Spotlight: Vince Wilfork

When analyzing the New England Patriots’ defense, one of the first players always mentioned is the hulking Vince Wilfork, a 6-foot-2, 325-pound defensive tackle who has been doing great things for the Patriots ever since he was drafted into the league as a first-round pick out of Miami in 2004. Wilfork is in the last year of his contract and has yet to sign another with the Patriots, but judging from his absolute value to the New England defense, he’s about to land a lucrative deal with the team he’s been a part of for his whole pro football career.

At 28 years old, the next contract Wilfork signs will perhaps be the most important of his career, as it will likely be the one he sees at the apex of his career. Known as one of the best nose tackles in the NFL, Vince Wilfork is a hot commodity on the football scene, but even with all the pressure mounting to strike a deal, Wilfork says he’s just taking things one day at a time. “The final year of my contract is this year. Whatever happens, happens after that,” he recently said. “I’ll move forward. That’s one thing I can say. I will move forward, but for right now, that’s the last thing on my mind - contract talk and all that. That’s what I pay my agent for. If he has a problem, he has my number. I just try to focus on doing my job and how we can get better as a team. That’s basically my mind frame as of now.”

Wilfork, who initially signed a six-year contract worth $18 million in 2004, has shown the Patriots he wants to stay with the team but isn’t willing to mess around for long when it comes to his contract. He has been clear on that, even sitting out of New England’s voluntary OTAs this spring. What will come next in his story? We’re certain he’ll be a Patriot after all is said and done, but stay tuned to find out!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 30, 2009 - Post a comment

Brady Named AFC Offensive Player of the Month

Just a day after New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather was announced the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his on-field contributions in last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium, another Patriot has also been given an award of a similar caliber. That player is Tom Brady, who has just been announced the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.

This is the third time Brady has won the award, having taken the honors of AFC Offensive Player of the Month in both September and October of 2007. This award for Brady comes after the all-star quarterback had a record-breaking game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6 of regular season play, posting five touchdown passes en route to the Patriots’ 59-0 win. Those five TD passes have helped Brady accumulate 12 touchdown passes on the season, which puts him in first place for passes in the AFC and second overall in the NFL. Brady has also been setting other records for the Patriots, having last week thrown his 26th 300-yard game, which ties Drew Bledsoe’s record for the most 300-yard games in franchise history.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 29, 2009 - Post a comment

Meriweather is AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Following last weekend’s 35-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New England Patriots’ Brandon Meriweather has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. The safety helped the Patriots’ defense hold the Bucs to just seven points in last week’s game at Wembley Stadium, and he deserves credit for snatching two interceptions in the first six minutes of playtime. Meriweather returned the first interception 39 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

Brandon Meriweather’s distinction as this week’s AFC Defensive Player of the Week (for Week 7) makes him the first defensive player on New England’s roster to take home the award since Asante Samuel did so in Week 12 of the 2007 season. His Player of the Week honor also marks the Patriots’ third AFC Player of the Week award this season, as Tom Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in both Week 1 and Week 6 of play this year. Brandon Meriweather more than proved his worth during last week’s Patriots-Bucs game, and he’ll most certainly be appreciating the bye week the Patriots are coming into for Week 8.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 28, 2009 - Post a comment

Patriots Prepare for Tough November Schedule

The New England Patriots had no trouble beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend at London’s Wembley Stadium, but what will November bring for this 5-2 AFC East team? Looking at the Patriots’ schedule for the next several weeks, it looks like November will be significantly tougher for New England than October has been. This month, the Patriots have improved their record by beating the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Bucs, falling only to the Denver Broncos. Next month, however, the Patriots face two still-undefeated teams: the Indianapolis Colts (Nov. 15) and New Orleans Saints (Nov. 30).

The Patriots also play the Miami Dolphins (Nov. 8) and New York Jets (Nov. 22) in November, but it’s the Saints and Colts that the team has to be ready for. New England’s longtime rivalry with Indianapolis is sure to get even hotter this year as the Pats and Colts square off at Indy’s Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Pats are also on the road when they play the Saints in New Orleans at the Superdome.  Always one to play things down, Bill Belichick commented on the next several weeks for the Patriots, saying, “We know the whole second half of the season really has a lot of challenges from week to week.” Keep it locked in Patriots nation to see New England rally in the second half of the regular season!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 27, 2009 - Post a comment

Patriots Trump Buccaneers at Wembley

The New England Patriots had to travel all the way to London to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a good beating over the weekend, as Tom Brady and Co. soundly thumped the Bucs 35-7 at the historic Wembley Stadium in front of more than 84,000 football fans. The sold-out stadium was roaring with excitement for the American football teams playing at Wembley yesterday afternoon, and the Patriots couldn’t be happier that the Week 7 game was nothing but fantastic for the team.

Regardless of where they played yesterday’s game, the Patriots were back to their old selves as Tom Brady went 23-of-32 for 308 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Of playing at Wembley Stadium, a rarity for NFL teams, Brady said, “It was like a Super Bowl, all the flashbulbs going off and the fans waving their flags for the first five minutes of the game. You don’t see that too often. It was obviously very exciting for the fans and it’s a privilege for the players to come over here and enjoy that experience.”

The Patriots have a bye this week, giving them some much-needed rest and the chance to knock jetlag before coming back onto the football field in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins at home.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 26, 2009 - Post a comment

Brady vs. Sanchez

No one can argue with Tom Brady’s magnificent performance last week as the New England Patriots stomped all over the Tennessee Titans and came out with a 59-0 win, but what about that other quarterback in the AFC East? You know, the rookie in green and white? Mark Sanchez, a staple for the New York Jets, has also posted some outstanding numbers this year, and here’s how the two AFC East quarterbacks stack up against each other.

Touchdowns
Brady - 12
Sanchez - 5

Interceptions
Brady - 2
Sanchez - 10

Yards
Brady - 1,724
Sanchez - 1,035

Rating
Brady - 99.0
Sanchez - 56.7

Team Record
Patriots - 4-2
Jets - 3-3

It looks like Tom Brady’s still got what it takes to make it rain on the football field, and even if Mark Sanchez is one of the most outstanding rookies in the league, he’s still got a ways to go if he wants to catch up to Brady’s stats. Of course, when it comes to teams as a whole Brady also has a better crew of militiamen backing him up, and that could be part of his outstanding numbers. Don’t forget the Jets beat the Patriots already this season, though, so anything could happen with the AFC East this season as the weeks play on.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 23, 2009 - Post a comment

Thomas Deals with Getting Benched

“Ask Bill.” That seems to bee linebacker Adalius Thomas’ answer for everything these days. Or at least his answer to why Bill Belichick benched the two-time Pro Bowler last week for the New England Patriots - Tennessee Titans game. Thomas was benched as a healthy player for the first time in his career last week to make room for Derrick Burgess and Rob Ninkovich to play at linebacker, leaving Thomas to watch his team’s 59-0 win from home.

While it has to be painful for Adalius Thomas to be a mere spectator in his beloved sport last week, the linebacker told media this week he’s fine with it. “I come to work,” he said. “I do what I’m asked to do, and whatever decision that Bill makes, I respect that from a player’s standpoint to a coach. Whether I agree with it or not is something totally different. It’s not about me. It’s about the Patriots versus Tampa right now. It’s not about me.”

Diverting his attention to this weekend’s game in London between the Patriots and the Buccaneers, Adalius Thomas has left one big question unanswered: will he be starting this weekend’s game at Wembley Stadium? Stay tuned to find out!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 22, 2009 - Post a comment

Patriots Ready for London Game in Week 7

The mighty New England Patriots are ready to take on Josh Johnson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 of the regular season, but this weekend’s game marks one of a different variation, as this Sunday’s New England-Tampa Bay matchup will be watched internationally, with the Pats and Bucs squaring off against each other in London at Wembley Stadium. The internationally-played game is part of the growing tradition the NFL is establishing at Wembley Stadium, and it’s sure to be one of the most-watched games of the season.

The Patriots will jet to England this Friday, two days before playing the Buccaneers at Wembley, giving both teams just hours to overcome jetlag before playing across the pond. Of this weekend’s big game in London, Tom Brady said, “It’s a long flight but we’ll be prepared for it. We’ll have our energy and we’ll be ready to go by the time the ball kicks off.” Sounds like more like a promise than a plan, so stick around for more as the London situation pans out this weekend at Wembley Stadium!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 21, 2009 - Post a comment

Patriots Release Joey Galloway

The Herald reported and the New England Patriots later confirmed that they released the 37-year-old Joey Galloway today. The 15-year veteran was signed as a free agent before the season to provide the Patriots with a solid third receiver option behind Randy Moss and Wes Welker. However, Galloway never got adjusted with the offense and was a health scratch in the last three games for New England. It was the first time in his career that a team had him as a health scratch. The wide receiver had seven catches for 67 yards in three games for the Pats. The veteran has had an excellent career, totaling 689 receptions for 10,777 yards and 77 touchdowns. New England cut Galloway “before the 4 p.m. trade deadline, the Patriots perhaps paved the way for him to land with a team of his choice as he will not be subject to waivers.” The Pats also released linebackers Tully Banta-Cain and Eric Alexander and tight end Michael Matthews. Matthews was acquired from the New York Giants for a conditional 2011 draft pick. He played in four games this season and does not have a reception. Alexander was released, but expects the Pats to re-sign him to a long-term deal. Banta-Cain said he would be back in the lineup and called the experience “Kinda crazy.”

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 20, 2009 - Post a comment

New England 59, Tennessee 0 (Week 6)

New England quarterback Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes (five in one quarter), and the Patriots dismantled the Tennessee Titans with a 59-0 win on Sunday. Brady threw those five TDs in the second quarter and his team enjoyed the biggest halftime lead in league history, 45-0. “And the 59-point margin matched the largest since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, the Los Angeles Rams’ 59-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons in 1976.” After the game Brady told the press that each game they play, the Patriots are learning something about themselves. The quarterback continued to say that the game against the Titans gave his team a lot of confidence. Brady went 29 of 34 for 380 yards while the Patriots (4-2) gained a club-record 619 yards. New England’s Wes Welker, who caught 10 passes for a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns, proclaimed that Brady was “Back to his old self.” In the second quarter, Brady threw TD passes to Randy Moss of 40 and 28 yards, to Kevin Faulk of 38 yards, and to Welker of 30 and 5 yards. New England coach Bill Belichick said he knew the score got out of hand, but mentioned that the Patriots are just trying to run their offense.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on October 19, 2009 - Post a comment


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