Tag Archives: New England

New England’s Defensive State Ahead of the 2018 Off-Season

In team sports, you often hear, “You win as a team and you lose as a team”. Rarely will you find a coach or staff that believes otherwise. Bill Belichick and his staff do not sway away from this mentality.

With that being said, it may not always be true.

The New England defense allowed over 538 yards on the grandest stage of them all. Philadelphia was an astounding 10-16 on third down conversions, 2-2 on fourth down conversions, and didn’t allow a sack.

This is not to take away from a brilliant performance from the Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles, but the Patriots defense was non-existent Sunday night.

Aside from Stephon Gilmore, who was virtually lock-down, the Patriots’ secondary got scorched. Jordan Richards looked lost on numerous occasions. One of those included a key third down where he let up a 55-yard play to put the Eagles in scoring position. Eric Rowe allowed over 80-yards in coverage as well as a touchdown while serving as New England’s second corner… We won’t get into that.

If you haven’t figured out how to say goodbye to Malcolm Butler yet, I suggest reading this article.

The defensive-front couldn’t sustain consistent pressure on Nick Foles. Foles wasn’t pressured on play action, three step drops, five step drops, and RPO’s. In other words: HE WAS NEVER PRESSURED.

A combined effort highlighted by LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi rushed for over 160-yards, a touchdown, and six first downs. Blount and Ajayi both gashed the Patriots with carries of over 25-yards.

The Patriots offense, however, was amazing.

Tom Brady, for the second straight Super Bowl, threw for over 500-yards. He tossed three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. All after one of his best targets, Brandin Cooks, left the game due to a head injury early on.

Not counting the 34-second drive to end the first half, Tom Brady led the Patriots on four straight drives of over seventy-five yards or more… each resulting in touchdowns. This strand ended with a beautiful strip-sack by Brandon Graham late in the fourth quarter.

CONCLUSION

After reviewing these points, while it may be a team effort, the defense lost New England the Super Bowl.

While there certainly are a few question marks on offense for New England, there is much more to be happy about. Among the uncertainties are Nate Solder, Danny Amendola, and Dion Lewis’ expiring contracts.

While Gronkowski has had his share of injuries, I am calling his bluff on potential retirement. Next season, health providing, the Patriots offense will have Cooks, Gronkowski, Edelman, and Hogan all at once. Also we can’t forget about the return of Malcolm Mitchell. I am not concerned about the offense.

The defense, however, will require much change.

Cornerback

During the Super Bowl, fans got to see a sneak peek of New England’s secondary without Malcolm Butler and no additions. Newsflash: IT WAS ATROCIOUS.

Outside of miscommunication against the Chiefs and Panthers, and poor performances against the Bills once, and the Steelers, Stephon Gilmore was great this season. It now seems clear to all why New England gave him ‘lock-down cornerback’ money.

PFF gave Stephon Gilmore an 89.1 grade for the season, ranking him the 8th best cornerback in the league.

According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, through the entire playoffs, Stephon Gilmore allowed 4-15 completed passes for 55-yards, with 6 pass breakups.

The New England Patriots have their clear-cut #1 cornerback for the future.

Devin McCourty is still playing great ball for New England, and position-mate Duron Harmon has been key as well.

For this last season, both Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon were ranked top-10 out of all free-safeties by Bleacher Report.

Patrick Chung, strong-safety, will also likely be keeping his starting job in New England next season. One could argue that Chung deserved Pro-Bowl honors this year. Chung’s ability to defend tight ends and play at the line of scrimmage makes him vital in New England.

CORNERBACK HELP FROM WITHIN

Cyrus Jones, former second round pick, looks to return from a torn ACL and compete for a job next season. Jones was far from a fan favorite a season ago after muffing multiple punts. The guy damn-near got booed out of Foxborough. Players like Edelman coming to his defense and touting his work ethic shouldn’t go unnoticed. How Bill views Cyrus’ potential could sway the Patriots’ search for a nickel cornerback.

While it may be hard to envision this right now, I would not be all that surprised to see Eric Rowe starting across from Gilmore next season. Most of Rowe’s 2017-2018 season was lost to injuries. Last season, as well as when he was healthy towards the end of this regular season, he looked like the guy to fill Butler’s shoes. There is no denying that Rowe started the Super Bowl on the wrong foot, but he is a good player. Whether he is #2 cornerback material is up to Bill.

The obvious need in this secondary is at the #2 cornerback position. Whether the improvements come from in-house, or not, remains to be seen.

While improvements at the cornerback position will be vital going forward, if the front seven continues to struggle at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the talent level in the secondary won’t matter a bit.

Pass Rush

Looking back, the eight-sack performance against the Tennessee Titans seems to be nothing more than an anomaly. The Patriots’ group of pass-rushers are very young, headlined by the leader of the group, Trey Flowers, and his sidekick, Deatrich Wise. Both having played their college ball at Arkansas, seem to be the head of the pack going forward for New England.

Trey Flowers proved that it is possible to have a good season as a pass rusher with low sack numbers, totaling at 6.5. With that being said, he led the team in that category, which is not close to the number you want your leading sack artist to have.

Things didn’t go as planned with the edge rushers for New England this season. Rob Ninkovich retired shortly before the season started, leaving a hole in leadership and skill level.

Also last off-season, the Patriots acquired former Super Bowl hero, Kony Ealy, from the Panthers. Needless to say, his time in Foxborough was short-lived.

Going into this offseason, there are improvements to be made with the pass rush, some may argue that it is the biggest area of need for New England.

I would expect New England to use one of their three picks in the first two rounds of the draft on pass rush. Whether that be defensive-end, or a 3-4 pass rush linebacker. This unit as a whole has struggled enough to where I wouldn’t be surprised if New England spent a decent penny in free agency to sure it up.

PASS RUSH HELP FROM WITHIN

Also what should be noted is the Patriots’ first draft choice last year, Derek Rivers, missed all of this season with a torn ACL.

Derek Rivers, a pass rush specialist in college, stands at 6-foot-4, 245-pounds. In four college seasons, Rivers compiled a total of 37.5-sacks. Having been the team’s first selection in the draft, expect Rivers to be some much needed help from within.

An obvious addition to multiple phases of the front-seven, is the return of Donta Hightower. Donta is without a doubt one of the NFL’s best all-around linebackers. His ability to play in coverage, manage the defense, and rush the passer was surely missed this season.

The everlasting issue with Hightower is his inability to play a full season. The key with Hightower is to not rely on him so heavily early in the season to give him his rest. Honestly, just hope his injuries come early rather than late, and not season-ending. With hopeful thinking, having Donta Hightower back for the entirety of next season will greatly impact the pass rush.

Linebackers

Continuing on with Dont’a Hightower: His impact on the linebacker core is unmatched. Dont’a takes pressure off of his teammates and does a great job at preventing any confusion. Having Dont’a back would be huge, but relying on his return is not something I recommend.

The Patriots made a great addition when bringing in Marquise Flowers, and the trade for Kyle Van Noy has been a complete success. That said, even with the Pro-Bowl caliber Hightower back, the linebacker position lacks depth. Specifically, they lack athletes at the linebacker position.

Too often, Patrick Chung has to take on a larger role than you would like him to because he is constantly moving down into the box in aid of the unathletic linebackers.

I don’t mean to tug on strings here, but the Patriots are in desperate need of a ‘Jamie Collins’ like linebacker. Someone with the speed to pick up wide receivers over the middle and can keep up with running-backs. The undersized linebacker who moves like a safety is exactly what you should expect the Patriots to be looking for from their first pick, to their last.

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE

Other than maybe the safety position, interior defensive line may be the most solid group on defense. Led by the young defensive tackle out of Texas, Malcom Brown, this group can usually hold its own against most lines.

Again, the return of a healthy Donta Hightower, even though he doesn’t play defensive line, will help this unit immensely. Donta’s ability to line up over the center and coordinate the young defensive linemen like Malcom Brown, Ricky Jean-Francois, and Adam Butler will help their growth. Another key kog in this unity is veteran, Lawrence Guy. Guy came in as a free agent from Baltimore and contributed a large amount over the second half of the season.

Once vital big-man, Alan Branch, was a healthy scratch for the entire playoffs thanks to the emergence of Jean-Francois and the steady play of Guy. I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see him become a cap-casualty.

The most action I expect from this group would be the Patriots picking up Malcom Brown’s fifth-year option. The young guys will continue to grow and improve here.

Whether it be at the #2 or #3 cornerback positions, pass rush, linebacker position… or all of the above: This defense needs to get better. A lot better.

Northeastern is a Team to Recognize

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The Northeastern Huskies are a team looking to take no prisoners in the college world. After sweeping UMaine this past weekend, the Huskies are one point shy of Boston College for first place in Hockey East. The Huskies are led by Hockey East Player of the Week, and NCAA Scoring Leader, Adam Gaudette. The Braintree native’s seventeen goals, and eighteen assists add up to be the most in the NCAA. Gaduette’s hat trick against UMass Lowell earlier in the season was a thing of beauty. The Vancouver Canucks’ prospect is someone to keep an eye on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_OvwCJJK8o

This Season

Head Coach Jim Madigan has led the Huskies to an overall record of 14-5-3, and a Hockey East Record of 10-3-1. Northeastern is putting the rest of the college hockey world on notice, coming in at #8 in the NCAA. Notre Dame has to keep up their pace with Northeastern firing on all cylinders. However Northeastern cannot let up. They have an important series against Providence College on the horizon. The Friars look like they are beginning to hit their stride.

Again, Adam Gaudette has been nothing short of spectacular this season. If Gaudette lights the lamp similarly as he has done all season, he will be a favorite for the Hobey Baker Award. In a similar manner there is another Husky up for the Hobey Baker Award that cannot be overlooked. Senior Dylan Sikura also has eighteen assists this season and twelve goals. Sikura comes in with thirty points on the year. The Chicago prospect is coming off his best season in which he scored twenty-one goals, tallied thirty-six assists, and ended with fifty-seven total points. If he continues to improve in his senior season, he’ll be looking like a steal for Chicago.

Of course, the Huskies are getting a big boost behind the play in net of freshman Cayden Primeau. The Montreal 7^th round Pick has a GAA of 2.03 and a SV% of .920. He has one shutout this season. Primeau had a season high 33 saves against the high-powered offense of the Boston University Terriers. Primeau looks like he can sew the wounds of Jon Gilles being lured away from Northeastern to Providence College.

Going Forward

The Northeastern Huskies’ break out season has been a long time coming. After making it to the NCAA postseason just once since Jim Madigan took over, a disappointing era of Northeastern Hockey could be coming to an end. Furthermore, the Huskies are ready to take over the top spot in Hockey East from the struggling Boston College Eagles. Last season Northeastern made it to the Hockey East Quarter Finals, and want more.

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

Merrimack and the Long Road Back

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Merrimack and the Long Road Back

On December 8th, 2017 it was shaping up to be another long season for the Warriors. Merrimack’s record was 2-9-3, with no bright spots to be found. Since then, however, it appears that the Warriors have turned a corner and are heating up in the Hockey East. Since that day, Merrimack is 4-2-1 and sits ninth in Hockey East standings with a measly 8 points. If this hot pace can continue, the Warriors may be making a run. Seniors Jace Hennig and Brett Seney have been tearing it up and leading the team with nineteen points. The Warriors will be leaning heavy on their veterans. But overall they need to step up and deliver.

Early Season

The early months of the season did not bring many good moments for the Merrimack Warriors. The team limped out of the gates in October with only one win in seven games. They finished 1-5-2 in the first month of the season. The only silver lining is five of those games were against tough, non-conference teams. The list includes Colgate, Wisconsin, and Minnesota-Duluth. November did not fare any better with two losses to Boston College and a loss to Providence College. The Warriors ended the month blowing a 5-1 lead against the Friars, finishing with a 6-6 overtime tie. Merrimack was on fire to begin the game but could not keep it all together.

December

December is where tough teams continue to fight it out, and the rest are left behind. The Warriors are surprising everyone as of late. Following two losses to the mighty Northeastern, Merrimack scored big wins over Army and the University of New Hampshire. A tie against Northeastern kept the momentum rolling and led to a win over Denver. Merrimack ended the month on a sour note with a loss to Colorado College. There is no denying that Merrimack is no longer an “easy win”.

Going Forward

The Warriors have started the month of January off with a 1-1-0 record. The schedule does not let up with Boston University on the horizon. However, UConn, Vermont, UMaine, and UMass Amherst are coming up. All those programs have been struggling. Merrimack could make up ground in the Hockey East Standings and shock the college hockey world.

Jace Hennig, Brett Seney, and Jared Kolquist must continue to produce. If Merrimack wants to survive in Hockey East they must meet the challenge. Craig Pantano has been an unsung hero in Hockey East. Though 6-6-2 is not that impressive, his 2.42 GAA and .915 Sv % are nothing to sneeze at. The junior should receive the most time between the pipes for the rest of the season. If he can continue to improve, the Warriors will be in it for the long haul. Merrimack’s biggest fan, Mike Babcock, father of junior Michael Babcock, will be there to see the Warriors making a run.

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

On to Pittsburgh

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Wow, that game was awful. Another loss down in Miami and an ugly showing by the Patriots to fall one game behind the Steelers heading into next week’s match-up. Despite what the scoreboard said, this might have been the ugliest game the Patriots have played all season. Kenyan Drake ran wild and Jay Cutler was routinely hitting open receivers. Then you have the 0-11 on 3^rd downs. 0-11! This was the Patriots’ first game since a 24-10 loss to the Phoenix Cardinals in Week 5 of 1991 where they failed to convert on third down. That team was quarterbacked by the legendary Hugh Millen. Based on how the offense looked last night, I think Millen may have been on the field again.

Why This Might Not Be a Bad Thing

Hear me out; yes the Patriots looked terrible and fell behind Pittsburgh in the standings. If the Patriots win this coming week, they jump back ahead due to head-to-head tiebreaker, so they control their own destiny. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to drop a game late in the year. The Patriots were just humbled, shown they are not invincible by a very mediocre team. Moving forward, maybe they approach each game with more meaning. I’ve always thought since 2007 the Patriots would have been better off dropping that regular season game to the Giants. As it stands, the Patriots eight game winning streak came to an end; they know they are not indestructible. But again, they just won eight straight, this is a good team, don’t look into this loss too much.

Moving Forward

The Steelers better watch out. Coming off an embarrassing loss, the Patriots will likely be firing on all cylinders next week with home field on the line. The Patriots have typically played well coming off a loss during the Belichick-Brady era. I expect this coming week to be no different. The Patriots have won four straight matchups with the Steelers and eight of the last ten. During that four game streak the Patriots have averaged 34 points per game. Over those previous ten games, including the losses, they have averaged 30 points per game. They have historically had the Steelers number. One of the losses came with Matt Cassel at quarterback in 2008.

In addition to those factors, Rob Gronkowski will be back. At least part of the reason the Patriots offense was all out of sorts was the absence of Gronk. Gronk is so hard to cover that defenders have to hold him constantly to stay with him, and oftentimes are allowed to do so by the refs. With 849 yards and 7 touchdowns on the season, Gronkowski is a huge part of what the Patriots do on offense. Gronk has also played five games against the Steelers and averaged 99 yards per game while scoring eight times.

Another positive on the offensive side of the ball is Chris Hogan. Yes, he only had 1 catch for 1 yard this week, but the whole offense was out of sync. Hogan himself was just coming back after missing over a month. He was also limited in practice all week leading up to the game. With a full game back under his belt, I think Hogan will be up to speed and ready to contribute more.

Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots celebrates after scoring his third touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers September 10, 2015 (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Steelers

The thing working in the Steelers favor is they have a home game. The Steelers have been a much better home team over the last couple years. Their offense is lethal at home, but only mediocre on the road. Roethlisberger has thrown 64 more yards per game at home than on the road so far this year, while tossing four more touchdowns in one less game. Last year he averaged 81 more yards per game at home while throwing 20 touchdowns there as opposed to only nine on the road. Taking this back to the beginning of the 2015 season, Ben Roethlisberger has played 18 home games and 21 road games. During that time he has averaged 64.5 more passing yards while playing at home. He has also thrown 50 touchdowns versus 19 interceptions at home, 24 touchdowns against 23 interceptions on the road. It is clear this offense is dangerous at home.

What to Expect

I think the Patriots offense will come out clicking. Brady will be firing on all cylinders while they effectively mix in runs with Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead. I predict the Patriots will score on their first drive of the game and not look back. The Steelers will do some scoring of their own to stay within striking distance, with a late field goal bringing them within one possession.

Patriots 34 Steelers 27

The Enigma That Is College Hockey

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History of College Hockey

New England College Hockey is a treasured luxury to complement our brutal winters. Other than back-breaking shoveling, what provides New Englanders with a sense of pride is college hockey. The Hockey East Conference, which was established in 1984, is home to amazing teams, legendary hockey-minded coaches, and NHL Hall of Famers. In no other sport do coaches last if they do in college hockey. Jack Parker, Jerry York, Dick Umile all had 20+ year coaching careers, all with the same team. Jack Parker coached the Terriers for 40 seasons. That is unheard of in other sports. Maybe college basketball comes close, but in college hockey, coaches are loyal to their programs.

Current Members

There are currently eleven teams in the Conference following Notre Dame’s exit for the Big Ten. BC, BU, UMass Lowell, UMaine, UNH, Northeastern, and Providence were all founding members in 1984. Merrimack joined in 1989, UMass Amherst in 1994, UVM in 2005, and UCONN in 2014. BC and BU have certainly dominated the conference, winning 11 and 8 Hockey East Championships respectively. UMaine, UMass Lowell, UNH, Northeastern, and Providence have all been multiple time winners. Sorry Merrimack, UMass Amherst, and UVM. Hockey East Schools have won 8 NCAA Championships, most recently the 2015 Providence College Friars.

Fans

It is not even winning the Hockey East Championship that matters to New England College Hockey fans. While fans want to see, their team succeed and go on to win National Titles, most fans watch college hockey for the spectacle of it. When you attend a college hockey game, you will see a wide vary of fans. There are little kids whose parents attended one of the schools playing, watching the mascot the entire game. The loud, obnoxious, drunk college kids, and the old season ticket holders wearing an old autographed jersey are a must see. These fans add to the spectacle of New England College Hockey; without them it would just be a hockey game. The crazy game day promotions also make up the spectacle. From bobbleheads to cowbells, fans will line up an hour before the game in the freezing cold just to get one.

Cycle

Many College Hockey fans can live every part of the cycle of a college hockey fan. We are born in and die in New England and are damn proud of that. Our parents bring us to games, now we’re the drunk, fun-loving college students. Until one day we’ll be the old season ticket holder, rocking the throwback, autographed jersey.

Dion Lewis’ Search for Good Health and an Opportunity

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College Stardom

Dion Lewis’ freshman season of 2009 at Pitt put him on the map. A 5’8″-195-lb running back ran all over the Big East. He broke multiple Big East and Pitt rushing records previously held by both Tony Dorsett and LeSean McCoy. Big East MVP, Big East Offensive Player of the Year, Second Team AP All-American, Doak Walker semifinalist and Maxwell Award semifinalist. Dion Lewis’ talent has never been questioned.

To put Lewis’ freshman season into perspective, compare his statistics to those of Kareem Hunt’s best college season.

Dion Lewis:

2009 Pitt (FR) – 1988 total yards / 5.7 yards per touch / 18 total touchdowns

Kareem Hunt:

2016 Toledo (SR) – 1878 total yards / 6.2 yards per touch / 11 total touchdowns

Dion Lewis’ talent was undeniable. To put up better numbers as a freshman than NFL star Kareem Hunt did as a senior, presents pure evidence that from the beginning the talent has been there.

Drafted and Blocked

Due to concerns about Lewis’ lack of ‘NFL Size’, he fell to the fifth round where he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Philadelphia, Dion Lewis was never given the opportunity to get on the field. He was being blocked, rightfully so, by LeSean McCoy: One of the best running backs in the NFL. Dion Lewis was still in search of the team where he could show the skills that helped him shatter numerous records back at Pitt.

Traded to Cleveland

In April of 2013, the Eagles traded Lewis to the Browns. At the time of the trade, Cleveland possessed a budding star at the running back position: Trent Richardson. Cleveland used a first round pick on Richardson, and in the 2012 season, they worked their 22-year-old running back to death. Many saw the addition of Lewis as a way to lighten Richardson’s load in the passing game. In 2012, Richardson caught more than 50 balls and was targeted 71 times. If Lewis was indeed going to help in the passing game, he certainly had a large opportunity to do so.

Any potential plan for Dion Lewis in the Cleveland offense never got to play itself out. In the preseason of 2013, Dion Lewis broke his fibula and suffered ligament damage.

Cleveland Browns running back Dion Lewis is taken to the locker room after an injury in the third quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

There was potential for Dion to make a name in Cleveland. All hope came crashing down with the break of his fibula. The next season, Trent Richardson was traded away from Cleveland, leaving a larger-than-life hole that could have easily fit a 5’8″ 195 lb frame in it. The seriousness of Dion’s fibula break, however, ensured that he would never play a down of his contract for the Cleveland Browns. An enormous opportunity for Dion Lewis to showcase himself, stolen by injury.

New Team… No Opportunity

In September of 2014, the Indianapolis Colts took more than a flyer on the still-young running back. They signed him to a two-year contract. Dion’s time with the Colts lasted no longer than a week. The Colts decided to add defensive depth. When doing so, Dion was the counter-cut.

Future Contract

During the 2014 season, three months after being cut by the Colts, Bill Belichick came calling. Dion Lewis signed with the New England Patriots on a future deal for the 2015 season. Dion Lewis sat out the entire 2014 season, waiting for his opportunity in the 2015 camp.

Looking back, it seems Bill Belichick had a plan all along. Two running backs on the Patriots in 2014 were set to become free-agents after the season. The Patriots saw signing Dion Lewis to a future contract as an opportunity to add depth before they inevitably lost both of those backs, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen to free-agency.

2015 New England Patriots Camp

A battle brewed in camp. Matter of fact, it was the talk of the camp. Who would play the passing back role for the New England Patriots? Long-time Patriot, Brandon Bolden? James White, who the Patriots spent a draft pick on? Other signee, Travaris Cadet? Journeyman Dion Lewis?

By the end of the preseason, it was clear to everyone that covered that team. Dion Lewis had won the ‘scat back’ role in New England. In case you aren’t familiar with how things work in New England, Bill Belichick isn’t one to announce who wins battles. Nothing was different in this instance. It was noticeable how much better and more prepared Dion Lewis was than the others in line. Come opening night, it proved true. Dion Lewis won the job.

The Opportunity

Dion Lewis started as the primary running back on opening night vs the Steelers. He has LeGarrette Blount’s mishaps to thank for that. Blount was supposed to start Week 1 as the lead back. Sadly for him, he was suspended one game for an incident that happened the year before. Dion Lewis winning the ‘scat back’ role, and Blount’s suspension combined for the only true opportunity Dion had in the NFL up to this point.

Dion Lewis burst onto the map on September 10th, 2015 vs the Steelers. He finished with 19 total touches for 120 yards from scrimmage. Dion Lewis finally got the opportunity to show what made him a human video-game at Pitt, and boy did he ever. The lateral quickness was still there, and he could make cuts just the same as before snapping his fibula. “Lewis” jerseys instantly went into production, fantasy football players were hyperventilating as they scrambled their way through waivers to see if he was available. ‘Pitt Dion Lewis’ had landed in New England.

Dion’s Dream Season

Through just over six regular season games, Dion Lewis had piled up 622 yards from scrimmage, four total touchdowns and 36 catches.

He became a household name in New England. Dion Lewis tore up the NFL in his first ever opportunity to shine. Big play after big play, jump cut after jump cut, juke after juke, and spin after spin. Dion Lewis arguably became the ‘X-Factor’ of the Patriots offense through six games.

Defenses had no answer for him. A player his size usually excels outside of the numbers. Dion did exactly that. What made Dion so special and different was his ability to create space as a runner inside of the tackles. Dion continued to surprise everyone around him, especially opposing defensive coordinators.

Nightmare Ending

As the Patriots approached the halfway point in the season, Dion Lewis entered the seventh game of his ‘rebirth’. The Washington Redskins were next up. Throughout the game, like every other team, Washington had no answer for Dion Lewis.

In the third quarter, Dion Lewis snagged a screen pass and shifted his way up the field. In an instant, a non-contact injury to his knee sent him leaping to the turf in order to avoid putting weight back on his leg.

Dion knew, Patriot fans knew, and as the broadcast showed, Matt Patricia knew. Dion Lewis’ dream season was over. The image of tears streaming down Dion’s face while getting an emotional pep-talk from coach Patricia… That will never leave the minds of Patriots fans. Dion had worked so hard for his opportunity. Multiple teams, fought through a gruesome injury, all to lose it again. Dion had gone through so much, and was forced to go through it all once more.

Dion Lewis watched the rest of the season from the sidelines with a torn ACL.

The Comeback?

Dion Lewis spent the entire rest of the season and offseason in rehab, trying to get back on the field. Many at first believed that Lewis would make it back for Week 1 of the 2016 season. Sadly for Dion, he was forced to start the season on the PUP list, preventing him from seeing the field for the first six weeks.

While Week 7 was the likely scenario anyways, it was a setback during rehab that truly pushed the timetable back. Dion, eligible to play in the seventh game, didn’t see the field until Week 10, more than halfway through the NFL season.

The Comeback.

While Dion Lewis was healthy enough, and did play in Week 10 for New England, being “healthy enough” falls short of the player that Dion was before injury. Regaining the quickness in and out of cuts that Dion possessed before his injury didn’t come back when he did. Not until Week 14 vs the 49ers did Lewis start showing signs of his old self. In that game he totaled 104 yards.

The first time that season that Dion Lewis truly was ‘Pitt Dion Lewis’ occurred in the Patriots first playoff match up vs the Texans. Dion Lewis scored three touchdowns. One receiving, one rushing, and one on a kick return. Dion Lewis looked electric again.

The Opportunity of Every Kids Dreams

Along came the Super Bowl: Patriots vs Falcons. The comeback of the century that taught everyone how to bet on sports from Boston.

While Dion got to play all of regulation, he injured his hamstring on the final play of the fourth quarter. The injury wasn’t serious, but enough to sideline him for the entire first overtime quarter in Super Bowl history.

At the end of the day, the Patriots and Dion Lewis became Super Bowl champions. Not until long after the Super Bowl, during an NFL Network documentary where Bill Belichick revealed that the ‘Super Bowl clinching play’, a power toss, was designed specifically for Dion Lewis. Belichick said that only Dion had ever run that play before. With that said, the injury sidelined Lewis for the entirety of overtime. James White had to run that play, scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime of the Super Bowl. That play was supposed to be Dion’s.

The end result was still just as glorious for Dion, with or without him being the one diving across the goal-line. Still, any player would be lying to say that they wouldn’t want that opportunity, another opportunity that was stripped away from Dion by injury.

On to 2017

Dion Lewis is healthy now, and it is very easy to tell. He makes jump cuts reminiscent of 2015. He’s running with the electricity of his Pitt days. Breaking long run after long run, Dion Lewis has worked his way back into the hearts of the Patriot faithful. The opportunities remain. If he stays in the injury-free zone, the sky’s the limit for Dion Lewis.

Patriots-Falcons Q & A with The Falcoholic

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I sat down with Dave Choate, Editor-in-chief of The Falcoholic , for a Q & A session discussing this weeks game between the Patriots and Falcons. Below are the questions I asked Dave regarding key matchups in the game. Dave will be posting the other side of the Q & A session on the Falcoholic website this weekend.

What is a weakness on the Falcons side the Patriots can exploit?

A huge weakness they can exploit right now is Duke Riley at linebacker. If you can get into space, the Falcons linebackers have struggled to make open field tackles; Riley in particular.

Running plays or short passes? Both?

Both, the whole defense has been missing tackles but he is worst culprit. Teams have had tons of success if they can get to the second level of the defense.

The Patriots have a variety of running backs. Gillislee is more of a between the tackles banger while James White is almost strictly a receiving back. Dion Lewis has looked great the past couple weeks and can both run or catch the ball while being the shiftiest of their backs. Is there a particular running back you see having more success against the Falcons defense this week?

Probably going to have the best luck with James White. The Falcons have had some trouble with running back between the tackles, but they did just sign Ahtyba Rubin who will help their run defense in the middle, but as I mentioned, the Falcons have had trouble containing speedy players who can get into space. A short passing game that functions like a running game is very effective against Atlanta.

Would it then be fair to say the Patriots should possibly focus on using the smaller Lewis and White combo?

That is probably a smart play. Only thing to remember about this Falcons defense is they are least effective when they are worn down late in games, so it would be smart to try and balance things out to at least tire the defense.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: James White #28 of the New England Patriots dives for the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

So we’ve talked a lot about the running game and the Falcons defensive front and linebacking corps. Is there a matchup in the secondary you think plays in one teams favor?

I think your defensive backs against Julio Jones plays very much in Falcons favor. Just because the Falcons haven’t done a great job of targeting Julio, people can forget just how productive he can be. I do not think there is a defensive back on that roster who is capable of stopping him.

How about in the Falcons secondary? Do they have a player they’ll assign to anyone in particular or just play sides of the field?

They’ll probably primarily play sides of the field. The team trusts Robert Alford almost as much as Desmond Trufant when it comes to slowing down quality receivers; so I don’t expect them to do a lot of switching. I think that the most favorable matchup for the Patriots is whoever has to cover Rob Gronkowski. Devondre Campbell is a very good linebacker who will probably get his chance to do that, but it’s not really ideal.

What do you see being the Falcons plan of attack? Their offense is still trying to get in sync with their new offensive coordinator this season.

I think the Falcons are finally going to try to establish the run early. I think you’ll see quite a bit of Devonta Freeman, and I think if they’re smart they’ll try to get Tevin Coleman more involved as both a runner and receiver. The Falcons need to stop being timid and treat the Patriots defense like its going to allow them to do whatever they want so long as they don’t get too predictable or conservative.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Devonta Freeman #24 of the Atlanta Falcons scores a touchdown on a 5 yard run against the New England Patriots in the second quarter during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

How do you think the motivation factor will come into play? The Patriots seem to always have motivation, but it seems quite difficult for the Patriots to match the Falcons motivation for this weeks games considering the outcome of last years Super Bowl.

The Falcons won’t lack for motivation in anyway. Devondre Campbell talked about how he’s been waiting to play the Patriots since February. Makes you wonder if they have looked ahead a little bit.

What is your score prediction for the game?

Terrific question my friend. I think this will be the first game of the season where the Falcons just cannot contain the opposing offense, but it will also be the first time since the Packers game where they will be facing a team that isn’t a top 10 defense in the NFL per Pro Football Focus. So, I would say that this will be a high scoring game, and I am going to predict that it will be 34-31 Falcons, and that it will never be 28-3.

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