WHAT DID WE EXPECT?

I'm not surprised Kevin Faulk is hurt. And I'll make a not-so-bold prediction: he won't be the last Patriots RB to go down this year. It should be expected when your RB Corps collects more Social Security than it takes up cap space. Either 33 year old Sammy Morris or 34 year old Fred Taylor will be next. These guys have hundreds of carries, and thousands of hits under their belt. It's Week 3 of a very long, and soon to be very cold season.

The Patriots will have to endure another major injury at this position, and they can only blame themselves. They need to get youth at this position, and get it in the form of somebody more talented than BJG Ellis.

But Faulk was more than a runningback. He was a playmaker. That's a commodity the Patriots don't have much of. He caught passes, picked up blitzes, and he did so consistently. The Pats might be able to pick up a Larry Johnson, or some other token back to fill in the depth chart, but Kevin Faulks are one in a billion.

SOX CONTINUE SLOW TORTURE

The Red Sox season has been sad, and it's finishing in a sad way. I don't mean like funeral sad, I'm talking lame, weak, wimpy sad. Last Friday, I wrote about the very slim but still very real chance that the Sox had to make the playoffs. They had the Blue Jays and O's coming to town, and all they needed to do was win those games.

And if the Sox had swept Toronto, and won the last 2 against Baltimore, they'd be 2.5 games behind the Rays. That'd be with 11 games left, and that's a very manageable deficit to overcome.

But as it is, the Sox are now 8-9 against the O's on the season. And that just makes me sad.

And Papelbon, good luck getting a big fat contract with an ERA up near 4.

John Lackey faces Kevin Millwood tonight. Millwood is 3-15, which probably means the Sox will give him win #4.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

WHAT WE LEARNED IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL*

Saturday was almost a cataclysmic day for some powerhouses. There were close calls and near misses from Athens to Corvallis. But for the most part, things went as planned Saturday. For the most part. Here are the lessons:

1. NEBRASKA HAS ALREADY WON THE BIG XII NORTH

The Cornhuskers have yet to play a Conference game, but there's nobody in the Big XII North to challenge them. Kansas lost to Southern Miss on Saturday. Missouri barely beat SD State. There's just nobody in that division on the same level as NU.

2. CAL, UCONN, CINCINNATI, AND OLE MISS SUCK

These teams weren't expected to be contenders, but they were expected to be good. Cal lost to Nevada. UConn fell to 1-2, losing to lowly Temple. Cincinnati only managed 19 points in a loss to NC State. Ole Miss couldn't take care of Vanderbilt at home.

3. THE SEC IS BETTER THAN THE BIG TEN

I can't believe there was a text message poll about this during some game. What makes the SEC so great is its depth. SEC teams face relentless schedules. After Ohio State, there's a big dropoff in quality in the Big Ten. Iowa lost to Arizona, and Wisconsin barely beat Arizona State at home. ASU sucks. No excuse for that. Michigan very easily could have lost to Massachusetts. Then there's crap teams like Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, and Purdue.

4. WHAT HELPS DENARD ROBINSON, WILL ULTIMATELY HURT HIM

241 yards passing, 104 yards rushing, 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD. Denard Robinson was once again almost the entire Michigan offense. And while that boosts his Heisman candidacy, the fact that his supporting cast got exposed against UMass may ultimately cost him the Heisman. When Michigan plays legit teams, Robinson might throw for 250, rush for 100, and lose. And if Michigan doesn't contend, Robinson's Heisman campaign takes a big hit.

5. MARK INGRAM IS A BEAST

151 yards and 2 touchdowns for Ingram as he returned to Bama's lineup. In their 62-13 molestation of Duke, the Tide amassed 315 yards just on the ground. They had 626 yards of total offense, and held Duke to 302. Alabama goes through the gauntlet the next few weeks. @ Arkansas on the 25th, vs. Florida on 10/2, then @ South Carolina on October 9th.

6. SOMETHING'S UP WITH OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma has had close calls with Utah State and now Air Force. The Sooners haven't run the ball as well as they should, and their defense has been mediocre. They face Texas in two weeks, so there's time to work the kinks out.

7. OREGON IS SILLY

I'm not overly impressed with Oregon, at least not as much as the experts are. I do think they deserve their #5 ranking, but beating Portland State 69-0 isn't as impressive as beating Stanford 14-13. That being said, Oregon is averaging 63 points a game (1st in country), and allowing 4.3 points per game (1st).

8. THE POLL VOTERS ARE STUPID
Everyone complains about "computers picking the National Champion." But at least the computers (actually, it's a math equation devised by human beings) are unbiased and are not complete and utter morons. How is it that James Madison got 8 votes in the AP Poll? I would love to see the full ballots of the morons who voted for JMU, just to see who else they had. And how does Texas get a #1 vote instead of Alabama or even Ohio State? Then in the Coach's poll, Nebraska got a #1 vote. Somebody actually reasoned that Nebraska has proven they're better than Bama.

WHAT HAPPENED?

What happened Sunday? The Patriots made Mark Sanchez look like a legitimate NFL quarterback. And on the other side of the ball, the Pats' offense played worse when Darrelle Revis left the game.

I'd rip Darius Butler, but I think the Jets abused him enough on Sunday. It got so bad that he resorted to blatant pass interference, not even trying to disguise things.

I wish I could tell you that Darius Butler fought the good fight, and the Jets let him be. I wish I could tell you that. But the NFL is no fairytale world.

Did anybody else see Butler push himself off of Braylon Edwards on that 2 point conversion play?

The Pats' defense was thoroughly exposed on Sunday. In Week 1, the Bengals didn't seem to have a strategy or gameplan for playing the Pats' D. The Jets came prepared. More importantly, they adjusted. They started with long passes and inside running. That didn't work, so they took short passes, and ran both outside and inside. When the Patriots got 4 and 5 man pressure, Sanchez looked like a lost child. But when that pressure didn't come (or the Patriots tried blitzes with too many men), the Jets moved the ball down field with ease.

That being said, the biggest defensive star on the Pats' is a toss-up between Wilfork and Mayo. On offense, there's Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, two touted rookie TEs, and a solid O-line. The defense may have lost this game for the Pats, but it was the offense that didn't go out and win it.

And it starts with the QB. While Brady looked extremely comfortable in the pocket, and eluded pressure, his throws weren't as precise as he's capable of. He overthrew Moss with a deep ball that wound up as an interception. He underthrew Gronkowski on what would have been a key 1st down late in the 3rd.

But what was the gameplan? The Pats came out and ran the ball well with Taylor. They were hitting Moss with underneath stuff (although Moss let a few get past him), and using Welker on some intermediate routes. Then they lost patience with running the ball. The 2 minute drill before halftime saw Aaron Hernandez make an insanely great catch, and run. Then Moss had the catch of the day in the end zone.

Then in the 2nd half, Brady looked awful. The Pats' first drive of the 3rd quarter ended with an interception, which kind of acted like a punt. The Jets scored a touchdown to tie it. Then Brady had that underthrown pass to Gronk. Brady's pick in the 4th was kind of freakish, but why is that pass being attempted at all? 2nd and 3, why are you throwing a duck jumpball to Moss to get 5 yards? It's one thing if that's in the end zone, where the reward is worth the risk.

I'm not going to let Welker and Moss off the hook, either. Welker bobbled a 3rd down pass that would have given the Pats a 1st down. And Moss let a few catchable passes slip through his fingers. The Big Three on offense simply did not perform. The o-line performed. The d-line performed. The RBs and TEs performed. The secondary didn't perform, but they don't take up the same cap space as Brady-Moss-Welker, do they?

Aaron Hernandez caught 6 passes for 101 yards. Combined, Moss and Welker caught 8 passes for 79 yards. Moss and Welker were targeted 17 total times. Some of those incompletions/interceptions were Brady's fault. Some were their fault. Some were both Brady and their fault.

Oh, and Gostkowski needs to make field goals. This is the NFL, 37 yards should be a standard kick. The delay of game penalty that made it 37 yards was a good example of the Patriots' lack of focus, but it could have easily been overcome by the kicker who just signed an extension.

The schedule gets easier as the Pats host the Bills on Sunday. But they'd better get their offense in order before travelling to division leading Miami in October.

Photo Credit:
Getty Images

SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S A CHANCE...

This time of year, ESPN's MLB standings include a playoff percentage figure. It's what they figure the chances are that a team will make the postseason, based on how many games behind they are, who their opponents are, and so on. And the Red Sox have a 2.9% chance. That sounds about right, don't you think? It's about 30 to 1.

I'll be the super optimist and say that the Sox might have more of a chance than that. They just have to win. Like win every game.

The Sox have 16 games left. 9 are at home, 7 on the road. 3 against Toronto, 3 against Baltimore, 4 against Chicago, and 6 against the Yankees.

The Red Sox need to win 5 of those 6 against the Yankees. 4-2 would take the Sox from 6 games out to 4 out. Not good enough. 5-1 makes it a 2 game race. And the perfect result (6-0), would have the Sox and Yankees tied.

The Yankees are skidding. They've won 2 of their last 10. And while they play 3 against Baltimore this weekend, they have to play 4 against the Rays after that. It's quite conceivable that it'll be a 3 or 4 game deficit by the time the Sox and Yankees meet. But the Sox have to take care of their own business against Toronto and Baltimore first.

You never know...

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: WEEK 3*

I didn't make any picks in Week 2, I was away. Week 3 doesn't feature many exciting matchups. But the most classic college games usually come from the matches you'd least expect. I was 3-3 in Week 1. Here are my selections for Week 3:

All games are on Saturday

12:00PM - ESPN
#12 Arkansas Razorbacks @ Georgia Bulldogs
I'm taking UGA simply because the game is in Athens. I think Arkansas is a great team, but winning on the road in the SEC is no picnic. My gut's saying Go Dawgs! Georgia wins 31-27.



12:00 PM
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Both teams have fallen short of expectations. Both teams have fallen out of the rankings. UNC has some solid talent, and I'm picking them to win a key game here. UNC 20, GT 14. But I'm posting a picture of a Georgia Tech girl because it's wicked hot.



12:00 PM - ESPNU
Maryland Terrapins @ #21 West Virginia Mountaineers
I'm not impressed by WVU. They barely beat Marshall, and that was thanks to several mistakes from the Herd. Maryland is tough to gauge. They could be good, could be bad. I think West Virginia is undisciplined, and will take this game too lightly. Terps win 28-27.



3:30 PM - ESPNU
BYU Cougars @ Florida State Seminoles
Both teams are looking to get back on track here. BYU was bombed by Air Force, FSU was smoked by the Sooners. I could go either way on this game. I think Florida State has the talent to win what's a vital game for both teams. FSU 38, BYU 31.



7:00 PM - ESPN
Clemson Tigers @ #16 Auburn Tigers
Auburn escaped Mississippi State by the skin of their teeth. But Clemson really doesn't have any teeth. It's kind of sad, but this will serve as a tune-up game for Auburn. AU hosts that other team from South Carolina (the Gamecocks) in two weeks. That other team is ranked. Clemson keeps it close, but will never be a true threat. Auburn 17, Clemson 10.



8:00 PM - ABC
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan State Spartans
Notre Dame sucks. MSU is actually half-decent. Easy to pick the Spartans here.



10:30 PM - ESPN
#9 Iowa Hawkeyes @ #24 Arizona Wildcats
I still think Iowa will win the Big Ten. But this is a rough trip for them. Arizona has been a pleasant surprise, and will squeeze one out. Arizona 21, Iowa 17.

MARONEY TO DENVER

Remember back in the day, when the WCW would lure older WWF wrestlers. We used to joke that the WCW was the WWF's retirement home. That's what the Broncos are turning into.

Maroney was shipped to the Rockies, along with a 6th round pick. In return, the Patriots received a 4th round pick, and some peace of mind.

Maroney isn't an NFL back. And with injury worries, I'm a bit surprised the Patriots were able to get anything at all for him. He's not a good receiver. His pass-rush protection is forgettable. You can't depend on him to get 1 yard on 3rd and short. And he'll frequently lose yardage. He lacks the one thing that's prized most in a runningback: reliability.

Talk about depreciation in value. The Patriots spent a 1st round pick and millions of cap space on this project, and now wind up with a 4th rounder (and lose a 6th rounder). Maroney serves as a good reminder that Belichick is mortal. And you've seen that the Patriots have since avoided drafting at that position.

Fred Taylor is the #1 back in New England. Today, at least. He was hurt last season. Considering his age, I wouldn't be shocked if he got hurt again. Morris will support, as will Green-Ellis. And the ageless Kevin Faulk will be the "passing down" RB.

In that lineup, there's simply no role for Maroney. When would he be the best (or even second best) choice to run the ball? And this isn't college football. Teams simply don't carry 5 runningbacks.

Looking forward, I'd like the Pats to draft a runningback in 2011. A power back. One who's proven that they can run through contact and still drive forward. Ever since the departure of Corey Dillon, the Pats have lacked that threat. And can you just imagine the headaches opposing defensive coordinators would have trying to stop both Brady AND a dynamic running game.

J-E-T-S LOSE LOSE LOSE

What a great weekend for Pats fans. Not only did the Patriots win, but the Colts lost, and the Jets lost. I don't mind the Chargers or Favre's Vikings losing either.

Mark Sanchez may have plenty of talent. But talent is about 10% of being a quality NFL quarterback. The rest of it is poise, decision making, awareness. So until The Sanchize shows some of these "intangibles," can we not give him credit for being anything but a subpar player? 10 for 21 for 74 yards last night. Of the 6 Jet first downs (not a typo, they got 6 first downs), only 2 came from the pass.

Then throw in the story of the Mexican reporter getting verbally harassed by Jet players AND coaches, and maybe people will start to realize that the undisciplined, snack happy atmosphere fomented by Fatasaurus Rex is better suited for reality TV, and not an NFL team.





Granted, she's ridiculously hot, and not a traditional reporter. Nevertheless, she's a member of the media, not a stripper. Somehow, every other NFL team has managed to treat her like a reporter.