Perfect day for imperfect football

WEEK 3

Patriots 38. Bills 30 (9/26/'10): As Mark and I stood in the parking lot on a beautiful late-September Sunday eating pulled-pork sandwiches (served in a sauce of apple cider vinegar, mustard, ketchup, hot pepper, and brown sugar) with homemade cole slaw, we both agreed the Pats needed to not just beat the very beatable Bills, they needed to look sharp in all phases of the game doing it.

A few cocktails later we walked into the stadium with Mark's brother Adam and his three teenage daughters (their first game) to the sounds of the Who. The much-maligned Gillette crowd was buzzing in every sense of the word. We knew that Brady wouldn't need us to be too vocal for the Pats to take Buffalo. I thought what a perfect day for Don Julio margaritas, er, I mean a perfect day for football.


It was a perfect day for football. Just not perfect football. 

WEEK 3: A win is a win.

The Pats looked sharp on offense -- putting up 38 points on 200 yards rushing and 245 passing -- and the Brady to rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez connection is fast becoming an another big weapon. As for the other phases of the game?

Well, not even a few Don Julios could make the defense and kicking game look good. The D had two interceptions (Chung, Meriweather) but only forced the Bills to punt once. The Bills -- a team that had scored a total of 17 points in its first two games -- rolled up 30 on 374 yards of offense. Buffalo had to settle for field goal attempts on four drives, and they often stopped themselves on those possessions. The Pats defense has now given up 24, 28, and 30 points. That's 82 points through three weeks. Only four teams have allowed more and they have a combined two victories. There's no disguising it. The D is not good enough. What's that? The defense really only gave up 23 points yesterday?

Right. That brings us to the other phase of the game that is not good enough. Special teams.

The Pats opened the second half with a quick, 5-play drive that ended with the second Brady-to-Moss TD pass of the day. Pats 24, Buffalo 16. Just when it looked like the Patriots had taken command of the game, the kick-coverage team allowed rookie CJ Spiller to take the ball 95 yards for a touchdown. Spiller is a fast playmaker, but the Pats special teams tackling was sad. As was Zoltan Mesko's punts. The rookie's 37.7-yard average on three punts was also not good enough

But it was an entertaining -- if not encouraging -- day at Gillette. Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis -- with the trade of Maroney and injury to Faulk -- is now, suddenly, an important part of the offense. Against the Bills he ran for 98 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. He looked good enough. As did the passing game of Brady, Moss, Welker, Hernandez, et al.

Enjoying the postgame hot dogs and beer with Shep and Matt, I started thinking about the play of the offensive line (solid as always), the running game, young players like Hernandez, McCourty, and Chung. I started to feel optimistic about the team's chances of going into Miami next Monday night and finally -- finally! -- getting the big road win.

Then I got home and turned on the Dolphins-Jets Sunday night game. What a game. Two great defenses each gave up more than 400 yards and yet made big plays when needed. Two questionable offenses showed they have the mental toughness to put together long, crucial drives. Both teams played at a much higher level than the Pats. As the Jets defense made the last big play to pull out a huge road win, I thought are the Pats good enough to win a game like that?

At the moment: No. Not good enough.

True grit

The Patriots have officially hit their season's quota for injuries. Tory Holt. Ty Warren. Leigh Bodden. Brandon McGowan. And now the biggest of all. Kevin Faulk.

The team named four captains this year. Tom Brady. Vince Wilfork. Jerod Mayo. And Faulk. The other three are all important parts of the team. No doubt. But there really is only one captain. Faulk.

FAULK: Broken clutch.

News that the veteran running back/jack-of-all-trades will miss the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament caps off an all around lousy second week for the Pats. But Laurence Maroney's trade, the collapse against the Jets, and Brady's dissing of the home crowd combined don't add up to the loss of the team's true leader.

I heard DA say on the Sports Blab 98.5 (he's the only guy on that station I can really stand to listen to) that the Pats need some guys with "snot." So true. For a team devoid of snot, the loss of Kevin Faulk is a big one. No one played with more snot than he did in so many different roles.

I have Faulk rated ninth on my list of the top 15 Pats of the Super Bowl decade. If you've been watching the team during their championship run (and before) then you, like me, can't count the many clutch plays that Faulk made. Whether returning kicks, catching a big third down pass, or picking up a blitzer, #33 almost always came through when it really counted. You could count on it. And he's done it with class. (Excluding that minor marijuana incident a few years back, but hey, it's the NFL).

The Pats will be able to replace Faulk's on-the-field duties in time. Julian Edelman can take the role of out of the backfield pass catcher and there are lots of candidates to return kicks. Sammy Morris will also be asked to do more, filling the role of blocker and receiver. But there are no candidates to fill the leadership void. Maybe this will spur the team to solve the puzzling Logan Mankins contract standoff. Mankins would help with protecting Brady and bring some snot back to the offense.

There was much speculation that, at age 34, this is the end of Faulk's career. If it is, he goes out with an amazing list of accomplishments in his 12 years with the team. He is the franchise's leader in all-purpose yards with an astounding 12,247. He also holds the team record for kickoff return yards (4,098). He's fifth in team history in rushing yards (3,550), fourth in catches (424), and tenth in pass receiving yards (3,667).

Those are the numbers. His true value has always been in his grit and determination. He's one of the team's all-time leaders in those categories too, and always will be.

Credit where credit is due

WEEK 2

I was trying to think of the words to describe how the Patriots played in the second half of their loss to the Jets yesterday. Out scored. Out coached. Out hustled. Out played. That doesn't capture how bad it was. I flipped on the NFL Network and caught some of Tom Brady's post-game press conference. "We just sucked," he said. Thanks, Tom. Those were the words I was looking for.



WEEK 2: Sour Apple.

 As Bergs and I sat in my den watching the Pats get outscored 18-0 in the second half we both had a strong sense of deja vu. We knew we had seen this before. Oh, that's right. We saw it last year in Denver, in Indy, in Miami, in Houston, and right there in New York. I had hopes the outcome of a big road game would be different this year. Not yet.


That was the theme of 2009. The Pats would face a big challenge against a good team on the road. They would start off very well, taking a lead into the second half, only to come apart at the seams. It was something the team had rarely done since their Super Bowl run started. Whatever problems the Pats face with the loss of the core of their championship D, the common assumption has been that as long as Brady and Belichick are on the top of their games then the team will be tough to beat. Clearly they are not on the top of their game and haven't been consistently since David Tyree caught that ball in the Super Bowl with his head. I keep thinking this is the week that will change. Not yet.



When Brady hit Moss for his ridiculous one-handed TD catch late in the second quarter I texted Mark "How much are you loving this team?" He responded "A ton." So was I. It was the same way I felt when the Patriots took control of all those games last year. The team looked a step ahead of the Jets -- and then suddenly they were a step behind.

Also like many of last year's biggest losses the Pats left a lot of points on the field in the first half. Brady took the opening drive for 15 plays and nearly 9 minutes. Runs by Taylor and Faulk. Passes to Welker, Hernandez, and Gronkowski. It was a sharp, well-balanced attack. It stalled on 3rd-and-9 at the NY 14 when Welker came up a yard short. Gostkowski hit the field goal but an inexcusable delay of game penalty brought it back five yards and then Gostkowski missed his second try. Three points lost.

After the D held the Jets to three and out Brady and the offense put together another 15-yard drive and capped it with a TD pass to Welker. Pats were up 7-0. The Jets D had been on the field for all but about a minute of the first quarter. The Jets were already on the ropes. A quick stop by the D and the Jets defense would have been gassed before the first half was over. The Jets season -- as early as it was -- was hanging in the balance. And they responded.

Sanchez faced a 3rd-and-6 at his own 27. Punt here and the Pats would have a chance to take command of the game for good. That's when Sanchez put it together. He hit Braylon Edwards for 13 yards and a first down. Then Banta-Cain got through for a sack putting the Jets in 2nd-and-20. Another chance to get Brady the ball back. Sanchez connected for 24 yards on the next two plays and drove his team all the way down for a huge touchdown to tie the score.

Brady then hit Moss for the one-handed catch and it looked like they would come out of a first half they dominated with a touchdown lead. But the Jets got the ball on their own 20 with just 53 seconds in the half and drove 7 plays to set up a field goal as time expired. 14-10 Pats.

I said to Bergs that the Pats just had to win the turnover battle in the second half and they would win. Second-half turnovers: Pats 3, Jets 0. Second-half points: Jets 18, Pats 0. As always, turnovers are the key.

But so is coaching, and playmaking, and tackling. The Pats did very little of those things in the second half. There were re a lot of key moments in the second half and the Jets made a play on almost every one they faced. And that was without Pro Bowlers Revis and Mangold. Everything broke the Pats way to get a huge road win. They still couldn't take advantage of it.

Give the Jets a Rex Ryan-size amount of credit. They had to win that game and they did. Convincingly. They kept making the plays to keep drives alive and came up with the turnovers. I didn't think the Jet offense could put up 20 points. They did that pretty easily. That's a great sign for them. Not so great for the Pats D.

The Pats second-half failures is now the key issue facing this team. ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss has a good story about it. He includes a stat I hadn't heard. In their last eight home games (not including the trip to London last year), the Pats have been outscored 116-41 in the second half. That says it all. If the Patriots can fix that problem they will be a serious contender. If not, they'll be lucky to make the playoffs.

They'll get another chance in Miami on a Monday night in two weeks.

50-50-1

PATS-JETS: Football holy war.

The Patriots and Jets have played 101 games against each other since the two original AFL franchises were formed in 1960. The record: Pats 50 wins, Jets 50 wins. 1 tie. Now that makes for a truly great rivalry.

This week adds another entertaining chapter as the Patriots go into the spankin' new Meadowlands to face Gang Green in what is a huge game even though it's only the second week of the season. The 2010 Super Bowl champs got off to a rough start on Monday night, committing an amazing number of penalties and mistakes in losing to the Ravens at home. The also-ran Pats got off to quite a different start, looking very sharp in all phases of the game in handily beating the Bengals.

Which trend will continue?

For the Jets it's a must-win situation. A loss would mean starting off the season 0-2 at home, 0-2 in the AFC, and 0-2 in backing up Rex Ryan's tough talk. Not many teams can drop their first two homes games and rebound to have a playoff caliber season. It would require that they go nearly perfect on the road -- and winning on the road in the NFL is not easy. Just ask the Pats.

They went 2-6 on the road last year with their only two wins coming against lowly Buffalo and Tampa Bay. Fortunately they went 8-0 at home but the team's inability to gut out a road win was indicative of their overall lack of guts. A win at New York -- no matter how ugly -- would be a clear sign that the 2010 Patriots are going to be a team to reckon with.

The most noticeable difference for the Patriots in last week's win against the Bengals -- as compared to last year -- was the game plan. The Pats' offense looked flat and predictable and the defense looked lost and beatable in many games last year. It was unusual to see from a Belichick coached team. But it was a coaching staff -- and team -- in transition. So far through preseason and one real game the team looks more prepared and the game plan seems more creative.

The theme for 2010 in the NFL is coming down to one thing. Coaching. Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden had an excellent season-opening article, focusing on the Patriots, about the difference in styles between teams and coaches like Ryan and Belichick. Loud vs. quiet. Bragging vs. thinking. I enjoy watching and listening to Mt. Ryan. It's great he's coaching the Jets. He's just not the kind of guy I want coaching my team. I don't want my coach mouthing off every 15 minutes. I don't want him telling me how great his team is. I want him thinking about the next game, the next quarter, the next play to prove it. That's Belichick. While other coaches are whooping and hollering, Belichick is thinking and planning. That's been a big edge for the Pats this past decade.

That edge had dulled since the 18-1 season. That's going to happen during any great coach's time. Happened to Shula. Landry. Johnson. Cowher. But you just knew the edge would return, at least for a little while, at some point. It looks like it might be back.

And it's going to take a great coaching job to beat New York. Brady looked very comfortable in the pocket against Cincy. That won't be the case come Sunday. The Jets will be firing at him on almost every down. Ryan is as aggressive as he is loud. Belichick had two extra days to prepare for Ryan's defense. Both coaches are on a mission. One has already proven he can finish the job The other one just talks like he has.

One other factor: In the first game against New York last year the offense only scored nine points. In the second game it scored 31. The difference? Wes Welker. He'll be playing this time.

It comes down to two simple questions. Are chances good the Pats will score 20 points? Yes. Are chances good the Jets will score 20 points? No.

Make it 51-50-1. Advantage Patriots.

Opening thoughts

I work Tuesday through Saturday, which means I miss a lot of good college football. But it also means that on Mondays after a Pats victory I get to enjoy a day of watching all the highlights, coaches' press conferences, post-game reviews, and analysis on the NFL Network, ESPN, and ESPN News. When the Pats lose I'm a little more productive on Mondays.

It was an entertaining first week (thanks mostly to Wes Welker). Pete Carroll was beyond pumped and jacked as his Seahawks stunned the Niners 31-6. I'll say one thing for Carroll, he doesn't change. He wears his enthusiasm on his sleeve whether he's in New England, Southern California, or the great Northwest. His jumping around is fun to watch. It's just not a smart use of a coach's time to be running around high-fiving players and fist-pumping. He should keep his focus on the game. San Fran's Mike Singletary never loses his focus. In classic Singletary fashion, in his Monday press conference he thanked Carroll and the Seahawks for the stomping. "Tell Pete Carroll thank you very much for kicking our ass," Singletary said. "It was good medicine, and we're going to take it."

FOSTER: 42.30 fantasy points.

Speaking of ass kickings, Peyton Manning and the Colts' luck finally ran out against the Houston Texans. The Colts have stolen a few wins away from Houston the past few years. But this time, behind running back Arian Foster, the Texans jumped all over Indy early and often. Foster ran for 231 yards and three touchdowns. (I started him over Shonn Greene on my fantasy team -- if I could only be that smart all the time). The Network's Mike Lombardi found a silver lining for Indianapolis. "The Colts will bounce back and now they don't have to worry about the perfect season anymore." A perfect season? It's only fhe first week. Why would they already be worrying about that? Oh, right. They are the Colts.

The Patriots were the other easy winner of the day. My favorite play of the game: Pats opening drive, the offense faces a 2nd-and-five from the Cincy 8-yard line. They line up with Faulk in the backfield and Moss alone on the right. On the left, Welker lines up a few yards from the sideline with Rob Gronkowski just to his left and Alge Crumpler a step in front of him. Brady took the snap and chucked a quick pass to Welker who tucked himself in behind the twin towers of Gronk and Alge. They slammed the two defenders easily out of the way allowing Welker to scoot almost untouched into the end zone. The three new tight ends didn't take long to show the kind of impact they can have.

A key part of the success of the play was Moss, all alone on the right side, attracting the attention of four of the seven defensive backs/linebackers. A good example of the value of Moss even when he's not the focus of the play.

The Steelers survived the first of four games without Big Ben. If they are 3-1 or better when he gets back then they are a serious contender. The Skins won their first game under coach Mike Shanahan thanks mostly to Cowboys coach Wade Phillips. The Cowboys called a pitch-out play with four seconds left in the half and the ball inside their own 30. A fumble later the Skins scored an easy TD that proved the difference in the game. I don't get Jerry Jones's devotion to Phillips but I kind of respect it.

The Jaguars, Giants, Titans, Pack, and Lions also posted big opening victories. What? The Lions didn't win? How's that possible? Right. They got robbed.

The silver and blue finally won a road game after 21 straight defeats when receiver Calvin Johnson caught what looked like a winning TD pass only to have the refs rule that he didn't maintain control of the ball. Check the video below. He catches the ball, takes two steps as he goes to the ground, rolls halfway over (still with control of the ball), and as he goes to get up he puts the ball on the ground and drops it there to go celebrate. If it looks like a touchdown and smells like a touchdown ...

But the NFL's czar of officiating, Mike Pereira. said that the rule was properly interpreted and the touchdown correctly disallowed.

The rule says: "If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

So Johnson caught the ball, went to the ground, maintained control of the ball after touching the ground, and only lost the ball as he was getting back up off the ground. Yet the play was called correctly.

Huh. I guess now not only do you have to catch the ball and land on the ground for it to be a touchdown -- you also have to get up, shower, get in your Mercedes, and drive home all while maintaining possession of the ball.

Detroit, a team that needs every win it can get, should be 1-0. Haven't Lions fans suffered enough?

Talk the talk

WEEK 1
Patriots 38, Bengals 24 (9/12/'10): Lots to talk about after a convincing victory over Cincy in the home opener. And lots of people talking (right, Randy?). Wes Welker capped off his amazing return from knee surgery with two touchdowns. The offensive line protected Brady in the first half and then opened up holes for Fred Taylor in the key fourth quarter drive that put the game away.The young defense set the tone early with a total team tackling performance. Special teams made big plays. The fans enjoyed a great late summer day of tailgating and were in good spirits all afternoon long. As Shep said, even the moaners and the groaners who sit behind us were happy.

WEEK 1: Thumbs up.

The Pats set the tone right from the opening kick-off. Gostkowski boomed the ball deep and the Bengal return man was met at the 19-yard line by Kyle Arrington and Tracy White. Belichick and his staff cut some key special teams players in Eric Alexander, Ross Ventrone, and Pierre Woods. Clearly he felt it was time for some new blood there. They special teams players were flying around all day.

The defense started the game by forcing Cincy to punt on both its first quarter possessions,. The D then topped that in the second quarter by getting a fumble (Rob Ninkovich), forcing another punt, and then picking off Carson Palmer and taking it in for a touchdown (Gary Guyton). While the defense was doing that, the offense scored two touchdowns (Brady to Welker, Brady to Welker again) and added a field goal. Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez caught a sideline pass and took it 45 yards on the opening scoring drive. Brady looked sharp. Guys were blocking downfield. The line was on its game, Mankins or no. The running game put up nearly 130 yards for the game. Running back by committee at its best.

Brandon Tate, building on his outstanding preseason, took the second half kick-off 67 yards for a touchdown. Pats 31, Bengals 3. What's on the grill for the post-game celebration? Uh oh. Spoke to soon. The Bengals offense got on track in the third quarter, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back 12 play drives. The defense did not look lost like it did in the preseason. The Bengals just finally started making some plays. The score was suddenly 31-17 and the Pats were in a position they were in several times last year. It was at this point that this year started to look very different from last year.

The Patriots got the ball with less than a minute to go in the third quarter and held the ball for a game-clinching 14-play, nearly eight minute drive. Last year the Pats would go three-and-out and the other team would take advantage of an exhausted defense. Not this time. Brady to Welker for 12 yards. To Moss (a great game) for 9. Then Fred Taylor took over. He would finish the game with 71 yards rushing. Brady would cap the 14-play drive with a beautiful throw and catch with Rob Gronkowski in the corner of the end zone. A game clincher.

Cincy would score another touchdown late in the fourth but the game was decided. The defense gave up too many yards in the second half, but for the most part the young players came through. Safety Pat Chung led the team with 16 tackles. Cornerbacks Butler and McCourty held their own against T.O. and Ochocinco when the two stars weren't in the locker room Tweeting. Ocho had 12 catches and a touchdown but it was too little too late. The defense only recorded one sack but was often in Carson Palmer's face. That's different from last year too.

The biggest difference from last year -- for one game at least -- was that the Pats looked in control of the game. They rarely confused their opponents last year on either side of the ball. The Bengals often looked off balance yesterday while the Pats played like a team with a plan. That's something to talk about.

The one doing the most talking was, of course, Randy Moss. I was hoping he would restrict his talking to the field. Guess not. He decided he needed to expand on his comments from the other day about his contract. OK, we get it Randy. You love playing for the Patriots and want to do it for several more years. Hopefully the Pats do too. Enough talking.

Except in the locker room. Tedy Bruschi started a post-game tradition of the "Oooooh yaaaaaa!" chant after a victory. For those who think Belichick's teams get no joy from their pursuit of victories, take a look at those post-game moments. From the video below, it looks like Randy has become the guy to carry on the tradition. This is the kind of talking I want to hear from him.

Your 2010 New England Patriots...

The Pats open another football season tomorrow at home against Cincy. Fall is here. My favorite time of year. If only every day could be 67 degrees with a few wispy clouds and a cool breeze. And with football. At least for the next several months there will be football.

The Patriots finished 10-6 last year. Then they got steamrolled by the Ravens in the playoffs.The question going into 2010 is a simple one. Are the Patriots better than last year -- or will they take a step back?

BELICHICK: On a mission.

Some years it's easy to answer that question. At the start of training camp it seemed like this was one of those years. The Pats would be better. How better would depend on how many of the young players would become reliable playmakers, especially on defense and special teams. Welker is back. Brady, Moss, and Taylor are all healthy and have the look of focus. The offensive line is a rock. Big Vince was signed and happy. The young players on D would benefit from the experience -- good and bad -- they gained last year. Finally, Belichick has a history of getting his team motivated by their failures. Like that playoff game last year.

But then things started to happen. Pro Bowl lineman Logan Mankins didn't come to camp and made it clear he would sit out the season if he didn't get more than the $35 million the team reportedly offered him. Linebacker Derrick Burgess also didn't come to camp, not because he didn't like his contract (he had just signed an extension) but because he was thinking of retiring. Then things really took a turn for the worse. Defensive stalwart Ty Warren was ruled out for the season with a hip injury. Shortly after that, starting cornerback Leigh Bodden went down for the year with a bad shoulder. Then Brandon McGowan -- one of the young hitters on the D -- was put on the IR with a chest injury. Combine all that with a couple of sloppy preseason losses and my optimism was taking a hit.

But even with all that I still get the sense that this team -- youth and all -- is on a mission. They were embarrassed at home by the Ravens. With that loss as motivation, Belichick will have Brady and the offense locked in. That's why he drafted monster tight ends Gronkowski and Hernandez. It's much like 2007. The year before the Pats had blown a large lead in the AFC title game against the Colts. Belichick went out and got Moss and Welker and Stallworth. Brady and the offense broke almost every single-season record imaginable. If the injury bug doesn't start hitting the offensive side of the ball then the Pats should have an even better offense.

The defense was not as big a problem last year as many seem to remember. It was actually the offense that made huge mistakes late in games against Miami, Denver, Indy, and Houston that were largely responsible for those games ending as losses. The defense had trouble getting off the field but the offense had chances to lock up games and failed. The defense had similar trouble getting off the field in the preseason. But if young, physical players like Mayo, Meriweather, Chung, and Spikes can continue to make strides then that should get better.

If the defense shows just marginal improvement over last year, Brady and that offense will turn many of those tough losses last year into big wins this one.

An opener against Cincy is a good test right out of the gate.

Rank and file

The NFL season opens tonight but you wouldn't know it from listening to all the sports reports. You may have heard Tom Brady was in a car accident this morning. He was not injured and was at practice today. You would think he was on life support from the over-the-top media coverage. Helicopters and live remotes from Gillette. Just another reason I sometimes long for the day of the newspaper and the six o'clock news sports report.

Once I heard Brady was fine (which was about 10 a.m.) my thoughts turned to the 2010 season and where the Pats (with Brady) stand. When the schedule came out in April I thought the team could win 12 or 13 games. Since then the defense has lost Ty Warren, Leigh Bodden, and Brandon McGowan. A defense that was already uncertain is now unstable. If the Pats play up to their abilities on offense they should win 10 games. To compete to be one of the best teams in the AFC the defense is going to have to surprise a lot of people. Including me.

Here's my rankings going into tonight's Saints-Vikings opener. As with all rankings, it's meaningless.

1. New Orleans Saints: You have to go with the defending champs (except when it's Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers). A top ranking doesn't mean the Saints are destined to win back-to-back titles, but Drew Brees and company are still the guys to beat. New Orleans has everything a team needs to repeat. Good coach, great QB, playmakers all over the field, great home field advantage. If the Pats can't win their fourth, I'll be rooting for the Saints to win their second.

2. Baltimore Ravens: If I was basing these rankings on the Ravens playoff game against the Pats they would be at the top. That was as dominating a road playoff win as I've witnessed. Unfortunately. Since then the Ravens have added monster receiver Anquan Boldin, a couple of tight ends, TJ Housh, and DL Corey Redding. Flaco and Ray Rice are young but already play like veterans. Jim Harbaugh is one of those "right coach for the right team" kind of guys. The only question mark is the defense. That's a strange thing to say about the Ravens.

3. Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning came so close to his second Lombardi Trophy. So close. Manning will be a man obsessed. The Colts remind me of the '07 Patriots. After having lost to the Colts in the heartbreaking AFC title game in Indy, the Patriots were on a mission. A perfect season mission. We know the Colts don't want to go for a perfect season. That attitude may be the only thing that can get in their way.

4. Green Bay Packers: The Pack is the NFC's best chance of stopping the Saints from getting back to the Super Bowl. The key for them will be home field advantage in the playoffs. Green Bay finished 11-5 and were looking like a real playoff challenger but they wilted in the Arizona desert in the first round. Aaron Rodgers has proved that the Packers -- for many reasons that are now very clear -- made the right decision in cutting ties with the greatest player in the history of the league. The Pack is that rare team that has a strong offense and a defense that is just as good. AJ Hawk and Clay Matthews remind me of Vrabel and Bruschi.

5. Minnesota Vikings: Without #4 the Vikings would be near the bottom of the top 10. That's how good he was last year. But it doesn't matter. I could rank the Vikings first and the season would still end with Favre tossing an interception to stake their season. Till that moment Vikes' fans will have a great time. Adrian Peterson. Steve Hutchinson. Cedric Griffin. Jared Allen. The Vikes are a good team. With #4 they are a very good team.

6. New England Patriots:: Too high, you say? I agree. But here are the teams competing with the Pats for this spot: NY Jets, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Cincy, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, San Fran, Philly. The Jets would already be gone on most rankings. I'm not buying yet. They were lucky to finish 9-7 last year. The Chargers, Steelers, Cowboys, and the rest are all good teams. Any of them could win 11 or 12 games. But I'll take the team with Brady and Belichick till proven otherwise. Weaknesses and all.

7. New York Jets: As I said, the Jets were lucky to make the playoffs last year. Rex Ryan even proclaimed them eliminated at one point. The coach likes to say -- among many other things -- that they were one win away from the Super Bowl. They were also one loss away from 8-8 and no playoffs. A 9-7 team that did well in the playoffs is a solid pick to take the next step. The Jets have more skill on offense with Edwards, Holmes, and  LT. On defense, now that Revis is signed, the Jets are one of the best. I just remember how they played below their abilities a lot last year. That would be coaching.

8. Dallas Cowboys: Speaking of coaching... We come to the Cowboys and Wade Phillips. Dallas has a very good team. Romo, Whitten, Miles Austin, DeMarcus Ware, Mike Jenkins. The 'Boys have been a contender almost every year under Phillips. Last year they ended a 13-year playoff victory drought. That was a big step. I think it would take Bum's son another 13 years to win two playoff games in the same season.

9: San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary is the anti-Phillips. He doesn't have a lengthy coaching pedigree. He's as intense as Philips is oval. The Niners are my dark horse NFC pick. They could be playing in the NFC title game. For that to happen young QB Alex Smith needs to take the next step. He has lots of help on the offensive side of the ball. That should make it easier for him. The D is questionable against the pass. But like Singletary the player, the Niners will be slugging till the final gun every Sunday,

10. Pittsburgh Steelers: Peter King picks the Steelers to win the Super Bowl. The best part is his lead is pretty much admitting the everyone is going to think he is crazy. But then, unfortunately for those of us that don't want to see the Black and Gold win another title, he makes a pretty convincing case. Peter King is the Gammons of football. But I'm still not sold on Mike Tomlin (coaching -- again). He has a ring. He earned it. But it was a team built by the great Bill Cowher. With the Big Ben suspension, loss of Santonio Holmes, and a very tough division, it will be an impressive accomplishment -- and prediction -- if the Steelers do win it all.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Patriots West. The Chiefs, always my favorite NFL team that's not the Pats, are my pick for surprise team. I think they have enough to take the AFC West away from the Chargers. Scott Pioli is going to have success at some point in KC. It starts this year. Matt Cassell  starts his second season in the best uniforms in the league. Cassell has a true running game this year with Thomas Jones and second-year man Jamaal Charles. Tennessee safety Eric Berry is an impact rookie that fits the Pioli mold. He joins Mike Vrabel, Brandon Flowers, and Glenn Dorsey on what should be an improved D. Oh, and the Chiefs now have Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel as their coordinators.

12. San Diego Chargers: Norv Turner. You see why I have the Pats at six? The Chargers are another very good team with an anchor for a coach. Like Phillips, Turner is actually a good coach. Just not when the playoffs start. But Phillip Rivers is a gunslinger and the defense is still scary. The Chargers will win their division if the Chiefs aren't the surprise team I think they are. Either way San Diego will get to the playoffs. But not much further.

13. Cincinnati Bengals: Cincy swept its AFC North foes 6-0 last season. That's not happening again. Not because the Bengals are worse, but because the Ravens and Steelers won't allow it. The story in Cincy is T.O. joining Ochocinco. This is either going to be an explosive combination with Carson Palmer or a total meltdown. T.O.'s track record speaks for itself.

14. Houston Texans: If Houston wasn't in Indy's division these past few years they'd have had a lot more success. But they are in the AFC South. Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Houston have taken turns giving the Colts a challenge. This year it's the Texans' turn. If QB Matt Schaub can play an entire season again then Houston has a good shot at being a playoff team because that would mean a full year of him throwing to Andre Johnson again. If young runner Arian Foster can build on the promise he showed last year then the Texans could move up.

15. Atlanta Falcons: Another team with a very good young QB. Former BC Eagle Matt Ryan has the look of a leader and can be expected to take a big step forward in his third season. Kevin Turner is the hammer that many teams are missing. When Turner injured his ankle last season the Falcons did a late season swoon. A healthy Turner is expected to return to his punishing ways. The Falcons added CB Dunta Robinson to an improving D.

16. Tennessee Titans: Jeff Fisher is a coach who can get his team to play above its potential. Two years ago the Titans were 13-3 but were shocked at home in the divisional round. Last year the team stumbled to a just as shocking 0-6 start. Then Fisher put QB Vince Young back behind center and the team turned it around to go 8-2 the rest of the way. Chris Johnson is the best back in football. The D is still a force. The Titans are one of many teams who could win anywhere between 8 and 12 games. I think Young still has a ways to go for the team to hit the high end of that number.

17. Miami Dolphins: The Wildcats are no more. Miami made it to the playoffs two seasons ago behind its sometimes effective, always entertaining attack style. Last year injuries took their toll. The players are still there. Ronnie Brown. Ricky Williams. But Chad Henne is now the QB and that is not a promising thing as far as the numbers go. He had 12 touchdowns and 14 picks last year. He was not clutch. Brandon Marshall has looked like a beast in preseason so that should make Henne's numbers better. Miami should get back into the playoff hunt and will be waiting if either the Pats or Jets falter.

18. Philadelphia Eagles: How does Andy Reid do it? Players come and go on the Philly roster and yet the team is in the playoffs year after year. This will be his biggest test ever because the one common denominator of all those teams was Donovan McNabb. The veteran QB has moved on to DC and Reid is putting his streak of success in the hands of Kevin Kolb. The consensus is that Kolb can do the job. He has explosive WR DeSean Jackson. Philly had the third most sacks in the league last year. The fact that they are not in the top 15 shows just how deep and balanced the NFL is.

19. Chicago Bears: Even Da Bears are a fun team now that Jay Cutler is at the QB position. Coach Lovie Smith is a survivor. Chicago has been mediocre since losing in the '06 Super Bowl but he is still calling the shots -- if not any plays. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz and Cutler need to really click this year for the Bears to get into the playoffs. The defense has been slowly fading these past few years, but the addition of primo free agent Julius Peppers should help with that.

20. New York Giants: The Giants started off strong last year, looking like they would build on their 13-3 season the year before. But their 5-0 record quickly dissolved in a slew of injuries on defense and an ineffective offense. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in four years and longtime coach Tom Coughlin looked sick most of the way. The team added safety Antrel Rolle and rookie linebacker Phillip Dillard out of Nebraska. Coughlin hopes they can help one of the worst pass defenses in the league.

21. Detroit Lions: Yes, the Lions almost broke the top 20! Party in Motown. Now that the Saints have won a Super Bowl, Lions fans own the position of most hopeless. The Lions haven't been good in a long, long time. They are much like the mid '90s Patriots. That team was the league's punchline. Then Parcells and Bledsoe changed that. QB Matthew Stafford might be Detroit's Bledsoe. He has a great target in Calvin Johnson. The defense has been remade with the additions of free agents Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams and rookie Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska. Have hope Lions' fans.

22. Denver Broncos: Denver was the hot story of the first half of last season, running out to a 6-0 start under first-year coach Josh McDaniels. Then the team collapsed. McDaniels did not show the he has what it takes to help right a team that is floundering. That is what separates the best coaches from the rest of the field. He'll get another test this year after trading away receivers Marshall and Tony Scheffler. RB Knowshon Moreno is the key to Denver's success. If he flounders then the Broncos will again.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags are a puzzling team. They have a great running back in Maurice Jones-Drew and a great receiver in Mike Sims-Walker,. But unfortunately their QB only has two names and it's David Gerrard. He hasn't been able to become the effective passer the team needs. As long as Jack Del Rio is the coach the Jags will play hard every week, If they don't play well enough Del Rio's time in Jacksonville could come to an end.

24. Washington Redskins: The Skins are one of the most interesting teams heading into the 2010 season. Two-time Super Bowl champ coach Mike Shanahan came out of his brief retirement to try to finally get Washington headed in the right direction. Shanahan went out and took Donovan McNabb away from division rival Philly. The key to success in the NFL is largely due to the coach and the QB. The Skins now have a leader at both spots. If they weren't in such a tough division they'd be a sure playoff contender.

25. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have won their division the last two years, but not impressively. Two years ago they then caught fire and went to the Super Bowl. Last year they were one-and-done. This year there won't be any late season magic coming from the desert. They've lost Kurt Warner to retirement and traded Anquan Boldin. That's a big chunk of their offense right there. Matt Leinert was finally supposed to get his chance to show what he can do. However, he not only lost his starting job to Derek Anderson, he didn't even make the team. Anderson will probably have as many downs as ups. As will the Cardinals.

26. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford was considered a bit of a long shot to win the starting QB job in his rookie year. That all changed after his performance against the Pats in the preseason. If Bradford is as good as he looked that day then St. Louis will be much improved. And if Stephen Jackson can stay healthy. Those are two big "ifs." The Rams finished 1-15 in coach Steve Spagnuolo's first year. It could be a long rebuilding process.

27. Carolina Panthers: John Fox is the NFC's Jack Del Rio. A good coach who may be on his last leg. Fox and the Panthers have been trying to recapture their success since making the Super Bowl in '03 but haven't come close. Jake Delhomme and his interceptions have moved to Cleveland, replaced by... well it doesn't really matter. Steve Smith has to stay healthy to give the team some balance on an offense lead by the two-headed running back monster of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The defense lost three starters on the line, among them Julius Peppers. He'll be hard to replace.

28. Oakland Raiders: If this is indeed where the Raiders finish then the Patriots will have the fifth pick in the 2011 draft. A pick they got for Richard Seymour. That's a trade Red Auerbach and Harry Sinden would be proud of. There's a lot of talk about improvement on the other side of the Bay Bridge. Rookie LB Rolando McClain from Alabama should make an immediate impact. Jason Campbell is an upgrade at QB. But not enough of one. I can't wait to hear ... "With the fifth pick in the draft, the New England Patriots take ... "

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs may be the team I pay the least amount of attention to in the NFL. They have no players of value for fantasy football. They are overshadowed in the NFC South by the Saints and Falcons. They don't play a very exciting brand of football. At least not one worthy of a pirate ship in the stands. Tampa was last in the league against the rush last year and have Josh Freeman as their quarterback. Maybe I have them ranked too high.

30. Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll is back and as pumped and jacked as ever. Did he learn anything from his four years running down the Pats? Well, he didn't seem to learn much from his time as head coach as the Jets before coming to New England. But since leaving the Pats in the late '90s he returned USC to college football glory. The Seahawks don't really have a glory to return to. Carroll is the "great college coach/lousy pro coach" guy. He takes over a team lacking offensive talent. And defensive talent. They are going to need a lot of cheerleading.

31. Buffalo Bills: I don't know which is worse for Bills fans. The glory years of the '80s and '90s when the team made it to four Super Bowls only to lose them all painfully. Or the last ten years when the team has been mostly inept. Buffalo is restarting yet again after canning coach Dick Jauron and bringing in Chan Gailey. The Bills drafted Clemson running back CJ Spiller, which was a surprise since they already had a solid back in Fred Jackson. The two could make a formidable pair. The Bills have a great secondary but that's about it on defense.

32. Cleveland Browns: This is personal. As long as Eric Mangini is coaching the Browns I'll be rooting for them to own the league's cellar. The guy broke the sports code and snitched. Yes, taping another team's coaches was cheating. But snitching is worse. Do you think the Pats are the only team to have stolen other team's signals? They're not. They are just the only team that an opposing coach ratted on. I still don't know what new GM Mike Holmgren was thinking in keeping Mangini. Maybe he was thinking he'd like to take over the team in midseason. He's going to have to.

Crab cakes and football

This is the golden age of the NFL -- at least when it comes to being a fan. Maybe this isn't the best football the league has ever offered. I still think the '70s wins that honor. But it's close.

BREES: Winning feeling.

Just look at the season opener Thursday night. The defending champ New Orleans Saints against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. What a game. I can almost guarantee if you are looking forward to watching it you won't be disappointed. No matter who wins. I've said it before. That's what makes the NFL -- at this moment -- the greatest sporting experience ever. Almost every game has meaning and is entertaining to watch. If the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies were playing a Thursday night game to open the baseball season I would hardly notice. Not many people outside of Atlanta or Philly would. But a Saints-Vikings matchup attracts intense interest nationwide.

I have heard more people say "I can't wait for this season to start" than ever. And they aren't talking just about the Patriots. They are talking about the whole league. The NFL is Pixar, "Lost," reality television, 3-D movies, and concerts at Fenway all rolled into one. Just look at the Week 1 schedule.

Green Bay at Philly. Atlanta at Pittsburgh. Indy at Houston. Dallas at Washington. And then the Monday Night doubleheader of Baltimore at the 2011 Super Bowl champ NY Jets and San Diego at KC. All great games with great storylines. The McNabb-less Eagles against the powerful Pack. The Roethlisberger-less Steelers against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The veteran Colts against the up-and-coming Texans. The overconfident Cowboys taking on Washington with McNabb and Shanahan hoping to right the Redskin ship. Mount Ryan and the Jets against his old team and other AFC favorite Ravens. I'm going to watch as much of all those games as possible.

Luckily, I am on my furlough week at the newspaper (Thanks, NY Times) and plan to take advantage of my very free time by watching as much of the NFL Network as I can and getting ready for the home opener. I took inventory the other day and will need lots of the basic supplies replenished. But there are three unopened bottles of Grey Goose from last year. So we're good there. That's what happens when your team gets smashed in the first round of the playoffs. Lots of leftover booze.

The Pats start 2010 against Ochocinco, T.O. and the Bengals. It will be a good test of the D and possibly a very entertaining shootout. And the forecast is for 65 degrees and sunny. Sweet.

I'm going to blog a couple of times a week during the season (not every day, that's too much work) like I did last year. If you want the latest news on the team this isn't the place to go. But if you want a longtime fan's view from the tailgate to the fourth quarter, then follow along. Any year that Brady is the QB and Belichick is the coach the team has a chance to win it all.

I'll track the NFL in all its entertainment glory. From the NFL Network's life-changing Red Zone channel, to fantasy football, to the greatest story ever told (a.k.a the Brett Favre saga), pro football is like following a weekly drama. And, at least for now, the Patriots play a starring role.

I'll also look back at some of the best memories of my twenty-plus years of tailgating at Foxborough in the posts labeled "Tales from the Tailgate." The team has provided me and my friends with some really great memories. I think this year will be no different.

To get in the proper mood here's the football scene from "Wedding Crashers" (starting at about 4:20). It's a great look at both backyard football and eccentric, dysfunctional upper class families. Both are so much fun to watch. It's one of the best touch football scenes in movie history along with the one from "The Big Chill.'' One has Rachel McAdams, the other has Meg Tilly. That's a toss-up.

Crab cakes and football...

Feeling Randy

Flipping through the channels between "Seinfeld" and the NFL Network I came upon "Sports Tonight" on Comcast Sports Network with Tanguay and Felger. Like sports-talk radio, it's something I can only take in small doses hoping that some actual insight will come my way. It rarely does.

The show opened with a promo about Randy Moss mouthing off about not being wanted. Felger -- a well-known Moss basher -- was almost drooling. His take? Moss had once again shown that he is a selfish, spoiled diva like T.O. I can skip Felger and Mazz for the rest of the week because I know what they will be talking about.

The thing is... There was really nothing wrong with what Moss said. It was certainly not inflammatory. The flames will be fanned by the spouting heads, but not because of what he actually said. Which was this:

"When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted. I am taking that in stride and playing my final year out and whatever the future holds is what it holds, but it is kind of a bad feeling -- feeling not wanted. It is not like my production has gone down. I am speaking from an individual standpoint. I don't know about [Patriots quarterback] Tom or whoever else's contract. I am a little older and understand the nature of the business -- the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but I think I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills. That's the frustrating part when you put so much heart and desire into things and feel like you are not wanted."

MOSS AND BRADY: Best yet to come?

So what's wrong with that? Where's the whining in that? Where's the nastiness? Moss is on the last year of his contract. A contract in which he took a reduced rate to come to New England and play with Tom Brady. He was going to be paid nearly $20 million over the last two years of his deal with Oakland. Instead, he agreed to reduce that to about $3 million. Very selfish. So now he wants a new deal. He deserves one. Moss is still one of the best three or four wide receivers in the game. You don't agree? Here are his stats since coming to the Pats:

2007: 98 catches, 1,493 yards, 23 touchdowns. Moss and Brady had the single greatest passing season a QB and receiver ever had. It was amazing to watch. So amazing I changed my fantasy football team name from Mansfield Maulers to Moss Racing after he bought a racing team. I bought a Moss shirt. For the record, I was not in favor of the Pats getting Moss. It wasn't that I thought he was selfish or a prima donna. I just didn't think he had much left in the tank. I sure was wrong. And watching him from the stands week after week it became obvious how much he loved to play and how much guys loved playing with him.

2008: 69 catches, 1,008 yards, 11 touchdowns. On the first drive of the season Brady goes down. Moss looked like a guy whose dog just died. Or whose girl had dumped him. And he looked that way for quite a few weeks. Can you blame him? The whole point of his coming here was to play with Brady and that was ruined just a few plays into the season. The next week at the home opener Moss sat mostly off by himself instead of right next to the QB where he belonged. Instead of helping Matt Cassell adjust he was mourning Brady. It was annoying and I kept waiting for Rodney to smack him on the head. But Moss, like the team, pulled out of their funk and put together a solid season, just missing the playoffs.

2009: 83 receptions, 1,264 yards, 13 touchdowns. This is often referred to as an off year for Moss. Felger will show the lowlights of his game against Carolina where the only catch he had ended in a fumble. It was a lousy game. Every player has them. Even Brady. But Moss was accused of dogging it. Turns out he had a bad back most of the season and still caught 83 passes. Ya, he was dogging it.

So now we come to year four of Moss Racing. 2010. Last year of the three-year deal he signed after his amazing, record-breaking 2007 season. Moss has done everything that has been asked of him and more. Brady clearly loves playing with him. Belichick loves coaching him. The guy busts his ass. If you don't sit in the stands watching him you might not get that from the way he is depicted in the media. Does he take some plays off? Sure. He's not a youngster. He needs to know when to burn energy and when not. Not every play involves him. Some game plans he's not the focus of the offense. And he knows it. That's the "I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills" part of what he said.

He looks healthy and ready to go. If he stays healthy he -- and my fantasy team -- should have a great year. He wants a new contract. Just like Brady. Just like Mankins. Unlike Mankins, he hasn't accused Robert Kraft and the Patriots of lacking morals. The media hasn't made too much of Mankins's comments. They are depicted as being what you would expect from an angry player. I agree. The same applies to Moss's much more reasonable self expression.

I know, a guy whose fantasy football team is named Moss Racing is not the most objective voice in the Randy debate. When I heard he said he was feeling "not wanted" I thought he was complaining about not getting enough passes thrown his way. That would have bothered me. I do have one problem with his speaking out and that is the timing. But, being Moss, he's not stupid. Heading into the opener against Ochocinco and T.O. is a good time to say "Hey, I'm better than those guys combined. Why don't you want to wrap me up to three more years?" I think the Pats do want to do that and will sign him at some point. And I think the rest of Moss's statements this year will be made on the field. At least I hope so.

Cut down to size

MARONEY: Still in the running.

Today was the day teams had to make the difficult final roster cuts to get down to the 53-player limit. Matt Leinart was cut by the Cards. TJ Housh was set free by the Seahawks. Jarvis Green is done with Denver. Dry Bly wasn't even good enough to stick with Detroit. There was much speculation that Laurence Maroney would be listed among the most notable cuts of the day. Didn't happen. And that's good.

The Patriots did make one significant cut: outside linebacker Derrick Burgess. He of the near-retirement/sudden return during training camp. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or worried with a move like this. He looked lifeless during the preseason games that he did play in, making me think retirement was the way to go after all. Belichick apparently agreed. But... they are very thin on defense and Burgess had his moments last year. That's how concerning the D is at this point. Even a guy like Burgess has a value. But he's gone. And now the defense goes into the season minus starters from last year Ty Warren, Leigh Bodden, and Burgess. If this defense holds its own this season that will be one hell of a coaching job.

The Pats' other recognizable names were veterans Pierre Woods, Sam Aiken, and Eric Alexander. That tells me Belichick thinks he has a strong young core of special teams players. I think he is right.

The Belichick drafting record took more of a hit. Again, the team is still winning the AFC East and ranking among the top 10 Super Bowl contenders so it's not like they are in desperate need of new players. But Thomas Welch (2010), Zac Robinson (2010), Rich Ohrnberger (2009), Ted Larsen (2010), and George Bussey (2009) make five more guys chosen in the last two years not to make the team. And Ohrnberger, Bussey, and Larsen are offensive linemen. A spot the team is pretty thin at.

Patriots.com has the complete list of Pats' cuts. 

http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=pressreleasesdetail&pid=44325&pcid=47

The other news today was, of course, concerning an injury. Brandon McGowan, the defensive back the Pats signed from the Chicago Bears last year was put on injured reserve and is lost for the season. He joins Warren and Bodden on that list. McGowan started 11 games last year and, although not a star, brought a solid physical presence to the defense. He can hit. Another guy to replace. First call to make: Jarvis Green.

As I said, one guy the Pats won't have to replace is Maroney. It was much speculated by the spouting heads all week that he was in danger. It really wasn't much of a possibility. He showed enough last year to get the ball at the start of the season. As much as I am a Fred Taylor fan, there's no way he can carry the full load. Maroney still can. I'd actually like to see Belichick give him the ball 20 times in each the first two games. There'd be no more need for debate on Maroney after that -- one way or the other

Quite an exhibition

GRONKOWSKI: He's got hand.

The exhibition season is over. Now the fun begins. Hopefully.

The Patriots closed out preseason action with a 20-17 loss at the new Meadowlands. The starters actually played a bit in this one, a rarity in the Belichick era. He clearly thought they needed to see some more game action before the season starts for real -- especially the defense. He was right.

The defense has some issues. The Giants started the game with the ball at their own 14-yard line after another excellent Gostkowski kick-off. That's exactly what the Pats want to start a game. Stop the Giants and Brady and the offense get good field position, giving them a chance to get off to a fast start. That was the formula for success (and blowouts) and '07. The key that year was that the defense could get off the field. This one -- so far -- can't. New York drove 76 yards in 9 plays for a touchdown. Against the starting defense. This came on the heels of the preseason game against the Rams in which St. Louis had several long, time-consuming drives. Not a confidence builder.

The Giants added a 10-play drive that ended in a field goal in the second quarter. That one was led by rookie Rhett Bomer out of Sam Houston State. Sam Houston State! The Pats D helped Sam Bradford win the starting job for the Rams last week and if the Giants didn't already have Eli Manning then Bomer would have done the same. No pass rush. Inability to seal the corners against the run. Those are problems that can lead to some long Sunday afternoons. Surely Belichick can see that too. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with to fix it.

The starting offense has had a strong preseason, scoring six touchdowns and two field goals on 14 possessions in the four games. Besides a lack of pass rush, the other problem that cost the Pats wins last year was offensive troubles in the red zone. There's no sign the pass rush problem is fixed. There are strong signs that the red zone issues are. That would be a huge help this year. Gronkowski caught four touchdowns alone. Maybe there is a role for a tight end in this offense after all.

The preseason is over. It was not a good one. Not because the team lost its last two and finished 2-2. Not because the defense has looked shaky. Not because the new scoreboards are not as huge as I had hoped. The reason it was not a good one was because of injuries. Ty Warren. Leigh Bodden. Brandon McGowan. All important parts of the defense. Warren and Bodden are done for the year. The most important part of the preseason -- staying healthy. The Pats did as poorly on that front as they did in tackling. Both better improve starting next week.