Ravens Still Questioning Officiating from Sunday’s Game
The Baltimore Ravens just won’t give up. Joe Flacco and his Ravens were trumped by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in last week’s big Week 4 matchup, but since then there has been tremendous amounts of questioning of the officiating in the game - coming from the Ravens, of course. Baltimore got penalized twice for roughing up the passer (Brady) in last week’s 27-21 victory for the Pats, setting up touchdowns in both cases, and Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh won’t sit silent on the subject.
Coming out to the press earlier this week, Harbaugh said, “I know Joe (Flacco) got hit (six) different times hard, and there was one call. There were five that weren’t called, and the one that was called was the sixth. Tom (Brady) didn’t get hit five times. We want him to be hit more than he was hit, but when he did sort of get hit, it was called. That goes to the credibility of the whole thing.” Harbaugh, by the way, was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
On the other side of this argument, the Patriots continue to hold their heads up high. In response to the outcries from the Ravens, Tom Brady said, “Are you kidding me? We’re holding the ball, we’re unprotected, just sitting there defenseless, so they’ve got to stay away from me. They deserve to get flagged.”
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Are the New England Patriots Signing Junior Seau?
Junior Seau, a longtime standout in the NFL and an on-again, off-again Patriot, could be suiting up in Patriots red and blue yet again in the near future. The 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker has recently hinted that he’d like another shot at playing with the Patriots, hoping to be a late-season addition to the team as he was last year, and Seau might just get that chance. According to ESPN, a source close to the situation said that the Patriots are expected to sign Seau for the season this week, bringing back the linebacker for his 20th season in the NFL.
New England may not be confirming the news yet, but the team also isn’t denying it. Yesterday, Bill Belichick told the Boston radio station WEEI-AM that Seau “did have a physical. We haven’t done anything yet. Is it a possibility? Yes.”
Likewise, Tom Brady also spoke on Junior Seau recently, saying, “There is nobody like Junior. His attitude is everything, what he brings in terms of his enthusiasm, his style, his commitment. It’s a great presence for everybody - for all the players, all the coaches. There is nobody that approaches the game like he does. He’s a huge asset to our team. He’s an incredible player and leader. I think everybody’s excited to have him.”
Look for Junior Seau to soon add depth at linebacker for the New England Patriots!
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Patriots Down Ravens 27-21
The New England Patriots are back - or so it seemed yesterday as the red and blue pounded out a big win against the Baltimore Ravens, handing the Maryland team its first loss of the season. In the ultimate slugfest that left both teams battered and bruised, the Patriots triumphed over the Ravens, though Baltimore fans chalked up 14 of New England’s points due to poor officiating. Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis was one of the Ravens livid with calls, and after the game he claimed that the officiating “is embarrassing to the game. Brady is good enough to make his own plays, let him make the play. When you have two great teams that are going at it, let them go at it. Both of their touchdown drives had personal fouls on them that kept the drives alive. Did that win or lose the game? No, but it got them 14 points.”
In the end, a dropped pass from Mark Clayton sealed the deal for the Patriots, as Joe Flacco flung the ball to Clayton on a fourth down with 28 seconds remaining in the game. “Flat-out drop” are the words Clayton used to describe his failed catch, saying, “It was a perfect ball. Joe put it on the money. To not come up with it is tough. It cost us the game.” It could have been, though, that Tom Brady’s offense was just that good.
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Ravens-Patriots Preview
It’s a battle for the top of the Week 5 Power Rankings this Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens face off against the New England Patriots in an all-out scramble for victory, and Tom Brady and Co. have to be on their best behavior to dismantle Joe Flacco’s Ravens this weekend. Baltimore, currently ranked No. 1 in the league in rushing defense and No. 2 on total defense, is one of the best-rounded teams when Flacco’s throwing is spot-on, but it’s going to take more than that to get past the Patriots this weekend as Bill Belichick’s army is out for blood.
One thing that may be working to the Patriots’ disadvantage is the fact that several of the Ravens’ top players know the ins and outs of Randy Moss. The former Raiders and Broncos player spent time practicing with cornerbacks Fabian Washington and Domonique Foxworth, who are both now with the Ravens, but even so Moss, currently leading the NFL in catches, is still unstoppable even if he is the slightest bit predictable to some of the Ravens. As for injuries, Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo and tackle Vince Wilfork are still not practicing as of yesterday, and receiver Wes Welker and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite are still questionable, as well.
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Just another Reason Why Bill Belichick Is an NFL Rarity
It’s the third quarter of a close game and your team is at fourth-and-one from their own 24-yard line, ahead by just six points. Do you go for the extra yard or play it safe and punt? For most NFL coaches, the choice is easy - you kick a field goal and take the extra three points. Not so for Bill Belichick, though - at least not last weekend. Belichick ran a gamble when he signaled Tom Brady to go for that extra yard when the above scenario played out, and with the help of Sammy Morris the Patriots cleared two yards and set themselves up for the following 16-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a field goal and a nine-point lead over the Atlanta Falcons going into the fourth quarter of last week’s big game.
Things could have gone very badly had the Patriots not gained that extra yard on the fourth down at their own 24, but then again that’s the beauty of Bill Belichick. The USA Today acknowledged Belichick’s coaching tactics in an article this week, with former Broncos, Giants and Falcons head coach and current radio analyst Dan Reeves saying, “I guess I know now why I’ve never won a Super Bowl. If you win three Super Bowls, it might give you the ability to go for it on fourth-and-one from your own 24.”
As for Belichick, his underplayed confidence came out in a quote after the game, when he simply stated, “I felt like we could get a yard. There would have been plenty of criticism if we didn’t. But then we were able to get that and basically hold onto the ball.”
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Patriots Ascend Power Rankings
After their loss to the New York Jets in Week 2 of regular season play, the New England Patriots slipped from their throne atop the power rankings and dipped down to No. 10 on the list, but after last week’s stellar play against the Atlanta Falcons, the Pats are back to ascending the ranks, coming in this week on ESPN’s Week 4 Power Rankings at No. 7. The Pats are currently sitting behind the New York Jets (6), Minnesota Vikings (5), New Orleans Saints (4), New York Giants (3), Indianapolis Colts (2) and Baltimore Ravens (1) on the rankings, but they’ll have even more room to grow next week when they take on the Baltimore Ravens, now sitting atop the rest.
Last year’s Super Bowl contenders the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers have once again slipped this week on ESPN’s power rankings, with the Steelers now ranked 16th (down from 6 last week) and the Cardinals ranked 19th (18 last week). Last week, the Cardinals got pummeled by the Indianapolis Colts while the Steelers took a hit from the Cincinnati Bengals, proving their teams’ unstableness. The Patriots, on the other hand, are looking better and better as the weeks continue, so look for New England to keep rising on the power rankings in the upcoming weeks.
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Pats Release Burgess, Sign Sands
Just six days after acquiring linebacker Prescott Burgess from the Baltimore Ravens for an undisclosed conditional draft pick in 2010, the New England Patriots have released the veteran talent, clearing room in the team’s 53-man roster to sign defensive lineman Terdell Sands instead. Burgess, a sixth-round draft pick in 2007, spent all of last year on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury after hurting it in the preseason, and he was inactive for last week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Now that the Patriots have released Prescott Burgess, they’ve signed former Oakland Raider Terdell Sands to the team’s roster. Sands, originally a seventh-round draft pick out of Tennessee-Chattanooga for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001, has also spent time with the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders, and he was waived from Oakland at the end of training camp this season. Sands has played in 76 total NFL games with 12 starts, and he’s expected to add depth to the Patriots’ defensive line in the absence of nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who’s out with a sprained ankle after injuring it in last week’s game against the Falcons. Yesterday, coach Bill Belichick was mum on the Wilfork situation, claiming only, “We’ll let you know when that injury report comes out on Wednesday.” With the signing of Sands, things surely aren’t looking great for Wilfork. The Patriots, in the meantime, continue forward-planning, and we’ll know more about the Wilfork situation tomorrow.
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Brady Leads Patriots over Falcons
Wes Welker sat out his second game in a row yesterday as the New England Patriots battled the Atlanta Falcons at home, but even without their star receiver the Patriots were able to dismantle the Falcons, with the stampede led mostly by Tom Brady and his right-hand man Randy Moss. Despite a back injury, Moss contributed to the game with 10 passes for 116 yards, and his phenomenal play helped make him one of the stars of yesterday’s game, with tight end Chris Baker saying, “It was huge just from a confidence standpoint, for us to have one of our big guns out there. [Moss is] a great player and he came out and sucked it up. He was a big reason why we moved the ball.”
Randy Moss stepped up his game to help lead the Patriots over the Falcons yesterday, and running back Fred Taylor also helped solidify the Pats’ win over Atlanta, totaling 105 yards rushing and posting New England’s first touchdown. The touchdown was also Taylor’s first as a Patriot, getting the team back on track while the Patriots looked (for once this season) like the Super Bowl-winning team many still consider them to be.
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Patriots-Falcons Preview
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots battle Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday in Week 3 of regular season action, and the Pats are out to avenge their Week 2 loss to the New York Jets in this weekend’s big game. Sunday’s game will mark the first time since 1998 that the Falcons travel to New England for a Falcons-Patriots matchup, and it will be Atlanta’s first time to play at Gillette Stadium. Matt Ryan’s Falcons are a top contender for the NFC right now, but do they have what it takes to overcome Brady and Co.?
The Patriots have been off to a slow start so far this season, especially last week with Wes Welker sitting the sidelines, but don’t expect that to keep New England down for long. The dynasty known as the New England Patriots looks to restore its image this weekend against Atlanta, and, as running back Kevin Faulk said, “If you get frustrated, you’re going to get even more frustrated. You’ve got to focus on being positive and keep moving forward. You can’t take a step back.” You better believe the Patriots will have their best foot forward this week, and they better, as the Falcons are coming off a big win against the Carolina Panthers last week, with QB Matt Ryan launching three touchdown passes. This week’s New England-Atlanta game is sure to be one of the biggest games of the week, so don’t miss it!
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Burgess Joins Pats as No. 93
Wearing the jersey number (93) of the departed Richard Seymour just weeks after Seymour left New England for Oakland, linebacker Prescott Burgess is suited up in Patriots blue and red, gearing up for his debut with New England this weekend in the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Burgess was just acquired from the Baltimore Ravens in order for the Patriots to stock up depth due to Jerod Mayo’s injury, and he hasn’t yet had a chance for things to sink in, saying, “I didn’t think I was even going to have a chance to catch my breath from Sunday, so I was very shocked. You’ve just got to roll with it and take the punches that come with it. Now, I’ve got to make this my home.”
Burgess, the defensive lineman coming from a hard-hitting Ravens defense, wore the No. 54 jersey in Baltimore, but because No. 54 for the Patriots belongs to the retired Tedy Bruschi, Burgess opted for No. 93 instead, which ironically belonged to another player (Richard Seymour) just weeks ago. As for the jersey, however, Burgess said, “Whatever it is, it’s just a number. It doesn’t matter what number they give me. It’s just about the player in the number. I’m going to make the best of 93.” Burgess will get to play his old team at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 4, and until then he will continue molding with the Patriots’ defense.
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