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Category Archives: Miami Dolphins
Porter at it again
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerry Porter and his ever-flapping gums are no strangers to Patriots fans or, for that matter, any NFL fan. Porter’s mouth is in a constant state of readiness, and is often in use, belittling his opponents and doing a hefty dose of trash talking. That trend has continued this week leading up to the big AFC East showdown between the Pats and the Fins this Sunday at Gillette Stadium. During a conference call with New England reporters earlier in the week, Porter started out by explaining just how he feels about the Patriots, and those feelings didn’t start when he joined the division.
“My feelings toward New England go back further. It goes back to my Pittsburgh days. I felt a certain way, after some things came out, way back when I was in Pittsburgh, some AFC championships I lost to them, couple times. Come to figure out a few months later why we lost. So yeah, I have a natural hate for them. Period. And that’s just gonna be with me forever.”
Patriots 'Bend don't Break' mentality will be tested against Miami
The New England Patriots have been known as a defensively steady team under head coach Bill Belichick. When Tom Brady replaced Drew Bledsloe in 2001, the Patriots defense helped the Patriots win games that year and offense united to rally under the new QB.
2008 and a similar scenario, however, as much as people make out Matt Cassel’s play versus Brady. Cassel has learned quickly and steadily improving, much like the Patriots of old getting better as the season went on. The team around him has not performed as well. The myriad of running backs, early injuries to the offensive line did little to help Cassel at the begining of the season.
Patriots offense showing progress
The Patriots are now 3-1 and although they have not been playing
Patriots have a new start after the bye week
With a 2-1 record going into the Bye week, most Patriots fans would have thought the loss came versus the Jets even if Tom Brady was still playing. Well the loss is behind us and now we can move forward – even without Brady.
The record shows who the Patriots are as a number two in the AFC East behind a dynamic 4-0 Buffalo Bills team that has improved over 2007, but also enjoying the same scheduling as the other members in the AFC East. So it only goes to show the opportinites that lay ahead for the Pats.
The last two weeks have allowed the players to regroup, heal and come together as a new team since the opening day. The team captains and veterans have more responsibility now more then ever (well at least since 2001 when Drew Beldsloe went down).
No offense, Patriots need to work together
The New England Patriots are not in desperate times, but they do need to take desperate measures in order to improve upon their recent performance and overcome the loss of Tom Brady.
Randy Moss’ recent comments there are ten other players on offense to help QB Matt Cassel, couldn’t be more true. The lack luster performance versus the Dolphins, was not a result of Matt Cassel’s play as much as it was the entire team being in a ‘funk’ and looking a bit lost.
The offensive line was continuously under pressure and gave up five sacks and could not open up a hole for the running game to be established. Once the Dolphins built up a big lead the pressure was on Cassel to win it in the air.
This week the Patriots face a San Francisco defense that was not able to apply much pressure to Dree Brees and also allowed Duece McAllistar and Reggie Bush to combine for over 100 yards rushing and a touchdown.
The Patriots should do just as well with Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Lamont Jordan and Kevin Faulk, but hopefully better if they also move out of the backfield and can run the short routes on pass plays.
San Francisco also gave up over 350 yards in the air and three touchdowns as
Patriots defense need to make a stand
As much as I may criticize the offensive line and Matt Cassel’s performance so far this year, the game is played in three phases – offense, defense and special teams – and versus Miami the defense was the weakest link forcing the Patriots to come from behind and rely on the arm of Matt Cassel.
After the bye week, the Patriots
Posted in AFC East, Bill Belichick, Boston Sports, Brandon Meriweather, Buffalo Bills, James Sanders, Jerod Mayo, Miami Dolphins, Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots, New England Sports, New York Jets, Patriot Act, Patriot Nation Blogs, Patriots Game Previews, Patriots Roster, Robert Kraft, Rodney Harrison, Special Teams
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Patriots Bandwagoners, mount up!
Just as surely as the turf in Gillette Stadium is green and white, fair-weather fans of Patriot Nation are showing their true colors. Buck up troopers! This is only one performance of a long season and the first loss in 21 regular season games.
The Patriots played against one of their all time toughest rivals where generally Miami has at least one win a season against the Patriots. Last year was obviously (16-0) and exception.
Now having lived through the Tony Eason era and then some other obvious fun times before Drew Bledsloe, Bill Parcells and the honorable Robert Kraft created what has become known as one of the best Franchises in the NFL, this is not and will not become the worst of times.
Now time for some cool aid!
Posted in AFC East, Bill Belichick, Boston Sports, Brandon Meriweather, Buffalo Bills, Jerod Mayo, Kevin Faulk, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New England Sports, New York Jets, Patriot Act, Patriot Nation Blogs, Patriots Game Reviews, Patriots Roster, Randy Moss, Robert Kraft, Rodney Harrison
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Patriots Squished by the Fish
When I argued that this is not a lost season for the Patriots shortly after Tom Brady went down, the relative ease of their schedule this year, especially early on, was something I took into account. Miami at home has been all but a lock over the last few years; while I knew it wouldn’t be a cakewalk, I wasn’t expecting this.
Neither, it seemed, were many of my fellow Patriots fans, who flooded talk radio yesterday afternoon with their views on exactly who lost the game. To my consternation, and that of the radio hosts I was listening to, there was a vocal faction wanting to ship out Matt Cassel and give Kevin O’Connell a shot under center.
Call me a quarterback apologist, but I didn’t see this loss as Cassel’s fault. At least, not totally.It’s true he faltered in the red zone, as he had against the Jets (luckily 1,000 field goals were enough to beat them). The Tuna’s defense kept him shuffling between the 20s all day, not something that would’ve happened to Brady.
However, Cassel also doesn’t seem to be getting much protection. You could argue that Brady just made it look like he had more time because of his calm style, or hid a multitude of blocking sins with his mobility in the pocket, but there were times yesterday Cassel didn’t even have a second to set his feet. Then there was Randy Moss, shutting it down in the third quarter and showing shades of his old self.
And to lay it all on the backup QB would amount to a grossly unfair overlooking of the defense yesterday, which played as if opposing runningbacks were invisible.
Lynch visits Patriots
The Patriots hosted former Tampa Bay and Denver safety John Lynch on Wednesday and it shows the concern the Patriots at safety now that safety Tank Williams is on IR and James Sanders has been hurt.
A few fans may remember the Patriots tried to obtain Lynch in 2004, but Lynch preferred Denver at that time.
The 36 year-old Lynch would bring his experience and durability to a team that is now lacking healthy and quality depth at safety and is an injury (Rodney Harrison, Brandon Meriweather or Sanders) away from being a disaster.
Meriweather, Sanders and even Ray Ventrone, who are learning under Harrison, would be able to learn more from the 9 time Pro-Bowler.
I was hoping Lynch would have joined the Pats in 2004 and provided a dynamite tandem with Harrison. Although both Harrison and Lynch are aging, both still bring a toughness to the game very seldom seen today in the NFL. The Colts oft injured Bob Sanders and the Ravens Ed Reed are considered the best tacklers and run stuffers today.
IN BILL WE TRUST!!
AFC East gets stronger as Pennington goes to Miami
With Favre now with the Jets. The recently released Chad Pennington has joined Miami.
Imagine the scenario Green Bay was trying to avoid now comes back to haunt the Jets?? Of course I would love it! But all of a sudden Miami is now – like the Jets – also better then at the beginning of the week.
So now the AFC East is a little bit tougher and Patriot Nation may no longer say the Pats will sweep the Jets and Miami with as much conviction as before. I still believe the Bills are the number 2 team in the division.
In the meantime, the Pats still have me worried about the back up QB and even more so about the offensive line. Soon those guys won’t be able stop Girls Scouts from selling cookies on the field.
Well at least the non-starters are getting good experience, lets hope they improve enough to keep their back up role and the starters return healthy and ready to play.
The last thing we need is for the O-Line to leave Brady unprotected and he gets hurt. Then who comes in? Gutt or O’Connell? An inexperienced QB behind a poor O-Line will not lead us