Monthly Archives: January 2006

After reflecting for the last week on what to write and having read so many articles and websites on the disappointment within Patriot Nation, I still find it hard to sum up my take on the whole situation.
Not only did the Patriots lose to a team that is not going to the Super Bowl, they made the Broncos look good doing it. The Patriots played a mistake ridden game that cost them the season.
Eric Mangini ñ good luck. Bill knows your weaknesses and will capitalize on them for years to come. The Patriots defensive weakness in 2005 was based on your abilities, until Bill stepped in to solidify the front seven.
New Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees ñ You already have the respect of the players now we need you and Bill to find a good supporting coaching staff for linebackers and the secondary. Oh yeah a younger linebacker and a top cornerback or safety and keeping Richard Seymour is a standard requirement for the defense this off-season.
New Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels ñ time for the training wheels to come off. Bill will still keep the media away from you (or rather vice versa) but you have a solid offensive group to continue to build one. It would be great if we can keep David Givens! We still need to work on contracts for offensive linemen Neal and Koppen.
Bill Belichick / Scott Pioli ñ Unless you have found a future untapped ability to find guys that deliver ñ Troy Brown (if he so chooses) should continue to be a Patriot! The same with Adam Vinatieri ñ forget the franchise tag and give him the opportunity to call New England home.
Tom Brady ñ you are a champion ñ so forget about Bailey.
Richard Seymour ñ you are the best and should be paid like the best.
Tedy Bruschi ñ Thank you for coming back.
Rodney Harrison ñ Get well we need your leadership and physical toughness back on the field.
Who should stay: Adam Vinatieri, David Givens, Stephen Neal, Dan Koppen
Who should go: Bethel Johnson, Duane Starks, Chad Brown, Monty Beisel,
Not sure:
Tyrone Poole? If we cannot get a really good CB via free agency or great rookie draft we will need someone. I think Pooleís success was based off of Ty Lawís ability to take on the number one receiver. Poole is a good number 2 or 3 guy but not a leader.
Christian Fauria? He has the talents and can still deliver. Graham and Watson are too inconsistent. Unless Bill / Scott can find a diamond in the rough (which they are unusually good at) Fauria should still be around
Artrell Hawkins? For someone coming off the street ñ he stepped in and filled a leadership void in the secondary. He may not be as hard hitting as Harrison,
Retirement? Doug Flutie! Thank you Doug for the lifetime of memories! If you do retire let it be on your own terms.

With all due courtesy and respect to others, I am not the brightest crayon in the box, but I am also not the local townie that may have had one too many in a night.
When all is said in done, this weekend will be the real reason to say dynasty or not for the New England Patriots.
Yes the Pats have come back from a 4-4 season to lead the AFC East and then beat the Jaguars to face the Denver Broncos in route to the AFC Championship versus either nemesis the Indianapolis Colts or Pittsburgh Steelers.
Yes long time nemesis Colts and Pittsburgh ñ teams we have already played this season, but wait a dawg garn minute, we played the Broncos this year too! Hmmm ñ ye the local and national media will not let us forget this point. They also remind us Patriots fanatics, that we were without Seymour, Bruschi, Dillon, Faulk and (my favorite) Troy Brown. Holy Sh1t ñ this is a different Patriots team.
What will they do?!
Well Tom Brady and Bill Belichick fans and those of us that have followed the whole season know what will happen. It is playoff time! No other team prepares like the Patriots and no other team commits to one game only formats.
Live or die ñ the Patriots season will be decided this weekend. But wait a minute bubba ñ you mentioned dynasty ñ what about that? Yesssss my friendsssss ñ Dynasty!
World Champions of three out of the last four Super Bowls, 10 ñ 0 in the playoffs since 2000, 14 to 3 in touchdowns versus interceptions for a third choice MVP in 2005 and second runner up quarterback as the 2005 All-Pro for the Pro-Bowl and one of the most versatile and talented offenses in the playoffs. Three-time Pro-Bowler at defensive end, now one of the top defenses in the league against the run, and improvements on passes defended and turnoversÖ..
Hhmmm ñ smells like ñ sniff ñ team spirit!
So yes the Patriots have come back to haunt the playoffs. Better then earlier in the year and able to knock out opponents in an onslaught of single (or multiple) pass rushers. This is not your daddyís Patriots of í85 (hail to the patriots of í85 ñ you were most kind and benevolent to us fans and we will ever be grateful!!), but this is the team of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
These two guys alone will conjure of plays and special situation both offensively and defensively to make Jake ëthe Snakeí recoil into a hole.
Readers do not delight in reading this! This is not a remark about Jake, but more to the fact that both Bill and Tom have an arsenal at their disposal that was not previously there. Opportunity comes from preparation (see above).
The Broncos have not changed much over the course of the season. Coach Shanahan is one of the best in the business and has a lot of playoff experience. His team does not. Coach versus coach may seem evenly matched (Shanahan and Bill have split 2 ñ 2).
The Patriots need to stop the run with their much-improved front seven and contain the edge in order to keep Jake in the pocket. If they do this then Jake will be forced into his old habits of stellar interceptory performances.
Like-wise the Broncos need to apply the same mentality and pressure on Brady like they did in the last game in order to keep possession and control the clock.
Most articles I have read so far have backed the Patriots based on experience, how well they have improved, fully stocked at positions and adapting to pressure in the playoffs. I could to if given a laundry list like this.
I believe the Patriots will win because they can! Mano-y-Mano! Battle in the trenches, your Lynch versus our Bruschi! Tom versus Jake! Bill v. Mike. Sorry Denver but when it comes to delivering in this atmosphere the Patriots are ëmile-highí.
IN BILL WE TRUST – GO PATS!

If I were to have a new years resolution it would be to afford a new computer so I can actually contribute more to this website. My laptop finally died, and now I can only do this from ñ ahem ñ work.
Anyway the Patriots beat the Jets and lose a close one to the Dolphins using the 2 and 3rd stringers against Miami first team. Not too bad.
As previously noted in this column, Jacksonville was seen as the proper opponent for the Patriots to play.
I am not giving any extra credit to the Steelers in terms of should we have tried to avoid them. I also would not say that Jacksonville is being disrespected after having a 12-4 record, ending the year on a high note and getting healthier with Byron Leftwich returning to start at quarterback.
Even if the Patriots do not win the Super Bowl this year, they have been consistent over most of the last five seasons and have dominated the AFC East. Patriots QB, Tom Brady accurately claimed the disrespect as defending World Champions. Not only have they won 3 of the last 4 Super Bowls and fought back to defend their title this year, Brady was also snubbed for MVP bids. Tom Brady carried this team the whole year as those on offense and defense fell down all around him. The Patriots are healthier now and have progressed well enough to 3-peat. But they need to stay the course and take it one game at a time. The Jaguars Colts and Broncos stand in their way.
The Jaguars are a big physical team on offense and defense the Patriots should be able to do well offensively although still struggle with running game if Corey Dillon does not have any open holes to run through.
Defensively the Patriots will have 4 different running backs to contend with as well as a 4 receiver set that are all taller then 6 feet. As long as the front seven can close the holes to stop the run, apply pressure on the edge and hurry the QB that should help the secondary. Line backer Tedy Bruschi is still questionable, but is expected to play.
Experience will overcome many obstacles, however, the Patriots secondary is still young and inexperienced themselves. This is the gap that Miami seemed to enjoy taking advantage against Ellis Hobbs and Artrell Hawkins at CB.
I believe this game will depend on Tom Brady and turnovers. If Brady throws interceptions or the offense turns over the ball the Jaguars will capitalize. If Brady is as accurate as he has been in every postseason game (9 ñ 0 with only 3 interceptions) then the Patriots should win. If the defense can add to the scoreboard even better?!
GO PATS!