Aug 19 2011

Daily Noontime – August 19, 2011

Why did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to close-line Danny?

It’s OFFICIALLY Friday, which means the weekend is finally here, wahoo! Let’s kick-off yet another summer weekend with some headlines and news, enjoy!

Headlines:

* It’s official, former NFL players are now suing the league they once played in because of “concussion-related injuries.”

* New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his comment toward New England Patriots gunslinger, Tom Brady have seemed to help the New York City sports radio scene, especially Michael Kay on ESPN 1050AM.

* Here’s something interesting… should the Washington Nationals be allowed to sport Military Tribute hats on the diamond? Yes or No?

* Good news for New England Patriots fans, as Danny Woodhead admitted, “he’s fine,” especially after sustaining a serious helmet-to-helmet hit on Thursday.

* Apparently, China will ban contracted NBA players during the lockout, which probably isn’t the happiest bit of news these days, right?

* The NHL recently released their national television schedule and yet again, Carolina got the shaft, which means the Hurricanes won’t be seen on NBC this season.

Games to Watch:

* St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (MLB) – 2:20pm eastern

* Washington at Indianapolis (NFL Preseason) – 7:00pm eastern

* Cleveland at Detroit (MLB) – 7:05pm eastern

* Atlanta at Jacksonville (NFL Preseason) – 8:00pm eastern

* Boston at Kansas City (MLB) – 8:10pm eastern

* New York Yankees at Minnesota (MLB) – 8:10pm eastern

Video of the Day:

This wasn’t a pretty thing to watch!

Jul 30 2011

NFL Player Profile: Chad Ochocinco (New England Patriots)

Chad Ochocinco is excited to be a member of the New England Patriots!

By Matt Noonan

Chad Ochocinco (New England Patriots/Wide Receiver): One of the most colorful, animated, as well as talented players in the NFL joined Bill Belichick’s roster on Thursday and nope, it wasn’t an early “April Fools” joke.

Chad Ochocinco, who spent the past 10-seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, was excited to join forces with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Wes Welker. He’ll certainly provide depth on the offense, as well as be the perfect slot-man for Brady, but also, help with the running game by opening lanes for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris.

Yet, besides participating in the “Patriot Ways,” he’ll definitely become one of Brady’s go-to-guys and could certainly help improve Brandon Tate and Taylor Price’s performance on the field. In fact, maybe he’ll convince Julian Edelman to cut his hair, but that’s not totally necessary.

Although, besides all the positives and leadership qualities Ochocinco brings to the table, it’s certainly important to note that he’s a top-notch receiver who’s a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro. In ’05, he led the Bengals in receiving yards, [1,432] and touchdowns, [9], but overall, his numbers in various categories have gone up and down over the years, yet have indeed remained consistent.

All in all, despite being 33-years-old, Ochocinco is focused and prepared to have a great season, especially since he’s wearing his two favorite numbers…thanks, Aaron Hernandez.

Career Numbers: 151 games/751 receptions/10,783 reception yards/66 touchdowns

May 1 2011

Lindberg: New England Patriots Draft Grade

How much will Nate Solder impact the New England Patriots in the future?

By Andy Lindberg

I feel like I should be yet another tool to give out a draft grade. Therefore I will grade the Patriots. I have been watching the Patriots since I moved to Connecticut from Alabama in 1992. (Side note, I HATE how the New York Jets drafted Alabama’s former quarterback, Greg McElroy. That made me sad).

I love football, but what the NFL draft has become, a spectacle after the meat-market that is the televised NFL scouting combine, is a flash and flare party which sees men who have never taken a snap in the National Football League take their first steps toward garnering $40 million signing bonus’ who later turn out to be the next Ryan Leaf.

In short, it upsets me. It is unnecessarily exhibited and covered by men who can’t seem to do anything but yell at me over the television screen. I understand the player has great “football smarts,” but you’ve yelled it at me for the past eight picks. It’s a wonder any of these players ever fails. So “tool upon tool” is screaming letter grades at me like these teams just took an exam. I will be joining the ranks of them, providing you a letter grade at the end of this and oh, by the way, I’m sorry in advance for my weakness.

That said the draft is a necessity for the business of building a football team. There are a lot of teams who drafted well because they drafted needs. The Patriots last year had an exceptional draft, fixing gaping holes at the tight end and defensive back positions. This past season, both improved exponentially (especially at tight end) and the only glaring hole was the need for a pass rusher and offensive line help. Before I begin let it be known that even though I may like some of the players New England drafted (as made obvious with my pick by pick coverage) that does not mean I feel they were smart picks in some cases.

The Patriots’ first pick was offensive tackle Nate Solder from Colorado. Given the futures of Matt Light and Logan Mankins with the team, this was a very good pick. However after that, New England’s draft went downhill. They did nothing at all to address the pass rush, even with several on the board.

With the first overall pick of the second round, they drafted Ras-I Dowling, a cornerback from Virginia. I liked this pick because I thought New England could still add good pass rush depth later in the second round, given the talent still out there. Even with Leigh Bodden coming back, Dowling could provide very capable help at the lower end of the depth chart in his first year, and could prove to be a very valuable special-teamer immediately.

Will the former Patriots running back core be effected by the 2011 NFL Draft?

After that it got bad. The Patriots drafted two running backs in a row even though BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a fantastic year and Danny Woodhead took over the Kevin Faulk role. Yes, New England needed a little more depth at that position, but one of those picks (preferably the earlier, Shane Vereen pick) should have been a pass-rusher.

Picking Ryan Mallett was a great selection, as I believe New England got a steal. Mallett could also prove to be great trade bait in a few years if Tom Brady is still racking up great numbers. A guy like Mallett won’t sit as a backup for long, not with his potential.

In the fifth round New England drafted TCU’s Marcus Cannon, an offensive lineman who dropped to round five because of a very recent cancer diagnosis. His prognosis is excellent, and doctors anticipate a recovery very soon. If he can play up to his potential in a year or two, he will have been a good steal.

The Patriots finished the draft with Markell Carter, an outside linebacker from Central Arkansas and Malcolm Williams, a defensive back from TCU. Size-wise, Carter fits the profile of the type of linebacker New England loves. I hope he proves to be a fantastic player down the road, but for now, he’s simply a sixth round pick.

The Patriots had a need, and did not address it, even with all the available needs. They added more picks for next year via trades, but the time for stockpiling picks is over. This year it was time to cash in and the Patriots didn’t do it. More than likely one of those running back picks is going to turn out to be a wasted pick. There’s only so much playing time for a running back with Ellis and Woodhead playing. There was no reason not to pick a pass rusher in that situation.

I used to give the Pats the benefit of the doubt, but for the past few years, one of the needs has been the same and New England has done little to address it. New York’s Mark Sanchez kept his jersey very clean during the playoff matchup with New England and that’s ultimately what ended up costing Tom Brady and Co. another shot at a title. If the Patriots cannot get to the quarterback, no regular season record is going to change the fact that in the playoffs, they’re going to get burned.

Patriots draft grade (according to me, who’s opinion really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but here at Noontime Sports it does): C

An average grade for an average draft.

I still love them, though. Go Pats!

Apr 29 2011

NFL Draft 2011: New England Patriots – Rounds 2 & 3

By Andy Lindberg

The New England Patriots selected four new players to join their successful franchise and here is some more information about each player.

Round 2: Pick 33

Name: Ras-I Dowling

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 198lbs

Overview: This isn’t a bad pick for the Patriots. Clearly New England did not think great pass rush value was available in the second round and figured if they were not going to put a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, shoring up the secondary would help. Dowling had a tough time his senior year with injuries, but the Patriots have never shown hesitation to draft a banged up player to let him recover. Dowling had 8 career picks for the University of Virginia and it is possible he can make an immediate impact as a number 3 or 4 corner behind Leigh Bodden and Devin McCourty. Players like Dowling usually have to prove themselves on special teams, but Bill Belichick must think highly of Dowling to select him 33^rd overall in the draft.

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Round 2: Pick 56

Name: Shane Vereen

Position: Running Back

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 204lbs

Overview: I like the selection of Vereen. Even though BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a fantastic year for New England, the Patriots need some depth at the running back position. Much like last year’s draft when New England selected two tight ends in the second round, this year the Patriots took two running backs. Vereen was the first and had a very good year for Cal as a junior rushing for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 209 yards and three scores. He’s got a low center of gravity and should be able to help New England when needed. I don’t anticipate a ton of playing time unless the Patriots decide upon platooning their running backs, but Vereen will be a very capable option behind the “Law Firm” and Danny Woodhead.

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Round 3: Pick 73

Name: Steven Ridley

Position: Running Back

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 225lbs

Overview: I watch a ton of SEC football being an Alabama Crimson Tide fan and Ridley is a bruiser. He looks for contact and can wear out a defense. In the toughest conference in college football Ridley ran for 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 159-yard game at Vanderbilt and 123 yards against Tennessee. In the Cotton Bowl against Texan A&M he torched the Aggies for 105 yards on the ground and a score. I believe (partially biased) that Ridley is a better runner than Vereen, but it will be an interesting battle between the two in the pre-season (if there is one) for who comes out higher on the depth chart.

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Round 3: Pick 74

Name: Ryan Mallett

Position: Quarterback

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 253lbs

Overview: I will fully admit (again, I’m an SEC fan) I was completely stoked when New England selected Mallett. Not only do I believe Mallett is a steal, but also a first round, NFL ready talent.

Who better to put behind Tom Brady to learn? No offense to those who wanted Jake Locker or possibly Blaine Gabbert, but Locker and Gabbert couldn’t hold Mallett’s jock strap in college. Again, Mallett played in (and torched) the toughest defensive conference in college football. In 2010 he threw for 3,869 yards with 32 touchdowns and 12 picks.

Mallett ended his career with 69 touchdown passes and threw for 30+ touchdowns two years in a row in the SEC. However, what stands out the most (aside from his laser, rocket arm) is his size. Ben Roethlisberger is 6’5” and 241 pounds, making Mallett one inch taller and 12 pounds heavier. He has good awareness and with a lockout possible, the Patriots are preparing for the future of their offense without Tom Brady about a year sooner than anticipated.

Mallett was drafted to eventually take over as the starter after Brady leaves. Mallett will be under phenomenal tutelage and this pick for New England may prove to be one of the bigger steals of the draft in a few years. To editorialize some more, I believe this to be a great pick, if that wasn’t already very obvious.

Apr 28 2011

NFL Draft and New England Patriots Talk with Mike Dussault

The 2011 NFL Draft is upon us, which means Noontime Sports is ready for the first round to begin on Thursday. So, with that being said, here is our conversation with Mike Dussault (Pats Propaganda) about the Draft itself, as well as the NFL Lockout and New England Patriots.

Matt Noonan: What would you say is the biggest and most important item the Patriots need to address in the NFL Draft?

Mike Dussault: The biggest item that needs to be addressed has to be improving the 32nd ranked 3rd down defense and that begins with adding a three-down player to the defensive front seven. While outside linebacker may be the biggest position in need of a talent upgrade, this years draft class isn’t great for that particular position, especially in the mid-to-late first round. However the draft is extremely rich in defensive ends who fit the Pats system. Guys like Cameron Jordan (CAL) and JJ Watt (Wisconsin) would bring immediate impacts in both the run and pass games.

The Pats should be able to add an outside linebacker project or two in the later rounds, but early on look for them to address defensive end and offensive line. The interior offensive line could also use a talent upgrade and there are some great prospects like Danny Watkins (Baylor), Derrick Sherrod (Mississippi State) or Clint Boling (Georgia) who could solidify multiple positions.

There are also a fair number of developmental tackles who could be groomed to take a starting spot on the left or right side depending on how Sebastian Vollmer projects and what happens with Matt Light‘s free agency status. Nate Solder (Colorado) is one in particular that would make a great bookend of the future with Vollmer.

MN: Going into the draft, which Patriots unit could be considered the weakest? Which one is the strongest? Also, how can the weaker unit be improved, if not through the Draft?

MD: It doesn’t take a Patriots uber-blogger like me to tell you it’s pass rush, pass rush, pass rush! Of course this could be oversimplifying matters a bit, but with the return of Leigh Bodden and the continued development of Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty and hopefully Brandon Meriweather, it looks like the back end of the pass defense is promising.

The main problem was that opposing teams converted 47% of their third downs against the Pats, which is bad enough for worst in the league (the best teams are around 30%). This problem was compounded by the losses of interior rushers Mike Wright and Myron Pryor to injury, along with Tully Banta-Cain‘s return to earth following a 10 sack season in 2009. So whether it’s interior rushers or edge rushers the Pats need to add some talent who can, at the very least, get quarterbacks off the spot and out of their comfort zone.

The Patriots offense has been a great strength over the past four seasons, despite different quarterbacks (Matt Cassel in ’08) and going from a spread, vertical attack to more of a two tight end horizontal attack in 2010. As long as the Tom Brady gets the protection and time he needs the Pats offense should continue to roll in 2011.

Not to say they are without needs. Stabilizing the offensive line for the twilight of Brady’s career is priority number one on that side of the ball, and the Pats look to be in prime position to do so in this draft. They could also use another running back to go with Benjarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, one who could compliment their games. While some say wide receiver, and specifically a deep threat, is a need, I believe they’ll allow Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, and Taylor Price another year to develop in the system.

MN: Out of all the college players who are entering the draft this year, which will have the most promising career?

MD: As always predicting the draft is somewhat of a crapshoot, but I believe that Marcel Dareus (DL, Alabama), AJ Green (WR, Georgia) and JJ Watt (DE, Wisonsin) look like the three safest, can’t-miss prospects this year. All are supremely talented, check out off the field, and bring the professional attitude required to be successful at the next level.

MN: Yes, the Judge lifted the NFL Lockout ban on Monday, but still, so much has to occur before players can actually work out and return to their day-to-day roles with the organization. How much has this current off-season downgraded the NFL as a whole and in your opinion, will there be a season come September? Yes or No? Why?

MD: While the NFL hasn’t lost the diehards like myself just yet, the lockout, and perhaps most importantly the rhetoric thrown back and forth between the two sides has absolutely had an impact on the game, whether they want to admit it or not. Interest in the draft is down this year, as are the the number of visitors to NFL.com. The longer we go without a new CBA the more harmful that impact will be.

To be honest I really don’t know what will happen this fall. We could start on time. We could miss three games (and still manage a full 16-game slate because the NFL designed the schedule to accommodate), or we could miss the entire season. What I do know is that the debate will be tied up in the courts well into the summer.

What needs to happen is the two sides have to get back to the bargaining table and negotiate a new CBA. Either side winning outright would be bad for the game, so it needs to be a compromise that maintains the competitive balances the NFL has established, but also takes care of the players both during and after their careers.

My rough prediction? Games will be missed.

MN:How much would not having a NFL season hurt the league, players and fans? Would college football then dominate the football world? Would football fans flock to the NHL or MLB instead?

MD: The NHL is still trying to recover from their lost season in 2004, not to say they were as big as the NFL, but the impact of a lost season cannot be understated. As Vince Wilfork said on Tuesday, he might consider retirement if there’s no football in 2011. I’m sure other players might do the same. Players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the stars of the NFL, would lose one of the last few seasons of their primes, and who knows what kind of effect a full year off would have on the quality of the product on the field.

MN: Finally, assuming that there is a season, which Patriots game on the schedule will be one of those “can’t miss games?”

MD: In week four, Rex Ryan and the New York Jets will return to Foxboro and while the Patriots would never admit to looking past week one, it’s surely a game that is circled in their minds. There’s also the annual Brady-Manning game, as well as a return to the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. These three games will likely be the defining ones of the season.

Follow Mike Dussault on Twitter (@PatsPropaganda)

Apr 27 2011

Breaking Down the Patriots QB, RB and WR Positions

By Dan Rubin

With the NFL Draft beginning Thursday, let’s put the labor situation on the shelf and get back to actual football talk. Let’s take a look at some positions as our beloved New England Patriots get set to stock their roster and try to make a run at league supremacy. For our rankings of best available, we’re using the rankings by Rivals.com. We start today with Quarterbacks, Running Backs, and Wide Receivers:

Quarterbacks

Depth Chart: Tom Brady (starter), Brian Hoyer

Best Available: Blaine Gabbert (Missouri), Cam Newton (Auburn), Jake Locker (Washington), Ricky Stanzi (Iowa), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada), Andy Dalton (TCU), Christian Ponder (Florida State), Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), TJ Yates (North Carolina).

Who’s On the Radar: The Patriots have six picks in the first three rounds. Odds are they’ll move at least two of them for future picks or current players. But they have to remember that Brady is 33 years old. If there’s no football this year and with his birthday in August, he wouldn’t play again until he’s 35. Now is the time to start planning for the unthinkable of life after Brady. Gabbert, Newton, and Locker will be off the board by the time New England can even think about a draft pick. Having seen Ponder over the past few seasons, he’s the prospect most like Brady. Ponder never really had a full grasp on the starting job at FSU, and even when he did, a lot of people doubted him. He’s also similar in body type to Brady, and the knocks on him are very similar. He’s a dink-and-dunk passer who can’t go deep, and but he’s tough, intelligent, and competitive. He’d look great taking over in the offense after learning it for three or four seasons. He would just have to be okay with being drafted under the understanding that he’s not playing for three years until Brady retires.

I don’t really like Kaepernick because he played in Nevada’s Pistol offense, and Dalton only really had the one season as a starter. Mallett and Yates are works in progress, and I wouldn’t take either of them, especially Yates, who threw more dying quails than a shooting range. If the Patriots don’t take a QB in the first four rounds, they’re probably not going to get one, unless they decide to sign Greg McElroy (Alabama) as an undrafted free agent. Honestly, they still have a couple of years, so I’m not giving the position too much thought. Whoever plays isn’t going to be a starter until Brady retires, and 99% of the Patriots’ fan base doesn’t want to see that day. The other 1% wants Brady to leave before he pierces his ears, starts calling himself “Tomas,” and becomes an acclaimed mariachi musician in Brazil.

Woodhead provided a much needed spark for the Patriots offense, but is his job with the organization safe?

Running Backs

Depth Chart: BenJarvis Green-Ellis (starter), Danny Woodhead, Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk

Best Available: Mark Ingram (Alabama), Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech), Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh), Daniel Thomas (Kansas State), Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State), Mikel Leshoure (Illinois), Shane Vereen (California), Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State), Delone Carter (Syracuse), Jordan Todman (Connecticut)

Who’s On the Radar: Patriots fans love their running backs. The Law Firm gave them their first 1,000 yard rusher since Corey Dillon, and Woodhead became the most beloved member of the backfield since Moses Tatupu. We still love Faulk, even though the Patriots proved they could live without him, and they extricated themselves from the steaming pile of running back dung known as Lawrence Maroney. Taylor’s just kind of there, and I’m not sure, but Sammy Morris might still be kicking around somewhere.

But we’re also not stupid. We love Green-Ellis as the starter, but there are doubts he can replicate his season from a year ago. He’s a savage runner, loves to hit and be hit, and he’s probably the toughest guy on the field. He’s not afraid of taking a linebacker on if it means getting that one extra yard, which was Maroney’s biggest issue and why he played himself right out of Foxboro. We just don’t know if he’s got the talent to do what he did a year ago, since defenses figured out how to stop him (see also: Ryan, Rob and Ryan, Rex). Likewise, Woodhead’s a great story, and we love him to pieces. But he’s a Honda Accord compared to the NASCAR engines around him. He did great on third downs to be the next Faulk, but they’re an injury to Green-Ellis away from having him in on every down. And yes, Woodhead’s good, but he’s not that good.

So that makes the running game one of the bigger focal points for fans going into the draft. There’s a very good chance that Ingram is on the board when the Patriots pick at both #17 and #28. Ingram is the man we want because he has the body and pedigree to play for the Pats. His father, Mark Ingram, Sr. played for the Giants during their Super Bowl heyday. That means the family knows Belichick. He’s a Nick Saban guy, who is a Belichick guy. That counts for something.

Body-wise, Ingram makes his best move at the line. He doesn’t have breakaway speed, but he has an initial burst that can crush through opposing defensive lines. Think about what The Law Firm does, then dial it up a notch. He rarely fumbled in college, and he’s small enough at 5-10 to be shifty at the line. This is a guy that would fit perfectly in the Patriots system. Then again, we said the same thing about Maroney.

I don’t think the Patriots pick him with their first pick because I think Anthony Costanzo will be there as a tackle, and New England desperately needs to repair their offensive line with the departures of Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur. But I think if Ingram is around at pick #28, he will be wearing blue and silver as a rookie. That’s not to say it’s a guarantee because Belichick is more likely to trade the pick than actually draft in it, but what this guy brings to the table makes him suited for this team.

After Ingram, there’s a major drop-off in talent, too. Williams, the next best running back, is most likely a third round pick. Maybe the Pats take Todman late, since he’s a local product who was dominant at UConn, but he’s 5-9, 190, and one midget on the roster is enough.

Wide Receivers

Depth Chart: Deion Branch (starter), Wes Welker (starter), Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Taylor Price, Rob Gronkowski (tight end), Aaron Hernandez (tight end)

Best Available: A.J. Green (Georgia), Julio Jones (Alabama), Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Greg Little (North Carolina), Titus Young (Boise State), Torrey Smith (Maryland), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy), Kyle Rudolph (tight end – Notre Dame), Lance Kendricks (tight end – Wisconsin), Virgil Green (tight end – Nevada).

Who’s On the Radar: The Patriots’ receiving corps is one of the most underrated enigmas of the offseason. They pretty much rebuilt it on the fly last year, dealing Randy Moss for a bag of kicking tees to Minnesota, then orchestrating a trade to bring back Branch. Welker is a mutant, coming back from tearing everything in his knee after tearing it at the end of the 2009 season. Even though his brain will resemble split-pea soup by the time he’s 45, he’s the toughest and most consistent wide out in the NFL. Gronkowski and Hernandez were revelations are rookies, even though they’re tight ends. They’re phenomenal in open space.

Why didn't Chad Jackson pan out with the Patriots?

That leaves us to look at Tate, Edelman, and Price. Edelman took three massive steps back this year as a receiver, even though he’s going to stay on the roster because he’s a great return specialist. Tate and Price, meanwhile, are incompletes. Tate has breakaway speed, maybe better than Moss in his prime, but he doesn’t know how to run a pass pattern. And Price was inactive or hurt for most of the season, so he’s starting to resemble Chad Jackson.

The Patriots historically don’t take receivers in the first round. Then again, nobody other than Al Davis usually does. They’re a dime a dozen, and with the exception of Green and Jones, the rest all fall into the same group. When you start getting back into the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, maybe then you start grabbing a wide receiver along the lines of Cobb or Little. Maybe they take Rudolph, who is in the same mold as Gronkowski and Hernandez. But really, how many pass-catching tight ends does one team need?

Instead, I’m going to throw this one out there as a crazy but maybe solution. I don’t think the Patriots take a wide receiver at all this draft to give Tate and Price one last chance to showcase themselves. If they do anything, it’ll be to orchestrate the Randy Moss Trade, Part 2. The Patriots have been very open about the fact that they have a number of picks in the first rounds, and therefore, they’d be willing to deal them. Chad Ochocinco has pretty much been lobbying to be traded to New England. He’s very open to coming here, and maybe, just maybe, the Patriots decide to trade for him, much like they did for Moss.

Stay tuned to Noontime Sports for your full draft coverage as we get set for all the action from Radio City Music Hall.

Jan 18 2011

Expectations Were Exceeded: Patriots 2010 Season

No one in New England, not even in America, Europe and Asia or on the planet Earth imagined that the New England Patriots would finish their 2010 season with 14 wins.

Ask any Patriots fan this week and surely they may say, “I knew this would happen” or “Of course they were destined to earn 14 wins because of their quarterback, Tom Brady.”

Yet, despite all the doubters who tossed around the ideas of the Patriots being a .500 team or even worse, clearly, their analysis was proven wrong.

Entering training camp in July, no one exactly knew what this Patriots team would be like or if they had fully recovered from their 33-14 beat down by the Baltimore Ravens during the first round of the 2009 NFL Playoffs. There were the usual faces, as well as multiple rookies or first-year players that made many fans begin to doubt the outcome of this squad. Although, under the guidance of Bill Belichick, it is almost a guarantee that they will have immediate success no matter who plays or sits every Sunday.

In fact, excluding his first season with the Patriots in 2000, he has led the squad to five AFC Championship contests, four Super Bowls and has acquired three Lombardi trophies.

The defense was the biggest concern during July and August, but so was their offensive line. Who was going to fill the void of Logan Mankins for nearly half the season? Was Brady healthy enough to lead his team to victory during the fourth quarter? Would Wes Welker be the same player he once was before tearing his ACL during the final regular season game in ’09?

Questions, questions and more questions continued to build prior to their opening game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but after an impressive win, Randy Moss tried to steer the ship in the wrong direction by complaining for 14-minutes straight about needing a new contract. Unfortunately for Moss, his message didn’t distract the Patriots too much and eventually he was forced to leave town and return to the team that he began his NFL career with, which was the Minnesota Vikings.

Moss’s comments could not bring down the Patriots and neither did a Kevin Faulk season ending injury too during their week two contest against the New York “Football” Jets. Although, with a few minor tweaks and only one loss through the first five weeks, the Patriots seemed destined to finish the season 15-1.

The Patriots continued to pile up impressive wins against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Indianapolis and eventually New York on “Monday Night Football,” which prompted all Bostonians to believe that they were indeed watching one of Belichick’s finest teams. They may have not been the squad that finished [16-0] in ’07, but they were a team that relied heavily upon teamwork and hard work ethics.

Various players that had joined the team midway through the season or were deemed the typical rookies began to shine at important moments. Running back Danny Woodhead became a household name, as well as a fan favorite too. His small frame allowed fans to connect and realize that maybe they too could be the next Patriots running back, (fat chance).

Both rookie tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski became reliable targets for Brady, whether it was for a short yardage pick up or red zone strike, both young men were there to make the difference.

On defense, it was clearly cornerback Devin McCourty who provided great defensive coverage on all-star opposing receivers. Even linebacker Brandon Spikes chipped in when he could, although, it is debatable if he was more effective on the field or off it.

Besides these “no names” or rookies, the Patriots exceeded on all sides of the ball, but most importantly, they showed the importance of team football. They have always strived toward playing “team football” and not being one or two stars, but in the end, they clearly exceeded their pre-season expectations and were able to walk out of their locker room Monday feeling somewhat proud or optimistic for the future.

The Patriots maybe young and inexperienced at some positions, although, after a few more years of remaining as a unit, this squad could return to their ’03 and ’04 form and add a few more Super Bowl banners to Gillette Stadium.

For the time being, lets at least consider that this year was unexpected and that winning 14 games was unexpected, but beating rivals and all those “heavyweight” opponents clearly demonstrated to any casual or aggressive fan that expectations were exceeded.

Jan 13 2011

Enough Talking, Let’s Just Play!

The anticipation for this Sunday’s Patriots-Jets matchup keeps on brewing. Jets players have continued to constantly state their personal feelings toward quarterback Tom Brady or head coach Bill Belichick, but exactly, what does that accomplish? How much talking, complaining or irrelevant comments do we need to keep on reading or hearing about on a daily basis? Can’t we just play this game now rather than wait until Sunday?

Who wouldn’t want to see Rex Ryan and his New York Jets come marching into Gillette Stadium on a bone chilling Thursday evening in Massachusetts? Who wouldn’t want to see Tom Brady pointing toward the Jets sideline after a touchdown pass to Danny Woodhead or Wes Welker? Who wouldn’t want to be in the stands, dressed from head to toe in ski gear and throwing snow in the air, as the Patriots celebrate another playoff victory?

The anticipation continues to build every second as the 4:30pm kick-off approaches, although the more we hear or read about this particular game, the more we want it to happen now, rather than Sunday.

What makes this game so appealing has probably a lot to do with Ryan and his comments that he made toward the Patriots. Hearing that this particular matchup, compared to the two other regular season contests is “personal,” seems rather strange and bizarre, right?

What exactly is so “personal” or why even use this word? Is it that Belichick has three Super Bowl rings? Is it that Brady and Belichick appear to be the modern day version of Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw?

Explain yourself Rex, why is this matchup so “personal?”

Yet, what would Rex say in response to all these comments? Probably something along the lines of, “Well… because… I didn’t come here to kiss Belichick’s rings.”

Besides Rex, could we get some clarification from Antonio Cromartie, who flat out said that he doesn’t like Tom Brady, yet never truly explained his dislike for the three-time Super Bowl champion. Cromartie has faced Brady twice this season, but probably remembers that 2006 AFC Divisional game between the Patriots-Chargers quite well, especially because he was on the losing end of it.

How come we haven’t heard much out of running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who usually always has a comment about Belichick, Brady or the Patriots, but apparently none as of recently?

Should we expect quarterback Mark Sanchez or wide receiver Braylon Edwards to say something soon?

All in all, the Jets talking has allowed the Patriots the opportunity to laugh, let loose and smile, but also, remain focused on the task at hand, which is to win and advance to the 2010 AFC Championship game. I didn’t say the Super Bowl because as Patriots fans know, it is one game at a time, not two.

The Patriots have faced the Jets twice in the postseason and have beaten them both times, so should we assume this one is in the bag? Possibly, but if the Jets stop talking then we may not know the answer, but for the time being, get excited and keep that enthusiasm going because we should be in for a laugh riot on our hands Sunday, as long as Rex and his boys keep on talking.

Jan 13 2011

Enough Talking, Let's Just Play!

Explain yourself Rex, why is this matchup so “personal?”

Yet, what would Rex say in response to all these comments? Probably something along the lines of, “Well… because… I didn’t come here to kiss Belichick’s rings.”

How come we haven’t heard much out of running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who usually always has a comment about Belichick, Brady or the Patriots, but apparently none as of recently?

Should we expect quarterback Mark Sanchez or wide receiver Braylon Edwards to say something soon?

Dec 8 2010

Sean Glennon on Noontime Sports the Podcast (12/8/10)

The author of Game Changers: The Greatest Plays in New England Patriots History, Sean Glennon, joined Noontime Sports the Podcats on Wednesday December 8, 2010, to talk about the Patriots-Jets Monday Night affair, look ahead to the remaining final four games of the season, as well as discuss a few NFL news and notes.

Follow Glennon on Twitter and make sure to pick up a copy of his book too for the holiday’s!

Noontime Sports

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