Pick Six: Week 14 posted by Randolph Charlotin

Due to a committment, I couldn’t watch the Patriots game live. But I do have a DVR. Though two days late, here is the weekly installment:

 

1. The secondary had a few familiar faces back. CB Shawn Springs played and CB Jonathan Wilhite and S James Sanders both returned to the starting lineup. On offense WR Julian Edelman and OT Sebastian Vollmer returned to action as well.

 

2. It’s a little embarrassing that the Patriots couldn’t force a Carolina turnover even though the Panthers are near the top in turnovers lost. It’s doubly-embarrassing that New England turned the ball over three times to the Panthers. The icing on the cake was the eight dropped passes by the offense.

 

3. With the criticism high about the Patriots being a first half team, New England won the second half, scoring 13 of 20 points in quarters three and four. It was the first time the Pats scored more in the second half since the season opener against Buffalo. New England came into the game with a +107 point differential in the first half, but a -3 in the second half and overtime.

 

4. For the first time this season, the Patriots attempted more rushes than passes in a game. The last time that happened was the 2008 season finale against the Buffalo Bills.

 

5. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, thinking the result will change. I was thinking the coach(es) calling the plays was crazy after a failed fullback dive was called on fourth and inches. It was the same call that didn’t work against Miami the week before while in the red zone. Fortunately the coach(es) learned from the mistake and handed the ball to RB Laurence Maroney on fourth and one to get the game-sealing first down.

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Joe's Final Drive: Week 14 posted by Joe Anello

It was a crazy week 14 in the NFL, book-ended by division upsets on Thursday and Monday night. While the playoff picture is coming into focus, we still have loads of drama in the NFC East and two undefeated teams with their eyes set on the Lombardi Trophy. The Final Drive starts now!

(13-0) New Orleans Saints 26
(6-7) Atlanta Falcons 23

A Chris Redman-led Falcons mounted a valiant comeback, but Drew Brees and the Saints pulled out a thriller to clinch the NFC South. With a Saturday night game against Dallas coming up, the unbeaten New Orleans is proving they are the true team to beat in the NFC, winning in a variety of ways. 

(7-6) Miami Dolphins 14
(7-6) Jacksonville Jaguars 10

Jacksonville had control of their playoff destiny. That is, until Miami won in a squeaker. Now the last AFC wildcard spot is up for grabs in a free-for-all. Sorry Jaguars, you had you chance. Chad Henne continues to impress and Ricky Williams continues to shoulder the load without Ronnie Brown. 

(13-0) Indianapolis Colts 28
(8-5) Denver Broncos 16

Even when he throws three interceptions, Peyton Manning finds a way to crush your dreams. Josh McDaniels' defense looked lost at times and could never get anything substantial going on offense. I could care less about Brandon Marshall's NFL record 21 receptions. It happened in a loss where the Broncos were forced to pass all the time. Color me not impressed.

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Hours Before Kickoff: Week 14 posted by Randolph Charlotin

It’s a moment of truth for the Patriots. Do they rise to the occasion or crumble down the stretch? With four games left, there’s almost no margin for error. Winning out ensures a place in the playoffs. Stumble once, and they may need help. Considering what happened last year, they want to control their destiny and not depend on others.

 

The controversy from four players sent home for being late for a Wednesday team meeting had people thinking the locker room is divided. But DE Derrick Burgess accepting responsibility two days after punishment dispelled that rumor.

 

The only division is LB Adalius Thomas bumping heads with coach Bill Belichick. Thomas will be inactive for today’s game because of his comments delivered on Thursday. If Adalius remains defiant, Belichick should suspend Thomas for the rest of the year.

 

This was the most trying week for the Patriots in years. From the first losing streak since 2006, to QB Tom Brady calling out his teammates, to the distraction of the Tardy Four. New England’s focus has been put to the test. The coaching has been put into question. Players have been accused of not trying hard.

 

There’s a lot to play for, and a win is just the beginning. As critics slammed the team for their play, New England should play with a chip on their shoulder with something to prove on their mind. If they play with renewed focus, the number of mistakes should go down and the Pats should play with better unity.

 

They won’t solve everything, but having a dramatic improvement today can build momentum for a stretch run into the playoffs.

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Rumors of the Patriots Demise Run Rampant posted by Mike Dussault

So you can probably feel the universal glee from all those who cover the NFL and loathe the Patriots that SI's Team of the Decade is struggling right now. As impressive as the 2007 Patriots were it has set an unattainable precedent that will not (and should not) be met again.

And that's fine. We can talk about turnover on the defense... a lack of leadership, pass rush, or pass coverage.. Tom Brady's rust... the lack of a viable third receiving threat. Look, you can pick any excuse you want, and there are plenty of them to choose from. But that's not the Patriot way.

This morning Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Derrick Burgess and Gary Guyton were late for an 8am meeting at Gillette due to snowy conditions and Belichick sent them home. It's not like BB wouldn't have done the same thing in the middle of September, but right now, in mid-December, after losing 3 of 4, it was the right chance for Bill to turn the screws on this Patriots team a bit.

Personally I've never enjoyed being a fan more than right now. The reality is that it's not unheard of for a team like the 2009 Patriots to fix their problems and make a run in the playoffs. The 2006 Colts couldn't stop anyone on the ground before the playoffs. But somehow they put it together and won the Super Bowl.

Not saying that's what should be expected of the Patriots. But if any coach can pull a team together and make them play great it's Bill Belichick. Turmoil and losses are what forge great teams and great players. Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest had to lose to Brett Favre and the Packers in the Super Bowl before they became the great leaders and players they were.

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Goons Gone Wild posted by Goon Squad

I think I'll keep that title and do little installments here and there, depending on what I can dig up, and post stories about the common hockey player being involved in stoopid goonish situations and goon-like behavior.

Anywho, this one really isn't a laughing matter.

By now most of you have heard about and seen numerous videos from last nights Thrashers/Panthers game where Keith Ballard slapped the shit outta Thomas Vokoun.

This one has to be ranked as one of the all-time dumbest moves in hockey.

It may be one thing to take a shot at an opponent, but hitting your own damn teammate in the head with your stick out of pure anger is just plain idiotic.

Ballard’s attempt to hit the crossbar with his stick misses by at least two or three feet, and that's being generous.

He was obviously trying to break his stick out of frustration on the goal post and, well, you saw what happened.

This was of course a complete accident.

Consider it bad judgement, a bad idea and carelessness on Ballards part.

All indications appear that Vokoun will be okay, aside from being shocked that his own teammate would go McSorely on him like that.

Everyone has their own way of letting out their frustrations when it comes to sports, and it is often be released upon the opposition, or against the officials, but rarely does frustration result in same team violence.

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Joe's Final Drive: Week 10 posted by Joe Anello

With all of the surprise upsets, there’s no way I can take the time to properly address them all. I’ll hit the best and worst of week 10 in this edition of the Final Drive! 

(3-6) Tennessee Titans 41
(3-6) Buffalo Bills 17 
Biggest thing to come out of this game besides Chris Johnson’s awesomeness is the $250,000 fine on Titans owner Bud Adams, who flipped off the crowds. Nice one Bud. Oh yeah, and Dick Jauron was fired today. Saw that coming. 

(5-4) Jacksonville Jaguars 24
(4-5) New York Jets 22 

We hear Jets coach Rex Ryan cried during his post-game talk to the players. Man has that team crumbled in unspectacular fashion. Mean while the Jags are 5-4 and scarily unpredictable. Maurice Jones-Drew’s kneel-down at the end of the game is getting some criticism, but he only did what he was told to do. The coaches trusted their kicking game and didn’t want to leave the Jets any time on the clock. I get it. 

(7-2) Cincinnati Bengals 18
(6-3) Pittsburgh Steelers 12 

Okay, we all have to start accepting the Bengals as a legitimate AFC contender. Any team that beats Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice in one season thanks to their defense should be treated likewise. Have you noticed they’ve turned into a power-running team? That added to their defense a conference champion makes.

 
One of many. 

(3-6) Washington Redskins 27

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Big Daddy Navigates Uncharted Waters: posted by Les Leonard

     The Saints have gotten unprecedented rewards out of this season’s motto, “Finish!” Sunday the Who Dat Nation watched the Saints turn in another dominant second-half performance after trailing early to post a new franchise record 8-0 start. Saints fans remember last year’s painful gut-wrenching losses, when the team displayed innovative ways to snatch defeat from the hands of victory in the fourth quarter. In this week’s edition of Saints Beat, Big Daddy questions the SEC’s officiating, reports from Section 645, recaps the Carolina game, reviews a vault classic from Lost Treasures of NFL Films, and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.

     Before we talk Black ’ n’ Gold, Big Daddy must vent about the despicable officiating which crowned Alabama the 2009 SEC Western Division Champs last Saturday. Seeing the continuous favoritism aid Alabama throughout the contest, Big Daddy understood that the SEC’s top brass met with the officials to fully explain how important a Florida/Alabama Championship match-up would be to their job security. Naive viewers might have noticed “the foul stench in the state of Denmark,” but orchestrated flag throwing never fools obsessed football junkies. That said, nothing could have prepared Big Daddy or LSU fans for what transpired with about 5:30 remaining in the game. Officials on the field called Tiger cornerback Patrick Peterson’s obvious interception an incomplete pass, drawing absolute outrage from every Kingpin patron. Tiger faithful felt certain the replay booth would correct the egregious mistake, giving LSU one more chance to defeat the Crimson Tide. However, the replay booth confirmed the ruling on the field, cementing the tainted victory. Since the zebras (guided by the SEC) used the Tim Donaghy approach to ensure the desired outcome, we’ll never know whether blunders like LSU Head Coach Les Miles’ decision to go for 2 in the third quarter, the foolish waste of all three timeouts early in the second half, or the injury to starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson cost the Tigers a shot at this year’s Western Division title. What a shame!

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250 Miles between Austin & Kansas City posted by Amari Harris

Any Cowboys fan who watched Sunday’s game had to be ready to throw themselves out of a 3rd story window when they saw that the Cowboys were getting beaten by the Chiefs nearly the entire game.  I, myself, wasn’t able to watch the game but I constantly monitored the score which may be even more maddening.  

Fast forward to the 4th quarter and the Cowboys were deadlocked with the Chiefs at 13-13.  After coming up with a pivotal stop, the Cowboys had an opportunity to finally put away a team they should’ve beaten in the 1st quarter.  At this juncture, Miles Austin made the first big play in what would be the making of the legend of Miles Austin.  He caught the ball on a slant route, broke a couple of tackles and scampered 59 yards for what looked to be the game winning touchdown with about 2:15 left in the 4th quarter.

Against any other team, that would seem like way too much time to leave an offense on the field, but the Chiefs longest scoring drive for the whole game was 36 yards.  Barring some sort of monumental collapse, the Cowboys were going to shut the Chiefs down like they had the whole game and run the clock out for a hard fought 20-13 victory.  

Fast forward 1:54  and 74 yards, and Matt Cassel had just thrown a 16 yard touchdown to Dwayne Bowe .  Fantasy points for me, but potential doom for the Cowboys! At this point I was actually watching the game because the lowly Redskins had just lost to another winless team in the Carolina Panthers and this was “Bonus Coverage” from FOX.  I had just missed the Miles Austin touchdown, but I got to watch every second of the Chief’s scoring drive(

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Joe's Final Drive: Week 5 posted by Joe Anello

Still love me some NFL. Josh McDaniels kicked Bill Belichick’s Patriots right out of Denver while Matt Ryan picked apart a supposedly stout San Francisco defense. Oh, and Peyton Manning is still awesome. I wrap up week five in the NFL in the Final Drive! 

(1-4) Cleveland Browns 6
(1-4) Buffalo Bills 3 

Ugliest. Game. Ever. Derek Anderson goes 2 for 13 in a WIN. Mangini should have stuck with Brady Quinn. In Buffalo, things could be even worse after signing T.O. in the offseason. Dick Jauron will lose his job during this season. You can almost lock it in. 

(3-2) Dallas Cowboys 26
(0-5) Kansas City Chiefs 20 

Wade Philips needs to thank Tony Romo and Miles Austin for saving his job. Austin’s 10 catches for 250 yards was a Cowboy franchise record and could not have come at a more significant moment with Roy Williams on the bench. While winless, Kansas City is at least keeping things close. 

(1-3) Carolina Panthers 20
(2-3) Washington Redskins 17 

Take THAT Jim Zorn! Oh man, it is SO sweet to watch Dan Snyder’s Redskins give teams their first win. I can’t imagine Zorn or Jason Campbell’s jobs are safe for long. A do-over in DC is coming this offseason. Welcome out of the loser’s club Carolina. 

(4-1) Cincinnati Bengals 17
(3-2) Baltimore Ravens 14 

The Ravens may have cost themselves some opportunities with awfully-timed penalties, but make no mistake, the Bengals won this game on their own. They are legit and in control of that division. Carson Palmer should be back on his way to the cream of the quarterback crop. 

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Joe's Opening Drive: Week 5 posted by Joe Anello

 

With some downright horrendous match-ups this weekend, this edition of the Opening Drive is shorter than usual. Just writing about Cleveland versus Buffalo would put me to sleep. Let’s get things going with the most anticipated games of week four! 

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1) 

While it’s way too early for the winner of this game to be named AFC North champion, it will give one team a sizeable advantage. If the Bengals can pull off the victory, there will be no questions as to their legitimacy. Unfortunately, they’re facing a Ravens squad that is fuming after their loss to the Patriots last week. Ray Lewis and that swarming defense will try to make a statement at the expense of their division rival. 

Atlanta Falcons (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (3-1) 

Fresh off of a bye week, the Falcons need to ramp it up a notch if they’re going to leave San Francisco with a win. Their running game has failed to produce at last season’s high level and Matt Ryan has not been getting the ball downfield. The Niners, on the other hand, just blanked St. Louis 35-0 in week four. Mike Singletary’s team is persevering despite a low-powered passing attack. Throwing safe passes, running the ball and not being afraid to punt have been the key to success in San Fran.

New England Patriots (3-1) at Denver Broncos (4-0) 

Drama! The Patriots’ former QB coach and O-Coordinator Josh McDaniels welcomes his mentor Bill Belichick into Mile-High for an AFC showdown that could place his Broncos among the conference’s elite. Against Tom Brady and the Patriots offense, Denver’s defense will meet its biggest challenge so far this season. Without running back Fred Taylor, the Patriots will struggle on the ground, forcing Brady to air it out against Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, and the Denver secondary. Lucky for him he has Randy Moss and Wes Welker as receivers. This is without question the game of the weekend.

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Agent: Peppers likely to leave Panthers (AP)

Snubbed by the Carolina Panthers since the end of the season, the agent for five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers is convinced his client will play elsewhere in 2010. Carl Carey said Sunday night the Panthers have "not made a single inquiry this offseason" regarding the impending unrestricted free agent. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Peppers: I could end up anywhere in 2010 (AP)

The Pro Bowl means a $1.5 million bonus for Julius Peppers, which will tide him over until the next paycheck. He says he has no idea who will be writing it. "Anywhere is a potential landing spot," the Carolina Panthers' defensive end said following the final practice for the NFC all-stars Saturday. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Shockey intends to play in Super Bowl (AP)

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From Yahoo! Sports

Vikings must hit road to chase title (AP)

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From Yahoo! Sports