Tag Archives: Patrios

Tom Brady Will Miss Danny Amendola (@steveA1127)

The Patriots Will Be Missing An Offensive Weapon

Via Clutch Points

With training camp starting a week from today we’ll get our first look at the Patriots on the practice field. It’s been an interesting offseason and a very quiet month in Foxborough. No Day’s Off turned into taking the last two days of OTA’s off and we’ll see everyone on July 26th.

Tom Brady though could have a difficult time to begin the season. With Julian Edelman out the first four games, Brady will be missing his other weapon, Danny Amendola. Amendola took more money and went to the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

Danny Amendola Will Be Missed

Now it will be up to Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell to take that role. In the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Danny Amendola had a great game. If he’s not on the team the Patriots don’t go to the Super Bowl. That is where he got the nickname Danny “Playoff” Amendola. The Patriots will miss Amendola when it matters the most. Last postseason, Amendola led the league in yards per receptions and first downs. That is an amazing stat and one that will come back to haunt the Patriots in the playoffs this year.

Danny Amendola didn’t think the money was right for him, which is why he decided to go to the Miami Dolphins. With Belichick in rebuilding mode and trying to give Josh McDaniels a decent team when he takes over next season, Belichick almost cleaned house this offseason. Malcolm Butler, Dion Lewis, Nate Solder, and Danny Amendola are all gone. Danny Amendola became a household name in New England and won two Super Bowls.

Tom’s Frustration

Tom Brady can’t be happy, which is probably why there is some tension. First Belichick doesn’t play Butler in the Super Bowl, so Brady is forced to win the game on the offensive side of the ball. Secondly, his offensive lineman Nate Solder goes to the New York Giants. Who knows how many times Brady will be sacked now. He loses his running back Dion Lewis. Finally he losses Danny Amendola who was clutch in the playoffs. This may not be a factor but if Edelman is out in a playoff game, everyone in New England will be missing Danny Amendola.

Show Me The Money (Manziel)

Cashing in on Money Manziel?

The Patriots should look no further than Johnny Manziel. I know what you are all thinking, but hear me out. The Patriots currently have the greatest quarterback ever on their roster, with plenty of holes to fill on defense. Their top picks are 31, 43, and 63. Many people believe that they should take a quarterback with one of these picks. However, the Patriots should use those picks to strengthen the defense and sign Johnny football.

This signing would come with absolutely zero risk, and all of the upside in the world. Manziel was a first round talent for a reason. He displays many traits that NFL teams look for in a quarterback. Manziel is a plus athlete, this is seen on film and the NFL combine. Manziel was a top performer in every combine drill at the quarterback position. He also boasts an extremely impressive 6.75 three cone, which is elite even by wide receiver standards.

Considerable Qualities

In the NFL an elite quarterback is extremely hard to come by. If there is a 10% chance that Johnny Manziel can become elite, is he worth it? The answer to that is yes. Why are prospects drafted so highly? They show elite traits and have the potential to develop into something special. Johnny Manziel is considered to be one of these prospects with elite traits.

Normally, to acquire a player of his profile a high draft pick is needed. However, all the Patriots need to do is offer him the veteran minimum. Worst case scenario he is cut. On the other hand, the best case scenario is the Patriots have Tom Brady’s heir apparent. If neither of those hold true, he could become a serviceable backup (we all know too well how important that can be). The Patriots should use their high picks to build the defense and take full advantage of Tom Brady’s window. In the process, they just might stumble upon their quarterback of the future.

NFL Week 15 Winners and Losers

Week 15 Winners

Dallas Cowboys: 20-17 W @ Oakland

I feel as though Dallas has been featured in this segment on almost a weekly basis. I guess that says something about the inconsistency of Dak and company sans Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys have very quietly won three straight games. This win streak has them right in the thick of wild card contention. Dallas will have to win their last two games, which will be tough. In Week 16 they host Seattle and then travel to Philly to face the Wentz-less Eagles. Good news for Dallas: Zeke returns this week and they are seemingly a completely different team when he plays. His return makes their final two games look a lot more winnable. I don’t think any team wants to face Dallas with a well-rested Zeke come playoff time.

Cowboys playoff scenarios: if Detroit loses one of their final two games AND New Orleans, Atlanta or Carolina lose their final two games, then Dallas will earn a wildcard spot.

Detroit Lions: 20-10 W vs Chicago

Okay, a 10 point win at home vs the 4-9 Bears? Big deal. Certainly not the most impressive win, but it was not unimpressive. More importantly, Detroit did what they had to do to remain in playoff contention. This win improved their record to 8-6. Perhaps the best news for Detroit this week was Aaron Rodgers being placed on IR. This means that in Week 17 Detroit will get to host the Rodgers-less Packers, making it a very winnable game. Well, before I get ahead of myself they still have to rely on teams above them to collapse as well as win at Cincinnati in Week 16. Should not be a very tall task versus a team that has been outscored 67-14 over the past two weeks. But hey, you never know. I mean, wouldn’t that be the most Lions-y thing to do?

San Francisco 49ers: 25-23 W vs Tennessee

I feel as though the Niners deserve a spot under this column. Jimmy G and company delivered a quality win over a quality opponent. Jimmy G carried the load offensively going 31-43 with a TD, no picks and a 89.5 QBR. This performance included a clutch fourth quarter drive. Jimmy G took the Niners down the field from their own 25 with a little over a minute remaining. After going 3-4 for 45 yards, Garoppolo set up the 45 yard game-winning field goal for Robbie Gould. And just like that, San Fran has now won three straight with Jimmy under center.

Okay, so San Fran is still just 4-10 and has absolutely no shot at even coming close to a playoff spot. However, the Niners deserve this high praise for heading in a very good direction towards a bright future. Plenty of other franchises are probably jealous of San Fran due to the fact that they have found a franchise QB. quality QB’s are a hot commodity nowadays. However, San Fran still lacks a few key pieces on both sides of the ball. Also, they really need to work on red zone efficiency. During their 3 game win streak they have scored just three touchdowns while kicking 15 field goals. Too many points left on the board.

Side note: imagine next year’s NFC West with a much improved 49ers squad?

Week 15 Losers

Seattle Seahawks: 42-7 L vs LA Rams

Cringe-worthy loss in week 15 for Seattle. Of course, key injuries have made it nearly impossible for Seattle to dominate like in years past, but come on, 42-7 at home with massive playoff and division title implications on the line? Not impressed. This loss really made the playoffs seem like a stretch for this years Seahawks. Still though, credit the Rams, who rolled into Seattle seeking revenge from their last meeting and got what they wanted. Also, credit Todd Gurley for being pretty much unstoppable. He ran for 152 yards and three TD’s on 21 carries. Oh and he had three catches for 28 yards and another TD. Imagine if it was a close game and Gurley remained in the lead-back role for all four quarters? He probably would have had six touchdowns and 300 total yards. Oh… right, this was supposed to be about the Seahawks. Oh well, it’s onto Dallas for Seattle for a true “must win”.

Los Angeles chargers: 30-13 loss @ Kansas City

I was really hoping that the Chargers would prove to me that they are legit. I can not help but root for those guys. Phillip Rivers is often criticized for turnovers and poor attitude. However, he is a very good QB and is putting together a very solid season. Entering this game he had 19 TD’s and just three interceptions over his past 10 games. His most impressive characteristic in my opinion is his competitiveness. If you watch this guy, it is easy to tell he wants to win. Some claim he is a cry baby or a poor sport, I think those people are confusing his fire and passion for whining. Anyways, it was time for LA to prove to the league they are for real. Fighting for the division title on the road, a win could have been a statement, so what did they do? Flop.

Fortunately, it is not over for LA who currently hold a record of 7-7. Kansas City is only a game ahead in the AFC West while Buffalo, Baltimore and Tennessee are also only a game ahead in the wild card race.

Oakland Raiders: 20-17 loss vs Dallas

What was supposed to be a fantastic season for Oakland turned out to be a disaster. The home loss to Dallas put Oakland at 6-8 for the season. Theoretically, the Raiders could still sneak into the playoffs but the Chiefs, Chargers, Ravens, Titans, Dolphins and Bills would have to lose a combined 8032753238203 games, pretty unlikely. Really not sure what to think of this team moving forward. Hoping, for their sake that this year was the fluke and not last year, but I am not convinced. Also, what the bleep was Derek Carr thinking trying to score on that final play of the game? I understand he was trying to win the game for his team, but he already had the first down and needed just a field goal in order to tie the game. It would have been first and goal from the three yard line had he just ran out of bounds. This one is one is on him. Come on Derek Carr, you’re better than that… or are you?

*Questions or comments? Find me at @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

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