Bungled

DAVID KOHL/AP

WEEK 5
Every team, even the best in the NFL, has a game or two each year when it just beats itself. That's why only one has ever gone 16-0. And very few ever go 15-1. Or 14-2. There are going to be those Sundays.

The Pats have already had a few brushes with those games (Bill, Jets) but they managed to make enough plays to pull out victories. The Patriots -- on offense at least -- made very few plays in their Joan Rivers-caliber ugly 13-6 loss in Cincy.

The last time the Patriots held an opponent to 13 points and lost? Week 2 of 2001. That's right. The game when Mo Lewis changed Patriot history forever and knocked Drew Bledsoe off the team. Tom Brady has thrown a lot of touchdown passes since that September day and has set a lot of records. That's what future hall of famers do. But #12, for the first time in 52 games, couldn't throw a touchdown pass yesterday.

The Cincy D gets a lot of the credit. They have a great pass rush and made the Pats' usually stout O line look bad for much of the day. And they made Brady look worse. Five weeks into the season and he and his new crew of receivers are still far from on the same page. Cincy's D was missing several starters and their offense has really only one weapon in A.J. Green. That looked like a recipe for 5-0. But not when Brady is under-throwing guys or those guys are dropping the ones that he did get to them. A bad fumble. A bad interception. Too many mistakes. That's what always makes the difference. If the Pats don't turn the ball over they probably win. Win ugly. But win.

One week after playing their best game of the season on offense the Pats played their worst. That's the way it goes in the NFL. One week really has nothing to do with the next.

And hopefully that will be the case this Sunday at home against New Orleans. A late afternoon kickoff against the best the NFC has to offer. Drew Brees. Sean Payton. One of the biggest home games of the year. One of the biggest tailgates of the year.

And maybe the return of Gronk. Just in time.

He's so emotional

Apparently Tom Brady never loses his temper during a game. Never gets upset with himself or teammates. Never raises his voice. It seems that he's always been Mr. Kumbaya during his Hall of Fame career. Drop another pass, Ocho? No problem. Let's get some pizza after the game. Make a bad call and kill a touchdown drive, Bill O'Brien? It's cool. It's nobody's fault. Let's just try harder. Miss a block and let #12 get planted, Matt Light? It's all right. I should have gotten rid of the ball faster.

Tom Brady yelling and acting like the next drive is the most important drive of the season is what makes him Tom Brady. It's what pushes his teammates. Most Pats' fans love the moment just before the team took the field of their Super Bowl against the Rams. Brady grabs Drew Bledsoe by the neck and starts screaming in his face like a lunatic. Bledsoe looks at him with an odd smile before Willie McGinnest steps in and tries to calm Brady down. No moment illustrates the difference between Brady and Bledsoe. Two great quarterbacks. One mad man.

Most of the talk after the Pats' win over the Jets has focused on Brady yelling at his receivers most of the game. The Pats scored one touchdown all night. It was a frustrating, wet night. But it doesn't take a game when the offense scores 13 points to get Brady fired up.

The video above? The Pats scored 34 points in this game.

When the rain comes

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
Jets 6, Pats 0 (11/28/'93): It was a dry pre-game tailgate for the home opener yesterday. That was good because Mark and I arrived at the Enchanted Forest parking lot around 2 p.m. Surprisingly, none of the lots were open yet for the 8:30 kickoff. So we did a little shopping at KraftWorld and waited for another hour before we could fire up the first tailgate of the season. A great first tailgate was followed by a less-than great first half. Which was followed by a raucous Tedy Bruschi halftime tribute (the third for #54 so far I think). Just as Tedy finished leading his last "Ooooooh yeaaahhhh!!", the sky opened and within ten minutes I was drenched. Bad weather games are always fun. Well, snow games are fun. Rain? Not so much. Rain makes for the worst conditions for tailgating and football watching. Especially if you wear glasses. And if you aren't prepared. Like I was not, almost 20 years ago.

It was 1993. It was an ugly winter and the Patriots played some ugly games to match. The team was 1-9 through ten games, losing by scores of 38-14, 45-7, and 28-14 to name a few. I had given up my season tickets a few years earlier and had not regretted that decision one bit as I sat on my couch week after week watching the team get stomped. But there was a reason for hope.

The Patriots had hired Bill Parcells. The Tuna. A two-time Super Bowl champ with the Giants and one of the most entertaining SOBs to ever coach the game. As I used to say "Love him or hate him, you have to love him." The day Parcells was hired the Patriots went from bumbling franchise to a real NFL team. You could see the change almost immediately. Not in wins or loses. That would come later. But in the no-nonsense, my-way-or-the-highway approach. Players who had become used to losing were cut. Quickly. Veterans who had won with Parcells before were suddenly lining up to join the team. The Pats were still getting creamed week after week but there was someone in charge of my football team who knew what he was doing. Finally.

Me, Mark, Shep, Bergs, and a few of our friends decided to buy some tickets to see our saviour in person. The Pats were 1-9 but we were as psyched for the game as if it was the playoffs. It was Week 11 on the schedule and it was against the hated Jets. And Parcells was coaching. This was before Jets-Patriots became a holy war, but they were a division rival, they were a NY team, they wore green, they often sucked as much as or more than the Pats but received way more media attention. You know, New York and all. Beating them would brighten a dismal season.

As with most tailgating stories in New England, the weather would play a huge part in the fun. The guys met up in the newspaper's parking lot on a day that heavy, wind-driven rain was forecast. A forecast I had not heard. I didn't always watch the Sunday morning news in those days to see what the weather would be like. I haven't made that mistake again. I drove into the lot under a gray sky and walked over to Mark, Topher, Bergs, Brendan, Paul, and Tom Brady. Yes, Tom Brady. Not that one. This one worked at the newspaper and was the first Tom Brady I ever heard of. Of the two, he's had the second biggest impact on my life. Paul was wearing his EMT brother's rain gear. Mark had a heavy rain jacket. Shep was covered toe-to-toe in plastic. Tom Brady wore a hat and coat as if he was one of the James brothers in "The Long Riders." Everyone had boots on. I strolled up in jeans, a T-shirt and light jacket, sneakers, and a Patriots painter's cap. "Where's you rain gear?" Paul asked. "Is it going to rain?" I said. "A monsoon," Mark said. A half-hour later the monsoon had begun.

It was the first time I had been to Foxboro Stadium since I gave up my season tickets. As I stood there in the rain feeling the cardboard in the brim of my painter's cap turn to pulp, all the frustrating memories of the 1-15 season came flashing back. But so did all the fun memories. Foxboro Stadium was quite a different experience than what you have today. The stadium was located practically on Route 1 and the dirt lots spread out below it towards the woods. In the shadow of the stadium stood the old harness track Foxboro Raceway, a dirt track that opened in the '40s and was still populated by many of the people who were there for the opening.

We tailgated behind the track towards the woods, a place far from the stadium where security rarely roamed. We stood in the rain eating our wet steak sandwiches and burgers, some of us wetter than others. Tom Brady was from Jersey and this was his first Pats game. We tried to tell him what the concrete toilet bowl was like but we knew he really had to see it to believe it. As we were getting ready to go into the game, Tom took off his jacket and handed it to me. "This might help a little. I've got another coat," he said. Tom's about 6'4'', I'm 5'11''. It was a little big. But drier than what I had on. "But you can't have my hat," he laughed as he looked at my shrinking cap.

The Jets were 6-4 coming into the game so a Pats upset would be sweet. We figured a monsoon might give us a chance. We made our way through the rain and squeezed most of our group onto the bench in Section 309. We had the four seats on the aisle of Row 26. But we often fit five, six, seven guys into those four spots. That's one of the many differences between Gillette and the old stadium. Seats. That's right. Seats. My ticket now entitles me to an actual seat with arms on each side and a back. Made of plastic. Foxboro Stadium had benches. Long, cold aluminum benches with 38 numbers on them to mark your spot. There were about six inches on each side of the number. That was enough room for me but not for some of the larger Pats fans. Since there were no arms dividing the spaces people would crowd in with their buddies even if they didn't have a number on that row. We did it too. It could get pretty jammed. But not as jammed as the concourse below heading for the beers or the bathrooms.

The rain didn't let up as the game started. And the wind began to pick up. It rained in such thick sheets that some times it was hard to see the action on the field. The Patriots would make a play and the crowd would cheer. The rain would get heavier and the crowd would cheer more. Both teams struggled to pass, run, catch, block, and tackle on the wet carpet. The Jets hit a field goal in the second quarter to take a 6-0 lead. The rain got heavier. "It can't rain any harder,'' I said to Brendan. "It just can't." It did. I looked down at my beer and it was almost full. I was certain that five minutes before it was half empty. Brendan looked at his cup. It was overflowing. "Time for new beers," he said as we dumped out our cups of rainwater. Brendan headed down to battle the beer lines.

A long time later I saw him making his way back up the stairs as the wind whipped the rain horizontally. Brendan was wearing a plastic bag to stay dry. He put his head down, struggling against the wind and rain, gently balancing the two beers so as not to spill a drop. He got about five rows from the seats when the wind lifted the plastic bag up and over his head, covering his face. Brendan wrestled with the plastic -- while not spilling a drop -- and pushed it up and off his head. The bag flew in the wind till it hit another guy carrying up some beers about 10 steps below Brendan. The wind pulled the bag tight against the guy's face, so tight you could see the terror in his expression as he lost his balance and dropped his beers. Brendan got back to the seats, partly out of breath. "Didn't spill a drop,'' he said as he handed me my cup.

The Jets clung to their 6-0 lead late as Drew Bledsoe lead the Pats on one last drive to win the game. Of the fans who came to the game -- and there were a lot for a 1-9 team playing in a monsoon -- many of them were still there. Soaked, but there. Bledsoe move the offense down to the Jets' 30. He then hit receiver Michael Timpson cutting across the middle for a first down inside the Jets' 10 as the clock neared a minute left to play. Timpson tried to get a few more yards in the mud and got hit, losing the ball for a game-ending fumble. Parcells was 1-10. We were soaked to the bone.

We made our way down the stairs as the rain continued and began walking along the main aisle to get out of the stadium. As we walked along the aisle rained poured out of holes that were cut in the concrete. I never knew the real reason why there were holes in the concrete, but my guess was and still is that after the stadium was built someone realized that they had not designed a way for the water to drain out of the upper sections. So someone -- Chuck Sullivan maybe? -- decided they should cut holes in the concrete to let the water drain out. Right about head level for those walking in the aisle. As Tom Brady made his way through each fountain that hit him right in the face, he would turn and look at me. Finally, at the last gushing hole of water, he stopped and said "Nice stadium you got here, Tim. If I knew they had built-in showers I would have brought a bar of soap."

The Patriots went on to win their last four games that season. The foundation was being built for a new approach to football in New England. One where the team stopped beating itself. One where players stepped up and made big plays. And most importantly one where the head coach was really in charge. Just three years later we would be getting ready to go to Foxboro for the AFC championship game.

A few nights later me, Mark, and Shep sat in a bar talking about the game and our new coach. Parcells came on TV talking about the game too. He was saying things like he saw progress being made and that the young players were starting to "get it." And then he added: "One thing I want to say, to those fans who stayed for that whole game in the rain, they are my kind of football fans. We're gonna continue to get better for them."

Mark got a look in his eye. "If I go to the stadium tomorrow to buy four season tickets will you each buy one?" Shep and I said sure, but I don't think either of us thought he was serious. Several glasses of Dewar's can blur one's judgment. The next morning I woke up, still blurred, and another storm was raging, this one with a few inches of wet snow. I looked out the window and the ground was white. No way Mark waited outside to get tickets in weather like this, I thought. No way.

That afternoon I was at my desk in the newsroom. I saw Mark walk in the door, looking kind of wet again. He came over and put a stack of Patriots tickets down in front of me. "You owe me $350 for a season ticket," he said. I sure have gotten my money's worth. And then some.

Week 1 rewind

There was a strange sight on Sunday... A Patriots' wide receiver other than Troy Brown wearing #80 in a regular season game. A couple of guys have worn the number since Mr. Patriot retired, but this was the first time anyone noticed.

Danny Amendola did the number proud. And, of course, being Danny Amendola he might not get another chance to do that for a while. The first of the weekly rewind of the good and the bad of each game starts off with the Pats' new receiver qualifying in both categories. The team's last-second 23-21 win was that kind of game.

GOOD

• Amendola. Wes Welker's replacement had 10 catches for 104 yards. And most of those 10 were of the key variety. Very Welker-like. A few of them were of the "did you see that?" variety. Not so Welker-like. Amendola is younger, faster, and bigger than Welker. He can get to balls that Welker couldn't. I'm thinking of a pass in a Super Bowl a few years ago.
• Vereen. I was pretty happy when the Pats brought veteran Leon Washington back last weekend. I love the guy. I've been hoping he will take over the Kevin Faulk/Woody role. No need. That role belongs to Shane Vereen. And he may do it better than either of them.
• Gosty: As the Pats moved into position for the game-winning kick, my nephew texted me "How's your confidence level in Gosty?"  "Strong," I replied. It was more wishful thinking than actual confidence. Gosty missed a game-winner in the home opener last year and missed six for the season. Six is just a few too many. But he was 3-for-3 yesterday and confidence is strong.
• Defense. It wasn't exactly Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense. (That comes in a few weeks). But the Pats D held the Bills to under 300 total yards (286) and forced two big turnovers. The secondary did a solid job considering the Pats' pass rush hasn't arrived for the season yet. Talib and co. gave up two 18-yard TD passes, but also made many big stops on third down. The Bills scored seven points on a turnover and another touchdown came after a Brady pick. It's the way the D needs to play against lesser offenses.
• Brady. He did not have one of his best days numbers-wise. He had a fumble at the Buffalo two and a pick at the Pats' 37. It took him 52 passes to throw for 288 yards. He and his young group of receivers are far away from gelling. But with the game on the line he was classic Brady. He's as good as ever.

BAD

• Amendola. The knock on him is that he is injury-prone. Not that he's not tough because it's clear he is. But that he can't stay on the field. It didn't take long for that problem to return. When he wasn't catching passes, Amendola was limping around with a sore groin. He will probably miss some games.
• Ridley. BenJarvus spoiled Pats' fans. And Belichick. He went his entire career here (53 games) without fumbling. Ever. It's a pretty tough act to follow when it comes to ball security. Ridley fumbled four times last year and found himself in the coach's dog house a few times. He moved into the outhouse yesterday when he fell down and fumbled without being touched.  
• Pass rush. Or more accurately... Where the hell is the pass rush? The Pats got zero sacks. They need more out of Chandler Jones in his second year. And Tommy Kelly and Ninko. Lots more.
• Rookies. It's not often you see the Pats' snap the ball and then watch as the wide receivers run into each other like they were pieces on an electric football field. But it happened a couple of times in Week 1. But that's what happens when you starts a season with more than a dozen rookies on the roster.

I'm sure there will be lots of concern from the Blabosphere due to the fact that the heavily-favored Pats had to steal a win. But steal it they did. The 2013 Patriots are a work in progress. All the mistakes they made are fixable. They have till Thursday to get some of them fixed.

First contact

WEEK 1
So Roger Goodell doesn't think there needs to be four preseason games. Hmmmm. Wonder what he thinks after watching the action from the opening week of the 2013 season.

There was a lot of exciting football. Close games. Upsets. Last second victories. Hard hits. Big plays. But there was also a big dose of turnovers, penalties, missed tackles, receivers running into each other (Patriots), and general sloppiness. Think how bad it would have been with only three preseason games to get ready. Not pretty.

Not pretty. That perfectly describes the Pats season-opening victory in Buffalo. The Pats have dominated the Bills during the Belichick era. But not yesterday. It took a Gosty field goal as time expired to pull out a mistake filled 23-21 victory.

The mistakes? A Ridley fumble that was returned for a touchdown. A Brady fumble. A Brady pick (that was more like a Sudfeld fumble). Too many dropped passes by rookie receivers to count. A poor punting performance by the guy who took Zoltan's job. Brady getting sacked twice and feeling the heat several more times. The secondary giving up a couple of long touchdowns and the pass rush being non-existent once again.  Bill Belichick not re-signing Wes Welker. Wait. That last mistake was a few months ago.

Not pretty. Mistakes are usually the difference between winning and losing. Were the Baltimore Ravens the best team in the NFL last year. Hell no. But when it counted, during the playoffs, they were the team that made the fewest mistakes. By far. The difference between a 10-6 playoff contender and a 6-10 also-ran is very small despite what most people think. The 10-6 team is almost always the one that doesn't beat itself. For the past decade-plus the Patriots have been that team.

Yesterday they made more mistakes in four quarters than they usually make in four games. When Ridley fumbled, the Pats were up 10-0 and driving inside the Buffalo 30 with a chance to take control of the game. One mistake later, it was 10-7 and the Bills and their victory-starved fans were back into the game.

The Pats regrouped, as only a well-coached team can, and regained the lead 17-7 and were once again in control with the ball and just more than a minute till the half. That's when Brady and Sudfeld misconnected and the Bills were set up at the Pats' 37. Two plays later and the Bills had scored again to cut the lead to 17-14. The Bills took that momentum and drove 80 yards in 11 plays to take the lead 21-17. The Pats responded with their own long drive but came up empty when Brady fumbled at the 2-yard line. How often does THAT happen?

A lot of teams would have folded at that point, but the Patriots, even with all their young players, held the Bills off the scoreboard the rest of the way and Gosty made two clutch field goals to steal away the all-important road divisional victory.

Not pretty. But 1-0.

Start 'em young

A fan is born.

Enjoy it while it lasts

Tom Brady says he wants to play into his 40s. I'm guessing he has not cleared that with Mrs. Brady.

Brady turned 36 last month. It was 12 Septembers ago when he walked onto the field as Bledsoe staggered off. Since then the skinny kid from Michigan by way of California has had one of the greatest -- if not the greatest -- careers of any NFL quarterback. First ballot Hall of Fame for sure. A break here or there and he has four or five rings.

I get why most non-Patriots fans can't stand him. Gisele. The hair. The sheep. The dimple-chinned smile everywhere. The mansion with the moat. You don't get more famous than Tom Brady. But when he is on the field he is still the guy who was drafted in the sixth round and almost didn't have an NFL career. You can't help but admire that Tom Brady and the way he plays the game (kick of Ed Reed's crotch excluded).

Brady steps on the field today to resume the quest for Lombardi #4.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Miss him now, Bill?

Well that should put an end to the "it's not Welker, it's the system" crap.

In his debut with Peyton Manning -- oh, and the rest of the Broncos -- Wes Welker grabbed 9 passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns. It would seem that another 100-catch season has begun for #83. What else would you expect? The guy can't be covered. 

You could see the Welker departure coming for a while, so when he did leave for Denver there was a lot disappointment but an equal amount of acceptance. That's the way it goes. As I've said before, Bobby Orr didn't finish his career a Bruin so nothing should surprise. The Pats made Welker a solid offer before last season, Welker turned it down, then the Pats took their usual stonewall stance, Welker hit the market and, although settling for a little less, he was quickly lured to the Rockies. It's called free agency.

It didn't bother me too much until I saw the photo above. Manning and Welker could be better than Brady and Welker. They could be better than anyone. Ever. The photo above says it all. As smart as Brady is as a quarterback, Manning is just a little smarter. Now he has a guy who plays the game just as smart. Manning's quick mind with Welker's quick feet will be tough to stop. 

The Sports Blabosphere offered the theory that although Welker is good, it was Brady and Belichick that made him great. Of course they played a key role. But it was more Welker's quickness, football instincts, tireless work ethic, tough-as-nails attitude, competitive drive, and athletic talent. The guy can't be covered.

The Patriots should be just fine. But it will be just a little less fun to watch without Welker catching those Brady lasers across the middle on 3rd-and-8 or grabbing the ball and spinning around to add on a handful of YACs.

OK, Danny Amendola. Let's see something.

Where's the beef?

I have to say it. I miss Fat Rex. I know. That's not appropriate. The Jets' brilliant head coach has shed a lot of pounds to get healthy and live a longer, stronger life. Great for him.

But I miss the "Let's go get a goddamn snack" Rex. I miss the "Eat a lot of goddamn snacks" Rex. I miss the "I'm gonna give you a goddamn smack" Rex.

Who is that guy in the video above? Rex Ryan? Really? That soft-voiced little guy doesn't even sound like him. Did he shed his big voice along with his big stomach? It's kind of sad. I've said it before. A coach with Ryan's style works when things are going well. That's how it is with loudmouths. They are tough guys till they've been knocked around a little. Then? Not so much.

Rex Ryan came to the Jets in January of 2009 talking the talk and walking the walk. He wasted no time promising Super Bowls and in setting his sights on Bill Belichick and the Pats. For good reason. Ryan knew that the Jets would have to go through the team from New England to get where he wanted to go. Mt. Ryan said he wasn't going to be kissing Belichick's rings and planned on taking it to the division dominators every chance he got. A rivalry was reborn.

The Jets finished his first season with the best rushing attack and the best defense. Ground and pound with just the right amount of clutch passing by rookie QB Mark Sanchez. The Jets started the season 3-0, including a 16-9 win over the Patriots, and Big Rex was feeling it. Then Gang Green lost six of its next seven to fall to 4-6. The last loss was a 31-14 pounding at Gillette. The Jets lost to Atlanta in Week 15 to fall to 7-7 and Rex lamented that his promising team had been eliminated from playoff contention. Turns out the big guy was wrong. The Jets were still very much alive if they could win their last two games. Unfortunately their next game was against the unbeaten Colts. The Colts were toying with the Jets when their coach Jim Caldwell decided he didn't want to have an undefeated regular season and pulled his starters. The Colt backups handed the game to the Jets and Rex found himself in the playoffs in his first year as head coach. He was feeling pretty good about things.

He was feeling even better about things a few weeks later as the Jets advanced to the AFC title game and a rematch with Peyton Manning and the Colts. Rex and the Jets led 17-10 at half but -- in what would become a pattern for Ryan's teams -- they let a game they should have won slip away. No Super Bowl for Rex this time.

In year two Ryan made another Super Bowl guarantee and the team roared out to a 9-2 record and a Monday night showdown with the Patriots at Gillette. First place in the division on the line. The moment Mt. Ryan had been waiting for. Leading up to the game Rex, Sanchez, and the Jets were all talk. The Patriots' time was over. They were the new team to fear. They were gonna show the world. Final score: Patriots 45, Jets 3. One of the best regular season games I've been to.

The Jets lost three of their last five to finish 11-5. Good enough for a wildcard. The Jets knocked off the Colts in the first round and Big Rex and his brash boys came back to Gillette for a shot at redemption. This time the Jets were the better team and stunned the Pats -- and me -- 28-21. Rex had been head coach of the Jets for two seasons and was going to his second AFC title game. Impressive. A little lucky. But impressive. It was the peak of the Rex Ryan era in New York. The Jets fell behind the Steelers 24-0 in the title game and almost came all the way back to earn a ticket to the Super Bowl but fell short, 24-19. That must seem so long ago for Jets fans.

In year three of Big Rex things started to fall apart. The season started as usual, with the coach talking Super Bowl. The Jets won two to start. Lost three. Won three. Lost two. Won three more. Lost three more. What does that kind of inconsistency get you? No. Not fired. It gets you 8-8 and no playoff berth. Sanchez threw 18 picks and the ground and pound had turned to dust. The team lacked discipline and often beat itself. But Big Rex refused to accept that things were going bad and continued to talk the talk. It seemed that he was the only one who couldn't see that his team could no longer walk the walk. Dissension in the locker room began to bubble up, a sure sign that a collapse was near.

That brings us to last season, year four. The arrival of Skinny Rex and the end of any Super Bowl bravado. It was a collapse so glorious that only a Patriot fan (we know about collapses) could truly appreciate it. The Jets inked Sanchez to a big-bucks contract extension during the offseason even though it was clear he had lost all his confidence and most of his game. Then... the team signed Tim Tebow to be Sanchez's back-up and held a circus-like press conference to announce the move. Sanchez was done right then and there. The Jets finished 6-10, losing their last three games as the home crowd chanted for Tebow to play and for Rex to go. The NJY lost by scores of 27-10, 34-0, 30-9, 28-7, 49-19 (butt fumble), and concluded the whole mess by getting crushed by the equally bad Bills 28-9 in the season finale.

I have never seen a team play that bad in a coach's fourth year and not have it end with the coach being canned. Never. But this is the Jets. Sure, oddball owner Woody Johnson fired the GM. But he hired the new guy with the help of Skinny Rex. Woody loves Rex. It's sweet. But it's foolish. And that's how Rex looked in the post-game press conference after their preseason game against the Giants the other night. Foolish.

The assembled media rose to the occasion as only it can when there is a big, easy bone they can grab hold of. Ryan sent Sanchez on the field late in a preseason game and the quarterback's shoulder got hurt. Everyone wanted to know what Rex was thinking. Why put his valuable starting QB at risk in a meaningless game? It was a feeding frenzy. Skinny Rex choked. He mumbled stuff about competing and deciding and then went into an SNL comedy routine. Fat Rex would never have acted like that. He would have barked that he was trying to get the team ready for the regular season and that Sanchez plays when he tells him to play. He might have even questioned why all the writers, bloggers, and blabbers were talking about Sanchez as if he was suddenly the equal of Brady or Brees or Rodgers when they have been dumping on him for three years now. Instead of talking about competing he could have talked about a team and a quarterback that have a lot to prove, thus making no game meaningless and no guy above playing at any time.

That would have been fun. I miss Fat Rex. This is how I will remember him...

A thumpin'

Here's a highlight from last night's Pats preseason loss to the Lions.

I didn't see too much of the game, but from the looks of this play it's easy to see why the Pats got hammered 40-9. Total lack of execution. The wide receivers looked lost. The blocking schemes were a mess. Brady looked even less mobile than usual. And that's just the offense. The defense wasn't much better.

Just an ugly, ugly game.

Fortunately, it doesn't count.

Great moments in Patriot history

I've been lucky enough to be in the stands for a lot of the great Patriots' moments over the last decade-plus.

The Snow Bowl. Bruschi's return. Both playoff wins in the snow vs. Manning. The raising of championship banners. Last night I added another to the list.

Tim Tebow's first game-action in a Pats' uniform at Gillette.

When #5 walked out on the field to start the second half, the crowd -- or at least the ones that were back in their seats and paying attention -- gave a cheer that was half mock/half what-the-heck. A whole half for Tebow? I guess we were witnessing Football Jesus's best shot to make the team.

Not too long after that Tebow was throwing a God-awful interception and me, Shep, my brother Jim. and nephew Steve were headed back to our cars.

Tebow's passing stats at the end of the game? 1-for-7 for -1 yard and a pick. That's a whole half of football and a -1 yard.

I guess I can add another one to the great-moments list. Tebow's only action as a Patriot at Gillette.

Ruh roh

The football talk on Sports Blab Radio during the preseason focuses on things like who will be the third wide receiver? How will the Pats use Tebow? Who will play next to Vince? And will Belichick ever really answer a question?

Some worthwhile issues. But they all pale compared to the issue in preseason that really matters. Whether you are defending champ or a team dreaming of going from worst-to-first, injuries -- or more accurately the avoiding of them -- are all the really matter.

Preseason rule #1 through #100, stay healthy.

So when the news flashed across smartphones and laptops that Tom Brady had gone down in practice holding his left knee (yes, that one) it suddenly didn't matter all that much who the third wideout will be. Fortunately Brady checked out fine and is expected to play against the Eagles in the second preseason game.

A fortunate break for the Pats. Brady could get hurt in the opener at Buffalo, but at least it would have happened with something at stake. Getting hurt in preseason -- especially preseason practice -- is just the worst kind of bad luck. The kind of bad luck that coaches hope to avoid. You can see them holding their breath on the sideline all preseason.

Preseason bad luck has already hit several teams this year. Baltimore will be without tight end Dennis Pitta for the season. The Bears lost defensive back Kelvin Hayden. The Browns have about 10 guys out of action and the Broncos are missing veterans Champ Bailey and Knowshon Moreno.

The Pats have looked pretty good in preseason action so far. If it's like most preseasons, there will be times when they look not-so-good. As long as they get out of the next few weeks mostly unscathed the preseason will be a success.

A team that has one star tight end in prison and the other nursing about 15 injuries doesn't need to lose any other key guys at this point.

Sanchize

Mark Sanchez threw a pick-six on his first drive of the preseason. He's already in mid-season form.

F.O.Y.P.

They have almost single-handedly taken away three rings from Brady and Belichick. But they make great commercials. The new one advertising football on your phone (F.O.Y.P) has to be the best. It's not "Dick in a Box" ... but it's close.

Practice practice practice

Tim Tebow takes a snap in practice... and Belichick didn't swallow his whistle. So far, so good.

Game time

It's only preseason ... but football is back! Four days till the Pats take the field.

Jacket and tie

Tedy Bruschi was a big fan of the "hat and T-shirt" moments. Those were the games where a championship was on the line. Be it the division, the conference, or the Super Bowl. You win and it's hats and T-shirts for everyone. Those were the games when Bruschi was at his best.

This weekend it was a "jacket and tie" moment as Bruschi (and longtime announcer Gil Santos) was inducted into the Pats' Hall of Fame.

Once again, Bruschi was at his best. Here's the link to the highlights of the ceremony on Patriots.com.

Full tilt

Tom Brady. Rodney Harrison. Willie McGinest. Corey Dillon. Ty Law. Kevin Faulk. Troy Brown. Mike Vrabel. Matt Light. Antoine Smith. Deion Branch. Richard Seymour. They are the names that make up the Patriots' three-titles-in-four-years dynasty.

There's another name that goes on that list. In the minds of many people, it's the name that goes right at the top.

Tedy Bruschi. Or, as it was pronounced on game day at Foxborough and Gillette stadiums, Tedy Bruuuuuuuuuschi! Brady has been the face -- and the hair -- of the franchise for more than a decade now, but Bruschi was the team's heart and soul when it was winning titles.

Bruschi is getting his red jacket today as he enters the Pats' Hall of Fame. The plaza outside the Hall was jammed last year when Brown became the first ring holder to be inducted. It should be overflowing with fans today for the man who may be the most popular Patriot of all time.

He came to the Pats in the '96 draft with Lawyer Milloy and Terry Glenn as part of Bill Parcells's rebuilding project. Along with Drew Bledsoe, Ted Johnson, and Ty Law they formed the young nucleus that helped turn the franchise around. Bruschi was a defensive lineman for Arizona State, tying the NCAA record for sacks with 52. But he was considered too small to play the line in the NFL. So where to play him? That was a problem Parcells had for a while. Bruschi was moved to linebacker but saw little playing time at first because the Pats had Johnson, McGinest, Todd Collins, and veteran Chris Slade. A pretty solid foursome. When he did get into the game he made an impression. Mostly on special teams. I would yell down from Section 311 to "Get Bruschi in there" but I don't think Parcells heard me. But it was clear Parcells was trying to do just that.

In 1997 Bruschi became a starter and quickly developed into a clutch playmaker. He's the kind of player the Pats are in need of the most these days. A guy on defense who can change a game with one play. There are so many Bruschi highlights that it is difficult to pick out just a few, but here are my top 5 Tedy moments in no particular order:

• "They ain't got it!" Second of the great Pats-Colts playoff games. Pats hold a mere 6-0 lead against the high-octane Colt offense in the cold and snow. Manning and the Colts are driving. He hits running back Dominic Rhodes with a pass over the middle and Bruschi arrives a second after the ball does. And he came away with the ball, wrestling it from Rhodes with sheer will. It is the Bruschi moment. He simply out-hustled the other guy. He came to the sideline and raised the ball in the air barking "They're looking for this! They ain't got it! They ain't got it!" The Pats went on to a 20-3 victory, the most dominant performance of the dynasty.
• Let it snow. The other snow game. The one against Miami in the regular season of 2004. It was snowing so hard that as I sat in my car on Route 1 not moving, the guy on the radio announced "If you aren't at the stadium yet you should turn around and go home." Turn around and go home? I've been in traffic for three hours. I'm a mile away. Screw that. I'm glad I didn't take the advice. Bruschi makes the big play of the game, picking off a pass inside the 10 and returning it for a touchdown, sliding on his knees in the snow as he crossed the goal line. That was followed by those who did make it to the game tossing the snow into the air in celebration. Bruschi started tossing snow, too. It looked like winter fireworks.
• Down goes Drew! The sack of Drew Bledsoe in Week 3 of that same season put away a close game as the Pats were driving for their record unbeaten streak. Bruschi sacked old-friend Bledsoe, forcing a fumble, and after nailing Drew to the field, got up and threw the block that let Richard Seymour take the fumble in for a TD and the 31-17 victory. One of my all-time favorite Pats' highlights.
• The comeback. After suffering a stroke just a few days after winning his third Super Bowl, Bruschi comes back to play in a home game in Week 7 against the Bills. Nine months after nearly dying. I always felt that he would play again if he recovered fully. He was in the prime of his career and from my seat in the stands you could see just how much he loved playing the game at the highest level. I can still remember the ovation when he was introduced. It was just one of those great moments that sports can give you. He was on he field for more than 70 plays that game and made 10 tackles. And of course the Pats won.
• Faulk you. The first Super Bowl title. 2002. The underdog Pats pull the upset over the high-powered Rams by playing football the way it was meant to be played. Nasty. Not loud-mouth Ray Lewis style of nasty, but workman-like Tedy Bruschi hit 'em till it hurts style. Early in the game the Rams superstar RB Marshall Faulk (speaking of loud-mouths) takes the ball and heads right toward a gaping hole. Bruschi steps up from his linebacker spot to take on Faulk -- one-on-one. Faulk goes to deke his way to a big play and Bruschi hits him square in the midsection and takes him down. Hard. He gets up and lets out a roar. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

Bruschi is the Terry O'Reilly of the Patriots. Not the fastest. Not the biggest. Not the most skilled. But the hardest worker and the smartest at how the game is played. O'Reilly was the spiritual leader of those great Bruins teams of the late '70s and early '80s. He was and is my favorite Bruin. You could see how much he loved the game and he set a work ethic that everyone else on the team felt driven to match. Bruschi was that guy for the Pats. When Bill Belichick called Bruschi "the perfect player" upon his retirement a few years ago, he could have been talking about O'Reilly. The word is heart. Looking back now, it's no surprise that he was drafted by Parcells. He finished his career as a Belichick guy, but he was a Parcells guy long before anyone knew there would be such a thing as a Belichick guy.

I can understand how football fans across the country hate the Pats. I've got no problem with it. It's how I felt about the Cowboys on the '80s and the Steelers in the '70s. After a while you get sick of seeing the same team at the top. But anyone who doesn't love to watch the way Tedy Bruschi played the game isn't really a football fan. You may have tired of his "Patriot Way" talk (as I have) but he meant it. To him the Patriot Way was all about hustle, effort, and dedication.

We sat in Section 311 in the old stadium, not too far from the top but still with a great view of the game. Our four seats at Gillette are in Section 109 on the 45-yard line behind the Pats bench. About 15 rows back. I wouldn't think there are too many seats with a better view of the game -- and of the bench. One of the best parts of sitting so close has been studying the interaction of the players and their head coach.

It's been fascinating to watch as the defensive players huddled with Belichick on the sideline while Brady and the offense are on the field. Belichick would gather the veteran defensive guys around him, sometimes with a dry-erase board in hand, and start going over what the other team is doing and how to stop it. And the players would soak in every word. Bruschi chief among them. He was like having another coach on the sideline. From the moment he joined the team, Bruschi was a player you just loved to root for.

Like Terry O'Reilly, guys like Tedy Bruschi don't come around all that often.

Return policy

Hundreds of people endured blistering heat to return their Aaron Hernandez jerseys at the Pats' Pro Shop. The Pats gave fans a chance to trade in the jersey of their fallen hero for one of a player that hasn't been charged with a crime -- yet. To be on the safe side I'd have to go with Brady or Vince.

I have just one question... Can I return my Asante Samuel jersey? He killed a Super Bowl title and a perfect season.

There's a catch

Another NFL Draft has come and gone. Another 254 guys a step closer to a pro football career. Of those 254, only a dozen or so are a solid bet to make an impact in the league. The rest? Nobody really knows. Not even the geniuses of Sports Blab Radio.

The Pats had just five picks entering the draft but Belichick turned the team's first rounder into four more picks. Surprisingly -- or not, it is Belichick -- the Pats then used seven of those picks. Go figure.

The needs coming into the draft ... wide receiver, linebacker depth, defensive linemen, defensive backs. The Pats took two wide receivers, two linebackers, a defensive end, a safety, and a corner. Since the Patriots have one of the strongest rosters in the league it won't be easy for any of them to make an impact. But if any of them do, hopefully it will be the wide receivers.

Belichick took Aaron Dobson of Marshall in the second round and then added Josh Boyce of TCU in the fourth. Dobson is 6-3. Boyce is 6-0. Here's what NFL.com had to say about them. Dobson: "I like his size at 210 pounds. His production was good but not elite. I'll tell you what he is: He's raw, but he's got upside. He put on a show at his pro day." Boyce: "Would have gone higher if it wasn't for a foot injury this year. All of a sudden, New England's gotten bigger and physical on the edge. It's more toys for Tom Brady to play with."

Bigger and physical on the edge. That's exactly what the team needs. If Dobson or Boyce can play the Anquan Boldin role that would be a nice offensive toy indeed. And it's offensive toys that the Patriots really need. The perception is that it's the mediocre defense that has been standing in the way of the fourth Lombardi. That's only half true. The much-heralded offense has been just as responsible. Greg Bedard -- formerly of the Globe -- wrote an excellent column before the draft offering that wide receiver is what the team needs most. Bedard is one of the best football writers around and that's why he's headed to SI. No other writer breaks down the game like him. He watches so much film I've often wondered if he has a life. Bedard put the Pats' offensive need simply:

The constant theme in season-ending losses of late has been an inability to put enough points on the board. Dating to the Super Bowl loss to the Giants after the 2007 season, the Patriots have scored 14, 14, 14 (if you take out the garbage-time Deion Branch touchdown late vs. Jets), 17, and 13 points in playoff games that ended their seasons. Complain all you want about the defense, but 14.4 points per game is not good enough in today’s NFL. 

The Patriots have won just two playoff games when scoring fewer than 20 points: 17 vs. the Titans in ’03 and 16 vs. the Raiders in ’01, and the game has changed much since then. The Patriots averaged 20.0, 24.3, and 28.3 points in the three postseasons that ended in Super Bowl victories. The last six Super Bowl champions have averaged 31.0 (Ravens), 25.5 (Giants), 30.3 (Packers), 35.7 (Saints), 28.3 (Steelers), and 21.3 points (Giants). 

The Patriots need to become more dangerous on offense to win the biggest games. Will they roll up countless yards and points in the regular season? Of course, unless their health becomes a huge problem. Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and Tom Brady can pick apart a great majority of defenses. But in the biggest games and against the toughest defenses, they have been shut down. Repeatedly.

A look at the numbers in the Pats' playoff losses says it all. 14 ('07 vs. Giants), 14 ('09 vs. Ravens), 21 ('10 vs. Jets), 17 ('11 vs. Giants), 13 ('12 vs. Ravens). Going into those games it was hard to imagine the Pats' offense being held in check. But each time they were. Injuries to Welker in '09 and Gronk the last two years sure didn't help. Same with too many turnovers, drops, and missed wide open receivers wearing #83. But the biggest problem -- as Bedard says -- is that the offense that is like a fireworks display in the regular season turns into a mere sparkler in the playoffs. That has to change.

And to that end Belichick has -- once again -- remade the weapons around Brady. Out are Welker, Woody, Lloyd, Branch (again), and Stallworth (again). In are the two rookies, Danny Amendola, veterans Donald Jones, Michael Jenkins, and Leon Washington, along with running back LeGarrett Blount who the team picked up in a draft-day trade with Tampa.

Add those guys to the key to the whole thing -- tight ends Gronk, Hernandez, and Ballard -- and hopefully you have an offense that will have as much grit as flash.

That's what you need come playoff time.

More is better

I got in my car and turned on the radio just as the Pats were on the clock with the 29th pick in the first round of the draft last night. The guy on Sports Blab radio didn't sound happy. "The tweets are coming in fast and furious," he said. "People are not happy."

Then the phone calls started. "This is why the Pats don't win Super Bowls anymore," moaned one caller. "Belichick just doesn't know how to use the draft," offered another.

What had Belichick done, I wondered. Not another tight end? Please not another tight end.

Then the Sports Blab voice composed himself enough to recap what had happened. It turned out that Belichick had traded the priceless 29th pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' second-round pick. And the Vikings' third-round pick. And their fourth-round pick. And their seventh-round pick.

Wait. What? The Patriots -- who the experts constantly reminded us were limited because they had only five picks in this draft -- had traded a late first rounder for four picks? So now the team had eight picks, with two in the second and two in the third. And the Twits were unhappy with that?

Sure, there were some good players available at 29. Safety Matt Elam was a guy I wanted. He went to the Ravens at 32. I would have been excited about wide receiver Justin Hunter who stands 6-4. But it's the NFL draft. Who knows what those guys will do? Nobody. Not even Mel Kiper.

The Patriots are not one player away from winning the Super Bowl. They already have the players they need to win it all. They've shown that the last two years. What they need more than anything is for those players to stay healthy and not make mistakes when it counts. A rookie safety won't change that.

But what the Patriots -- and every team -- needs is a handful of young potential. If you can turn one potential young talent into four potential young talents you have to do that. It's a no-brainer. I'm not even sure how Belichick got the Vikes to agree to it. More Jedi mind tricks from the hooded one. The Pats have the third youngest D in the league. Now Belichick can add to that. The players he gets in the next two days may not make in impact this year but they might in two, three, or five years. That's why the Pats are still one of the top teams in the league year after year. Belichick keeps one eye on the present and one eye on the future. It's what the best teams do.

Belichick obviously felt he wanted to have more picks ... thus getting more shots at the draft pinata. Like many things in life, when it comes to the NFL draft more is better.

New blood

OK... There'll be no more highlights of Wes Welker in a Patriots uniform making an amazing catch on 3rd-and-7 (How many of those did he have? Hundreds?) or him diving into the end zone or holding on to the ball after taking a bone-rattling hit or walking hand-in-hand with Tom Brady along Newbury Street. That will all be happening out west with Manning the elder. It's a little depressing. So I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some highlights from the two newest Patriots... Danny Amendola and Leon Washington. Cheer up, Pats' fans.








Most of Washington's highlights are kick returns. But here's one that should really put you in a good mood. Keep your eye on #52 for Miami.

Business as usual

Are you surprised? Really? Bill Belichick decided to go in the other direction. What else is new? Lawyer. Deion. Asante. Vinatieri. Seymour. Add Wes Welker to the list. This one hurts most of all.

The Pats let Welker walk to the rival Broncos so he can continue catching 100 passes a year -- now from the arm of Peyton Manning. Belichick let him go for a mere $6 million a year for the next two years. A total of $12 million. A bargain price for one of the most reliable offensive weapons in the league and the guy Brady, rightfully so, calls the heart and soul of the offense.

We'll never know why Belichick soured on Welker. It couldn't be his game. The little guy was as tough as they come. I got to see Welker wobble to the sideline after getting clocked many times during his six years with the Pats. And every time he was back on the field in seconds, making the next big third-down catch. As a football fan, you just love to root for guys like Welker. And as a player, it was pretty clear you love to play with a guy like that, too.

But Belichick never lets love -- or any human emotion -- get in the way when making team decisions. And -- love it or hate it -- that is why the Patriots continue to be among the handful of teams with a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl year in and year out for over a decade now. He decides it's time to move on and he does. Unlike most guys, he has no trouble ending relationships.

It's just not a lot of fun for the fans. You enjoy rooting for a guy and then he's gone. I'm still bummed my favorite all-time Patriot, Willie McGinnest, spent his last two years with the Browns. But it's not unique to the Patriots or to football. Remember... Bobby Orr finished his career a Blackhawk, not a Bruin. But it's a drag just the same. But don't feel bad for Welker. He made $9 million last year. Another $12 million is coming his way. He's going to live in beautiful Colorado for a few years before he and his wife settle into the guest house at Tom and Gisele's place.

There will be lots (lots!) of talk in the Sports Blabosphere of how Belichick disrespected Welker. Nonsense. Welker made millions of dollars with the Patriots. Many, many millions. He got to play with one of the three or four best quarterbacks to ever play the game and learn from one of the three or four best coaches ever. He got to play in Super Bowls. Belichick did right by Welker when he pried him from the unsuspecting Dolphins six years ago. Welker did right by Belichick by playing his ass off every single down.

And that's the thing. I don't remember anyone predicting Wes Welker was going to be Wes Welker when the Pats signed him in '07. Sure, he was considered a pretty good slot receiver. But who could have predicted he and Brady would be soul mates? Who knew that Welker was capable of catching 100 or more passes in five seasons? No one. Not even Belichick. He took a chance and it sure paid off. Other times he takes a chance and it doesn't. Right, Ocho? The thing that makes Belichick different from most other GMs is that he's not afraid to take the chance. He won't always be right. Except for all the Sportsblab geniuses, who is always right? The Pats are never predictable and they are never boring. And -- at least for now -- they are always in the hunt. And that's all you can ask.

Now Danny Amendola gets his shot. Will he be one of the hits (Dillon, Vrabel, Moss, Welker)? Or one of the misses (Ocho, Haynesworth, every free agent defensive back)? Time will tell. The knock on him is that he's been injured a lot the last two seasons, missing 20 games. In 2011 he dislocated his elbow in Week 1, requiring season-ending surgery. (Welker blew out his knee in 2009. He just did it in the last week of the season so he didn't miss any games.) Amendola came back last year and was off to a solid start when he suffered a broken clavicle. Here's what Wikipedia says about that injury...

• On 6 October 2012, Amendola suffered a dislocated clavicle and had season-ending triceps surgery. In a rare case, instead of popping out, the clavicle popped in and came millimeters from puncturing his trachea and aorta, which could have killed him. Rams' medical staff called around the league for information but no teams had ever had players suffering a similar injury. Amendola was anesthetized before popping the clavicle back into place. Due to the unusual nature of the injury the Rams were not certain when Amendola would return, but he was able to recover after just three weeks and recorded 11 catches for 102 yards against the 49ers.

So Amendola almost dies and he's back in three weeks catching 11 passes against one of the nastiest defenses in the league. You can say he's had injuries, but you can't say he's not tough. He's younger than Welker, taller than Welker, and faster than Welker. At this point he's no Wes Welker. But neither was Welker when the Pats got him.

Do I think the Pats should have topped Denver's offer? Hell. I would have given Welker a 3-year, $21 million contract without a thought. Belichick, as usual, didn't ask me what I would do. He had other ideas. We'll see if he got this one right. Either way, it was a great six years rooting for Wes Welker.

Now it's time to root for Danny Amendola. He could be the next great story.

The best of Wes

Danny Amendola has some very big cleats to fill. Very big.

Forward thinking

There's still a lot of looking back going on regarding the Pats' disappointing loss to the Ravens. Not here. As coach says, we're moving on. And looking ahead. I'm already anticipating the draft in late April.

It looks like -- other than the usual need for a pass rusher and a cornerback -- that the Pats are in need of a big, fast wide receiver. A quick look at some mock drafts online shows there are a few that would fit the bill and could be around when the Pats are on the clock in the first round. There's DeAndre Hopkins of Clemson, Keenan Allen of Cal, or Terrance Williams of Baylor. Any of them would look good catching passes from Tom Brady.

Belichick hasn't stocked up on picks as usual. The team only has five going into the draft. A first, a second, a third, and then two in the seventh. You have to think he will be dealing some of those five to either add some picks in the middle rounds or load up for the 2014 draft. I would love to see Belichick deal Welker (sadly, I think it's the smart thing to do) and the Pats' first-rounder (29th) to the Lions for the fifth pick in the draft and either their third or fourth round pick. The Pats could then go get Bama cornerback Dee Milliner and grab a wideout in the second round. But trying to predict what Belichick will do in the draft is an exercise in lunacy unless you predict he will pick at least one tight end.

But it's not the players yet to come that make looking ahead fun for Pats' fans. It's all the guys currently on the roster. Even though the Pats are led by a future hall of famer in his final few years (sob), he is surrounded by one of the youngest rosters in the league. More than half the players on the team are 25 or younger. Especially on defense. Jones. Hightower. McCourty. Dennard. Spikes. Deaderick. Francis. Wilson. There's a lot of young talent there. Mixed with the veteran core of Big Vince, Mayo, Love, and Ninko and the defense should keep moving in the right direction. A little better coaching might help, too. The defense doesn't have to be great. That's the offense's job. The defense just has to be good. It hasn't quite reached that point yet. But it's getting there.

Two of the biggest complaints about the Pats after their loss to the Ravens were that they weren't big and tough enough and that they didn't have enough explosive plays. The solutions to those problems may already be on the roster.

The first issue -- not big and tough enough -- is solved every time Gronk steps on the field. He's due to be healthy come playoff time ... for a change. And if he is, he might be joined by Jake Ballard. Remember him? He's the tight end Belichick stole from the Giants before last season who has spent the year rehabbing from a knee injury. Another young, big, talented tight end. If Gronk and Ballard can stay healthy they will be a force catching passes and blocking everything in sight. And that will allow Hernandez to stop wasting his time blocking and play the slot. On defense the toughness level may have been raised with the acquisition of D lineman Armond Armstead from the Canadian Football League. The CFL you ask? Yes. The CFL. Scouts have reportedly said signing him is like getting a high first-round pick. We'll see.

As for big plays... Olympic track speedster Will Demps should be ready to make an impact. A complaint heard each week at the tailgate was "Why did we waste a roster spot for Shiancoe when we could have saved it for Demps down the stretch?" We'll soon find out if Demps can provide the big play on special teams the Pats have been missing.

We'll soon find out something else, too ... If the Pats can put another disappointing home playoff loss behind them and make another run at Lombardi #4.

2013 would look pretty good on one of those banners.

Down and out ... again

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Ravens 28, Patriots 13 (1/20/'13): Well, I didn't see that coming. I don't mean the Ravens winning and moving on to the Super Bowl. The Ravens are a very good team. I knew they could win. But I didn't think the Patriots would score just one touchdown. And no points in the second half. Zero. None. Zip.

Did anyone see that coming?

I have not turned on ESPN or the NFL Network since the game. And I won't for a while. Staying strictly with the NHL Network (thank you, league-run networks) and the Bruins. Perfect timing for the return of hockey. I'm also staying far away from Sportsblab Radio. I don't need to hear the post mortem and T-Sizzle gloating. Watching it in person was bad enough.

But I did see a few headlines online while trying to catch up on non-football news (Obama is president again! Cool.) saying the Patriots lost because they weren't tough enough. Really? That's it? Welker's not tough? Spikes? Hernandez? Solder and Vollmer? Brady? Vince? Jones? Mayo? Not tough enough? Come on. They lost because the offense picked a bad time -- yet again -- to have a bad game. At least that's how it looked to me. They carried the play in the first half but just couldn't get rolling. It was a weird game. Like their loss to the Jets in 2010. Those games happen to even the best teams. You just hope they don't happen in the playoffs.

The Pats -- without Gronk -- weren't good enough on Sunday. But not tough enough? I don't remember the Ravens looking that tough when they were losing four out of their last five games of the season. In fact, they didn't even look like a playoff team.  But they do now. And they could very well win that Super Bowl that many (including me) have been expecting them to win for about five years. The Ravens have gone to Denver and New England and won tough playoff games on the road. They have earned it.

The Patriots? They have lost a home playoff game for the third time in four years. That's a discouraging way to end what have been some great seasons. But let's not forget that there are almost no players left on this team from 2007, the greatest team ever. It's only been five years and the Pats have already rebuilt the team and been to a Super Bowl and hosted back-to-back AFC title games. They are really entering the final stage of the rebuilding now that they have very good running backs who should only get better and an improving (slowly) defense. These last two years the Pats should have been battling for a wild card spot. Instead they were battling for another title. No matter how disappointing the ending, the last few years have provided a lot of fun.

And that's really what it's all about. Fun. That feeling on a Wednesday in September. Or November. Or January. That feeling when the week is dragging when you look ahead to Sunday and the Pats. And that feeling on Monday after they win another big game. The Pats delivered more than their share of fun -- again -- this season. And it doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon.

Football weather

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
Patriots 17, Titans 14 (1/10/'04): The forecast for tailgating before today's AFC Championship game is promising. When me and my friends roll into the Enchanted Forest lot about six hours before kickoff temperatures are expected to be around 40 under partly sunny skies, albeit with a steady wind. Perfect day for grilling, drinking, and talking football. If only the game was scheduled to start while the sun was still in the sky. It's not. Kickoff will be around 6:30 and during the game temperatures are expected to go down into the 20s and the winds are expected to go up. Wind chill near zero. Hmmmm. Where I have heard that before? Right. The coldest game in Patriots' history.

The record shows that it was four degrees above zero at game time when the Patriots met the Titans at Gillette for a playoff game in the winter of '04. I guess that is the temperature at which vodka freezes. And the temperature where the brain goes numb. Well maybe that has as much to do with the vodka as the temperature.

The main characters in these tales were all present for one of the great playoff games not just in Pats history but NFL history. Shep (the key to us moving from Section 311 in the old stadium to Section 109 in the new stadium... a story for another day), Mark (a drunken discussion one night led to him standing in a snowstorm for hours to buy four season tickets), Bergs (the guy who makes sure there's no meat left uneaten), Billy (there's one in every group), Matt (Shep's son who was new to the group at that point but would later become so dedicated to the tailgates that he would make the drive to and from New York for the games), and Toph (Mark's brother and master Dead-mix maker) brought as many things to keep us warm as we could think of. We were joined by my sister and her son, Pete. They scored tickets online and drove down from Maine to stand in the cold and tailgate with us. Since it was probably much colder in Maine (isn't it always?) I guess it wasn't that crazy.

My friends and I had season tickets since 1994 and during that time we enjoyed an incredible... almost ridiculous... run of great weather for football games in New England. And I'm not just talking about the 70 degree early season September games. There were late December games in T-shirts and shorts (give him a day above 40 degrees and Bergs will wear shorts). There were many times as we sat there in the parking lot of the old Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium enjoying the meal and drinks of the day where one of us would be heard to say "One of these days I hope we get one of those really really really cold days. Football weather. How fun would that be?" As we unloaded our gear that day I thought of those words. Actually, it was so cold I could almost see my thoughts as one can see your breath. "... one of those really really really cold days." Uh huh.

My personal plan was to bring as many layers as I thought I could fit into and slowly add them as the temperature around and inside my body dropped. A normal number of layers for a cold day is three maybe four. That day I had 10. Thirty minutes into the four-hour pregame tailgate and I was on layer number six. Coincidentally the same number of vodka and cranberry juices that Bergs was on. We all have our own way of keeping warm. Everywhere you looked around the stadium lot you could see barrels and fire pits blazing as men and women bundled in what looked like very flammable clothing stood just inches away from the flames. At one point a barrel positioned too close to a porta-john tipped over and the plastic toilet caught on fire, the flames slowly rising higher and higher. The fire engine on standby at the lot had to fight its way through the growing crowd gathered around the burning toilet for warmth. When the fire was extinguished there was an audible groan. Just the sight of the fire had made everyone in the lot forget how cold we were for a little while.

We cooked up our usual assortment of steaks, sausages, stews, and burgers with each of us trying to eat the food as quickly as we could before all the heat had been drained from the meat ... which was usually in less than a minute. A good two hours into the tailgate I stood next to Bergs and Mark talking excitedly about the game but they looked at me as if I was Kenny from "South Park." My "I think we can get some pressure on McNair and force him to make mistakes" turned into "I thmmm sommm prmmmm formmmm mmmak mmmtakes." Bergs, using a spoon to break up the chunks of frozen vodka in his drink, said "I think your face is frozen. I have no idea what you just said." So I spent the next 15 minutes in the car getting the feeling back in my face and upon stepping back outside added layers seven and eight.

As game time drew near we packed everything up, dumped the hot charcoals in a pile on the pavement, inserted the hand and feet warmers into our gloves and boots, and poured ourselves a drink to sober up before we headed in (Dunkin's coffee and Grand Marnier with a little whipped cream blended in). As we stood around waiting for everyone to get their layers in place, Billy said happily "These feet warmers are really great. My feet are already getting really toasty!" We all looked at him and laughed. And then Mark said very matter of factly, "Billy, you're standing in the pile of red hot coals. Your boots are on fire." It was not the first tailgating incident involving Billy and fire and it wouldn't be the last.

We put out Billy's boots and then joined the thousands of faceless fans streaming into the stadium in the hopes that the lights and the body heat from the crowd would provide some warmth. It didn't. It was just as cold inside the stadium. Not too cold to continue drinking beer, but surely too cold to play good football. Tom Brady proved it wasn't too cold to play good football when he connected with Bethel Johnson (remember him?) on a bomb down the middle of the field just five minutes into the game. Everyone in the crowd was so grateful to have something to jump around and high five about that we celebrated that touchdown for a good 10 minutes.

The Titans showed they could also play some good football in bitter cold and the back-and-forth game was tied 14-14 with just more than four minutes to play. The tension was as tough to take as the cold. Adam Vinatieri (remember him?) stepped onto the field to try to kick a 46-yard field goal. Vinatieri is known for his two kicks in the Snow Bowl against the Raiders and of course his two Super Bowl game winners, but his kick in the ice cold against Tennessee is the one I will remember the most. Why? Because I can still hear the sound of his foot hitting the ball. It sounded like a cannon because the ball was so frozen. But somehow #4, as he always did, managed to get that cinder block of a ball in the air and between the uprights to give the Pats a 17-14 lead. The Pats held on for the win and the crowd, feeling almost toasty, celebrated as the players hurried for the warmth of the locker room.

Every now and then, even on a warm summer day, I get a little chill inside. I think it's leftover from that day in 2004. Fortunately I don't think I'll need to set my boots on fire today. It's not supposed to be that cold.

Title search

Championship Sunday. I'm really looking forward to going to the game (bring on the cold) but there's something to be said about getting together with a group and watching the NFC title game in the afternoon as a warm-up to the Pats-Ravens AFC rematch. Now that's a great day of football as only the NFL and flat-screen TVs can bring it to you.

Last weekend's Divisional Round was one of the most entertaining weekends of playoff football in a long, long time. Baltimore's double-OT back-and-forth upset of the Broncos and Atlanta's last-second field goal victory against Seattle were instant classics. But even the Pats' rather easy win over Houston and San Fran's similarly decisive win over Green Bay were tight contests for a good part of the game and then became displays by great offensive players.

I went 3-1 in carefully (i.e. no clue)  picking games in the first weekend and 1-3 last weekend. 4-4. That's why I don't bet on the NFL anymore. But if I were to bet this weekend ....

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Ravens (12-6) at Patriots (13-4): Have I mentioned this is a rematch? Last year's game came down to a last-second missed kick but I've watched the game several times and my take on it is the Patriots controlled that game most of the way. If Brady didn't -- to use his words -- "suck" the Pats win that game by double-digits. Watch the film. If Brady doesn't turn the ball over the Ravens never get a chance to make a comeback. This year's Patriots team (even minus Gronk) is better than last year's. The Patriots are fast and young. The Ravens are fast and older. The Ravens' D used to exert its will against opponents. It's not that kind of defense anymore. The Ravens used to hold teams to about 12 points a game. Now it's unusual when they hold a team to just 20. The Patriots offense is superior to the Baltimore defense. But the Baltimore offense is superior to the New England defense. So it's a wash. The clear edges come in the home field and in the coaching categories. Patriots 31, Ravens 27

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

49ers (12-4-1) at Falcons (14-3): This may be the most important home-field advantage in the history of home-field advantages. If this game were being played in San Francisco against the confident and powerful Niners the Falcons wouldn't stand a chance. But it's in Atlanta. In a dome. On a fast track. That gives the Falcons a chance. But not a great chance. Niners' quarterback Colin Kaepernick looks unstoppable right now. He might get stopped, but it won't be by the Atlanta defense. San Fran's offense is peaking at the right time. The San Fran D has been peaking for about three years now. Altanta quarterback Matt Ryan has lots of great weapons in Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. But he's going to have a hard time finding them with the nasty Niner D in his face. And then there's the attitude difference. Atlanta raced out to an early lead against Seattle last week and then seemed to ease up thinking the game was over. In the playoffs against a team that had come back from down 14 the week before. Meanwhile, the Niners were in a dogfight against the Packers and then blew the game open in the fourth. There was no let up by the Niners.  49ers 34, Falcons 20

Game face

Coach Bill on the game tomorrow against the Ravens ... "If you can't get excited for the AFC Championship game, what can you get excited for?"

He sure looks excited. Doesn't he?

How it all began

The Pats are one win away from going to their sixth Super Bowl in just more than a decade. I've erased the memory of the last two, but the first three will be burned in my mind forever. Watching the "Three Games to Glory" DVDs sure helps.

I made a copy of this old grainy VHS tape when the actor Dennis Hopper died a few years ago. It ran before the Pats' opener the season after they won their first Super Bowl. Remember the first Super Bowl victory? It's still hard to believe it actually happened. If it never happens again (hopefully it will), Pats fans will always have the memory of just how fun it was when a young Tom Brady stepped on the field and transformed one of the worst franchises in the league into one of the all-time best. Dennis Hopper captures the moment the way only he can. And then he predicts the future... "Every year, man! Every year!"

Divisional playoff rewind

The Patriots destroyed the Tim Tebow-led Broncos last year to earn the right to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. The momentum from that romp did not carry over to the title game as Brady struggled all day and the Pats escaped with a three-point victory. This year the Pats roll into the AFC title rematch after beating the Texans 41-28. Will the offense sputter again and cough the ball up or will it click (even without Gronk) the way it is capable of and put the Ravens away? The defense is neither awful nor great. It will do the best it can. It's the offense that will decide if the Pats get another shot at their fourth Lombardi.

GOOD

• Shane Vereen (and Stevan Ridley): Vereen was actually drafted before Ridley. He was taken in the second round, followed by Ridley in the third round. With the need for a pass rusher and any kind of defensive back I was puzzled that Belichick took two running backs. I wasn't sure what his plan was. I guess I know now. Two very good backs (like tight ends) are better than one. Vereen had Kevin Faulk type game, making big plays on the ground and in the air. Ridley, who has seen a little less playing time since having some fumble issues, wasn't on the field at the start of the game but finished with 82 yards on 15 carries. Good luck stopping both these guys.
• Aaron Hernandez (and Wes Welker): That goes for these two guys, too. Losing Gronk is huge, but it's not as huge when you still have Hernandez. This was supposed to be his year, but he hurt his ankle in Week 2 and it took him a while to get back up to speed. He looks like he's back. He had some big catches against Houston. And when the defense shifts to stop Hernandez, that opens things up for Welker. Brady has plenty of weapons, but none bigger than these two. Good luck keeping them out of the end zone.
• Zoltan Mesko (and Stephen Gostkowski): The guys who sit behind us at Gillette say the darndest things. One of them last week said "Mesko is the worst punter in the league. He never kicks any long ones." Hmmmm. Wonder why that is? Could be that the Pats offense rarely gets stuffed deep in its own territory so he doesn't get too many chances. What he does get a lot of chances to do is drop the ball inside the other team's 20, and he was one of the best in the league at that. Zoltan got the chance to make some long kicks against Houston and he showed what he can do. 61 yards. 57 yards. 50 yards. 64 yards. And Gosty was solid again with some deep kickoffs and two field goals. 

BAD

• Gronk (and Woody): There are injuries and then there are injuries. The loss of Gronk is a bummer. Not just because he's one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the game but because if the Pats were to win the Super Bowl how fun would it be to see Gronk celebrating? Pretty fun. Woody hurt his hand on the first play of the Houston game and never came back. But the word is he will be ready for the Ravens. Hopefully the Pats have had their share of injuries for the season.
• Kick coverage (and pass coverage): What's up with the kick coverage? It's been shaky too often this season. Against the Texans it was almost fatal. The Pats better tighten it up and fast. The Raven's Jacoby Jones is one of the league's best kick returners. The pass coverage needs to tighten up, too. (Is that even possible?). The Ravens' offense is getting lot of hype. More than it deserves. Especially Flacco. But one thing they are doing well is hit the big play. Which is the one thing the Pats' D can't stop. Tighten up. 

The Ravens wanted this rematch. But their plan was to hold it in Baltimore. After they pulled out a come-from-behind win in Week 3 and raced out to a 9-2 record it looked like they would. But a late-season collapse allowed the Pats to easily pass them in the playoff seedings. The rematch is on. And it's back at Gillette. It's going to be frigid. I can't wait.