Author Archives: @kaigedipaolo

Isaiah Wynn Tore Achilles vs. Eagles, out for the Year

It’s a known fact that in the game of football injuries are bound to happen. Due to the intensity of the game and its sheer speed, these occurrences are common. It’s always sad when you see any pro go down. It’s even more unfortunate when one of the league’s elite shares this fate. Although, the worst scenarios are when young players are taken before their first season even starts. This was the curse put on Patriots first round pick Isaiah Wynn. Wynn tore his Achilles last night during his preseason reps against the Eagles.

When Wynn was originally carted off the field last night, original reports claimed he suffered an ankle injury. However, after more tests and information provided, it’s now known that instead he tore his Achilles and will miss this season. It’s a scary time for Patriots fans, as Achilles injuries have been known to have a long-lasting effects on players.

Since 2011, of the 46 NFL players to have torn their Achilles, 24 of them never played again. This is obviously a statistic nobody wants to see, but there is silver lining. For starters, a majority of those unable to return were running backs and linebackers. This was due to those positions being a lot more strenuous to the knee than a tackle position. Also, many players that called it quits were much older, and medical research even backs up how age is a factor. This helps the 21-year-old rookie on his road back tremendously. Eagles’ offensive lineman Jason Peters recently tore his Achilles and was able to make a full recovery.

How This Affects the Patriots

Wynn backed up starting right tackle Marcus Cannon in training camp. With Cannon out of practice the last few weeks, it has been fortunate to have had a player like Wynn fill in the shoes for the time being. With that said, all signs show Cannon will be back 100% for Week 1, not leaving any holes on that so far stellar offensive line. Even with the core starters not being affected, it leaves now a sense of hoping the Patriots don’t lose another lineman- specifically a tackle.

Currently, they have recently-acquired Trent Brown holding up the left side and swing tackle LaAdrian Waddle. Who will they look for, though, if any of those players fall, or if Cannon gets hurt again? With Wynn out of the mix for all of 2018, the Patriots will have to see who can stick out between the rest of their own. They currently have three more tackles on their roster; those being Ulrick John, Matt Tobin and Cole Croston. While none were first rounders, they’re going to have to take the next man up mantra for real.

Free Agency Pickups?

When you lose any player, obviously you want to hope that your backup players to step up. What if they can’t get the job done? Like mentioned, fortunately Wynn was the backup in this situation, so now they need a backup for him. While the Patriots have three potential options on the team, it’s safe to also look at who’s still on the market. The free agency market is usually pretty dry around August, but there is still some former starters looking for homes. Some of the biggest names still available are former Texan Chris Clark and former Giant Will Beatty. The Pats may not bring these names in right away to give their own guys a chance, but they’re definitely names everyone should look at.

It really is sad to see such great talent get injured before his season even started. All reporters have said Wynn will make a full recovery and be ready for the 2019 season. While New England fans may be upset, at least know we have depth, and an unfazed starting lineup. All we can do now is wish Isaiah a fast road to recovery!

Training Camp Breakdown: Patterson shines/Injuries Occur

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Training Camp has been in full swing for just about a week now for almost every team. The HOF game was last night, and it finally feels like football’s back. So naturally, just like anybody else in the New England area who loves football, you visit training camp. It was a cloudy day filled with much overcast, but still, hundreds of fans attended. People had signs, footballs, and even shoes being ready to get signed while they watch the Pats. There were many things I noticed and had stuck out during my few hours at the Patriots’ practice.

Spotlight Players in the Starting Offense

One of the first things I wanted to look at was how this offense is looking. After losing key pieces like Solder, Amendola, and Lewis, I know the Pats would be changing personnel around. Well at first glance, it’s very apparent that they haven’t lost a beat. Trent Brown, the NFL’s own version of “The Mountain”, was holding his ground. The 6’8″ lineman was holding his blocks against a Patriots D-line that looks greatly improved.

More shining stars on this offense were wideouts Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson. Dorsett is looking like a brand new wide receiver after a disappointing first season in Foxborough last year. He caught numerous passes from Brady in coverage during 11 on 11 drills and it felt like he was rarely off the field. Patterson, however, is even more of a pleasant surprise to see him working with the 1’s in training camp. Another previous first-round pick who’s had trouble producing is trying to turn that around. When the Patriots initially traded for him, it appeared his role was special teams only. Now in August, it looks like Belichick has taken a liking to him. Patterson was lining up on the outside in numerous plays from walk-through plays to full on 11 on 11’s. It appears that this speedster is going to be doing a lot more than just fielding punts and kicks in the near future.

Other Position Battles Heating Up

Photo Credit: NESN

Besides the new faces on offense trying to get the coaches attention, there are plenty of other players vying for that 53 man roster and furthermore starting spots. Some of the most interesting things noticed throughout the practice. Eric Rowe and second-round pick Duke Dawson have been fighting for that second cornerback spot. As of now, Rowe is seeming to have the edge lining up in the second spot opposite of Stephon Gilmore. Dawson, however, hasn’t disappeared as he’s locking players down as the nickel cornerback currently.

Even special teams have competition on both ends. We’re seeing players like Rex Burkhead compete with the likes of Edelman and Patterson to return kicks this year. Even if we flip to the other side one of the underrated position battles has been Ryan Allen and rookie punter Corey Bojorquez. Ryan Allen has always been a consistent punter in the league; but obviously, if the Patriots have been keeping two punters so far, they wanna see who comes on top.

Quick Injury Update

Photo Credit: MassLive

With all these practices starting again comes padded practices. With padded practices, unfortunately, comes injuries, and the Patriots have already had a few. Jordan Matthews was one of the most notable ones, and the Patriots even had to release him the other day. Rookie running back, Sony Michel, and starting tackle, Marcus Cannon, left practice early with injuries. It’s unknown exactly what injuries these are; but three days later, they’re still kept from practicing. Good injury news though is wideout, Kenny Britt, is finally practicing even if it’s scaled back for now.

Training Camp is always an exciting time for fans, reporters, and even the players. Football is just gearing up for the season, and the Patriots are in full swing. After only a week of practice, so much has happened to New England’s team. As the preseason continues to roll out Boston Sports Extra continue to provide updates and thoughts on everything Patriots!

The Boston Uprising: A Look Back Through the Inaugural Season

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As we know, the Inaugural season of the Overwatch League is coming to a close within the next few weeks. Soon the Semifinals and Grand Finals of the playoffs will wrap up within the next two weeks. Unfortunately, our boys in blue were sent home a little earlier than they had hoped. Boston was taken out in the Quarterfinals of the playoffs last week to the Philadelphia Fusion 2-1. Although it seems like yesterday that Boston was “doomed to be one of the bottom feeder teams of the league”. We know our team worked through adversity to gain themselves the number three seed in the playoffs and even garnish the only perfect stage record so far for The Overwatch League! Let’s try to remember how this roller coaster season started and even look towards the future as to where the Uprising will be headed.

Their Humble Beginnings:

Back last Summer/Fall when teams were being revealed many teams were either: A.) Korean Pro Teams B.) The U.S World Cup Team (@Houston Outlaws) or C.) Notable Pro players from other Esports organizations. The Boston Uprising, along with Shanghai and Florida was none of those. This immediately led to many reporters, casters and even OWL front desk to toss Boston to the side, having no expectations of them throughout the season. A group formed from pros on lower tier teams, pro’s from other Esports teams and, an ex-professional tennis player. All the skepticism was validated at first. Although as we all know though they continued to prove everyone wrong.

Standing Their Ground:

Flash forward two stages and the Uprising finished both 6-4 just barely missing the stage playoffs both times. Stage playoffs aside, there was bigger success formed. Star players like main tank Young-jin “Gamsu” Noh, off tank Lucas “NotE” Meissner, and future MVP contender Nam-Joo “Striker” Kwon. The team only seemed to be only going up. This is due in part to their hard New England practice ethic. Hearing about just how many days a week they would be doing scrims, practicing and reviewing VODs. You could tell the dedication and grind they all had to succeed. Not to mention the constant chip on their shoulder.

Bad Luck Turned Into Better Results

After two incredibly strong stage showings, the Uprising was ready to take on Stage 3. They finally felt they could make their push for a spot in the stage playoffs. Starting off 2-0, they were tasked with facing the seemingly “unbeatable” New York Excelsior. Unfortunately, days before their spotlight matchup, one of Boston’s key DPS players was suspended. He was then quickly released with legal charges coming his way. The Uprising had to play the best team in the league, without one of their starters. They had to rely on backup DPS player Stanislav “Mistakes” Danilov. People started to cast doubts again on Boston thinking this loss would plummet them down the ranks. It seemed impossible, but the team, the coaches, and everyone supporting the Uprising believed. Sure enough, newfound starter “Mistakes” and the rest of the Uprising pulled the impossible. Boston gave NYXL their third loss of the season.

Now fueling another fire formed from the doubters, and the adrenaline of taking down the beast of the league Boston went on a tear. They ended up finishing Stage 3 undefeated (and garnishing undefeated records on the stage Control maps) and rode a 14 game win streak to the stage finals. Unfortunately New York got their revenge there beating their division rivals 3-0. Losing in the Stage 3 playoffs may of stung, but once again Boston continued to defy the odds. Boston established themselves as a “top 3” team in the league heading into the final stretch.

A Sour Final Stretch Doesn’t End Their Dreams

Unfortunately as the final stage approached came a new meta: The Brigitte meta. This brought upon a lot of trouble for the Uprising as this new character directly countered their previous compositions. With it taking extended time to figure out new strategies to overcome this they ended up finishing the season 4-6. After slugging out wins against poor preforming teams Shanghai, Florida, Seoul, and a “sandbagging” New York. This unfortunately wasn’t enough and they missed the stage 4 playoffs. Thankfully, due to their stellar performance the other 75% of the season, Boston still landed the number three seed in the playoffs.

We sadly know how the playoffs ended with their 2-1 loss to Philly. Now though there is so much to look forward to with the future and the Uprising. Nobody can call them a bottom tier team anymore, nor doubt their potential to win the league in year two. It’s looking more and more hopeful that Boston will bring back all of their starters when free agency signings start up in the fall. Furthermore, they can only add more talent around them with two more roster spots open to be filled. The Uprising may of exited the race a little earlier than they hoped this year, but one things for sure: they’ll be back stronger and better next year. Thank you Boston for the incredible first season!

Danny Amendola Thinks Gase Is A Friend, Belichick Is A Principal (@kaigedipaolo)

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This past NFL free agency was a head spin with players all over the league leaving for new teams. One of those occurrences was when veteran Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola left to join division rival Miami Dolphins. The move at the time seemed predictable; Amendola wanted more money and the Dolphins had more to give. They also needed a replacement for the recently traded Jarvis Landry. The sadness around New England eventually faded and fans became at peace with the fact they lost their “lady killer number 80”. However, recently Amendola appeared on the Comeback Szn podcast. There he talked about how much he fell for third-year head coach, Adam Gase.

To quote Amendola, “Coach Gase is one of the guys, one of the boys, and you want to fight hard for your boys, Back in New England, it’s almost like you’ve got a principal.” This is definitely an interesting remark, especially when you compare the Patriots and the Dolphins records throughout Coach Gase’s two years in Miami. While having “one of the guys” as a coach probably leads to more enjoyable practices, the results show. Miami went 10-6 in his first season (with a playoff elimination in the wildcard to Pittsburgh) and a 180 year to going 6-10 the following year. So it really is a tossup what Amendola and the Dolphins can expect going into the new season.

In contrast, it seems that having a principal garnishes better results. The Patriots finished 2016 with a 14-2 record and winning the Superbowl in their miraculous comeback against Atlanta. They then finished 13-3 last year and still making the big game even if it resulted in a loss.

Obviously, Amendola wasn’t trying to slander how New England’s football team is operated. He later stated “I got to play for the greatest coach of all time, the greatest quarterback of all time and one of the greatest owners of all time. I got to understand what it was like to put the work in and really grind out … and learn how to win.” Danny put up some of his best numbers during his time in New England, having 600+ yards in three seasons, (via profootballreference.com) winning two super bowls, playing in three super bowls, and not to mention being in the playoffs every season he was there.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season:

How will all of that translate through to the next season? It’s a safe guess to say the Patriots will have another plus .500 record, anywhere from 12-4 to 14-2. History has shown over the past eight years the principal and his top student, Brady, are still top dogs. However, trying to look at what record the Dolphins could finish with is a different story as there are many factors. This includes Tannehill’s ability post-ACL tear, how their lackluster star player skill position group will hold, etc. It’s a stretch to say they could go even with the Pat’s at 12-4 or 14-2. The possibility of another 10-6 season is definitely not out of grasps. There’s clearly chemistry already with Amendola and Gase, which is a good sign in this league. Chemistry aside, all we can do now is see if that chemistry and friendship will lead to wins come September.