GOING TO ARIZONA

The Patriots are going to the Fiesta, I mean, Super Bowl in Glendale two weeks from now, thanks to a strange 21-12 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

Once again, the opposing quarterback threw for more yards than Brady. Once again, the Patriots outrushed an opponent whose bread and butter is running the ball. And once again, the Patriots came out on top.

Another surprise was the play of the Patriots defense. All season, the offense has been glorified, while the defense has been ignored, and even criticised by some. This was probably due to the offense being so overwhelmingly amazing, that a solid defense looked weak in comparison. Moreover, we're used to seeing the Patriots win BECAUSE of their defense (See: 21 game win streak in '03 and '04, and Super Bowl XXXVI), not because of their offense.

On Sunday, the defense came up big, especially when put in uncomfortable positions due to a mediocre offensive performance by Tom Brady.



The Chargers were also banged up and hurting before they even took the field. Tomlinson tried to play, but didn't have much to offer. He had a pair of carries for 5 yards, and a 1 yard screen reception, but didn't look like the LT we've seen in the past. He wasn't bad, he just couldn't get to the next level. He also whiffed on a blitz pickup of Rodney Harrison in the red zone, which allowed Rodney to pressure Rivers, forcing an incompletion.



As much of an unlikeable dink Phillip Rivers is, you've got to give him credit for playing hurt. Unlike the national media, I won't say he had a good game (19/37, 211 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT is not good), but he made an effort, and that's respectable.

Tom Brady had his worst game of the season, going 22 of 33 for 209 yards, 3 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns. Perhaps this lackluster outing was due to his ankle injury. More on that later.



This was another Patriots victory that was much closer than it could have (and should have) been. Big miscues on offense prevented the Pats from exploding to an early lead and putting San Diego away before half-time.

After San Diego's first drive was stopped, they punted and Welker returned it to the 50. But a running into the kicker penalty allowed for a rekick (and came half a yard shy of giving the Chargers a 1st down). The second punt was fair caught by Welker on the 27, a 23 yard change in field position thanks to the silly penalty.

The Patriots' first drive was bizarre. First and 10 saw a relatively long pass (20 to 25 yards) attempt to Kyle Brady along the seam. He was in between two Chargers, and the ball was overthrown, almost as if Tom Brady thought Kyle had 4.4 speed and would accelerate to catch it. Third and 7 was another interestingly thrown ball, this one an incomplete to Moss.

The Pats' second drive came to an end at the New England 34, when Brady threw just behind Welker on a short route on 3rd and 2. It was a conversion we're just accustomed to seeing made all the time this year, and it was blown.

After failing to do much of anything in two posessions, the Pats' third drive would actually do something. But it wasn't good. Brady threw a Godawful pass intended for Stallworth. Brady apparently hoped to anticipate the movements of Quentin Jammer, but he anticipated wrong. Jammer sat on the route and picked the ball out of the air, giving San Diego posession on the Patriot 40.

An uncalled for 15 yard facemask penalty gave San Diego even better field position. The Chargers got as far as the 8 yard line before the defense clamped down and held them to a field goal. It was 3-0 Chargers but very easily could have been 0-0.



The Pats got back on the ball, and Maroney scored a touchdown to put the Pats up 7-3. This lead would not be relinquished, but it would take some doing to build it up.

San Diego once again drove down to the Pats' 8 yard line, where they ran into a wall and were forced to kick another field goal. It was 7-6, as close a game as you'd like.

On the ensuing posession, Brady threw to Moss on 3rd and 5, but Jammer was right there, batting the ball away and preventing the New England drive to continue. It was another misguided decision as Jammer was all over Moss, and is a good enough corner not to be muscled around.

After Rivers' first INT, Brady and the Pats executed a two play, 24 yard scoring drive, with Gaffney bringing it in. 14-6 Pats, but it could have been 14-3. What's the difference? 14-6 is a one score game, 14-3 is a two score game. That's a significant difference.



Then Rivers was picked again, but the Pats weren't able to do anything with the ball. Once again a failed 3rd and short conversion was the culprit. Brady threw about two inches ahead of Welker, who got the tips of his fingernails on the ball, but not much else. A well thrown pass would have allowed the drive to continue. Instead, the Pats were forced to punt into the wind, giving San Diego the ball back at their 35.

Thanks to a pair of Darren Sproles runs (one for 8 yards, the next for 26), the Chargers were able to kick yet another field goal. The score of the game going into half-time was 14-9. It very easily could have been 14-3, or 17-3.



On the first drive of the second half, Brady threw an interception on 3rd and 12. Granted, it was a tipped ball, but Brady was trying to force it into Stallworth. Instead of an incomplete pass and a punt into the win which would have pushed the ball back 30 yards or so to the San Diego 20, the Chargers got the ball on the New England 47. San Diego drove down to the Pats' 4 before being forced to kick yet another field goal. It was now 14-12, but very easily could have been 14-3.



The Pats drove down to the 2 yard line, thanks in large part to Laurence Maroney, who sliced up the defense for 39 yards on 6 carries in the drive. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Brady failed to see Antonio Cromartie underneath, and a pass intended for Watson was picked off in the end zone. The Pats could have tried running the ball in, but decided to throw it. Brady just didn't see Cromartie sitting underneath the pass. The Pats could have been up 17-3 or even 21-3 by this point.

The Patriots got into the end zone on their next drive, making it a 21-12 game. But it was still within reach for San Diego with 12:15 left on the clock and a 9 point deficit. It could have easily been 28-3 by this point. In other words, the game could have been all but over.



The Pats got the ball back with 9:13 and didn't give it up, driving for 15 plays and 56 yards, ending the game with kneel downs.

Obviously the 3 interceptions by Brady were the most glaring mistakes, but the Pats' performance on 3rd downs was equally inadequate. They converted 7 of 13, but 4 of those came on the final drive, making them 3 for 9 before that long game ending possession. Here were those 9 third downs, and the result of each play:

3rd and 7, NE 30: Incomplete intended for Moss
3rd and 2, NE 34: Incomplete intended for Welker
3rd and 1, NE 44: 3 yard run by Evans
3rd and 1, SD 16: 8 yard run by Maroney
3rd and 3, SD 40: Incomplete intended for Moss, broken up by Jammer
3rd and 2, NE 31: Incomplete intended for Welker
3rd and 1, NE 48: 4 yard run by Evans
3rd and 12, 50: Interception by Florence intended for Stallworth
3rd and G, SD 2: Interception by Cromartie intended for Watson

The three times the Patriots attempted 3rd down runs, they got the 1st down. They'd get two more such conversions in the 9:13 drive, making them 5 for 5 on the ground on 3rd down. This also made them 2 for 8 in the air, with one of those being a superhuman effort by Faulk and an 11 yard pickup almost all of which came after the catch.

On 3rd and 5 or less, the Pats were 3 for 7 before that lengthy 4th quarter drive. That's simply inexcusable. A team with an offense this good should convert almost every time it is 3rd and short.

As mentioned earlier, Brady had a bad day, but he's had random bad days in the past. Remember when he first broke into the League, and every 15 games or so he'd have a 4 interception outing? This was that kind of day. And on some of these drives he looked good enough. I'm not worried.



Kevin Faulk was perhaps the best player on the field. He led the team in receiving with 8 catches for 82 yards. Those catches came in big situations, keeping drives alive. A caller to WEEI after the game suggested we call third down "3rd and Faulk" from now on. I think it's a fantastic idea.



Laurence Maroney had another great day. He carried the ball 25 times for 122 yards (4.9 YPC), and had a 9 yard reception. He was the key to that clock devouring drive at the end of the game, getting big first down runs. This was his second 100+ yard effort in the playoffs. He only had 3 100 yard games in the regular season.



Randy Moss was once again quieted, this time by a combination of good defense, and poor passing. He only had one grab for 18 yards. But he did have a good run on a reverse for 14.

Wes Welker had a decent day, 7 catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. This could have been 10 catches for 70 or 80 yards, but Brady kept missing him. Welker also added his trademark block on a punt return, preventing the opposing gunner from downing the ball inside the 10 yard line.



Statistically Heath Evans had a quiet day, 2 carries, 7 yards, 1 catch, 13 yards. But both carries came on 3rd down and resulted in 1st downs, as did the 13 yard catch. Evans also did an amazing job blocking for Maroney, both inside and outside. It was a good fullbacking day for Heath.

Asante Samuel had a Pro Bowl calibre day on defense. He had an interception, and broke up several potential big passing plays. The fact that he had a mere 3 tackles tells you that the Chargers simply did not throw it much in his direction.



Ellis Hobbs also had a good day. Although he was thrown at a great deal, and allowed some big pass plays to guys like Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers. He did outmuscle Chambers for his interception. He also was surehanded at tackling, reducing the damage of completions against him.

Tedy Bruschi was huge. He racked up 8 tackles, and did a good job of covering Antonio Gates in the red zone. He broke up what would have been a touchdown to Gates, forcing a field goal attempt.



Rodney Harrison was the best defensive player on the field. He blitzed so perfectly. Although he never sacked Rivers, he forced some big incompletions, including one on 3rd and goal. He also got some nice shots on Rivers. And hey, no personal fouls this time!

Junior Seau looked really good out there. He got a sack, which was really thanks to Thomas and Vrabel. But he also made a good pursuing tackle from behind of Michael Turner on 3rd and goal, preventing a touchdown.



Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel may have not gotten to Rivers that much, but they put on enough pressure to force incompletions and bad throws. With an injured Rivers, just forcing him out of the pocket was a victory for the pass rushers, and Thomas did this a few times.



So the Patriots could have won this game 28-3, but instead played poorly (comapred to what we've seen this season) and beat a banged up Chargers team 21-12. But hey, the Colts didn't even beat a banged up Chargers team.

And now it's a rematch against the Giants. This is actually the 3rd time the Pats and Giants will be meeting on the same field (and it's the 3rd different field, as well). They met in pre-season at Gillette, then in week 17 at Giants Stadium, and now at the Super Bowl in Glendale.

The Giants gave the Pats their biggest challenge. It should be a fun and anxiety filled 2 weeks leading up to the big game. Early prediction: Patriots 24, Giants 13.

But for now, let's revel in our 4th AFC Championship in 7 years, and our 6th ever.

17 DOWN, 2 TO GO

The Jaguars executed their gameplan to near perfection Saturday night, taking away the deep threat, keeping everything in front of them, but they didn't count on two things:

1. Laurence Maroney cutting up their defense like a kid with ADD and a pair of scissors.

2. Tom Brady having a nearly perfect night.

In a strange statistical turn of fate, the Patriots outrushed the Jaguars 145 to 80. And the Jaguars outpassed the Patriots 270 to 258.



Tom Brady's 26 for 28 performance, for 262 yards and 3 scores was reminiscent of games played in 2001 and 2003, back when the Patriots had no deep threat, and every pass was to a check down receiver. By the way, Brady's numbers add up to a QB Rating of 141.36.

In the latest edition of Post-Patriots Sour Grapes, Jacksonville safety Reggie Nelson had this to say about Tom Brady's performance:

"He ain't all that He's all right. It was a check down game. Anybody can go 26 of 28 in a dump-down game"

I understand that Nelson must be frustrated, especially after helping to shut down Moss's downfield routes, then watching guys like Welker, Faulk, and Gaffney collecting yards underneath. But he really needs to grow up. Nevertheless, he's joined a massive and ever growing club of whiners that includes: every Oakland Raider fan in the universe, Bill Polian, Jerry Porter, Marvin Harrison, Eric Mangini, and Ladanian Tomlinson.

What did Bill Belichick have to say about Tom's day?

"It was a little disappointing he missed two."

The funny thing about that is if I didn't tell you Belichick was smiling, you probably would assume he was dead serious.



Although the game was 31-20, and the scores were close the entire night, the Patriots weren't in as much jeopardy as it may have appeared. They fell victim to several bang-bang plays, plays in which the Pats were inches from making a big play, but Jacksonville turned it around and made a big play of their own, also by inches.

Wisconsinan and the Boston Herald's resident BS pusher Michael Felger claims that "For arguably the fourth time in the past seven games, the Pats were played evenly up and down the field by an inferior opponent."

This simply was not the case. The Jaguars played a hell of a game, but at no point were they a threat to win. There were so many close plays, and a couple of bad/questionable calls. Even if the Jags did "play evenly up and down the field" with the Pats for 3 quarters, we all know that the 4th quarter is when losers fade and Champions are made.

The first Bang-Bang play came on Jacksonville's opening drive. On 3rd and goal from the 8, The Pats collapsed the pocket around Garrard. Vrabel got in on him and began taking the 245 pound quarterback down. Garrard's shin was half an inch away from the turf when the ball left his arm and found Matt Jones in the end zone for a touchdown. The Pats were millimeters away from a field goal forcing sack, and instead allowed a touchdown.

In the second quarter, Jacksonville had tied it up 14-14 with a 95 yard drive. The Patriots drove downfield, but the drive stalled, and Gostkwoski missed a 35 yard field goal, keeping the score tied. The Pats were unable to recover from a 15 yard chop block penalty. However, the refs missed what should have been a 15 yard facemask penalty on Terry Cousin as he yanked down Wes Welker by the grill on 3rd and 14. A personal foul would have given the Pats a 1st and goal opportunity from the 8. Instead, it was 4th and 6 from the 17, and Gostkowski's kick banged the right upright, keeping the score level.



In the 4th quarter, Ernest Wilford made a spectacular leaping catch for a gain of 15 yards. Rodney Harrison stupidly speared Wilford after he had been downed, which tacked on another 15 yards to the play. Later in the same drive, Harrison fell a few inches short of tying up Garrard by the feet. Then Garrard threw into triple coverage. Rodney got two hands on the ball, but Tedy Bruschi also got his fingertips on it, disrupting what would have been an interception in the end zone. Jacksonville kicked a field goal to make it 28-20.

On 2nd and 9 from the 21, Brady hit Stallworth with a deep pass up the sidelines. Stallworth did a great job tipping the ball against his facemask, then gaining control of it without breaking stride. But Rashean Mathis made a shoestring tackle to prevent the touchdown. Later, on 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 17, Brady threw to Welker, hitting him in the hands about neck high. But Wes took his eye off the ball for a second and dropped what would have been a 1st down reception at about the 13 yard line. The Patriots settled for a field goal, making it 31-20.

My point is this: although the game was tied 14-14 at half-time, and the game wasn't sealed until Rodney intercepted Garrard with 4:17 on the clock, it very well could have been an early blowout. Garrard's miracle touchdown pass to begin the game, a no-call on Welker being dragged down by the facemask, a missed field goal, some stupid personal fouls committed by the Pats, Harrison not intercepting the ball in the end zone, Garrard barely slipping away from sackers, and Welker's dropped ball were all contributing factors to the apparent tightness of the game. What was a 31-20 score could have very easily been a 42-13 game.

Moreover, Garrard's performance when forced to throw was atrocious. He threw the ball well all game, but that was because he didn't really have to. But their drive in the 4th quarter that ended with Rodney's pick was simply horrible. With no sideline threats, Garrard forced the ball and was nearly picked off twice before Rodney got the ball. He tried throwing over the head of Adalius Thomas, who tipped the ball high in the air and came a few feet shy of catching it himself. Another tipped pass slipped in and out of Brandon Meriweather's hands.



Had a few plays gone just a bit differently, and the Patriots had built their lead earlier, Garrard would have been forced into a pass only offense, and the Patriots probably would have made him pay for it.

But I'll give all the credit in the world to Jacksonville. They shut down Randy Moss. The only big passing plays they allowed were a 39 yard screen to Maroney, and a 53 yarder to Stallworth on an attempted screen play that had been busted up.

But I'll also give all the credit in THE UNIVERSE to the Patriots. Brady had one of his best performances of the season (how many times have I said that this year?). His favorite target was taken away, but he still had a spectacular game. He was 26 for 28, or 92.9%. That, by the way, is an NFL playoff record for completion percentage (minimum 15 attempts). And both incompletions hit the receiver in their hands. Brady also pulled off that fake direct snap play to perfection. Stuff like that is just fun to watch.



Brady didn't throw an incompletion until 10:37 in the 3rd quarter. He completed his first 16 pass attempts.

Maroney had his best game of the season. He had 162 total yards of offense, a rushing touchdown, and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. To put that in perspective, Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 66 rushing yards (about half of Maroney's total of 122), and averaged 3.5 yards per carry.



Wes Welker had a decent day, although his slipperiness and evasiveness came and went. He had 9 catches for 54 yards, including a touchdown catch, and a 13 yard end around. He had a rare drop, and averaging 6 yards a reception is low for him.



Kevin Faulk had another great game. He made a touch one handed catch for a first down, and had 5 catches for 36 yards. He also picked up the pass rush as good as always.

Donte Stallworth led the Pats in receiving yards with 68 on 3 catches. He's been somewhat forgotten about this year, so it was nice to see him get a big 53 yard catch, that was one perfect tackle shy of going the distance.



Jabbar Gaffney had one of his best games all year. He only had 26 yards off 3 passes, but one of those catches was a 13 yard (half of which was from a dive) to set up 1st and goal. He also blocked extremely well, allowing Maroney to get to the outside with room to move.

Randy Moss's stat line looks sad. One reception for 14 yards. But that reception was on a 4th and 5, and it kept alive what would be a touchdown drive (Note: the rhyming in that sentence was unintentional). Moss also had some big blocks downfield springing Maroney several times for big gains.

Ben Watson was a victim of my criticism in the week 17 game against the Giants. But Saturday night he did his job perfectly. He had a pair of catches for touchdown passes. He used his size and speed in the end zone to get the small amount of separation a player like him needs to make a catch.



The absence of Ellis Hobbs was very noticeable. Randall Gay found himself out of position on short passes on the flat and across the middle. Hobbs is often lamented for being burnt deep, but he is a smart player that rarely finds himself out of position, unless a receiver has simply outrun him. That being said, Gay did break up a potential touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone.



Hobbs' absence was also visible on special teams. Chad Jackson was okay, averaging 19.5 yards per return, but he never threatened to get a big chunk of yards. Hobbs, every once and awhile, will return one 40 yards or so, putting the Pats in striking distance. Hopefully Hobbs will be able to play more snaps next week.

Seymour, Warren, and Wilfork had a solid game. Warren got the only sack of Garrard and also forced the fumble that set up a score. The Patriots' front three did a good job slowing up Taylor and Jones-Drew, allowing guys like Seau to rack up 10 tackles and Bruschi to get 7. They also did a great job of breaking off their blocks and helping take down the runner when they were held up at the linebacker level.



Rodney Harrison had a strange game. He made some bonehead hits that resulted in personal fouls. But he did a good job of blitzing Garrard, forcing incompletions and bad passes. He also wound up with the game sealing pick. Rodney has an interception in 4 straight playoff games, tying an NFL record.



The Patriots look to eliminate victim #18 next Sunday. San Diego comes to town, fresh off a grueling win in Indianapolis. The Pats destroyed the Chargers 38-14 in week 2, but this is an entirely different Chargers team. It should be a good game.

Oh, and by reaching 17-0, the Patriots have tied the 1972 Dolphins for most wins in a season.

BRUINS LOSE CONTROL OF EMOTIONS AND GAME

The Bruins have played several bad games this year, but last night was the first time all season that they made me mad. And what did they do to make me mad? THEY were mad.

The Canadiens came to town last night, looking to go 5-0 against the Bruins on the year. Canadiens/Bruins is supposed to be a rivalry, but this year it is no contest. A packed Garden crowd of 17,565, many of which were Quebecois vacationing in the relative tropics of Boston, saw the Bruins fly onto the ice with fire and passion. Almost immediately, a Bruin was in the penalty box. It was Chuck Kobasew, who got 2 minutes for boarding at 1:59.

Now I love physical hockey. There are many occasions when taking a penalty is appropriate. But not against Montreal, and the best power play unit in the NHL. Montreal scores on 25.1% of their man advantage opportunities. Meanwhile, the Bruins’ penalty kill rate of 78.2% is good for 27 th in the NHL. The Bruins should have been trying to reduce their shorthanded time, not increase it.

The Bruins killed their first penalty in impressive fashion, not allowing Montreal to cycle the puck much, disrupting the Habs’ power play before it could really get set-up. Then Marco Sturm got 2 minutes for elbowing about halfway through the first. Tomas Plekanec snuck in the back door of the crease, tipping in Andrei Kostitsyn’s pass to make it 1-0.

But penalties weren’t the only evidence of the Bruins playing on edge. When given scoring opportunities, they made questionable decisions and stuttered passes. They were pressing and uncomfortable when close to Montreal‘s net. Before the Canadiens’ opening goal, David Krejci hesitated in the high slot just long enough to be poke checked and lose the puck. It was the first of many glaring miscues for Boston.

Then came Montreal’s second goal. Milan Lucic and Aaron Ward both went for a hit on Michael Ryder in Montreal’s defensive zone. But Ryder was still able to get the puck out, and thanks to all the additional attention, the Canadiens were off to the races. Maxim Lapierre, Christopher Higgins and Roman Hamrlik were on a 3 on 2 breakaway. Higgins wristed a shot that burrowed underneath goalie Tim Thomas, then slowly dragged across the crease behind Thomas before Lapierre finished the play by knocking it in. 2-0 Montreal.

In the 2nd, the Bruins came out a bit calmer, but it didn’t last. Another power play goal put Montreal up 3-0. Boston got one back thanks to luck. Aaron Ward shot wide of the net, the puck bounced off the end boards, then off of Cristobal Huet’s skate, and into the net. If there were such a thing as And1 Hockey, this would be the ultimate goal, but it was simply a lucky bounce.

Lucic scored a real goal in the 3rd to make it 3-2, but Mathieu Dandenault scored a brace of goals, one at 11:56 (thanks to some horrible neutral zone play), the other at 18:49 to wrap it up. The Bruins fell to 0-5 against Montreal on the season, and have lost 15 of 18 against their northern rivals.

What irritated and surprised me was the lack of emotional control demonstrated by the Bruins. This was a team that kept its cool against the Flyers team that injured Patrice Bergeron, but somehow let their tempers go crazy against Montreal. Stupid penalties, poor passing, defensive miscues, and anxiety in the face of scoring were the fruits of Boston’s emotionalism. A 5-2 loss was the ultimate result.

The Bruins now sit at an uneasy 7th in the Eastern Conference with 46 points, only 1 point ahead of the 9th place Rangers. Keeping emotions in check won’t be easy as the B’s travel to Philly on Saturday.

But there is some good news in the “Hub of Hockey.” Zdeno Chara was voted in as a starter for the All-Star Game. The Providence Bruins of the AHL are a blistering 25-5-3. The Baby B’s will be sending a pair to the AHL All-Star Game.

Boston is in a vital stretch of games. They go to Philadelphia on Saturday, then host Toronto, and the Rangers before playing the Rangers at MSG, then traveling to Montreal, then hosting the Islanders. In the tight race for the Eastern Conference playoffs (7 th through 12 th separated by 3 points), this sequence of games may make or break the Bruins’ campaign for post-season hockey.

"THE TEAM NOBODY WANTS TO FACE"

Every time Jacksonville makes the playoffs, ESPN gives them the distinction of being "the team nobody wants to face." I guess Peyton Manning's Colts and the 16-0 Patriots are teams people would rather face than the Jags?

Coach of the Year Bill Belichick, and NFL MVP Tom Brady host the 12-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, who edged Pittsburgh in a 31-29 debacle. The Jags are led by their runningback tandem: Maurice Jones-Drew and veteran Fred Taylor. These two combined for 390 carries, and 1,970 yards (5.1 yards per carry).

The Jaguars were 4-3 against playoff teams. Each victory was won through defense and clock controlling rushes. Bill Belichick put it best: "They play well from ahead." They squeeze out a lead, hang on to the ball, don't make many mistakes, grind long drives, tee off on the opposing QB, and come out on top.

When the Jaguars get ahead early, they are 10-0. When they fall behind early, they are 2-5. The biggest deficit they've overcome this year was 6 points. In other words, the nature of this game will be determined in the first quarter.

If the Patriots get out to a 10-0 or 14-3 lead, then the game will be over. Jacksonville simply does not do well playing from behind. David Garrard is a solid mistake-free passer, but he and his receivers aren't good enough to be the centerpiece of a drive.

The Patriots defense is renowned for its ability to take away the best part of an opponent's attack. Although they've been maligned for struggling to stop the run, when all an opponent has is a running game, the Patriots have stifled it, or at least minimized its affects. Jacksonville may be able to mount some long drives with a few first downs, but once they get close to the end zone, I think they will be stopped and forced to try field goals.

The Jaguars defense rushes the passer well, but it's a simple pass rush. Moreover, the Jags have some injuries in their front 7, weakening their ability to put pressure on Brady. Tom will get hit and sacked a few times, but I don't think Jacksonville will be able to pressure him with any consistency. And as we've seen, it only takes the Patriots one play to put up points from anywhere on the field.

I predict that the Patriots will get out to a 14-0 lead, and continue to pile up the points. If the Patriots score 28, they will undoubtedly win, because Jacksonville simply cannot put up that many points against our defense. My prediction: Patriots win 31-13.

SECOND ANNUAL BOSTON BLOOD SOX AWARDS!!!

It’s time for the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards Post. It’s been a phenomenal year for Boston sports. The Red Sox won the World Series, the Patriots are undefeated, the Celtics are 25-3, the Bruins are in the playoff hunt, the Revolution went to the MLS Cup, and BC football won their 8th straight Bowl game. There’s been no shortage of heroes in Boston, and no shortage of great moments.

I'm going to keep this post at the top of my page until all the Awards are given out, post by post. I thought about doing this all in one posting, but it's extremely long, so I decided to break it up.

Here's the awards I'll be giving out. Next to each Award, in parenthesis, is last year's winner.

Harry Frazee Award for Goat of the Year (Manny Ramirez)
Dan Shaughnessy Award for Worst Sports Writer (Dan Shaughnessy)
Alex Rodriguez Award for Biggest Disappointment/Choke (Boston Red Sox)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Hottest Patriots Cheerleader (Ashleigh van Gerven)
Doug Flutie Award for College Athlete of the Year (Craig Smith)
Bobby Orr Award for Bruins Player of the Year (Patrice Bergeron)
Bill Russell Award for Celtics Player of the Year (Paul Pierce)
Drew Bledsoe Award for Patriots Player of the Year (Asante Samuel)
Ted Williams Award for Red Sox Player of the Year (David Ortiz)
Tom Brady Award for Biggest Surprise Out of Nowhere (Jonathan Papelbon)
Curt Schilling Bloody Sock Award for Toughness (Jon Lester)
Boston Blood Sox Game of the Year Award (3/24, BC men's basketball vs. Villanova)
Red Auerbach Award for Best Executive (none given)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Lifetime Achievement (Red Auerbach)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Athlete of the Year (David Ortiz)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Team of the Year (UMass football)

Now, keep in mind that Awards are purely subjective, and determined completely by me. These are also given for the CALENDAR year of 2007, which sort of cuts winter sports like basketball into two seasons.

So without further ado, the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards!!!

BOSTON BLOOD SOX AWARD FOR TEAM OF THE YEAR

This is the big one. The Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, the Green Jacket, the Heisman, and every other award pale in comparison to this one. Of course, this Award goes to the most impressive New England team of the calendar year.

Here are the nominees:

The Boston Red Sox
The New England Patriots

It’s obvious that these two are the only possible options. The Celtics may have been considered, but keep in mind that these awards are for the calendar year, and the Celtics sucked from January to March in 2007.

These two teams are the titans of New England, the 1 and 1A of the region. Both seem to one up each other in terms of success. In 2003, the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Then the Red Sox one upped them by winning the World Series. In 2007, the Red Sox won the World Series. Then the Patriots went 16-0.

It’s difficult for me to select this one because although the Patriots are making history, the Red Sox are already in the clubhouse with a title.

The winner is…

…

…

The New England Patriots!



What pushed the Pats over the top was the fact that NO TEAM has done what they have done this year. No team has ever had a 16-0 regular season. Moreover, the Patriots beat some of the best teams in the NFL in order to reach 16-0. Using CBS SportsLine’s Power Rankings, here are the teams the Patriots played, and beat:

#2 Indianapolis Colts, 24-20
#3 Dallas Cowboys, 48-27
#6 San Diego Chargers, 38-14
#7 Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-13
#10 New York Giants, 38-35
#11 Washington Redskins, 52-7
#13 Cleveland Browns, 34-17
#17 Philadelphia Eagles, 31-28
#21 Cincinnati Bengals, 34-17
#22 Baltimore Ravens, 27-24
#24 Buffalo Bills, 38-7, 56-10
#30 New York Jets, 38-14, 20-10
#32 Miami Dolphins, 49-28, 28-7

This team went to Indianapolis and beat the Super Bowl Champion Colts. This team went to Dallas and beat the #1 team in the NFC. This team beat the winners of the AFC North, South, and West divisions. This team cut through the NFC East (all four teams .500 or better) like a hot knife through butter.

This team scored more points than any team in NFL history. The Patriots also allowed the 2nd fewest points in the League.

Within a few games, we may just be able to say that this is the best team in the history of the NFL, New England sports, and maybe even American sports.

Congratulations to all the winners of the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards. 2007 was one of the best years in New England sporting history. The Red Sox won their 6th World Series title. The Patriots went 16-0. The Celtics exploded back onto the scene. Heck, even the Bruins have improved from suck to mediocre. So enjoy it, New England. But let’s be greedy and hope 2008 is even better!

BOSTON BLOOD SOX AWARD FOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

The Boston sports scene saw the addition of a number of new great athletes. Matt Ryan became a Heisman hopeful. Josh Beckett emerged as the best pitcher in baseball. Randy Moss came from Oakland and dazzled us all. Kevin Garnett came from Minnesota and helped turn the Celtics into one of the top teams in the NBA. This may have been the most difficult category for me to select because of the abundance of great performances in 2007.

Here are the nominees:

Matt Ryan - QB, Boston College
Tom Brady - QB, New England Patriots
Randy Moss - WR, New England Patriots
Wes Welker - WR, New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel - LB, New England Patriots
Josh Beckett - SP, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Papelbon - RP, Boston Red Sox
Kevin Garnett - F, Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce - F, Boston Celtics
Patrice Bergeron - C, Boston Bruins
Marc Savard - C, Boston Bruins
Taylor Twellman - F, New England Revolution

And the winner is…

Tom Brady of the Patriots!



Tom Brady has always been a good quarterback for the Pats, never putting up amazing numbers, but consistently doing what it took to win games. But since being armed with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth, he’s become a statistical record holder, which only further demonstrates his greatness.

Critics may argue that without so many potent weapons, Brady wouldn’t be that good. Some will argue that it is Brady’s offensive line that is the reason behind the fantasy football bonanza that was 2007. These people are partially right. Brady’s teammates are a big reason for his success, and he’ll be the first one to say it.

But Randy Moss never caught 23 touchdowns before Tom Brady was his quarterback. His career high was 17 coming into this season. Since 2003, Moss’s numbers were below expectations, as he struggled with mediocre quarterbacks. But he gets to New England and now he’s back to the Pro Bowl.

Wes Welker saw an even more dramatic rebirth in New England. Welker caught 16 more passes in 2007, than he caught in his other two years in the NFL combined. His 1,175 yards this year more than doubled his career total. In 2 seasons in Miami, he had only caught 1 touchdown. In ‘07, he hauled in 8.

Then there’s what happened last year. With Reche Caldwell as his #1 receiver, and an aging Troy Brown as his most reliable option, Brady still managed to lead the Pats to the AFC Championship game. We all forget that the Patriots were underdogs to San Diego the week before, but managed to pull it out. In 2006, Brady managed a solid 87.9 QB rating, impressive considering Ben Watson was his best downfield threat.

Brady is going to the playoffs for the 6th time in his career. He’s also starting the Pro Bowl. He’s the NFL MVP. And, oh yeah, the 16 game winning streak the Patriots are currently riding, is the SECOND longest of Brady’s career.

BOSTON BLOOD SOX LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

This year, the Boston Blood Sox Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Robert Kraft.



Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, saving them from a move to St. Louis. He already owned Foxboro Stadium, which gave him the leverage to buy the team. The purchase price was $175 million. The Patriots’ current value: about $1.2 billion. That’s a spicy meatball.

Then again, making money in the NFL is like getting fat while locked in a McDonald’s: it’s pretty easy to do. The average NFL franchise is worth about $925 million, so a $1.2 billion team doesn’t say much.

So let’s look on the field for what Mr. Kraft has done.

In 1994, the Patriots were a joke. They were coming off of 5 consecutive losing seasons. They had won a meager 4 divisional titles in their history. Being demolished by the Bears in Super Bowl XX was their greatest achievement.

In 1994, the Patriots won the AFC East. In ‘96, the Pats won the division, as well as the AFC title before losing to Brett Favre and the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. But the Pats made the playoffs again in ‘97 and ‘98. Then in 2001, the Patriots went all the way to their first Championship. Then their second in ‘03, and their third in ‘04. Now the club finished the 2007 calendar year with a 16-0 record heading into the post-season. Vegas has put the odds at 5:11 that the Pats will win. That’s not a typo.

Since 1994, the Patriots have made the post-season 10 times. Before 1994, it was only 6 times. Before 1994, the Patriots had a 4-6 record in the playoffs. Since 1994, they’re 15-6 in the post-season. They’ve won 4 AFC titles under Kraft, and three Super Bowls. He’s turned what was once a laughing stock bound for St. Louis into one of the best franchises in American sports.

What makes Kraft a phenomenal owner is that he balances a love of the team with good business sense. He wants nothing more than to see the Patriots win, but he is smart enough not to meddle or overextend himself. Instead, he delegates responsibility to the best people he can find. Men like Scott Pioli, and Bill Belichick. Robert Kraft has also helped secure the future of his sporting empire by involving son Jonathan Kraft. Jonathan currently serves as president of the Patriots, owner of the Revolution, and COO of the Kraft Group.

But Robert Kraft isn’t just the man behind the Patriots. He’s the man who tore down shabby Foxboro Stadium and built the jewel that is Gillette Stadium - with his own money. He’s also the man behind the New England Revolution, who have made it to 4 MLS Cup finals in 6 seasons. The area surrounding Gillette Stadium is being developed into Patriots Place, a shopping and entertainment center that will make Gillette Stadium a destination for millions 365 days a year.

Robert Kraft just might be the best owner in American sports, and that is why he is the winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.