Tag Archives: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

How hyped should we be about Josh Gordon?

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When a six foot, three-inch wide receiver that weighs 225 pounds can run a 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, that’s special. Definitely lives up to the moniker of “Flash”! Josh Gordon has always been a freak in the measurables department. He has always produced on the field, and he has always been suspect about making good decisions. What are the chances that the New England Patriots get Flash Gordon of 2013? Will he keep his nose clean and buried in the playbook?

He has to. This is his final NFL chance. If he screws up here, he is pretty much done. Not only will his suspension be exponentially worse than a first time offender, but not working out with the all-business Patriots would signal the rest of the league.

The Numbers

What does the talented wide receiver bring to the table? How about 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns? In 14 games? 18.9 yards per reception? These are literally video game numbers! No, not video game numbers, you have to have a cheat code in order to produce like that. Everyone likes to point out that it was ages ago! Did you see who he was playing with?

Old Willis McGahee was pounding the rock in a geriatric way. Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden striking fear in the heart of defenses. Greg Little, Travis Benjamin, and Davone Bess were providing the cover that a premium #1 wideout needs in order to produce like that? No, to put it into perspective the Cleveland Browns produced 5,423 yards. As a team. The whole team. That was it. Josh Gordon’s yards accounted for over 30% of the team’s total. That’s good.

The 2013 Tape

Let’s all take a breather and bask in the glory that was Josh Gordon’s season:

The 2017-2018 Tape

If you managed to watch that bit of NFL porn and still contain yourself, you’ll notice a few things. He can do it all. Slants, Go routes, Deep ins, and outs, screen passes, and end arounds. People will say that you are not getting that version of Josh Gordon. You are getting this guy:

Sign. Me. Up! This guy is still an amazing highlight reel all game! You still see a guy with an instinctual ability to find a soft spot in a zone defense. That’s still a guy that can box out physically inferior cornerbacks. That catch radius is bordering on unlawful for an offensive player. And remember who was throwing him the ball. If you look at that poor soul’s jersey, you’ll see Deshone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. Josh Gordon’s talent transcends poor quarterback play in a way that we haven’t seen since Randy Moss. And much like the Hall of Famer, he now heads to a situation more befitting his talents.

What the Patriots See

I started writing this article determined to keep a level head and not get sucked into the hyperbole about his talents. Both my football brain and my fan brain came to the same conclusion; that the optimism may be understated. There is a saying for the truly elite players that I love; If your system does not allow this player to flourish, it’s a bad system. I know, I’m butchering the paraphrase.

The biggest criticism about the move to New England is that the system is difficult for wide receivers to learn and contribute right away. My thought is that if he has trouble learning the system, dumb it down. I’m serious. This isn’t some street free agent that may or may not be able to catch the football or tie his cleats. This guy has been stuck in football purgatory playing for a franchise that just recently celebrated its first win in 635 days!

 

And this is not even taking into account the current Patriots wide receiver corp. Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan had a golden opportunity to prove that they could rise to the occasion. Cordarrelle Patterson could have made an impact as a pass catcher. Edelman is on his way back from suspension and season-long rehab from a torn ACL. When Gronk is being double and triple teamed in order to take him away and cause the offense to sputter. It’s working. This offense needs a spark. The fire needs to be lit and only a Super Bowl win can quench it! Let’s go Patriots!

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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Should Quarterbacks Start Early? A Writers’ Debate.

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The most pressing debate of our time reared its head when Baker Mayfield stepped onto the field in relief of the injured Tyrod Taylor. Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns to their first victory in 635 days! The clamor to start him from Day One began when he was selected with the first overall selection in the draft. John Vogel maintains that a select few rookie quarterbacks should start early and Andy Lykins maintained that there is much to be gained from allowing a rookie sometime before throwing him into the NFL fire. Below is our debate presented in the finest philosophical format you’ll find anywhere.

Question 1: What’s the single biggest reason either for against starting a rookie quarterback early?

Andy Lykins: For me, the biggest reason is that their development could be stunted by being forced to play in a bad situation for a majority of a season with an unusual off-season. Taking a rookie quarterback high in the draft prevents the prospect from enjoying a full year worth of development. College Bowl games, and combine exercise preparation result in a truncated off-season.

Their grasp of the playbook, while certainly impressive for the conditions is not that of an NFL veteran with multiple years experience in the system. They may have a memorization of a certain segment of plays and can be expected to learn more as the season goes on. However, this does not account for all the nuances and expectations of the different defenses you may encounter.

Early playing success does not account for defensive coordinators learning some tendencies and adjusting game plans to counter. It doesn’t allow you to set in stone your “new” throwing motion that you worked on in order to make yourself more appealing. That’s why a limited exposure for a rookie works best for me in year 1. Less than a handful of games no matter what for nearly all rookies is my ideal plan.

John Vogel: Normally, I agree that it is wise to sit and learn as a young rookie quarterback. Many quarterbacks come into the league and aren’t ready to yet take the rigorous grind of an NFL season. However, some rookies provide clues, in camp and preseason, outside of their college tape that shows they are indeed ready to take on the NFL.

Baker Mayfield is a great example of this. All through camp and preseason, he showed us all of the little things we like to see in NFL quarterbacks that proved he was ready to play. His technique, his footwork, his form, his decision making and his measurable’s. Nothing had changed from his move from college to the NFL. When a young rookie shows all of this, then I can easily presume that he is ready to play in the league.

Andy Lykins: While Baker Mayfield may have initial success, you may be stunting future growth by forcing him to rely on athletic skills. And as a general organizational philosophy is it a good idea force a valuable asset into a risky situation, when waiting a short time can increase his chances of success?

John Vogel: Baker isn’t the most athletic guy to begin with. His athleticism worked in college and allowed him to dominate against lesser talent, but the majority of NFL players are more athletic then he is. That means that he will not be able to trust his athleticism, as he won’t see initial success base on his athleticism.

The places that we have seen Baker Mayfield dominate so far are in the good traits that you want to see in your quarterback. His decision making through the preseason and in the Jet’s game was off of the charts. The problem that the Browns offense had dealt with while Tyrod Taylor was playing quarterback is that the intermediate and deep passing attack wasn’t there. Tyrod doesn’t like to take chances so the ball didn’t go to those areas of the field. Baker does, and that intermediate passing game popped as soon as he entered the game. That forced the Jets to back out of the box and opened the Browns’ run game.

The main point here is Baker was pro ready when he finished his junior year. Another year of experience only helped him. In the case of Mayfield, there is hardly a chance of hindering his future success.

Question 2: What are other factors that account for your position?

Andy Lykins: After a rookie season with an unusual schedule, I want them to be fully healthy and ready to compete for a significant role in their sophomore campaign. A rookie starting a full season against the vastly higher physical makeup of the average NFL defense men has a great chance of suffering an injury. This could result in a complicated surgery and lengthy rehab. This will affect his practice reps and playbook retention.

Navigating through an injury-free rookie season will allow him a normal off-season filled with professional nutrition and strength training to prevent injuries. It will allow him the full complement of practice time and building rapport with teammates. And it will allow him to have the full confidence of his coaches that he can compete at a high level going forward. Getting playing time is valuable for a rookie, in order to learn about game speed and processing on the field. But not at the expense of his future, healthy development.

John Vogel: The college football season has gotten longer. To win a championship, teams have to play fifteen games. That’s one shy of the NFL regular season. Granted, it’s spread out a little better over college football, but it’s not like it used to be. College football has also become a more even playing field then it used to be. Sure, you will always have the Nick Saban’s and Urban Meyer’s who simply dominate the recruiting trails. College football is much more sophisticated then it used to be.

Dan Orlovsky, an eleven year NFL quarterback, said that it’s so hard to learn from the bench to take over an offense because of the NFL’s practice regulations. Orlovsky was a fifth-round pick in 2005 out of Connecticut. He was taken to grow to the role of starter over a struggling Joey Harrington. Most of the work a quarterback needs to learn is out on the field, recognizing coverage’s and learning how to make good decisions quickly while keeping your form intact – Valuable repetitions. Sitting on a bench, you can look at paper and diagrams all you want. The field level is completely different.

Andy Lykins: With all respect to Dan, he is a product of a generation or two ago. The current crop of rookie quarterback prospects has been brought up in an entirely different environment. The rise of spread concepts, limited high-end athletic opponents, and lack of training for the NFL game all conspire to make a rookies transition exponentially more difficult.

John Vogel: (I do not have anything to add to that. That was pretty damn good.)

Question 3: Who are the best examples in the NFL to prove your points?

Andy Lykins: So many to choose from. Andrew Luck and David Carr had unusual career paths due to injury. And prospects like Mark Sanchez and Blaine Gabbert all had some success in their rookie seasons, enough to warrant optimism. Probably, my best example would have to be JaMarcus Russell. The holdout, the big money, the fame and the injuries which led to the substance abuse. When that was coupled with an inability to progress in his mental development, he became the highest profile bust since Ryan Leaf. Learning to be a high-level quarterback in the NFL is hard. It is equally talent, development, and an ideal situation. You can control certain things and one that can help is not forcing a young prospect to develop ahead of his curve.

John Vogel: Andrew Luck was a guy who looked really good in training camp and preseason as a rookie in 2012. He’s now considered by most to be a top ten quarterback in the league, leading the Indianapolis Colts, almost single-handedly, to three straight playoff appearances. Peyton Manning is another rookie that comes to mind who showed a lot of promise and lead his team to work. Russell Wilson had an excellent rookie season in 2012 when he took over for Matt Flynn. Cam Newton was very ready for NFL ranks in 2011. He set rookie records his first two games.

It’s really all about the mental conditioning a player is in. If he wants to work to be great, he will do so. If he doesn’t, he will probably bust. When I see guys like Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Josh Allen, these are all guys who put extensive work this off-season to get better. You can get by with natural talent in college, but not the pros.

Andy Lykins: No question about that, John. And why would you risk that mental conditioning to fail when you can allow a natural maturation? Allowing a rookie to dip his to and immerse himself in the pro game his rookie year before then also adding pressures of winning and leadership to his plate. Pat Mahomes is currently being an exhibit of my thinking right now?

John Vogel: Because, Andy, the only way to evaluate mental conditioning is to be around the player. Personally, I have not been around Baker, but I have had the opportunity to speak to people who have. He’s a grinder, a strong kid, a guy who wants to succeed at any level. He loves challenges. The Browns aren’t asking him to win the Super Bowl this year, so there is no pressure to win now. They’re asking him to learn how to play, keep them in games, win a few, and get ready to be the man in the future. That shouldn’t hurt his mental health. The culture in Cleveland is shifting with John Dorsey as the general manager, who comes from Kansas City.

Speaking of Kansas City, Pat Mahomes was extremely blessed to have landed in a very good situation. He was the back-up to Alex Smith, who had an incredible start to the season. While it didn’t last, Chiefs fans weren’t calling for Mahomes to start, especially since he was drafted as a project quarterback who probably couldn’t impact the game well enough straight out of school.

Let’s say the Browns made the mistake of continuing to start Tyrod Taylor this year, while they are struggling and fans are calling for Baker Mayfield to start all season long. Everyone knows that the first win was because of Baker. Don’t you think that leaving him on the bench to hear all the Browns fans calling his name behind him while his boss, Hue Jackson, ignores them? The boss would continue to tell him that he doesn’t have the confidence in him, Baker isn’t his guy. To me, that would hurt mental conditioning and strength more than anything.

Question 4: With the Patriots eventually transitioning to a younger quarterback sometime in the future. Layout your transition plan for the team.

Andy Lykins: It revolves around continuing the course that they have been going on the last few years, minus the trading away of the young talent. We have Danny Etling develop on the practice squad. If he looks to be ready to take the next step, bring in some lower cost competition to see what they have. If they want to upgrade, escalate your price for acquiring. Draft in the second, third or fourth round if you find a worthy prospect. The other options attempt a trade of a player on another roster or dive into the pricey backup quarterback market.

And above all make sure the backups or potential backups get extensive preseason playing time and actual game reps in a limited capacity. You do need to know how they react in live games. The worst thing would be to wait a year too late, draft a high first-round pick and start them early. That has a potential for disaster.

John Vogel: They have to. Father Time has always caught up to even the best players across any league. Tom Brady is now 41, and there really isn’t a future on this team. I watched a lot of Danny Etling at LSU last season, he isn’t the answer. I think the best plan is to keep Brian Hoyer around the team. Hoyer is a capable quarterback who the Patriots could easily use as a stop gap to transition to younger talent. This 2019 NFL Draft Class will have a lot of quarterback depth, but all the prospects need serious work. Potentially, they could draft someone like Drew Lock from Missouri, Justin Herbert from Oregon or Jarrett Stidham from Auburn to learn behind Brady. If Tom would be alright with keeping a bench role for a year, while Hoyer plays on the field getting someone ready.

Andy Lykins: I’m not going to acknowledge that you are advocating benching Tom Brady in favor of playing Brian Hoyer, ha! Unless Tom Brady begins to show signs that he may not play in 2019 I would advise to sticking to my plan. Allow Etling to compete for a backup role if he is advancing or bringing in serious backup/prospect competition for. Applying increasingly valuable assets every year in order to ensure that you will not be caught unprepared.

John Vogel: You’re right, I should have specified. If Tom Brady’s health falls apart, I would ask him to stick around for a year or so as the backup quarterback to help train the new guys I bring in, especially from this class of quarterbacks. No one appears to be pro-ready at the moment. So that’s why I would use Brian Hoyer as a stop gap.

Question 5: A prospect’s consistency is one of the most important traits when advancing through the levels of competition. If a player dominates in college, how can you tell if he will dominate at the next level?

Andy Lykins: I have an inexact method of looking at quarterbacks when scouting for the NFL. You can look at all the aggregate stats and QB wins you want and decide whether they are worthy. We can marvel at their ability on the whiteboard and how they dissect plays in a classroom setting. You can gush over their intangibles and how they command the room like a CEO. All of these traits are needed to a certain degree. But many have failed or struggled even when they possessed them in spades.

For me, I watch a handful of their hardest games. Those that are against the schools that have a defense that resembles what they will face in the NFL. The games that they threw 5 picks and had a rough day. I look at those and watch how frazzled they are. Do they play tentatively? Do they still look and act like they believe they can still win the game. Are they playing like the game is slow for them? The worst games of their college careers tell me a lot more about their chances than when they throw seven touchdowns in a cupcake match-up. This allowed me to key in on Dak Prescott as a second-round target when others were projecting day 3.

John Vogel: Honestly? You can almost never tell. The overwhelming majority of people thought that Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, Robert Griffin III, and Blaine Gabbert couldn’t be busts. Looking at their college tape, they looked like they could dominate at the next level. Measurables are important. I want a guy who is going to grind to strive to be better. A smart guy who understands football. A guy who can make every throw and put it on the money 75% of the time. Scouting from college is all about projecting how good the talent can be at the next level. Sometimes, it’s easy to tell. Other times, it’s downright impossible.

Andy Lykins: Agree, so many more factors than just looking on tape. Coaching, situation, and mental makeup. If you try to predict what young men will do when you pile on all the money, expectations and pressure that come with a high profile quarterback job you will lose, as many coaching staffs can attest.

John Vogel: (I have nothing to add to that. It seems we are in agreement.)

Conclusion

There you have it, folks. In the finest philosophical tradition, John and I have presented our case and responded to our opponent’s. What do you think? Do you think the New England Patriots will be able to transition smoothly into the next era? Is it going to be the Belichick and Etling show or the McDaniels and (insert hottest college quarterback here)? If there is one thing that this argument has shown, it’s that the issue is complex and that there is no one right answer. Picking a number one overall prospect can be fraught with peril. And selecting a sixth-round pick can turn into the greatest quarterback of all time.

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

Be sure to check out other great articles for all your favorite Boston sports teams on Bostonsportsextra.com

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Patriots Film Study: Positives Shines in Loss to Lions

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The New England Patriots suffered a serious loss to the Detroit Lions on prime time Sunday Night Football on NBC. A humiliating 26-10 loss to an 0-2 team can rock an organization, especially when the opposing team is headed by a former employee. While the loss may have been extremely humbling, there were several positives to take away from the contest. Let’s dive into a few of these plays.

Play One: 2nd Quarter, 3:16

Patriots Ball. 2nd and 10 from the New England 36. Lions lead 13-0

It took a while for the Patriots offense to even begin moving the football. They opened up the game with three consecutive three-and-outs before managing a field goal drive down the field to end the first half. The fifth play of the field goal drive, New England fresh off of their first 1st down of the game, the Patriots lined up in an unbalanced line to the left of the formation.

An unbalanced line is a challenge to a defense if they are lining up in a zone defense. It puts the majority of the play-makers on one side of the field, forcing the defense to pick and choose who to cover. On this play, running back James White is lined up at the top of the screen, Chris Hogan is in the slot, while Rob Gronkowski is lined up in the H-Back spot. Rex Burkhead is to the left of Brady. Tight end Dwayne Allen is anchored on the right side of the line.

White is going to run a “clear-out” go route down the field, taking the immediate attention of the safety, who is not pictured. Hogan runs a stick route, where he settles into the zones underneath or in between the linebackers. Gronk runs a deep out and attacks the cornerback playing low, in this case that would be Quandre Diggs. Because Diggs expects Burkhead to swing out of the backfield, he is going to leave both White and Gronk to the safeties, thinking the help on the back end will cover them.

What happened?

https://twitter.com/ftbeard_17/status/1044034847444881408

The cornerback did exactly what Belichick wanted him to. He waited for Burkhead to leak out of the backfield. Instead, Tom Brady had all day to let the play develop and Gronk was wide open for 15 yards. The safety wasn’t in position to cut off his route because of the deep go that White ran down the sideline.

The bright spots here: Brady had all day to throw on this play, and for the most part of this game. When Gronk isn’t bodied relentlessly, he reminds us why he is the best tight end in football. He finds those spots in between the zones and is a tough man to bring down in the secondary.

Play Two: 3rd Quarter, 13:34

Patriots Ball. 1st and 10 from the New England 48. Lions lead 13-3.

New England took the field for the first time in the second half after forcing the Lions offense into a turnover, a horrible interception by Matthew Stafford. I know that Sony Michel has taken some heat in the Boston media for not producing early, but this play should make you feel a little bit better about him.

This is a simple toss play. It’s designed to get a running back into space and pick his way for a few extra yards. The edge is sealed by the receivers (Cordarelle Patterson and Gronk) and then the left guard pulls to the outside and becomes the lead blocker for the running back. Nothing extravagant.

This is where Michel makes his money. From what we know of his days splitting time in the Georgia backfield with Nick Chubb, Michel is electric in space.

What happened?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaUKDOkhjVQ?rel=0&showinfo=0&start=317]

Michel had space, and he managed to pick his way through the Lions defenders for 12 yards. This is what Sony Michel normally looks like on the field. His main issue so far has been that he missed the entire preseason due to an injury, and the first game of the season. He’s being asked to be the focal point of the running game in just his second game of NFL action and out of mid-season form.

He’s explosive and electric in space. You can only image what he will look like as the season progresses.

Play Three: 3rd Quarter, 10:10

Patriots Ball. 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 10. Lions lead 13-3.

Later that drive, the Patriots find themselves in a third and medium inside the red zone. Down by 10, they need at least a first down. The Patriots are going to go to that overload to the left side of the field again, only this time Gronk and White both line up to the right. The Lions are showing a simple cover two, meaning that the safeties are defending halves of the end zone.

Gronk is double covered here. The Lion’s best cornerback, Darius Slay, is the man up on Gronk with the red line. The safety, a former Patriot himself, Tavon Wilson, anticipates Gronk going to the end zone. He is the other coverage, represented by the yellow line. James White ends up getting covered by the nickelback, Quandre Diggs.

What happened?

White made a nice double move and gained a step on Diggs. Because Gronk was indeed going for the end zone, there wasn’t a safety to help Diggs on the back-end to cut off the route. All Brady had to do was lay the pass nicely in the breadbasket of White, which he delivered perfectly. It’s a touchdown every time.

Gronk can be such a valuable decoy. Teams know how critical he can be in the red zone and will put too much effort to cover him up and not allow the play to go anywhere near him. Players like White, Michel, Hogan and Julian Edelman (when he returns from his four game PED suspension) can seriously capitalize off of the attention put on Gronk.

Other Notes: Brady, Edelman, and Gronk

Brady still has a cannon

Tom Brady has withstood Father Time better than any quarterback in modern NFL history. Now at 41 years old, he looks like he has another good year left in him, possibly even two. Brady let this bomb go deep in the fourth quarter. Even though it was incomplete, it shows off what kind of Cannon he still has.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaUKDOkhjVQ?rel=0&showinfo=0&start=590]

The offense without Julian Edelman

This offense is truly struggling without Julian Edelman. The receivers can’t seem to get open, and although the offensive line can give Tom Brady all day to make a throw, the receivers can’t get in space for him to pull the trigger. Teams right now can afford to body up Rob Gronkowski, because they don’t have much else of a downfield threat. I’m warning you, this offense is going to look completely different once Edelman gets back.

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Shutting down Gronk

The NBC crew did a great job showing this on their broadcast of the game. The Lions double covered Rob Gronkowski for almost the entire game. The worst part is that the rest of Brady’s receiving options couldn’t get open even with the attention taken away from them.

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To summarize, the Lions simply out-coached the Patriots. Despite knowing this, we all know how Bill Belichick is. He is going to come back in full force next week, and game plan something great for their upcoming match-up next week on the road against the 3-0 Miami Dolphins. It’s early in the season, and we see this every year. They’ll be in mid-season form soon enough.

Gronk spikes trade deal – No Brady, No Dice

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TRADE TALK BEFORE THE 2018 DRAFT

Rob Gronkowski was almost traded to the Detroit Lions during the offseason, leading up to the Draft. After Sunday’s loss to Detroit, Rob Gronkowski was asked about all the rumblings of the trade. Gronk casually answered saying, “Yeah it happened, Tom Brady’s my quarterback, that’s all. Wasn’t going anywhere without Brady.”

Gronk and Brady

Staff photo by John Wilcox.

Before the 2018 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick was looking to deal Rob Gronkowski. Rumors of talks with the Lions and Titans were being thrown around. Bill was talking with his ex Patriot friends in an attempt to move the All World tight end. Adam Schefter went on WEEI’s morning show ‘Kirk and Callahan’ Monday for an interview about the situation. According to Schefter “It would’ve been a trade involving draft picks, that was the basic trade.” He continued on about Gronkowski, “He was the only player involved in the trade and it would’ve been a combination of picks.”

HOW GRONKOWSKI NIXED THE TRADE

During the offseason Rob Gronkowski was uncertain about things, he made that clear minutes after the Super Bowl. Since Gronk showed signs of uncertainty, Bill had to keep thinking about the team and its future. Bill has never been one to wait and see about a player, he makes the necessary moves for the team. Apparently, he did and the trade was pretty much done until Gronkowski caught wind of the situation. Schefter again noted, “Basically the deal was all but agreed to, he was going to go to Detroit, and when he found out he called the Patriots.”

Now, this is coming from an NFL insider, not the Patriots or Rob Gronkowski, yet it does seem to line up with the offseasons timeline of events. Gronk and the Patriots did have a meeting before the draft, which was newsworthy because it ended the trade speculation. As Rob Gronkowski said Sunday night, he wasn’t going anywhere without Tom Brady. So what was said during the meeting is unknown to the public, but the end result is clear. New England was the only team Rob Gronkowski would play for, it did not matter if it was the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. If Brady wasn’t throwing him the ball, he was ready to retire.

Gronkowski

Via USA Today

NO TRADE WITH A HAPPY ENDING

For Patriot fans, the meeting between the Patriots and Gronkowski’s camp, right before the draft worked out. Rob was adamant about what he wanted, which led to Bill Belichick and the Pats agreeing to keep the tight end. I’m sure Bill had his own demands for Gronkowski as well, in the end, it all worked out.

Rob Gronkowski wasn’t traded, his deal was reworked with incentives again. If he reaches those incentives he will receive $4.3 million this season. New England doesn’t have to worry about the cap hit because of Gronkowski’s new deal, it barely changes. So, in the end, both sides seem to have benefited from that meeting before the draft. For fans of the Patriots, everything turned out great. If it wasn’t for Gronk calling the team to have a meeting, a lot of things in New England could’ve changed not just the TE. Luckily this is in the past, everyone has one goal in 2018 and that’s bringing home the Lombardi.

Matty P the Magician?

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“I think we’re talking about something that’s pretty common to when you have to face an opponent, there’s going to be things there that you’re very familiar with”

The Patriots New Nemesis

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia was quoted as saying this in response to several Jets players “knew what plays were coming”. However, this also applies to the upcoming Sunday Night matchup with his former employer, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Even with beginning his career as head coach 0-2, he still possesses an undeniable advantage. Patricia has been a benefactor of seeing Tom Brady every day in practice for 14 seasons. The last six was in his capacity as defensive coordinator and crafting the plays and philosophy charged with stopping him. In case you haven’t heard, #12 is pretty good.

So, will Matty P enjoy success and give his new team in the Motor City a puncher’s chance to win? All depends on his defense. Having the bend, but don’t break schooling drill into him can have its advantages. With him manning the controls, the former aeronautical engineering can apply every complex algorithm that he can muster. He will have to.

A Team with Nothing to Lose

The Lions are entering crisis mode. Injuries to two of the most talented players on the defense will limit their impact. Darius Slay (concussion) and Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder) will either be out or severely curtailed in effectiveness. This is today’s NFL and getting to the quarterback and covering his favorite target are premium positions. Will he be able to hold Brady enough to give his own gunslinger in Matthew Stafford a chance to score some points? He’s gonna have to get weird.

The Patriots can be stumped by unique and unusual formations. The Wildcat offense allowed the late Tony Sparano to eek out a win in 2008. Rex Ryan often deployed a new defensive wrinkle in order to even the odds. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they don’t.

The Plan

In order to roll the dice and come away with the win, Patricia is going to have to gamble. Disguising pressure with pre-snap movements will be the order of the day. A phrase that has often been heard in New England is “manufacturing” the pressure. Stunts and exotic rush combinations can confuse an offensive line group and make Brady feel uncomfortable in the pocket. This can be done without exposing defensive backs to big plays and reducing coverages. Overloads on one side of the line can saturate the blockers without blitzing. And finally, delayed blitzes can allow someone who was not initially on Brady’s radar as a rusher to suddenly appear and force him into sub-par throws. I expect Patricia to explore any and all of these in the desperate attempt to get hands on Brady before he throws.

Could we see some strange and unusual personnel groupings? Two down linemen, two or even one linebackers and the remainder defensive backs? He could just flood the field and play the hand on the run and see what happens. Patricia could go the other route and blitz five, six or even seven players. The hope that one of them could get home before Brady can find the open man throw an on-target pass. Double-teaming Rob Gronkowski, especially in the end zone has proven to be effective for stretches. This would work particularly well as the Patriots are still sorting out the pecking order and effectiveness of its wide receivers.

The Counter Plan

All of these thoughts and ideas carry their own risks and rewards. The Lions are around a single touchdown underdog with what should be a high octane offense playing against an underperforming defense. I could see this as a signature game for Matt Patricia the head coach as he plays his “Super Bowl” against this old boss. A win, or an unveiling of a new defense that can flummox two Hall of Famers, will go a long way to quieting the Lions fans. You can bet that he is spending extra hours watching film, eating his meals at his desk and scribbling with his signature #2 pencil. Doing the same this week will serve the Patriots well.

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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New England is Home to Second Chances

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Somewhere on the NFL’s boulevard of broken dreams, there is an exit. All individuals who put on a uniform have to take it. This is the road to retirement. After cruising along for eight, nine, ten years, there is no shame in hitting the blinker and seeing what’s around the bend. It’s a road that some players are forced to take when their careers hit a bump or suffer a breakdown. Often, they are looking for second chances.

Most players in the NFL only get to stay on it for a few short years and then they are exploring other options. The higher the draft selection, the longer your careers are expected to last. Seventh-round selections have to fight for anything that they get. Picks in the third round are given a bit more leeway. If you’ve invested a first-round draft pick and selected one of the top 32 players to come from a college that year, you will try to make those investments return dividends.

When it becomes clear that it is simply not worth it, a team may be faced with the painful thought of cutting or trading that player. Sometimes, waiting for them just prior to final off-ramp is Bill Belichick. He’s not begging or holding a sign of woe. The car he’s in is not trying to get off of the same exit. No, he’s the traffic cop. He’s pulling you over and giving you one final chance to follow his rules. And maybe, just maybe, you have a chance at continuing on with your NFL career. The New England Patriots have given you a second chance.

The Moving Parts

The Patriots seem to collect former first-round picks lately. In addition to the 3 on the active roster at the moment, along with Isaiah Wynn on the IR. The Patriots have six first-round selections that they have acquired by trade or signing. The current roster includes Adrian Clayborn, Stephon Gilmore, Cordarrelle Patterson, Danny Shelton and Corey Coleman on the practice squad. This includes all the various other reclamation projects that they have worked on in recent years. Brandin Cooks, Jonathan Cooper, Barkevious Mingo, Kenny Britt, Shea McClellin and Michael Floyd all have contributed to the Patriots.

 

Why does Belichick do this? What motivation could he have for picking up another team’s castoffs? Why is he trying to reclaim and revive those players? Is it because the New England Patriots suck at drafting? Not at all. Is it because every other team is making a mistake by getting rid of the player? A little.

The Talent

FOXBOROUGH, MA – SEPTEMBER 12: New England Patriots player Corey Coleman (10) participates in New England Patriots practice at the Gillette Stadium practice facility in Foxborough, MA on Sep. 12, 2018. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The biggest reason is the measurables of the player. The prospects that get drafted in the first round are all the biggest, fastest most explosive players at their positions for the most part. And even within round one, there are drop-offs. The first ten picks are usually reserved for the elite athletes that will make an immediate impact at their positions. Then, from 11- to around the mid 20’s depending on the draft, you go from elite to the very good or question marks. Then, when you start talking about the last part of the first round (where the Patriots are usually selecting), you have to pick and choose from the good with question marks to the good athletes, but not very good football players yet.

Occasionally, a player will go against the grain and measure outside the accepted range of the ideal NFL player, but not often. Not every short defensive tackle is the next Aaron Donald despite how many people say they are. So when Belichick is trading for a former top 10 pick that is not making it with his old team, he’s not trading for Jonathan Cooper. Belichick is trading for the guard that was 6 ft 2 in and weighed in at 311 pounds. He’s trading for the guy that jumped a 27 inch vertical, a 9 foot broad and ran a 5.07 40-yard dash. That’s the guy that Bill Belichick wants on the Patriots and hope he can get a good football player out of him

The Expectations

The New England Patriots are also banking on a  team’s discouraged expectations. When the Cleveland Browns selected Danny Shelton with the 12th pick of the 2015 draft, they were hoping that they were getting more than a run stuffing nose tackle. The Patriots traded a 2018 third rounder for an interior defensive tackle that is excellent against the run and weighs 345 pounds all while getting a 5th round pick to add on. It’s all about the expectations and the quality of player they are getting exceeds the rookie that they could draft anywhere in the 3rd through the 5th in any draft. There is an argument over taking on a rookie contract in its final year versus having a young, cost-controlled rookie, but that is an entirely different article.

The Payoff

Finally, the Patriots represent a sort of Holy Land for a certain population of NFL Players. For those that have been drafted high in the first round and have played on teams like the Cleveland Browns, the Oakland Raiders, the Chicago Bears, their career has thus far been lacking in January football. When a player has a chance to play in that game that he has not experienced before, you are getting a highly motivated individual. They may do things they never considered when playing in December before. Instead of going shopping, they may be staying for that extra couple of hours of film session. That extra piece of pie can look inviting, but if you want to run the ball in the Super Bowl you may hold off.

Second Chances

OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 14: Randy Moss #81 of the New England Patriots catches a touchdown in the first quarter past Rashard Baker #27 of the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game on December 14, 2008 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

It is certainly a risk and Belichick has probably been wrong on half wrong more times than he’s been right. This is a risky business and you have to take chances. When you are perennially playing deep into the playoffs, you have to look at inventive ways to acquire talent. This has proven to be an effective one. Belichick will undoubtedly continue to look for bargains in the second chance bin at the store.

 

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FLASHback to 2007’s Offense

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COMPARING THE 2007 SEASON TO THIS YEARS TEAM OFFENSIVELY

In 2007, New England was a juggernaut on offense. As far as regular seasons go, well, the Patriots went undefeated. Of course, this season won’t be perfect, the offense could look quite familiar. Josh Gordon recently picked up by New England, has many fans very excited. First and foremost, he is not Randy Moss 2.0. I want to make that clear.

However, if Gordon can fall in line, keep his nose in the playbook and contribute all season, then we could be in for quite the show. The comparisons this year to the undefeated regular season are fair, hear me out.

Let’s compare Offenses

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

DIFFERENT NAMES – SAME GAME

New England’s offense in 2007 was unstoppable, mainly because of Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Other key players had their roles as well, only one player remains – Tom Brady. 2007 will go down as one of the best complete football teams of all time, if not the best. Here is what the offense looked like.

Starting off is Tom Brady, who has seemed to have gotten better with age. As he admits himself, “I feel like I’ve played better the last eight years then I did my first ten.”

Next, let’s look at the running game. Laurence Maroney handled the heavy workload. Patriots HOF’er Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris as the 3rd down change of pace backs. Heath Evans was the fullback.

Jumping ahead to this season, SB hero James White, Rex Burkhead, and rookie Sony Michel can all either be RBs or receivers in the slot or split out wide. In today’s NFL, I’d give the slight edge to this season’s RB core, as moving the ball through the air is more important than ever. Defenses can’t tell whether it’s a run or pass play when any of these players step on the field. Also, James Devlin is used at FB to open up running lanes and catch the ball as well.

SB hero James White

Photo Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

PASS CATCHING COMPARISONS

Randy Moss is in the HOF, Josh Gordon is not Randy Moss. However, if Gordon is the best version of himself, he will fill the Moss role, which is taking the top off the defense with his size and speed. Brady hasn’t had this since Randy Moss, with the obvious edge going to Moss, with one caveat – the rest of the pass catchers overall compared to this year.

With Gordon attempting to do his best Moss impersonation, Brady now has a real deep threat. His targets also include Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, and Philip Dorsett with special teams ace, Corderelle Patterson, being involved in some packages each game.

Josh Gordon opening up the field for these receivers will not allow defenses to double. If they do, Brady will find one of the open players. Looking at this year’s pass catchers and 2007 receivers, it’s the same concept with similarly skilled players except for Moss. Now, 2018 now has a beast like him plus Rob Gronkowski. That alone is scary for opponents.

JE11 in the slot

Edelman will be back in the slot, with Gordon opening up the field. Just like Welker did in 2007

Patriots offensively in 2007, besides Randy, had an aging local legend in Troy Brown, another Patriot HOF player, along with Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Jabar Gaffney. They didn’t have a huge part of this comparison in Rob Gronkowski. Ben Watson was good along with Brady, but it’s not close to Gronk alone.  2018 also adds Hollister in the mix. So, can this year’s team look anything like the 2007 Patriots?

IN CONCLUSION, WHERE DOES THIS SEASON’S OFFENSE STACK UP?

Going through it by positions was interesting, and all these comparisons depend on one player, who’s never been dependable. In the event Josh Gordon does click with Tom Brady, this year’s Patriots team will do some serious damage. As I see it, this years RB group can be better than 2007.

Pass catchers; if everything goes to plan, will put up eye-popping numbers. Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and Chris Hogan with the RBs will keep defenses up at night.

No, this season won’t be as prolific as the undefeated team but will have a similar feeling to it. As always, health will play a factor as well of the offensive line.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still here, with players comparable or better to the 2007 team. Still, it’s too early to tell what will happen next.

No Tom Brady led offense will ever be as good, but this year is the closest it will get. Imagine all of this coming after the recent WR drama throughout the last few months.

No Need to Panic About the Patriots

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New England Patriot fans should not panic over the loss to Jacksonville. Every year the Patriots seem to have a hiccup or two in September, and every year people are in panic mode. 2018 has started the same way three particular seasons have started, but ended in February.

No need to panic

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Patriots Start Slow and Finish Strong

Let’s look back to September 7th 2014 against Miami. In Week 1 the Dolphins took it to the Patriots, holding the offense to zero points in the second half. New England dropped the first game of the season 33-20 to start 0-1. After that first game people were concerned, it wasn’t until Week 4 until panic set in throughout New England.

Monday night football against the Chiefs was a complete nightmare for fans, and a celebration across the country that the dynasty was finally over. New England was embarrassed on national TV, losing 41-14 leaving them 2-2 to start the season. Bill Belichick’s famous line, “we are on to Cincinnati” was repeated to every postgame question. Panic had set in by this point, all for nothing. New England didn’t panic. They went to Cincinnati and dismantled the Bengals 43-17. As the season went on the Patriots only lost two games after that, ending 12-4 to go on to win their first Super Bowl in ten years.

Two Years Later No Need to Panic Again Right?

In 2016 the Patriots got shut out at home 16-0 by the Buffalo Bills, again a bad loss in the first four games. Unlike 2014 the panic wasn’t as high, but there was concern. Just as it happened in 2014, New England started with an early loss, yet they only dropped one other game, ending the season 14-2. With a great playoff run, Patriots fans were once again in panic mode during the Super Bowl. Down 28-3 with just minutes left in the 3rd quarter, once again this team showed why they shouldn’t be doubted and how they Never panic. Another nail-biting situation, the Patriots went on to make the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history beating Atlanta in overtime.

Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

Last year Patriots fans were in shock, more panic than ever

2017 started out with some reconstruction to the stadium, making room for a fifth banner. Fan’s were in a state of euphoria, as the Patriots had just won two Super Bowls in three years. Opening night had arrived, the circus was in town like Bill Belichick has said about banner games since 2001. Something else had arrived that night at Gillette, the Kansas City Chiefs. After all the fireworks and celebration, New England came out looking confused on defense. History was about to repeat itself once more in 2017. Kansas City embarrassed the Patriots on national TV again, beating the defending champs 42-27.

Again New England started the season 0-1, but it got worse as the defense couldn’t figure it out for the first four weeks, losing in Week 4 to the Carolina Panthers 33-30. Another 2-2 start to the season led fans to start getting worried again, just like usual the Patriots only lost one other game that year. Ending the season 13-3 and getting back to the Super Bowl again. Only this time the Patriots didn’t win the final game of the year, but it just goes to show, this is just what happens with the Patriots. They start off a little slow, not showing all their cards, still figuring things out. So should fans be worried about starting 2018 1-1? No, the answer is written in history. Especially this season with so much turnover from last year.

New England is going to take the first four games to figure everything out like they have been for years. September is an extension of the preseason for the Patriots to try different things, while they might start off slow fans should know by now they always finish strong. New England is on to Detroit after a familiar September loss, with a new WR and rookie RB Sony Michel. I’m here to say to anyone who is worried. Look at the recent timeline of events, there is no need to panic.

The Game Plan against Ramsey’s Mouth

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Will Jalen Ramsey be able to back up his trash talk? Will Tom Brady be able make him regret his words? I break down (with laser precision) what his words mean, and how the Patriots and Tom Brady can game plan in order to win the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Super Bowl on Sunday.

Ok, this isn’t about the Patriots, per say, but this kicked off his 2018 Mouth Tour. He went after reporter Phillip Heilman for doing, you know, reporting, when a scuffle broke out at a training camp practice. His combative words earned him a week’s worth of suspension, and I think the Patriots could use this. Hey, Ben Volin, can you head down to Florida early and ask some questions? Asking for thousands of friends.

The Infamous List

Coming hot on the heels of his suspension, GQ printed its Ramsey interview. In it, he tweaked seventy-five percent of the quarterbacks by saying he’s “trash” (Josh Allen), “sucks” (Joe Flacco), and “overrated” (Matt Ryan). Tom Brady is on the short list of “doesn’t suck”, so I’ll assume that means he’s GOAT level and Ramsey has nightmares of touchdown passes floating just past his fingertips. The article is entertaining and you should give it a read.

Recently, as a follow-up, Brady actually responded and while his trash talking could use some work. “To not suck? I never want to suck, so I don’t want to be in that category,” Brady reacted. In traditional old-guy-with-dad-bod fashion the response was simple, direct and rooted in common sense. Not an initial shot to the mouth, this was more a kidney shot that lingers and changes the color of your urine! Brady from the top rope!

Rhetoric Ramps Up

“I don’t think Gronk’s good.” Mina Kimes of ESPN caught this gem of a bulletin board material in her interview with Ramsey. All of New England rolled their eyes. Kimes could barely contain her amazement at the statements out of his mouth. But this only would only be an appetizer to the main course to come. He did go on to say that, he thinks he’s not as great as people think. A caveat for the thrashing in Week 2 he may receive.

Put up or Shut up

Amid the preparations and game planning for your opponent you can easily go down rabbit holes where angels fear to tread. I’m pretty sure I mixed up all my metaphors and clichés, but you get my point. While the veteran, championship winning team will talk about focus. The talented, inexperienced team will rely on brash statements and talk. Ramsey doubled down on his comments by saying, “I don’t fear no man, period.” Okay… Then, “So he’s going to have to come out there and line up on me.” I will allow allow Matt Chatham of TheAthletic to eloquently respond to that statement for me.

The Plan

So what are the Patriots to do? Well we can’t sign. His grandma to go out and catch passes. “Like, I mean, if my brother, my dad, my mom, grandma was out there, it’s like, it’s on. After the game we can be cool, it doesn’t matter.” I was almost considering talking to Bill about this brilliant idea.

Ramsey will generally line up on a number one pass catcher. Fortunately New England’s top guy right now would be Rob Gronkowski. I would love to see this be his primary assignment all game, but I doubt it. If they take the approach of Ramsey and Bouye taking a side and shutting it down, then take advantage of that. The Patriots should rotate guys in and out of the outside position. Give them Dorsett, then Hollister, then White. The versatility will make the corners uncomfortable and not allow them to erase any one guy. If the Jaguars do decide to have him shadow a wide receiver, you have to make them pay by going away from Ramsey or creating plays that challenge him in traffic. In any event I will leave it in Belichicks and Flores’ capable hands. Enjoy the game and be prepared for either a tip of the cap or a slice of humble pie from capable corner. But don’t hold your breath.

 

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Tom Brady Will Be A Patriot in 2020 And Beyond

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Don’t expect to see Tom Brady in anything else other than a flying Elvis Helmet

Tom Brady has said numerous times, in various ways, that he plans to play until he’s 45. He’s 41 now and the reigning NFL MVP, so what would stop him from playing barring injury? Many have speculated his relationship with Bill Belichick isn’t the Greatest, but this season things are getting back to normal. Tom’s contract is up after 2019, Some seem to think he will play for a different team if he doesn’t retire. I do not believe this is the case, neither retirement or relocation.

How long will Bill be around?

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

After walking off the field last year under green and black confetti, Brady’s not done, not for a long time. As we know from Tom’s comments, he still feels like he has more to accomplish and more in the tank. Retiring after 2019 doesn’t add up with his attitude, not to mention his TB12 brand. Brady is different, he wants redemption after that Super Bowl loss. Tom also wants to do things nobody’s ever done before, winning more rings, and playing for the same team until he’s 45 goes perfectly with his attitude and his Brand.

Brady has said he always wants to be a Patriot until he cannot play anymore

Brady loves the Patriots

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Recently Patriot fans may have heard something they didn’t expect, or like about Tom Brady. NBC Sports Tom E. Curran went on WEEI’s “Dale & Keefe” radio show, saying if Brady doesn’t retire after 2019 he believes Brady will be in a different uniform. This is just Curran’s suspicion, so no need to panic.

Curran doubled down on NBC Sports Boston’s Early Edition, going as far as to include Gronkowski leaving with Brady. Now, Tom E Curran is and has been close to the organization for a long time. Let’s not forget he’s saying all of this, based on his observations and conversations. I respect his work, but unless it came from Tom E Brady himself, then I’m not buying it. Members of the media are fishing for clicks because of the lack of content, besides what’s happening on the field. Chalk it up to pure clickbait, the media just creates these stories.

My observation is a little different. Brady has now received his trainer back, Bill Belichick has seemed to have changed somewhat. The nickname “Chill Bill” has been used describing him this year. Also, the return of Josh McDaniels with a 5-year extension could mean Bill may be the one gone, not Brady. Basing what I’ve seen from Bill Belichick, and the newfound youthful spirit from Brady aligning with Josh McDaniels extension I see a completely different 5-year plan.

Five more years a Patriot, He’s not going anywhere

Tom Brady just a week ago told the world he wants to play 5 more years. His friend and offensive coordinator were stopped in his tracks from leaving for a head coaching job. Remaining with the Pats and a 5-year extension, I don’t think this is all a coincidence. Joe Montana left San Francisco at the end of his career, and Brady knows it’s not an uncommon situation. Seeing TB12 in another jersey would look very strange, fortunately, Patriot fans will never have to see it happen.

One thing about Brady is that he is a game changer, on and off the field. He’s shown that, with his training, diet, and performance. He doesn’t do anything unless it’s a calculated decision. Brady knows what he’s going to do already, he’s loyal to this organization to a fault. So when he didn’t get extended this summer, people started to believe the QB would be gone after 2019. As usual, Brady is the ultimate company man, took the deal knowing some things no one else is privy to.

I see a different 5-year plan from other media members. Sure the team may go year to year with Brady after next season. Or they could rework his contract again. Whether Bill is the coach or not, Tom Brady will be in the red white and blue for New England until he decides to hang up his cleats. Robert Kraft isn’t going anywhere, he’s already made his feelings clear through the Jimmy G saga, who his quarterback is going to be. Until Brady shows serious signs of decline, I believe he will be suiting up here every summer until 2023.