2013-2014 Pats Positional Primer: Part 1

How's that for alliteration?

Football season is upon us ladies and gentlemen! The Patriots played their final preseason game tonight and will trim the last fat off of a roster that, in some ways, is much improved over last season. They lost some key players and have made some nice additions to their team that will, in the long term, reap great benefits. Let's take a look at the offensive side of the ball as there were some extremely interesting and controversial signings there.

The average Pats fan will hem and haw, repeatedly about the loss of Wes Welker and how it was a terrible move for the franchise. "Why the hell did they let Welkah, go? I swayah that Belichick is frickin' retahded sometimes." I assure you that's not the case. If Welker's replacement, Danny Amendola, can stay healthy, he will be better than Wes in a lot of ways. He's 27 years old which is 5 years younger than the former slot receiver. He's not listed as being taller than Welker but when you see him on the field, he definitely looks substantially larger in stature than the diminutive #83. He's faster. You can see that he hits his top end speed much quicker than Welker ever did coming out of cuts. He's more elusive than Welker. Hell, as it stands right now he even has better hands than the former Pats receiver as Welker had the sixth most dropped passes in the NFL last season with 9. It's silly to think that Brady and Amendola will have the amazing rapport that Welker and Brady shared right out of the gate but, over time, that may be exactly what they share. It remains to be seen whether or not Danny can stay healthy for an entire NFL season though. Amendola carries the stigma of being a injury prone player but I tend to think that's a little exaggerated considering the freakishness of his injury last season. Danny was forced to have season ending clavicle surgery last season after breaking it in a game and having the clavicle pop inward instead of outward which caused it to come within millimeters of puncturing his trachea and aorta. The jury is still out as we move into the final week of the preseason but if all things go as we hope they will, Amendola will be a huge contributor right out of the gate as the Patriots number 1 receiving target.

You may have heard, and if you haven't then I may ask if you've been living under a rock all summer, that the Patriots signed quarterback Tim Tebow this off season. So many people make a huge deal over this signing because of who he is and the media circus that he brings to the team. In reality, he's nothing more than a third string quarterback who will never see any time on the field this season. No, they aren't going to create a separate playbook to incorporate him into the offense. For all you people that think they are going to draw up trick plays for him and he's going to see some time on the field. That's just not going to happen. The Pats aren't going to waste valuable practice time, and take time away from Brady's preparation, so they can work this guy into the offense. At MOST, he'll help the team in practice prepare for scrambling quarterbacks when they have one coming up on the schedule. He'll sit on the bench, probably pray a couple times a game and get way more camera time than he deserves. I'm not by any means a Tebow apologist as I think that there are probably 20 or more free agent quarterbacks that could come in right now and be a more productive backup than him. Who knows, this may be one of those pride moves for Belichick where he wants to prove he can make something of a man that nobody else could. I just don't think it's worth crucifying (see what I did there?) Belichick over. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that I trust the man in charge. (Note that as I write this, there is a very good chance that Tebow could be cut before the season begins next Sunday)

As we're coming out of preseason I've been thinking about who the key contributors at every position will be and what the depth charts will look like heading in to the season. Offensively this is how I see things shaking out.

Quarterback: Tom Brady, Ryan Mallet, Tim Tebow
Tom Brady is Tom Brady. The guy is coming off of one of his best seasons he's ever had throwing for 4,827 yards, 34 touchdowns and a sterling 8 interceptions. The guy is like a fine wine. He get's better with age. This season will certainly have a learning curve in the early stages with all the new faces Tom will be throwing to but once they get some games under their belt, expect much of the same from Brady and the Pats. If we've learned anything from him in the past, Tom Brady makes it work regardless of who he is throwing the ball to and in most cases, he makes the players he's throwing to look like All-Pros. This is a make or break season for Ryan Mallet. He's not going to get many glimpses of game action unless, God forbid, Brady goes down for some reason, so it'll be hard to evaluate exactly how the 3rd year backup has progressed. He has been mentioned by many media outlets as a guy that could be traded for by a team that needs a starting quarterback and I'm not exactly sure he proved he can come in a be that guy for a team.
Brady projected stat line: 4,650 yds, 38 TDs, 10 INT
Mallet projected stat line: Let's hope he doesn't have one

Offensive line: LT Nate Solder, LG Logan Mankins, C Ryan Wendell, RG Dan Connolly, RT Sebastian Vollmer
Not much has changed here. Third year man Nate Solder is protecting Brady's blindside for a second straight season. You didn't hear a whole lot about him last year and I guess that's a good thing considering it means he wasn't doing anything wrong. He was sound and athletic on the edge, and much improved from his rookie season. He'll look to build on that this year. Mankins is the quintessential guard. An absolute mauler who loves nothing more than smashing the face of the defender in front of him. He's the unquestioned leader of this line and provides excellent pass and run support. An important cog in this offensive line is Vollmer. When he's healthy, he's one of the best right tackles in the NFL, but he seems to be one of those guys who always contracts a nagging injury that keeps him out way longer than you think it should. If this line can stay healthy, it will continue the trend of being one of the top 5 offensive lines in the NFL.

Running backs: Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount, Leon Washington, Brandon Bolden
Ridley is entering his third NFL season and his second as the feature back of this offense. He broke out last season amassing 1,263 rushing yards, 18 total touchdowns and a 4.4 yards per carry average. He's not overly flashy but he proved last year he's someone whom you can give the ball to consistently between the tackles on first and second down and will take care of the football. Shane Vereen is one of my key players to watch this year. Danny Woodhead was shown the door in free agency as he bolted to the Chargers and Vereen will fill his spot as the third down, pass catching back seamlessly. Vereen has the skillset to be a weapon out of the backfield and make you forget Danny Woodhead was even a human. Vereen has exceptional hands and top end speed making him a huge asset in the passing game and a player that Brady will look to often. Blount adds an interesting wrinkle into the Pats running game as he's something they haven't really had in the past few seasons; a real power back. Blount is a monster of a running back and hardly ever gets taken down by the first tackler. He'll be used in short yardage and goal line situations and should be a very useful runner out of the backfield. Washington has the reputation as one of the best kick returners in the NFL and that's mostly where you'll see him used, but don't be surprised if you also see him catching some passes out of the backfield and spelling Shane Vereen.
Ridley projected stat line: 1,215 yds, 10 rushing TDs, 3 receiving TDs 4.6 yards per carry.
Vereen projected stat line: 425 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs, 410 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs
Blount projected stat line: 360 yds, 6 TDs

Wide receivers: Danny Amendola, Kenbrell Thompkins, Julian Edelman, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Matthew Slater
Danny Amendola is going to be the key guy here. As I stated above he is going to be Welker's replacement and even more because I've heard that he'll be lining up a lot outside of the numbers as well as inside, which brings more versatility to his role. He's sure handed and from all accounts a fast learner so I expect him to have a huge season as the Patriots go-to wideout. Rookie Kenbrell Thompkins is a fantastic story. Kenbrell is a former juvenile delinquent and drug dealer who decided to clean his act up, go to the University of Cincinatti and take this football thing seriously. Signed as an undrafted rookie, the six foot receiver has burst on to the scene impressing the coaching staff and hurdling over several other rookies who looked to be ahead of him going into training camp. He's quickly earned the trust of Tom Brady and has had some great games and flashes in the preaseason which lead me to believe he'll be the wide receiver lining up on the outside opposite Danny Amendola. Julian Edelman will see a huge amount of time in the slot and be the shifty, run after the catch receiver we've seen him be in the past. Injury is something Edelman has to avoid this year as Brady will be depending on him more heavily now, than in years past. Aaron Dobson, the Patriots second round draft pick is a 6'3, 210 lb specimen at the wide receiver spot. He has freakish hands and leaping ability that will undoubtedly make for some highlight reel catches this year, much like this one from his senior year at Marshall: "The Catch". He could very well finish this season as the second or third best wide receiver on the team. Josh Boyce is a strong, compact rookie wideout from TCU who can come in and do some special things in this offense. He provides the team something they have lacked in recent years, a guy with 4.30 speed that can get down the field. I expect him to be utilized on a lot of deep routes, and screen passes as he can be dangerous after the catch in the open field.
Amendola projected stat line: 89 rec, 1,100 yds, 6 TDs
Kenbrell Thompkins: 56 rec, 840 yds, 5 TD
Julian Edelman: 50 rec, 660 yds, 3 TD
Aaron Dobson: 40 rec, 520 yds, 4 TD
Josh Boyce: 35 rec, 410 yds, 3 TD

Tight Ends: Rob Gronkowski, Jake Ballard, Zach Sudfeld
The legend of Gronk continues on to another season. Unfortunately this season it begins with Gronk sidelined as he recovers from a broken wrist and offseason back surgery. When he returns, you should expect him to quickly take back his role as the best tight end in all of football. Maybe not right away, but the man is a freak of nature and I wouldn't put anything past him. To start the season, you'll see a lot of Jake Ballard and Zach Sudfeld. Ballard was an up and coming TE for the Giants before tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl against the Patriots which put an abrupt halt to his development. He has good hands an athleticism for a guy that stands at 6'7 and is also proficient in the blocking game. Sudfeld is a very interesting prospect. From what I've seen so far he has a lot of the unteachable tools that Gronk has on the field. He's extremely athletic and adjusts very well in the air to make difficult catches look easy. Also, much like Gronk, he is very strong in the blocking game and will be a huge contributor in that area of the game as that's one of the best ways to get on Belichick's good side.
Gronkowski projected stat line: 50 rec, 700 yds, 5 TD
Ballard projected stat line: 30 rec, 290 yds, 2 TD
Zach Sudfeld: 30 rec, 350 yds, 3 TD

If all goes according to plan, and it rarely does, that's how I see it playing out. Obviously injuries, cuts, and whatnot will follow this final preseason game but I think this offense, while slightly young and inexperienced, has the potential to do some special things. It may take them a couple weeks to get into the full swing of things, but I would expect them to be the same high octane offense they usually are and put up 30+ points a game. They could possibly be a little more run oriented than we've seen in the past as they have a pretty special stable of running backs, but overall this offense will be a force to be reckoned with.

Keep your eyes peeled for my next piece where I take a look at the defensive side of the ball and what you should expect from your beloved Patriots in that area.

Be well.

-ZHawk

Patriots Report Card: Reflecting on the 2012 NFL Draft

About an hour before the first round commenced Thursday night I was preparing to watch another first round pass me by and when the Patriots were on the clock at the 27 spot (a pick acquired from New Orleans last year as the Patriots gave them their first round pick), watch them trade the pick for another 1^st rounder next year. And when the Patriots actual selection at the 31^st spot came up I was going to give it a 50/50 chance they’d actually make the pick. History told all Patriots fans that this is how it was going to play out. The Patriots haven’t moved up in a draft since 2003 when they jumped up a single spot to grab DE Ty Warren and 4 of the past 5 drafts they have had multiple first round selections yet have never picked more than 1 player. Once you think you’ve pegged Belichick’s next move he goes and throws you off the scent and Thursday night he did it again.

For the past few years Patriots fans have been pining for secondary help and more than anything an electrifying edge rusher who can move the quarterback off his spot. So what did Belichick do the past 3 or 4 drafts? He passed up guys like Clay Matthews, Adrian Clayborn, and DaQuan Bowers. This year though Belichick made a move to please the masses and finally traded up to secure aid for a depleted defense that was statistically horrendous last year.

The Hoodie saw DE Chandler Jones, a top 10 rated prospect by NFL Network expert Mike Mayock and Scouts Inc., slipping down the first round and made a move to jump up from 27 to 21 to snag the Syracuse athletic monster. To move up the 6 spots the Patriots had to surrender their 3^rd round pick and the 27^th overall pick. As a Patriots fan I am ecstatic to see the Patriots finally attempt to plug the gaping hole at edge rusher with a talented, strong, athletic proven commodity. Jones didn’t fall without reason however seeing that he missed the first 5 games of Syracuse’s season last year with a knee injury but he did play out the remainder of the year and racked up 4.5 sacks. Most draft experts unanimously agreed that had Jones been healthy for a full year and posted double-digit sacks he would’ve easily been a top 8 pick. Belichick was smart enough to see Jones slipping and he capitalized on other teams being weary of his knee injury much like he did two years ago when All Pro TE Rob Gronkowski slipped to the 2^nd round due to an injury. I give the move to grab Chandler Jones two thumbs up.

With their second pick of the 1^st round the Patriots again shocked the football pundits and traded the 31^st overall selection and their 4^th round pick to the Denver Broncos for their 25^th overall pick. With the 25^th pick the Patriots again made an attempt to shore up their defensive front seven by picking Alabama ILB Dont’a Hightower. Hightower was the second rated ILB in the draft behind BC’s Luke Kuechly, who went 9^th overall to the Carolina Panthers. Hightower received the endorsement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban and as most Patriots fans know, Saban is a confidant of Belichick’s and the Hoodie trusts his evaluation of collegiate talent. Hightower is versatile as well with the ability to play outside in the 4-3 and inside with Jerrod Mayo in the 3-4. Hightower isn’t as physically intimidating or powerful as Jones but he’s a gamer and I love gamers. Hightower is one of those guys who won’t dominate the combine but when the film gets turned on he stands out as a great ‘football’ player. Another good move by the Hoodie to trade up and go after the type of football player he can plug into his scheme and move around without a hiccup.

After two trades to move up in the 1^st round Thursday night the Patriots were left with only two 2^nd round picks on Friday and then a bare cabinet. For as much as I loved the Patriots two selections in the 1^st round I was equally confused by the selection of S Tavone Wilson in the 48^th spot. Going for defensive help, especially in the secondary, was the right call but Wilson wasn’t on anyone’s radar before the 4^th round AT THE EARLIEST. Yet there goes Belichick again reaching for a guy he considers ‘versatile’ just because he can stand in the safety position or slide over and stand in front of a receiver as a ‘cornerback’. Don’t get me wrong the Patriots needed help in the secondary and Wilson does provide some assistance in fixing that problem but the pick just came too early. He did it with DT Ron Brace a few years earlier and possibly CB Ras-I Dowling last year but hopefully Travon Wilson proves me wrong and shows that he was worth a top 50 selection.

With their final pick of the night, 62^nd overall, the Patriots started wheeling and dealing to gain more picks in the 3^rd and 5^th rounds. With the 3^rd round selection I applaud the Patriots for again looking at the defensive side of the ball and selecting Arkansas DE Jake Bequette, a high motor high-energy kind of player that Belichick loves. Bequette was able to register 10 sacks last year for the Razorbacks and he is a good gamble late in the 3^rd round. He’s coachable and can play special teams what more does Belichick look for in a player? Bequette solves multiple problems in one fell swoop by drafting another edge rusher who can either play with his hand in the dirt or stand up on the outside and run with special teams.

With their final 3 picks of the night the Patriots took Ohio State CB Nate Ebner, Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard, and Northwestern WR Jeremy Ebert. Out of those three players I only see the two CB’s with a shot of making the Patriots when they break camp. Ebert did well at Northwestern but he’s small, 5-10 190 lbs, and doesn’t project well as an NFL wide receiver. At worst Belichick can always put him on the practice squad if he feels that Ebert is too good to expose to the waiver wire. Out of the group though the one that intrigues me the most is Dennard. After the 2010 season Dennard was considered a fringe 1^st round prospect after having a sensational season, 31 tackles and 4 interceptions, alongside future Giants CB Prince Amukamara. This season Dennard again played well and was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Back of the Year but some league trouble and a few physical shortcomings, in the words of Todd McShay, ‘he has short arms and isn’t very fast, which makes a bad combo for a NFL cornerback’ forced him down in the draft. The league problems coming from a week before the draft when he got arrested for fighting outside a bar and when a police officer came over to break it up allegedly punching him in the face and resisting arrest. Not a very smart move but if Belichick thinks he has the talent to make the Patriots roster and he can make a difference in the secondary then this turns out to be a steal of a pick in the 7^th round.

Overall I thought that the Patriots had a solid draft, a little more top heavy then usual but the top 2 sure is chalk full of talent. With the additions of Jones and Bequette at the DE/OLB spot Belichick has finally brought in some in house candidates to push for playing time. With the selection of Hightower the Patriots did a great job of finding a ballplayer who can work well within Belichick’s system and is talented enough to freelance a play when need be. The Patriots paid close attention to the offensive side of the ball in free agency and turned a keen eye towards the defensive side of the ball in the draft. Out of their 7 selections the only one that I don’t truly understand is the Travon Wilson selection and hey I’ll take my chances on believing that Belichick knows what he’s doing. The Patriots turned some heads and made some trades, moving up instead of down this time, that I think long term will help solidify the defensive front seven long time. Bravo Belichick now for an encore how bout building a defense that can give Tom Brady his 4^th ring.

Geoff Jablonski

NFL Playoff Picture Getting Clearer: AFC Breakdown

We’re now through 12 weeks and the playoff race in the AFC has started to take a more definitive shape. There are 9 teams vying for 6 spots, the cutoff is the Bills at 10 so sorry Buffalo but losing 4 in a row and your top offensive player in Fred Jackson doesn’t allow you to be vying for a playoff spot anymore. Of those 9 teams the Bengals, Broncos, and Titans all appear to shift from week to week on whether they are pretenders or contenders. I know that Denver starts Tim Tebow at quarterback and shouldn’t really be in this conversation but there’s not much else to say other than he’s 5-1 as a starter and the team, mostly the defense, rallies around him more and more each week. They can’t score a lick and I’m pretty sure John Fox has Tebow running a dumbed down version of the offense from “Football for Dumbies” but a win is a win. Back to the subject at hand this isn’t going to be a rant or rave about Tim Tebow but a look at all the teams, here is how the AFC top 9 line up currently:

1. Houston Texans (8-3)
2. New England Patriots (8-3)
3. Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
4. Oakland Raiders (7-4)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)
7. New York Jets (6-5)
8. Denver Broncos (6-5)
9. Tennessee Titans (6-5)

Now let’s break these standings down and I’m going to throw at you how I think this race is going to shake out.

You are seeing straight that is the Houston Texans sitting in the top slot. A franchise that has never had a winning record is currently your number one seed though I see that changing in the near future with the news that Matt Leinart is out for the year and the team just signed Jake “Day Light Come And I Wanna” Delhomme. The Texans are still going to win the weak AFC South but I don’t see them holding onto the top spot over the likes of the Patriots and Steelers. They’ll settle in nicely to the 3 seed ahead of the (spoiler alert!) AFC West champion Oakland Raiders. The other shoo-ins as far as this blogger is concerned are the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers. Those three teams know how to win when the mercury drops below 32 and the calendar turns to January, I don’t see that changing this year. All three sit at 8-3 with each having the possibility of running the table. The Patriots play an extremely weak schedule the last 5 weeks of the year so I see them penciling in as the 1 seed with a 13-3 final tally. The Steelers and Ravens will battle it out for the other bye and the 2 seed. I’m going to lean towards the Ravens since they’ve already beaten the Steelers twice thus owning the tiebreaker. All they have to do is play the Steelers even down the stretch and they get the coveted bye through the wildcard weekend. Steelers will finish either 12-4 or 11-5 securing themselves the 5 seed behind the 4 division winners. Between the Patriots, Ravens, Texans, and Steelers that’s four spots out of six locked down let’s take a peek at who might grab those final two openings.

Handicapping The Rest of the Field

We’ve now decided the definite lets look at who’s left and who is going to punch a ticket to the dance and who’s going to be left out in the cold. I’m going to eliminate the Tennessee Titans from the race right off the bat. CJ1K has been a ghost all year and has only had two really good games all year and they came against the porous run defenses of the Tampa Bay Bucs and Carolina Panthers. Against everyone else he’s struggled to break the 40-yard mark while Matt Hasselbeck has been firing off interceptions like it’s going out of style. They still have games against the Saints and Texans left I don’t see them cracking the 10 wins it takes to even sniff the playoffs. Titans are off the list.

Next team up that I’m going to eliminate is those pesky Denver Broncos. There hasn’t been a simpler offense run in the NFL since the ball was oval shaped and passing was considered awkward at best. The Broncos beat the Chiefs a few weeks ago after attempting only 8 passes, completing 2, and running the ball 55 times. This week they beat the free falling Chargers in OT with Tebow completing 9-18 and running the ball over 20 times. I personally fall under the belief that it’s more of an indictment on the Chargers and Chiefs not playing well than the belief that this high school option offense will have continued success at the NFL level. There’s a reason that option quarterbacks don’t transition from college to the pros if they did the quarterbacks of Army, Navy, and the Air Force would all be top 10 picks. Tebow is winning now but teams will realize he’s not a threat to pass the ball effectively and the magic will run out. Broncos land on the outside looking in.

Eliminating the Broncos means that I’m crowning the Oakland Raiders the AFC West champions as I mentioned a few paragraphs above. The Raiders have actually been playing halfway decent with Carson Palmer steering the ship and Michael Bush picking up the slack while Run DMC’s foot heals. When the Raiders get him back and have their entire WR corps healthy the Raiders will stand a punchers chance moving forward. They can hold off the Broncos and their Tebowing. They’re in as AFC West champions and the 4 seed.

Then there were two…the current 6 seed Cincinnati Bengals and the 7 seed New York Jets. It kills me to say this as a diehard Pats fan but I’m going to concede the 6 seed to the Jets in the end. They have an easier schedule down the stretch than the Bengals and though Mark Sanchez has done nothing to show he has a semblance of consistency he’s been to the AFC Championship game twice and can somewhat handle playing under stress. The Bengals are lead by a rookie quarterback who has exceeded all expectations in the redheaded fireball Andy Dalton. Dalton has had an extraordinary season by all accounts but I don’t think he can beat the Texans, Steelers and Ravens down the stretch while the Jets get the likes of the Redskins, Chiefs, reeling Eagles, Giants, and Dolphins. The Jets have a pretty good shot at winning out whereas the Bengals would do well to win 2 out of 3 of those games, their other two games are against the Rams and Cardinals I’m going to chalk those up as W’s. The Bengals have had a much better year than anticipated in year 1 of the Dalton experience and I think next year they’ll be dancing with the big boys but this year they’re going to be left waiting for a prom date. Jets wrap up the 6th seed and if there’s justice for being obnoxious ego inflated pricks they’ll be bounced in round 1 by the Texans. If not then hopefully the Steelers or Ravens can serve them papers in round 2.

There you have it folks that’s why I see the AFC playoff race playing out and stay tuned for my take on the NFC race tomorrow night. Let me know what you think.

Geoff Jablonski

The Quick Slant Week 6: Brady, Hernandez move the Pats to 5-1

After a week’s hiatus in order to provide an in depth preview of the Boston Bruins ‘The Quick Slant’ is back and better than ever. A brief synopsis of the game before I get into what I saw in particular and a few random thoughts on the game and its outcome. As most of you know the Patriots beat the Dallas Cowboys 20-16 yesterday with Tom Brady hitting Aaron Hernandez for an 8 yard score with :22 left in the 4^th quarter. Brady went 27/41 (identical to Romo) for 289 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 picks. Now that you’ve seen a final score and how Tom Terrific did on the day let’s get to some of the news and notes from the matchup.

-Thank God Buddy Ryan only had two defensive minded sons. Rex Ryan and the Jets (before last week) were 3-2 against the Patriots since he’s been at the helm and unceremoniously knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs last year. Rob Ryan, the current defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, was at the head of the Browns defense that before Sunday was the last d to hold the Patriots under 30 points in the regular season. Ryan guided defenses tend to give Brady and the Patriots some trouble for extended period of times. The common theme between the brothers Ryan ability to slowing down the Patriots is the ability to get pressure on Brady with 4 and a good amount of the time only 3 rushers. DeMarcus Ware is an absolute beast and he showed it again yesterday wreaking havoc on Matt Light and the Pats o-line all day long. He and the Boys d-line were able to take down Brady 3 times and the secondary picked up 2 interceptions. Until the final drive the Cowboys had done a great job of holding the Patriots in check but that’s just it: it’s almost impossible to hold them down for a full 60 minutes and Brady showed why when he marched down the field 80 yards with precision and accuracy to lead the Patriots to victory.

-Yesterday’s matchup between New England and Dallas provided a much clearer view of why Tom Brady’s one of the greatest of all-time and Tony Romo will never excel into the upper echelon. Brady scores TDs and is allowed to make plays when the game is on the line where Romo scores FGs and is forced to call a handoff dive off right tackle on 3^rd down in the Red Zone. Romo has been at this for almost 6 years now and he’s still not allowed to throw the ball late in the game with the game tied. The Cowboys would rather hand off and take 3 points instead of risking Romo throwing an INT. The Cowboys went 1-3 (TDs-atts) in the Red Zone yesterday with the Patriots going 2-4. Romo leads the Cowboys on long drives that yield 3 instead of the 7 points Brady and Patriots consistently put on the board.

-Andre Carter looked great yesterday putting 2 sacks on the board and disrupting multiple others. Carter is a strong presence in the locker room and the kind of guy you root for. He’s been in the league for 11 years and if he can continue the level of play that he brought to the table last week for the rest of the year the Patriots found them a gem on the scrap heap.

-If he’s healthy, and I know it’s a big IF, Albert Haynesworth can bring the noise. On one of Carter’s sacks yesterday Haynesworth occupied 3 (3!) blockers to allow Carter a free lane to Romo. His presence doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet but he is a beast and occupies multiple blockers on every play allowing the other linemen and linebackers free shots at the ball carrier. He can also provide some pressure up the middle, which for all his other talents and soft hands, Vince Wilfork isn’t the best at. He’s more of a run stuffer and block occupier than he is pocket collapser. Haynesworth is a pocket collapser.

-The Patriots turned the ball over 4 times yesterday including putting it on the ground for the first 2 times all year. They were lucky to win considering they lost the turnover battle 4-2. Yet, championship caliber teams win these games and the Patriots did just that.

-The Cowboys are way too skilled to be sitting at 2-3. They should pretty easily be at 5-0 with the talent they field at every position. If you look at the Pats and Cowboys man for man the only areas where you would give the Patriots a decided edge is Quarterback. Running Back is a close push and I’ll give the o-line to the Patriots slightly though the Cowboys have some talent but WRs? Cowboys. D-Line? Cowboys. DBs? Cowboys? LBs? Cowboys? The Patriots have 2 very good TEs whereas the Boys only have Witten but he just happens to be one of the 3 best in football. Not too shabby. Jerry Jones needs to figure out who is the right head coach for this team because Jason Garrett is nothing more than a glorified offensive coordinator. As we’ve all seen from when Belichick tried it a few years ago head coaches shouldn’t be the offensive coordinators at the same time. Find a strong personality to come in and lead this talented bunch to their place among the NFL’s elite.

-Finally, Chad Ochocinco might be close to putting ex-New England Patriot on his resume. He only made it on the field for 7 plays yesterday and none after the Patriots ran isolation for him on the left side and he ran the wrong route. Ochocinco ran an in instead of an out when the Patriots lined him up alone on the left with 4 WRs bunched on the right. After the game Brady said that he still believes Ochocinco can contribute but on the field you can tell that he’s lost all confidence in throwing him the ball and Ochocinco looks stiff and lot. He’s not playing fluid and loose like he did in Cincinnati. If he has any chance of making it in New England he has to dedicate himself to this offense play a little more carefree and think less. He’s a talented player and the Pats could use him down the stretch but we all know if he doesn’t produce soon Belichick won’t be afraid to cut ties and move on.

That’s all for this week folks we’ll see you again in two weeks since YOUR New England Patriots are on a bye this week. Until we cross paths again…

Geoff Jablonski

Patriots Outlook and Projections Part 1: Offense

We are a mere five days away from the New England Patriots kicking off the 2011-2012 season, and on paper this team looks like the team to beat in the AFC. The rosters have been cut down to 53 men and the winners of positional battles in preseason are still being decided upon. Let me get you ready for some Monday Night Football with my expectations of who you will see out there starting on offense come September 12th.


QB: Tom Brady
Projected 2011-12 Stats: 4,100 YD, 38 TD, 9 INT
Coming off a brilliant statistical season in which he garnered his second MVP trophy, Tom Brady is still, at age 34, arguably the best in the league at his position, and arguably one of the top 5 greatest quarterbacks of all time. The numbers speak for themselves; 3x Super Bowl champion, 2x MVP, 2010 offensive player of the year. The man does not lose very often, bolstering a regular season winning percentage of .809 and a playoff winning percentage of .823. I don't know about you but there isn't a single soul I would rather have as my starting QB.


RB: Benjarvus Green-Ellis
Projected 2011-12 Stats: 900 YDs, 10 TDs
The hard nosed running back out of Mississippi made a name for himself last season carrying the majority of the running back load. He finished the year with 1008 rushing yards and a very impressive 13 rushing TDs. He is looking to add to his young and surprising NFL career as the Patriots main, between the tackles running back this season.


WR: Deion Branch
Projected 2011-12 Stats: 55 Rec, 600 YDs, 5 TD
Tom Brady got his buddy back last season in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Branch never had the same success with Seattle as he had here with the Patriots and once he arrived back in New England last season, it felt as though he never left. Branch doesn't do a lot of things that will end up in the SportsCenter Top Ten Plays, But he is sure handed, runs good routs and him and Brady have a great chemistry together, leading to many hook-ups throughout the season.


RT: Sebastian Vollmer
The NFL's big German is coming into his third season on the Patriots offensive line and has done a great job protecting Tom Brady thus far. The 6-8 tackle is coming off a season in which he was named a second team All-Pro. The versatile Vollmer will be playing right tackle this season as the Patriots have re-signed LT Matt Light to a one year deal.


RG: Dan Connolly
A career back-up until last season, Connolly stumbled upon a starting job last season while Logan Mankins was out due to contract disagreements and when Stephen Neal suffered an injury. Connolly played 6 games at RG and 7 games at LG. I think we all remember the glorious display of athleticism last season when a botched kickoff fell into Thunder Dan's arms and he returned it 71 yards. I'd like to note that the Patriots have signed 4x Pro-Bowl guard Brian Waters within the last week and it's likely he will be starting in place of Connolly in the near future.


C: Dan Koppen
Arguably the most steady member of the Patriots not named Tom Brady, Koppen is entering his ninth season with the Pats. In the eight seasons Koppen has been in New England he has started 119 of 120 games. Dan is one of three currents Patriots to start on all three Super Bowl winning teams, joining Tom Brady and Matt Light.


LG: Logan Mankins
Anchoring the left side of the offensive line, with a new 6 year $51 million contract that extends through the 2016 season, Logan Mankins has earned his title as the Patriots best offensive lineman. The man made the Pro-Bowl last season only having played in the last six games of the regular season, and was named a first team All-Pro. Logan was also named the best guard in the NFL in a poll of his peers in the off-season.


LT: Matt Light
Light is another stalwart of the Patriots offensive line. Protecting Tom Brady in 140 games over his 10 year career with the Patriots, most of those starts have been on Brady's blind side. The Pro-Bowl tackle has lost a step or two over the years but still has enough in the tank to be signed on for one more season with the Pats. Light may eventually lose his job to 17th overall pick Nate Solder who showed flashes of brilliance in the pre-season. Only time will tell.


TE: Rob Gronkowski
Projected 2011-12 Stats: 55 Rec, 700 YDs, 10 TD
The gigantic sophomore TE is looking to add to great start to his Patriots career this season. Gronk caught 42 balls for 546 yards last season amassing 10 touchdowns, a Patriots rookie TE record. It's thought that with a beast of a training camp in which he made men look like boys, Gronkowski will have even more responsibility going into this season. He will be utilized more often in the blocking game with the loss of Algae Crumpler, and also more in the passing game as he continues to gain more and more of Brady's trust.


WR: Wes Welker
Projected 2011-12 Stats: 112 Rec, 1110 YDs, 6 TD
Ah yes, Tom Brady's favorite target. The shifty and elusive Welker is going into season 5 of his illustrious Patriots career in which he has become the premiere slot receiver in the NFL. It's a contract year for 'The Slot Machine' and he has gained all of Tom Brady's trust over his 4 seasons in New England, bringing in 110+ balls in 3 of his 4 seasons here, and 86 in the other. Welker is said to be feeling the best he has felt now that he is over a year removed from major knee surgery. He will undoubtedly be the #1 target of #12 this season.


WR: Chad Ochocinco 
Projected 2011-12 Stats: 70 Rec, 870 YDs, 6 TD
Much to the chagrin of some Patriots fans, we traded for the wideout formerly known as Chad Johnson in the off-season. I have found that those who hate the trade for the Patriots are also those who are ill informed, often saying things like "how will him and Belichick get along?" and "him and his stupid antics can stay in Cincinatti." For one, Ocho and Bill have always had a fondness for eachother over the years. Look it up. It's a fact. Belichick has always had nothing but good things to say about Chad (which is rare for him) and the same goes for Chad about Bill. Although Chad has garnered some unneeded press over the years for his 'antics', they have never been anything detrimental to his team, or anything off the field. The man likes to celebrate in gaudy ways and turn to twitter to trash talk opposing DBs. I can assure you that will stop now that he has landed in Foxboro. Chad is too smart for it not to stop. He isn't like Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall and all those WRs who will never learn. Chad is a true student of the game, he respects the game. He is going to put up numbers this year with the Patriots and if any of you Ocho naysayers are reading this, message me at the end of the season so I can say I told you so.


Other key offensive contributors include: TE Aaron Hernandez, RB Danny Woodhead, WR Julian Edelman and WR Taylor Price.


There you have it. My offensive starter outlook and projections for the Pats. Stay tuned for Part 2 where I take a look at the Patriots defense.


-ZHawk