Pre-Game

So as I sit here, in my usual red computer chair, I ponder to myself, “Just how bumpy will the 2006 New England Patriots’ season be?”

It is the question that everybody asks, but does not expect, nor want, to hear the answer to. Why would they? They just had a Super Bowl caliber team lose key players on offense, defense, and special teams. Those guys were not only faces of the franchise, but they were locker room leaders and role models for kids, teens, and adults alike.

Honestly though, how much could a team seriously suffer due to a few players leaving? Arguably the most automatic kicker in NFL history deserted the Patriots for money, the linebacker with the most sacks in a playoff game ever recorded left for money, and the unofficial number two receiver of ‘The Brady Bunch’ left for another gig. What is a fan supposed to make of this? Three players they worshipped for years suddenly decide to leave the only city they called home for a couple years of paycheck bliss.

Football, like any other sport on the face of the earth, is a very lucrative business. Loyalty, honor, glory – all those things of the past have been translated into several zeroes on the pay stub the players collect every couple weeks. What would a normal businessman in the corporate world do? If this man was offered a pay raise of twenty dollars more an hour and a signing bonus, would he leave the company that showed him how to master the skills he utilizes to this day? That is the question Adam Vinatieri, Willie McGinnest, and David Givens all had to answer. What was worth more: the paycheck or their value to the public, for Love or Money?

These three men are human. Not demons, or losers, or enemies. They did their part, and that was that. Everything good must eventually come to end, just like the Patriots’ Super Bowl streak or Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, or that ever-so-perfect relationship. They made their choice, and what is done is done. Those three players are not coming back, and we as fans must accept that and move on. Thanks for the memories, and good luck on Sunday. It is the Front Office’s job to replace those players with supplementary players or players that even supersede the skills of the one before them. The Patriots will heal, and the fans must not forget this.

Will 2006 be one of the bumpiest years since 2002? Quite possibly, so hold on New England. Belichick and Pioli are in the position that they are in because they belong there. They will replace what is missing, they will overcome the void, and they will succeed. If not this year, they will bounce back the next. What some fans lose sight of is that the team still has the tools to win. They still have their amazingly bright Front Office, they still have their Pro-Bowl linebackers, and their safeties, and their quarterback. Three men will not ruin a franchise. The spirit of the Patriots did not die with the loss of Givens, Vinatieri, and McGinnest. If anything, the Patriots are now to be closer and more brought together as a team than ever before to survive, to win.

Rockin' the Boat

Rent-a-wreck pulled out the big lumber last night going 3 for 4 with a double, walk, and a strikeout. Renteria has been heating up lately. The Sox are in need of an offensive surge with Ramirez slumping (0 for 4 with a walk). Other players who simply haven’t found their stroke as of yet are those of the likes of Kevin Millar. The instant cheerleader for Red Sox Nation has opened his mouth more than he has hit the ball. If Millar doesn’t pull it together, he may be speaking on behalf of the Sox from the bench of an opposing dugout come July 31st.
Every team has its ups and downs. The Red Sox are experiencing one of those times in a season where nothing seems to be clicking. Their 4-game slump as of late could not have arrived at a worse time. The Sox have fallen into 4th place in the East after being swept in a 3-game series at Toronto and losing Game 1 of the current Yankee Series. The Yankees have been doing everything a 200+ million dollar team should be doing, winning. The resurgence of new Red Sox fans has died down a bit since the Series win. They’ve jumped ship, hopped off the bandwagon. The Sox simply aren’t looking like or playing like Champions.
It is not like it has been easy for the Sox so far either. An injured Curt Schilling won’t help ANY team. Dear Red Sox Nation, this is what life will be like with Schilling out of the picture. David Wells is no Pedro Martinez – no matter how many donuts Wells doesn’t eat. Matt Clement has been quite the surprise, and his numbers have clearly improved as he has worked with players such as Schilling and Varitek for support and tips. Wade Miller is not near being a 1-2 guy in the rotation as formerly projected. John Halama and Jeremi Gonzalez do NOT belong in a Red Sox rotation, even if Schilling and Wells are on the disabled list. Is Pedro the pitcher missed? Yes. Is Pedro the person missed? No. The sacrifice was made. David Wells must equal Pedro Martinez and Matt Clement must be the same or succeed the job of Derek Lowe. Whether or not the equation is completed is another story.
The possibility of a rookie rejuvenation may be the one of the many steps into the change of this new Red Sox team. This year, Kevin Youkilis has been called up again. After this year, Youkilis should be the full-time first or third basemen of the 2006 Red Sox and beyond. Hanley Ramirez can take over at center field if Damon leaves and Dustin Pedroia can take over at second base. Ramirez is a 5-tool player and Pedroia has hit .300+ at every level of baseball he’s played at. Of course, being a big-market team like the Red Sox, the chances of 2 rookies taking over at important positions could be unlikely. With that being the case, the Sox could trade one of their rookie standouts for a flashy player. If Millar and Mueller are both gone, Youkilis will likely take over at third base with a free agent signee manning first base. Possibilities for first base include Mike Sweeney of the Royals and Paul Konerko of the White Sox, both of which could be looking for new homes over the winter.

The Brady Bunch

They aren’t blonde, and not one of the wide receivers is over 6’1”. This family goes out as one and wins as one. One of the most overlooked areas on the New England Patriots is their receiver position. With pride and strength, these receivers are masters of the gridiron. They are creative and play punch for punch on every play, every yard. These experienced, battle-tested players are part of the New England nucleus.

A team is only as good as its coaches are smart. Bill Belichick is thought to be one of the brightest coaches ever to be in the NFL. His third Super Bowl in four years is evidence that he knows his football. He gets the most out of his players (convincing his defensive players to play offense) to win the game. Belichick manipulates the opposition by using players you wouldn’t exactly expect to catch a football and run for a touchdown. For example, using Mike Vrabel in a Super Bowl (in which he caught a touch down) or using Dan Klecko, a DL/LB, as a wide receiver. He has utilized players such as Richard Seymour as a fullback because he knows the opposing defense hadn’t even thought of that possible situation. Bill Belichick finds the enemy inefficiencies and exploits them.

Over the past three years, the short, new receivers on the Patriots have shown that they are for real by putting up big numbers when it counts. Deion Branch is only 5’9”. Coming out of the draft, his height caused some concern that he may be beaten by the taller defensive backs on man-to-man coverages. In three seasons (02-04), Branch has pulled down 489, 803, and 454 yards on 43, 57, and 35 receptions. Deion has pulled all this off in limited time. Branch hasn’t played 16 regular season games in his pro three seasons.

Branch and company will be going up against a defensive backfield that is an average 71 inches tall (5’11”). The Philadelphia defense is rather young too, being only an average age of 24. The inexperience in the Philadelphia backfield may spell its doom when lined up against experienced Patriot receivers. The Pats’s receivers (Givens, Branch, Brown, Patten, Johnson, and the tight ends) typically do rather well against the Eagles. Due to the fact that Tom Brady is who he is, and how well Charlie Weis coordinates his offense, the Patriots will be trying to confuse the young defensive backs during the Super Bowl.

The Patriots do not have one standout receiver. Therefore, forming a new type of passing offense, The Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch consists of blocking and catching tight ends, running and receiving running backs, and short wide receivers that always make the big play. David Givens has started to emerge as one of Brady’s favorite targets. David has soft hands and a tight grip – which is a formula for a successful wide receiver. David Givens is why Tom Brady throws it short. Tom has an arm, but keeps the defense guessing with the short (sometimes dump) pass play selections to Givens and his tight ends.

On the contrary, David Patten, Deion Branch, Troy Brown, and Bethel Johnson are four ‘short’ reasons why Brady throws it deep. Brady’s arm strength was questionable during his first full season as a Patriot. As most of America saw on CBS last Sunday, Brady isn’t afraid to close his eyes and launch a deep fly. Branch, Johnson, Brown, and Patten are all speedsters who have sure hands. Those four can maneuver and adjust to what Brady needs while scrambling away from the opposing pass rushers.

Early in the season, the Patriots lost their second pick in the 2004 NFL Draft when tight end, Ben Watson, went down. Watson and Daniel Graham are similar in some respects. They weigh about the same, lift about the same, and accomplish the same duties as a big tight end. Big Ben got hurt between weeks one and two of the regular season, landing him on injured reserve on September 29, 2004. Graham and Christian Fauria (now number two on the tight end depth chart) can both catch and block; they define versatile. Acquired on September 29, 2004 via free agency, Jed Weaver has made his presence known with eight receptions and 93 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown yet, but averages 11.6 yards a catch. If playing on Sunday, he should be running hard and attacking the end zone, as will the rest of the receiving corps. Over their respective careers, the New England tight ends have caught multiple passes and have had a relatively successful time racking up yardage against Philadelphia. In Jed Weaver’s last game against Philadelphia, he caught three passes for 61 yards. Fauria and Graham’s numbers in 2003 against Philadelphia weren’t as encouraging. Fauria had three receptions for 19 yards and Graham only had one catch for three yards. Graham, however, made up for his play in the 2003-2004 Super Bowl against Carolina where he caught four passes for forty-six yards.

Over the last several years, the Patriot offense was highly considered by experts as one-dimensional. All they had was a passing game. The rushing game, led by Antowain Smith, clearly held back the Patriots. According to Smith’s numbers, he did however get a sudden ‘burst’ of energy come the end of the season and play-offs. This year was a little different. The Patriots had traded a 2004 second round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for troubled running back, Corey Dillon. Dillon was unhappy about his Pro Bowl performances, and lack of W’s in the win column. As soon as Dillon met New England, it was a match made in heaven. Corey did away with his words and let his feet do the talking running for 1635 (12 touch downs on the ground) yards in 15 games on 345 attempts; good for third for the Rushing Title. Had Dillon played in week 7 (first loss of the season, broke the winning streak; Dillon sat out because of a bruised thigh), he could have captured the Rushing Title. Smith only had 604 yards the year before.

The 2004 Patriot running backs were not 1-dimensional either. They were catching-running backs. Corey Dillon had caught fifteen passes for 103 yards (6.9 yards a catch) and had one touch down. The other main running back on the Patriots this year was Kevin Faulk, a fan favorite. He not only ran for 255 yards on 54 attempts (4.7 average) and two touch downs, but he also caught 26 passes for 248 yards (9.5 yards a catch) and 1 touch down. If the Patriots couldn’t beat opponents through the air, they beat them on the ground. Faulk has had his fair share of play-off games (7) and Super Bowl appearances/wins (2). Kevin, however, has not had a touch down in the play-offs in his career, and will also be trying for one in the coming week. Dillon had his first taste of the postseason this year. He played against both Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Corey rushed for 144 yards against Indianapolis on 23 attempts (0 touch downs); he also had 5 catches for 17 yards. The Pittsburgh defense slowed down Dillon (except for a 20+ yard run for a touch down) for 73 yards on 24 attempts. In that game too, he pitched in through the air with one catch for five yards.

Once again, a team is only as good as its coaches are smart. Sadly, the Patriot coaching staff is having its last go-around as a team after this game. With Charlie Weis leaving to become Notre Dame’s head coach, Romeo Crennel leaving for Cleveland to be their head coach (and taking Pepper Johnson, Patriot Linebacker Coach, and maybe Eric Mangini, Patriot Defensive Backs Coach, as defensive coordinator), the Patriots must fine replacements to keep the team running. The new coordinators are expected to come from inside. Coming from within would enable the Patriots to keep it all in the system – everyone would know each other and there would be no surprises.

Battle of the Titans

Underdogs or underachievers? Are these Patriotic "Mud Dogs" ready to stick it out for the right to go to the Super Bowl when the Lombardi trophy is 60 minutes away? Is this the Super Bowl? Right now, can experts and critics clearly say that the winner of this game wins the Super Bowl? Yes they can. The Patriots will play against arguably the best team in the AFC this year. They will muscle it out with some of the hardest hitters in the game for a mere hour.
Back on October 31st, 2004, the Patriots got quite the Halloween "Trick or Treat". Brutally ambushed by a rookie quarter back and an astounding wide receiving corps, the Patriots had lost by a 14-point deficit. That single loss broke the Patriots's win streak and momentum. Certainly, the loss of a 1600-yard running back that can chew up a clock like no other and the situation where 3/5 of your offensive line was either moved out of position or injured can't help a team any; among other things. If a defense can force an offense so far out of rythym that they panic, the defense has achieved it's scheme. The Pittsburgh defense had done just that and more. They forced the Patriots to run the ball only 6 times for 5 yards. From that point in the game, the game was lost. Tom Brady and company had to abandon the running game if they wanted to at least put up a minimal fight.
Multiple games later, here these two teams stand; facing off for the final time in the season. One team at 15-2 (1 play-off win) and the other team at 16-1 (1 play-off win). Which battle-tested team can out manuever the other? Will the Patriots, who are 13-0 when facing a quarter back for the second time discover the holes in Pittsburgh's defense? Will the Steelers seek and succeed in finding revenge from the 2001 AFC Championship Game? Time will tell as the game unravels this evening. The Patriots, unlike the Halloween massacre, are relatively healthy. They have their running back with them and offensive line intact. But, will their so called "weak" secondary prevail as it did the week before when they conqured the Colts in the AFC Divisional Game?
This battle has been broken down so much by the stat-heads that it's more of a battle of the math nerds who try to stump each other. But, some numbers have a thousand words. Brady is known as the Montana of his era. He's a great guy, great QB, and he knows his football. Tom is 7-0 in the play-offs so far in his young career. Brady also, in his last 5 play-off games, has scored at least one touchdown. The last time he did Not score a touchdown was in none other than Pittsburgh. Back in the 2001 AFC Championship game, Brady was knocked down and hadn't yet scored through the air. Bledsoe then took control and finished off the game. The 2001 Kordell Stewert and the 2004-2005 Tom Brady have something in common; their passer rating in Heinz was and is 76.8.
The offenses and defenses were each top notch throughout the season. The Patriots averaged 27.3 points a game, yet the Pittsburgh defense only allows 15.7 points per game. Then the Steelers averaged 23.3 points a game, and the New England Defense only allowed 16.3 points a game. Each team takes a lot of yardage and gives up a little yardage. Touchdowns, however, is a different thing all together. New England had scored 44 offensive touchdowns during the season, Pittsburgh only had 36 offensive touchdowns. And New England gave up 27 touchdowns while Pittsburgh gave up 22. So much for a "weak" offensive line for New England. They only allowed 26 sacks, yet Pittsburgh allowed 36 sacks! Corey Dillon's prescense has helped tremendously too. The Pats had achieved a grand total of 193 first downs, compared to Pitt's 147. Don't count out Jerome "The Bus" Bettis though. In 7 starts, he's had 7 100+ yard games.
The defenses, offenses, and special teams are so close together that the game could come down to the kicker. Vinatieri was 31-33 in the 2004 regular season. While, Jeff Reed, the Pittsburgh kicker, has converted on his last 19 tries. Vinatieri, however, has a much better resume than say that of Reed. Vinatieri sports 2 Super Bowl Rings, both of which he kicked the decisive winning field goal in. He kicked the game-winner in Tennessee last year and had great, decisive kicks in the Oakland snowbowl in New England of the 2001 AFC Divisional Game. Reed, coming off a game-winning kick in Pittsburgh last week, is sure to be fired up and ready to go. The punters have each done pretty well. Both special teams haven't allowed a blocked punt all season long. Josh Miller only had to punt 56 times, while Pittsburgh punted 67 times.
Both coaches are very smart. Belichick is a mastermind -- period. A rather victorious mastermind. In the playoffs, Belichick is 8-1 with an .888 winning percentage. That is second to only to the great Vince Lombardi, who was 9-1, with a .900 winning percentage. It will be another classic Bill vs. Bill battle -- only this time, Mr. Parcells Isn't involved. These coaches have both gotten away with lucky games. Pittsburgh skipped by in last weeks' Divisional game and Belichick got away with a lucky call way back in 2001 where Brady had actually tucked the ball -- not fumbled. Pittsburgh was 9-0 at home this year while Belichick and crew are 6-2 away from Gillette (losses to Miami in Miami and to Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh). This game is the one to remember about the 2004-2005 season.