I apologize for the lack of updates over the past week, on top of a crazy work schedule I decided to head up to Sunday River for a long Super Bowl Weekend with 15 friends.  Needless to say, it was beyond sloppy and I’m now “drying” out back in Boston.  We are back at it and expect many more updates this week!

Well last night should be a night in which all Patriots fans were rejoicing.  All year we were forced to watch the talking heads drool over Peyton Manning and the Colts organization.  We had to listen to everyone say Manning was better than Brady and the Colts had surpassed the Pats as the team of the decade.  Of course this is all being said without a hint of facts being included in the conversation.  Prior to this year, Manning’s career playoff record was 7-8…after this year’s run he now sits at 9-9 over his 12 year career.  Then there is always the absolute way of measuring success: Super Bowls:  Brady – 3, Manning – 1.  The bottom-line: Peyton Manning is a great regular season quarterback and will put up eye-popping numbers year-in and year-out.  However when matched up against a good team in the playoffs, he will come up short.  Tracy Porter’s pick last night was a thing of beauty.  I can’t wait to watch it over and over this offseason.

Other quick hits from Super Bowl Weekend:

• Drew Brees is one of the most underrated QBs of the decade.  I think his lack of a playoff pedigree always made people think he was a step below Manning and Brady – he is right there with them.  The guy is super accurate, has great vision, and creates space for himself in the pocket.  After a rocky first quarter, he was lights out last night.  Good for him.
• Sean Payton is a gutsy coach.  To go for it at the goal line on 4th down and then call an onside kick to start the second half, against Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl is beyond ballsy.  The guy has some serious stones and it paid off last night.  I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between Payton and Belichick’s 4th and 2 call against Indy.  Both were really gutsy.  One worked and one didn’t.  Because Belichick’s didn’t, he was killed for it.  Those are the breaks sometimes.
• Although Pierre Garcon had a big drop in the 2nd half, he is going to be a good one.  He is going to help Peyton continue to be a great regular season quarterback.
• How soft is Dallas Clark?  I think he is one of the softest tight ends in the NFL.  All teams have to do is knock him off the line or get a few shots on him downfield early and he is completely taken out of the game.  He had a decent game last night but I don’t understand why all teams don’t do that.
• How is Reggie Bush not one of the most dangerous players in the NFL?  Is he just not committed to being great?  The guys is both super fast and quick and can make people miss when he gets into space.  No linebacker should ever be able to cover him out of the backfield.  Maybe it is just because he is injury prone, but he should be better than he is.
• David Thomas is a serviceable tight end and H-back.  Why did the Pats get rid of him again?  If anyone knows, please clue me in.
• Tony Dungy looks like a clown with all his pre-game comments.  For a guy who made a point of never being a loudmouth while coaching, he did a disservice to his former team.
• It has been known for a while but I think everyone can officially say that the NFL is a quarterback league.  Teams do not need an elite running game to win anymore.  It needs to be complimentary to the passing game and backs need to be able to catch balls from the backfield or in the slot.  In fact, if I’m advising a kid in high school as to what position he should play, I’m telling him to focus on being a wide receiver or a safety.  The days of the elite power backs are over (for now) and the days of shut down corners are numbered.  The league wants high-flying offenses and the rules put corners at a disadvantage.
• I am always amazed at how Manning can avoid getting sacked.  He makes his line look like all-pros every week.

I also entered the Twittersphere this weekend.  Follow me on Twitter at PatsChowder.  I can also be reached on email at PatsChowderFB@gmail.com.

Nice job Saints!  Who Dat!!

]]> http://patschowder.com/2010/02/08/super-bowl-xliv-chokeshow-2010/feed/ 0 http://patschowder.com/2010/02/02/randy-moss-played-with-separated-shoulder/ http://patschowder.com/2010/02/02/randy-moss-played-with-separated-shoulder/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:27:19 +0000 timmagoon http://patschowder.com/?p=1147 Kudos to Mike Reiss for breaking the story about Randy Moss playing from Week 5 on with a separated shoulder.  A lot of people got on Moss, especially towards the end of the year, about the effort he was putting in on game day.  Although the extent of the injury is not known, this could be part of the reason Moss’s production dipped towards the end of the regular season.

In watching Moss this year, I did not feel his effort was any different that in previous seasons.  Randy Moss looks like he takes plays off in almost every game.  In fact, Moss has such long strides that even when he is going full speed, he doesn’t look like he is putting in full effort.  Brady and Belichick both came to his defense this year when he was  being questioned.  I don’t think either of those guys would come out so strongly to protect a person that they both felt was dogging it.  Moss is still considered one of the most lethal down-the-field threats in the NFL.  Sure, he is getting up there in age and may have lost a bit of his speed but he is still uber-talented and extremely smart.  Randy Moss will come back next year and be just as productive as he has been in a Patriots.

Oh by the way – This was #81’s stat line for 2009: 83 receptions, 1,264 yards, and 13 touchdowns.  Not bad for a down season, huh?

Adam Schefter broke some news this morning on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan Show. Corwin Brown, former Notre Dame defensive coordinator, will be joining the Patriots coaching staff and working with the defensive backs. Along with the Patriots, I am a huge Notre Dame fan so I have seen the type of work that Brown has done with the Irish defense over the past few seasons. I can say that Brown is one of the Irish assistants that I always thought had the greatest potential. He is an intense guy who played safety at Michigan and in the NFL on the Patriots and the Jets under Bill Parcells. Unfortunately, the Notre Dame defense never had much success under Brown. In fact, they were downright horrible. However, the question was always whether it was coaching or the players. Clearly if Bill Belichick is bringing him in, he sees the potential that Brown has.

Pats fans can expect Corwin Brown to be a guy who can connect well with his players. He is also very comfortable with the 3-4 defense – on of the reasons that Weis brought him to South Bend – which will make the transition to New England much smoother.

Here is a great update from Albert Breer of the Boston Globe on the relationship between Brown and Belichick.

The Patriots running backs were a subject of much conversation during the 2009 season.  Much of that conversation was centered around Laurence Maroney and his effectiveness with the ball in his hands.  Many fans felt the lack of a consistent running game hurt the Patriots in the second half of games, the cause of many of their frustrating losses on the road this season.  Rankings-wise, the Patriots were in the middle of the pack in 2009.  They averaged 120 yards/game and finished the year 12th in the NFL in that category.  If the Patriots passing game was performing like it did in 2007, there would be no issues with these rushing stats.  However because the passing game was up and down throughout the year, the running game needed to be more consistent in order to close out games.  Here is a look at the Patriots running backs and the outlook for 2010:

Roster and Contracts:

Laurence Maroney – (thru 2010)

Fred Taylor – (thru 2010)

Sammy Morris – (thru 2010)

Kevin Faulk – (free agent)

BenJarvus Green-Ellis – (thru 2010)

Eric Kattani – (thru 2010)

Outlook:

The potential uncapped year makes the outlook for all positions very cloudy.  We will look at it from a pure talent and contribution perspective to get an idea of the direction the Patriots will go in 2010.  The number one priority for the running backs position should be resigning Kevin Faulk.  Faulk is now 33 and has played 11 seasons with the Pats.  He will never blow anyone away with this numbers but his is great on 3rd down and in the passing game.  In addition to his play, he is a strong leader in the locker room – something that will be needed in 2010.  Laurence Maroney has been extremely frustrating during his time as an NFL player.  One would think that his crucial fumbles in 2009 and overall lack of production could spell the end of his time in New England this offseason.  Still, Maroney seems to be a favorite of Belichick’s so he may be back on the field in 2010.  Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris should be back in 2010 unless the Patriots drop one of them in an effort to reduce salary during an uncapped year.

I think the Patriots will look for a running back in the draft that can be effective on 1st and 2nd down.  A Patriots running back needs to be a player who can catch balls out of the backfield, pass block, and have the ability to make people miss to pick up extra yards (ala Kevin Faulk).  I don’t see the Patriots using their 1st round pick on a running back (unless somone like CJ Spiller falls to them) simply because it is not a position of emphasis on this team.  Look for the Pats to continue to employ the running back-by-committee approach with the potential for a young back to come iun through the draft and contribute.

I know many fans were hoping for this to be a column about the departure of Laurence Maroney but I just don’t see it.  I see the Pats keeping Maroney through next year and the end of his contract with the hope that he will finally live up to his 1st round draft pick potential.

“He is a player’s coach and a big part of that is that he actually played the game,” Wilfork said. “A lot of things happen on the field, and because he’s been in the same predicament as us, he understands exactly what we see and how blocking schemes develop. It’s real easy to play for a coach like that.

“It also makes it a lot easier for a group of guys in a room, when somebody is talking to them about playing a certain technique, or a fit here, when it’s coming from a guy who has done it. So those are different people — the Xs’ and O’s and then somebody talking X’s and O’s who has played the game and understands it, like Pepper.”

“Playing under him, I want to see him as coordinator, I think he deserves it,” Wilfork said. “He has all the tools to be one.”

Belichick certainly is familiar with Johnson, he coached him with the Giants and the Browns and he has been on the Patriots defensive staff since 2000.  The other candidate for the job is Matt Patricia.  They are very different coaches in terms of experience.  Patricia played his college ball at RPI and then rose through the college ranks as a coach before joining the Patriots in 2004.  Whoever ends up taking over for the departed Dean Pees will have plenty of help from the head coach as Belichick is heavily involved in the game-planning and game-day coaching of the Patriots defense.

As long as The Gray Hoodie is still the main man on the sidelines in Foxboro, there should be no worries about what kind of coaching changes that are made under him heading into the 2010 season.

Go Pats!

This is the first post in a series that is designed to analyze the current state of the Patriots.  I am going to break down the Pats roster to help fans identify areas that are of need for the 2010 season and moving forward.  We are going to start with the most important position on the field: quarterback.

The Patriots quarterback situation is the most solid of any position on the team.  The quarterbacks start and end with Tom Brady.  With that said, here is a look at the position and a 2010 outlook.

Quarterbacks: Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer

Contract Situation:  Brady is signed through 2010 and Hoyer is signed through 2011

Outlook: Expect the Patriots and Brady to come to some sort of extension before the beginning of the 2010 season.  With 2010 looking to be an uncapped year, I expect that Brady and the Patriots will come to an agreement that pays him a lot up front but is cap-friendly for future seasons.  Brady is now 32 and this will be the last major deal of his career.  Although Brady had an up and down year, his stats were still very impressive: 4,398 yards, 28 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 66% completion percentage.  The key issue for Brady and the Patriots this year was red zone efficiency where they scored touchdowns only 50.8% of the time.  In addition, Brady made a number of mental errors this year that led to costly interceptions and incompletions.  This was very un-Brady like and could be attributed to his numerous nagging injuries and the fact his missed the entire 2008 season.  Still, Pats fans can expect Brady to bounce back in 2010.  There is currently no need to start looking for Brady’s replacement as I am sure he will be able to play at a high level for another three to four seasons.

Brian Hoyer appears to be a very solid backup for Brady.  In limited time in during the preseason and regular season, Hoyer looked to be capable enough to take over for Brady in the short-term if he is out for a couple games due to injury.  I don’t expect Hoyer to be Brady’s heir-apparent.  If Brady can still play at a high-level into his mid-30s, Hoyer will most likely not be with the team.

It pains me to write this, but I will be rooting for the Jets to beat the Colts on Sunday.  I think the Jets are an average team that loves to talk trash even though they have won nothing.  I think Rex Ryan is a bumbling buffoon who uses bravado to hide his deficiencies as a coach.  I think the entire Jets organization is poorly run and they are simply in the midst of a hot streak.  Despite all of that, I would root for them any day ahead of rooting for the Colts.

There are a number of reasons for this; I will start with the Colts.  The Colts and Patriots have been THE rivalry of the decade.  They built their respective teams to beat one another.  The Patriots dominated early and the Colts dominated late.  For those reasons alone, I cannot find it in myself to root for them.  On top of that, their fear of going undefeated is a reason that every non-Colts fan should be rooting against them.  This is a team that had 16-0 in their sights and laid down in order to not let it happen.  They were so scared of greatness, so scared of perfection, that they lost a game ON PURPOSE in week 16 just to make sure that it couldn’t happen.  Then after the game Bill Polian said 16-0 was not important to them and winning the Super Bowl was the only thing they cared about.  However, in the same breath he said that they wanted to have the most wins in the decade.  How does that thought process make any sense?  Say what you want about the 2007 Patriots 18-1 season, but at least they went for it.  At lease Belichick and the players had the stones to try to be perfect.  They took on the pressure and the scrutiny because they wanted to be historic.

Now for the Jets, it will probably kill every Patriots fan for them to win this weekend.  However, there are a number of reasons that it will be OK if they do.  First, the Patriots are still – and will be as long as Belichick is the coach and Brady is the quarterback – the favorites in the AFC East.  Yes, the Jets are a solid team but to be honest, I think they are just on a nice run right now.  Remember this is a team that needed two teams to lay down in order to make the playoffs.  In addition, the Jets will always be the second team in their own city!  Sure, there will be a ton of bandwagon Jets fans (frauds) in the Greater New York area if the Jets go to the Super Bowl but, in reality, NYC will always be a Giants town.  Finally, how great would it be to watch the Jets take down the Colts on Sunday?  Beating the same Colts team that let the Jets into the playoffs because they were so worried about going undefeated would be perfect.  It would be the ultimate example of Karma.

So yes Patriots fans, I am rooting for the Jets this Sunday.  It will be painful and, to be honest, I don’t think they will pull it out.  However, watching the Colts lose and Peyton Manning sulking on the sideline would be worth listening to obnoxious Jets fans taunt until September.

If the Patriots look in-house for a replacement for Pees, don’t be surprised if Pepper Johnson and Matt Patricia are at the top of the list for the position.

As we move toward the Super Bowl, then free agency and the NFL Draft, you can expect me to be commentating on all player and coaching moves the Pats will make and the expectations for the 2010 season.

I am trying to avoid talking about the AFC Championship Game.  Seriously, could it get any worse for Patriots fans?  Who do you root for?  My hatred for both teams is equal.  I would love to see the Colts lose to a team that they let into the playoffs by lying down in Week 16.

Anyways, comments and feedback is always welcome.  Thanks for visiting!