Little big man

Bill Belichick has done a lot of things right during his time as head coach/GM of the Patriots. Except draft good wide receivers. That's been a tough one for him to get right. Except in the second round of the 2002 draft.

That's when he took Deion Branch. A 5-9 wideout out of the University of Louisville. Not exactly a college football powerhouse. I'm not sure I even knew Louisville had a football team until that moment. And I sure had never heard of Deion Branch.

But he's been a Patriot favorite ever since. Reports are that the Pats cut the veteran today. Unless something unexpected happens, Branch will sign with another team (Miami?) and his Patriot career, which got a second life two years ago, will be over ..this time for good. It was a heck of a career.

Branch contributed as a receiver and kick returner in his rookie year. The highlight of that year was a 13-catch game against the Chargers. He finished the season with nearly 500 yards receiving and more than 900 yards in kick returns. He and Brady had an instant chemistry.

In 2003 Branch became an even bigger part of the offense, giving Brady a deep threat that he didn't have before. Of Branch's 57 catches that year, an incredible 40 were for first downs. Branch was a key factor in the Pats getting back to the Super Bowl and on that Super Sunday against Carolina he had 10 catches and a touchdown. It was his final catch of that season that is one of the greatest catches in Pats' history. Brady was trying to get the team in position for Adam Vinatieri to once again kick them to a championship. With just 14 seconds remaining and the ball at the Panther 40, Brady needed one more play to get in field goal range. He took the shotgun snap and stood in the pocket, looking to his right. He fired a rocket to the right that Branch caught in the air inside the 25. As Branch caught the ball he was cracked in the back by the safety about as hard as you can get hit. Branch took the hit and held onto the ball. As tough a catch as I've seen. A few seconds later the Pats were covered in confetti for the second time in three years.

The next year Branch was hurt in Week 2 and missed nine games. Being a small guy, injuries were always a problem for Branch. But toughness wasn't. He returned late in the season and by the time the defending champs hit the playoffs Brady and Branch were on fire. In the AFC title game in Pittsburgh against the rival Steelers, Brady and Branch connected for a 60-yard bomb that set the tone as the Pats raced out to 24-3 halftime lead and never looked back. Branch sealed the win on a reverse late in the game for a 23-yard touchdown run. As he crossed the goal line he gave a little wave and a big smile to the Steeler defenders chasing him. I'm sure that highlight is hated ball all Pittsburgh fans. It's one of my favorites.

Branch followed that up with an MVP performance in the Super Bowl against the Eagles as the Pats won back-to-back Super Bowls. (I still can't believe that happened.) He caught a record-tying eleven passes. He and Brady were the best quarterback-receiver combo at that moment.

Branch played in all 16 games in 2005 and had a career high 78 catches. He seemed poised for a big payday. But for the Pats, a wide receiver who was prone to injury, was not worth that big of a pay day. The Pats made Branch a reasonable three-year offer that would have paid him more than $10 million over three years. Branch wanted more and held out. The two sides reached a stalemate, the Pats entertained trade offers but rejected them, and Branch filed grievances against the team. It was messy. The Pats finally traded Branch to Seattle for a first-round pick and the Seahawks gave him the big contract he wanted. Unfortunately for Branch and Seattle, the little guy battled foot injuries and was never able to become the No. 1 receiver he was in New England.

In 2010 the Seahawks and Pats agreed to another trade, sending Branch back where he belonged... catching passes from Tom Brady. Branch seemed rejuvenated and had two solid years as the Pats third receiver, smiling his gold-tooth grin the whole time.

From our seats in Section 109 at Gillette we get a pretty good view of the Pats bench. It's one of the best parts of going to the games. Of all the players in a Pats uniform that I've rooted for, I don't think any of them had more fun than Deion Branch.

Get his jacket ready for the Pats' Hall of Fame.

Surprise, surprise, surprise

GM Belichick has done it again. All the experts and prognosticators (and me) were sure that veteran and Tom Brady favorite Deion Branch had locked up a roster spot after fellow vets Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney had been cut. Just when you think you know what Belichick will do... he does something else. Branch was among the first wave of cuts reported today as all the teams in the NFL get down to the 53-man roster. I bet you Brady is not too happy about that. I know I'm not.

It's not the first time. I'm still unhappy that Belichick let Willie McGinnest go. He had a few good years left in him and I still think if he was on the field little Manning would never have lived to throw that pass to Tyree. And I still think Vinatieri should have retired a Patriot. And I would have given Asante Samuel the money. (I was OK with the Seymour trade). But the Pats just keep winning division titles year after year no matter who stays and who goes. In Belichick we trust? Five Super Bowl appearances (and three titles) in twelve years buys a lot of trust. But trusting and agreeing are two different things. Some of my favorite players (Lawyer, Randy, Bennie) have been dropped from the team without much warning.

Add Deion to that list. I went to a Pats practice where Deion looked like the fastest (and happiest) guy on the field. He is a leader on and off the field and just fun to watch. He will be missed. But if history repeats itself, a young guy like Jeremy Ebert or Jesse Holley will step up and fill the void.

Reports from the NFL Network are that back-up QB Brian Hoyer, veteran center Dan Koppen, and defensive back James Ihedigbo have also been let go. Koppen played on two Super Bowl champions but injury has slowed him down. Safety Ihedigbo was picked up from the Jets last year and proved to be a solid player and a guy who could play through injuries. But when you are a Super Bowl contender most of the guys that you cut on 53-man Friday are going to be good players.

Like Brian Hoyer. The back-up QB has been with the team since 2009 but, thankfully, hasn't been called upon to take over for Brady. But as back-ups go he's a pretty good one. But two years ago the Pats drafted the highly-touted and highly-controversial Ryan Mallett out of Arkansas. It was a surprising third-round pick.

Now Mallett, who wasn't particularly impressive in preseason, is the back-up to Brady for the defending AFC champs.

Belichick... always full of surprises.

Fall is in the air

The fake games are over. How do I know that? The 2012 NFL preview edition of Sports Illustrated landed at my door today.

From the time I was about 10 years old there were three magazines that came all around the same time that told me my favorite time of year was about to arrive.... the TV Guide fall preview edition, the Sears Christmas catalog, and the SI NFL preview.

I still get them all.

Summer is great. School vacation. The Cape. Gin and tonics. Baseball. 9 p.m. sunsets. Bocce ball in the yard. Gin and tonics.

But I have always looked forward to the end of summer. Probably because I have a September birthday. But also because it was the start of football season.

Gronk looks ready. So am I. Time to restock the tailgating supplies.

Pick-up football

The Patriots and the Giants closed out the preseason with a classic 6-3 snoozer. The last practice game is often a snoozer. Not much more than a pick-up game. Unless you are one of the guys on either team fighting for the last few open roster spots. Then it was one of the biggest games of your life ... or possibly the last game.

For the Pats, guys like Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Bolden, Jesse Holley, and Sergio Brown got one last chance to show they can help the team. Cunningham and Bolden had strong games, making a bid to stick on the roster when the final cutdowns to the 53-man roster are made on Friday.

The preseason was not very pretty for the Pats. There weren't too many fun moments. In fact, the most entertaining football I saw either on TV or at Gillette came last night during the broadcast when a film showed Brady, Hernandez, Branch, and Gronk playing some pick-up football on the New Jersey turf before the game. The video below shows Gronk trying to cover Brady.

The fun is about to start.

The Sparanos

As a Patriots' fan, now may not be the best time to poke fun at the Jets' offense. Brady and the other Pats' starters haven't looked too sharp yet. But they have scored touchdowns. As have the Pats' second and third units. Several touchdowns. Through three preseason games in New York however, the revamped, Wildcat, smash-mouth, explosive, scary offense that new coordinator Tony Sparano has brought with him has produced exactly zero touchdowns. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

When asked about the lack of production, Sparano answered in his usual style. "We want touchdowns, not field goals," he growled. "Make sure you put that in the headlines."

Touchdowns. Got it. That should make all Jets fans feel better.

Sparano and Rex Ryan together would make for great reality TV. If the NFL Network started a "T Rex" show chronicling the weekly curse-fests, meltdowns, comedy acts, and chaos that these two coaches are almost sure to provide I would be a regular viewer. Who wouldn't? The Jets will have a good defense. Not great. But good. It's the offense that will decide whether Gang Green can get back to the playoffs. An offense that has yet to score a touchdown.

"Starting" QB Mark Sanchez had led the offense on fifteen possessions -- a decent test sample -- and has not been able to lead the Jets into the endzone. Not once. But overall he has looked good from what I've seen. I think Sanchez could have a very good season. I thought the Jets thought that too when they gave him a big contract extension. But then a few weeks later they traded for "back-up" quarterback Tim Tebow.

Ah, Tim Tebow. He too has led the offense for 15 possessions and he too has no touchdowns. But the talk out of New York is still all about him. The back-up. Soon to be the subject of an episode of "A Football Life" on the NFL Network. Tebow is quite a story and a guy I rooted for in college and with Denver. Now he's a Jet. I can't root for him anymore. Skinny Rex says Tebow's going to give the offense a dangerous dynamic that it didn't have last year. It just might work. As long as he doesn't throw the ball...

First cuts aren't the deepest

NFL teams began the difficult process of paring their rosters down to the final 53 by the end of the week. Today they had to get down  to 75 players. When you're a Super Bowl contender like the Patriots, you are going to have to let some pretty good players walk. Last year almost every guy the Pats cut quickly landed on another team. That will likely happen again this year.

Since I have Sundays and Mondays off (yes, perfect for football season), I like to spend some quality time with the NFL Network on Monday afternoons. The NFL Network (like the MLB Network, the NHL Network, the Golf Channel, and, to a lesser degree, the NBA Network) has greatly reduced the time I spend watching any of the ESPN channels. Why watch bits and pieces of NFL news and highlights on ESPN when I can get 24-hour in-depth coverage on the NFL Network? I can't think of an answer either. (I still turn to ESPNBoston.com however for most of my local sports news. That site gets better every week).

So news out of Pats camp via the NFL Network is that the Pats have started the trimming with Donte Stallworth, Gerard Warren, Ross Ventrone, Tim Bulman, Spencer Larsen, and Josh Barrett. Unless they are injured, Stallworth and Gerard will almost certainly end up on another team. The fact that the Pats are letting veteran players like them go says the team is feeling good about some of the young guys that they have to replace them. That's a good sign.

Stallworth's departure means veterans (and Brady favorites) Branch and Gaffney should stick with the team. (Update: Gaffney has also been released. The logjam at receiver has sure been fixed). It also means Olympic medalist Jeff Demps and his blinding speed will be around. Stallworth's game was speed but at his age he has lost a step or two. Better to go with the young track star.

Warren has been a solid citizen for the Pats the last few years. He was a good guy to have around for defensive line depth. His departure means the team thinks young guys like Myron Pryor, Ron Brace, and Brandon Deaderick are ready to play a bigger role. In Brace's case, it's about time. Of course he may be gone come Friday.

Ross Ventrone is one of my favorite role players on the team. A solid special teams guy. Good tackler. Great hair. Smart football player. He is living the quintessential life of an NFL role player. Here's the "biography" of him on the Pats website...

Ross Ventrone was originally signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent (4/29/10) ... Released by the Patriots (8/20/10) ... Re-signed by the Patriots (8/23/10) ... Released by the Patriots (9/4/10) ... Signed to the practice squad by the Patriots (10/19/10) ... Signed by the Patriots (1/18/11) ... Released by the Patriots(8/10/11) ... Signed by the Patriots (8/29/11) ... Released by the Patriots (9/3/11) ... Signed by the Patriots to the practice squad (9/5/11) ... Released by the Patriots (10/1/11) ... Signed to the practice squad by the Patriots (10/4/11) ... Signed to the 53-man roster by the Patriots (10/8/11) ... Released by the Patriots (10/17/11) ... Signed by the Patriots (10/19/11) ... Released by the Patriots (11/3/11) ... Signed to the Practice Squad by the Patriots (11/9/11) ... Signed to the 53-man roster by the Patriots (11/12/11) ... Released by the Patriots (11/15/11) ... Signed to the practice squad by the Patriots (11/17/11) ... Signed to the 53-man roster by the Patriots (11/12/11) ... Released by the Patriots(11/23/11) ... Signed to the practice squad (11/24/11) ... Signed to the active roster (12/17/11) ... Released by the Patriots (12/26/11)... Signed to the practice squad by the Patriots (12/28/11) ... Signed by the Patriots to a future contract (2/7/12).

I count 27 roster moves in just two seasons. 27!! It's now 28 with today's release. How can you not root for a guy like that? I like to imagine Ventrone -- after he hands in his playbook yet again -- walking across the parking lot to the movie theater at Patriot Place, grabbing some popcorn and watching a few matinees in the hope that Belichick will walk in during the middle of "Premium Rush" and sign him back to the practice squad.

Not quite ready

KIM KLEMENT/US PRESSWIRE

“We didn’t do anything offensively except lose yardage and turn the ball over, so yeah, it was tough to watch any of what we did offensively. There wasn’t anything. We throw them the ball. Can’t make any yards in the running game. Third-and-long all day. Yeah, it was real hard to watch.”

That was Bill Belichick's assessment after the Pats dropped their preseason game down in Tampa 30-28. Who says Belichick isn't honest? That's as honest as you get. No Skinny Rex B.S. Just "we suck." That's what I want from my coach.

And, after three preseason games, he's right. The starters on offense have done almost nothing so far. It will be interesting to see how much -- if at all -- they play in the practice finale next week against little Manning and the Giants. The starters usually leave their pads at home for the last preseason game. But this year Brady and Lloyd and the rest of them might need to play another half just to build a little momentum. Then again, the Pats open against Tennessee and Arizona. They should be able to win those games playing just decent football but, as they say ... Any Given Sunday.

Brady has spent more time sitting on the turf than he has tossing touchdowns. He's been nailed and fumbled the ball in both games he has played in. It's a collective bad effort so far. The line has yet to round in to form. The receivers -- especially Lloyd who might want to ditch #85 -- have yet to really click. And the running game has been a non-factor.

That is my biggest concern at the moment. The running game. Sure, the offensive line is a big part of that and the offensive line is everyone's concern. But so far I'm not seeing much from second-year guys Vereen and Ridley. Especially Vereen. And he got banged up again. Ridley did rush for 87 yards on 16 carries against the Bucs, but 29 of those came on one play. Take that one away and it's 58 yards on 15 carries. Not bad. Not great. The thing that is missing so far is the thing that Bennie brought to the table. The ability to turn a no-gain play into two or three yards so that it's 2nd-and-7 instead of 2nd-and-11. That's a pretty important element to any offense.

The defense, which had been pretty strong so far, took a bit of step back last night. Tampa opened the game with a nice 8-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that saw a lot of open receivers. The Pats secondary looked a little too much like last year's team than one wants to see.

But it's preseason and the games don't count. The Pats are 1-2? Nope. They are 0-0. They key is to stay healthy. Tampa won last night but lost a few key players to injury. The Pats -- so far -- have only suffered one major injury to linebacker Dane Fletcher. A tough loss but not a devastating loss. Unless Chung's injury is worse than the team is letting on, the Pats will start the season in good shape physically.

The same can't be said about the team's game performance shape. As Belichick said, the team has a lot of work to do to get to the point they need to be to start the season. A lot. Anyone who says the NFL training camp/preseason is too long need only watch last night's game. The Pats have one more preseason game and two more weeks of practices.

They need it.

'Just didn't work out'

"Just didn't work out."

That's all Bill Belichick had to offer when  asked why the Pats cut defensive lineman Jonathan  Fanene, one of their biggest free agent signings coming into this season.

"Just didn't work out." That's all he ever says. Which is fine with me. I don't want/need my coach/GM to say much. I can see what's happening for myself. Just coach. And that's what Belichick does.

So add Fanene to the list of guys I was excited about when the team signed this offseason who are gone before I even have my first tailgate cocktail.

First it was Anthony Gonzalez. Then Joe Addai. Then Robert Gallery. Now Fanene.

Watch out Bobby Carpenter... you're next.

It's only preseason

Turns out the Jets really do have a quarterback controversy. As in, are either of their highly paid signal callers good enough to lead Gang Green back into the playoffs? If you're looking for some entertainment while waiting for tonight's Pats-Eagles MNF preseason game, this 14 minutes from Saturday's Giants-Jets game should do it. Unless you are a Jets fan.

Both Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow had their moments. Sanchez completed 9 out of 11 passes but for only a total of 59 yards. And, as you will see in the video, he threw a pick-six to kill a good drive. Vintage Sanchez.

Then, as you will also see, Tebow took over in the second half and he also led a decent drive but badly under threw a WIDE open receiver in the end zone, forcing the Jets to settle for three points. The offense's only three points of the game. The Jets have been outscored 43-9 in two preseason games. It's only preseason, but that's not good. And by the end of the game Tebow was yelling at his offensive lineman after getting sacked. That's not good either.

There was a lot of worry expressed in the Sports Blabosphere last week over the state of the Pats' offensive line. Of course, all those concerns were preceded by the "I know it's only preseason" statement. Tonight's game will be a good test of how much progress has been made since the Saints game almost two weeks ago. Logan Mankins is back and that will surely help, although it's uncertain if he'll be ready to play. The Eagles have very fast outside rushers so keeping Brady -- if he plays -- upright will be one of the keys of the night.

Other keys will be what Shane Vereen can do with a chance to start and if the young guys on defense can build on their solid performance against the Saints.

Oh, and how many margaritas I can drink on a warm summer night at the stadium. Time to get in game shape.

Need for speed

First Belichick drafted Ohio State rugby star Nate Ebner. He is big and strong and fast. Now Belichick has added an Olympic silver medalist in track. Jeff Demps. He is fast and fast and fast. While the Jets toy with the idea of having their mediocre and over-paid back-up quarterback run some trick plays, Belichick is busy adding the most dangerous thing in the game ... speed.

Demps, who came home from London with a silver in the 4x100 relay, played in 51 games (starting 27) during his college career at Florida. In those games he scored 23 rushing touchdowns. He also returned kickoffs for the Gators. That's where he could be a weapon. The Pats' return game has not been a difference maker since Troy Brown in the early 2000s. It's one of the few weaknesses the team has had.

Belichick knows the Pats need more speed. You want speed? Take a look at these highlights (The "Patriots Suck" title apparently refers to the fact that the most hated team in football just signed the fastest football player on the planet). This is speed...

Top secret

The Jets made headlines today by running some Wildcat plays in practice. No. Really. They did.

With excitement in their voices as if they had just seen Springsteen, the football reporters on the NFL Network and ESPN1-30 reported that it was Tim Tebow's birthday today and skinny Rex gave him a gift by letting the offense go wild at training camp.

Sal Paolantonio reported from the Jets training facilities, stating the he was among the media members who were allowed to watch the Wildcat plays but, he added, "reporters were told that they could not divulge any of the formations or any of the players used in the formations." What? Reporters can't report on what they saw? And they agreed to that? What are the Jets doing? Coming up with a plan to reduce the deficit and save Social Security?

Nope. They are just practicing the Wildcat.

Here's what skinny Rex said after the practice... "We'll have an offense and the Wildcat will be a part of it. The great thing is you don't know if we're going to run it once. You don't know if we're going to run it 20 times, 50 times, whatever. That's up to us. If you're not prepared for it, why wouldn't we run it?"

The "you" Ryan is referring to there is Belichick and the Patriots. He seems to think that Belichick is twirling his whistle at practice because he is so nervous about facing the Jets and the Wildcat. Ryan feels the Wildcat is such a secret weapon that reporters can't even talk about what plays the team is practicing. Once again Rex doesn't get it. There are no secrets with the Wildcat. That's the whole point. When the Wildcat package (a.k.a Tebow) comes on the field everyone knows it. Everyone is prepared for it. The question is ... can you stop it? With the Patriots (and the rest of the NFL) the answer was no ... for about three months.

Way back in 2008 Tony Sparano (now the Jets offensive coordinator) unleashed the Wildcat against the Patriots and scored a ridiculous five touchdowns from the formation for a ridiculous 38-13 upset. Sparano and the Dolphins rode the Wildcat to a surprise AFC East title and a playoff berth. They then got crushed by the Ravens 27-9 in the first round. The Ravens had figured out the Wildcat. As did most of the NFL the following year. Eventually Sparano and the Dolphins gave up on the trick offense when Ronnie Brown -- the key to the whole thing -- got hurt and the plays started to create more turnovers than points.

So skinny Rex is hoping to rekindle the Wildcat magic with Sparano and Tebow. Problem is Tebow is a quarterback. He's fast... for a quarterback. He's shifty and elusive... for a quarterback. He's tough to bring down ... for a quarterback. Quarterbacks like Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick can run the Wildcat. Why? Because they can scramble and then stop and throw the ball 60 yards right on the money. Tebow can't do anything like that. The '08 Dolphins used running backs Brown and Ricky Williams to run their Wildcat. Mostly Brown. Ronnie Brown is fast. Really fast. Miami pretty much ran it as the Option offense from college. There was very little threat to pass. The question was would Brown keep the ball and run or pitch it to Ricky and let him run. For a few weeks defenses (especially the Pats) were frozen where they stood trying to figure it out. Then they did what all defenses eventually do against the Option or Wildcat. Just go after the darn ball. Once defenses get that in their head, the Wildcat is not so scary.

But don't tell skinny Rex that. The Jets didn't run any Wildcat plays in their preseason opener against Cincy. Rex volunteered -- as is his way -- after the game that the reason he didn't run the trick plays is because Cincy coach Marvin Lewis asked him not to. "I know nobody's worried about the Wildcat and all that stuff. It's real easy to stop," he said as the media lapped it up. "That's why I got a call at 7 a.m. the day before by Marvin not wanting to see the Wildcat. I guess I'm the only one who thinks it has a place in the NFL."

Classic Ryan. His logic is often flawed. The problem with using Marvin Lewis as his example of the power of the Wildcat? Marvin Lewis is afraid of facing the Wildcat? No kidding? Marvin Lewis is afraid of doing anything. That's why his team has consistently beat itself year after year with him leading the way. It's not like it was Tom Coughlin or Mike Tomlin making the call.

The Wildcat can be scary when run by a weapon like Ronnie Brown. When run by Tim Tebow it's just a quarterback who can scramble. Look at what the Pats did to Tebow and the Broncos twice in the span of a month near the end of last season. In Week 15 the Pats went into Denver and beat them convincingly 41-23.  Tebow rushed for nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns, but he only completed 11 passes and was mostly held in check in the second half. Turn the calendar ahead to the playoffs and a January game at Gillette. This time Tebow only complete nine passes. Nine! In the playoffs. And this time he only ran for 13 yards. Why? Because Brady was running a real NFL offense and crushing Denver 45-10. You can't run the Wildcat when you are down three touchdowns.

So Rex says he's going to keep the Wildcat a big mystery so that Belichick has a lot of sleepless nights. Will the Jets run 20 Wildcat plays? 50?

I bet I know what Belichick is thinking. Please let them run the Tebow Wildcat 50 times. Please.

Plax buildup

Mark me down in the "no" category on whether the Pats should sign Plaxico Burress.

ESPN's Adam Schefter -- the best pro football reporter out there -- says the former Steeler, former Giant, former prisoner, former Jet is coming to Patriot Place today for a tryout. Hmmmm. The Pats just got rid of Ocho (who may soon be adding "prisoner" to his resume as well) and now Belichick is toying with the idea of adding Plax. Seems like a one step up, two steps back kind of thing. But Belichick has been right way more than me the past ten years so he gets the benefit of the doubt ... for now.

Plax would certainly give the Pats something the team doesn't have ... a tall wide receiver. Jabbar Gaffney -- among the guys most likely to make the team -- is the tallest at 6-2. Welker, Branch, and Lloyd are not quite six feet. Plax at 6-5 could add another dimension to the offense ... always a good thing. I'm sure Brady would be psyched to have him to throw to. But at what cost? Can Burress check his attitude -- and you better believe he has one -- at the door? Can he accept being the fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart? Someone who might only catch three or four passes a game but -- unlike Ocho -- will have to actually catch the passes. Can he control himself from saying stupid things to the press that will only cause the annoying distractions that Sports Blab radio loves so much?

There's no way of knowing the answers to those questions. The only question Belichick is asking at the moment is can this guy still play? Can he help the team? He was right on Dillon. He was right on Randy. Not so much on Haynesworth or Ocho. You can't be right all the time but Belichick has been right a lot.

Maybe he'll be right this time. Maybe Plax will catch the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl to finally beat the Giants and set things right again.

You never know.

Let the games begin

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Not that I haven't been enjoying the Summer Olympics from London. I have. The US-Canada women's soccer semifinal game was one of the 10 greatest non-Boston sporting events I've ever seen. (Do you believe in miracles is still at the top.) I like turning on the TV at 10:30 after I get home from work and having a wide variety of sporting events played at their highest level. What's not to like about that?

That said, I've been ready for this season for a while now. Brady and the Pats got back on the field for (almost) real against Brees and the Saints at Gillette last night. I had to work so Shep and his Dad took in the game on a perfect summer night for football. One of those nights that make you know why Texans love their football so much. The 2012 season has begun. The Pats are 1-0. It's all good.

And that's what Pats fans should focus on after the preseason opener... the good. There are always problems in the preseason. They are not really problems till Week 1. Or more like Week 5. The offense only scored seven points. Brady got whacked from behind. Nate Solder looked a little uncertain in stepping in for Matt Light. Brandon Lloyd is wearing 85 and at times playing like it. Brady got whacked from behind. Problems. But when you are coming off yet another run to the Super Bowl the odds are those problems will mostly get solved by September 10.

It's more relevant to look at the question marks coming into training camp and see how they are starting to be answered.

Q. Are the Pats two stud first-round picks Chandler Jones and D'onta Hightower good enough to make an impact right away?

A. Sure looks like it. Jones was everywhere. He only recorded one tackle but he disrupted many more plays. His size and speed looked NFL caliber. Hightower had one tackle (a crusher) and assisted on three others. He may not start, but he will see lots of playing time at key moments.

Q. Can Ridley and Vereen build on the promise from last year?

A. Once again... sure looks like it. Ridley averaged five yards a carry and looked very quick. His longest run was only five yards. That will have to get better. Shane Vereen, who was hurt most of last year, picked up 64 yards on 11 carries. His longest run was also only about five yards, but he made a few Saints miss on several rushes. And both backs held on to the ball. That is key.

Q. Is the team's depth -- a key to surviving the long season and finishing near the top -- improved from last year? A year that had pretty good depth.

A. Yes. Backup QB Brian Hoyer is clearly ready to play the role of Matt Cassel if he should be called upon. But more importantly the depth in the secondary is greatly improved. Free agent Steve Gregory -- a seven-year vet from San Diego -- looked solid in the middle of the field with Chung. Each had a nice pick in the red zone. McCourty and Arrington started at corner and didn't give up many big plays. The depth came with second-year corner Ras-I Dowling and rookie safety Tavon Wilson. Both played well and seem to have moved ahead of returning players Ihedigbo, Moore, Brown, Barrett, and Ventrone. 12-year vet Will Allen also looked good and could provide some veteran leadership to a young group. Then again I thought that about Joe Addai too.

Q. Can Belichick -- after all these years -- do what most coaches can't do and keep control of his team and stop them from tuning him out?

A. Do you have to ask? No one does it better. I saw the Pats on Day 2 of training camp. There was a lot of rust as you would expect. Less than two weeks later the coaching staff has the team well on its way to being ready for another season and another run at Lombardi #4.

Next up a game against Mad Dog Vick and the Eagles on the 20th. The second preseason game is always a big one in deciding position battles. It's a Monday night summer game at Gillette. And I don't work Mondays. Let the games begin.

My favorite Martin

The NFL is handing out a few more yellow Hall of Fame jackets this weekend. Some greats of the game will be entering Canton. Willie Roaf. Chris Doleman. Cortez Kennedy. Dermontti Dawson. I'm not convinced Dawson is a hall of famer but the NFL has always inducted more players than the other pro sports halls. That should mean a few guys from the Pats dynasty get in. At least they better.

One guy going in the hall this year was not a part of the dynasty but is one of the all-time great Patriots. Curtis Martin. The greatest runner the team has ever had. If only for a few years. There aren't too many warm memories from tailgating in the '90s, but what few there are mostly involve Curtis Martin. No. 28.

Martin was drafted by Bill Parcells and the Pats in the third round of the 1995 draft. Martin would have been a sure top five pick but after putting up 250 yards against Texas in the opening game of his senior year at Pitt, he sprained his ankle and missed the rest of the season. His draft stock plummeted. And he fell right into the waiting arms of Parcells. It's not Brady in the sixth round, but it's close.

I remember going to the first game of Martin's rookie year at the old Foxboro Stadium against the Browns. Expectations for the team were high after making the playoffs in Parcell's second year as coach. A real running game was the biggest need. A few minutes into the season Martin showed that need had been filled. Martin took the hand off and cut to his left. The outside was closed off so he cut back against the grain -- the move that would become his trademark -- and raced 30 yards on his first carry. Then, with time running out, he took the ball at the Cleveland one-yard line and soared over the pile for the game winner. It was a beautiful late summer day in the mid 60s and I remember the post-game tailgate as being one of the best ever. We had Parcells. Bledsoe. And now Curtis Martin. There were a lot of smiles that day.

Of course Parcells, Bledsoe, and Martin proceeded to lose six of the next seven games and the smiles were gone. In fact there was a moment in the parking lot after a tough loss to New Orleans late in the year where I stood slumped against my red Chrysler Reliant wagon (Yes. I was one of the guys who believed in Lee Iacocca). Mark still calls it my low point of nearly 30 years of tailgating. But Martin was not the reason. He broke 100 yards nine times in his rookie year and led the AFC in rushing yards with nearly 1,500. Rookie of the year. Pro bowler. Future of the franchise.

Things got even better in Martin's second year. Although not right away. The Pats lost their first two games to division rivals Miami and Buffalo (turning the ball over six times) and suddenly the great Bill Parcells wasn't looking so great. And then Martin took over. He scored three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) to spark the team to a 31-0 win over Arizona. The Pats would only lose three more times that year as Martin rolled up 17 touchdowns and the Pats made the playoffs at 11-5. Then they had their first ever home playoff game. The Fog Game. One of the greatest days of football in the town that Kraft built. There were a lot of moments in the team's 28-3 domination of the hated Steelers. But none bigger than Martin's 78-yard touchdown dash through the fog. He added a 23-yarder to seal the game away in the fourth quarter and finished with 166 yards on the ground. A team record. The Pats looked unstoppable.

A few weeks later they would lose a heartbreaking Super Bowl to Favre and the Packers and a few days after that Parcells was on his way to coach the Jets. Martin stayed another year with the Pats but as soon as his contract was up he joined the Tuna in New York. Martin and I have one thing in common ... that I know of -- a love of Bill Parcells. Martin says the coach is his mentor and one of the biggest influences in his life. When Parcells left the Pats after the Super Bowl loss, it was only a matter of time till Martin followed.

Martin continued to build a hall of fame resume playing for the Jets. But Parcells, as he does, bailed on Gang Green after a few seasons and Martin spent the rest of his career playing for mediocre teams in the Meadowlands. But he never quit no matter how bad the Jets got. That's what made him a hall of famer. It wasn't his speed or shiftiness. It was his toughness, dedication, class, determination. Losing Martin to New York hurt much less after Belichick bolted the Jets and came to Foxborough to build a dynasty. But it's hard not to wonder what Martin could have done with the Pats.

Check out the highlights below. They are all from just one game in 1995 against the Steelers, the best defense in the league that year. The Steelers won the game, but the Pats' rookie put on a show rushing for 120 yards on 20 carries and catching eight passes from Bledsoe for another 62 yards and a touchdown. It was a hall of fame performance. One of many.

A blabbermouth!

Rex Ryan says he and the Jets are gonna tone down all the talk this season.

Ya. Right. As Ralph Kramden would say, Ryan can't help himself. He's a blabbermouth!

Ryan said recently that he's not going to make any brash predictions this year. He's not going to talk as much trash. He began each of his first three seasons as HC of the NYJ by saying "We are winning the Super Bowl." Now it shouldn't come as a surprise any time a coach or player says they think the team will win it all. (Unless we're talking the 2012 Red Sox). Especially before the season even starts. What's the point of stepping on the field if you don't think you are going to win? It's "the promise" to win that gets people into trouble. People like Rex Ryan. Blabbermouths.

Ryan said he has realized that guaranteeing a championship may have put too much pressure on his players to back that boast up. It only took him three years to figure it out. Of course the Jets came pretty close in Ryan's first two seasons, making it to the AFC title game both years. But both times it was a matter of a slightly above average team sneaking into the playoffs and then getting hot. That's not really a recipe for long term success. Last season proved that, as Ryan's team failed to even make the playoffs, collapsing on the field and in the locker room. It was beautiful to watch.

Ryan says he has learned his lesson. Shut up and coach. Shut up and play. Problem is, when you make your name as a guy whose confidence and braggadocio are bigger than your pants size you really can't turn humble. You just look weak. That's the dilemma facing Ryan. A bully has only one thing going for him ... tough talk. Once that doesn't work he's toast. A slimmer (half of Mt. Ryan is gone) and gentler Rex Ryan doesn't work. And he knows it.

After saying he's going to coach and not talk, Ryan added "I look at myself as the best defensive coach in football."

That's right. He just can't help himself.