Morris Could be out a Month

Though Bill Belichick is being his usual tight-lipped self about the nature of the injury, ESPN.com is reporting that injured running back Sammy Morris will miss Sunday’s game vs. the Dolphins and could be out for the next month.  This would be terrible news for most teams, as Morris filled in admirably in the absence of starting halfback Laurence Maroney the past few weeks.  However, the Patriots still have third-down back Kevin Faulk, who did extremely well filling in for Morris against the Cowboys on Sunday in the second half.  It is also not yet known if Maroney will be ready to return for Sunday’s game either.

It really doesn’t matter.  The Patriots could pass on every play against the Dolphins and still win by at least four touchdowns.  This is actually worse news for my fantasy league, where Morris was putting up huge numbers for me in Maroney’s absence.  Now I have to trust that Faulk will continue to do the same, and then decide whether or not I should cut Morris or keep him around for touchdown sniping in the playoffs.  The Patriots have a much simpler decision.  All they have to do is just give the ball to Tom Brady and let him pass it to Randy Moss 20 times this Sunday.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 17, 2007 - Post a comment

Sports Guy’s Take on Patriots

In a move that should surprise pretty much no one, ESPN.com’s Sports Guy, Bill Simmons has written a column about the Patriots’ first six weeks of this NFL season.  As Bill Simmons is a Boston guy to his very core, the first part of his column that deals primarily with the Pats is extremely smug and self-satisfied.  It’s easy to be happy when your team is demolishing the rest of the NFL like they’re college teams.  Bill focuses primarily on the fact that in each game of the season to date, the Pats have run up the score in the fourth quarter with an extra touchdown they didn’t need.  He’s not wrong.

I have to admit, I love these new Patriots.  I don’t know if it was CameraGate, or if Tom Brady has a renewed focus this year with his new receiving corps, or if the defense is just playing better with Adalius Thomas taking up space in the middle of the field and freeing up other guys to make plays, but whatever it is, it’s working.  I’ve never seen a team dominate the NFL like this in my life.  I can’t wait for the Indy game.  I hope Tom Brady throws for six TDs on his way to breaking Peyton Manning’s single-season touchdown record.  I love the Pats as villains.  The motif seems to suit them.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 16, 2007 - Post a comment

Patriots Roll to 6-0

The New England Patriots improved to 6-0 over the weekend, beating the Cowboys 48-27 behind the strength of a career-best five touchdown passes on the day for Tom Brady.  Brady spread the ball around, helping receivers Daunte Stallworth and Wes Welker to amazing games, statistically speaking.  Welker in particular had a career day, catching two touchdowns and 124 yards receiving.  He also ran a few kicks back for big yardage on the day as well.  Brady himself threw for nearly 400 yards in addition to the five touchdowns.  He also set a record for most games with at least three touchdown passes to start a season.  Brady has thrown at least three TDs in his first six games.

Brady is on pace to shatter Peyton Manning’s single-season touchdown record.  He’s also throwing well enough at the moment to blow away the single-season completion percentage record and the passer rating record.  In Brady’s first season with a powerful set of offensive weapons in his receiving corps, Brady is taking every opportunity to help his team succeed.  In what may have been a Super Bowl preview, the Patriots found another gear late in the game and just left the Cowboys in their dust.  Dallas kept up for nearly three quarters, but right now, the Patriots are just too good.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 15, 2007 - Post a comment

Patriots First on Clayton’s First and 10

The New England Patriots are in the featured game in John Clayton’s First and 10, which should come as no surprise to anyone, since their upcoming battle with the Dallas Cowboys is definitely the most highly anticipated game of the season to date.  Clayton talks mainly about the Patriots, since they are certainly the heavy favorites going in.  He points out that that Brady is the leading passer in the NFL at the moment.  He also says what I’ve been saying all week - that the Patriots simply have too many offensive weapons at the receiver position for the Cowboys D.

Yesterday I said the Cowboys have an advantage at the RB position.  While this is still true, Clayton points out that backup Sammy Morris has had consecutive 100 yard games in Maroney’s absence.  I should have remembered this, since I have Morris on my fantasy team.  The fact is, these Pats are just insanely loaded at every position.  While Dallas will get their points, the odds that they have enough firepower to keep up with the New England Patriots - who will be picking on a weak and depleted Cowboys defense the entire game - are slim to none.  Should be another impressive Patriot victory.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 12, 2007 - Post a comment

Two 81s Set to Collide

In a feature article that gave me goosebumps, ESPN.com is detailing the similarities between Randy Moss and Terrell Owens in promotion of the upcoming showdown between both their teams. Moss and Owens are a lot alike. Both players have the stats that should put them directly in the hall of fame, and yet both players have had so many altercations and incidents off the field that people have a bit of a bad taste in their mouths about the two superstars. And both superstars seem to be well on their way to repairing their images with their new teams, T.O. with Dallas and Moss in New England.

I don’t know about everyone else, but this game is finally starting to get me excited. I know I’ve said that I don’t believe this game will actually be close, because I’m not sure the Cowboys are the same 5-0 as the Patriots, but I can tell you that I believe both teams are extremely well-coached and extremely talented on offense. I think that you will see lots of offense from both teams, and both T.O. and Moss should put on big shows. You should also keep an eye on the two QBs, as I hear they’re good too. In the end, it will come down to two things - defense and running. Dallas has the edge as far as running the ball goes, with both their workhorses healthy and ready to go while the Pats are starting a backup (albeit a very talented one). Meanwhile, the Patriots certainly have the defensive edge. The more I look at this match-up, the more excited i get.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 11, 2007 - Post a comment

Patriots #1 Yet Again

ESPN.com has released their Power Rankings for the week.  The Patriots are of course still at the top of the list.  The Patriots overcame an injury to their starting running back and the first game from Randy Moss as a Patriot in which he did not have at least 100 yards receiving to defeat the Browns 34-17.  The Pats have still yet to allow anyone to score three touchdowns in a game.  They’re also averaging nearly five touchdowns per game themselves.  Tom Brady is on his way to having an absolutely historic season.  His touchdown numbers over the first five games are already nearly impossible to believe.

The Pats can now look ahead to the Dallas Cowboys, who gutted out a huge win against Buffalo on Monday Night Football, despite six turnovers from QB Tony Romo.  Romo will have to play much better football if the Cowboys hope to take down the Colossus that is the 2007 New England Patriots.  I guarantee you that the Patriots will not be caught losing a game in which the opponent’s quarterback throws five picks.  I happen to believe that this game will be no contest, with the Patriots continuing to roll over the competition on the way to their week 9 showdown with Indianapolis.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 10, 2007 - Post a comment

Vrabel Accused of Dirty Hit

According to a report out of ESPN.com, Browns guard Eric Steinbauch has accused Patriot Mike Vrabel of attempting to land a dirty hit on him in the closing seconds of Sunday’s contest between the two teams.  Steinbauch had some very choice words for the New England linebacker, who he felt went for his knees during play in which the Browns were attempting to spike the ball with 11 seconds left.  Steinbauch feel backward into Cleveland QB Derek Anderson, and he was not pleased that Vrabel chose to go all out on one of the final plays of a game in which the outcome had long ago been decided.

Which brings up the all important point - What in name of Pete were the Browns doing spiking the ball with 11 seconds to go in a game in which the outcome had long ago been decided?  No one seems to be bringing this up. Vrabel isn’t exactly what you’d call a “dirty” player.  His name rarely comes up in such conversations.  It’s entirely possible he simply didn’t hear the whistle.  These sorts of things happen all the time.  The fact of the matter is that if the Browns had simply taken a knee to end the game, we are most likely not hearing about any late hit.  The NFL has yet to hand down a fine.  You’ll be the first to know if they do.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 9, 2007 - Post a comment

Patriots Continue to Cruise

It is Monday, so that means it’s time once again for our weekly report on the Pat’s game.  The Patriots destroyed the Browns, moving them to 5-0 and making them look even more invincible.  The Patriots won this time without a huge game from Randy Moss, and without their starting halfback.  If those two facts don’t horrify all fans of every other team in the league, then I really don’t know what I have to do to make people stand up and take notice of these Pats.  Sammy Morris had another big day.  Tom Brady seems intent on making his play for “Better Quarterback than Peyton Manning,” by continuing to put up monster numbers.

The Patriots are the most impressive football team I have ever seen with my own two eyes. The Patriots were never in any danger of coming remotely close to losing this game.  They blanked the Browns in the first half on their way to 20-0 lead.  They let up a bit in the second half, allowing the Browns to score 14 points in the fourth quarter.  However, a couple of garbage time touchdowns still didn’t add any drama to this contest.  By the end of this season, the biggest problem the Patriots have may be that their fans are simply bored watching them beat everyone by more than two touchdowns.  Bring on the playoffs already.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 8, 2007 - Post a comment

Can the Pats Go 16-0?

ESPN.com has posed the question.  Can the Patriots really go 16-0?  There is no way of knowing yet, but that hasn’t stopped Matt Mosley and Matt Sando from going toe to toe on the issue.  Mosely argues that the Patriots most certainly can go undefeated.  He cites the “screw everyone” mentality that the Pats seem to have ever since CameraGate or PatriotGate or BelichickGate or whatever you want to call it.  He’s right though.  The Patriots do seem to be playing with a mean streak so far this year.  Sando makes the point that the more the Patriots win now, the less inclined they’ll be to win in December.  This is certainly true.  Teams who have come close to perfection in the past have chosen to rest their starters after securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.  The Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, not 16-0.

I happen to side with those who believe this juggernaut team will not be stopped this year.  I think the Patriots have already won 3 Super Bowls, and now they have one eye on football immortality.  Winning their fourth Super Bowl would certainly put them in elite company.  Winning their fourth Super Bowl and doing so by going undefeated - that would make these 2007 New England Patriots without peer.  If you don’t believe the Pats are aware of that very fact, then you just haven’t been paying attention to a team that has chosen to defeat each of its first four opponents by an average of more than 20 points.

You can get all your New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 5, 2007 - Post a comment

Harrison Returns from Suspension

According to ESPN.com, suspended strong safety Rodney Harrison has returned to practice with the New England Patriots.  Harrison was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.  Harrison received and used HGH, he claims to help him recover from an injury a couple of years ago.  Harrison has served his four-game suspension and will now return to his duties with the team.  There is no word from coach Bill Belichick if Harrison will start or even play on Sunday, though the coach is known for being tight-lipped about such things anyway.

The injection of 14-year veteran and defensive leader Harrison back into the line-up should have an impact on an already impressive New England defense.  Harrison was present on the New England teams that won all those Super Bowls and his experience cannot be underestimated, on or off the field.  Though he may not make an immediate impact as a playmaker out on the field, Harrison will definitely not be a hindrance to a New England team that seems unstoppable after one month of football.  The rest of the league should take note right now of how to build a dynastic franchise, because the Patriots are offering up the blueprint.

You can get all you New England Patriots tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 4, 2007 - Post a comment


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