Tag: New England Patriots (Page 27 of 72)

      Like a bunch of schoolgirls, Moss and Brady apparently fought about each other’s hair

      October 10, 2010 /
      MIAMI - OCTOBER 04: Quarterback Tom Brady and Randy Moss of the New England Patriots sit on the sidelines against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on October 4, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

      This is so ridiculous that it can’t possibly be made up:

      Shortly after Moss was traded to the Vikings on Wednesday, reports surfaced that Moss had a heated exchange with quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien at halftime of last Monday night’s game in Miami. Another story said Moss refused to talk to Belichick on the plane ride home.

      Then on Sunday, Charley Casserly, an ex-NFL general manager who now works on CBS’ NFL pregame show, reported that Moss and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady [stats] went toe-to-toe and had to be separated the week before the trade was made.

      According to Casserly, Brady did not like Moss’ behavior. During the argument, Brady was overheard telling Moss he needed to cut his beard. Moss countered by telling Brady he needed a haircut and that he looked like a girl.

      Have you ever been in a relationship that started off great but by the end you were just mad because the other person was still breathing?

      This isn’t about hair or beards, or anything else. This is about Moss being ticked off about his situation and looking for a way out. He was upset that the team didn’t offer him a contract extension, so he started picking fights with everyone and probably felt justified for doing so. Now he’s back with his old girlfriend and he’s a happy camper again.

      We’ll find out Monday night if the Moss-Minnesota re-marriage is going to work.

      External Sports, NFL

      Why would the Patriots trade for Vincent Jackson?

      October 8, 2010 /
      SAN DIEGO, CA - OCTOBER 19: Vincent Jackson #83 of the San Diego Chargers celebrates his touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the first half during Monday Night Football on October 19, 2009 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

      I mean, I know why they would. He can stretch the field with his speed, he’s a big target, he can block and they’re in need of a receiver.

      But why would the Patriots trade for Vincent Jackson?

      Ever since the Pats traded Randy Moss on Wednesday, rumors have circulated that they’re going to pull off a trade for the disgruntled Jackson. But as John Clayton, Adam Schefter and anyone else with a functional brain notes, this deal isn’t going to happen.

      The Patriots don’t believe in spending top dollar on a receiver, which is why they traded their No. 1 wideout to Minnesota two days ago when they only have Wes Welker, Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman on their roster. And let’s not forget why Jackson is holding out in the first place: He wants to get paid.

      Why would Bill Belichick orchestrate a trade to ship Moss out of town and then turn around and acquire another unhappy receiver looking for a new contract? Furthermore, why would he go head-to-head with San Diego GM A.J. Smith when he knows Smith is looking for two early round picks for V-Jax? It just doesn’t make any sense.

      This isn’t Madden ’11. You can’t just plug a player into any situation and have everything work out in the end. Jackson isn’t a fit for the style of offense that New England runs and it appears as though Belichick is changing his offensive approach anyway.

      V-Jax to the Pats isn’t going to happen unless Belichick and Smith wake up one morning and decide to completely change the way they’ve ran football teams for the past decade.

      External Sports, NFL

      Are the Patriots changing their offensive approach?

      October 7, 2010 /
      New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks with quarterback Tom Brady in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in their NFL football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts September 12, 2010. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      In the first two weeks of the season, the Patriots threw the ball a combined 71 times against the Bengals and Jets, compared to their 43 rushing attempts.

      In their last two games against the Bills and Dolphins, the Pats threw the ball a combined 59 times compared to 62 rushing attempts.

      Four weeks is too small of a sample size to make any definitive statements about the direction of New England’s offense, but considering the team traded their No. 1 receiver on Wednesday, it would appear that Bill Belichick is changing his approach on that side of the ball.

      Now, it would make sense that the Pats would call more running plays against the Bills (whose front seven has been banged up) and Dolphins (whose pass defense ranks in the top 10 and whose run defense ranks in the bottom half of the league). But the Bengals and Jets both have solid pass defenses, so why throw on them?

      Granted, the flow of the game dictates how plays are called for an offense. If a team were successfully moving the ball on the ground, it would make sense to keep pounding runs at a defense in order to wear them down. Making adjustments is a vital component in football.

      That said, Tom Brady has completed 72.2% of his passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns when the Patriots have used a two-tight end set this year. And if the public knows that, so does Belichick.

      Maybe Belichick came to the realization that as the season wears on, he could throw the ball just as successfully with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski as he did with Moss. And maybe that’s why he didn’t hesitate trading Moss, who some believe is in decline and who was mentally starting to fade without being offered a new contract.

      Either way, without Moss taking away double teams from Wes Welker, Belichick will have to change his strategy going forward. He can’t continue to use three-receiver sets like he has the past couple of years and think he’s going to be as successful without Moss. He’s going to have to adjust.

      And knowing Belichick, he will.

      External Sports, NFL

      Patriots apparently want to re-live their 2002 season, may trade for Branch

      October 7, 2010 /
      SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 26: Wide receiver Deion Branch of the Seattle Seahawks makes a catch against Donald Strickland of the San Diego Chargers at Qwest Field on September 26, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Chargers 27-20. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

      Even though knee injuries have severely limited his production of late, the Patriots are interested in trading for Deion Branch says beat writer Danny O’Neil.

      Branch’s best season came as a Patriot in 2005 when he caught 78 passes for 998 yards and five touchdowns. But in ’06, bad blood between him and the team started to form due to a contract dispute and he wound up filing a grievance against the Pats. He claimed that New England failed to complete a fair trade between him and another team that was willing to give him a contract extension. Finally on September 11, Branch was traded to the Seahawks in exchange for a first round pick in the 2007 draft.

      Now the Patriots want him back and apparently Tom Brady has even been lobbying for the team to pull off a trade.

      The Seahawks have a couple of young receivers that they would like to get on the field more, so moving Branch would be in their best interest – especially if they can get a mid-round pick for him. Obviously the Patriots have a need at receiver after trading Randy Moss on Wednesday, but will Branch want to return to the team that he cried foul play on? He didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms.

      That said, it’s not like Branch has too many years left in the league and he may be willing to let bygones by bygones in hopes of having another chance to win a ring. The Seahawks are currently in the thick of things in the NFC West, but how long will that last? The Patriots still offer him the best opportunity to win.

      External Sports, NFL

      Did friction between Moss and Pats’ QB coach lead to trade?

      October 6, 2010 /
      ATLANTA - AUGUST 19: Wide receiver Randy Moss of the New England Patriots takes a break during pre-game warmups before the preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on August 19, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

      ESPN.com reports that Randy Moss had an exchange with quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien during halftime of the Patriots game against the Dolphins on Monday night.

      The locker-room exchange, described as an “outburst” by one player, came two days before the Patriots traded Moss to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2011 third-round draft choice, and could have contributed to the team’s decision to make the deal.

      The Patriots trailed 7-6 at halftime of the game, and Moss had just one pass thrown in his direction up to that point. He finished without a reception and wasn’t thrown to in the second half.

      On Wednesday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement that he has had discussions during the “past several months” with Moss and his representatives about Moss’ “place on our team and his future in football.”

      Belichick added that “many things were taken into consideration before making the trade.”

      Moss’ contract runs up at the end of the year and chances are, they probably wanted to ride the year out and see how he preformed. If he didn’t continue to complain about his contract and produced on the field, then maybe they would have signed him to a new deal.

      But they couldn’t risk him mentally checking out like he did in Oakland and if he wasn’t on good terms with the QB coach, then they were wise to trade him now.

      I wrote more on this trade here and here.

      External Sports, NFL

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