NFL FanHouse http://nfl.fanhouse.com NFL FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NFL FanHouse http://nfl.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Rex Ryan Felt 'Disrespected' by Patriotshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/rex-ryan-felt-disrespected-by-patriots/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/rex-ryan-felt-disrespected-by-patriots/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/rex-ryan-felt-disrespected-by-patriots/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bill Belichick / Rex RyanBefore the season, Rex Ryan had no qualms about talking smack. It was pretty obvious what the Jets were getting: a defense-minded, hard-nosed and cocky head coach. "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's, you know, rings," Ryan announced on June. He made it apparent, before he had ever notched one victory, that he was putting the division rival Patriots on blast.

It was a welcome departure from Eric Mangini's style and made Jets fans feel they had a leader with some ... cojones.

But words only get you so far. And then you have to actually, ya know, keep winning.

It started off like paradise for the Jets -- three straight victories to open the season, including a 16-9, chest thumping win over New England. Everything after that, though, has been pretty much a free fall for Ryan's crew.

Rookie QB Mark Sanchez has delivered in some games and brain-farted in others, including a dreadful five-interception performance against Buffalo that the Jets should have won easily. (Seriously, when was the last time you saw an NFL team rush for 318 yards, only score 13 points and lose?)

Just-demoted safety Kerry Rhodes, who was expected to be one of the standouts in Ryan's new defense, has been very tentative in his approach, to put it nicely. So yeah, that comparison to Ed Reed seems awfully premature in hindsight.

Overall, New York is sliding further and further from expectations, the most recent disappointment a 31-14 payback beating from New England. The Jets have now lost six out of their last seven games heading into a matchup with Carolina.

It's been a tough pill to swallow, but even tougher when you see Ryan continuing to talk with no results to back him up.

The latest barb came after the Patriots attempted a long pass to Randy Moss with 30 seconds left. That seemingly rub-it-in move didn't sit well with Ryan.

"We need to stop them anyway, so it's no biggie, but I was surprised, and I did feel a little bit disrespected," Ryan said.

"That's why I called the timeout at the end of the game [with five seconds left], to give the other team another chance."

Respect doesn't come easily in the NFL, especially for a first-year head coach in the middle of a rivalry against Belichick and his three Super Bowl rings. Belichick doesn't owe him anything, frankly.

Even if the deep pass was intentional, complaining about it after getting blown out doesn't make Ryan or the Jets look any better here. The only remedy is turning that record around, starting with the Panthers and moving on to the Bills and Bucs -- three winnable games.

Now that Ryan has finally vowed to become more involved in the offense and bail out Sanchez a bit, perhaps the Jets can salvage a respectable season. But as Josh Alper noted in depth here, that kind of initiative should have come much earlier in the season.

Rex Ryan Felt 'Disrespected' by Patriots originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mark sanchezrex ryanTom HerreraThu, 26 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST No Tears, Just Dismal Truth for Jetshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/no-tears-just-dismal-truth-for-jets/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/no-tears-just-dismal-truth-for-jets/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/no-tears-just-dismal-truth-for-jets/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mark SanchezFOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- It was a what-else-can-go-wrong game for the Jets that revealed their warts and showcased the Patriots' muscle. Everything about this 31-14 Patriots victory here on Sunday essentially pointed to one fact: the Jets are frauds.

They talked a big game before the first snap of the season and more smack when they toppled the Patriots 16-9 back in Week 2. They were throwing a rookie quarterback sensation at opponents, combined with a defense designed to growl and intimidate.

They sped to three straight victories -- but have since lost six of seven games. And those six losses have come in a pair of three-game losing skids, including the current one. They are a 4-6 team steamrolling to a 7-9 or 6-10 season.

Rex Ryan cried last week before his team while trying to convince them how much he still believed in them. Here on Sunday, he had no tears to shed and no fingers to point.

But the culprits were inescapable.

The rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez, was awful (four interceptions, one lost fumble, just 8 of 21 passes completed for 136 yards).

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And the play-calling by offensive coordinator Brian Schotteheimer was haphazard. Sanchez was given far too much freedom to make far too many mistakes that killed the Jets, beginning with his pick returned 53 yards for a touchdown by Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden with nearly six minutes left in the first quarter. Those were the game's first points. This after the Jets' defense had stopped the Patriots' offense cold on their first two possessions, with the Jets forcing a fumble and the recovering it on that second possession. Four plays later, Sanchez hit Bodden going the other way. The Patriots would never trail.

The Jets on offense were too frisky, too fancy with Sanchez. After the game they reminded everyone he is a rookie quarterback. Someone should remind them of that before games -- they keep dialing plays and putting him in positions to make tough throws against crafty defenses that are baiting him.

The Patriots smothered Sanchez. They pushed his touchdown/interception differential to a weak 10/16 this season.

It was easy to see which team is 7-3 and leads the AFC East. And which team has crashed.

"We kept the pressure on him, which is what you do to a rookie quarterback," Bodden said of his three picks and of Sanchez's 37.1 quarterback rating for the game. "I know after they beat us the first time back in New York, nobody was saying how much of a rookie he was. After that second game of the season, they were living it up. Hey, it was only the second game of a long season. We are in it for the long haul."

The Jets?

Ryan has said all year that his team is a "good" team. A couple of times after this latest disaster, he was saying it was a "decent" team and that "we've got to look at what we're asking him [Sanchez] to do."


Excellent idea. Less is more. New York running back Thomas Jones had a game-high 103 yards rushing and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The Jets ran it 21 times and threw it 21 times. But even that proved too much of a burden for Sanchez in this game.

The Jets have long been seduced by the unique plays he can execute, and they simply keep calling for more and more, when the rookie is not ready for consistent greatness. It was a miserable experience for Sanchez. For all of the Jets.

There is no way the veteran players in the Jets locker room do not see how the young quarterback is being given too much, too soon to solve. There is no way the head coach is not beginning to see that. To ask about that. To ponder changing that.

Of course, the Patriots have no such problems

They have 10-year veteran Tom Brady. He was a ho-hum (for him) 28 of 41 for 310 yards and a touchdown pass. He helped make sure the Patriots scored in every quarter but the third. And he kept finding receiver Wes Welker.

Welker burned the Jets for career-highs in catches (15) and receiving yards (192). Late in the first quarter, Welker let the Jets know that it was going to be about him all day. Already ahead 7-0 after Bodden's big scoring return off Sanchez, the Patriots made it 14-0 as time expired in the first quarter on a Brady 4-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss. But on that 76-yard scoring drive, Welker caught passes of 17, 15 and 19 yards and added a run of 11 yards. It was a special spree of one-man domination for the Patriots. It was embarrassing for the Jets.

The Jets were supposed to re-route him, keep a hand on him at the line of scrimmage, jolt him, knock him off his feet. Welker turned that plan into a joke. He out-maneuvered all of the Jets. He outplayed them. He was a slippery headache.

Welker set Patriots' franchise records for most catches in a non-overtime game and most receiving yards in a home game.

"When you're in the slot," said Brady of Welker's positions, "you have the whole field to work. You can go short inside, short outside, long outside, long inside, you can stop at any point and you're typically on the third DB [defensive back] that comes on the field. You've got to see things very quickly. Wes is able to use his quickness to get open over the middle, in the flat, down the field. Wes really took advantage of it."

The Patriots have put that sour loss at Indianapolis behind them. They mauled the Jets. Now the Patriots travel to play at the undefeated New Orleans Saints next Monday, and then they play at AFC East rival Miami. New England feels perfectly suited for both tasks.

For the Jets -- well, who really believe that, with games against the Panthers, Falcons and Bengals and at Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, that they can finish with a winning record, let alone a with a playoff berth? It is unclear if the Jets even think it possible.

"We are a desperate football team now," Jets linebacker Bart Scott said.

With no magic remedy, he added.

Here's a start-up solution -- rely more on your defense, running game and special teams, and less on your rookie quarterback. Let him be a complement for now, not the axis. That time will come.

The Patriots are happy to be above and beyond all of that.

"I think you have to give all the credit in the world to the players," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "The Jets are a tough football team, but I was really proud of the way our guys stepped up and played all the way through."

Belichick said he saw this coming from a high-energy team practice on Wednesday.

But we've heard and seen for much longer the bottom coming for the Jets, with their big mouths and their bungled use of Sanchez.

No Tears, Just Dismal Truth for Jets originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Leigh BoddenMark SanchezThomas JonesTom BradyThomas GeorgeSun, 22 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST Junior Seau on Belichick's Call, Veteran Leadership and His New 'Sports Job'http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/junior-seau-on-belichicks-call-veteran-leadership-and-his-new/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/junior-seau-on-belichicks-call-veteran-leadership-and-his-new/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/junior-seau-on-belichicks-call-veteran-leadership-and-his-new/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Junior SeauWednesday, Dec. 2 at 10 PM, Versus will begin airing "Sports Jobs With Junior Seau," a weekly program -- similar to the Discovery Channel's popular "Dirty Jobs" -- that will feature Seau, a 20-year NFL veteran, taking on some behind-the-scenes work at different sporting events. Versus will air a pair of episodes on Dec. 2. FanHouse secured a preview copy of one, where Seau played the role of batboy and equipment manager for the Dodgers.

This week, Seau spoke with FanHouse about his new show, as well as returning to the Patriots and, of course, Bill Belichick's fateful fourth-down call in Indianapolis.
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FanHouse: Let's start with how you wound up hosting this project on Versus.

Junior Seau: I was fortunate enough to be selected by Versus. The concept was unbelievable. It fits right in line with what I believe in, in terms of promoting the people that are unsung heroes behind sports. I love sports and the more I can do with sports, I want to be part of it.

FH: In the preview episode, you work for the Dodgers ... and they seemed like they worked you pretty hard. Was it a tough gig?

Seau: Every show has its own identity. With the Dodgers, it was a moving show, down to the laundry to Costco shopping to washing cars. It was fun to do. One of the most interesting things about that show was muddying the ball, I never knew you had to do that. That's something that's educational, obviously, to the viewers as well.

FH: You mentioned washing cars. (Dodgers outfielder) Matt Kemp got you to wash his during the episode. Is that the first time you've had to do that for another professional athlete?

Seau: It's probably the first time I've had to wash a car in 8-10 years. This show has done wonders for me in terms of the things in which we normally do ... it's humbling, more importantly, it's showing a great light on the people that have to do these things.

FH: Aside from the Dodgers episode, were there any other episodes that proved particularly emotional for you or stood out in some way?

Seau: Building the new Meadowlands stadium, staying 3 days there, building the bleachers, putting in urinals, we were doing it all. It was definitely a harder job than which I expected. Someone had to do it and I was fortunate enough to be around good people to try.

FH: Did you try to hide any Patriots' stuff in the stadium while you were working?

Seau: I tried to leave a signature down on the end zone, but they caught it, and made me erase it.

FH: When Versus approached you about this concept, did you anticipate that you'd be coming back to the NFL, or were you ready to move on to other endeavors?

Seau: I was going to allow [Patriots coach Bill] Belichick to have that choice, all I needed to do was be prepared. Working out for 8 months without any glimpse of light, any communication, it was basically just working out of faith. And when he approached me, I had a chance to choose because I was working out. I chose to come back and help the boys, and here we are.

FH: But getting into TV is something you want to do continue with you're retired for good?

Seau: I definitely want to pursue camera work, the show with Versus and continue on with the show. It has such a great concept. There's so many sports with groups behind the scenes that we can promote. This show isn't done with the first season, hopefully we can continue that through the 2nd.

FH: Jumping back to the Patriots ... is your role right now what you expected it would be? Do you see yourself getting more playing time as the season progresses?

Seau: What I'm doing is basically just living the dream and just waiting my time for Belichick to guide me in the role in which he brought me in for. Right now, I'm behind two young linebackers, backing up some of the defensive line, being in the locker room, being in the game, getting in footballs shape and still cutting my show with Veruss on Monday and Tuesday, it's a tough job. I'm gonna wait patiently and see what happens.

FH: You're in your 20th season now, have you ever been part of a finish like last Sunday's Patriots-Colts game?

Seau: I've seen it all, you never want to be complacent, anything can happen on any given day. What happened to us is something that was forced upon us by great plays by Manning and the Colts. It really doesn't matter what we did, they made the plays when they had to and won the game.

FH: Plenty of people were critical of Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth down late in the game, including your old teammate Tedy Bruschi, saying it was disrespectful of the defense. Did anyone on the sideline feel that way?

Seau: It doesn't matter how we feel, only Belichick can answer that. The fact is Belichick made a call, we failed at converting and we all lost. We'll work for our next opportunity.

FH: Did you have to do anything different this week to get the team past that game? You're playing behind young guys at linebacker, as you mentioned, so was your leadership role increased after that loss?

Seau: What we try to do is do what's consistent. We try to be consistent at whatever we do, we don't try to do more than we did in weeks prior. We prepare to go out there and put ourselves in position to win, and hope to go out and execute it.

FH: Do you feel like you made the right decision to come back again?

Seau: I'm on a team and my role is to make sure the linebacker crew is ready to go and if they need my help, they know they can call on me without any falloff. If that's my role throughout the whole year, then Belichick's going to make that call. But anyone that's part of the game knows anything can happen on any given Sunday and if they call on me, I'll strap up the helmet and do what I do best.

FH: Since you've been back, have you noticed the little things that go on behind the scenes, since you spent all that time working those jobs?

Seau: I've always respected the guys that have worked behind the scenes in the 20 years I've been with the National Football League. Some of my good friends now are my trainers, doctors, equip managers, some of the field crew - so when I was approached by the show, it was a way to give homage to those people that have helped me for 20 years. When you ask me if I do respect them more, I do, but it wasn't because I didn't respect them from the get-go.

FH: Because of a credit card snafu, you had to pick up a $500 tab for the Dodgers at Costco. Have they paid you back for that?

Seau: (laughs) You know, come to think of it, I haven't been reimbursed.

Junior Seau on Belichick's Call, Veteran Leadership and His New 'Sports Job' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chris BurkeSun, 22 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST Belichick Defends Decision to Go for Ithttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/belichick-defends-decision-to-go-for-it/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/belichick-defends-decision-to-go-for-it/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/belichick-defends-decision-to-go-for-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bill BelichickFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Bill Belichick defended his decision to go for it on fourth down as criticism mounted Monday of the call that led to the New England Patriots stunning loss. The coach hailed as one of the NFL's best was a target of columnists, talk radio callers and two of his former players. Why, they all wondered, did he gamble with a six-point lead and just over two minutes to go against the Indianapolis Colts?

The gamble failed and the Patriots lost 35-34 after leading by 17 points in the fourth quarter Sunday night.

"The same thing I said after the game," Belichick said at his regular Monday news conference. "I thought it was our best chance to win. I thought we needed to make that one play and then we could basically run out the clock. We weren't able to make it."

An average punt would have left Peyton Manning about 60 to 70 yards from the end zone, a long distance but one Manning has traveled before with little time left.

But when the Patriots gained 1 yard on fourth-and-2, his task became much easier. Manning got the ball at the New England 29-yard line and four plays later he threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left. Matt Stover's extra point was the winning margin.

Belichick was noncommittal Monday when asked if he would make the same decision again.

"You only get one chance," he said.

When that chance ended, the second guessing started.

NBC analyst Rodney Harrison, a safety for Belichick for six years who retired before this season, called it "the worst coaching decision I've ever seen Bill Belichick make."

ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi, who retired this year after 14 seasons as a Patriots linebacker, said, "The decision to go for it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks. ... I would look at this decision as a lack of confidence in our ability as a defensive unit to come up with a big play to win the game."

The loss dropped the Patriots to 6-3, three games behind the unbeaten Colts, and hurt their hopes for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs and for avoiding a game in the first round. They're home against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Belichick has made plenty of aggressive calls that worked. He's led the Patriots to three Super Bowl wins this decade. Might it be unfair for critics to pounce when one gutsy call doesn't pan out?

"Everybody's entitled to their opinion out there," he said. "I respect that."

Not everyone piled on.

Colts coach Jim Caldwell, the beneficiary of Belichick's decision, held off.

"I just think that every situation is different," Caldwell said, "There are things that you have to weigh, you have to take into account, and things that are not readily available to the public, so I'm not going to question anybody's decision, especially someone who has won more Super Bowl championships than most people dream about."


It was hardly a spur of the moment decision. Belichick said he "pretty much" decided before the third-and-2 play that he would go for it on fourth down.

But when Tom Brady threw an incompletion toward Wes Welker on third down, some members of the punt team went on the field, some offensive players walked off, and the Patriots called their final timeout.

"We had a little miscommunication on that as to whether we were going to go (for the first down) or punt it," Belichick said. "That wasn't cleanly handled. Again, I'll take responsibility for that."

The Patriots had used their other two timeouts in the second half to sort things out.

Welker called the first with 12:46 left in the third quarter when he spotted the team in the wrong formation, a decision Belichick agreed with. The second came with 2:23 left in the game after a Colts kickoff because "we were heading into a series there and we just wanted to make sure that everything was right," Belichick said.

So with no timeouts left, he couldn't challenge the spotting of the ball a yard short of the first down when Kevin Faulk was tackled after bobbling, then catching, Brady's fourth-down pass.

"I think he had the first down when the ball hit his hands," Belichick said, "and then where it was finally marked and all was a little bit short."

But, he said, "it doesn't really matter" if he disagreed with the spot.

Then the defenders returned to the field, defenders who may feel their coach lacks confidence in them.

"I tell the team, and I think they believe, that I do what I feel like is best for our football team to win every game," he said. "I put the team first and I put those decisions first. I would hope everybody understands that."

What will Belichick's message to them be when they return to practice Wednesday?

"We'll start getting ready for the Jets," he said. "That's what we do every week, start turning the page and we move on."

By HOWARD ULMAN, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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Belichick Defends Decision to Go for It originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bill belichickFanHouse NewswireMon, 16 Nov 2009 20:28:00 EST Nothing Wrong With Belichick's Gamblehttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/nothing-wrong-with-belichicks-gamble/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/nothing-wrong-with-belichicks-gamble/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/nothing-wrong-with-belichicks-gamble/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Bill BelichickAccording to Internet polls, phone surveys, insulted ex-players and media analysts, Bill Belichick just sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

His decision to go for it on fourth down against the Colts was the dumbest move in Boston, if not world history.

"Belichick Gaffe Unrivaled" declared the Boston Globe.

Call me stupid, but I'd still rank it below the Red Sox selling Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000. And with all due respect to those who think Belichick should be involuntarily committed, I wouldn't even call what he Sunday night did a gaffe.

It was the right move for the simplest of reasons.
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"I do what I think is best for our football team to win," Belichick said Monday.

That has proven quite hard for Tedy Bruschi and plenty of others to comprehend. To them the call wasn't merely controversial, it was indefensible.

"The decision to go for it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks," said Bruschi, the Pats' linebacker legend now retired to ESPN.

You'd think Belichick just traded Tom Brady for JaMarcus Russell. No doubt, it was surprising to watch Brady line up in the shotgun on fourth-and-two with a little more than two minutes left Sunday night. In case you haven't seen one of the 24,693 replays, Kevin Faulk bobbled the catch and the play gained approximately 1.99 yards.

"Bill Belichick sent a message to his defense," Bruschi said. "He felt that his chances were better to go for it on his own 28-yard line than to punt it away and make Peyton Manning have to drive the majority of the field to win the game."

You know why Belichick felt his chances were better, Tedy?

They were.

A conversion on 4th-and-2 is successful 60 percent of the time. A team needing a touchdown to win or tie in final two minutes gets it 53 percent of the time. Going for it gave the Patriots a 79 percent probability of winning. That was higher than any other option Belichick had with 2:08 remaining and a 34-28 lead.

Belichick feared the Colts would score if they got the ball anywhere. That may offend the sensibilities of his current and former defensive players, but you know what? Tough.
 I failed high school Algebra, so please don't ask me to extrapolate further. I got this from a New York Times statistical analysis, and I still have enough faith in the Times to get such things right.

I know what you're saying. Math Schmath!

The more turf between Manning and the end zone, the better. But the way the game was going, it wouldn't have mattered if the Colts got the ball on New England's 28 or in the Lucas Oil Stadium parking lot.

The Patriots' defense was on fumes, and Indy had plenty of time and timeouts. The best way to lock up the win was to keep the ball away from Manning.

The odds said New England's fourth-down play should have done that. The fact it didn't does not make Belichick a self-absorbed ignoramus.

"Hubris" was the operative phrase with the Monday Morning QBs. The fact is Belichick truly is the smartest guy in the NFL room. That's irritating to those of us who don't particularly like grumps who look like they sleep under a bridge, but I've learned to channel my resentment toward Randy Moss.

Belichick's made plenty of unorthodox decisions over his career. Some have worked, others haven't. But on balance, who would you rather have making the calls for your team?

"As a former defender on that team, I would've cared less about the result of that fourth-down attempt," Bruschi said. "I would look at this decision as a lack of confidence in our ability as a defensive unit to come up with a big play to win the game."

Rodney Harrison chimed in on NBC that it was "the worst coaching decision I've ever seen Bill Belichick make."

But after a slow start, Manning had just torched the Patriots with two quick 79-yard drives. His biggest concern after getting the ball was scoring too soon and leaving Brady enough time to win.

One last Bruschi Blast: "Right now, every member of the defense is wishing they had the chance to stop Manning and the Colts."

Hey Tedy, they did.

You could make the argument that Belichick showed more faith in his defense by going for it. The Colts still needed 29 yards to win, and he figured his defense was up to the task.

You could make that argument, but you'd be wrong. Belichick feared the Colts would score if they got the ball anywhere. That may offend the sensibilities of his current and former defensive players, but you know what?

Tough.

If guys like Bruschi and Harrison hadn't gotten old and retired, Belichick probably would have punted.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion out there," he said.

Should Belichick be second-guessed?

Of course.

Would most other coaches have done it?

No way.

Would he do it again?

"You only get one chance," Belichick said.

And he took the right one, even if it turned out wrong.

Nothing Wrong With Belichick's Gamble originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bill belichickDavid WhitleyMon, 16 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST NFL FanHouse Roundtable: Examining Belichick's Decisionhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/nfl-fanhouse-roundtable-examining-belichicks-decision/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/nfl-fanhouse-roundtable-examining-belichicks-decision/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/nfl-fanhouse-roundtable-examining-belichicks-decision/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It seems everyone has an opinion about Sunday night's incredible finish in Indianapolis. Usually untouchable Patriots coach Bill Belichick is getting grilled by many (including a former Patriot) for his decision to go for it on a fourth-and-two inside the Patriots' 30 late in the game. The NFL FanHouse crew put their heads together Monday for a debate on the topic.
More Coverage: Mariotti: Bill Blunderchick | Bozo and the Belichick Precedent

Bruce Ciskie: Am I the only one who thinks he is getting somewhat unjustly killed over this?

David Goldberg: No, you're not. What would we be saying if he'd made it? Best coach who ever lived?

Will Brinson: I actually liked it. Frankly, as insane as it looked last night, if they had gotten the first down, we would have been hearing announcers say stuff like, "That's why he's got those rings!" and "It's his signature -- going for big fourth downs and getting them. That's why people consider him a genius."

Michael David Smith: The bonehead move the Patriots made was wasting all three timeouts. I don't have a problem with going for it on fourth down, but I have a huge problem with using all your timeouts without any strategic clock management reason for any of them.

Knox Bardeen: I have an emphatic problem with him going for it on fourth down, especially from somebody who preaches smart decisions and field position like Belichick does. I understand that there were many reasons that the Patriots lost the game last night, MDS gave a good one already. But, had the Pats punted, they most likely win by six and we're talking about a completely different AFC playoff landscape.

Josh Alper: I don't know how you can kill a guy for wanting Tom Brady to decide whether he won or lost rather than Peyton Manning. You can quibble with the way he did it, especially without having any timeouts, but my first thought was that it didn't much matter where Peyton got the ball since he was scoring anyway.

Also, I agree with Brinson here. It's the same kneejerk stuff either way and can guarantee that Dungy and Rodney wouldn't have been saying Belichick's a dope who got lucky if Faulk converts right there. To me, the "that's why he's got those rings" part is doing something unconventional because he thought it gave his team a better chance to win.

Stephanie Stradley: I don't know. Going for it on 4th down, seems to me to be the ultimate insult to your defense. I know they were depleted, but by making it all about Brady making the play, you are saying that you can't trust your defense to stop Manning on a long field.

Bardeen: A touchdown, an interception, and a pass interference-aided drive capped by an Addai TD were the Colts three 4th quarter drives prior to the game decider. Is it really a given that Manning could have driven the Colts the entire length of the field if the Pats had punted?

Adam Gretz: I'm all for coaches being more aggressive in fourth down situations (for example, I hate seeing teams kick field goals on fourth and goal from the one), but there's a time and a place for it. Not every fourth down situation is created equal. Given that situation (up six, two minutes left, inside your own 30), I just can't see the justification for going for it. That was fourth and close to three yards. I don't like the call, and I don't like how they managed the timeouts. The last four minutes were a total train wreck for New England.

Brinson: Not to cite Bill Simmons here, but he's the biggest Belichick schlobber on the planet and even he thought this was going to happen -- his rationale on it is 100% correct. Peyton Manning is unstoppable and they had more than two minutes against a heavily depleted (as Steph noted) defense.

I feel worse agreeing with Merrill Hoge than Josh does agreeing with me, but good gravy, if you step on the throat of your biggest rival, give them the first loss of the year and all of a sudden give you justification for being the best team in the AFC, you're getting praised left and right this morning.

J.J. Cooper: I can't claim this as my idea, but let me ask you: if you were a Colts fan, were you cheering or scared when he decided to go for it? In my mind, I would have been frightened. I want the ball in Peyton Manning's hands even if he has to go 65 yards. Even if it's a 50/50 possibility that the Colts could stop the Patriots there (although the actual odds are 60/40 that they'd make it), the chance that they could run out the clock is scarier to me than anything.

It's definitely an unconventional call, one that very few NFL coaches have the confidence and the job security to make, but I think it's much closer to a toss-up on whether it was the right call than most TV pundits wanted to make it out to be.

Dan Graziano: Just a thought here, but if you are going to go for it on 4th (and I really do think it was a huge mistake), why not throw deep? If you really want the game in Brady's hands instead of Manning's, why not bring Superman Randy Moss into it too?

Worst-case scenarios include:

-- The thing that happened.

-- An interception downfield, which would have roughly equated to a punt.

-- An interception returned for a TD, which would have given the Patriots the ball back with enough time to get into FG range, which they didn't have once Manning finally did score.

Brinson: I think it's also worth asking, "Why Kevin Faulk?" In my mind, a toss-up to Moss or a quick crossing route with Welker are both better options. If you're dead-set on getting that fourth, get in a stacked I-formation, make the Colts stack the line while thinking you're just trying to draw them offsides and roll Brady out left. You'd get two yards that way easy.

Matt Snyder: I live in Indy and I kind of like the Colts. So I'll admit I was rooting for them.

I was mad because I felt like it deprived us of seeing if Manning could go the length of the field. It would have been a thing of beauty to watch that two minute drill.

My wife is a Colts fan, so I wanted them to win. Knowing that, I was scared when I saw the Pats decided to go for it because I thought they'd make it.

I still think you have to punt there, but I guess my fear should illustrate it's not necessarily as bad a decision as many are saying.

Ciskie: I've never favored using the video game argument, nor do I really like the "He'd be a genius if it had worked" argument.

The Patriots have struggled on defense. Manning is awesome. They had plenty of momentum. The Patriots' best players are arguably all on offense, and you should usually want to live or die by your best players.

Not only that, but if you feel a Colts score was somehow inevitable, no matter their field position, aren't you better off giving them a short field? Odds are higher that you're going to get the ball back after a quick score.

Gretz: I think the assumption that Peyton Manning was just going to drive it 70 yards and score without a fight from the Patriots defense is just a little bit flawed, seeing as how he threw an absolutely dreadful interception about six minutes prior to all of the insanity starting. You have to trust your defense a little bit.

Again, I think there are many fourth down situations worth going for (fourth and goal from the two or three, for example), this, to me, was not one of them.

Ciskie: Fair enough, but if you're Belichick, and you've danced this dance before, aren't you thinking that you can run a play for two yards, given how well Brady had been throwing?

A bit overaggressive? Probably. But I think a lot of the criticism is really off base, given how the media has worshipped this guy for all these years.

Snyder: I still can't shake two things, though:

Does the end really justify the means? Meaning, if the Pats did get the first down, wasn't it still a stupid decision -- one from which the Pats escaped?

Also, why does his coaching acumen gain him a free pass? If this was Norv Turner or Jim Zorn, no one would be wanting to stick up for them. A bad decision is a bad decision. Everyone makes them. The best CEO in the world, the best salesman in the world, the best quarterback, etc. You can't just say it was a good one because of track record. Smart people make dumb decisions sometimes.

Graziano: The important thing to remember is that this isn't second-guessing. It was first-guessing. Nobody who was watching the game could believe he was really going to do it. You punt in that situation, whether you're a transcendent innovative genius or a high-school coach. It's more than twice as hard to drive 70 yards for a TD than it is to drive 35, whether you're a Hall of Fame QB or a Pop Warner QB. We can hammer this from every direction, but the man should have punted.

Ciskie: You can say that, but it comes back to whose hands you want the game to be in. All things equal, and you can play all the mental games you want with your own defense, there isn't a person alive that would argue that Belichick is better off putting the game in Tom Brady's hands than Peyton Manning's.

Especially when you have this environment involved, one where Manning is still -- inconceivably -- trying to prove himself to a certain extent.

Graziano: If they're at midfield, I agree. But by going for it there, you bring in the very real possibility that all Manning has to do to win the game is go the college-overtime distance. At home. Why allow that possibility to even enter the picture? All these coaches preach field position all the time like it's gospel. The location of the ball on the field at that time should have been the deciding factor, Brady vs. Manning notwithstanding. All due respect, it DOESN'T come down to whose hands you want the game to be in. It comes down to how far away from your own goal line you want the ball to be.

Brinson: But is 70 yards out really twice as hard as 35 yards out? It's twice as far, but I would argue that at home, with 2:14 to go, 70 yards is a comical distance for Peyton to travel against a beat up, young and less-than-stellar defense.

If you're Bill Belichick and you want to GUARANTEE a win -- and if you're the coach of that team, isn't that you job? -- the only way to do so is to get the first down there.

NFL FanHouse Roundtable: Examining Belichick's Decision originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bruce CiskieMon, 16 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST Bozo the Coach, Andy Reid and the Belichick Precedenthttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/bozo-the-coach-andy-reid-and-the-belichick-precedent/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/bozo-the-coach-andy-reid-and-the-belichick-precedent/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/bozo-the-coach-andy-reid-and-the-belichick-precedent/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

What Bill Belichick did Sunday night has happened before. It justifiably earned Barry Switzer the nickname "Bozo The Coach'' for failing TWICE on fourth down in the late stages of a tie game. And the Eagles' Andy Reid did the opposite of the New England coach on Sunday, eschewing fourth-and-short twice to kick field goals in what turned out to be an eight-point loss.

Switzer's mistake didn't prevent Dallas from winning its third Super Bowl in four seasons in the early '90s, but it left Switzer at the top of the oft-debated list of worst coaches to win a title.

On Nov. 15, 1995, the Cowboys were playing in Philadelphia and faced a fourth down and 1 on their own 29 with the game tied 17-17 and just over two minutes left. Switzer decided to go for it and sent Emmitt Smith left over the massive Nate Newton.
Jay Mariotti: Spygate to Stupidgate: Belichick Blunders

He was stopped but it didn't count. The officials blew the whistle for the two-minute warning. No problem. The Cowboys tried again. Same play. Stuffed again. Three plays later, Gary Anderson kicked a 42-yard field goal that gave the Eagles a 20-17 win.

Headline in the New York Post the next day: "Bozo The Coach.''

The result brought the Eagles to within a game of the Cowboys in the NFC East with two games to play. But Dallas won its next two games, won the division, won both its playoff games and beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl -- the one in which Larry Brown ended up as the MVP on a team that featured Smith, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders.

But it was the end of an era. The Cowboys beat the Vikings in a wild-card game the next season, then lost next week to second-year expansion team Carolina. That win over Minnesota was the last postseason victory they've had.

Reid?

In Sunday's 31-23 loss in San Diego, the Philadelphia coach decided to kick a field goal trailing 14-0 in the second quarter with the ball perhaps six inches away from the Chargers' goal. In the third quarter, trailing 21-6, he had fourth and one at the San Diego 7 and had David Akers kick again. The Eagles lost, 31-23.

"There was too much time," Reid said of his decision on the first, the most obvious. "I thought it was important to come out of there with points."

That was four points. The second fourth-and-one kick was four points.

The Eagles lost by eight.

Bozo the Coach, Andy Reid and the Belichick Precedent originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andy reidAndyReidbarry switzerBarrySwitzerbill belichickBillBelichickemmitt smithEmmittSmithDave GoldbergMon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST Sunday Night Football Live Chat: New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Coltshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/sunday-night-football-live-chat-new-england-patriots-vs-indian/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/sunday-night-football-live-chat-new-england-patriots-vs-indian/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/sunday-night-football-live-chat-new-england-patriots-vs-indian/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's been called the rivalry of the decade, and on Sunday night the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts faceoff once again in a huge AFC matchup. As always, please join us for our Sunday Night Football Live Chat as we discuss all of the action involving two great teams, two legendary quarterbacks and everything else that happened around the NFL this week.

Festivies will be starting at 8:15 PM ET.

Sunday Night Football Live Chat: New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Adam GretzSun, 15 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST NFL FanHouse Week 10 Preview Recaphttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/nfl-fanhouse-week-10-live-chat/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/nfl-fanhouse-week-10-live-chat/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/nfl-fanhouse-week-10-live-chat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

For weeks, people have asked if the Cincinnati Bengals are for real. The team keeps responding by finding ways to win games, but the questions keep coming in. This week, they get a chance to sweep the defending Super Bowl champions. Green Bay was picked by many to be a playoff team this season, but they've limped their way to 4-4, got worked by a former teammate, and now face a virtual must-win against red-hot Dallas. Meanwhile, the Colts and Patriots are stealing the spotlight for another high-profile meeting.

We'll chat about all of this at 12 P.M. Eastern, and we invite you to join us after the jump!

NFL FanHouse Week 10 Preview Recap originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bruce CiskieFri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST Week 10 NFL Picks: Midseason Super Bowl in Indyhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/week-10-nfl-picks-midseason-super-bowl-in-indy/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/week-10-nfl-picks-midseason-super-bowl-in-indy/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/week-10-nfl-picks-midseason-super-bowl-in-indy/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Peyton Manning and Tom BradyIt's now officially an annual fixture like the Super Bowl: a Patriots-Colts game locked into November. Whichever network has it can reap the sweeps month ratings that come from the matchup of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

This year, it's NBC -- the Sunday night contest. As usual, the teams come in as the top two in the AFC -- or close to it. The Colts are unbeaten, the Patriots are 6-2, have won three straight, five of six and are looking and playing better as Brady regains his form after last season's knee surgery.

This is the 10th game between these teams since 2003, including three in the playoffs. The Pats lead this Brady-Manning series 6-4, but the Colts have won four of the last five, including the AFC championship game for the 2006 season and last season, 18-15.

The line is what you'd expect: Colts favored by 3 for home field.

The game may not be what the odds guys expect. This hasn't always been a series for the home team -- the Pats won 24-20 in Indy in 2007 en route to the perfect regular season that ended imperfectly in the Super Bowl. This year, it's the Colts who are unbeaten, although they're hardly dominant -- if Houston could close games, it might have beaten the Colts last week.

Based on that and based on the sense that the Colts are due to lose:

Patriots at Colts (Sunday night)

Team Pointspread Projected Score
New England Patriots 24
Indianapolis Colts - 3 20

The Thursday night games start now for the increasing number of fans that can get the NFL Network. But these are not exactly the hottest teams in the league: the 49ers have lost four straight; the Bears have lost three of four, with the only win over Cleveland -- which probably shouldn't count.

Bears at 49ers (Thursday)

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Chicago Bears 19
San Francisco 49ers - 3 27

That line is perception as much as anything.

Even though the Bengals won 23-20 at Paul Brown Stadium in the first meeting, we're talking here about the Super Bowl champions and a "public' team'' against a team perceived as perennial losers. OK, not just perceived.

Yes, the Steelers should win at home, but ...

Bengals at Steelers

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Cincinnati Bengals 16
Pittsburgh Steelers - 7 19
The Chargers, now only a game behind the Broncos in the AFC West, might petition for a transfer to the NFC East if they win this after beating the Giants.

Eagles at Chargers

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Philadelphia Eagles + 2 17
San Diego Chargers 23
Shudder to think of DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff against a Green Bay OL that's allowed 37 sacks.

Cowboys at Packers

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Dallas Cowboys - 3 30
Green Bay Packers 20
;
Brady Quinn is back. Good night for a comeback by the Ravens D.

Ravens at Browns (Monday)

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Baltimore Ravens - 10 1/2 30
Cleveland Browns 6

Broncos at Redskins

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Denver Broncos - 3 1/2 16
Washington Redskins 15

Jaguars at Jets

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Jacksonville Jaguars 20
New York Jets - 7 24

Lions at Vikings

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Detroit Lions 20
Minnesota Vikings - 16 1/2 42

Saints at Rams

Team Pointspread Projected Score
New Orleans Saints - 13 1/2 39
St. Louis Rams 17

Bills at Titans

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Buffalo Bills 16
Tennessee Titans - 6 1/2 21

Falcons at Panthers

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Atlanta Falcons - 2 26
Carolina Panthers 27

Bucs at Dolphins

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10
Miami Dolphins - 10 28

Seahawks at Cardinals

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Seattle Seahawks 20
Arizona Cardinals - 8 1/2 28

Chiefs at Raiders

Team Pointspread Projected Score
Kansas City Chiefs 7
Oakland Raiders - 1 1/2 9
LAST WEEK: 9-4 (spread), 9-4 (straight up)

SEASON: 72-56-2 (spread), 87-43 (straight up)

Week 10 NFL Picks: Midseason Super Bowl in Indy originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Dave GoldbergThu, 12 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST Patriots Taking Control in AFC Easthttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/patriots-tightening-lead-in-afc-east/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/patriots-tightening-lead-in-afc-east/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/patriots-tightening-lead-in-afc-east/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If the Dolphins had been able to march into Foxborough Sunday and find a way to beat the vaunted New England Patriots Sunday, the AFC East would have been quite the muddled division. Even the Buffalo Bills would have been within striking distance, while the Jets and Dolphins would have trailed the Pats by a single game with eight to play.

After a Ronnie Brown touchdown pass -- which was surely a flashback to last year's Wildcat-fest in New England -- the Patriots found themselves facing a 17-16 deficit with 4:51 left in the third quarter, and the Dolphins appeared on the verge of the critical road upset.

But Tom Brady, Randy Moss and company weren't having that.

On a pivotal third-and-1, Brady hit Moss in stride and the star wideout did the rest -- 71 yards later, the Patriots had a lead. The defense then took the cue and didn't allow another point.

On the day, Brady and Moss filled up the stat sheet. Brady completed 25 of 37 passes for 332 yards and a touchdown. Moss hauled in six of those passes, good for 147 yards and a score. Wes Welker was his catch-machine self, grabbing nine passes for 84 yards. The defense did their job as well. Last season, the Dolphins marched into New England with their wildcat and ran wild on the Pats. This time around, the 31 carries for 133 yards was serviceable, but not near enough to steal another victory.

Thus, New England now sports a two-game lead over the Jets -- and they'll get a crack at them in the confines of Foxborough two weeks from now. In the meantime, they head to Indianapolis for a battle of the titans next week.

That's right: Patriots vs. Colts in Indy next week. The last time Brady faced the Colts it was a classic, as the Pats iced the game within the last two minutes -- en route to an undefeated season. This time around, the Colts are undefeated (8-0) and have won 17 consecutive regular season games. Bill Belichick, though he'd never admit it, would love to be the one to stop the streak.

Patriots Taking Control in AFC East originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bill belichickBillBelichickrandy mossRandyMosstom bradyTomBradyMatt SnyderSun, 08 Nov 2009 18:15:00 EST Tom Brady: I've Never 'Influenced a Call'http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/tom-brady-ive-never-influenced-a-call/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/tom-brady-ive-never-influenced-a-call/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/tom-brady-ive-never-influenced-a-call/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tom BradyCoincidence or not, after Tom Brady missed almost all of the 2008 season after a low hit tore the Patriots star's left MCL and ACL, the NFL's Competition Committee made clear that it would enforce more strictly a rule preventing defenders from tackling quarterbacks at or below the knee. It was affectionately dubbed "The Brady Rule" by folks outside the league office.

And the Patriots have benefitted from the increased focus on QB protection, with their opponents picking up five roughing the passer penalties in seven games. One, in particular, raised some eyebrows -- in New England's Week 4 win over Baltimore, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs gently brushed Brady's knee, and Brady gestured back at referee Ron Winter, and a flag came flying.

Winter might have thrown the flag regardless of Brady's reaction -- it is in the rule book, after all, though the rule states that forcible contact must me made -- but, nonetheless, the anti-Brady folk out there used it as evidence that Brady gets whatever he wants from officials.

Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter picked up that banner and is carrying it into Miami's game in New England this week. During an interview with the NFL Network's Rich Eisen, Porter said there's "no question" that Brady receives preferential treatment.

"When a guy can tell a ref when to throw a flag, and he gets it, he's got his own rules," Porter said, according to Pro Football Talk. "They made the rule that you don't go at the legs for Tom, so when he feels that someone is going at his legs, he just points to the ref and he gets a flag. So I can honestly say that he gets his own rules."

On Friday, Brady respectfully disagreed.

"No, I don't think so, " Brady told the Boston Globe when asked if he's ever forced a ref's hand. "You may get more calls. I don't know. I think the ref calls what he sees. I don't think I've ever influenced a call. The refs we have are very good. If they make a call on that, great. If they don't, that's fine."

Brady's situation aside, some of this can be chalked up to the league-wide epidemic regarding QB-protection penalties. It's not just New England that has benefited from some ticky-tack roughing the passer calls. Between the low hits, hits to the head, late hits, and tackles deemed unnecessarily ruthless, the number of flags flying when quarterbacks take a shot are rising everywhere.

Beyond that, though, is it really that surprising for Brady to get an extra flag here or there? Whether it's supported by the stats or not, high-profile players always seem to get away with a bit more than your average guy. That's not just an NFL issue -- look at LeBron James in the NBA or Sidney Crosby in the NHL. The perception is that they get a few freebies just because of reputation -- and while it's unfair to hang accusations like that on refs, it's also not totally unfathomable that it happens.

If you're officiating a Patriots game, knowing Brady's recent history, and you see someone clip him on the knee while he stumbles and looks to you for a call -- whether he explicitly asks for one or not -- there's a good chance you'd be more inclined to throw a flag. It's just human nature, not to mention the rule justifying a penalty there if his knee gets hit.

But regardless of Brady's personal protection, Porter's words -- as they often do -- added some extra spice to this weekend's AFC East showdown. It'll be interesting to see what happens if he comes in low on New England's golden boy.
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Tom Brady: I've Never 'Influenced a Call' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Joey Porterterrell suggsTom BradyChris BurkeFri, 06 Nov 2009 23:20:00 EST Patriots May Own Sunday, but Saturday Belongs to Bucs' UK Fanshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/patriots-may-own-sunday-but-saturday-belongs-to-bucs-uk-fans/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/patriots-may-own-sunday-but-saturday-belongs-to-bucs-uk-fans/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/patriots-may-own-sunday-but-saturday-belongs-to-bucs-uk-fans/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Patriots Bucs LondonLONDON -- Mike Alstott's 1-yard touchdown run sparked Tampa Bay to an 84-0 win over New England Saturday.

No joke. Alstott really did score one of the red team's 14 touchdowns. The guys wearing blue jerseys had zero.

"Nil!" Paul Stewart said.

He broke out a bottle of champagne and passed it around. If ever a team deserved to savor a little success, it's the Bucs' UK fan club -- it beat the Patriots' fan club on Saturday in a flag football game. The other Bucs team was presumably watching film or sacrificing goats or whatever you do when you face that other New England team.

That'll happen Sunday at Wembley. Saturday at Richmond Park in Southwest London was the preamble. The oldest NFL fan club in Britain (the Bucs) met the fan club of England's most popular team (the Patriots).

When these two teams meet, you can't throw the record book out the window. There isn't one to toss. And if there were, the receivers would probably drop it.

"We're not really that good," Stewart said. "We relied on [Jon] Gruden's playbook. Expect we made it work."

Spoken with snark, like a true American football fan. And there may be no truer fans anywhere than in the group Stewart formed 25 years ago.

Bucs fans in America just have to turn on their TV to get their weekly dose of disappointment. These poor blokes have to go out of their way to cheer the Bucs to another loss. A lot of them have been doing it since Doug Williams' arm was wild enough to overthrow the Queen.

"I was 12," said Lee Bromfield, who's now 39, of when he became a Tampa Bay fan.

His family was vacationing in St. Petersburg and the Bucs were on TV. They actually won that Sunday, and a young man from Manchester fell under some mysterious Creamsicle spell.

Same thing happened to Stewart, who caught a Monday Night game the Bucs won on a last-second interception.

"Hey, that team in orange must be pretty good," he thought.

It was, only it took another 15 years to get there. The Bucs UK club has survived Leeman Bennett and Ray Perkins. It has withstood the boycott by Bo Jackson, the signing of Alvin Harper and the disappearance of Gaines Adams.

There were the good Tony Dungy years leading to that Gruden Super Bowl. But being a Bucs fans in the UK was like being a Chernobyl fan in the U.S. -- you can't explain it, you just admire the perseverance of 300 football souls.

Especially on Saturday when you looked across the field at all those snazzy blue jerseys.

"Bandwagon fans," Bromfield said.

It's not that everyone has jumped on since Tom Brady arrived. But New England claims to be the most popular team in Old England, and nobody's arguing. What the Bucs fan club lacks in recent converts, it makes up for in guile.

Members were told Williams might show up Saturday. He couldn't make it, but the Bucs did send a car over. Out popped Alstott, ex-linebacker Shelton Quarles and Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon.

Stewart started pleading for them to join the seven-on-seven contest. Selmon's been retired 25 years and didn't feel up to a comeback. The other two couldn't resist a little international bonding.

But was it fair to have two ex-Pro Bowlers in the lineup?

"We're 0-6 and they're coming off a 59-0 win," Stewart said. "Who cares if it's fair?"

Mike AlstottSo Alstott ran one up the gut. A couple of guys had on Tedy Bruschi jerseys, but they definitely were not Tedy Bruschi. The A-Train scored and the rout was on.

Quarles and Alstott went to the sideline early, but it didn't matter. It was as if the 2003 Bucs inhabited the bodies of the 2009 fan club. The Pats hadn't looked so outmanned since the '85 Super Bowl.

Not that anyone seemed too upset at the score.

"They were keeping score?" John Smith said. He was the lone Patriots player with NFL experience, and that experience was as a kicker from 1974-84. There were no goal posts, though Smith tried a fake field goal for the crew from NFL Films.

That's right, the company that made the slow-motion spiral famous is making a documentary on the Bucs' UK connection. It recorded every slow-motion play on Saturday. Unfortunately, NFL Films will probably include some footage of Sunday's game.

Any predictions?

"I think the Pats will win 31-14," said Chris Chinoy, a member of their fan club.

"What?" said Smith. "I don't know if they're going to score two touchdowns."

That would be two more than the Patriots scored Saturday.

"Nil!" Stewart repeated.

When you're a Bucs fan, you take a win any you can get it. Even if you have to get it yourself.

Patriots May Own Sunday, but Saturday Belongs to Bucs' UK Fans originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>David WhitleySat, 24 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST Report: Pats Release Joey Gallowayhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/report-pats-release-joey-galloway/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/report-pats-release-joey-galloway/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/report-pats-release-joey-galloway/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Less than two days after unleashing an aerial assault on the Titans, the Patriots have decided that Joey Galloway is an unnecessary part of their roster and, according to Adam Schefter, both on my teevee and Twitter, released him.

Galloway for the season has a stunningly weak six catches for 67 yards and hasn't played in a Pats game since Week 3. Additionally, when Galloway was on the field, there was an obvious disconnect between he and Tom Brady, who didn't seem to care for the receivers inability to stretch the field for Wes Welker and Randy Moss (which is what, theoretically, he was brought in to do).

As Schefter points out, Galloway is free to sign with another team, which is good news for the receiver who, despite being bumped from both the Bucs and Pats in the last few months, still has enough speed and talent to make him a viable second or third wideout for a playoff contending team.

Of course, he also lost out on a free trip to London as a result of the move, which might mean that Bill Belichick and Co. simply decided that his production didn't outweigh whatever travel costs he was going to incur.

Fantasy Spin: Heretofore, Galloway's been utterly worthless as a fantasy player, and there's always the [good] chance that continues. BUT -- and this might be more of an "if" than a "but" -- if he happens to land on a decent passing team without too many strong wideouts (or, you know, a crappy team like the Browns or Rams who will at least be throwing the ball downfield 40 times a game).

Report: Pats Release Joey Galloway originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Will BrinsonTue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST Going Down With the Ship: A Fan's Perspective of Tennessee's Titanic Crashhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/going-down-with-the-ship-a-fans-perspective-of-tennessees-tit/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/going-down-with-the-ship-a-fans-perspective-of-tennessees-tit/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/going-down-with-the-ship-a-fans-perspective-of-tennessees-tit/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jeff FisherJeff Fisher's frozen mustache passed for more yards than the Tennessee Titans did on Sunday. So did you. So did I. In the end, the Titans passed for -7 yards, lost 59-0, and left anyone with a pulse in Nashville wondering why Fisher is making $5 million a year. Eventually, Sunday made history, as the Patriots delivered the worst beating in an NFL game since 1976. And for those of us who watched every snap, the game wasn't even as close as the final score. Nope, 59-0 was as generous as Bill Belichick and the Patriots could have been in defeating the Titans.

But merely reading about this game does the contest a disservice. To truly experience the defeat you had to be sitting on your couch, in a Titans t-shirt, jaw agape, amazed at what you were seeing. I've been alive for 30 football seasons now and never been so astounded at my team's incompetence. In fact, in my entire life as a sports fan, I've never seen a beating this bad in any sport. Here we go with 16 observations from the game.

1. The entire game had a dreamlike quality to it. Snow in mid-October? An icy field? The way points only materialized on one side of the scoreboard?

You felt like you were watching a Madden game between someone who had been playing for two decades and a novice gamer. What's more, everyone saw it because it was the national game on CBS.

I guarantee you that Fisher kept repeating to himself, "This is really happening, this is really happening" -- although he never seemed to raise his voice or react at all on the sideline. He looked like a mustachioed scientist who suddenly realized that a heretofore unimaginable theory, time travel for instance, was actually possible. And not just possible, happening right before his eyes.

I guarantee you that in 20 years, when NFL Films does a retrospective on this game, Fisher will admit that he found the beating obscenely transcendent, like Balloon Boy meets football.

2. The Patriots scored their second touchdown on a 40-yard flea flicker.

Let me repeat that, they scored on a flea flicker!

I'm asking this question honestly, has there ever been a greater divide between quarterback statistics in the history of the league -- for one quarterback to throw for 387 yards more than another? For six touchdowns to none?
If you've ever sought play-calling evidence that one team doesn't respect the talent level of another, calling this play was the perfect example. It's snowing and players have been losing their footing the entire game. Yet the Patriots hand the ball off in the snow, run a man into the line of scrimmage, have him pause with defenders all around him, turn away from the defense, toss a wet football back to their quarterback, have the quarterback field the wet toss, reposition the ball, survey the field still without a defender near him, and throw a laser to a wide-open Randy Moss.

Oh, and the Patriots are driving into the wind when they score.

Think about all the ways the Titans could have stopped this play from succeeding. Then think about all the things that have to go right for the Patriots to succeed with this play call.

The best part of this play was how Phil Simms criticized Titans' safety Chris Hope for not staying behind the receiver. Evidently he expects Hope to expect the flea flicker in this situation. On the sideline Hope had to be sitting around thinking, "What the f... Why'd I ever leave Pittsburgh?"

3. The Titans' "defense" of Randy Moss when they blitzed down 17-0.

Moss threw up his hand about two yards into the route to signify that he was wide open. At no point was he actually covered by a defender. Think about how hard this is to manage on a football field. The Titans didn't jam him at the line and get beat, they didn't throw a safety over the top and get beat off the line with hope that they'd have him covered deep. Nope, they allowed him to run unmolested down the field, beat two men, who were offering token resistance, and catch a ball in the end zone without touching him.

It's inexplicable.

Truly.

If you've ever wondered what you'd look like trying to cover Randy Moss in an NFL game, watch this play from beginning to end. It's like the Titans suddenly lined up your Aunt Irene on the most explosive wideout in the history of the game. And then told her to cover him.

Alone.

Wearing her dress and heels.

Not surprisingly, Moss scored from 28 yards out to make it 24-0.

4. At this point in the game, my wife left the room because she said I was too upset.

But I really wasn't. Why not? Because I started to believe we might truly witness something unbelievable. And isn't that why many of us watch sports to begin with? Because at some moment there might be something we've never seen before? And we can't stomach if we missed that happening.

Well, I didn't miss it.

5. Wes Welker scored to put New England up 38-0 on the Titans and there was no one within 20 yards of him when he caught the ball.

Again, true question: If you took seven average high school players, told them the defense, had them line up and play that pass defense, is there any way they could be in worse position than the Titans were on this touchdown pass?

I'm not saying the high school players need to make a tackle or do something incredible. All I'm asking is whether they could have been closer to Welker when the pass was competed. And, be still my heart, could they have touched him before he scored?

Just a grazing of the fingertip as he ran down the sideline.

They could, right?

Better question, what if you and six of your buddies that could all run 100 yards without needing an oxygen tank, lined up against the Patriots on that play. And the entire purpose of your defense was only to be close to the receivers if they happened to catch a pass.

Then, to your benefit, you only have to cover 30 yards on the field. Because that's how much the Titans had to cover on that play.

How pissed would you be if you gave up the Welker score and no one even touched him?

Pissed, right?

Now you know how Keith Bulluck felt as he walked off the field.

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Tennessee Titans Photos
Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins (5) fumbles the ball during the second half of their NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. The Patriots defeated the Titans 59-0. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
AP
AP

Tennessee Titans Photos

    New England Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich (50) hauls down Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young (10) during the fourth quarter of their 59-0 win in a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

    AP

    New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, left, is brought down by Tennessee Titans cornerback Cary Williams, right, in the second half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. The Patriots beat the Titans 59-0. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

    AP

    New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks to New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, left, in the third quarter of their NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18, 2009. Brady was 29 of 34 for 380 yards and six touchdowns in less than three full quarters of play as the Patriots defeated the Titans 59-0. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

    AP

    Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, center, and quarterback Kerry Collins (5) leave the field after their 59-0 loss to the New England Patriots in a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

    AP

    Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher walks along the sidelines in the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. The Patriots defeated the Titans 59-0. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

    AP

    New England Patriots head coach Bill Bill Belichick listens to the referees during their 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans in a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

    AP

    New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass wide receiver Sam Aiken as running back Laurence Maroney (39) and Patriots offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer (76) block during the third quarter of their NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18, 2009. Brady was 29 of 34 for 380 yards and six touchdowns in less than three quarters of play as the Patriots defeated the Titans 59-0. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    FOXBORO - OCTOBER 18: Cheerleaders of the New England Patriots dance on the field during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on October 18, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won 59-0. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    FOXBORO - OCTOBER 18: Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans leaves the field in the fourth quarter during a game against the New England Patriots converse at Gillette Stadium on October 18, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won 59-0. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vince Young

    Getty Images

    FOXBORO - OCTOBER 18: Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans hands the ball off to teammate Javon Ringer #21during a game against the Tennesee Titans at Gillette Stadium on October 18, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won 59-0. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vince Young;Javon Ringer

    Getty Images


6. Has there ever been a more disappointing football performance from a team in a season?

Keep in mind that the Titans had the best record in football last year. They returned 20 of 22 starters. Vegas had them as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. In fact, I bet on the TItans back in August at 20-1 odds just because I always want to bet on my team when I'm in Vegas.

And now we're 0-6.

Again, if we'd known we were going to suck, we could have handled it. But this entire season has been the equivalent of the scene in "Old School" when Mitch came home and found out his live-in girlfriend liked threesomes when he was out of town.

I really want nominations for a greater variety between a season's expectations and their reality. I think the Titans might be setting a new benchmark.

7. What's the most amazing thing about the five touchdowns in a single quarter?

Think about how hard it is to get five possessions in a quarter. Then think about how hard it is to get five possessions in a quarter when the other team has possession of the football to begin the quarter, meaning you actually have to score five touchdowns in under ten minutes of playing time. Then think about how hard it is to score on five consecutive possessions. Then think about how hard it is to score five touchdowns. Then think about how hard it is to score five touchdowns all by passes.

Seriously, if you think about this for too long it's the football equivalent of trying to determine what happens if a snake starts to eat its own tail.

Yep, the end result makes you dizzy.

8. Tom Brady's numbers on the day: 29-of-34 for 380 yards, six touchdowns. Kerry Collins's numbers on the day: 2-of-12, -7 yards, 1 interception.

I'm asking this question honestly, has there ever been a greater divide between quarterback statistics in the history of the league -- for one quarterback to throw for 387 yards more than another? For six touchdowns to none?

When was the last time a quarterback threw for negative yardage? Plumbing the intricacies of this game's statistics is going to break several computers. You already got that sense. For instance, it took over an hour for CBS to confirm that 45-0 was the greatest halftime deficit in NFL history.

9. Combining Brady and Brian Hoyer, the Patriots' quarterbacks were 38-for-45 for 432 yards.

People who didn't watch this weather won't even understand how remarkable this performance was. Even completing 85 percent of the passes in this game without a defense against you would have been pretty decent. A wet ball, the windy conditions, the snow, the wet field, wet hands -- all of these things should have led to a less than sterling passing game.

Instead, the Patriots dropped back to pass 45 times, and the Titans only managed to stop them from completing a pass seven times.

The Titans are making a run at worst pass defense in NFL history. Every quarterback but Mark Sanchez has thrown for over 300 yards against them this season.

If Chuck Cecil's job was in question before today, after today he should be packing up his desk at the Titans' facility.

10. LenDale White's fumble and then leaving the field on a cart.

I think White is going to be back on Tequila after tonight. If I was him, while I was in the locker room, I would have bought an entire case of Patron and had it delivered to my house in Nashville.

11. My friend Tardio texted me at halftime to ask if we could get a running clock for the second half.

12. If the flea-flicker play represented offensive perfection, the default best example of the Patriots' brilliance on the day, then the Titans' 4th-and-10 play call on the first drive of the second half has to be the exact opposite result, perfect evidence of futility.

A reverse?

Really?

On 4th and 10? Somehow, Collins completed a pass to Nate Washington that lost 22 yards. And ended in a fumble.

13. In fact, let's review the Titans' turnovers today. Because seeing them makes you feel even worse about the effort.

a. LenDale White fumbles
b. Kerry Collins fumbles the quarterback-center exchange on the next play
c. Kerry Collins intercepted on an awful throw (at this point the Titans have three turovers in five plays)
d. Vince Young intercepted on an awful throw, the second offensive play for him in the game.
e. Ahmard Hall, perhaps troubled over the 'r' in his name, fumbles on a fourth-down conversion.

My point? All five of these are awful, awful turnovers. They aren't effort plays, where your team is trying so hard to make a great play that they fail. Similarly, they aren't spectacular defensive plays. They were just awful offensive errors.

14. How many years does Jeff Fisher really get?

I need to do a column on this instead of just tossing it in as an observation, but Jeff Fisher hasn't won a playoff game since 2003. Moreover he's won just two playoff games this decade. He's been to the Super Bowl once in 16 seasons -- counting this one -- with the Oilers/Titans. His career record is now 128-108.

During Fisher's tenure at Tennessee, Brian Billick, Jon Gruden and Mike Shanahan have won four combined Super Bowls and been fired from their head coaching jobs.

Don't the Titans really seriously have to think about keeping Fisher around? Especially when, as now, this team is apparently riddled with holes on defense and in need of a new quarterback and a new start. What has Fisher really done in 16 years that makes you believe he can win a championship? Or, for that matter, a playoff game?

What's more, the team quit today. They also quit against Jacksonville and against the Colts. That's three quitting efforts in a row. Most coaches don't get that luxury.

15. Finally, even the refs were just ready for this game to end. They didn't call an obvious safety on Vince Young after, you guessed it, a mishandled snap that rolled into the Titans' end zone.

In fact, as bad as it was, the Patriots left 12 points on the field. The Titans stopped one drive at their own 2, the Patriots missed a 39 yard field goal, and the safety should have been called.

The more accurate final score in this game was 71-0.

What's more, the Patriots didn't score for the entire fourth quarter, it was 59-0 at the end of the third. Honest question, how many points could the Patriots have scored if they'd left Brady in for the entire game? 80? 90?

Ouch.

16. I'll even admit it. A part of me was disappointed that Belichick didn't challenge the Vince Young safety.

I've watched football my entire life, and never seen such a mismatched performance. The safety to end the game, and give a final score of 61-0, had a certain measure of beauty, like the world's ugliest dog. But, sadly, on this day, the Titans just claimed the title for world's ugliest football team.

Going Down With the Ship: A Fan's Perspective of Tennessee's Titanic Crash originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisMon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EST Tom Brady Sets NFL Record With 5 Second-Quarter Touchdownshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/tom-brady-sets-nfl-record-with-5-second-quarter-touchdowns/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/tom-brady-sets-nfl-record-with-5-second-quarter-touchdowns/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/tom-brady-sets-nfl-record-with-5-second-quarter-touchdowns/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


It started out innocently enough: the winless Titans were holding the Patriots relatively in-check through the first quarter during a heavy nor'easter. It replicated perfectly the attitude that Jeff Fisher discussed about his 0-fer team (i.e. they still managed to have some semblance of heart).

Then all of a sudden, things took a turn for the worse -- or better if you're a Pats fan -- as Tom Brady caught fire and began dismantling the Titans with five (!!!!) touchdown passes ... in the second quarter! (Update: Brady added a sixth touchdown before being pulled; seven is the record for most in one game.)

That is an NFL record. Also records, via the Pats' official Twitter account: 35 points in the second quarter, a New England record for points scored in any quarter, and 45 points scored in a half, which is what the Pats put up on the Titans before intermission. New England won the game, 59-0.

The entire process was equal parts Patriots domination and Titan-fail; Kerry Collins was abysmal and Tennessee looked overmatched every second of the entire quarter.

But that shouldn't take anything away from what Dreamboat did; as MDS pointed out via Twitter, "Tom Brady had two more TD passes in the second quarter today than Brady Quinn has in his NFL career." So, yeah, that's not embarrassing for Quinn at all.

Tom Brady Sets NFL Record With 5 Second-Quarter Touchdowns originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Will BrinsonSun, 18 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST Ailing Tennessee Secondary Could Be Just What Tom Brady Needshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ailing-tennessee-secondary-could-be-just-what-tom-brady-needs/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ailing-tennessee-secondary-could-be-just-what-tom-brady-needs/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ailing-tennessee-secondary-could-be-just-what-tom-brady-needs/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tom BradyIt's hard to feel too bad for Tom Brady and the Patriots. Much has been made of Brady's struggle to find a groove after returning from last year's season-ending knee surgery -- but even at less than top form, Brady's fourth in the league in yards passing, and the Patriots are tied for first in the AFC East.

New England's golden boy has looked very un-Brady-like at times, though, and his struggles have transferred over to Randy Moss, who -- despite 30 catches -- has found the end zone just once.

Both Brady and Moss are in need of a confidence-boosting breakthrough performance. They could get just that against Tennessee's disheveled secondary on Sunday.

Already without cornerback Nick Harper and safety Vincent Fuller, both out with broken arms, the TItans announced Saturday that cornerback Cortland Finnegan would also sit against New England because of a hamstring issue.

If ever there was an opportunity for Brady to get untracked, it's going to be against Tennessee.

Last week, Peyton Manning scorched the 0-5 Titans for 309 yards and an 82-percent completion rate. Jacksonville's David Garrard also topped the 300-yard mark against the Titans, racking up 323 yards passing in Week 4. With those two outings, Tennessee's pass defense dropped to No. 21 overall in the NFL at 208.2 yards per game. Making matters worse is that the Titans have just nine sacks in five contests, and will not have disgruntled Jevon Kearse in the lineup again Sunday.

Manning picked Tennessee apart on shorter, underneath routes, utilizing Austin Collie and tight end Dallas Clark to great success. Brady should be able to do the same with Wes Welker and New England's bevy of running backs and tight ends -- but the short game and lack of Titans' pass rush ought to leave the door open for a few deep shots downfield to Moss as well.

New England heads overseas next week to battle another hapless foe, Tampa Bay, in London's Wembley Stadium, so Brady should get another opportunity to air it out without much resistance there. By the time New England reaches its Week 8 bye, the Patriots should be 5-2 -- the only issue is whether they'll get there with Brady looking like his normal self.

If he can't take advantage of Tennessee's beaten defense, the concerns over New England's offense will feel much more palpable.
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Ailing Tennessee Secondary Could Be Just What Tom Brady Needs originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Cortland FinneganDavid GarrardPeyton ManningRandy MossTom BradyWes WelkerChris BurkeSat, 17 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST Josh McDaniels, Underdog Broncos Land Major Blow With Upset of Patriotshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/josh-mcdaniels-underdog-broncos-land-major-blow-with-upset-of-p/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/josh-mcdaniels-underdog-broncos-land-major-blow-with-upset-of-p/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/josh-mcdaniels-underdog-broncos-land-major-blow-with-upset-of-p/#commentsFiled under: ,

DENVER -- After both teams had rerouted receivers enough, inserted personnel groupings aplenty, forced an underneath, long-haul offensive game and pushed the matchups gimmicks to the edge, only one team had one extra play in it. One extra kick.

And that was the Broncos.

It was a 20-17 overtime victory for Denver here against the mighty New England Patriots that legitimized the Broncos' now 5-0 season. After all, the Patriots were favored to dump the Broncos in their own yard at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.

"None of us liked being the underdog at home,'' Broncos receiver Jabar Gaffney said. "It was important to set the record straight on that.''

The Broncos had beaten the Bengals and Browns and Raiders and Cowboys. But the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick, the mentor of new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, would serve as a different measuring stick.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen used the word "legitimize'' in the locker room afterward.

Anyone watching McDaniels after this victory -- pumping his fist in the air, milking the crowd, eagerly showing his enthusiasm and just what this victory meant -- knew that McDaniels gained something special from it, too.

You'd be a fool not to realize it meant a little more to him,'' Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "It means a lot anytime you beat somebody who means a lot to you.''

Gaffney, who has played for both coaches, added: "(McDaniels) was hyped. It was big. He thinks the world of Belichick. And now he has beaten him.''

Even McDaniels later fessed up about how this game would prove a test to what he brought to Denver and how it would work against the man who taught him. McDaniels said about it being just another game: "I lied.''

We already knew.

So did Bowlen.

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NFL Throwback Uniforms
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League (AFL), several teams have worn throwback uniforms this year. Tom Brady's New England Patriots were one of four teams in retro duds for Week 5. Click through to check out the rest.
Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,
Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,

NFL Throwback Uniforms

    To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League (AFL), several teams have worn throwback uniforms this year. Tom Brady's New England Patriots were one of four teams in retro duds for Week 5. Click through to check out the rest.

    Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,

    Denver Broncos or Wyoming Cowboys? The Broncos' AFL eyesores looked very similar to those currently worn by Wyoming of the Mountain West conference. Ugly or not, they worked -- Denver upset New England in overtime.

    Barry Gutierrez, AP

    At first glance, the Kansas City Chiefs' uniforms on Sunday, which they sported for an overtime loss to the Cowboys, didn't look that dissimilar from their current gear. But looks can be deceiving ...

    Jamie Squire, Getty Images

    ... While the Chiefs got to keep their red and white on, they also wore the helmet of the Dallas Texans -- the AFL squad that moved to K.C. after 1962. It made for an odd scene with "Dallas" playing Dallas in Kansas City.

    Jamie Squire, Getty Images

    The Rams wore what may be the most recognizable of all the throwbacks, suiting up in their well-known yellow and blue jerseys with the ram-horn helmet. It's a look that St. Louis still has in the rotation as an alternate jersey.

    Ronald Martinez, Getty Images


He saw his young coach's fist-pumping antics and leap into his players' arms after Matt Prater nailed a 41-yard field goal in a game that took 64 minutes and 51 seconds to finish. One that left the Patriots 3-2.

"It does legitimize us now,'' Bowlen said. "When I sat down with Josh, an hour into the interview, I saw that same enthusiasm and excitement. Give him five more years and maybe he will grow up.''

Dawkins countered, "Naw. We'll take him just as he is. I was convinced when he came here that he would do great. I remember the great chess matches we had with him when I was in Philadelphia with (then-Eagles defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson. It was back and forth, you counter this with that. A lot of that was going on out there today.''

Belichick said the Broncos, McDaniels' Broncos, gave the Patriots matchup issues.

"That's a good football team,'' Belichick said. "There were a lot of substitutions and a lot of tying to match up. They do a good job of moving people around and creating tough matchups.''

New England jumped to a 17-7 halftime lead.

But in the second half and overtime the Patriots were held scoreless. They were 0-for-7 on third-down conversions.
"You'd be a fool not to realize it meant a little more to him. It means a lot anytime you beat somebody who means a lot to you."
-- Champ Bailey
"While the Patriots' offense was melting, the Broncos' offense picked and plucked away. It produced a 12-play, 66-yard drive midway through the third quarter that resulted in a field goal and cut New England's lead to 17-10. It tied the game on a 12-play, 98-yard fourth-quarter drive that was capped by Brandon Marshall's 11-yard scoring catch. And its winning field-goal drive in overtime was 11 plays for 58 yards.

It was orchestrated by quarterback Kyle Orton, who threw some nice balls in some tight spots and kept reading the jumbled Patriots defense to find just the right matchup. On his two scores it was Marshall, this beast of a receiver in man coverage who he mangled his defender at the goal line both times. On several gains for first downs it was Orton to receiver Eddie Royal, who was masterful underneath in his 10-catch, 90-yard day.

"We have a good thing going right now,'' Orton said.

Royal outplayed the Patriots' Wes Welker, who usually stars in the underneath role.

Orton outplayed Tom Brady.

This is what McDaniels meant when he shipped Jay Cutler out and opted for Orton. This is what he wanted. A quarterback who will put the ball where McDaniels wants it, into the hands of the player he wants it, where the design calls exactly for that. Little of the freelancing, please. Do your job.

Orton did.

He was 35-of-48 for 330 passsing yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Brady threw for only 215 yards.

"The whole second half,'' said Bailey, "the defensive game plan became more about getting to Brady. I think that changed the game in our favor. We started making him move more and rush more throws.''

And that happened the last time the Patriots had the football with a meaningful chance to win it, with 1:37 left in regulation. They were at the Denver 49, a second-and-8 play. Defensive end Vonnie Holliday crashed through and sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss, Brady fumbled and the Broncos snatched it.

For overtime, the Patriots called tails.

It was heads.

Broncos ball.

Wham, bam, kick, game.

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"Huge, it's my first one,'' McDaniels said about winning the overtime coin flip. "We wanted to be aggressive. We weren't going to sit there and be careful in overtime. We wanted to throw the ball at them and try to move it down there and not let them have the ball. I think that's the best formula to use against Tom Brady and the Patriots.''

It also happens to be the best formula to use against Belichick.

Beat him to the punch. In this instance, the kick.

Legitimized. On all fronts.

What a mountain climbed by the Broncos. They beat New England despite losing the turnover battle 2-1. The Patriots were 53-0 in games where they had won the turnover battle. That string stretched back to 2002.

McDaniels knew this was extraordinary. He said he was fist-pumping, in particular, toward the upper tier box in the stadium where his family sits.

"It doesn't mean much if you can't share it with somebody,'' he said.

McDaniels and Belichick used to share these kinds of moments.

No more. They are opposites now. Surely, they will meet again. There will be more scores to settle.

But McDaniels can always remember he landed the first punch.

A knockout.

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Josh McDaniels, Underdog Broncos Land Major Blow With Upset of Patriots originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Thomas GeorgeSun, 11 Oct 2009 23:55:00 EST FanHouse Preview: Patriots at Broncoshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/fanhouse-preview-patriots-at-broncos/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/fanhouse-preview-patriots-at-broncos/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/fanhouse-preview-patriots-at-broncos/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's not very often you'll find a 4-0 team as a home underdog against a non-undefeated team, but that's exactly the scenario that has played out. New England's only road game this season was in New York, where the Jet defense completely stifled the New England offense as the team handed the Patriots their only loss of the season. No defense has played better than that of the Denver Broncos, and the team has given up just 26 points combined over the first four games of the season. Sure, a couple of those games were against Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell-led teams, but you can only beat the teams you play, and Denver has done a great job of that this year.
More Previews: Falcons-49ers | Texans-Cards | Jaguars-Seahawks

Three Key Questions:

1. With starter Correll Buckhalter out with an ankle injury, is Knowshon Moreno ready to be the man?

2. Can the New England offensive line slow down the aggressive, big-play Denver pass rush?

3. Is Wes Welker finally healthy enough to return to excelling in the New England offense?

Player in the Spotlight: Champ Bailey. The grizzled veteran looked like his old self in last week's win over the Cowboys, completely taking over in the fourth quarter and swatting balls away from Dallas receivers at will. There's a big leap in talent from Roy Williams and the Dallas receiving corps to Randy Moss. The last time these two teams met, Moss caught two touchdown passes en route to a 41-7 shellacking of the Broncos. If Moss catches two touchdowns again this week, Bailey and the Denver secondary have failed. The key will be Denver's ability to put pressure on the quarterback, and Bailey's ability to continue his renaissance.

New England's Path to Victory: With Fred Taylor likely out for the season, the multi-talented New England rushing committee has gotten a bit smaller. Taylor led the team with 201 rushing yards and a 4.5 yards-per-carry average, and no other Patriot back has even 100 yards on the season. The Patriots will have to exploit the Broncos' aggressiveness with quick passes to Welker, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk, the latter two veteran running backs. I wouldn't be surprised to see the two of them in the backfield together much of the day, as both are good blockers and great receivers. Once the linebackers and safeties have to turn their attention to stopping the short running game, that's when Moss will look to break one.

Denver's Path to Victory: New England is third in the league in time-of-possession, holding the ball for over 35 minutes on average in a game. For Denver to win, they'll have to keep the ball away from that methodical New England offense. The Patriot defense has only managed one interception through the first four games, despite facing young QBs Trent Edwards, Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. As long as Kyle Orton protects the football and doesn't try forcing bad passes, Denver should be able to win the ball-control game. From there, it's a matter of Moreno making would-be tacklers miss and the defense containing the short passing game of New England.

Prediction: In a Week 5 filled with uninteresting games, this battle stands head and shoulders above the rest. People proclaimed Dallas as the first real test for the Denver defense, and that test was passed with flying colors. Yet some remain unconvinced. I say that none know the intricacies of the New England offense better than Denver coach Josh McDaniels, and it will be up to New England coach Bill Belichick to stay one step ahead. Does he have the personnel to keep up, or will the student overtake the master? Snow is in the forecast, which favors the home team here. Denver 24, New England 14.

FanHouse Preview: Patriots at Broncos originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>champ baileykevin faulkknowshon morenokyle ortonrandy mosssammy morriswes welkerR.J. WhiteSun, 11 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST Report: Fred Taylor Needs Ankle Surgeryhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/report-fred-taylor-needs-ankle-surgery/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/report-fred-taylor-needs-ankle-surgery/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/report-fred-taylor-needs-ankle-surgery/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fred TaylorAccording to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston, New England Patriots No. 1 running back Fred Taylor is going to undergo surgery to repair his injured right ankle. The 33-year-old running back hurt his ankle on his seventh and final carry against the Ravens this past Sunday. No real timetable has been set for Taylor's return following this procedure, except that Reiss reports that it won't cost him the season unless there are complications.

Taylor, an offseason free agent acquisition, leads the Pats' backfield committee in carries (45), yards (201), yards per carry (4.5) and touchdowns (2). Expect Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk to all receive an increased workload with Taylor sidelined.

Fantasy Football Spin:
Obviously, this is a bit of a blow to Taylor owners. He had shown the ability to play like an RB2 when given a full load in Week 3, when he carried the ball 21 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. Don't go dropping him just yet, because we haven't heard definitively if this report is true or exactly how long he'll be out from team sources.

If he is out for an extended time, Morris is a good add in mid-size leagues on up. He'll likely get the most touches, be utilized in the passing game and get goal-line carries. Maroney will have a crack at carries, but he hasn't had as much success in the past two seasons as Morris has. He's rosterable only in incredibly deep leagues as running back depth. Faulk also looks to see an increase in touches, but most of his damage will be done through the air. In really deep PPR leagues, Faulk is worth a look at as an RB4. Don't discount BenJarvus Green-Ellis in this mix, either, but he's not an add right now anywhere. Morris is the clear winner in this situation.

Report: Fred Taylor Needs Ankle Surgery originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>fred taylorFredTaylorkevin faulkKevinFaulklaurence maroneyLaurenceMaroneysammy morrisSammyMorrisMatt SnyderThu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST