The shootout

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE

Pats 26, Vikings 20 OT (11/13/'94): The sad news that former Patriots fullback Kevin Turner has been diagnosed with ALS is a sobering reminder of the risks that NFL players take to earn a living while entertaining the masses. The toll of the violence is something that we mostly don't talk about while hanging out in the Gilette parking lot grilling and drinking. It sometimes makes an ugly appearance on the field when a collision results in an injury. But mostly it shows up later in the life of the players when people are no longer watching them. For Turner, just 41, it showed up much too soon.

Turner is a favorite of the longtime Pats fan. A fullback is often the heart and soul of an offense. Much like linebackers on defense. Turner was a big part of the Patriots' heart as they suddenly transformed into a playoff contender under Bill Parcells. On a beautiful November day (near 50 degrees) in 1994, Turner was an even bigger part of the game in which Parcells saw his leadership and work finally start to pay off. What a pay off it was.

Me, my brother Jim, Mark, and his friend Scottie enjoyed a great day of tailgating in T-shirts in the winter. Scottie was wearing his Broncos T-shirt being a long, long time Denver fan. It was just mine and Mark's first year as season ticket holders together, a purchase inspired by the hiring of the Tuna, and we were enjoying our Sundays very much. The fact that the team was 3-6 and had lost four straight did not dampen our spirits one bit that afternoon. We were just glad to be tailgating.

The game started out horribly. The Vikings, one of the best in the NFC that year, were full of veteran stars. Chris Carter. Henry Thomas. John Randle. Jack Del Rio. And of course Warren Moon. The Hall of Fame QB was 38-years-old and still one of the best gunslingers in the league. He came out firing at the old Foxboro Stadium, passing for 234 yards in the first half. The Vikings jumped all over the Patriots for a 20-3 lead. Our spirits were a little dampened at that point.

The Patriots had a young player they hoped would develop into their own gunslinger. Drew Bledsoe. In the second half that's just what he did. Bledsoe completed an amazing 37 of 54 passes for 354 yards ... in the second half. 54 passes in one half. It was an amazing sight. Bledsoe finished the game with 42 completions in 70 pass attempts. Both NFL records. And he didn't throw an interception.

Bledsoe started slinging the ball all over Foxboro Stadium on the opening drive of the third quarter, capping it with a 31-yard TD pass. The rest of the half was one rocket after another. Big Ben Coates caught 10 passes, Leroy Thompson 11, Michael Timpson 10, Vincent Brisby 5, Kevin Turner 4. Not exactly Stallworth and Swan that Bledsoe was working with. The Pats still trailed by 10 with just over five minutes left in the game when #11 really started to heat up. Third down after third down Bledsoe would keep the drive going. A rope to Timpson. First down. A scrambling completion to Coates. First down. Me, Mark, Jim, and Scott were loving it. The whole stadium was loving it.

Matt Bahr kicked a field goal with seconds left to send the game into overtime. Then Bledsoe really caught fire. Starting at their own 35-yard line, Parcells called five straight pass plays and Bledsoe completed them all moving the team down to the Vikes 25. The Pats then ran three times to set up a first down at the 14-yard line. Parcells was a pound-the-rock kind of coach. His Super Bowl champion Giants played that way. So this was the moment we expected the Pats to keep it on the ground and set up the winning field goal. But the coach had already come to the conclusion -- as everyone else did when the game was over -- that the Pats had a very powerful weapon in Bledsoe. He wasn't afraid to use it.

Bledsoe took the snap and dropped back to pass. From our view in Section 311 we could see Kevin Turner come out of the backfield right below us, heading towards the near corner of the end zone. Bledsoe lofted a beautiful pass that sailed from our right to left, landing in Turner's fingertips as the fullback touched his toes gently in bounds. Touchdown! Pats win! From 20-0 to 26-20! Turner leaped into the arms of his teammates. Jim and I leaped into each other's arms. It was one of the best sporting moments I've witnessed. The Pats left the field with a 4-6 record but with a new sense of confidence. They did not lose another game the rest of the regular season and made the playoffs. That's how much of an impact Bledsoe's passes and Turner's catch had.

Ask anyone who was at Foxboro Stadium that day what it was like and they all get a large smile on their face. The tape of this game is one of the most revisited among my video library of Pats games created over 20 years through the hard work of faithful VCRs. I've watched that ball fall into the hands of Kevin Turner time and time again. He gave 60,000 people one of their greatest sports memories that day. He deserves a better fate.

New kids on the block

Day three of the NFL Draft (rounds 4-7) saw the Patriots add seven more players to their roster of rookies. Another tight end (now Belichick is just messing with me), two offensive lineman, two defensive lineman, a quarterback, and a punter. It's that last one that I'm kind of excited about. Zoltan Mesko. 6'-4'' punter from Michigan via Romania. That's right, the Patriots new punter is from Romania. Here, in its entirety, is the NFL.com scouting report:

"Mesko is a four-year starter that had his best season punting the football in 2009. He averaged 44.5 yards in 52 attempts with 0 blocked. Mesko is excellent at dropping the ball inside the twenty yard line to pin opponents deep into their own territory. Mesko has good size and athleticism for the position with above average leg strength. Mesko has been effective in tough weather conditions and shows poise under pressure. He has been solid with his hang time and distance but isn’t an elite punter in this years draft. Mesko is a solid prospect that will likely get his named called late in the draft."

OK, I'm not sure why, after describing the guy as a punting god, you would then say he isn't an elite punter in this years draft, but whatever. If Zoltan -- and let's just agree we are all calling him Zoltan and not Mesko -- can be to punting what Gostkowski has been to kick-offs and field goals then the Patriots will be set in the kicking game for many years to come. Don't underestimate the importance of that. The Pats lost several close games last year (Denver, Indy, Miami) that a well placed punt might have made a difference in. Oh, and he was a captain for the Wolverines, The first special teams player in school history to be so honored. Look at him. He looks more like a linebacker. Maybe he can catch passes like Vrabel. I've got high hopes for Zoltan.

The other players taken in day three provide depth where it is always needed -- on the offensive and defensive lines. Ted Larsen, Tom Welch, Brandon Deaderick, and Kade Weston are likely deep bench or practice squad guys. Belichick, although he has stumbled several times in the early rounds of the draft, has always seemed to find a lineman late in the draft who surprises so we may see one of these names making an impact someday. The team also grabbed Oklahoma St. quarterback Zach Robinson with one of its compensatory picks. This is the guy who was making the passes to Dez Bryant so he must have been doing something right. Is he the young QB who will eventually replace Brady? Seems fitting that a seventh-rounder would one day replace the greatest sixth-rounder ever chosen. But that's getting a little ahead of things.

The Patriots added twelve young players to their roster. Some of them could -- should -- have an immediate impact in 2010. That's what makes the NFL draft so much fun. It's like going on a shopping spree. I'll take one of those, one of those ... each selection an opportunity to find the next Tedy Bruschi, Asante Samuel, or Tom Brady. Even the next Ben Coates.

Tighten up

The tight end position. NFL teams are always looking for that next great tight end. I am always looking for the Patriots to stop drafting them in the first (or second, or third ...) round. If I hear the words "With the 22nd pick in the NFL draft, the New England Patriots select tight end..." I'm leaving the party.

It's not that I have anything against the guys who play TE. I don't. In fact, some of my favorite Patriots have played the position. Russ Francis. Ben Coates. Jermaine Wiggins.

I grew up watching Francis play the game like a rock star. Long hair, mustache, always a huge grin. His helmet was always off long before reaching the sideline. He was the Tom Selleck of tight ends. But he was a much better football player than Magnum P.I. was an actor. Francis was a big part of the '70s teams that got me hooked on the Pats. He was taken with the 16th pick in the first round in 1975 and the laid back Hawaiian did not disappoint. He and Steve Grogan connected on many big plays and helped make the franchise a winner. Russ Francis was the man. At least that's what I thought after the time I saw him out with a few lady friends while I was having dinner with my parents at the Honolulu restaurant on Rte. 1 in Norwood. I was about 13-years-old and Francis was more than gracious to turn his attention away from his four female dining companions to sign an autograph for a young fan. Thanks Russ. A great role model.

If Francis was the coolest tight end to ever wear a Patriots uniform, then Ben Coates was the toughest. The original Big Ben, he was the opposite of Francis. A fifth-round selection in '91, Coates was mostly an afterthought in his first two pro seasons. Like every good receiver, Coates needed someone to get him the ball. That someone was Drew Bledsoe. And boy did Bledsoe get him the ball. Time and time again. Coates was Bledsoe's security blanket. When in trouble or in need of a big play, Bledsoe would look for number 87. He wasn't hard to find. But he was almost impossible to bring down. At 6-5 and almost 250 pounds, Coates was an unstoppable force. He would often catch a pass 10 yards downfield and then drag several would-be tacklers another twenty yards. Some of my favorite memories at the old Foxboro Stadium are watching Big Ben haul in a pass from Bledsoe and carry defenders (often Dolphins) on his back. In 1994 he set a record for catches in a season for a tight end with 96. Francis was the man. Coates was the beast.

Since Coates retired the Patriots have invested lots of draft picks in an attempt to find the next one. Without much success. First round picks Daniel Graham and Ben Watson were solid players, but not really worth first round picks. And in the last few seasons the tight end has been such a small part of the offensive game plan that I'm ready for the Pats to just chuck the position completely. After all, unlike a quarterback or center you don't have to play with a tight end. I was starting to think Bill Belichick agreed with me on that. The team let both Chris Baker and Watson go this month, leaving them without an NFL caliber TE on the roster. Were the Patriots getting sick of being disappointed as they watched their tight ends drop passes or fumble or miss key blocks as much as me? I guess not.

Today the team signed veteran tight end Alge Crumpler. I had him on my fantasy football team a few years back and he ... disappointed. But he's a good pickup for the Pats. In fact, he's all the tight end the team needs. He's 32 with a lot of wear on the tires but might still have a good season left in him. He'll add some veteran leadership and his work ethic is solid. I can envision Brady and Crumpler hitting it off on and off the field. And he comes cheap. He seems like a good fit for the team that doesn't seem to know what to do with the tight end. So no need to use any draft picks on the position, right Bill?