Gronk should have been tossed from Bills game, would have avoided suspension

NFL refs suck. Just look how poorly and inconsistently they don't call pass interference when opposing defenders drape themselves on Rob Gronkowski.

Gronk should have been ejected from the Bills game for his late, and dangerous hit on Tre'Davious White. Sorry, Pats fans, it's true. If any Bill or Dolphin or Jet did what Gronk did to a Pats' player, we'd all be up in arms about it. We all yell and scream quite vociferously when Gronk or Brady is a victim of a cheap shot. You can't then ignore your own players crossing the line so blatantly.

Even Belichick thought it was a "bullshit" hit.

It was moronic. No matter what you think about fines or suspensions, it was flat out stupid. As if nobody was watching. As if nobody would see a 6' 7" silverback gorilla acting like Razor Ramon on the sidelines.

But if the refs had kicked him out, it would be hard for the NFL to suspend Gronk on top of the ejection. It was a 20 point game with under 5 minutes, the result long since decided, so Gronk being tossed would have little impact on the game.

And honestly, it's Week 14 now, the Pats are on the verge of wrapping up the division, I don't mind the most injury prone TE in history missing a game. Suspend away.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, at the Bills Game, Eating a Buffalo Wing Like it's Covered in Crack Sauce

I go back and forth on my feelings about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. At some times he seems lovable for his over indulgence. He's like Falstaff. Or Chris Farley. However, at other times he seems just a few steps away from being a villian in a poorly written TV movie. The evil Mayor who can't help himself, borrows money to feet his habits, and has to sell the city's Christmas lights to China to pay off his debt. The Mayor Who Pawned Christmas.

But I can appreciate the blank-faced joy he's feeling as he devours a Buffalo wing at the Bills game. I've recently gone on a Buffalo sauce spree. Not just putting it on chicken. I've been experimenting. I've put it on steak tips and rice (the best one). On shepherd's pie. I've made Buffalo chicken mac and cheese and pasta with Buffalo chicken instead of tomato sauce. I even made a Thanksgiving leftover burrito with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, covered in Buffalo sauce. Soooooo good.

I feel like sending these pictures to Toronto and bribing Ford with this addictive cuisine. Maybe force him to arrest Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk in exchange, and detain them until June.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Gary Wiepert

Ugly, Ugly, Ugly

Photo Credit:

AP Photo - Bill Wippert

I honestly have no idea how to start writing about this game. It would take the talent and skill of William Shakespeare to truly express, in words, how grotesquely ugly this game was for the Patriots. And yet they won. They've had ugly wins before, particularly against Buffalo, and particularly in September. And we tend to forget them so long as the next game is on the attractive side. Hopefully we'll forget this one soon, like a regrettable drunken night during which many mistakes were made.

So I'll accentuate the positive first, then address the negatives that ABSOLUTELY MUST be corrected, then finish with a conclusion like "Week 1's goodness, badness, and ugliness only matter if they extend into Week 2."

Danny Amendola earned the respect of New England in this game. He might have a fragile, injury-prone body, but he's not frail. He's not J.D. Drew. He pushed himself through pain as Brady's go-to guy, and had a huge game. Julian Edelman got the TDs, but Amendola seemed to have every big catch in every crucial situation. When Brady needed a play, he went to Amendola.

Shane Vereen started the day as a backup and finished as a starter. He ran the ball 14 times for 101 yards. And he didn't fumble. He also caught 7 passes for 58 yards. And didn't fumble. He also held onto the ball. And he didn't let the ball go. Zero was the number of fumbles he had.

The Patriots lost a lot of pass reception production when Woodhead left (which we forget about with the departure of Welker, the incarceration of Hernandez, and the injury to Gronkowski). If Vereen can provide a chunk of that production, it would take pressure off replacement receivers and tight-ends.

Kyle Arrington was the defensive star, forcing some fumbles. Without the big plays made by Amendola, Vereen, or Arrington, the Patriots lose and lose badly. Really, really badly.

By the same token, without all the mistakes Buffalo made, the Patriots lose and lose badly. All the penalties and turnovers killed Buffalo's momentum whenever it was starting to build. Buffalo did their best to make this an easy Patriots win. The Pats did all they could to make it difficult.

Ball control issues plague Stevan Ridley and have for years. It's one thing when Brady fumbles a QB/Center exchange. That's a one in a million miscue that could happen to anyone at anytime. Ridley has a trend of fumbling, and history seems to be repeating itself.

The rookie pass catchers looked like rookies. Kenbrell Thompkins made a sideline catch but couldn't get two feet down. It was a catch in college, not the NFL. He also didn't realize how much space he had in the back of the end zone and went out of bounds. It was a touchdown in the CFL not in the NFL. Zach Sudfeld stumbled on a route then couldn't haul in a Brady pass, which turned into an INT. Gronkowski's giant bear claw hands (which are just as sticky as bear claws) would have enveloped the ball, Sudfeld instead batted it to a defender.

Maybe these things get better as the season progresses, maybe not. They'd better.

It's a short turnaround against the Jets. Not much time to dwell on mistakes, which maybe is a good thing. Maybe the team can get back out there on Thursday and play a cleaner game. Sort of like giving the ball to a runningback the first offensive play after he fumbles. Get back on the horse and what have you.

Why Week 1 Against the Bills Worries Me

Normally I look at Patriots/Bills games as an almost automatic 'W' for the Pats. The Pats are 18-1 in their last 19 meetings, and 23-2 in their last 25. But for some reason this Week 1 meeting has me worried.

I can't help but feel like the Bills are overdue for a win. I know past results don't have any impact on the likelihood of future results and the whole idea of being "overdue" is typically only psychological. Then again, the Bills will be extra motivated. This is their Super Bowl. They'll be even more pumped than Detroit was in the preseason. The Pats, on the other hand, need to avoid feeling too confident against an opponent they've owned for over a decade.

Another thing that worries me is the timing of the game. The Bills like to torture their fans, giving them hope with early season successes, then crushing their spirits by deteriorating as the season wears on. Every Bills season is a Shakespearean tragedy. It may seem cruel, as I think it effectively shortens the life-span of Bills fans. However that's a kind, humane thing to do to people who have to live in Western New York.

The early season is when Buffalo has had their limited success against the Pats. In 2003 Buffalo beat New England 31-0 in Week 1, the infamous Lawyer Milloy game. In 2011 the Bills beat the Pats 34-31 in Week 3. Both of Buffalo's wins since 2001 have been in September and in Buffalo. Two wins isn't much. Mathematically speaking, however, since 2001 the Bills have had infinitely more success against the Patriots in September than in any other month. Two wins is infinitely more than zero.

And even when Buffalo has lost, Week 1 games have been close between these two teams. In 2006 the Pats won 19-17. In 2009 they won 25-24 on Monday Night Football. That was the game that Leodis McKelvin fumbled a kickoff return with 2 minutes left in what should have been a Buffalo win.

Week 1 against Buffalo after major personnel changes has me worried most of all. That 2003 loss to Buffalo came after the Patriots dropped Lawyer Milloy. The defense was in disarray. Tom Brady was out of sorts. It was preseason Week 5 for the Pats, not regular season Week 1. And this year the Pats have had to make dramatic adjustments: losing Welker to Denver, losing Gronkowski to injury (for now), and losing Hernandez to the Bristol County House of Correction.

On the bright side, the Pats started that 2003 season 2-2, then won 21 straight games, 38 of 40, and 2 Super Bowls. So maybe Week 1 losses to Buffalo aren't the end of the world.

Patriots Win, Fans Act Like They Lost

I think the 3 Super Bowls, the 21 game win streak in 2003-04, and the near perfect season of 2007 have spoiled us in New England. The Patriots are 6-3 and have a 2 game lead in their division. But if you didn't know they beat the Bills 37-31 Sunday, you'd think fans and media in this town were reacting to a loss.

I can't believe of all people, I am the one advocating for optimism here. The Pats have problems but so does every other NFL team. Is Matt Schaub an elite QB for Houston? The Giants lost to the Bengals. The Falcons lost to the Saints. The 49ers tied the lowly Rams. What NFL team is significantly or even marginally better than the Patriots?

What does irk me about this team is the lack of "door-closing" plays by the offense. The Pats have the highest scoring offense in football. My problem with them isn't what they do or don't do, it's when they do or don't do it.

A perfect example was in the 4th quarter yesterday when Devin McCourty forced Fred Jackson to fumble. The Patriots offense then went 3 and out, including a Wes Welker drop, and punted. They took 19 seconds off the clock.

It was only their 8th 3 and out of the season, and their only 3 and out of the game. But it came at a time when they had an opportunity to at least run out the clock a bit, move the ball close to midfield, and force Buffalo to drive more than the 45 yards they had to on their next possession.

Another missed opportunity to seal victory came when the Patriots drove into the Red Zone and settled for a field goal. Stevan Ridley's false start was the keynote of that drive's end.

The Patriots defense isn't good. The pass rush is inconsistent, some of the most talented players are also young and inexperienced, and the secondary is Swiss cheese. As bad as they are though, Devin McCourty made more big plays in the 4th quarter than Wes Welker did.

The offense has the talent, they have the capability of ending games. They don't need to score 40 or 50 points to cover for an atrocious offense. They do need to take advantage of opportunities to clinch victory.

And maybe we all need to take a step back and adjust our perspective on this team. Let's enjoy their successes instead of criticizing every imperfection in those successes. Let's hope for perfection, but accept imperfect success.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Just a Coincidence or Buffalo's Bad Luck?

The Patriots have a week off after returning from London. Their bye week falls right between the first 8 and last 8 games on their schedule. That's good fortune.

Good fortune is something those in Buffalo know little about. Especially when it comes to scheduling. Because for some reason, after the Patriots have their bye week, they very often face the Bills. Who will come to Gillette Stadium a week from Sunday.

In the 13 years Bill Belichick has been the head coach in New England, the Bills have been the post-bye-week opponent 6 times. In that same span of time, no other team has faced the Patriots after their bye more than once. And as far as the other AFC East teams go, the Dolphins were the opponent in 2009. The Patriots have not faced the Jets after a bye since Belichick has been here.

It's just bad luck for Buffalo.

The Patriots under Belichick are 9-3 after their bye, 9-2 since the Super Bowl year in 2001. It makes sense. An extra week to rest, more time to prepare for an opponent, more time away from the grind of practice and preparation.

So the poor Bills, who are 12.5% of the Patriots schedule every year are 46.2% of their bye week opponents. The poor Bills get to face a rested Patriots team that's had 2 weeks of film study and practice.

Life isn't fair, is it?

Buffalo Bills to Get New Stadium on Waterfront?

I know this has little to do with Boston or New England, but half my family is from Western New York, so shut up and read the post.

Some crazy millionaire proposed building a 70,000 seat retractable roof stadium as part of an "entertainment complex" on the waterfront in Buffalo. This is not a proposal by the Bills, or the NFL, or the city of Buffalo, or the state of New York. It's just some guy with some money with an idea.

The guy is Nicholas Stracick, a former MLB umpire who sued Walt Disney and won a huge settlement. He accused Disney of stealing the idea for their Wide World of Sports theme park.

So this guy is insane, and this scheme is still in the backroom plotting phase. It's not a real plan.

Although it makes sense in some ways. The Bills currently play in an antiquated aluminium bowl in Orchard Park, 15 miles south of Buffalo. But the Bills are a regional team. They draw fans from Rochester, Syracuse, and southern Ontario. And a stadium in Buffalo would be easier to get to than the current one in Orchard Park.

I don't know how much of an economic boon this would be for Western New York. This millionaire wants to include a hotel and a museum in this complex. And wants the taxpayers to shoulder 30% of the $1.4 billion bill.

But for the team, it'd be good. For the NFL, it'd be good. The Bills need a new stadium, and the NFL needs the Bills to have a new stadium. Maybe this particular plan isn't the right plan, but something needs to change with the Bills and their stadium.

And good luck to the architect that has to design a retractable roof that can withstand 50 inches lake effect snow.

Patriots Win in the Air and on the Ground

The last time the Patriots had a pair of 100 yard rushers in a game was 1982. And only one other time in NFL history did a team have two 100 yard rushers and two 100 yard receivers. But it wasn't all gaudy stats and pretty plays yesterday. At times the Patriots looked very shaky.

Let's celebrate the positive before dissecting the negative.

Wes Welker, filling in for injured starting slot receiver Julian Edelman, caught 9 passes for 129 yards. I think this Welker fellow might be able to contribute to this offense, even when Edelman returns. Call it a hunch. He seems to have knack for this.

The Patriots offense started the game with a touchdown drive. The first time they've done so this season. That should be more commonplace. Starting games 7-0 has been a Patriots trademark for half a decade.

Rob Gronkowski also had a big day, he caught 5 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.

On the ground, the Patriots combined for 247 yards and 4 TDs. Stevan Ridley rushed for 106, and undrafted rookie free agent Brandon Bolden ran for 137.

The Patriots scored 45 points in the second half, although the flip-side of that is that they only scored 7 in the first half. Their early drives were incoherent and sputtering. They couldn't string multiple positive plays together, and the Bills did a very good job of covering Brady's targets. Brandon Lloyd was covered so thoroughly that he seemed to be draped in a Buffalo Bills snuggie.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions in the first half, but the Pats were unable to capitalize on them.

The defense made some big plays, and allowed a few of them too. The pass-rush was inconsistent, and in this aerial era of the passer, any QB will find an open receiver given enough time. The Patriots secondary wasn't up to the challenge. The safeties found themselves out of position. And Devin McCourty was able to intercept two passes only because the receiver beat him but Fitzpatrick underthrew the ball.

This team has flaws. We all see them, we all know them. What irks me is when the best players on this team don't play their best. When Brady and the offense fail to take advantage of turnovers. When the kicker misses kicks under 50 yards. When receivers drop passes or fumble the ball.

For several years, the Pats haven't excelled at taking full advantage of the opportunities they have to win games. There have been crucial moments when making one simple play can dramatically increase the chances of winning the game, and the Patriots have fallen short. That worries me more than the secondary or the kicker.

The Pats host the Broncos Sunday evening.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Rob Gronkowski Goes Deep

The AAA All-Star Game was held in Buffalo this week (as if you didn't already know that), and Rob Gronkowski participated in the celebrity HR Derby out there. He more than participated. He won. Gronk hit a total of 12 homers over the significantly-closer-than-the-normal-wall celebrity wall. He beat the likes of the Bills' Fred Jackson, Sabres' forward Patrick Kaleta, and QB legend Jim Kelly.

Gronkowski was born in Amherst, NY, a town only 10 miles from downtown Buffalo. However, the Patriots' tight-end was greeted with some light booing as he stepped to the plate. His performance eventually won the crowd over, especially this blast, which was an actual homerun over the permanent outfield fence.

Belichick does indeed like players who can play multiple positions or multiple sports.

But while demonstrating his baseball skills, he seemed to forget how to catch, which is kind of an important thing for a tight-end to do.

Anderson to Buffalo, Green-Ellis to Cincinnati

It was just a bit overshadowed yesterday in the NFL but the Buffalo Bills acquired former Patriots DE Mark Anderson. And the Bengals picked up RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Anderson tied with Andre Carter for the team lead in sacks with 10 last year. Which was a pleasant surprise from the 28 year old, who had never accumulated more than 5 sacks in a season since his rookie year. The Bills reportedly signed him to a 4 year deal worth $27.5 million. As well as he did last year, I'm not sure he's worth close to $7 million a year.

The Bills now have two serious pass rushing threats. And I think that's a good plan. It's a passing League and the best way to stop an opponent passing is to stop the passer. They are building a team that will be problematic for the Patriots.

Win or lose, the Bills at least have a plan. Unlike the Jets who just have impulses and urges that they act on without thinking things through.

The Patriots also lost their leading rusher. Green-Ellis signed a 3 year deal with Cincinnati. He rushed for 11 TDs last year, and 667 yards. Platooning in the backfield, he had 41% of the Patriots carries. Most importantly, he never put the ball on the ground.

Only in New England could the home team lose its leading pass rusher and leading rusher, and everyone seem unfazed. Most fans would be irate.

Maybe we do place too much trust in Belichick to find replacements. Then again, he found Carter, and found Ellis. Neither of which were expected to lead an NFL team in anything. He'll find others.

Buffalo Wild Win

The Patriots have plenty of problems, but one thing you can't accuse them of being is boring. An explosive offense and an easily trampled defense led to a regular season of very exciting games.

When the Bills beat the Patriots, the Pats started with a 21-0 lead then eventually blew it. On Sunday afternoon, the Bills took a 21-0 lead, then blew it. It was a remarkable symmetry, reminiscent of 2003 when the Bills beat the Patriots 31-0 in Week 1, then the Pats beat the Bills 31-0 in Week 17.

I like how well the Patriots offense has adjusted in the middle of games, but I haven't liked how poorly they've started. The Pats can get away with slow offensive starts against the likes of Buffalo and Denver, but against top tier teams like Baltimore or Green Bay, a slow start could lead to a quick end.

The Bills played their part in the Patriots' comeback. There were so many room service interceptions. And good playoff teams will not be turning the ball over so easily.

On the bright side, the Patriots have a week off. They will not have to play a road game in the playoffs. They have a tremendously potent offense with a diverse arsenal of weapons. And all other teams in the playoffs have their own weaknesses. In my opinion, the Patriots have as good a chance as any team, so long as the offense executes.

Patriots host either the Bengals, Steelers, or Broncos on the 14th. Saturday night in Foxborough.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Buffablown

I'm getting flashbacks of 2009, and I don't think it's because of A Football Life: Bill Belichick. It's because this team isn't playing as well as it should. The offensive numbers are gaudy. The Pats amassed 495 yards on Sunday. But the defense has shown vulnerabilities in all three games. And now Brady is making mistakes. The Pats can win without Brady being perfect. But they simply cannot win when he turns the ball over 4 times.

The picks were products of arrogance. Brady dazzles us with his perfect throws, but he gets cocky sometimes. Can't blame him. He'll throw 9 or 10 consecutive completions, often into coverage. And more often than not, he's able to place the ball so perfectly that only Gronkowski or Welker can retrieve it. But if those throws are only 99% perfect, they're risky. The margin for error is so slim, and Mr. Brady is still a human being. He makes mistakes. And that was more than apparent yesterday.

I don't want Tom Brady to tone down his aggressiveness. But there's a fine line between fearless and reckless. He's not Brett Favre tossing up ducks out there, but he's good enough that he doesn't need to be forcing some of these passes. He can find other options.

Now to the officiating. The pass interference call on Sergio Brown was awful, and it saved Ryan Fitzpatrick from one of the biggest mistakes of his life. The Bills scored a touchdown instead of the Patriots getting the ball back with a 24-17 lead. That call was awful, and it may have changed the result of the game.

But the Patriots shouldn't need a perfectly officiated game in order to beat the Bills. They shouldn't need all the bounces and calls to go their way.

And after the blown call, how did Brady respond? He doesn't see a linebacker, throws it off his helmet, and a Buffalo Bill catches it. You can call the bounce unlucky, but a QB has to see linebackers lurking underneath. If it hits an LB's helmet, it just as easily could have been caught by him.

Then there were moments like the confusion induced false start on 3rd and goal, just before Welker's game-tying TD. That was after a timeout. No excuse for confusion.

Speaking of timeouts, Rich Gannon is a moron. After the Bills' apparent touchdown was overruled, Belichick called an immediate timeout because the clock would have started to run once the ball was set. The replay was initiated by the booth, which means that the clock would resume as normal once the review was over. Belichick called a timeout to stop the clock.

The Patriots' defense looked awful. I don't know why they even use people in the safety position. Forget the 3-4/4-3 debate, just go with a 5-4 front and two CBs. Devin McCourty has looked so exposed this year because he's on an island. He's good, but he's not good enough to do that. Few are. He has no safety help, neither does Bodden.

Maybe Chad Ochocinco should play safety. He seems to be more adept at causing incompletions than he is at making receptions. I'm done defending Ochocinco. It's one thing to struggle with the verbiage of this complex offense. It's another thing to be unable to catch a perfectly thrown ball that touches both hands and the chest. A receiver that doesn't catch the ball is as useful as a kicker that struggles to kick the ball.

I know the Pats ultimately scored on the drive, thanks to the superhuman Wes Welker, but it took about 5 minutes for the Patriots to score. The game changes if Ochocinco catches that pass. Maybe Buffalo scores, but the Pats have enough time to respond.

Brady trusts Welker. He trusts Gronkowski, Branch, Hernandez, Woodhead, and even Edelman (pronounced Ed-ell-man, not aid-ell-man). I don't know how much he'll be trusting Ochocinco.

It'd be unfair to not talk about how amazing Welker's performance was. 16 catches (franchise record) for 217 yards (franchise record) and 2 touchdowns. He also ran for 19 yards. He's definitely healthy, and back as a force, and as Brady's #1 option.

Gronkowski also had an excellent game. 109 yards and 2 TDs. Stevan Ridley looked good, carrying the ball 7 times for 44 yards. I know the Patriots don't run much, but I'd like to see this kid get more carries. He's a powerful back, but is capable of getting a few more yards. I feel like runs that BJG Ellis gets 2, Ridley gets 4. When Ellis gets 3, Ridley would get 6. My one coaching criticism from Sunday would be that when Ridley was running well in the 4th, the Patriots inexplicably went back to running with Ellis.

Thankfully, the Jets lost to Oakland. Still, this was a divisional game. Divisional losses mean more than non-divisional losses. And while Buffalo is no longer the joke of a team they once were, the Patriots shouldn't be close to losing to them.

The defense on this team is not good enough to sustain itself if the offense makes mistakes.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

IF LA BUILDS IT, WILL THE NFL COME?

Los Angeles' City Council approved a plan for a privately funded $1.2 billion football stadium to be built adjacent to the Staples Center. The stadium would seat 70,000 and would likely be completed by 2016. The planners still need to endure the environmental permit procedure. And of course, they need a team.

It's ridiculous that there's no NFL football in LA, and hasn't been for 17 years. It's the second largest media market in the country.

Then again, it's not like the people of LA don't watch NFL football on the television. And the NFL does get most of its revenues from TV. One of the problems with LA is that fans don't show up unless the team is winning. Not just competitive. The team has to be good enough so that it becomes the cool thing for people to do.

There are candidates to go West. The Vikings, who have stadium issues and would ironically be following in the Lakers' foot-steps. The Bills. The Jaguars. I think it should be the Jags. It's kind of silly to have a pro sports team in Jacksonville. The Jaguars are a decently competitive team that can't fill its own stadium.

You have to move a team that can make the playoffs out to LA. The Bills would become the Clippers if they go to California. The Vikings or Jaguars would at least generate some excitement.

Photo Credit:
HO - Reuters

BUFFABLOW OUT

This was one of the easier games the Patriots have won all season. Probably the easiest. The Bills did just about everything they could to lose this game by 84 points.

It started early. The Bills drove down the field to begin the 1st quarter, running the ball well, cutting into the Pats' secondary like a burning chainsaw through chocolate. The Bills rushed for 67 yards on that opening drive, on 7 carries (9.6 per carry). Then they got into the red zone, tried a few passes that failed, then kicked a field goal.

The Bills soon got the ball back. And after their 67 yard rushing, 0 yard passing drive, they went 3 and out with 3 straight passes and 3 straight incompletions. Thanks for the favor.

And while the Bills' tactics were moronic, the Patriots' were simple, but effective. They ran the ball. A lot. The Pats amassed 217 yards on the ground, and got 12 of their 19 first downs by rushing. BJG Ellis ran for 104, Woodhead got 93, even Brady rushed for 13.

Then came the turnovers. Then more turnovers. Then more turnovers. The Pats left a few points on the field, especially Wes Welker, but it didn't matter. You can't turn the ball over 7 times and expect to be in the game. The Patriots cruised to victory, clinching the AFC East, clinching a bye, clinching home-field advantage.

This is the Patriots' 13th divisional title, and their 8th under Brady-Belichick. This will be the first time they've secured the #1 seed since 2007.

The Jets lost, but backed into the playoffs thanks to Washington beating the Jags.

The Pats host the Dolphins Sunday afternoon. Don't expect to see a scrub team out there, as Belichick's philosophy has always been to favor reps over rest. And with the bye secured, there's not much of a need for rest.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo