
Maybe Moss is getting frustrated from getting doubled team every week. While he getting coverage, this has opened the floodgates for Wes Welker and others. Nobody ever mentions this.
I heard two really stupid callers. One was from a guy who works at the stadium as a beer vendor. He said: "I've been around the team a long time and never heard the crowd boo like they did at Randy Moss." The caller went on to say he's been selling at games since 2005. I don't exactly consider this guy to be a long time observer. He wasn't even around during the Super Bowl run!
Another caller blamed everything on Brady. He said that Brady needs to step it up and be more of a leader. He suggested benching Brady and starting Brian Hoyer.After the season, he suggested trading Brady for a bunch of draft picks. No wonder I turned off the talk shows.
Nobody seems to recall that Moss suffered from back pain during the Atlanta game. As one who has experienced back problems, this is not some type of injury that goes away over night. Moss has been hung out to dry since he has not been talking to the media and the team has a policy on talking about injuries.
Maybe Moss is getting frustrated from getting doubled team every week. While he getting coverage, this has opened the floodgates for Wes Welker and others. Nobody ever mentions this.
I heard two really stupid callers. One was from a guy who works at the stadium as a beer vendor. He said: "I've been around the team a long time and never heard the crowd boo like they did at Randy Moss." The caller went on to say he's been selling at games since 2005. I don't exactly consider this guy to be a long time observer. He wasn't even around during the Super Bowl run!
Another caller blamed everything on Brady. He said that Brady needs to step it up and be more of a leader. He suggested benching Brady and starting Brian Hoyer.After the season, he suggested trading Brady for a bunch of draft picks. No wonder I turned off the talk shows.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Who Plays?
Coach Belichick is faced with some big decisions for the biggest game against the season. He must decide whether to play LB Adelius Thomas who went before the media yesterday to address his problem of being sent home Wednesday. It's plain to see that he is at odds with the coach. He clearly disrespected Belichick. He is the team's big-priced free agent, handpicked by Belichick. It hasn't worked out and it's getting nasty.
Tom Brady missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to shoulder, finger and rib injuries. He will be a game time decision. If he can't practice, he must be really hurt. He left the Dolphins game for the locker room after throwing a TD pass during the first series. He returned with heavy padding under his jersey. If Brady doesn't play, Brian Hoyer will step up. Who will be his back-up, Julien Edeleman or Isiah Stanback?
Tom Brady missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to shoulder, finger and rib injuries. He will be a game time decision. If he can't practice, he must be really hurt. He left the Dolphins game for the locker room after throwing a TD pass during the first series. He returned with heavy padding under his jersey. If Brady doesn't play, Brian Hoyer will step up. Who will be his back-up, Julien Edeleman or Isiah Stanback?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Turning Point of the Season
Yesterday's snow storm seem inconsequential at first, but it might be the turning point of the season for the Pats. WR Randy Moss, LB's Adelius Thomas, Gary Guyton and Derrick Burgess were sent home after showing up late for an 8am meeting. Tom Brady was on time in spite of his wife giving birth the night before.
Talk shows and blogs have been buzzing over rumors that Thomas is very unhappy with his role on the team. During an interview broadcast over WEEI today, Thomas was trying his best to be diplomatic, but it's easy to see that there is a crack in the team chemistry.
Brady called out the team after the loss to the Dolphins saying that players needed to be more focused and dedicated. Thomas said he never listens to weather forecasts and seemed unaware that a huge storm was covering half the country.
Some "experts" have been waiting for this Randy Moss moment. There are many people who still dislike the guy, based on his prior time with the Vikings and the Raiders. They are coming out of the woodwork saying it's just a matter of time before he goes into one of his classic melt-downs. There are rumors of his frustration of being doubled-teamed the last few weeks and Wes Welker getting most of the balls thrown by Brady. He has always considered himself as a deep threat as opposed to being a slot receiver.
Coach Belichick gave his usual answer of "between me and the players". He said there would be no more discipline. Does this mean they will all start on Sunday or will they have to sit out a series as punitive measure?
With the season on the line and playoffs being tenuous, it will certainly be an interesting pre-game show on Sunday.
Talk shows and blogs have been buzzing over rumors that Thomas is very unhappy with his role on the team. During an interview broadcast over WEEI today, Thomas was trying his best to be diplomatic, but it's easy to see that there is a crack in the team chemistry.
Brady called out the team after the loss to the Dolphins saying that players needed to be more focused and dedicated. Thomas said he never listens to weather forecasts and seemed unaware that a huge storm was covering half the country.
Some "experts" have been waiting for this Randy Moss moment. There are many people who still dislike the guy, based on his prior time with the Vikings and the Raiders. They are coming out of the woodwork saying it's just a matter of time before he goes into one of his classic melt-downs. There are rumors of his frustration of being doubled-teamed the last few weeks and Wes Welker getting most of the balls thrown by Brady. He has always considered himself as a deep threat as opposed to being a slot receiver.
Coach Belichick gave his usual answer of "between me and the players". He said there would be no more discipline. Does this mean they will all start on Sunday or will they have to sit out a series as punitive measure?
With the season on the line and playoffs being tenuous, it will certainly be an interesting pre-game show on Sunday.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sending a Message
It's snowing heavy outside as I write this. A news report mentioned that Randy Moss, Gary Guyton, Derrick Burgess and Adelius Thomas were late for an 8am team meeting today. They were told to go home and skip practice and other meetings.
Coach Belichick refused to discuss the topic during his morning press conference. Tom Brady and Wes Welker voiced concerns after Sunday's loss to the Dolphins that the team has not been totally focused.
After losing three of their last four games, this could be one of the boldest moves of the season. The season is on the line Sunday when they host Carolna.
Coach Belichick refused to discuss the topic during his morning press conference. Tom Brady and Wes Welker voiced concerns after Sunday's loss to the Dolphins that the team has not been totally focused.
After losing three of their last four games, this could be one of the boldest moves of the season. The season is on the line Sunday when they host Carolna.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
One Game Season
Coach Belichick has declared Sunday's game against Carolina to be " a one game season". He has used this term in past seasons to stress the urgency of the game at hand. The Pats face a precarious scenario in light of their 22-21 loss to the Dolphins. It's one thing to lose, but they are not playing well. They have lost three of their last four games. They have been unable to "finish the game" in the second half. The loss against Miami was no exception.
Time of possession, third down, red zone and turnovers are often the deciding factors in the outcome of a game. After increasing their lead to 21-10 early in the third quarter, the offense suddenly froze. They had another 6 possession, but had 4 punts and 2 interceptions.
The lengths of their drives contributed to their loss. They included times of 1:14, 3:18, 3:14, 1:37, 1:00, and 0:27. Their drives were throttled by the inability to convert on 3rd down. They had a chance to run the clock down with less than 5 minutes, but they went three and out.
The Dolphins got the ball back and kept their game winning drive alive with a pass completion on 4th and 6. That one play most likely saved the Dolphins season and kept them alive at 6-6.
Time of possession, third down, red zone and turnovers are often the deciding factors in the outcome of a game. After increasing their lead to 21-10 early in the third quarter, the offense suddenly froze. They had another 6 possession, but had 4 punts and 2 interceptions.
The lengths of their drives contributed to their loss. They included times of 1:14, 3:18, 3:14, 1:37, 1:00, and 0:27. Their drives were throttled by the inability to convert on 3rd down. They had a chance to run the clock down with less than 5 minutes, but they went three and out.
The Dolphins got the ball back and kept their game winning drive alive with a pass completion on 4th and 6. That one play most likely saved the Dolphins season and kept them alive at 6-6.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Things Went Wrong
It's hard to say what exactly went wrong with the Pats during their 23-21 loss against the Dolphins. They started off fast with two quick scores and a 14-0 lead. Tom Brady took a huge hit on his 58 yard TD throw to Randy Moss and had to leave the filed for the locker room. Although he missed no playing time, it appeared he had some protection around his ribs.
The Past had huge problems on third down throughout the game. They were 0/6 in the 2nd half. Late in the 3rd quarter, with the score 21-13, the Pats faced 4th and inches on the Dolphins 5 yard line. Instead of taking a chip shot field goal, they ended up turning the ball over on downs.
Miami drove the field for a score to shrink the lead 21-19. They continued to convert on crucial third downs.
The Pats came back with a drive that lead to 2nd and goal on the Dolphins 4 yard line. Brady threw an interception to kill the drive.
In the Dolphins final drive, they faced a 4th and 6 with 2:02 left in the game. The season was on the line. They were able to convert and get within field goal range.
In the final analysis, the Pats failed on both sides of the ball for third down conversion, red zone and turnovers. They now face an uphill battle with nothing being certain in games with Carolina, Buffalo, Jacksonville and Houston.
The Past had huge problems on third down throughout the game. They were 0/6 in the 2nd half. Late in the 3rd quarter, with the score 21-13, the Pats faced 4th and inches on the Dolphins 5 yard line. Instead of taking a chip shot field goal, they ended up turning the ball over on downs.
Miami drove the field for a score to shrink the lead 21-19. They continued to convert on crucial third downs.
The Pats came back with a drive that lead to 2nd and goal on the Dolphins 4 yard line. Brady threw an interception to kill the drive.
In the Dolphins final drive, they faced a 4th and 6 with 2:02 left in the game. The season was on the line. They were able to convert and get within field goal range.
In the final analysis, the Pats failed on both sides of the ball for third down conversion, red zone and turnovers. They now face an uphill battle with nothing being certain in games with Carolina, Buffalo, Jacksonville and Houston.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Dolphins/ Pats Thoughts
The Pats need to find a way to contain Ricky Williams who has done a great job in the Wildcat offense since the loss of Ronnie Brown. He has gained 234 yards in the last two games and scored two TD's.
With the double teaming of Randy Moss and Wes Welker last week, the Dolphins may try to do the same. The Pats need to get their tight ends more involved in the offense. They rank next to last in the NFL for throwing to the TE's. Chris Baker has 10 catches for 91 yds and one TD. Ben Watson has 22 catches for 321 yds and fours TD's. Overall, Brady has thrown 46 times to them for an average of 4.2 attempts per game.They are used primarily in blocking situations, but the game plan must involve them more.
The defense of the Pats must stop the big play. Against the Saints, the Pats gave up 7 plays of greater than 25 yds. The Saints gained 292 yds of their 480 total yds on those seven plays. They were able to gain 188 yds on 43 plays for an average of 4.4 yds. This is a recipe for disaster and a potential way to lose the game.
Look for LB Joey Porter to have a big game. He was shut out in their last meeting , but has been playing well in his last few outings.
With the double teaming of Randy Moss and Wes Welker last week, the Dolphins may try to do the same. The Pats need to get their tight ends more involved in the offense. They rank next to last in the NFL for throwing to the TE's. Chris Baker has 10 catches for 91 yds and one TD. Ben Watson has 22 catches for 321 yds and fours TD's. Overall, Brady has thrown 46 times to them for an average of 4.2 attempts per game.They are used primarily in blocking situations, but the game plan must involve them more.
The defense of the Pats must stop the big play. Against the Saints, the Pats gave up 7 plays of greater than 25 yds. The Saints gained 292 yds of their 480 total yds on those seven plays. They were able to gain 188 yds on 43 plays for an average of 4.4 yds. This is a recipe for disaster and a potential way to lose the game.
Look for LB Joey Porter to have a big game. He was shut out in their last meeting , but has been playing well in his last few outings.
Trying to Put A Finger On It
It was reported around 3pm last Wednesday afternoon that Las Vegas bookmakers stopped taking action on the Pats & Dolphins pending the release of the team's injury report at 4pm. There were rumors that QB Tom Brady has some type of injury in addition to his weekly shoulder issue. Brady's shoulder status is a weekly entry on the report and has caused considerable eye rolling among football "experts".
The latest injury report indicates that Brady has a finger injury. Nobody knows to what degree or if it will effect him, but the Vegas odds makers though it was enough to suspend taking action on the game for a short time. This is unheard of in Sin City.
It might be related to the team activating WR Julien Edeleman as the team's emergency QB last Monday against the Saints. That move makes it appear that the finger injury isn't something new.
Maybe after Brady retires and writes his memoirs, we will learn about injuries that were never disclosed.
The latest injury report indicates that Brady has a finger injury. Nobody knows to what degree or if it will effect him, but the Vegas odds makers though it was enough to suspend taking action on the game for a short time. This is unheard of in Sin City.
It might be related to the team activating WR Julien Edeleman as the team's emergency QB last Monday against the Saints. That move makes it appear that the finger injury isn't something new.
Maybe after Brady retires and writes his memoirs, we will learn about injuries that were never disclosed.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Trouble on Offense?
The loss against the Saints on Monday night showed a few of the weaknesses of the Pats. Wes Welker and Randy Moss were doubled-teamed the entire game with the result being a total of nine catches between them for 99 yards. In the 25 games Brady, Moss and Welker have played together, teams have only been able to do hold them to fewer than 10 receptions and 100 yards on four occasions. The game saw the emergence of Sam Aiken as a dependable third receiver.
The rotation of 3rd and 4th receivers was impacted by the designation of Julien Edelman as the emergency 3rd QB. This kept him out of the game, except for an emergency. The team has been trying to find their 3rd receiver from the likes of Aiken, Edelman and Isiah Standbeck. Although the Pats deployed a double and triple tight end scheme, they were used primarily as blockers.
The designation of Edeleman as the 3rd QB raised concern that Brady might have some type of injury that is effecting his play.
The rotation of 3rd and 4th receivers was impacted by the designation of Julien Edelman as the emergency 3rd QB. This kept him out of the game, except for an emergency. The team has been trying to find their 3rd receiver from the likes of Aiken, Edelman and Isiah Standbeck. Although the Pats deployed a double and triple tight end scheme, they were used primarily as blockers.
The designation of Edeleman as the 3rd QB raised concern that Brady might have some type of injury that is effecting his play.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Just Say No To Aging
There are not a lot of great things to say about the 38-17 loss at the hands of the Saints last night. One story I found quite inspirational is the career of 45 year old kicker John Carney who is in his 21st season.
Undrafted out of Notre Dame, he sat out the 1987 season. He was signed by the Bengals in 1988, but was cut during training camp. He was signed by Tampa Bay and played five games between 1988 and 1989. The L.A. Rams picked him up for 1989, followed by 11 years with the Chargers from 1990-2000. He would have been a teammate of LB Junior Seau.
The Saints signed him as a free-agent and he spent 2001- 2006 with them. He was released after the 2006 season . He was a 2007 injury replacement for eight games with the Jaguars and five for the Chiefs.
Another stint at free-agency landed him with the Giants in 2008 where he made his second Pro Bowl appearance after his first one in 2004.
He was unsigned by the Giants and landed back with his old team for the 2009 season. He currently holds the NFL record for most games with 5 field goals ( 11) and 4 field goals ( 29 ).
All this from a guy who went undrafted and sat out his first season.
Undrafted out of Notre Dame, he sat out the 1987 season. He was signed by the Bengals in 1988, but was cut during training camp. He was signed by Tampa Bay and played five games between 1988 and 1989. The L.A. Rams picked him up for 1989, followed by 11 years with the Chargers from 1990-2000. He would have been a teammate of LB Junior Seau.
The Saints signed him as a free-agent and he spent 2001- 2006 with them. He was released after the 2006 season . He was a 2007 injury replacement for eight games with the Jaguars and five for the Chiefs.
Another stint at free-agency landed him with the Giants in 2008 where he made his second Pro Bowl appearance after his first one in 2004.
He was unsigned by the Giants and landed back with his old team for the 2009 season. He currently holds the NFL record for most games with 5 field goals ( 11) and 4 field goals ( 29 ).
All this from a guy who went undrafted and sat out his first season.
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