Tag Archives: The New England Patriots

Five Players that can Solve the Patriots Tight End Problem

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It’s fair to say that Rob Gronkowski is not coming back. Given that Benjamin Watson will be suspended for the first four weeks of the season, the Patriots still have a gaping hole at the Tight End position with the regular season a mere two months away.

Here are some options the Patriots can consider to fill this void. Whether they be a natural Tight End or a big Wide Receiver, all of the players on this list would fill in just fine.

DEMARYIUS THOMAS:

Demaryius Thomas is a Wide Receiver that is bulky enough to fill in at the Tight End position. He is big enough to hold his own against a Linebacker and quick enough to outrun a Defensive Back. Thomas is a solid temporary solution until Benjamin Watson returns from his suspension in Week Five.

DEZ BRYANT:

Dez Bryant is another big Wide Receiver that the Patriots could use to fill in until Watson returns. In fact, the addition of Bryant makes sense even with Watson. Like Rob Gronkowski, Bryant is a big body that naturally causes mismatches. He would be the most physically gifted Wide Receiver the Patriots have had since Randy Moss if he’s healthy. A little bit of work on his blocking and he would be perfect.

BRING BACK AUSTIN SEFERIAN-JENKINS:

Last month the Patriots released Austin Seferian-Jenkins due to “personal issues”. Thomas and Bryant have the potential to be great, but Tight End isn’t their natural position. If he feels physically and mentally healthy enough come September, the Patriots should definitely welcome him back as he is easily the most talented Tight End on this list. He is a big bodied underrated pass catcher. He’s not as dynamic as Gronk, but Tom Brady would easily be able to use him in the same manner.

LANCE KENDRICKS:

Just three seasons removed from a breakout 50 catch campaign with the Los Angeles Rams, Lance Kendricks is a considerable option. Kendricks is a Tight End that catches passes like a Wide Receiver. He stands out as a potential small money move that pays big dividends (moves that the Patriots are known for).

MICHAEL HOOMANAWANUI:

The Patriots would have everything to gain and nothing to lose by bringing back old friend Michael Hoomanawanui. Hoomanawanui spent four years with the Patriots and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2014. He would come to New England with a knowledge of the Patriots offense that is deeper than any other player on this list. If they choose to add a Tight End, the Patriots would likely prefer to keep him even after Watson’s suspension, and that’s where Hoomanawanui’s experience makes sense. He should fit right in upon arrival. If Josh Gordon gets reinstated in time for the regular season, this move makes perfect sense because it allows the Patriots to shift towards blocking Tight Ends as opposed to primarily pass catchers. Although Brady is familiar enough with Hoomanawanui to use him as a pass catcher when needed.

Photo Credit: www.nashuatelegraph.com

Mookie Betts Signing: Shades Of Lady Gaga

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The echoes of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face race through the memory banks. The Patriots are in the AFC Championship, 55% less likely, according to odds makers, than the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. Almost as bad as the Patriots odds against the Falcons down 28-3. Gaga performed at halftime, and the rest was history. These were a fraction of the long odds the Red Sox were looking at resigning Mookie Betts a month ago. Then he signed with the Red Sox for $20 Million last week. Is this the turning point that Hightower’s sack of Matty Ice was?

Mookie Betts Contentious Arbitration Cases

It is well documented that Mookie has gone to the wall with the Red Sox in arbitration thus far. It has been trumpeted by Tony Massarotti, among many others, that the Sox have risked completely alienating Betts by going to arbitration after 2017.

In that case, Betts asked for $10.5 Million, and the Red Sox countered with $7.5 Million. Up to that point in history, only Kris Bryant and Ryan Howard had gotten more than $10 Million in their first year of eligibility for arbitration. They agreed before an arbitration hearing, and both had Rookie Of The Year and NL MVPs under their belts at the time. The Red Sox were most definitely looking at Mookie and saying to themselves “Hey, he hasn’t won any major awards, why give him $10.5 Million?”

Arbitration hearings can be contentious. The player is promoting themselves, while the team is tearing them down. A funny thing happened in this case. The Arbitrator sided with Betts, noting his Silver Slugger in 2016, his Gold Gloves in 2016 and 2017, and his MVP runner up in 2016. Hey, not everyone has to compete against Mike Trout.

A New Deal

But then the news came across the wire on January 11th of this year: Mookie Betts had agreed to one year contract with the Red Sox for $20 Million. This after an MVP season in 2018, when he put to bed all the worries that 2016 was a one year aberration. After a historic 105 win season and 11-3 postseason on the road to a World Series Championship.

The fact that the Red Sox have approached him with long term offers that he has rejected don’t seem so real now. His deal of $20 Million sets a record for players with only 4 years in the big leagues, but it’s still a bargain.

Mike Trout is simply the sickest player on the planet. He finished 2017 leading the majors in WAR for the 5th time. He’s played 7 years full years. If he retired tomorrow he would arguably sail into the Hall Of Fame on the first ballot. That’s the guy Mookie beat out for the 2018 AL MVP. Guess who beat Trout out for 2018 WAR lead? That’s right. Mookie Betts. In 2018 he lead the league in batting average at .346, hit 32 homers, stole 30 bases, and won another gold glove, among many other things. Yes, $20 million is a bargain.

The Future

The bars of Gaga’s A Million Reasons ring out:

” I’ve got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one to stay “

Sox fans have a reason to feel good. Because the Sox gave Mookie $20 Million reasons to stay, and by agreeing without going to the wall in arbitration they’ve opened the door to perhaps $300 Million more after 2019.

Is it Alex Cora and a culture of togetherness and support? Maybe it’s JD Martinez and his other teammates that he loves. Could be the joy of working in Fenway Park with all of us screaming his name. Whatever the reason, Mookie has opened the door to a long term deal.

Don’t screw this up Red Sox. And go Pats!

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Tom Brady is not falling off a cliff

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If you were to walk into the 2018 season last week during the playoffs, without any previous knowledge, you would have thought the end was here in New England. There have always been talks of the sky falling in Foxboro, but it has never come to fruition. After 2014 Week 4 in Kansas City and last years Super Bowl, “the end” rumors were at an all time high. However, this past week it was an incessant streamline of talking heads and T.V. hosts all saying the same thing: “Tom Brady and the Patriots are done.” Well, in usual GOAT style, Brady made every single ESPN/FOX/NFL Network “analyst” eat their words with his dazzling performance against the Chargers.

Yes, Tom Brady has not looked as sharp this year as in years past. Even though his numbers are very similar to his 2014 numbers, a year the Patriots won the Super Bowl, all the media and some fans seem to care about are his bad games. So, let’s talk about those games.

Week 3 @ Detroit

This was a game I think every Patriot fan would like to forget. It was a “revenge game” for the Lions and Matt Patricia, who played well above what anyone thought they could. All in all, every Patriot player had a bad game in Week 3, including Tom Brady. The offensive line gave very little help, as Brady was bombarded with pressure from every angle. The offense seemed to want to run through newly healthy Sony Michel, who couldn’t get anything done. This only exacerbated the difficulty for Tom Brady, who passed for 134 yards with one touchdown and one interception. It is 100% unfair to chalk this loss up to some cliff and put it entirely on Brady’s shoulders.

Tom Brady was under constant pressure Week 3 in Detroit, causing his play to suffer.

Week 10 @ Tennessee

Another game that I would gladly have slip my mind, Week 10 against the Titans. The defense played horrendous against the struggling Marcus Mariota. The offense once again relied heavily on Brady to complete long yardage passes on third down since the run game was nonexistent. However, Brady still went for 254 yards with no picks in the game. This game simply got out of hand early and the offense became one dimensional.

Week 16 vs. Buffalo

It’s funny to see Brady’s stat line in this game be the driving force behind many of the “cliff” talks. With 126 yards passing, one touchdown, and two picks, many saw this game as the true start of the decline. However, whoever says that clearly did not watch the game. Brian Hoyer could have been in at quarterback and the Patriots still decisively win this game. Why? The Patriots ran all over the Bills with 200+ yards on the ground. Sony Michel had the best game of his career, and James White chimed in with a long rushing touchdown of his own. Now, another counterpoint someone might have is in regards to the two interceptions Brady threw at home in December against Buffalo. Although, like nearly half his interceptions this year, the blame needs to put on the receiver for dropping the pass, causing the INT.

This game had one clear game plan on offense: run the ball down Buffalo’s throat. Tom Brady isn’t a runner, and didn’t need to be the GOAT for the Patriots to win this game. He did need to be serviceable as a quarterback, which he was in every facet.

While Sony Michel and James White had a field day against Buffalo, Tom Brady was able to sit back and watch.

When the worst T.V. host, Max Kellerman, made his infamous cliff remarks back in 2014, the world shrugged it off. Today, as he is still making his cliff prediction, the world needs to again dismiss it. Tom Brady, even without the Chargers game, turned in a top 5 quarterback season at age 41.

In no way, shape, or form is Tom Brady falling off a cliff. He is merely skiing down a black diamond counting his Lombardi’s and occasionally hitting a steep ridge here and there. One bad game does not make him a bad quarterback. If he ever has a string of sub 200 yard and multiple interceptions games then the talk of cliffs can be taken more seriously. However, until then, Tom Brady is going to take his ski ride into Kansas City, where hopefully the trail will lead to Atlanta and another Lombardi Trophy.

Image Credit: NESN.COM

The Patriots Get Their Mojo Back

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It’s happening again Patriots fans. When that familiar feeling comes back, when what was old is new again. Do you remember, after the tuck rule game, before the match-up with the Rams? When Vegas thought so little of the Patriots they installed them as 14 point dogs in the Super Bowl? This was when the Patriots were at their ‘us against the world’ best. They lost that mojo, after trainers and spending time with family seemed more important than football. After Jimmy G and Gronk and going up the back stairs to the owner. But the Patriots have it back, and it will carry them to another Championship.

Poor Atlanta

Remember this?

Almost two years ago today, on February 5th 2017, the Patriots found themselves down by 25 points nearing the end of the third quarter against the Altanta Falcons.

The Patriots were favored by 3 in that Super Bowl. By that point, having faced down every possible scenario, it was all old hat. So it took the Pats being down that much, with only a quarter and a few minutes left, to kick it into high gear.

Backs against the wall, that’s when they play their best. Seattle can tell you a bit about this too.

Bulletin Board Material

Another old friend is back en vogue. Coach Belichick is a proven motivator when the timing’s right. And right now the conditions are perfect for the primordial soup of hoodie motivation.

Let’s start here:

Add a touch of this:


And there you have it. According to Vegas, The Patriots are 55% less likely to win the Super Bowl than the Chiefs. This after being the smallest favorite in the Divisional round this past weekend, but winning by the second largest margin.

The Chiefs and Pat Mahomes have been the darlings of the NFL all year. But the Patriots will not buckle under pressure or snow and ice like the Colts did. The Chiefs fumbled twice, loosing one, and had a punt blocked against the Colts. That’s a recipe for failure against a motivated Patriots team.

The Pump Has Been Primed

Tom Brady is giving voice to his motivation, and that of the team:

Over the past few years, this refrain from Brady has been rebuffed by cold, hard facts. The NFL intelligentsia has bestowed “The GOAT” label on Brady, and Best NFL Coach Of All Time to Belichick. But it’s finally true again. Everyone does think they suck. Watch out NFL.

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