Tag Archives: #SuperBowl

Brady Passes Peyton For Another All-Time Record

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Tom Brady Breaks Another Record

Tom Brady continues to solidify himself as the GOAT. The 41 year old quarterback is breaking records on a regular basis, last Sunday he added his name to another one.

Brady took over as the All Time leader in passing yards in (regular season and postseason games.) The MVP passed Peyton Manning for the top spot in Sunday’s win over the Jets.

The record breaking pass went to Sony Michel, a running back who is still working on his pass catching. Brady got that out of the way in the second quarter, finishing the game with 283 yards. The Patriots quarterback now sits alone with 79,416 total yards, but Tom just cares about the win. After the game Brady was asked about the newest record.

“Just wins” Brady said, “ I mean that’s what we are here for, to win games. I’m trying to be a part of as many of these as I can.” No surprise Brady deflected questions about his own record, He ended his answer saying, “I’m just here to win.”

Brady Passes Manning as the All Time Passing leader

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Every Week Another Record is in Trouble

Brady also tied Peyton Manning on Sunday as he reached 3,000 passing yards for the 16th time. He is now second in NFL history, behind Brett Favre who reached 3,000 yards 18 times. Tom will easily break that record too, as long as he can stay on the field for three more years.

Tom can pass Peyton Manning again this Sunday, as another regular/postseason stat is up for grabs. One touchdown pass from Brady on Sunday will make him the All Time leader in combined TD passes.

TB12

Via Nj.com

Tom Brady already has the Super Bowls, the postseason records, and now is finishing off the rest of the regular season records. Of course he won’t play forever, but in the meantime no record is safe. Brady isn’t in it for these records though, right now his focus is all about his favorite ring. “The next one” number six!

 

 

The Patriots May have the Best Running Back Tandem that Brady Has Ever Seen

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THE ROOKIE RB

Sony Michel

Sony is showing why he was a 1st round pick

New England has two outstanding RBs. First, there is Sony Michel, who’s knee issue during training camp led him to miss all of the preseason. Michel’s play this year has improved each game since week 2, where he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. Each week that number grew, along with his confidence.

Against the colts on Thursday Night Football, the rookie’s average jumped up to a solid 5.4 yards per carry. New England’s first round pick is starting to show he is a special player. He is a more patient runner now, allowing his lineman to set up their blocks. He also is learning from an experienced teammate, a great pass catching back that will improve his game even more.

These two backs are perfect for each other and Sony is on the rise.

THE EXPERIENCED RB SHARING HIS KNOWLEDGE

James White does it all

(Staff Photo By Matt Stone/ Boston Herald)

James White’s play allowed New England to keep their heads above water without Edelman for the first four games this year. White has become Tom Brady’s most reliable target. As a running back, White leads the team in receptions(32) and receiving touchdowns(4) with another rushing score. While leading the Patriots with 5 Touchdowns, White is also averaging a career best 4.8 Yards per carry.

As well as James White has played thus far, he has also been Sony Michel’s mentor. Any question at practice or in a game, James is there to answer the youngster, and help him in any way. Despite both playing the same position, James White unselfishly is grooming the first round pick. White’s knowledge of the Patriots system allows Michel to soak up every bit of information he gets.

New England is facing its toughest challenge thus far, under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football against Kansas City. James White has played on much bigger stages, at an MVP level. He will prepare Sony for his biggest game as a pro, knowing New England’s RBs could carry the load Sunday Night.

TWO HEADED RB ATTACK

Running mates

Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Sony Michel could have the Football in his hands a lot Sunday night. Both RBs will be heavily involved, trying to win time of possession against a KC team that can light up the score board. When you have two running backs like White and Michel, the Patriots should lean on the ground game and keep Patrick Mahomes on the sideline.

Super Bowl hero James White and first round pick Sony Michel are sure to be one of the NFL’s most lethal running back tandems. White has been the most important player through the first 5 weeks, while teaching his fellow running back everything he knows.

Rookie Sony Michel’s arrow is pointing straight up. He’s adjusted to the difference from college to pro ball. Patriot fans are watching Michel turn into a star, some doubted him, while others like myself believed he could be the best RB drafted this year. Even with the slow start, there is plenty of time left for Michel to be in the conversation for rookie of the year. He’s done nothing but improve each week. He also has the opportunity to pick James White’s brain everyday. The Rookie’s ceiling couldn’t be higher.

New England has had great RB committee’s before, but this season Tom Brady might be playing with the best RB tandem of his career. Which is high praise for these two young running backs, considering past Patriot greats like Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk.

Make sure you follow us on twitter @BosSportsExtra. These backs need a nickname, because they are going to be very special playing together. Leave us you’re ideas on our Twitter or Facebook page.

Those Pesky Gronk Rumors Explained

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The Value of a Rumor in the NFL

As we head into the beginning of the NFL season news broke that star tight end Rob Gronkowski attempted to discourage the New England Patriots from trading him. On the surface and out of context this would seem to play into the big bad, evil image of Bill Belichick. The problem with rumors in the football world is that they come out in dribs and drabs. The Gronk rumors appear to come out of the end of a long offseason drama series. And the Patriots attempted to nail down what his plans were for the upcoming season. Let’s take a look at each rumor in chronological order and see if the entire picture makes anymore sense.

Rumor #1: After the Super Bowl loss Rob Gronkowski contemplated retirement.

This is understandable looking back. He was coming off serious back surgery that ended his 2016 season. Gronk injured his groin in Week 2 that no doubt lingered for multiple weeks. The frustration over penalties culminated in the body slamming incident of Bill’s cornerback White. His suspension in Week 14 was an unpleasant punishment. Then the normal aches and pains that an NFL player goes through each week in order to suit up. And a concussion in the AFC Championship game. Reaching the Super Bowl and playing a spectacular game only to fall in the end. Elite athletes that put it all on the line to achieve their ultimate goal understandably suffer a severe letdown in the immediate aftermath.

 

Rumor #2: Rob Gronkowski was angling for a new deal.

Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end in the NFL. Full Stop. His contract is not paying him like that. The team and the player have been locked in negotiations for several years to come up with inventive solutions to rectify this. The team of course could cave and give Gronk’s camp everything they want and be completely unprotected and set a dangerous precedent. They don’t do this for anyone. They will continue to be tough negotiators in order to get the best deals for the team. A little sweetener, such as what he received after training camp was nearly done may have headed this off, or it may have not.

 

Rumor #3: Patriots quietly attempted to trade Gronk heading into the draft.

The bizarre press conference in late April with Gronkowski appearing in dirt bike uniform, standing at a podium talking about his biking skills. Rumors of a wrestling career, acting career and no clear statement from the tight end that he was preparing for a 2018 season came to a head. Belichick clearly believes in attempting to get the most value out of an asset if it’s good for the team. The antics of the player may have been wearing on the front office. And prompted them to reach out to some organizations in order to gauge interest and prices.  According to news reports, the 49ers, Lions and Titans were all involved. This make sense as they either have ties to the Patriots or have been recently been involved in quiet deals.

Rumor #4: Gronk makes his announcement.

Then the news that broke on Sunday just prior to the 2018 season that Gronk “protested strongly” any potential trade. This was accompanied by a powwow between the player, his agent and Patriots brass. Then on April 24th Gronkowski posted on his Instagram feed that he was coming back to the Patriots for the 2018 season. I’m sure the details regarding his involvement were all worked out ahead of time. Including his absences from voluntary team practices and his attendance at the mandatory ones. The result was that after a full participation in training camp and a healthy mindset, they inked a new set of incentives designed to give him up to a potential $4+ million dollars more.

Rumors and reports floating around breaking at different times during the offseason. Many times weeks or months after the actual events, it creates confusion. What is clear is that the franchise cornerstone is healthy, and ready to go. I’m sure there may be more rumors and hearsays in the months following another successful season. Just remember that these are business people and adults that all have a common goals. I’m going to ignore any more rumors and look to great games this season and a hopeful sixth championship at the end.

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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

Follow me on Twitter @ALykins32

Winning More Super Bowls Than Brady?

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In an appearance on Good Morning Football, Deshaun Watson had said he wanted to win more Super Bowls than Tom Brady. “I always put my mentality with being the best, and Tom Brady is the best right now, so whatever I have to do to get to that level at age 40, that’s what I’m going to do”. He certainly has flashed the potential to do so, throwing for 1699 yards and 19 touchdowns in seven games, but can he develop into a quarterback better than Brady and win more Super Bowls?

Reasons He Can

One of Deshaun Watson’s major strengths is his mobility. He resembles Russell Wilson with his ability to extend plays out of the pocket with his arm or with his feet. An example of this was his 49-yard rushing touchdown against the Bengals in Week 2. On this play, the Bengals rushed four and were playing a deep zone on 3rd and 15. Carlos Dunlap provided pressure which caused Deshaun Watson to tuck it and run. He used his speed to pass the Bengals linebackers and, with great awareness, took advantage of the secondary playing far back to use blocks downfield to get in the end zone.

Houston Texans v Cincinnati Bengals

Photo Credit: Getty Images

He also has an amazing ability to move the ball downfield and using the pocket to his advantage, showing little hints of Brady in him. In the Texans’ Week 8 shootout with Seattle, Watson had edge defenders closing on him quick, so he stepped up in the pocket which allowed those defenders to be blocked. He then dropped a beautiful deep bomb to a wide-open Will Fuller for a 59-yard touchdown. 

Watson has great speed, pocket presence, a big, accurate arm, and the ability to move the ball downfield. He gave the Texans offense a spark which they desperately needed. It is a shame that he got injured because the Texans’ season could have turned out differently. 

Reasons He Can’t

However, there are some concerns about this Clemson product. Watson has shown the ability to make tight accurate throws to his receivers, but his throws are risky. He often throws to his receivers surrounded by coverage. This resulted in many big plays, but was also the cause of his interceptions. He needs to enhance his ability to go through his reads and try to always find the open man instead of just his favorite targets. Tom Brady does have his go-to receivers, but he creates mismatches and opportunities for them to get open, unlike Watson.

Another concern for Watson was his ACL tear. Looking at the Tom vs. Time videos, we can learn that pliability in muscles can lead to a longer career. How else can Tom Brady play at an MVP level at 40, while his longtime rival Peyton Manning looked like a shell of himself at 39? The ACL tear could have hampered the pliability of Watson’s muscles and therefore reducing the length of his career – not good when he wants to win five Super Bowls.

Indianapolis Colts v Houston Texans

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The last concern is not about Watson himself, but his team. The Texans need to upgrade their offensive line and protect Watson. It will give him the time to make plays and move down the field. They should also revamp their secondary. For Watson to be successful, he needs a defense that he can rely on to stop the opposing offense from scoring points. This was evident in the losses against Kansas City and Seattle.

Conclusion

Thus, Watson does have the talent to be a star in the NFL. However, I do not believe that he will win as many Super Bowls as Brady. His skills still need to be honed and his injury can impact the rest of his career. There are too many factors working against Watson and the Texans’ ability to win games including the emergence of several young quarterbacks on other teams. Watson can be great, but he won’t surpass the greatest.

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days

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For all the fans excited about @spot_bills running series on all 51 Super Bowls, here is the full list of all the articles published so far. Relive your favorite Big Games or discover new ones. Be sure to comment and chat with our authors and fans.

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-ii

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-iii

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-iv

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-v

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-vi

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-vii

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-viii

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-ix

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-x

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-xi

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-xii

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-xiii

https://bostonsportsextra.com/nfl/2017/12/51-super-bowls-51-days-super-bowl-xiv

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New England Patriots Dynasty

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After completing the “Drive for Five”, the Patriots have moved on to the “Blitz for Six” as if nothing ever happened last season. As if the Patriots didn’t appear in their record breaking 9th Super Bowl. As if they didn’t orchestrate the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history by coming back from a 28-3 deficit. Why? Because they reset every single season. Win or lose, they refuse to dwell on the past but rather choose to focus on the present and the future. It is this very simple aspect of their organization that has made them one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, dynasties in NFL history. Their favorite ring is indeed the next one. This mindset starts at the very top of the organization with the Krafts, and it trickles down to Belichick, then Brady and the rest of the team.

Owner Robert Kraft, President Jonathan Kraft, Coach Bill Belichick, and QB Tom Brady

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 13: From left, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady hold Vince Lombardi trophies on the pitchers’ mound at Fenway Park on April 13, 2015, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

THE KRAFTY BUSINESSMAN

Let’s start with Kraft. Unlike some owners, looking at you Jerry Jones, Kraft knows to stick out of the matters at the team level. Little things like who should start at a specific position or who the Patriots should pick up in free agency. Kraft knows to stick out of this. Kraft instead focuses on the business side of the Patriots and excels at his job. For example, by the start of Kraft’s first season, every single game was sold out. To put this in perspective, this had never happened in any of the prior 34 Patriot seasons. Also, what does Kraft say almost every time they win? “This is unequivocally the sweetest one.” His favorite one changes every time they win.

Patriots head coach - Bill Belichick

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)

THE BRAINS BEHIND THE ORGANIZATION

What is arguably Kraft’s greatest move? Hiring Bill Belichick. Bill Belichick has done something the mere mortal coaches could only dream of doing. Not only coaching a record breaking 7 Super Bowls but winning 5 of them. As GM and Coach, Belichick knows exactly who and what he’s dealing with each and every season. He resets his focus every season, builds an offense around his super-mega-uber-star QB, and builds tough defenses out of mainly non-star players. What was that chant Belichick led in the 5th Patriots parade? “No days off.” He’s focused on the next ring.

Patriots 2016-17 QBs: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Jacoby Brissett

Jacoby Brissett, Tom Brady, and Jimmy Garoppolo (left to right) at the Patriots 2017 ring ceremony

 

THE GOAT

This finally leads us to Thomas Brady Jr. The comeback kid. Tommy terrific. THE GOAT. I firmly believe that Tom Brady is the greatest thing to ever happen to the Patriots organization. What was it that rookie-Brady told Kraft? “I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.” And he was right. If I had to count all the records Brady’s demolished, we’d be here all day, but let’s just say he’s broken almost every significant NFL record. He has the insane stats, and he’s got the rings. And the cherry on top is deep humility and his insane drive to win every single game.

Tom Brady celebrating his 5th ring and 4th Super Bowl MVP after winning Super Bowl 51

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates after the Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

 

THE THREE KINGS

It’s these three focal points – Kraft, Belichick and Brady – and the fact that they all have the same vision that has made the Patriots the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Each the best at their respective roles, they do what’s best for the team and the organization. The Patriots are now on the Blitz for Six to cement their legacy as the greatest team ever, and we are all lucky enough to be able to witness it.