With the collective eyes of New England focused on Glendale, the Red Sox acquisition of Sean Casey may have fallen just a bit under the radar.
Sean Casey is the first significant addition to the Red Sox this off-season. He was signed to a 1 year deal worth $800,000. This brings up a multitude of questions.
#1: Why Sean Casey? Don't the Sox already have Youkilis and Ortiz, why get Casey?
The Red Sox biggest offensive holes in 2007 were short-stop, right-field, center-field, and catcher. So why get another first baseman, which was already the deepest position on the roster?
Unlike Ortiz, Casey is a good defensive first-baseman. Unlike Youkilis, Casey is left-handed. And perhaps most importantly: unlike Ortiz, Casey didn't undergo knee surgery in the off-season.
Casey is an insurance policy. We have no idea what kind of player Ortiz will be post-op. Having Casey gives the Sox a viable option at DH, one who can hit around .290 and knock out a few homeruns.
Casey may also provide insurance for another position. This is mere speculation, but is it possible the Red Sox might shift Youkilis to right-field if Drew continues to struggle? Youk played 18 games in left-field two years ago. He's be no Vlad Guerrero, but he'd get by out there.
But let's say Ortiz is fine, and Drew hits like he's supposed to; what does Sean Casey do then? He becomes a good pinch-hitter. He becomes a lefty replacement for Youkilis in certain situations. He becomes a defensive replacement. He won't push the Sox over the top, but he'd still be a positive addition.
#2: Why would Sean Casey want to be an insurance policy?
Three words: World Series ring. I wouldn't be surprised if Casey's agent went out to contending teams like the Red Sox, trying to see if there was any interest for his services. The abbreviated contract length and low money total was the bait that lured the Red Sox in. So the Red Sox get some flexibility and insurance, and Casey gets an opportunity to play for the best team in baseball. It's win win.
#3: Why is Sean Casey nicknamed "The Mayor?"
He got that monicker in Cincinnati. He's known for talking to every single baserunner that stops by first base. In 2007 he was voted "friendliest player in baseball" by his fellow players. He's also deeply involved in numerous charities. In fact, he and Conan O'Brien co-founded Labels Are For Jars, an anti-hunger charity in Lawrence, MA. So he's generally a nice guy.
#4: What does this mean for the 2008 Red Sox?
It means the Red Sox have some insurance. If Ortiz or Youkilis gets hurt, then Casey can fill in for them. If Lowell gets hurt, then Youkilis can play third, and Casey can play first. If Drew struggles, then Youkilis can play right, and Casey can play first.
This acquisition also gives us a good bat off the bench. Last year we really didn't have anyone to plug into a late inning game-changing situation. If Julio Lugo was up with 2 on in the 9th, there really wasn't much we could do about it. Casey gives us more options.
And you can't beat the price. $800,000 is a lot of money to you and me, but to the Red Sox, it's a pittance. And for a guy who has a career .301 average and .366 OBP, it's a bargain.
Boston sports blog featuring Patriots propaganda, and opinions on the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
DEFEAT MOST BITTER
In 48 BC, 60,000 Roman soldiers under Pompey the Great stood against 22,000 Romans under Julius Caesar outside of Pharsalus in Greece. Pompey's legions were fresh, well-fed, and outnumbered Caesar's nearly 3 to 1. Caesar's men were tired, starving, and facing oblivion. Yet Caesar's men won a decisive victory.
In 1415, 30,000 French soldiers stood against 6,000 Englishmen on the fields of Agincourt in northern France. Despite possessing an overwhelming numerical advantage, the French were crushed. Only 112 Englishmen lay dead at the end of the day, while an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 French were killed.
In 1940, the mighty German Luftwaffe (Air Force) set out to cripple Great Britain. The Germans had more experience than English pilots, flying in the Spanish Civil War, as well as numerous campaigns in the early stages of World War II. The Germans had better fighters, and more of them. They had almost as many bombers as the English had total planes. But eventually the Germans were worn down and defeated.
Sunday's defeat to the Giants was not nearly as gruesome, nor as historically important. But the Patriots came in as the undeniable favorite, a team that had not lost in more than a calendar year. A two time Super Bowl MVP under center. The Coach of the Year on the sidelines. Pro-Bowlers galore. The tattered remains of broken records at their feat. Yet they lost.
How? I'll tell you how.
QB Pressure
No team has ever pressured Tom Brady the way the Giants did on Sunday. Their front four got pressure up the gut and on the edge. Their blitzes were savage, precise, well-disguised, and executed to perfection. Brady was sacked, knocked down, forced to step-up, unable to step through his throws, hurried, and flushed. There were very few easy dropbacks.
The Giants not only got in Brady's face, but they prevented the deep pass. Moss and others were wide open downfield several times, only to have the play broken up behind them by pressure on Brady. The Giants also clogged the throwing lanes, disrupting the short passing game.
The pressure led to several false start penalties, almost all of which came at inopportune times, disrupting the rhythm and momentum of drives, turning 2nd & 10s into 2nd & 15s.
The Running Games
Laurence Maroney had given two impressive performances to help get the Pats to Super Bowl XLII, and at the start of the game looked good. But the Giants clamped down and stopped him for the rest of the night.
In New England's first drive, Maroney had four carries for 15 yards. His final carry of the drive was a 1 yard touchdown. For the remainder of the game, he was held to 21 yards on 10 carries, averaging an anemic 2.1 yards per carry.
Here are those 10 carries:
11:11 2nd qtr, 2nd & 2, NE 41 - Maroney left end, pushed out of bounds, gain of 1
10:43 2nd qtr, 3rd & 1, NE 40 - Maroney left tackle, loss of 2
8:35 2nd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 30 - Maroney up the middle, no gain
1:41 2nd qtr, 2nd & 10, NE 11 - Maroney right end, loss of 3
14:16 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 36 - Maroney up the middle, gain of 7
13:02 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 48 - Maroney left end, loss of 2
8:42 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NY 28 - Maroney right guard, no gain
2:19 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 21 - Maroney right tackle, gain of 9
1:47 3rd qtr, 2nd & 1, NE 30 - Maroney left end, gain of 2
6:39 4th qtr, 1st & 10, NE 35 - Maroney left end, pushed out of bounds, gain of 9
So Maroney got 21 yards on these 10 carries, but 25 yards came on three of those carries. His runs were that inconsistent. In the entire game he had three 9 yard carries, a 7 yard carry, a 5 yard carry, a 2 yard carry, a pair of 1 yard carries, three carries for no gain, two carries for a loss of 2, and a carry for a loss of 3. Six of his 14 carries went for no gain or a loss. That's abysmal.
Of the 10 carries listed above, some hurt a great deal. The first two came after Ellis Hobbs intercepted Manning, and the Pats blew a chance to build on their 7-3 lead by going 3 and out. Think about this, they had 2nd and 2, and failed to convert for the 1st down. That's not supposed to happen...ever.
That carry for no gain with 8:42 in the 3rd, was one of the plays that led to the 4th & 13 debacle. The inability to get any yardage on 1st down led to a Kyle Brady reception for 3, which led to 3rd & 7, which led to a sack, which led to a 4th & 13 situation in no mans' land.
With no running threat, the Giants' front four was free to tee off on Brady. Drives lost momentum or were never able to pick any up.
But it wasn't all Maroney's fault, or even the offensive line's. The Giants did a good job of stopping him before he could build up any steam. They stuffed the middle, and pursued well to the outside. Even when Maroney got a little bit of space to get some power going, the Giants were quick to envelop him.
Meanwhile, Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for a solid day of work. They didn't put up massive numbers. They combined for 87 yards on 23 carries (3.8 YPC), which isn't stellar, but they picked up decent yardage almost every time they ran. They only lost yardage on one run. They gained 2 yards or more on 19 carries. They gained 3 or more on 13 carries. Four or more on 10 carries. Seven or more on 5 carries. These runs created 3rd and manageable situations for the passing game.
One of the biggest plays of the game was a 2 yard run by Brandon Jacobs on 4th & 1 with 1:34 on the clock in the 4th. If he gets stuffed, which he very nearly did, the game is all but over, with the Pats taking over on New York's 37, in need of a touchdown to ice it, or a first down to end it. Instead, Jacobs gets the 1st down, and the Giants drive winds up in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown.
Inability to Make a Big Play
The Patriots didn't make nearly as many big plays as the Giants did. In their long opening drive, the Giants converted four 3rd downs in order to hang on to the ball, chew up clock, wear down the defense, and eventually score 3 points. Meanwhile, Ellis Hobbs had an opportunity to pick off a tipped ball in the end zone, but failed to come down with it.
After eventually intercepting Manning, the Pats did nothing to capitalize. They made the big play but couldn't build on it. They failed to convert a 2nd & 2, then a 3rd & 1 and were forced to punt.
On the Giants' 33 yard line, a fumbled hand off was apparently smothered by Pierre Woods, but the Giants were able to wrestle it from him and retain posession. Instead of the Pats taking over at New York's 30 yard line, the G-Men punted, and New England got the ball back on their own 30, a 40 yard change in field position.
The rest of the 1st half was a field position battle. After absorbing two sacks, the Pats punted and the Giants got the ball on their 43 yard line. Then New York punted and Kevin Faulk caught it at the 11. Eventually Brady fumbled at New York's 44. A 45 yard drive hadn't even gotten the Pats into field goal range.
The Giants made a big play in the 3rd quarter, on a 3rd and 6. They sacked Brady for a loss of 7, which pushed the Pats beyond comfortable field goal range. Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 13, but the Pats were unable to convert.
The Giants had the longest play of the game, a 45 yard reception by Kevin Boss, which set-up a touchdown pass to Tyree. The TD gave the Giants a 10-7 lead. New England's longest completion was 19 yards.
Brady's Deep Misses
When Brady got enough time and space to throw the deep ball, they all were horribly off-target. Moss, Stallworth, Gaffney, and Welker were all able to beat their coverage and get seperation. But Brady's balls were overthrown, underthrown, thrown wide right, wide left. He was all over the place. Against a better secondary, there would have been some interceptions.
The pressure had been all over Brady from start to finish, but his short passes were crisp and generally on target. He was 7 for 10 in that 4th quarter touchdown drive. So I don't think the pressure was why his long balls were so off target.
Those misguided bombs at the end of the game were perfect examples of Brady's loss of touch and accuracy when throwing deep. On 1st & 10, both Gaffney and Welker had a step on the coverage, but the ball fell over and in between the two. On 3rd & 20, Moss had a half step on his men (enough space for him) but the ball was just slightly underthrown.
My guess would be that the ankle, coupled with good pressure from the Giants, was responsible for these un-Brady-like deep balls. Had the Patriots got even one of those early deep balls, this game is entirely different.
Finishing the Game
By the middle of the 3rd quarter, it was clear that this game would be decided by 7 points or less, and each team's performance in their final drives would determine the game's outcome. Brady and the Pats went ahead 14-10 with 2:45 on the clock. It was up to the defense.
The Giants' final drive started off well for New England. Hixon was upended by Raymond Ventrone at the 17 yard line. The Giants would have to go 83 yards in 2:39. Not impossible, but the way the Pats defense had been playing, not probable.
The first opportunity to stop the Giants came on 4th and 1 at the 37. Brandon Jacobs got the hand-off up the middle, as we all expected. He was hampered at the line, but was able to fall forward for a gain of 2 and a 1st down.
The second opportunity came on 2nd & 5 at the Giant 44. Manning overthrew Tyree, and Samuel was right there. Asante got fingertips from both hands on the ball, but his leap was just a fraction of a second off. The tipped ball floated out of bounds and incomplete. An interception right there, with 1:15 on the clock, would have - at the very least - taken nearly a minute off the clock and forced the Giants to burn their timeouts.
The third opportunity was on this play:
Adalius Thomas started the pressure. Manning stepped up, but Jarvis Green and Richard Seymour were still right on top of him. But nobody took him down. Had he been sacked, it would have been a loss of about 8, setting up a 4th & 13 on the Giant 36 yard line.
Not only did the Pats fail to record the sack, Manning was able to find David Tyree, who made the catch of the century. Tyree almost let the ball fly past his head. Any tip would have probably been intercepted by the Pats. Rodney was right on Tyree. Hobbs, Sanders, and Samuel were all closing in on the play.
The fourth opportunity came on 2nd & 11. Another pass intended for Tyree was nearly picked off, this one by Meriweather. It would have been a tough, diving, over-the-shoulder catch; but it was possible. Meriweather did a good job just to break up the pass, but it could have been better.
Then New York's touchdown, featuring Plaxico Burress in single coverage, and a falling down Ellis Hobbs. That was ugly.
New York finished the game properly. New England came close to making big plays to end it, but they failed when it mattered most. Champions don't fail at times like that.
Questionable Coaching
It's hard to question Coach Belichick, but this game featured some interesting coaching decisions.
The 4th & 13 play was the most glaring decision, but for me it wasn't that bad. All year, we've gone for it from that spot of the field. I wouldn't have minded a punt, either, trying to pin the Giants back.
I do have a problem with the 3rd & 7 play calling on the previous play. Why not try a screen to Faulk on that play? Why try to go deep on 3rd & 7 when in field goal range, especially against a fierce pass rush that just might get to Brady. Even if you don't get the first down, you'll be in good field goal range, or set-up a 4th & 3 or 4th & 4.
I didn't like how often the Pats kept going deep. It was obvious that the Giants pass rush was teeing off on Brady. It was just as obvious that Tom's long passes were terribly innacurate. So many 2nd & 10s, and 3rd & 10s came about because of the deep ball addiction.
So the Giants played better than the Pats. The Patriots failed to come up with big plays, which they've made all year. There's nothing we can do except look to next season.
Giants' linebacker Antonio Pierce said after the game "This was the death of a dynasty."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
To Mister Pierce, and the rest of the NFL...
we'll be back.
Sources:
ESPN.com, Fox, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports
Photo credits:
Harry How/Getty Images
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Elsa/Getty Images
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Matt Slocum/AP
Timothey A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
In 1415, 30,000 French soldiers stood against 6,000 Englishmen on the fields of Agincourt in northern France. Despite possessing an overwhelming numerical advantage, the French were crushed. Only 112 Englishmen lay dead at the end of the day, while an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 French were killed.
In 1940, the mighty German Luftwaffe (Air Force) set out to cripple Great Britain. The Germans had more experience than English pilots, flying in the Spanish Civil War, as well as numerous campaigns in the early stages of World War II. The Germans had better fighters, and more of them. They had almost as many bombers as the English had total planes. But eventually the Germans were worn down and defeated.
Sunday's defeat to the Giants was not nearly as gruesome, nor as historically important. But the Patriots came in as the undeniable favorite, a team that had not lost in more than a calendar year. A two time Super Bowl MVP under center. The Coach of the Year on the sidelines. Pro-Bowlers galore. The tattered remains of broken records at their feat. Yet they lost.
How? I'll tell you how.
QB Pressure
No team has ever pressured Tom Brady the way the Giants did on Sunday. Their front four got pressure up the gut and on the edge. Their blitzes were savage, precise, well-disguised, and executed to perfection. Brady was sacked, knocked down, forced to step-up, unable to step through his throws, hurried, and flushed. There were very few easy dropbacks.
The Giants not only got in Brady's face, but they prevented the deep pass. Moss and others were wide open downfield several times, only to have the play broken up behind them by pressure on Brady. The Giants also clogged the throwing lanes, disrupting the short passing game.
The pressure led to several false start penalties, almost all of which came at inopportune times, disrupting the rhythm and momentum of drives, turning 2nd & 10s into 2nd & 15s.
The Running Games
Laurence Maroney had given two impressive performances to help get the Pats to Super Bowl XLII, and at the start of the game looked good. But the Giants clamped down and stopped him for the rest of the night.
In New England's first drive, Maroney had four carries for 15 yards. His final carry of the drive was a 1 yard touchdown. For the remainder of the game, he was held to 21 yards on 10 carries, averaging an anemic 2.1 yards per carry.
Here are those 10 carries:
11:11 2nd qtr, 2nd & 2, NE 41 - Maroney left end, pushed out of bounds, gain of 1
10:43 2nd qtr, 3rd & 1, NE 40 - Maroney left tackle, loss of 2
8:35 2nd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 30 - Maroney up the middle, no gain
1:41 2nd qtr, 2nd & 10, NE 11 - Maroney right end, loss of 3
14:16 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 36 - Maroney up the middle, gain of 7
13:02 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 48 - Maroney left end, loss of 2
8:42 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NY 28 - Maroney right guard, no gain
2:19 3rd qtr, 1st & 10, NE 21 - Maroney right tackle, gain of 9
1:47 3rd qtr, 2nd & 1, NE 30 - Maroney left end, gain of 2
6:39 4th qtr, 1st & 10, NE 35 - Maroney left end, pushed out of bounds, gain of 9
So Maroney got 21 yards on these 10 carries, but 25 yards came on three of those carries. His runs were that inconsistent. In the entire game he had three 9 yard carries, a 7 yard carry, a 5 yard carry, a 2 yard carry, a pair of 1 yard carries, three carries for no gain, two carries for a loss of 2, and a carry for a loss of 3. Six of his 14 carries went for no gain or a loss. That's abysmal.
Of the 10 carries listed above, some hurt a great deal. The first two came after Ellis Hobbs intercepted Manning, and the Pats blew a chance to build on their 7-3 lead by going 3 and out. Think about this, they had 2nd and 2, and failed to convert for the 1st down. That's not supposed to happen...ever.
That carry for no gain with 8:42 in the 3rd, was one of the plays that led to the 4th & 13 debacle. The inability to get any yardage on 1st down led to a Kyle Brady reception for 3, which led to 3rd & 7, which led to a sack, which led to a 4th & 13 situation in no mans' land.
With no running threat, the Giants' front four was free to tee off on Brady. Drives lost momentum or were never able to pick any up.
But it wasn't all Maroney's fault, or even the offensive line's. The Giants did a good job of stopping him before he could build up any steam. They stuffed the middle, and pursued well to the outside. Even when Maroney got a little bit of space to get some power going, the Giants were quick to envelop him.
Meanwhile, Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for a solid day of work. They didn't put up massive numbers. They combined for 87 yards on 23 carries (3.8 YPC), which isn't stellar, but they picked up decent yardage almost every time they ran. They only lost yardage on one run. They gained 2 yards or more on 19 carries. They gained 3 or more on 13 carries. Four or more on 10 carries. Seven or more on 5 carries. These runs created 3rd and manageable situations for the passing game.
One of the biggest plays of the game was a 2 yard run by Brandon Jacobs on 4th & 1 with 1:34 on the clock in the 4th. If he gets stuffed, which he very nearly did, the game is all but over, with the Pats taking over on New York's 37, in need of a touchdown to ice it, or a first down to end it. Instead, Jacobs gets the 1st down, and the Giants drive winds up in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown.
Inability to Make a Big Play
The Patriots didn't make nearly as many big plays as the Giants did. In their long opening drive, the Giants converted four 3rd downs in order to hang on to the ball, chew up clock, wear down the defense, and eventually score 3 points. Meanwhile, Ellis Hobbs had an opportunity to pick off a tipped ball in the end zone, but failed to come down with it.
After eventually intercepting Manning, the Pats did nothing to capitalize. They made the big play but couldn't build on it. They failed to convert a 2nd & 2, then a 3rd & 1 and were forced to punt.
On the Giants' 33 yard line, a fumbled hand off was apparently smothered by Pierre Woods, but the Giants were able to wrestle it from him and retain posession. Instead of the Pats taking over at New York's 30 yard line, the G-Men punted, and New England got the ball back on their own 30, a 40 yard change in field position.
The rest of the 1st half was a field position battle. After absorbing two sacks, the Pats punted and the Giants got the ball on their 43 yard line. Then New York punted and Kevin Faulk caught it at the 11. Eventually Brady fumbled at New York's 44. A 45 yard drive hadn't even gotten the Pats into field goal range.
The Giants made a big play in the 3rd quarter, on a 3rd and 6. They sacked Brady for a loss of 7, which pushed the Pats beyond comfortable field goal range. Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 13, but the Pats were unable to convert.
The Giants had the longest play of the game, a 45 yard reception by Kevin Boss, which set-up a touchdown pass to Tyree. The TD gave the Giants a 10-7 lead. New England's longest completion was 19 yards.
Brady's Deep Misses
When Brady got enough time and space to throw the deep ball, they all were horribly off-target. Moss, Stallworth, Gaffney, and Welker were all able to beat their coverage and get seperation. But Brady's balls were overthrown, underthrown, thrown wide right, wide left. He was all over the place. Against a better secondary, there would have been some interceptions.
The pressure had been all over Brady from start to finish, but his short passes were crisp and generally on target. He was 7 for 10 in that 4th quarter touchdown drive. So I don't think the pressure was why his long balls were so off target.
Those misguided bombs at the end of the game were perfect examples of Brady's loss of touch and accuracy when throwing deep. On 1st & 10, both Gaffney and Welker had a step on the coverage, but the ball fell over and in between the two. On 3rd & 20, Moss had a half step on his men (enough space for him) but the ball was just slightly underthrown.
My guess would be that the ankle, coupled with good pressure from the Giants, was responsible for these un-Brady-like deep balls. Had the Patriots got even one of those early deep balls, this game is entirely different.
Finishing the Game
By the middle of the 3rd quarter, it was clear that this game would be decided by 7 points or less, and each team's performance in their final drives would determine the game's outcome. Brady and the Pats went ahead 14-10 with 2:45 on the clock. It was up to the defense.
The Giants' final drive started off well for New England. Hixon was upended by Raymond Ventrone at the 17 yard line. The Giants would have to go 83 yards in 2:39. Not impossible, but the way the Pats defense had been playing, not probable.
The first opportunity to stop the Giants came on 4th and 1 at the 37. Brandon Jacobs got the hand-off up the middle, as we all expected. He was hampered at the line, but was able to fall forward for a gain of 2 and a 1st down.
The second opportunity came on 2nd & 5 at the Giant 44. Manning overthrew Tyree, and Samuel was right there. Asante got fingertips from both hands on the ball, but his leap was just a fraction of a second off. The tipped ball floated out of bounds and incomplete. An interception right there, with 1:15 on the clock, would have - at the very least - taken nearly a minute off the clock and forced the Giants to burn their timeouts.
The third opportunity was on this play:
Adalius Thomas started the pressure. Manning stepped up, but Jarvis Green and Richard Seymour were still right on top of him. But nobody took him down. Had he been sacked, it would have been a loss of about 8, setting up a 4th & 13 on the Giant 36 yard line.
Not only did the Pats fail to record the sack, Manning was able to find David Tyree, who made the catch of the century. Tyree almost let the ball fly past his head. Any tip would have probably been intercepted by the Pats. Rodney was right on Tyree. Hobbs, Sanders, and Samuel were all closing in on the play.
The fourth opportunity came on 2nd & 11. Another pass intended for Tyree was nearly picked off, this one by Meriweather. It would have been a tough, diving, over-the-shoulder catch; but it was possible. Meriweather did a good job just to break up the pass, but it could have been better.
Then New York's touchdown, featuring Plaxico Burress in single coverage, and a falling down Ellis Hobbs. That was ugly.
New York finished the game properly. New England came close to making big plays to end it, but they failed when it mattered most. Champions don't fail at times like that.
Questionable Coaching
It's hard to question Coach Belichick, but this game featured some interesting coaching decisions.
The 4th & 13 play was the most glaring decision, but for me it wasn't that bad. All year, we've gone for it from that spot of the field. I wouldn't have minded a punt, either, trying to pin the Giants back.
I do have a problem with the 3rd & 7 play calling on the previous play. Why not try a screen to Faulk on that play? Why try to go deep on 3rd & 7 when in field goal range, especially against a fierce pass rush that just might get to Brady. Even if you don't get the first down, you'll be in good field goal range, or set-up a 4th & 3 or 4th & 4.
I didn't like how often the Pats kept going deep. It was obvious that the Giants pass rush was teeing off on Brady. It was just as obvious that Tom's long passes were terribly innacurate. So many 2nd & 10s, and 3rd & 10s came about because of the deep ball addiction.
So the Giants played better than the Pats. The Patriots failed to come up with big plays, which they've made all year. There's nothing we can do except look to next season.
Giants' linebacker Antonio Pierce said after the game "This was the death of a dynasty."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
To Mister Pierce, and the rest of the NFL...
we'll be back.
Sources:
ESPN.com, Fox, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports
Photo credits:
Harry How/Getty Images
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Elsa/Getty Images
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Matt Slocum/AP
Timothey A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Friday, February 01, 2008
SUPER BOWL XLII PREVIEW
I've tried my best not to write anything about the Super Bowl until the last minute. Two weeks is a long wait, but if you look at the desperate attempts at story-building by others (ESPN, Mikey Felger on CSN, etc.) then you can see why the 2 weeks before the Super Bowl are best spent focusing on hockey and basketball.
Tom Brady's ankle was the big story for the first week. Is he hurt? Yes. Will he play? Yes. Will he be his normal self? We'll see. That's really all there is to it.
Plexiglass Burress' guarantee (nickname courtesy of Ray Lewis) was the big story this week. I think it's stupid to give the media anything they could use as a big story. You give simple answers to their simple questions. Don't get "creative" with the media. Don't try to use the media as a tool. The media is there to use you as a tool. So don't even give them a hint of a story to run with. Plaxico's guarantee was stupid, but not cocky or even classless. Of course he and his teammates think they will win. They're professional football players.
I think Plaxico's predicted scoreline is a bit off, considering these teams combined for 73 points in week 17, and now they've had a week off and will be playing in perfect football weather. I also think he's putting tons of pressure on his defense. No team has held the Patriots under 20 points. Not even the snow could do that.
Asante Samuel's response to Plaxico's prediction sums up my feelings:
"That's what he guaranteed? Good for him."
And the current story is that Senator Arlen Specter (R -PA) has asked the NFL to explain why Belichick's SpyGate tapes were destroyed. Arlen Specter, by the way, has tried several times to help George W. Bush's electronic surveillance programs become legal. He's also a rabid Eagles fan who calls into Philly sports radio once a week. I think he's just grandstanding for his constituents. Think about it. All the Eagles fans who were pissed about losing Super Bowl XXXIX will agree with Specter. And all the Steelers fans who hate the Patriots will support him, as well.
Now to the stuff that matters.
These two teams met 5 weeks ago in the Meadowlands. The score of 38-35 says it was close. And it was close. Sort of. The Giants led 21-16 at half-time, and in the 3rd quarter led 28-16. The 12 point deficit was the biggest faced by the Pats all season. Then the Patriots went on a 22-0 run. The Giants scored a touchdown with 1:04 left on the clock, but failed to recover the onside kick.
The Giants put up 35 points thanks to big plays. One of the first plays of the game was a 52 yard pass to Burress in the seem. Of course, it was a play action pass, which normally doesn't work early in the game, but the Pats were keyed on stopping Brandon Jacobs and the play action worked. That drive ended in a touchdown.
Then there was that 75 yard kickoff return that was aided by a celebration penalty on Moss and Maroney. Moss had made it 10-7 Pats with his record tying score, but the return made it14-10 Giants.
The Giants scored in their 2 minute drill to end the 1st half. On the second play of their drive, both Ty Warren and Jarvis Green came within inches of taking Eli down, but both fell (literally fell) at his feet. Instead of a sack, a loss of 8, and probably the end of an aggressive 2 minute drill; Eli found Kevin Boss for a 23 yard gain.
Then the Patriots dominated the rest of the game. The Giants scored again, but it was against a prevent defense with a two score lead. New York was also assisted by a 15 yard personal foul committed by Rodney Harrison.
The Giants played a great game, and came close to beating the Patriots, but not as close as the score would lend some to believe. The Patriots were also playing without starting right-side offensive linemen Nick Kaczur and Stephen Neal. And guess where most of the pressure on Brady came from...
The right side.
The Giants present an interesting challenge to the Patriots defense. They can run the ball well with Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, but Eli Manning has passed the ball well in the post-season, too. But the Patriots defense is playing the best they've played all year. They haven't allowed a touchdown in the last 6 quarters. Hell, even Plaxico thinks the Giants won't score more than 3 touchdowns.
The Giants put up a season high 35 points on the Pats' defense in week 17. But 7 was off a kickoff return. 7 more was after Eli was nearly sacked but miraculously got away and threw downfield for 23 yards. Another 7 was with the game all but over against a prevent defense. I think in this game, the Patriots defense will confuse Eli Manning and get consistent pressure on him from different directions. I think Jacobs will have a better game than he did in week 17, but it won't be enough.
The Patriots offense put up 38 in week 17, but it could have been a lot more. Brady and the boys made three first half trips into Giants territory that resulted in mere field goals. All three of those drives very easily could have been touchdown scoring. That's 12 points left on the field.
I think the Patriots will be looser in this game than in week 17. I think having Kaczur, Neal, and Kyle Brady back will be a big boost. I think Laurence Maroney is having his best games of the season here at the end. I think Randy Moss got by New York's CBs before and will do it again. I think the Giants have a good front 4, but the Pats have a good front 5. I think Welker will draw enough attention to free up Moss and vice versa.
I think the Patriots win this game 38-16.
MVP: Rodney Harrison - 2 interceptions, 1 sack
Tom Brady's ankle was the big story for the first week. Is he hurt? Yes. Will he play? Yes. Will he be his normal self? We'll see. That's really all there is to it.
Plexiglass Burress' guarantee (nickname courtesy of Ray Lewis) was the big story this week. I think it's stupid to give the media anything they could use as a big story. You give simple answers to their simple questions. Don't get "creative" with the media. Don't try to use the media as a tool. The media is there to use you as a tool. So don't even give them a hint of a story to run with. Plaxico's guarantee was stupid, but not cocky or even classless. Of course he and his teammates think they will win. They're professional football players.
I think Plaxico's predicted scoreline is a bit off, considering these teams combined for 73 points in week 17, and now they've had a week off and will be playing in perfect football weather. I also think he's putting tons of pressure on his defense. No team has held the Patriots under 20 points. Not even the snow could do that.
Asante Samuel's response to Plaxico's prediction sums up my feelings:
"That's what he guaranteed? Good for him."
And the current story is that Senator Arlen Specter (R -PA) has asked the NFL to explain why Belichick's SpyGate tapes were destroyed. Arlen Specter, by the way, has tried several times to help George W. Bush's electronic surveillance programs become legal. He's also a rabid Eagles fan who calls into Philly sports radio once a week. I think he's just grandstanding for his constituents. Think about it. All the Eagles fans who were pissed about losing Super Bowl XXXIX will agree with Specter. And all the Steelers fans who hate the Patriots will support him, as well.
Now to the stuff that matters.
These two teams met 5 weeks ago in the Meadowlands. The score of 38-35 says it was close. And it was close. Sort of. The Giants led 21-16 at half-time, and in the 3rd quarter led 28-16. The 12 point deficit was the biggest faced by the Pats all season. Then the Patriots went on a 22-0 run. The Giants scored a touchdown with 1:04 left on the clock, but failed to recover the onside kick.
The Giants put up 35 points thanks to big plays. One of the first plays of the game was a 52 yard pass to Burress in the seem. Of course, it was a play action pass, which normally doesn't work early in the game, but the Pats were keyed on stopping Brandon Jacobs and the play action worked. That drive ended in a touchdown.
Then there was that 75 yard kickoff return that was aided by a celebration penalty on Moss and Maroney. Moss had made it 10-7 Pats with his record tying score, but the return made it14-10 Giants.
The Giants scored in their 2 minute drill to end the 1st half. On the second play of their drive, both Ty Warren and Jarvis Green came within inches of taking Eli down, but both fell (literally fell) at his feet. Instead of a sack, a loss of 8, and probably the end of an aggressive 2 minute drill; Eli found Kevin Boss for a 23 yard gain.
Then the Patriots dominated the rest of the game. The Giants scored again, but it was against a prevent defense with a two score lead. New York was also assisted by a 15 yard personal foul committed by Rodney Harrison.
The Giants played a great game, and came close to beating the Patriots, but not as close as the score would lend some to believe. The Patriots were also playing without starting right-side offensive linemen Nick Kaczur and Stephen Neal. And guess where most of the pressure on Brady came from...
The right side.
The Giants present an interesting challenge to the Patriots defense. They can run the ball well with Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, but Eli Manning has passed the ball well in the post-season, too. But the Patriots defense is playing the best they've played all year. They haven't allowed a touchdown in the last 6 quarters. Hell, even Plaxico thinks the Giants won't score more than 3 touchdowns.
The Giants put up a season high 35 points on the Pats' defense in week 17. But 7 was off a kickoff return. 7 more was after Eli was nearly sacked but miraculously got away and threw downfield for 23 yards. Another 7 was with the game all but over against a prevent defense. I think in this game, the Patriots defense will confuse Eli Manning and get consistent pressure on him from different directions. I think Jacobs will have a better game than he did in week 17, but it won't be enough.
The Patriots offense put up 38 in week 17, but it could have been a lot more. Brady and the boys made three first half trips into Giants territory that resulted in mere field goals. All three of those drives very easily could have been touchdown scoring. That's 12 points left on the field.
I think the Patriots will be looser in this game than in week 17. I think having Kaczur, Neal, and Kyle Brady back will be a big boost. I think Laurence Maroney is having his best games of the season here at the end. I think Randy Moss got by New York's CBs before and will do it again. I think the Giants have a good front 4, but the Pats have a good front 5. I think Welker will draw enough attention to free up Moss and vice versa.
I think the Patriots win this game 38-16.
MVP: Rodney Harrison - 2 interceptions, 1 sack
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
SANTANA GOING TO NEW YORK
To the Mets, thank God. It was announced yesterday that the Mets and Twins have agreed on a deal that would send Johan Santana in the game to New York in exchange for four of the Mets top prospects. The deal is pending Santana's agreement to a new contract with the Mets, as well as all players involved passing physicals.
The four players the Mets will send to Minnesota are:
Carlos Gomez - OF
22 years old, good speed, negligible power, decent OBP, hit .286 in AAA New Orleans last year. Played 58 games with Mets, hit .232 in 125 ABs, 12 for 15 stealing bases, 27 Ks and only 7 walks. He's no Jacoby Ellsbury.
Deolis Guerra - SP
19 years old, tall right-hander. Spent all of 2007 in High A St. Lucie. Numbers weren't that good, but at such a tender age and low level of minor league ball, numbers are irrelevant. Was a member of the World Team at the 2007 Futures Game.
Phil Humber - SP
25 years old, another righty. Only his 3rd year in the minors. Went to Rice, where he racked up a 35-8 record and over 400 Ks in 3 years. Won the College World Series title with Rice in '03. Made 25 starts for AAA New Orleans last year, going 11-9 with a 4.27 ERA in 139.0 IP. Struck out 120, walked 44. WHIP of 1.24. Made a spot start and two mop-up relief appearances for the Mets. Threw 7 total innings, allowing 6 earned runs. He's kind of close to Jon Lester, only without the Major League experience. But he has the same upside.
Kevin Mulvey - SP
23 years old, another college boy and righty. Spent most of 2007 in AA Binghamton where he made 26 starts, went 11-10 with a 3.32 ERA, and only allowed 4 homeruns in 151.2 innings. Made one start in AAA and threw 6 shutout innings. Was a member of Team USA in last year's Futures Game. He looks pretty good. But he's no Clay Bucholz. And he's certainly no Phil Hughes.
So looking at this deal, and comparing it to the deals discussed with the Red Sox and Yankees, doesn't it seem as though the Mets got Santana for a bargain? According to Baseball America, these are 4 of the Mets' top 7 prospects, but there's very little Major League experience, and there's nothing really eye popping about any of these guys. So maybe the Twins overplayed their hand by trying to pit the Yankees and Sox in a bidding war, only to have them both leave the table.
That being said, as a Red Sox fan, I can't help but look at this deal and be somewhat disappointed. It's obvious that we could have gotten Santana if we had been willing to give up a bit more. And I think it would have been worth it. Santana, in my opinion, is the best pitcher in baseball. Put him alongside Beckett, Schilling, and Matsuzaka; and you're already in the 2008 ALCS. And he isn't exactly old. He's got a lot of good years left in that arm. I actually think he'll reach the 300 win mark one day.
But I understand where the Red Sox were coming from in this deal. In 2007, the homegrown talent really came to bat. Youkilis, Pedroia, Papelbon, Delcarmen, Bucholz, Ellsbury. It was the big-time acquisitions that fell short of expectations. Drew, Lugo, Gagne, Matsuzaka.
The Red Sox must also have been thinking about their financial situation. This is Manny's last year in his contract, Varitek is on the verge of becoming an offensive black hole, the young stars will be reaching arbitration eligibility in a few seasons, lots of money is tied up in Drew and Lugo.
The Sox will also be needing to fill many small holes in the years to come. Manny's replacement. A possible early replacement for Lugo (while we eat his contract). Lowell and Varitek are old. There's no way Schilling will play in '09. The bullpen is strong at the top but lacks depth. Wakefield will be turning 103 soon. Coco Crisp sucks. And God knows what's going to become of JD Drew. So hanging on to young, cheap talent appears to be a priority for the Red Sox right now, and I can't say I blame them.
But it could be worse. The Yankees could have gotten him. Or, we could be in a similar situation as the Yankees. If the H & H Brothers are anything like their father Georgie Porgie, then they'll obsess over who gets control over the New York Post's back page. And with Santana, the Mets have taken a first step in winning that publicity war.
We all knew the Yankees suck. But now it also sucks to be a Yankee.
Sources:
Newsday.com - article
The Baseball Cube
The four players the Mets will send to Minnesota are:
Carlos Gomez - OF
22 years old, good speed, negligible power, decent OBP, hit .286 in AAA New Orleans last year. Played 58 games with Mets, hit .232 in 125 ABs, 12 for 15 stealing bases, 27 Ks and only 7 walks. He's no Jacoby Ellsbury.
Deolis Guerra - SP
19 years old, tall right-hander. Spent all of 2007 in High A St. Lucie. Numbers weren't that good, but at such a tender age and low level of minor league ball, numbers are irrelevant. Was a member of the World Team at the 2007 Futures Game.
Phil Humber - SP
25 years old, another righty. Only his 3rd year in the minors. Went to Rice, where he racked up a 35-8 record and over 400 Ks in 3 years. Won the College World Series title with Rice in '03. Made 25 starts for AAA New Orleans last year, going 11-9 with a 4.27 ERA in 139.0 IP. Struck out 120, walked 44. WHIP of 1.24. Made a spot start and two mop-up relief appearances for the Mets. Threw 7 total innings, allowing 6 earned runs. He's kind of close to Jon Lester, only without the Major League experience. But he has the same upside.
Kevin Mulvey - SP
23 years old, another college boy and righty. Spent most of 2007 in AA Binghamton where he made 26 starts, went 11-10 with a 3.32 ERA, and only allowed 4 homeruns in 151.2 innings. Made one start in AAA and threw 6 shutout innings. Was a member of Team USA in last year's Futures Game. He looks pretty good. But he's no Clay Bucholz. And he's certainly no Phil Hughes.
So looking at this deal, and comparing it to the deals discussed with the Red Sox and Yankees, doesn't it seem as though the Mets got Santana for a bargain? According to Baseball America, these are 4 of the Mets' top 7 prospects, but there's very little Major League experience, and there's nothing really eye popping about any of these guys. So maybe the Twins overplayed their hand by trying to pit the Yankees and Sox in a bidding war, only to have them both leave the table.
That being said, as a Red Sox fan, I can't help but look at this deal and be somewhat disappointed. It's obvious that we could have gotten Santana if we had been willing to give up a bit more. And I think it would have been worth it. Santana, in my opinion, is the best pitcher in baseball. Put him alongside Beckett, Schilling, and Matsuzaka; and you're already in the 2008 ALCS. And he isn't exactly old. He's got a lot of good years left in that arm. I actually think he'll reach the 300 win mark one day.
But I understand where the Red Sox were coming from in this deal. In 2007, the homegrown talent really came to bat. Youkilis, Pedroia, Papelbon, Delcarmen, Bucholz, Ellsbury. It was the big-time acquisitions that fell short of expectations. Drew, Lugo, Gagne, Matsuzaka.
The Red Sox must also have been thinking about their financial situation. This is Manny's last year in his contract, Varitek is on the verge of becoming an offensive black hole, the young stars will be reaching arbitration eligibility in a few seasons, lots of money is tied up in Drew and Lugo.
The Sox will also be needing to fill many small holes in the years to come. Manny's replacement. A possible early replacement for Lugo (while we eat his contract). Lowell and Varitek are old. There's no way Schilling will play in '09. The bullpen is strong at the top but lacks depth. Wakefield will be turning 103 soon. Coco Crisp sucks. And God knows what's going to become of JD Drew. So hanging on to young, cheap talent appears to be a priority for the Red Sox right now, and I can't say I blame them.
But it could be worse. The Yankees could have gotten him. Or, we could be in a similar situation as the Yankees. If the H & H Brothers are anything like their father Georgie Porgie, then they'll obsess over who gets control over the New York Post's back page. And with Santana, the Mets have taken a first step in winning that publicity war.
We all knew the Yankees suck. But now it also sucks to be a Yankee.
Sources:
Newsday.com - article
The Baseball Cube
AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED WIN AGAINST...NASHVILLE?
A goaltender standing on his head, the Captain pummeling an opponent in the crease, and a game changing fight. The 14,150 in attendance at last night’s Bruins/Predators game got all this and more.
After an impactful contribution to All-Star weekend (Zdeno Chara won the fastest shot competition with a 103.1 MPH bullet, Marc Savard scored the game winning goal in the East’s 8-7 victory, and both Chara and Savard were +3 in the game), the Bruins hosted the Predators in what amounted to a warm-up game before taking on the big boys from Ottawa and Detroit.
A relatively placid game between interconference opponents got emotional at precisely 8:33 into the 2nd period. J.P. Dumont, crashing the net, bowled over Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas, toppling him into the back of the net. As the net skidded off its pegs, Chara pounced on the grounded Dumont, landing a few quick shots before Jason Arnott (who was Chara’s teammate just a few days ago) and the referees broke up the melee. Dumont received a penalty for goaltender interference. Arnott received an unsportmanlike penalty for mouthing off to the officials.
The 5 on 3 that ensued was executed to textbook quality perfection by the Bruins. They passed the puck around the outside (Savard), then up to the flank (David Krejci), then across the middle to Marco Sturm creeping from the right side into the slot. Sturm one-timed it into the net to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
But the Predators were not dead. For the remainder of the period they peppered Tim Thomas with a barrage of shots. But Thomas responded with a remarkable display of goaltending. He made the by-the-book saves thanks to good positioning and skill. But he also made the inginuitive saves on his back, belly and knees. He stopped one shot by diving from post to post and swatting the puck away in mid-air with the paddle of his stick. He was a wall.
But the wall was compromised with just 0:51 left in the 2nd, thanks to some sloppy passing. Chara, in his own zone, attempted to pass to defensive mate Dennis Wideman, but the pass went astray. Wideman was forced to corral the puck behind his own net, but some good forechecking by Arnott and Dumont resulted in a takeaway. The confusion and disorganization allowed Alexander Radulov to snap a shot in space from the right hash marks. Thomas had no chance to stop it and the score was tied at 1-1 going into the intermission.
The one knock I have on Zdeno Chara’s play this year has been the abundance of these giveaways and misplays. This was the second time he wrapped a gift for the Predators, and it wound up costing the team dearly. He’s been a steady force on defense all year, and a solid player on the offensive blue line; but he has made some baffling mistakes with the puck in his own zone. Perhaps it’s his overwhelming ice time. Chara’s average of 26:57 on the ice per game is 4th in the NHL. For a 255 pounder, this must be exhausting, so silly mistakes are somewhat understandable.
Going into the 3rd, the game was up for grabs. Nashville had tied it up, and appeared to be on the verge of scoring more goals. Through two periods, the Predators dominated in shots on goal, with 25. The Bruins had only put 16 shots on Chris Mason. Their only goal came on a 5 on 3, which was the result of a questionable penalty and another penalty for arguing about the first penalty. If momentum were leaning in a direction, it was toward the Predators.
But all that changed 5 minutes into the 3rd. Martin Erat was skating across the neutral zone when Andrew Ference derailed him with a hit that would make Rodney Harrison jealous. Sticking up for his fallen teammate, Scott Nichol goaded Ference into a fight. The bout was quick and decisive. Ference blasted Nichol to the ground with an onslaught of haymakers. In a matter of moments, Andrew Ference had rudely introduced two Predators to the Garden ice. Momentum now turned back to Boston.
While Ference and Nichol served their fighting majors (Nichol didn’t get an additional instigator minor, rightfully so), Glen Metropolit put the Bruins ahead 2-1. Metropolit got the puck at center ice and took it all the way from there, dodging to the right to give himself a one-on-one with the defender, curling the puck further to the right, then dragging it back, leaving the defenseman out to dry, and giving himself just enough space in the high slot to wrist a shot past Mason. It was Metropolit’s 100th career point.
But the night still belonged to Tim Thomas. After Mason stopped a Bruins breakaway dead in its tracks, Thomas made a calm and collected save on the ensuing counterattack. He made another ingenious stop later in the period. Nashville’s pressure had induced the Bruins defense to overshift to their left. Radek Bonk snuck in behind everyone, and the puck found his stick. Thomas was still on the opposite post. It seemed as though Bonk had an open net to shoot at. But Thomas acrobatically slid BOTH of his pads to the other side, double stacking them and closing Bonk’s opening with his feet. Not only was Thomas able to block the shot, but his kick deflected the puck up over the crossbar so there would be no rebound.
At the time, the Predators’ broadcasters were interviewing backup goalie Dan Ellis sitting on the bench. Ellis’ reaction perfectly summed up Thomas’s night. He dumbfoundedly asked the broadcasters: “That didn’t go in?”
Glen Metropolit sealed the deal with a snipe from the right hash mark at 15:57. The way Thomas was playing, there was simply no way Nashville was going to score two goals. The game was effectively over.
The game ended fittingly. Radulov slipped through three Bruins and got a free shot at Thomas. Thomas dove forward and smothered the puck, recording his 37th save of the night at 19:59 in the 3rd.
It’s not every day that a player gets 2 goals in a 3-1 game and is named the Second Star, not the First. But on this night Glen Metropolit won that rare honor. There was no doubt who was the true star of the night.
I intend to revel in this victory as much as possible. As mentioned above, the Bruins travel to Ottawa to face the best team in the Eastern Conference, a team they have played three times but have not beaten. Two days later, the best team in the NHL comes to town. So let the reveling commence!
The Bruins got all sorts of contributions in all sorts of ways last night. Thomas obviously did his thing between the posts. Chara, despite the giveaways, defended his goalie and was otherwise stalwart. Ference’s leveling hit then Flawless Victory over Nichol was a shot in the arm. Metropolit’s moves netted the game winning and game ending goals. Krejci, Savard, and Sturm played great on the power play. Savard also won 14 of 18 faceoffs. In his 10 minutes of ice time, Shawn Thornton was a very visible physical force. Milan Lucic brought physicality and assisted on both Metroplit goals.
With the loss of Patrice Bergeron, and the other injuries the Bruins have had to absorb, they have to all contribute and do their jobs in order to win. As mediocre as they are (especially compared to the other teams in New England), this has been an extraordinarily fun team to watch.
Will I still be saying stuff like that after we play Ottawa and Detroit? We’ll see.
Sources: BostonBruins.com, NESN, FSN-South, ESPN.com, NHL.com
Photos: AP/Winslow Townson (absolutely spectacular photos, don’t you think?)
This article also appeared on ArmchairGM
After an impactful contribution to All-Star weekend (Zdeno Chara won the fastest shot competition with a 103.1 MPH bullet, Marc Savard scored the game winning goal in the East’s 8-7 victory, and both Chara and Savard were +3 in the game), the Bruins hosted the Predators in what amounted to a warm-up game before taking on the big boys from Ottawa and Detroit.
A relatively placid game between interconference opponents got emotional at precisely 8:33 into the 2nd period. J.P. Dumont, crashing the net, bowled over Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas, toppling him into the back of the net. As the net skidded off its pegs, Chara pounced on the grounded Dumont, landing a few quick shots before Jason Arnott (who was Chara’s teammate just a few days ago) and the referees broke up the melee. Dumont received a penalty for goaltender interference. Arnott received an unsportmanlike penalty for mouthing off to the officials.
The 5 on 3 that ensued was executed to textbook quality perfection by the Bruins. They passed the puck around the outside (Savard), then up to the flank (David Krejci), then across the middle to Marco Sturm creeping from the right side into the slot. Sturm one-timed it into the net to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
But the Predators were not dead. For the remainder of the period they peppered Tim Thomas with a barrage of shots. But Thomas responded with a remarkable display of goaltending. He made the by-the-book saves thanks to good positioning and skill. But he also made the inginuitive saves on his back, belly and knees. He stopped one shot by diving from post to post and swatting the puck away in mid-air with the paddle of his stick. He was a wall.
But the wall was compromised with just 0:51 left in the 2nd, thanks to some sloppy passing. Chara, in his own zone, attempted to pass to defensive mate Dennis Wideman, but the pass went astray. Wideman was forced to corral the puck behind his own net, but some good forechecking by Arnott and Dumont resulted in a takeaway. The confusion and disorganization allowed Alexander Radulov to snap a shot in space from the right hash marks. Thomas had no chance to stop it and the score was tied at 1-1 going into the intermission.
The one knock I have on Zdeno Chara’s play this year has been the abundance of these giveaways and misplays. This was the second time he wrapped a gift for the Predators, and it wound up costing the team dearly. He’s been a steady force on defense all year, and a solid player on the offensive blue line; but he has made some baffling mistakes with the puck in his own zone. Perhaps it’s his overwhelming ice time. Chara’s average of 26:57 on the ice per game is 4th in the NHL. For a 255 pounder, this must be exhausting, so silly mistakes are somewhat understandable.
Going into the 3rd, the game was up for grabs. Nashville had tied it up, and appeared to be on the verge of scoring more goals. Through two periods, the Predators dominated in shots on goal, with 25. The Bruins had only put 16 shots on Chris Mason. Their only goal came on a 5 on 3, which was the result of a questionable penalty and another penalty for arguing about the first penalty. If momentum were leaning in a direction, it was toward the Predators.
But all that changed 5 minutes into the 3rd. Martin Erat was skating across the neutral zone when Andrew Ference derailed him with a hit that would make Rodney Harrison jealous. Sticking up for his fallen teammate, Scott Nichol goaded Ference into a fight. The bout was quick and decisive. Ference blasted Nichol to the ground with an onslaught of haymakers. In a matter of moments, Andrew Ference had rudely introduced two Predators to the Garden ice. Momentum now turned back to Boston.
While Ference and Nichol served their fighting majors (Nichol didn’t get an additional instigator minor, rightfully so), Glen Metropolit put the Bruins ahead 2-1. Metropolit got the puck at center ice and took it all the way from there, dodging to the right to give himself a one-on-one with the defender, curling the puck further to the right, then dragging it back, leaving the defenseman out to dry, and giving himself just enough space in the high slot to wrist a shot past Mason. It was Metropolit’s 100th career point.
But the night still belonged to Tim Thomas. After Mason stopped a Bruins breakaway dead in its tracks, Thomas made a calm and collected save on the ensuing counterattack. He made another ingenious stop later in the period. Nashville’s pressure had induced the Bruins defense to overshift to their left. Radek Bonk snuck in behind everyone, and the puck found his stick. Thomas was still on the opposite post. It seemed as though Bonk had an open net to shoot at. But Thomas acrobatically slid BOTH of his pads to the other side, double stacking them and closing Bonk’s opening with his feet. Not only was Thomas able to block the shot, but his kick deflected the puck up over the crossbar so there would be no rebound.
At the time, the Predators’ broadcasters were interviewing backup goalie Dan Ellis sitting on the bench. Ellis’ reaction perfectly summed up Thomas’s night. He dumbfoundedly asked the broadcasters: “That didn’t go in?”
Glen Metropolit sealed the deal with a snipe from the right hash mark at 15:57. The way Thomas was playing, there was simply no way Nashville was going to score two goals. The game was effectively over.
The game ended fittingly. Radulov slipped through three Bruins and got a free shot at Thomas. Thomas dove forward and smothered the puck, recording his 37th save of the night at 19:59 in the 3rd.
It’s not every day that a player gets 2 goals in a 3-1 game and is named the Second Star, not the First. But on this night Glen Metropolit won that rare honor. There was no doubt who was the true star of the night.
I intend to revel in this victory as much as possible. As mentioned above, the Bruins travel to Ottawa to face the best team in the Eastern Conference, a team they have played three times but have not beaten. Two days later, the best team in the NHL comes to town. So let the reveling commence!
The Bruins got all sorts of contributions in all sorts of ways last night. Thomas obviously did his thing between the posts. Chara, despite the giveaways, defended his goalie and was otherwise stalwart. Ference’s leveling hit then Flawless Victory over Nichol was a shot in the arm. Metropolit’s moves netted the game winning and game ending goals. Krejci, Savard, and Sturm played great on the power play. Savard also won 14 of 18 faceoffs. In his 10 minutes of ice time, Shawn Thornton was a very visible physical force. Milan Lucic brought physicality and assisted on both Metroplit goals.
With the loss of Patrice Bergeron, and the other injuries the Bruins have had to absorb, they have to all contribute and do their jobs in order to win. As mediocre as they are (especially compared to the other teams in New England), this has been an extraordinarily fun team to watch.
Will I still be saying stuff like that after we play Ottawa and Detroit? We’ll see.
Sources: BostonBruins.com, NESN, FSN-South, ESPN.com, NHL.com
Photos: AP/Winslow Townson (absolutely spectacular photos, don’t you think?)
This article also appeared on ArmchairGM
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
MONTREAL ANNIHILATES BRUINS
The Bruins came into the Bell Centre riding a hot streak. They were 3-0-1 in their last four games, and 6-2-1 in their last nine. But the Canadiens officially own the Boston Bruins, acquiring them lock stock and barrel from Jeremy Jacobs for $100 (Canadian) just before the season started.
The Montreal Canadiens continued their utter domination of the Bruins, winning their 10th straight against Boston. Montreal got on the board 0:14 into the game, scoring their first of four opening period goals against Alex Auld. Seven different Canadiens scored goals, and thirteen players had at least one point in Montreal’s 8-2 thrashing. Montreal has outscored Boston 32-12 in their six meetings this season.
After watching this game, one may think it was lost in the first period. This is wrong. The game was lost much earlier, at the morning skate when Alex Auld led the Bruins onto the ice as the starting goalie for the game later that night.
Why was backup Alex Auld starting as opposed to All-Star and NHL Save Percentage leader Tim Thomas? That’s a good question. And I don’t think Bruins’ coach Claude Julien has a good answer. The last time these two teams squared off, Boston played with so much emotion that it seemed as if their lives depended on winning. This time around, Julien’s selection of Auld was almost as if he felt the game meant nothing. The Bruins need to make up their minds and decide how much they actually care about beating Montreal.
Montreal went ahead by two goals 3:12 into the 1st when Auld over-committed to a shot from the left hash marks, extending all but his toes outside the crease, which left a wide open net for Michael Ryder after he received a pass in the right slot.
Claude Julien then called his timeout in an effort to slow things down, and it appeared to work. A few minutes later, Phil Kessel got in on Huet, banged a shot off his pads, and Marco Sturm slammed in the rebound to make it a 2-1 game.
But Auld just wasn’t up to the task of keeping the game close. He allowed another easy goal to make it 3-1.
The game all but officially ended with 0:03 remaining in the 1st. Cristobal Huet had just made a brilliant save, denying the Bruins a chance to turn it into a 3-2 game going into the intermission. The Habs stormed up the ice. Maxim Lapierre embarrassed a poorly positioned Auld, and a potential 3-2 contest turned to a 4-1 blowout in a matter of moments.
Auld was pulled in between periods. He saw seven shots and stopped three of them. Since his impressive debut with the Bruins, Auld has regressed to his mean of below average goaltending.
After that, the only Boston player on the ice giving a constant and concerted effort was Tim Thomas. Bryan Smolinski scored Montreal’s 5th goal after a statuesque Zdeno Chara allowed a puck to bounce around his legs in the crease.
Mike Komisarek scored the 6th goal as the Bruins defense stood back and watched in an unchallenging umbrella type of penalty kill defense. The problem was that Montreal wasn’t on a power play. Huet made a few nifty stops on high slot opportunities by Marco Sturm and Glen Metropolit, but these goals would have done nothing except make the score a bit more dignified for the Bruins.
To Tim Thomas’ credit, although he allowed four additional goals, he played very well, making some tough stops as his defense played at half speed. Had he not brought his A game, the Canadiens would have put up at least 12.
Boston’s inability to beat Montreal is seriously holding them back. At the moment, the Bruins uneasily sit 8th in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Rangers for the final playoff spot. This season, the Bruins have earned 53 points in 48 games, or 1.10 points per game. In the 42 games they’ve played against teams not from Quebec, they’ve earned the same 53 points, or 1.26 points per game. This rate multiplied by 48 games results in 60.6. Only one team in the East (Ottawa) has more than 60 points. That’s how much Montreal has affected the Bruins this year.
But let’s think positively here. The Bruins host the Islanders on Thursday, and could go into the All-Star break in 8th place. This is nothing to sneeze at. Patrice Bergeron is apparently out for the year, Thomas missed a few weeks, Glen Murray’s hip has caused him to miss time just as he was heating up, ace penalty killer P.J. Axelsson has been out; yet the team is still chugging along at a respectable pace. The Bruins have had 189 games missed due to injury. They only had 162 missed last season.
One bright spot to emerge as of late has been the Kid Line, consisting of Vladimir Sobotka (20 years old), David Krejci (21), and Pascal Pelletier (24). Over the past 10 games, this line has probably been Boston’s most consistent line.
The Bruins will also be sending three players to the All-Star Game. Chara will be starting at defense, Marc Savard will be making the trip to Atlanta, and Tim Thomas was recently named to the Eastern team as the replacement for Martin Brodeur.
Hopefully the Bruins can take some lessons out of Montreal. Hopefully Claude Julien will only start Alex Auld when Thomas needs a break. Hopefully the Bruins can at least force overtime and get a point in one of their remaining two games against Montreal. They have until late March to figure these guys out.
The Montreal Canadiens continued their utter domination of the Bruins, winning their 10th straight against Boston. Montreal got on the board 0:14 into the game, scoring their first of four opening period goals against Alex Auld. Seven different Canadiens scored goals, and thirteen players had at least one point in Montreal’s 8-2 thrashing. Montreal has outscored Boston 32-12 in their six meetings this season.
After watching this game, one may think it was lost in the first period. This is wrong. The game was lost much earlier, at the morning skate when Alex Auld led the Bruins onto the ice as the starting goalie for the game later that night.
Why was backup Alex Auld starting as opposed to All-Star and NHL Save Percentage leader Tim Thomas? That’s a good question. And I don’t think Bruins’ coach Claude Julien has a good answer. The last time these two teams squared off, Boston played with so much emotion that it seemed as if their lives depended on winning. This time around, Julien’s selection of Auld was almost as if he felt the game meant nothing. The Bruins need to make up their minds and decide how much they actually care about beating Montreal.
Montreal went ahead by two goals 3:12 into the 1st when Auld over-committed to a shot from the left hash marks, extending all but his toes outside the crease, which left a wide open net for Michael Ryder after he received a pass in the right slot.
Claude Julien then called his timeout in an effort to slow things down, and it appeared to work. A few minutes later, Phil Kessel got in on Huet, banged a shot off his pads, and Marco Sturm slammed in the rebound to make it a 2-1 game.
But Auld just wasn’t up to the task of keeping the game close. He allowed another easy goal to make it 3-1.
The game all but officially ended with 0:03 remaining in the 1st. Cristobal Huet had just made a brilliant save, denying the Bruins a chance to turn it into a 3-2 game going into the intermission. The Habs stormed up the ice. Maxim Lapierre embarrassed a poorly positioned Auld, and a potential 3-2 contest turned to a 4-1 blowout in a matter of moments.
Auld was pulled in between periods. He saw seven shots and stopped three of them. Since his impressive debut with the Bruins, Auld has regressed to his mean of below average goaltending.
After that, the only Boston player on the ice giving a constant and concerted effort was Tim Thomas. Bryan Smolinski scored Montreal’s 5th goal after a statuesque Zdeno Chara allowed a puck to bounce around his legs in the crease.
Mike Komisarek scored the 6th goal as the Bruins defense stood back and watched in an unchallenging umbrella type of penalty kill defense. The problem was that Montreal wasn’t on a power play. Huet made a few nifty stops on high slot opportunities by Marco Sturm and Glen Metropolit, but these goals would have done nothing except make the score a bit more dignified for the Bruins.
To Tim Thomas’ credit, although he allowed four additional goals, he played very well, making some tough stops as his defense played at half speed. Had he not brought his A game, the Canadiens would have put up at least 12.
Boston’s inability to beat Montreal is seriously holding them back. At the moment, the Bruins uneasily sit 8th in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Rangers for the final playoff spot. This season, the Bruins have earned 53 points in 48 games, or 1.10 points per game. In the 42 games they’ve played against teams not from Quebec, they’ve earned the same 53 points, or 1.26 points per game. This rate multiplied by 48 games results in 60.6. Only one team in the East (Ottawa) has more than 60 points. That’s how much Montreal has affected the Bruins this year.
But let’s think positively here. The Bruins host the Islanders on Thursday, and could go into the All-Star break in 8th place. This is nothing to sneeze at. Patrice Bergeron is apparently out for the year, Thomas missed a few weeks, Glen Murray’s hip has caused him to miss time just as he was heating up, ace penalty killer P.J. Axelsson has been out; yet the team is still chugging along at a respectable pace. The Bruins have had 189 games missed due to injury. They only had 162 missed last season.
One bright spot to emerge as of late has been the Kid Line, consisting of Vladimir Sobotka (20 years old), David Krejci (21), and Pascal Pelletier (24). Over the past 10 games, this line has probably been Boston’s most consistent line.
The Bruins will also be sending three players to the All-Star Game. Chara will be starting at defense, Marc Savard will be making the trip to Atlanta, and Tim Thomas was recently named to the Eastern team as the replacement for Martin Brodeur.
Hopefully the Bruins can take some lessons out of Montreal. Hopefully Claude Julien will only start Alex Auld when Thomas needs a break. Hopefully the Bruins can at least force overtime and get a point in one of their remaining two games against Montreal. They have until late March to figure these guys out.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
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.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
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.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)