Tag: New England Patriots (Page 59 of 72)

      NFL Week 13 Primer

      November 28, 2008 /

      Jason CampbellSunday’s Best: Giants (10-1) at Redskins (7-4), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      The game of the week is a toss up between this matchup and Steelers at Patriots. But I’ll go with a divisional rivalry any day of the week, although Pittsburgh-New England should be just as good. The Cowboys’ victory over the Seahawks on Thanksgiving put a lot of pressure on the Skins to keep pace in the NFC Wild Card race. A win over the G-Men would keep Washington in the thick of things with Dallas, Carolina, Tampa and Atlanta for the Wild Card, while a loss wouldn’t push them out of things, but it certainly would be detrimental. One thing about the Redskins is that they play to the level of their competition. One week they’re losing to the Rams and allowing the Browns to hang with them, the next they’re crushing the Cowboys and Eagles on the road. But the Giants have been one of the best road teams over the last couple years and soundly beat the first place Cardinals last week in Arizona. The G-Men have proven that they’re the best team in the league, but they’re going to have their hands full against a physical Washington team in desperate need of a victory.

      Upset Watch: Panthers (8-3) at Packers (5-6), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      My pick of the Lions over the Buccaneers last week proved to be a disaster despite Detroit jumping out to a 17-0 lead. Considering the Packers are 3-point favorites, this technically doesn’t count as an upset and less you factor in the records. The Pack were embarrassed last Monday night by New Orleans, but the Panthers haven’t played well in weeks. Jake Delhomme has struggled in the first half of Carolina’s past three games and the once stout Panther defense is coming off a game in which they surrendered 45 points to the Falcons. This is a nice matchup for a struggling Green Bay defense, but they must stop the run. Carolina loves to pound the ball on the ground and if they’re successful, the play action pass opens up with Delhomme and Steve Smith. But if the Packers can sell out to stop the run, their secondary is good enough to at least contain Smith and limit him from making big plays. Aaron Rodgers should have relative success working the ball up the field against an average Carolina secondary, although Ryan Grant must keep them balanced offensively for Green Bay to notch a win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

      Matt CasselIntriguing Matchup: Steelers (8-3) at Patriots (7-4), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      Could this be a potential playoff preview? Matt Cassel has the Patriots’ offense back on track, but they’ll be tested Sunday against one of the best defenses in the league. It’s doubtful Cassel will be able to throw for over 400 yards for the third connective game, which means Bill Belichick must get his running game going or else Dick Lambeau can dial up plenty of blitzes to get the young signal caller out of rhythm. A win is so important for both teams. A victory for Pittsburgh would keep the Steelers at least one-game above Baltimore in the division, while the Pats need a win to keep pace with the Jets in the AFC East. This should be one of the most physical matchups of the week and I’m willing to bet it will be a low scoring affair.

      Other Notable Games:
      Broncos (6-5) at Jets (8-3), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      The Jets are now the talk of the league after they upset the Titans last week, while Denver looks to put its embarrassing loss to the Raiders behind them.

      Bears (6-5) at Vikings (6-5), 8:15 PM ET
      First place in the NFC North is on the line Sunday night. Since they beat the Vikes earlier this season, Chicago would capture the tiebreaker between these two teams if they can come away with a victory.

      Saints (6-5) at Buccaneers (8-3), 1:00 PM ET
      A win for New Orleans and we can officially welcome them back to the NFC playoff party. But a loss would essentially put the Saints out of their misery.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Matt Cassel has Patriots’ offense rolling

      November 23, 2008 /

      Matt CasselFor the second week in a row, Patriots’ quarterback Matt Cassel threw for over 400 yards, only this time his effort wasn’t wasted as he led New England to a 48-28 victory over AFC East foe Miami.

      It’s safe to say that New England has its offense back on track and Cassel is obviously a huge reason for that. It appears that Bill Belichick has taken the training wheels off of his quarterback, who has definitely earned the right to attempt more downfield passes.

      The emergence of Cassel has made the Pats a dangerous team again, although their defense has been suspect the past two weeks against the Jets and Dolphins. Nothing against Chad Pennington because he’s been great this year for the Dolphins, but there’s no way a playoff caliber defense allows him to throw for 341 passes and three touchdowns. Although hey, at least Belichick figured out a way to defend the “Wildcat” formation after Ronnie Brown tore the Pats’ defense a new one in these team’s first meeting.

      Has it just been two bad weeks for the Pats’ defense or have the Jets and Dolphins exposed a weakness?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 12 Primer

      November 23, 2008 /

      Brandon JacobsSunday’s Best: Giants (9-1) at Cardinals (7-3), 4:00 PM ET
      It might not be the sexiest game of the year, but this is one of the best matchups of the 2008 season. The Giants have been one of the best road teams over the last couple years, and the Cardinals are a completely (better) different team in the comforts of their own home than on the road. Kurt Warner is playing like a league MVP and it’ll be interesting to see how the underrated New York secondary matches up with the explosive Arizona passing game. There haven’t been a lot of opponents have been able to get pressure on Warner this season, but the G-Men have one of the best front sevens in the league. All indications are that Brandon Jacobs will play, which should help New York keep Arizona’s potent offense off the field. Both teams have a commanding lead in their respective divisions, but a win for the Giants could go a long way in eventually securing home field advantage in the postseason.

      Upset Watch: Buccaneers (7-3) at Lions (0-10), 1:00 PM ET
      I’m sure I’ll get crap for this one, but give me credit for taking a shot with this upset. Outside of getting their ass handed to them by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Lions have been inching closer and closer to their first victory. Jon Gruden’s offense is effective, but the Buccaneers have had issues once they get into the red zone this year. They settled for three field goals inside the red zone last week against Minnesota, which essentially kept the Vikings in the game. Not that Detroit’s defense will provide much of a challenge, but if the Lions can keep the game close throughout, they might have a shot at a late score. Every year it seems that the Lions manage to win a game they’re not supposed to and I’m calling my shot this weekend – it’ll be Tampa. It helps that the Lions beat the Bucs last season, too, although it’s safe to say that the 2007 Detroit team was a shade better this year’s version.

      Philip RiversIntriguing Matchup: Colts (6-4) at Chargers (4-6), 8:15 PM ET
      After getting embarrassed by the Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 8, the Colts have won three straight and beaten quality AFC teams like the Patriots and Steelers. Indy has jumped right back into the playoff race and are one of the more dangerous teams in the league. But without Bob Sanders (knee injury) in the lineup, the Colts are a completely different team defensively. And although LaDainian Tomlinson has been quiet this year, he’s still one of the most explosive backs in the league and does anyone believe he can’t still take over a game? The Chargers are always dangerous on national TV because they play with a chip on their shoulder. They’ve also shown improvements defensively under Ron Rivera, who took over for Ted Cotrell at coordinator. Even though San Diego has struggled this year and has stumbled to 4-6, this is going to be a dogfight.

      Other Notable Games:
      Jets (7-3) at Titans (10-0), 1:00 PM ET
      Along with the Giants-Cardinals game, this could easily be the best matchup of the week. Pundits keep waiting for Tennessee to fall, but something tells me it won’t be this week. Brett Favre is susceptible to throwing an interception or two, which doesn’t bode well playing against a very opportunistic Titans’ defense. Some are smelling upset – I say the Titans remain undefeated after this week.

      Panthers (8-2) at Falcons (6-4), 4:15 PM ET
      The Falcons’ playoff hopes took a hit last week when they lost to Denver, but the Panthers have struggled with inferior opponents as of late. Jake Delhomme has not looked very sharp and Atlanta has been solid at home. This is a huge game for the NFC South.

      Eagles (5-4-1) at Ravens (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      A loss for the Eagles and they can kiss their postseason hopes goodbye. The Ravens have a great chance to prove they’re for real after they were clowned by the Giants last week.

      Patriots (6-4) at Dolphins (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a massive game for the AFC East, especially with the Jets playing in Tennessee. A win for either one of these teams could mean a share for the AFC East Division lead and don’t forget the Dolphins absolutely crushed the Patriots in Foxboro earlier this season. The fireworks in this game have already started this week with Joey Porter.

      NFL

      Mercury Morris a fan of unbeaten Titans

      November 19, 2008 /

      After basically rooting against the New England Patriots last year, NFL player Mercury Morris – who was a member of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins – is backing the Tennessee Titans and their quest for perfection.

      “If the Titans show up [in the Super Bowl with a perfect record], they would be exactly like we were. Nobody believed after the 10th game, the 12th game, the 16th game,” Morris said on ESPN’s First Take on Monday.

      The 1972 Dolphins, who went 14-0 and then won three playoff games, are the last team to go undefeated. Morris rushed for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns that season.
      The Titans improved to 10-0 Sunday with a 24-14 victory at Jacksonville. New England finished the regular season 16-0 in 2007 but lost in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, failing to finish undefeated.

      “The Patriots, you people were crowning them after the second game and the season was a formality. I kept trying to tell you,” Morris said on First Take.

      What, since nobody thinks the Titans can go undefeated Morris is all about them? Yet because the Pats were a juggernaut and everyone bought into their quest for perfection, Morris wanted them to fail?

      Is anybody else sick of this guy? I’m afraid that ESPN is going to keep going to Morris for his brilliant commentary every season while teams remain undefeated and that makes me feel sad inside.

      NFL

      Joey Porter sounds off about Bill Belichick, Patriots

      November 18, 2008 /

      Here’s a surprise: Joey Porter doesn’t like the New England Patriots.

      Joey Porter“I don’t like them,” Porter said. “I ain’t never really too much cared for them. It is what it is.”

      Take last year’s blowout. Porter took issue, strangely, with the Patriots running dives to Laurence Maroney [stats] with just under four minutes to go. Since they couldn’t kill the clock without getting a first down, the Pats handed off in an attempt to get one before punting with 18 seconds left.

      “They could’ve kneed the ball,” he said. “We couldn’t win the game. We had no timeouts. They were up by 21 and still running running plays. So I really don’t care how they feel or what they’re getting ready for. Doesn’t really matter to me.”

      That was in response to a question of whether he thought head coach Bill Belichick was embarrassed by what the Dolphins had done to the Pats in September.

      “I don’t really care, to tell you the truth,” Porter said. “I don’t forget things like (not taking a knee). I hope our whole defense, our whole team doesn’t forget things like that. (Belichick) had the mindset last year where he said if he could put 50 up on you, he was going to put 50 up on you. That was his mindset. So why should I feel sorry about anything that happens on that side of the field?”

      Porter remains angry about a pregame slight when the Pats practiced their punts directly over the stretching Dolphins.

      “We were in a stretch and they walked directly down the field and start punting over our heads,” Porter said. “It was like, ‘Damn, would you want the whole 100-yard field? You got your 50 yards over there, then you walk through our 50, go to the end zone and kick to the 50?’ You don’t.

      “Now they’ve got to come into our yard. All the little antics they had before the game and stuff like that, they’re not going to try that in our house.

      “They let us know how they feel about us,” Porter concluded. “There’s no love lost. We don’t like them. They don’t like us. That’s exactly the way you should like it.”

      The only problem with the Dolphins being relevant again is that Joey Porter is now relevant again. Still, you always have to appreciate some good “I hate you, you hate me” jibber-jabber from players before a game.

      NFL

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