Tag Archives: #PatriotsNation

CTE : Is It Going To Be The End Of Football ?

Unless you have been living under a rock, any true football fan has heard of the medical term CTE. CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease. It has gained prominence recently with a study showing that virtually all ex-NFL players brains tested had the disease. A study published in July of this year revealed that 110 of 111 players tested showed various levels of the disease.

Could the prominence of CTE in NFL football players be the end of football as we know it? I do believe that CTE is a serious health issue that needs to be investigated further. I would like to give you a little perspective, and tell everyone to not give up hope yet. There is more to this story and I hope I can share some of my insight with all of you.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CTE

To give you some context, consider the most common signs and symptoms of CTE: Most common sign is cognitive impairment, which is difficulty thinking clearly. To be a true CTE symptom, it has to be a symptom that lasts beyond 48-72 hours after first being noticed; short term memory loss, impulsive behaviour, emotionally unstable, substance abuse increases, and most importantly suicidal thoughts. As you can quickly figure out, all of these symptoms are quite scary. The issue presently is how to diagnose CTE early enough to alleviate long term complications.

DIAGNOSIS OF CTE

Here is where the issue lies with CTE and contact sports like football. CTE presently is the degeneration of brain tissues and the presence of a protein called Tau along with other proteins. The only way that CTE can be confirmed as a diagnosis is by detection of these markers upon performing an autopsy. This iwill have to change to make it a disease that can be managed. Without earlier detection, there is no hope of keeping the condition in check at the earliest possible stages.

Personally, the articles and studies that I have read now tend to compare CTE to Alzheimers with regard to the importance of early detection. This makes great sense, because Alzheimers does not have one true test that is definitive, and I doubt that CTE will either. The key will be educating all parties that will be involved to note symptoms and act appropriately. Defining what those appropriate actions will be the key, and needs buy in from all stakeholders.

Alzheimers’ sufferers have a few medications available in the last number of years that have the ability to greatly slow the disease’s progression. The key is early detection, and staringt the patient on the medication as soon as possible. It looks like CTE may fall into the same category where early diagnosis will be paramount. That’s lacking right now.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Chris Long #95 of the New England Patriots kneels before Super Bowl 51 against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

IS CTE FROM REPEATED HEAD TRAUMA ALONE?

A lot of research is needed here with regards to CTE and playing football. Everyone knows that repeated blows to the head will damage anyone. The odds of this happening in a bone-crunching sport like the NFL is quite a bit higher. I want to point out the fact that CTE happens in other cases where head trauma is not an issue. Military veterans, chronic epileptics, and even domestic abuse victims are also people that have shown CTE without the repeated physical head trauma. This fact leads me to think that the best test is going to have to be detecting the TAU protein and then developing a treatment to “deactivate it”.

UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF TAU

Presently the TAU protein destruction method is being explored in treating Alzheimers with relatively good success. The treatments used could easily apply to athletes and others without any issues. I think that there should be a pilot project with some current and ex-players and the drug manufacturers to see if there is symptom alleviation.

Believe it or not, the basic substance of curcumin (isolated from tumeric) is among substances under study. If this turns out to be as good as initial tests have shown, then off to the grocery store we go for this. This substance has so far been shown to neutralize the TAU protein and allow the body to clear it out. The keys that are being explored is detection of the disease (CTE or Alzheimers) and then starting treatment. One study is presently looking at starting some athletes on this before they show any signs. The issue with this theory centers on the baseline examined.

DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES

With the recent story of former Patriot Aaron Hernandez having been diagnosed with stage 3 CTE after his death, the CTE debate rages on. I caution people to look back at what I mentioned previously in this article. With only one diagnosed concussion in his career, was football the only source of his troubles? Did his former gang activities, checkered past, or even prison time served have any bearing on his CTE development? We have to answer these questions so we can stem this tide.

I hope I have demonstrated the threat of head trauma on NFL players. We all have to be more conscious of it and it’s effects. Minimizing illegal hits, late hits and unnecessary hits by players is definitely a good start. As I have said, I believe there is more to the issue and that is what we have to figure out and fast. Players should stop playing football unless only as a personal choice. With further updates in safety and rules, I believe football can be as safe as any other sport. We need to make sure that head injuries are taken very seriously, and treated as such. It should have started many years ago, but hindsight is always 20-20.

Andy’s Candor: Matchup of the Game!

Leave a reply

“If a defensive lineman sacks a quarterback in the forest does he make a sound?”

The Patriots

That’s how I feel about the state of the defensive line of the New England Patriots. In the opener against KC they had some positives. Flowers had a good stat line of two sacks, six hits and eight pressures, but that was it. We knew coming into this season that the between the new faces and lack of star power manufacturing pass rush was the order of the day. The youthful energy and solid secondary would produce the finished product. So far, the returns are unimpressive. Other members of the front seven barely cracked the stat sheet, and with the loss of Hightower, the game against the Saints has taken an ominous tone.

The Saints

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 11: Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings sacks quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter of the game on September 11, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

But fear not Patriots Nation! If the state of our pass rushing sucks, then the offensive line of the Saints is downright deplorable! Heading out of training camp without LT Terron Armstead, they lost RT Zach Streif before two quarters of the 2017 season was over. This caused a normally explosive offense led by the prolific Drew Brees to fizzle and produce just 19 points. Including netting four field goals in the red zone.

Why it’s Important

This matchup is important for a multitude of reasons. Let the young guys get experience and confidence. Allow the Patriots defensive coaches to further gather information on their own personnel. Making sure that Drew Brees doesn’t get too comfortable and be able to pick apart the secondary. But, the biggest reason is that they need to prevent this game from becoming too big of a shootout. The offense still has kinks to work out and Brady has to be forced to trust other receivers on third down. And his Edelman and Amendola security blankets have been put in the wash and you have to get Tom used to the Hogan, and Cooks stuffy now, so it can pay off dividends in January.

Comment and share with your friends. You can express your displeasure with me on Twitter @ALykins32 and be sure to read and follow @BosSportsExtra for more original content from great writers.

Jardine’s Means: The Keys To Beating The Saints

Leave a reply

Well folks, as Coach Belichick would say “we are onto New Orleans”. It will be refreshing for players and fans alike to get to the next game. We all just hope that that first game was just a reminder to “do your job” and play. Let me give you my keys to the Patriots beating the Saints tomorrow.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: James White #28 of the New England Patriots with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

USE THE RUN TO SET UP THE PASSING GAME

One key to beating the Saints this week is controlling the game on the ground. This will accomplish many things if executed properly. First, it will allow the offense to get into the game and draw the Saints’ defense closer to the line of scrimmage. By drawing the defense closer to the line over time this will allow for play action passing. Brady is a master at reading the defense. The more of them at the line the better.

Running the ball also eats up the clock nicely. This allows the Patriots’ defense limit time on the field which keeps them very fresh. Running the ball accomplishes the most important goal of all, keeping Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense on the sidelines. They cannot score when they are on the sidelines looking at their tablets. The Patriots really failed at this in their first game. I guarantee you that Coach Belichick chewed the ear off Coach McDaniels about this very subject.

Expect a big ground game from Gillislee after Coach Belichick’s comment that “he could be a little better”. Yes Gillislee scored three touchdowns. But that was about it for positives in game one.

USE THE ENTIRE PASSING GAME

Anyone that watched the first game against the Chiefs probably shouted at their TV at least once during the game. The most likely phrase screamed at the TV was probably “why the hell are the Pats throwing it deep all the time?” Maybe that was just me, because I know I shouted that at least once.

The Patriots will move into their passing attack mode after running the ball. This strategy will also be much more effective than my “spreading the ball around” and not just throwing deep. Having Cooks and Hogan down the field was almost having a new toy for Brady last week. Like anything new, you don’t want to wear it out from overuse. The Pats have so many weapons in their passing arsenal that they should be OK. By spreading the ball to Gronk, Burkhead, White and friends, then it should allow for deep throws sometimes. Just don’t fall in love with the deep ball, Tom, because you don’t have to.

This so called spreading of the offensive wealth should allow for a better result then last week. The Patriots have such a wide and varied offensive attack that things should work themselves out this week.

BACK ON TRACK

With the slight change of our teams’ offensive outlook, the result of this game should be better. Keeping the Saints’ offens,e off of the field as much as possible, and grinding their D are going to be the keys to victory. T,ake a deep breath Patriot Nation, because I think that loss last week will be a blessing. Let’s Go Patriots. Check out more great Patriot articles at BostonSportsExtra.com

Defense Analysis of The Patriots’ Roster

Leave a reply

Forget the calendar. The real 2017 has finally arrived. the first game of our 2017 NFL season left a lot to be desired. But hey, just one game, and we all know the outcome of seasons with the same disappointing start. Here’s a quick analysis of the defense and what we need to do to be successful in the weeks to come.

Defense Wins Championships

One of the most overused phrases in team sports, but sadly it is quite true. Unless you have a perfect offense (we are close to that but ?), your defense has to play a key role in winning games. Big plays on defense can change a game’s momentum, and turn around what looked like a lost cause (remember Hightower in the SB?).

Defensive Backfield

In my opinion, our greatest defensive strength is the defensive backfield. At corner back, we have Gilmore and Malcolm Butler who would rank in the top three CB pairs in the entire NFL. Having such dominant players at CB usually should help take away opponents’ best wide receivers and throw off their offensive game plan. If the opponents can get around the “Velcro twins” of Butler and Gilmore then they have to deal with our safeties. The hard hitting duo of Chung and McCourty back there can make WRs hesitate for a moment before stretching out for that long pass.

When Coach Patricia goes to the nickel package, he has the freedom of bringing in players like Duron Harmon and Eric Rowe, both better than many teams’ starting defensive backs. Having depth in this area is never a bad thing, especially against a team that likes a vertical passing game. I feel that these guys don’t get enough credit because they are not as flashy as some other defensive backs in the NFL. Flashy is just that, and I will take effective and not flashy any day at all.

Linebackers

The defense could go either way here. This could be a strength of the team when all of the players play a solid “do-your- job” kind of game. But this part of the defense suffers with injuries to players like McClellin and Roberts, notably. The linebacker corp has seen an infusion of new guys like David Harris, formerly of the Jets (bet he thinks he won the lottery getting out of that mess) and Marquis Flowers. The stalwart of the linebacker corp remains — who else — the monster Dont’a Hightower, listed at 6 ft 3 and 265 lbs and can run like he is being chased by a grizzly. Hightower will get this group to focus on the job at hand and act as the QB of the defense, as he has for a number of years. This might not be the only job that Hightower has this season, and I will mention more on this shortly.

Having such a diverse group of “hybrid” LBs allows Coaches Patricia and Belichick to have the defensive players needed to handle almost anyone’s offense. These types of players can really cover more than just their own position and give an opposing offensive coordinator a few sleepless nights.

Defensive Line

This is where the big boys hang out, and the Patriots have a couple of players that give the scale a good workout. Start with the underrated Alan Branch, 6 ft 6 and 360 lbs (I think that he might not have had both feet on the scale there) and Trey Flowers. Both of these players are great and can disrupt an opposing offence quite easily. They may not get Von Miller or Aaron Donald-like sack numbers, but there is more to playing defense than getting “numbers.” Throw in newly acquired Cassius Marsh, formerly of the Seahawks, and that gives the Pats a formidable threesome. Do not forget that we also have players like Malcolm Brown who continues to improve as has behemoth Vincent Valentine.

The defensive line may not be our strength on defense, but we do have some very good players who “do their job” very well. They are not the flashy types of players like Donald or Miller, but I will take quiet and effective anytime. The only thing that matters is the score at the end of the game and not personal numbers.

My Radical Defensive Strategy

My off-the-wall thought for this year’s defense may seem a bit radical radical. Blame Andy Lykins, my BostonSportsExtra colleague, who brought it to my attention. With the unexpected retirement of Rob Ninkovich, would it be a crazy idea to insert Dont’a Hightower into Nink’s former role? Hightower is big enough, fast enough, and just ask Matt Ryan if he can get to the QB if he is let loose. This may require inserting David Harris possibly as the starting middle LB. Not a stretch in my opinion. This may seem like a radical departure from what Patriot fans are used to, but I think it could work very well.

The only thing that matters right now is that we get this season on track. Enough of the talk, let’s play some football. Let’s Go Patriots. Check out the 2017 Patriots roster at www.patriots.com Check out other great Patriots articles at www.BostonSportsExtra.com

Baltimore: America’s Sports Armpit

Leave a reply

[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]

Embed from Getty Images

Worse than New York

Though I now live outside Washington, DC and spent most of my adult life a nomad, I will always consider myself Bostonian to the core. There is only one kind of chowda, and only one way to say it. Dunkin Donuts kicks Krispy Crème’s ass. And, of course, New York sucks.

I hate everything about New York – from the filth in the streets to the noise pollution that is their accent. I hate the Yankees, the Giants, and all their fans – certainly in part because much of my childhood misery came at their hands. However, like most rationale Massholes, as much as we hate our neighbor to the south, we have to respect them. New York is a strong, important city with character and the Yankees and Giants have great traditions of winning.

The same cannot be said for the landfill three hours further south. Baltimore has not one redeeming quality. I’d rather live in Baghdad, again, than spend more than an hour in that cesspool.

Baseless Arrogance

Baltimore, a city that burned itself to the ground in a race riot two years ago and needed the National Guard and 1,000 police officers to restore order, still somehow presumes to lecture Boston on racism. I get it, the Red Sox were the last team in baseball to integrate. Yeah, it was almost six decades ago. Progress has been made.

Embed from Getty Images

Maybe they haven’t heard that Red Sox principle owner John Henry is so overwhelmed with guilt that he doesn’t sleep well? The sport’s most aloof owner is “haunted” by the ghost of Tom Yawkey, who – like Scrooge’s Marley – apparently walks the concourses of Fenway Park in the dark of night howling racial epithets.

Perhaps it was Yawkey’s ghost who threw racial slurs at Adam Jones on that fateful night in May. That’s the only plausible explanation how in 2017, in a crowd of a thousand cellphone cameras, nobody caught the incident on video, nobody saw who said it, and not a single witness has been found. I’ve seen enough Discovery Channel to know you can’t see ghosts. It couldn’t possibly be that Adam Jones wasn’t telling the truth or just hates a divisional rival. Of course not.

Besides Jones, of course, my least favorite bird has to be Manny Mochado. Mochado spiked Pedroia on a dirty slide back in April and Pedroia hasn’t really been healthy since. If there were any justice in baseball he’d take a heater in the ribs every at bat in Fenway for the rest of his career.

The O’s are led by an equally unbearable ass. Buck Showalter once managed the Yankees, but since landing in “Charm City” has found the nerve to complain about baseball’s uneven financial playing field. Even more than the fact that he’s a hypocritical ass, I hate that he absolutely owns the Red Sox. Since taking over in 2011 the Orioles lead the head-to-head matchup with Boston 72-56. Thankfully, he’s simply awful in the post season, having one exactly one post season series in 19 years and posting a 9-14 record.

Showalter and his team love to talk about “playing the game the right way” and the unwritten rules of baseball. Save it. You haven’t even been to a World Series since 1983. Please stop talking until you do.

Whiney Losers

The truly sad thing is that the Orioles are actually Baltimore’s likeable team. Led by the whiniest coach this side of the University of Michigan, the Ravens may be the most disgusting franchise in all major North American sports.

I get the whole Edger Allen Poe thing, but let’s face it, only reason they chose the Raven as their mascot is that the NFL wouldn’t let them put the image of a battered spouse on their helmets. The greatest players in the history of the franchise are a murder and two spousal abusers. By the way, brave stance there with Ray Rice – once the video leaked anyway. Terrell Suggs? Oh, he’s still productive on the field so let’s not discuss his domestic abuse history.

Embed from Getty Images

The Ravens aren’t just bad, they’re stupid. Baltimore once made Joe Flacco the highest paid player in league history – the self-appointed “elite” QB with a career QBR lower than Rich Gannon. Rich Gannon. Take a moment and let that sink in. And, of course, who can forget the 2015 AFC Divisional playoff game when New England twice took advantage of the same innovative, but fully-legal, formation to conceal eligible receivers to get critical first downs on scoring drives against Baltimore.

Harbaugh, of course, lost his mind – first on the field with the officials, then in the post-game press conference, and finally in the off season when Baltimore joined other teams to petition the league to change the rules. To this day, Harbaugh cries foul, despite the fact that the league has confirmed time and again that the formations were legal.

The Ravens didn’t make the playoffs last year. They probably won’t this year either. Neither of those facts will stop Harbaugh from being a whiney sideline diva.

One Good Thing

We are a week away from the final Red Sox – Orioles series of the year. Baltimore will most likely miss the post season again – for the fifth time in Showalter’s eight years as manager. With any luck they will finish below .500. But, as we head into this final series, we should recognize that Baltimore has in fact given us one thing for which we should be thankful: the HBO series The Wire. It’s saying something that this city’s greatest contribution is a cable drama about their crime and political corruption. As we assess the Orioles and Ravens, their contemptible players, their unlikeable leaders, and their seemingly unending jealousies of the Red Sox and Patriots, I offer this final thought, from The Wire’s great warrior poet Omar Little: “you come at the king, you best not miss.”

Blessing In Disguise– Gaining From a Loss

Leave a reply

Well folks, if you are like me, I’ll bet you are glad that the first game is over. The Pats got a slice of humble pie that I believe they needed. On a positive note, I believe that the loss to KC will prove a true blessing in disguise.

FOXBORO, MA – SEPTEMBER 07: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots reacts on the sideline during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Why I Think the Loss Will Help Us

The loss to the Chiefs at Gillette on September 7th was more than a little disheartening to Patriots’ fans. A large portion of Patriot Nation already planned out the SB route for next February. Even before we had played one quarter. I believe some of the players believed the hype, even though Coach Belichick would definitely say otherwise. There are reasons you play the games, because anything can happen. The Patriots lost, Hightower and Amendola before the last play and it looked like all was lost. To tell the truth, it made it evident to fans and even coaches that the Patriots had some work to do.

I believe the media can be blamed as culprits for starting the perfect season pressure for the 2017 season. With the loss to the Chiefs, the Patriots just have to go out and play their games. The pressure to win to keep up the undefeated string went up in musket smoke, as did “dreaming the impossible dream”. By not having that large monkey hanging off their backs, the Pats may just run the table now out of sheer determination.

What The Loss Will Show Us About The Patriots

This recent loss will truly be a blessing to the coaching staff of the Pats because they will constantly remind the players of it. Knowing players like Brady, Amendola, Hightower, and many others, they just want to get back to winning. The loss will also show us that the team will have to go back to “Patriot Fundamentals” and just “do their job”. Not trying to do too much or something that is just not your strength got the team wrapped around the axle. Brady firing the bomb way too often, and running up the middle without extra blockers — just a couple of examples of what I’m talking about.

Anyone who knows me also knows that when the Patriots’ offense slows down, I’m always screaming the same thing at the TV. “Go to up tempo no huddle” and whenever we do, it succeeds. The offense finds a rhythm and the opposing defense just ends up being gassed. This stops them from putting up much of a challenge. That would be our savior on one side of the football, but our defense may need more tweaking than that.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

What The Defense Can Learn From The Loss

We saw more than a few little gaps exposed on the Patriots’ defensive unit during the loss against Kansas City. It is very evident to myself that Dont’a Hightower is truly the key to our defense. His role became painfully evident when he left the game. Other players and the coaches could truly see that for themselves. A solid effort is going to be required by the defensive unit this week against the Saints. Getting pressure on Drew Brees is always the key, and the Minnesota Vikings did a great job of that this week. Getting QB pressure has been challenging for the Patriots’ defense. The D unit is going to have to find a way this week to get the W,.

How do you get pressure on the QB when you are struggling to do so? That’s easy in my opinion. You do things that your opponent does not expect. If you bring pressure on Brees from the safeties, corners, or even blitz LBs up the middle at unexpected times you will have success. The key to this? Getting in Drew Brees’ face.

I believe the running game for the Saints should be non-existent if our D-line plays the way we know they can. Forced into the passing game, the defense has to hurry Brees. The defense also has to cover the backs out of the backfield. Those are Brees’ safety valves, lacking a multitude of other offensive weapons to bail him out. By blitzing, it will be difficult for Brees to use his other reliable safety valve of Colby Fleener. Fleener would be required to block for Brees or risk getting him creamed..

All Is Not Lost

Everyone soon will see that the loss against the Chiefs was a true blessing in disguise for the Patriots. No more listening to the reporters and analysts go on about the flawless season, and if it can be kept up. Listening to the coaches and knowing that if you all “do your job” than this team should win. I truly believe we have a great chance of this team hoisting another Lombardi trophy in Minnesota next February. Do not give up hope. e have the best leaders in the sport on this team. Let’s go Patriots!

Check out more stories on the Patriots at www.BostonSportsExtra.com by myself and our other great writers.

Don’t Panic Patriots Fans!

Leave a reply

Put away your pitchforks and torches, estranged Patriots fans. The sky is not falling.

Patriots fans across the nation were left speechless after an astonishing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the inaugural game of the 2017-18 season. The Patriots celebrated the unveiling of their newest banner commemorating their victory in Super Bowl 51, but their play was nothing close to the caliber of their performance back in February. A swift bout on consecutive drives energized supporters as the Patriots soared to a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. However, Gillette Stadium fell to a murmur after the Chiefs’ offensive resurgence in the second half, the Patriots fell 42-27.

The Patriots? Losing? In their home opener? Armageddon must be upon us. What happened to going 16-0 in the regular season?

The truth is that there were too many factors adding up early into this season that made being perfect impossible. The Patriot’s schedule in its own is rigorous enough to raise a few eyebrows. Tonight’s home opener against the Chiefs was one of the Pats’ true tests in the waking moments of the season. The Chiefs coming into the season are ranked as the 7th best team, per ESPN, and have only improved after adding depth into their powerful defense like linebacker Ukeme Eligwe. Other notable tough match-ups later into the season include the vengeance-seeking Falcons, and away both against the Raiders and Steelers.

The Patriot’s performance did not amount up to their Super Bowl 51 victory. However, it is noteworthy that the Patriots have become mechanically different from they were in February.

Both injuries and free agent acquisitions shook up the roster. Star reciever Brandin Cooks joined the squad as well along with running backs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead.

Two of the more prevalent roster changes are that of which Rob Gronkowski returning to his starting role after dealing with injuries for the past two seasons, and Tom Brady’s go to receiver Julian Edelman suffering a torn ACL and planning to miss the entire year. Emotions for those faithful of the Patriots became high when Edelman took the field during the pregame banner ceremony.

Another huge loss for the Patriots came from a surprise retirement from linebacker and defensive end Rob Ninkovich. Since his departure with the team the Patriots’ edge rushing core has been far from the same. This and the dwindling wide receiver depth has proved to be the Patriots’ challenges early on. Without a proven edge rusher adjacent from Trey Flowers the defense has shown struggling on pass rushing Week One. Dont’a Hightower seemed to be the answer to this call until he left the game with a right knee injury. Tom Brady also showed frustration after his new primary target Danny Amendola left the game with a head injury. All production thereon out came to a halt in the second half. Subsequently the team’s morale fell as their lead depleted.

Coach Belichick was blunt with his answer on how he felt the game went in his post game interview:

Bill Belichick is not pulling punches pic.twitter.com/SyZgWJ0QmQ

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) September 8, 2017

A new year and huge expectations for a seemingly stable squad, when really some cogs in the machine are now replacements. September for Coach Bill Belichick is a month of trial and error with his ever-changing squads each year. The first weeks of the regular season are used to revise any holes on the roster and exploit player’s strengths. Jonas Gray, Malcolm Butler, and Dion Lewis all metamorphosed before fan’s eyes by Belichick’s system.

Fear, not Patriots fans, this loss is not one that marks any end of the dynasty. Like in 2014 when critics began to echo “Brady’s time is up”, the Patriots will come back swinging. Future Hall of Famer Coach Belichick has seen situations like this before with the team and is capable of making fixes to better the squad for the future.

Did the Chiefs outplay the Patriots? Yes. Have the Patriots lost all chances to make a postseason run already after losing this game? Absolutely not.

We’re on to New Orleans.

The Patriots Next Undrafted Superstar Is … ?

Leave a reply

Pats fans, please retweet this and if you follow me, I will follow you back. Thank you!

When it comes to finding undrafted free agents, Bill Belichick is like some shady yard sale hunter taking advantage of the other 31 General Managers. These knuckleheads clean out their basements and attics, overlooking their “junk” by practically giving it away for nothing.

Picture this: Belichick approaches the brainless GM, and asks, “*snort* How much for the *throat clear* beat-up cup?” The GM shrugs, and says, “Uhhhh. One dollar?”

Belichick hands the GM a buck, then brings the beat-up cup, which happens to be the Holy Grail Jesus Christ drank from, to an auction. He sells it for a cool billion. Meanwhile, the GM sees the cup all over the news and internet, and says, “Heyyyyyy. Dat’s my cup!”

This is yet another way that Belichick has out smarted everyone else. He makes it a point on a yearly basis to not only make certain that an undrafted player makes the team, he sometimes turns them into stars. How does this benefit the Patriots exactly?

Every year hundreds of college players who have potential go undrafted. The second the draft is over, GM’s across the league call these players in hopes of signing them to their training camp roster. Belichick now has a reputation that’s so strong in this player pool, these diamonds in the rough wait to see if Belichick calls them first, before committing to another team. Why are they keeping their fingers crossed that Belichick calls? They’re hoping The Hoodie will turn them into the next Wes Welker, or Danny Woodhead, or David Andrews, or Malcolm Butler. And trust me, there’s a ton more.

The proof of this? Out of what were considered the top 10 undrafted free agents in 2017, The Patriots signed the top SEVEN. (After all, who the hell wouldn’t want to play for the greatest franchise in sports while backstroking in the tears of Patriots Haters?) And one of these players is going to be a stud!

D.J. Killings, Jacob Hollister, Austin Carr, Adam Butler, Cole Croston, Kenny Moore, and Harvey Langi were all undrafted and signed by Belichick. Killings got injured during camp, while Carr, and Moore were released after training camp. Carr and Moore were immediately claimed by other teams, while Hollister, Butler, Croston and Langi made the Patriots roster. So amongst these players, who is the next undrafted Patriots Super Star?

Once again … the Butler did it!

Here’s what you need to know about Adam Butler. He’s #70. He went to Vanderbilt. He has lost 30 pounds since the combine. He is now a ferocious monster who will be flattening quarterbacks like a teenager with a learners-permit mowing down pylons in Drivers Ed.

While I keyed on Butler during the preseason games, I noticed he pancaked FOUR offensive lineman. To put into perspective how ridiculous this is, a “Pancake” is a college stat kept for offensive linemen who knock a defender onto their ass. Butler is a DEFENSIVE lineman who in 3 games, has knocked FOUR offensive linemen onto their Goodell’s. Three of these Pancakes were done with a bull-rush, (this is how a pancake is usually accomplished) and one was by a spin move. A flipping SPIN move!

There was also a play against the Lions where he nearly killed quarterback Matt Stafford. There was no replay of the hit, and it was barely visible because the camera followed the ball as Stafford just released the throw. But Butler had beaten his man, gained a full head of steam, and hit Stafford so hard he could taste his own jockstrap. The next camera angle showed Stafford coming back to the huddle rather gingerly. (And probably spray spitting the taste from his mouth.)

There are other indications that suggest Butler will be a breakout star. He’s nearly 300 pounds and the Pats like to play him at defensive end. Reports from training camp have buzzed about him and in the fourth preseason game when all of the backups played and every starter sat, Butler was one of the players Belichick kept off the field for the meaningless contest.

Keep an eye on this kid. He will be a force by the end of the year. This following statement will have people demanding I take a drug test: I believe Butler could be a poor man’s Bruce Smith. And trust me people, I’m as anti-drug as they come. No dope for this dope.

Pats fans, please retweet this and if you follow me, I will follow you back!

Edelman’s Unexpected Replacement

Leave a reply

Pats fans, please follow me @StevenViner1 and I will follow you back. Oh and I ALWAYS answer questions!

The Patriots good health lasted about as long as Bill Belichick contemplating a rap career.

Not only was I on board for the 19-0 train, I shoveled the coal, I was the conductor, I wore a silly little hat to collect tickets. Of course, a prediction like this is predicated on good health. You can’t lose a top-five player for the year and expect to achieve perfection. Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Dont’a Hightower, Trey Flowers — all irreplaceable in some way.

A Jule lost from the crown

When GQ Edelman went down with a torn ACL, a mass celebration erupted amongst Patriots Haters. They did their white-boy dance to Abba’s Dancing Queen like a drunk uncle at a wedding. They whiffed on their nerdy high-fives. They grabbed the ball that they took home every time the game didn’t go their way, and went back out to do what they always do … play by themselves. When they were kids, mom tied a pork chop around their neck so the dog would play with them. Mom would say to these ass-clowns, “You don’t need friends, Little Joey. I’ll be your friend!” Pathetic. These people are losers. Because let’s face it, that’s what losers do—they root for the Express train known at the Patriots to get injuries.

Let me tell you what I am not all aboard on—the Patriots’ fans mantra of “Next man up.” Unless a clutch-gene-injected-27-year-old-big-testies Wes Welker walks through the doors at Gillette Stadium, there is no replacement for Edelman. So who could possibly try to make up for Julian’s production? The answer is not Tom Brady, and it is not a wide receiver.

Being Brady’s Brain

The #1 reason why Brady is the best quarterback in the league against the blitz is his mind. His ability to read the defense pre-snap, and ultra-quick decision making after the snap make blitzing him as useful as Johnny Manziel attending church. The best slot receiver in NFL history, Julian Edelman, was reason #2. No one in the NFL gets open as quickly as #11. He’s Brady’s fail safe.

When the defense and coverage challenge Brady, he simply looked to Jackrabbit Julian, and waited the .002 seconds it took for him to juke away from his defender before tossing a strike for the first down. Brandin Cooks is physically the closest to emulating Edelman’s ability, (Cooks’ shuttle times at the combine were exceptional) but he’s not a slot receiver. Danny Amendola is a good slot receiver who does nothing but catch big passes in big games, but he can’t shake defenders the way Edelman could. Hogan and Mitchell are terrific receivers, and Dorsett is as fast as Cooks, but there is a difference between fast, and quick.

It’s why every receiver who runs a 4.2 forty is not a success. Straightaway speed is great. But if you can’t cut on a dime, and run precision routes, you better stop by Walmart and pick up a spatula to flip burgers, because you won’t last in the NFL. It won’t be a player who replaces Edelman, but playerSSSSS. (Plural.)

Who will make up for the loss of Edelman? Nate Solder, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, and Marcus Canon.

Five for the cost of, well… five

Brady’s brain and quick release along with Edelman’s ability to get open in the blink-of-an-eye had covered up for the Patriots offensive line’s deficiencies. When one of the Buddha-bellies whiffed on a block, it went unnoticed by Brady, consistently getting rid of the ball before the pass-rusher destroyed him. I know this from my obsession with re-watching Patriots games several times and focusing on line of scrimmage play. Brady bails these guys out … a lot.

But there’s hope.

In 2016-2017, the O-line showed incredible improvement over the previous year. So, if the O-line has to take another step forward, and give the G.O.A.T. quarterback a consistent, extra second to survey the field. Give their new deep-threat toys a chance to get open, and the Patriots should survive without Edelman.

THE TRAIN IS RUNNING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

Look for a drop in the Patriots’ 3^rd down conversion numbers from last year, but the total points to rise from more big plays. IF the big boys up front can build a Great Wall of Foxboro around TB12. Patriots Haters may want to leave the basement and head upstairs, see if mom bought any more pork chops for Fido across the street, because it’s gonna be another loooooong winter outside of New England.

If the O-line doesn’t step up, the New England Patriots Express could get derailed, and lose a game or two. Bye-bye 19-0. Guess Patriots fans will have to settle for a sixth Super Bowl Championship with a 17-2 record. Bear down, Pats fans. Tough times are ahead … tough times indeed.

Pats fans, please follow me @StevenViner1 and I will follow you back. Oh and I ALWAYS answer questions!

2017 Patriots’ Opener: The Average Fan’s Day

Leave a reply

Gillette Stadium seats approximately 66,000 people. As, a lifelong New Englandah’ I will describe with confidence the exact experience that about half of those ticket holders will endure. This coming Thursday, our Super Bowl Champion Patriots take the field to kick off the 2017 NFL season.

Am I making some biased judgements and stereotyping about our fans? You betcha. Am I accurate? Yes, yes I am. (Remember that Saturday Night Live skit? It’s pretty much like that with a football game included)

The average Patriots fan’s game day experience

Fan’s Name: Jimmy “Murph” Murphy

Occupation: Verizon Technician

Hometown: Weymouth, Massachusetts

September 7th, 2017

8:11AM

Murph texts his game buddies some ridiculous motivational message like “GameDay bitches” or “#LetsGO”

9:28AM

Snoozing in his Verizon truck counting the minutes until he can duck out of work

11:17AM

Crushes a Subway Italian B.M.T. bragging to his fellow lineman ‘How f*cked up he is gonna get at the game‘ and probably will be ‘”bangin’ in sick on Friday‘

Lyin’ to go to the Rayzah ain’t a lie

2:26PM

Punches out early and races home

2:27PM

Pulls in to Kappy’s Liquors. Grabs two 30 racks of Bud Heavies, a bottle of Fireball for the game and a tallboy Heineken single for the ride to the house.

3:01PM

Slaps on his “vintage” Doug Flutie Patriots jersey to complement his Lee carpenter jeans and Timberland workbooks (take a few hits off the bong while waiting for his jackass buddies to pick him up. (“Where are these assholes?” mumbles to himself).

Jet Fuel? Check.

3:24PM

Finishes packing cooler. Grabs ticket. Sitting on froth steps. Two more beers imbibed during this ‘process.’

3:39PM

Murph’s buddies roll up to his house in a 2012 Ford F-150. Truck is packed with a full tailgate spread, a TV and that bumper sticker of the guy pissing on a New York Yankees emblem. Tobes, Dunny and, the driver, Moose are ready to roll.

3:48PM

Tobes spills beer and gets screamed at and mocked by the other three

3:49PM

Tobes: F*ck you guys.

4:18PM

Traffic on Route 1 sucks. Dunny has to piss and they are not pulling over so he fills the empty Gatorade Skoal dip-spit bottle he found under the driver’s seat. Pours said urine out drivers side window. Some sprays on Moose. Dope slap delivered to Dunny’s dome.

4:39PM

Enter Gillette parking lot. Tailgate setup is down to a science. Murph and Dunny immediately start playing 10-car length catch and do zero of the work.

5:01PM

Grill is lit, TV is on, crew is about nine-beer level and the insane statements and predictions begin.

“16-0…definitely.”

“Edelman sucked anyway.”

“I heard Brady has hair plugs.”

“You get any of those Bahstool towels?”

“Goodell is a piece of sh%t.”

6:22PM

FIREBALL!

Beer goggles

6:36PM

Dunny attempts to ‘get some girls ovah heeya’.

7:03PM

Murph throws up a little behind the truck. Hides it from the boys.

7:32PM

‘We should get in there’. Two beers shotgunned all around to get the buzz up knowing they are looking at $11 Bud Lights inside The Big Razor.

7:46PM

March in to Gillette begins. Moose nearly gets in a fight with “some p#$$y with a Jets jersey on“.

7:48PM

Tobes forgot his ticket on the dashboard. Has to run back. Murph throws an 1/2 empty beer at him as he turns back.

7:52PM

Quick hit of the one-ie for Dunny.

7:55PM

Enter gates

Blitz for Six — it’s on

8:07PM

Stadium rocking. Goodell hate-chants begin.

8:15 – 11:45PM

Banner, Anthem, and the complete dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs

11:45PM – February 2018

ROAD TO SUPER BOWL 52!

P.S. Murph never made it to work the next day.