Tag: New England Patriots (Page 54 of 72)

      Florida finishes No. 1 in polls, Utah No. 2

      January 9, 2009 /

      The final votes are in and to the shock and dismay of approximately zero people, the Florida Gators are college football’s No. 1 team. The undefeated Utah Utes are No. 2.

      Urban MeyerThe Gators received 48 first-place votes and 1,606 points in the poll released early Friday, after they beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS national title game.

      Utah, the only team in major college football to go undefeated this season, got 16 first-place votes and 1,519 points.

      “I thought we had an outside chance,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said in a telephone interview with the AP. “There was enough national sentiment, I thought we might get the No. 1 slot. It wasn’t to be.”

      Florida won its third AP national championship and second in the last three seasons. Steve Spurrier and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel led the Gators to the 1996 title.

      No. 3 USC received one first-place vote. Texas was No. 4, and will have to settle with finishing ahead of fifth-ranked Oklahoma.

      The Utes from the Mountain West Conference swept through their regular season, while Florida and Alabama from the SEC, Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 and Southern California from the Pac-10, jockeyed for position in the national title chase.

      The Mountain West does not have an automatic bid to the BCS — it’s not considered a strong enough league to deserve one — but the Utes earned their way in.

      Utah was seventh in the final regular-season poll, but that perfect record looked much more impressive after the Utes beat Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl last week.

      The Pac-10 should do the right thing and bring Utah and BYU (or TCU?) into its conference. Then they could have a conference championship game and Utah and BYU (or TCU?) could show how good they really are.

      Imagine if the NFL had the same system college football has. We wouldn’t have had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time when the Giants beat the Patriots last year, because the Giants would have been ranked No. 6 in the polls.

      College Football, NFL

      Brady to start next year on PUP list?

      January 7, 2009 /

      According to Tom Curran of NBC Sports, Tom Brady could start the 2009 NFL Season on the Pats’ PUP list.

      Matt CasselBut the timing just doesn’t work for the Patriots to allow Cassel to leave. Even though Brady went the aggressive route by having his reconstructive surgery relatively early (many doctors recommend waiting for the MCL to heal on its own before going in to repair the ACL), the infection that began near the repaired MCL required six weeks of antibiotics and irrigation. The significant scar tissue that built up during that period still had not been removed as of last week, leaving Brady with limited range of motion. Until the scar tissue comes out (and a two-to-three week period of recovery from that process is observed) and range of motion improves, a productive rehab can’t begin. With the start of training camp seven months away and the season opener nine months out, Brady may wind up beginning the 2009 season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Players placed on that list are eligible to begin playing in Week 6.

      There’s really no decision to be made – the Patriots have to pony up and tag Cassel. If they don’t, they could wind up forcing Brady (or Tom could force himself) back onto the field too soon and then disaster could strike again. But if they tag and pay Cassel, the team can go into next season with more security at quarterback.

      The Pats’ decision on what to do with Tom Brady won’t be made over the next few months. The decision will be made over the course of the next year. If Brady is placed on the PUP list, the team can watch Cassel play for another six weeks. If he progresses, then maybe it’s time to move into the Cassel era. If he digresses or is sub par, then Brady can step him – fully healthy – and resume his starting quarterback duties.

      I think both quarterbacks will be on New England’s roster next season. And this is exactly why the Pats never spend big on free agents – so that they have the cap room when they need it (i.e. like right now).

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Playoff Preview: Cardinals’ offense needs to find balance

      January 2, 2009 /

      With their 34-10 win over the St. Louis Rams in Week 14, the Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West for the first time since the league realigned the divisions in 2002. At 8-5, the Cards secured home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs and essentially felt pretty good about their chances of making a deep postseason run thanks to their explosive offense.

      Then all hell broke loose for two weeks.

      Arizona was hammered by the Minnesota Vikings, 35-14 at home in Week 15 and were trounced 47-7 by the New England Patriots in Foxboro the following week. In those two losses, the Cards turned the ball over four times and averaged just 43.5 rushing yards. If it weren’t for their salvaging 34-21 win over the Seahawks in the final week of the regular season, ‘Zona would have limped into the playoffs losers of three straight.

      While NFL purists love to note how explosive the Cardinals’ passing game is, the key for them beating the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday in the opening round of the playoffs is creating offensive balance. If they can’t run the ball, the Falcons should have no problem sitting back in coverage and allowing defensive linemen John Abraham, Kroy Biermann and Jonathan Babineaux to pin their ears back and get pressure on Kurt Warner.

      The Cardinals have averaged just 73.6 rushing yards per game this season, which ranks them dead last in the NFL. While Tim Hightower demonstrated his powerful running style at times this season, his inconsistency has forced Ken Whisenhunt to give veteran Edgerrin James more carries in efforts to try and revive his team’s dead running game.

      Led by Warner and a trio of 1,000-yard receivers in Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston, the Cardinals are going to move the ball through the air on Saturday. But if the Falcons are able to stop the run using just their front seven, it’ll allow safeties Erik Coleman and Lawyer Milloy to stay back in coverage and help corners Dominique Foxworth, Chris Houston and rookie Chevis Jackson blanket the Cards’ talented receivers. Arizona must run the football effectively and force Atlanta to bring Milloy up to help in run support, or else the Cardinals will be one and done this postseason.

      The Falcons offense ranks sixth in the league in yards per game and is scoring 24.4 PPG, so they’re equipped for a shootout if one were to break out on Saturday. Given how poor the Cardinals’ defense has played at times this season, it would be a mistake to think ‘Zona will go anywhere this postseason if they can’t run the ball and strike balance on offense.

      NFL

      New Bang! cartoon: Karma

      January 2, 2009 /

      As the 8-8 San Diego Chargers are set to do battle with the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday in the opening round of the NFL playoffs, all the New England Patriots can do is sit back and watch after missing the postseason despite finishing with an 11-5 record. How can this be? Bang! Cartoons has the answer in their latest ‘toon, “Karma.”

      If you like Bang! Cartoons, check out their latest podcast, which is their annual year end Best edition.

      NFL

      Patriots to use franchise tag on Matt Cassel?

      January 2, 2009 /

      Matt CasselThe New England Patriots have quite the decision to make regarding quarterback Matt Cassel, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. They could allow the young signal caller to walk, franchise tag him and keep him, franchise tag him and trade him or re-sign him and ship multiple Super Bowl winner Tom Brady elsewhere. (The last option I discussed in more detail a couple weeks ago.)

      NationalFootballPost.com writer Mike Lombardi recently provided some insight on which way the Pats are leaning:

      NationalFootballPost.com writer Mike Lombardi, speaking on Inside the NFL, said the Patriots will place the franchise tag on Matt Cassel.

      “The Patriots are way too smart, and I’ve talked to people in the organization,” Lombardi said. The former Raiders GM worked under Bill Belichick in Cleveland. While this may just be informed speculation, it’s the likely move. Cassel is a huge asset and the Patriots can either work out a short-term contract or trade him after using the tag.

      I agree with Rotoworld.com – the Patriots will likely tag Cassel and then figure out what their next move is. Maybe the team will know more about Brady’s recovery and whether or not he’s going to be ready next season. If Brady continues to recover slowly (which seems to be the current notion), than maybe the Pats will eventually make Cassel their long-term answer and deal Brady in the offseason.

      This will be one the best storylines this offseason.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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