By now it’s probably no secret anymore that I am a huge Patriots fan. As such I was really looking forward to the Pats-Jets game last weekend.
They (the Jets) had been running their mouths all week long about how they were going to embarrass the Pats, particularly on offense and even Jets head coach Rex Ryan joined in on all the smack talk by saying “he didn’t come here to kiss Belichick’s rings” this summer. I just wanted the Pats to shut them up. I wanted them to crush them. I wanted reassurance that the Monday Night game against Bufallo was nothing but a shaky start, a fluke if you will. I wanted to see our offense clicking on all cylinders like it did just two years ago.
But all that never happened.
Nobody knows their favorite team better than a fan (well, except maybe the coaches, because they get paid for paying attention) and that’s why I was secretly nervous about the Jets-game. Really nervous. You have to understand that I’m a realist (except when it comes to playing Madden: I think I can still win a game down 35 with 1:15 left on the clock, but that’s a different story) and as such I knew that the Pats hadn’t really shown me anything so far. So let’s just say I had my guard up.
I watched the Monday night game against Bufallo and I’ll be the first to admit that we (I love how people always go into WE-mode when talking about their favorite team like they are actually part of the team and no, I’m not any different) were lucky. If Bufallo’s kick returner just downs that kickoff in the endzone (like anybody with a tad of sense would have done) the game is over, but he didn’t and so Pats fans got out of there with a mighty scare. That particular game showed a lot of weak points concerning the Patriots and those weaknesses became glaringly clear again last Sunday so let’s break them down bulletin – board – style:
- Just like in the first half of the season opener against Bufallo, Brady didn’t step into his throws against the Jets. He was over- and underthrowing wide open receivers. Ever so often you could see him favoring that left knee. He seemed skittish, hesitant and not at all calm and collected (Of course all those stunts and blitzes the Jets threw at him didn’t help the cause. They are a very good defense, dishing out punishment left and right and flying all over the place. Watch out Tennessee!). He just didn’t seem like the Brady Pats fans were used to seeing. It was painful to watch. Now maybe all that is just rust. After all Brady hasn’t played a real NFL game in over a year and for now I’ll keep talking myself into that theory.
- The Pats defensive line can pressure the QB about as much as a herd of sheep. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that that’s a problem. An enormous one. We used to have one of the premier D-lines in the NFL and to be honest I don’t really know what went wrong. Maybe Seymour was more valuable than perceived. Maybe the contract issues concerning Wilfork are bothering him more than he’d admit. Whatever it is, it is in return affecting our entire defensive unit. The key to defense in the NFL and quite frankly in all of football is as we all know the line play. If the defensive line can put pressure on the opposing QB, the secondary doesn’t have to cover as long and the Linebackers can make quicker and better reads. That is exactly what is hurting the Pats. An already patched-up secondary has to cover more space than Rosie O’Donnell takes up and a young and unexperienced Linebacker corps, that is already more descimated than the Isiah Thomas fan club, has to make faster decisions than an F-18 pilot.
- The same thing can be said about or O-line. They are by far not as good as they used to be. There hasn’t been a bigger drop off quality- and performancewise since going from the original three Star Wars movies to the new ones. Seriously. They can’t run block- They can’t pass block. Heck, I don’t even know if they can tie their shoes. Maybe I’m being a little bit harsh, but we’re talking about a group of guys here that has been perceived to be one of the game’s best for almost a decade. Don’t get me wrong they were great, I mean REALLY great for at least four to five solid years, but their demise can’t be denied and also hasn’t happened over night. The first time I consciously noticed it was during the tragic events of 2/3/2008 (for all you newbies out there: it was the Pats – Giants Superbowl). Everybody came down on Brady, complaining about how terrible he looked and that he still was hurt and all this BS when in reality it was the O-line that simply couldn’t handle the Giants D-line (which by the way in my opinion was one of the most talented and all- around greatest D-lines in the history of the NFL and they had a terrific coordinator in Spagnuolo, I mean we’re talking about a line that featured studs like Strahan,Umenyora and Tuck … and boy, oh boy, now I just start to sound like John Madden… “If the, if the, if the Quarterback throws to the receiver and the receiver, the receiver catches it, then uhm then that’s a completion.” Remember!? That’s how that crazy bastard always talked. AnywayI better take a break before I start to praise Brett Faaaaaavre. Ahhh, what’s happening…). Alright, I’m back. I’m good. I just had some John Madden flashbacks there (it happens). Anyway where were we?! Oh, yeah, our O-line sucks! They are old and sluggish. They are killing our running game, our pass game and if they don’t make some changes Brady will be carried off the field on a stretcher sooner rather than later. (Let’s hope the Vollmer kid and the Ohrnberger dude we drafted pan out. Otherwise we are screwed.)
- Speaking of changes. Apparently some changes have happened. Unfortunately the wrong kind of changes. Absolutely no disipline. None whatsoever. The team I watched against the Jets was not the Belichickian team I am used to seeing. Time for a quick pop quiz: How many penalties did the Pats commit last Sunday?
- A) 5
- B) 8
- C) 11
- D) 2
And the answer iiiiiiiiis: C) 11. Unbelievable right!? You want to know how many they averaged in ’08? 3.6 penalties per game. Right now, they are on pace for 5.5 per game. Doesn’t seem like much of a spike does it!? Well, think again. In 2008 they had the LEAST penalties per game. So far they moved up 11 spots compared to last year. Pretty solid, huh!? Anyway just not what we’re used to from a team coached by Belichick.
- Another key word that comes to mind when I think about that Jets game is out of sync (technically those are key words, but whatever, you get the idea). There was total confusion at times. At one point I stopped counting the times when Brady got off the snap a milisecond before the play clock would strike double zero. Receivers seemed to run wrong routes (as far as you could tell as an innocent bystander) and from what I remember there were drops galore. Very uncharacteristic. Very, very worrisome.
Those were the main concerns that struck me. Now I know this all sounds very disconcerting if you’re a Pats fan and some stuff might have even caught you by surprise, but let’s face it the Pats probably were overrated heading into this season. And so far they haven’t really done anything to change that. Don’t get me wrong I will still hope for a turn- around, but if you’re a Pats fan it might be time to get ready for a rough season. It ain’t getting any easier. Of course all these concerns can be wiped away or at least diminished with a showcase win against an upstart Atlanta team this Sunday. So hang in there, fellow Pats fans and don’t forget the 2004 ALCS Red Sox slogan: BELIEVE.
**BONUS CONTENT**
Just some quick notes on what I personally consider one of the better and more entertaining games of this young NFL season, namely the Giants-Cowboys game from Week 2.
- The first thing I noticed is how great the Cowboys three-headed running attack really is. I know they are leading the NFL in rushing yards right now, but I would’ve never thought that they are that good.
- On the other side, maybe the Giants running game isn’t as good as we thought it would be. The Cowboys D isn’t exactly a killer defense (currently ranked 30th in total yards allowed) and Jacobs, the human 18-wheeler as I like to call him, didn’t really do any damage. To be fair though, their receivers really upped the ante. Especially that Manningham kid stepped it up, big time. They might have something there. He looks like he could be an impact guy for them down the road. Mark my words.
- There were two camera shots that night that made me laugh. One was when they showed Madden sitting next to George W., which made me think how great it would’ve been if Charles Barkley would’ve been sitting next to them. That would have made Frank Caliendo’s head explode. And also, what were they talking about!? Seriously, what do they have in common other than the fact that they both speak funny and have grey hair? (I guess that’s sufficient reason right there) It must have been a great conversation, too bad they didn’t have them miked up. I’d love to hear that. The second one was the shot of Eli Manning’s girlfriend who seemed to be near fainting every time the camera zoomed in on here. Now I know being together with Eli must be a tough task to handle, but come on, at least keep those almost collapses private. Show some support for lil’ Manning!
- Speaking of Eli. Look, my hate for Eli has been well-documented over time (starting with that miracle play in Superbowl 42), but still after watching him Sunday night, I have to say he looked pretty impressive. In fact I think he has made the Leap. Lemme explain: If you are a Giants fan and you have 2 minutes left, down 6 points with the ball in Eli’s hands, you can feel safe. You are in the trust-zone (let’s call it that until we can come up with something cooler). Which makes me think that maybe there is a certain gene you have to have to be a successful NFL QB. Sure there is a lot of training and studying involved, but it can’t be a coincidence that both Mannings are in that zone.
- I know the video screen must look absolutely incredible, but talking about it at least 53426 times is overdoing it a bit, yes, I’m talking to you guys, Collinsworth and Michaels.
- Speaking of that stadium, man, oh man, is it imposing or what?! Even on television it looks just staggering. This might be the new version of the Roman Colosseum.
- But back to the actual game for a change. It was a fast- paced, fun game to watch. It simply had everything you’d want from your typical prime time game: circus catches, a lot of razzle-dazzle, a continous back and forth, Collinsworth saying “penetration” a couple of times (Love it when he does that. Always funny if you ask me. On a different note: He might be the best NFL analyst ever. He actually gives you informative insight and really knows what he is saying.) and a great finish (that once again proved that icing the kicker doesn’t really work). Let’s just say that if ever you wanted to convince somebody who is unfamiliar with the game of football or even hates it, that it actually is a phenomenal sport, then this was your textbook game right there. It really was worth staying up til 5:48 a.m. and as a result walking around like a zombie the next day.