Tag: Tom Brady (Page 29 of 46)

      Did Moss give up during Panthers game?

      December 15, 2009 /

      There’s a disagreement going on between the Panthers and Patriots players about whether or not Randy Moss tanked it last Sunday in New England’s lackluster win over Carolina in Week 14. Moss finished with just one catch on the day, which he promptly fumbled.

      Following the game, Panthers’ cornerback Chris Gamble said Moss shut it down (via the Boston Globe):

      If you asked the Panthers what their game plan was, it’s simple. They helped whoever was covering Randy Moss early in the game with a safety. Then, once he was frustrated, they no longer needed to. Because by then, it was Game Over for No. 81.

      “We knew he was going to shut it down,” Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble told me after the game. “That’s what we wanted to do him. That’s what we did. … He’d just give up a lot … Slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell, his body language.”

      Gamble continued … “I know everyone who plays against him, they can sense that. Once you get into him in the beginning of the game, he shuts it down a little bit.”

      Following Gamble’s comments, Pats head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady defended Moss:

      “I have a lot of respect for Randy,’’ Bill Belichick said. “I think he’s one of our best players. I think if you watch other teams defend him, they think the same way. Other than these two guys from Carolina after they lost another game, I guess they didn’t think that way. They haven’t won a lot of games.’’

      “Everyone takes liberties to say whatever they want to say in a situation like [Sunday’s],’’ Brady said. “I’ve seen plays made on Chris Gamble over the course of the season, too. Guys, when they play Randy, want to show what they can do, and I guess they came off the game pretty confident. But Randy’s one of the best players in the history of the NFL.’’

      I love the not-so-subtle shots at the Panthers in Belichick and Brady’s quotes.

      Moss was clearly frustrated during the course of the game, but only he knows whether or not he gave up. The good thing for the Patriots is that this situation has bonded them together.


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      Patriots win, but issues continue to pile up

      December 13, 2009 /

      While the Patriots managed to earn a 20-10 victory over the Panthers in Week 14, they hardly have reason to celebrate.

      They gained 377 total yards, but turned the ball over three times. They held the Panthers to just 179 passing yards, but gave up 305 net yards. Tom Brady led the Pats on a nice 13-play scoring drive to give them the lead late in the third quarter, but his interception set up Carolina’s first touchdown. Wes Welker caught another 10 passes for 105 yards, but Randy Moss hauled in just one pass for 16 yards…and fumbled it.

      Speaking of Moss, he flat out dogged it on the field today. He ran lackluster routes, was seen pouting on the sidelines and appeared to give up on a pass that was intercepted by Carolina in the first half. In other words, he was the exact opposite of Welker, who continues to give his all on every play.

      Bill Belichick also decided to go for it again on fourth down and once again the Patriots failed. It wasn’t a bad decision because his offense was in no man’s land, but maybe it’s time for Belichick to scale back the aggressiveness if his offense can’t be counted on to convert.

      In the NFL, a win is the only thing that matters and at 8-5, the Pats are still in good position to win their division. But this is hardly an elite team anymore and if they do wind up making the postseason, things are setting up for an early exit for New England.


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      Clayton: Tom Brady “should” start vs. Panthers

      December 13, 2009 /

      ESPN’s John Clayton just reported that Tom Brady should be able to start Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

      Brady, who has been dealing with finger, rib and shoulder injuries, was limited in practice this week due to his wife giving birth to their child. It’s unclear at this point whether or not he missed parts of practice due to the injuries or to attend to his wife.

      The Patriots are in mini crisis mode after losing two straight and having four players sent home earlier this week after they showed up late to team meetings. One of those players was Randy Moss and another, Adalius Thomas, is expected to be benched for today’s game.

      But assuming Brady is healthy, I think this is the day the Pats turn the corner by drubbing the Panthers at home. Just when you think Bill Belichick’s team is going to fall apart, they beat the snot out of somebody at home.


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      Are the Patriots imploding?

      December 9, 2009 /

      Usually when a perennial Super Bowl contender loses two in a row, the players on said team rally together and forge ahead – especially when there are only four games left in the season.

      The Patriots are in the midst of a two game losing streak, find themselves only one game up on the Dolphins and Jets in the division and can’t win on the road. Instead of showing signs of sticking together, the team seems to be falling apart.

      Earlier this week, Tom Brady called out his team for not being tough enough. Today, ESPN.com is reporting that four Patriots – Randy Moss, Derrick Burgess, Adalius Thomas and Gary Guyton – were all sent home from Gillette Stadium for being late for an 8 a.m. meeting. None of the players will be able to participate in meetings or practices on Wednesday.

      Granted, the report also states that the players were delayed by weather and nobody can confirm how late the four actually were. But does that really matter? There are 53 players on New England’s roster and 49 of them were able to get to the meeting on time. I don’t live in the area, but I’m pretty sure New England broadcasts potential weather delays, so Moss and company don’t have a legitimate excuse for being late. They should have planned accordingly.

      In their last four games, the Pats host the Panthers, are at the Bills, are home against the Jaguars and are at the Texans. Those are four winnable games for a New England team that ranks second in the NFL in total offense and is scoring close to 30 points a game. But the Patriots are just 1-5 on the road this season and 5-4 in conference. They also have the makings of an average defense and they’ve gone from a team that excels in crunch time to one that flounders in it.

      Given that Burgess and Thomas haven’t shown up on Sundays this season anyway, it’s surprising that anyone knew they were missing in the first place. But the bottom line is that Bill Belichick had to send four of his players home today because they couldn’t show up on time for a meeting. What happens next is key. Will the Patriots rally together and forge ahead or will they repeat the same mistakes that have haunted them this season and stumble into the playoffs (or miss them altogether)?

      Will the Patriots miss the playoffs?
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      Brady calls out Patriots’ toughness

      December 7, 2009 /

      Following Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins in Miami, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady questioned his team’s toughness.

      From the Providence Journal:

      “I think we’ve got to find a way to play better football for 60 minutes, in all phases, and everyone has got to focus on what they need to do better. I think that’s the most important thing: being mentally tough to overcome adversity,” Brady said. “When things don’t go your way, you have to fight back. That’s a challenge for all of us. I think at times we do, and at times I don’t think we fight very hard.

      “We have leads in the second half and leads in the fourth quarter and we’re just not closing the game out when we have the opportunity to.”

      Not that I disagree with him, but this is coming from the man who complained to a ref when a member of the Ravens’ defense blew on his knee.

      There’s something fundamentally lacking with the way the Patriots play on the road. In their heyday, the Pats would jump out to a big lead and then step on their opponents’ throats. But now they keep their opponents in the game throughout by playing poor defense and turning the ball over offensively.

      On Sunday, Brady’s interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter killed them. But the Dolphins still had to march up the field in order to score, which they did. Whether it’s a lack of toughness or not, the Patriots just aren’t getting it done on the road and that’s a troubling sign with the playoffs looming.


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