Brandon Vincent's Carolina Panthers friend's fan blogs

For pretty much all season, the Patriots had the worst pass defense in the league. If the two-week trend continues, they will have a league worst rush defense to match.

The Denver Broncos repeatedly gashed the D for 252 yards. The week before the Washington Redskins plowed their way to 170 yards. What was a decent run defense for 13 weeks became generous, as if they have the Christmas Sprit.

Despite allowing more than 400 total yards per game, New England allows 21.2 points per game, 15th in the NFL.

Bend but don’t break? You got it. It’s been good enough for an 11-3 record. But will this work in the playoffs?

B.B.D.B. defense is typically a recipe for failure in the playoffs. Sure the defense can take advantage of lesser teams by forcing turnovers or red zone field goals. It worked so far, though not without some close calls.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 16"

1. Behind Tom Brady’s good looks and nice guy personality is a competitor with an incomparable desire to win. After a week of Tim Tebow this and Tim Tebow that, Brady wanted to make a statement. Mission accomplished: 23-34, 320 yards, two TD passes and a rush TD. Tebow is a nice story, but when it comes to the best in the league, Brady expects the list starts with him. Don’t you think Brady envisioned Tebow’s face on the spot Brady spiked the ball after his touchdown run? I think so.

2. New England’s tight ends would be tag team champions if they were pro wrestlers. Last week Rob Gronkowski had a career game while setting a single season record for touchdowns by a tight end. Because he drew so much attention Sunday, Hernandez was tagged to carry the offense. Hernandez responded with career highs in receptions (nine) and yards (129) and a touchdown. We expected a former University of Florida Gator to have a big game. Hernandez stole the show from Tebow this week.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 15"

About a month ago, I wrote a critical article about Denver quarterback Tim Tebow, declaring results won’t matter as much as his performance to secure the franchise quarterback role with the Broncos. His inability to pass accurately for a full game was the foundation of my argument.

Four weeks later, Tebow hasn’t lost a game. His winning streak is up to six games, and his record as Denver’s starting QB is almost perfect at 7-1.

I haven’t changed my opinion, even as Tebow continues to mock conventional wisdom.

I do celebrate Tebow’s success. He’s good for the league and he’s shutting up his detractors, to a degree (I guess that includes me for now). I haven’t heard ESPN’s Merril Hodge for over a month. Does it get much better than that?

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 15"

1. I’ve said before that the Patriots have the best pair of tight ends in the NFL. Let me just add that one of them is the best tight end in the NFL. Rob Gronkowski was a beast, breaking tackles en route to career high in receiving yards in a game (160) and set a new standard for touchdowns in a season by a tight end. He broke the record with his 14th TD grab then extended it when QB Tom Brady quickly tossed a pass over a blitz to Gronk. The Big Gronkowski did the rest, breaking a LB Ryan Kerrigan tackle then racing to the endzone and to the arms of a waiting Pats fan to celebrate.

2. The sideline argument between Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was blown way out of proportion. This happens during intense games. What no one said was that Brady’s frustration was building because the offense failed to score three red zone touchdowns. In fact, WR Wes Welker dropped a sure score just before the interception. This game wouldn’t had been close if the offense executed as Brady expected, and the sideline exchange of words would had never happened if Welker caught the previous pass.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 14"

What should had been a blowout of a clearly inferior team became an embarrassing one score win over the Indianapolis Colts as the defense gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Two of those scores came at the expense of CB Devin McCourty. Colts RB Donald Brown swatted McCourty away with a stiff-arm en route to a 5-yard TD run. Less than eight minutes later, WR Pierre Garcon got behind McCourty and caught a 12-yard TD over McCourty’s head. McCourty lunged to no avail to stop the completion, beaten so badly that he couldn’t even look back to find the ball.

No one has an answer to what has happened to McCourty this year. Theories include the reduced off-season stunting his development, playing with an injury, the dreaded sophomore slump, opponents knowing how to get after him after viewing a season’s worth of film, to Devin switched places with his twin brother Jason for the season.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 14"

1. The Gillette Stadium crowd thought they witnessed a Patriot claim another record, but the celebration was short lived. TE Rob Gronkowski scored three touchdowns, tying the record for touchdown receptions by a tight end in a season with 13. Gronk’s third TD was actually was a lateral though. History will have to wait at least a week for Gronkowski, but he did score his first rushing touchdown.

2. When Matthew Slater was drafted in 2008, he had experience at UCLA as a receiver, a returner, and safety. His defensive background was fully put to use as he started the game in place of Patrick Chung. Besides finishing with seven total tackles, Slater forced a fumble in the third quarter. Naturally, the ball was recovered by the human loose ball vacuum, CB Kyle Arrington.

3. It was ruled a fumble when RB Kevin Faulk hit the ground on a three yard gain in the first quarter. But when the replay was shown, head coach Bill Belichick reached for his red challenge flag. After further review, Faulk was down by contact and the play was reversed. Belichick has been money when challenging plays this season. He has won six of eight challenges.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 13"

It was a convincing win over the Philadelphia Eagles that came surprisingly easier than expected.

Hope you enjoy re-runs for the rest of the season.

The combined record of the remaining opponents is 18-37. A third of those wins belong to the streaking Denver Broncos that won their last four games without a quarterback.

If the Patriots handle their business, there shouldn’t be a close game for the rest of the season. Try not to get bored by the second halves.

Watching New England play Bully might deliver some level of entertainment (especially against the hated and handicapped Colts and NFL darling QB Tim Tebow), but what do the Patriots get out of it?

For one, Belichick wants to build momentum in December to carry into the playoffs. Since 2001, New England finished the season with at least four wins eight times. Only in 2008 did they fail to reach the playoffs despite an 11-5 record.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 13"

1. It took until his fourth season, but CB Antwaun Molden had his first career interception on a deep pass intended for WR DeSean Jackson.

2. A round of applause to WR Tiquan Underwood for his impeccable Chad Ochocinco impersonation. He was on the field for two plays, was thrown to deep on one, dropped a probable touchdown, and then exited stage left.

3. After setting some records this season, QB Tom Brady actually lost one. Green Bay’s Aaron Rogers set the record for consecutive games with a passer rating of over 100 with eleven. Brady previously shared the record with Steve Young.

4. The Julian Edelman as a defender story gets better. He played more on defense, replacing an ineffective Adams, lands a nice hit on a quarterback blitz, finishes with three tackles, including one on the athletic QB Vince Young, forcing a third down at the two yard line. Two plays later, Young overthrew his target and the Eagles came away with nothing.

Continue reading "Pick 6: Week 12"

How does Kyle Arrington do it?

Have you ever watched Arrington closely? He looks like an average cornerback. Nothing about him stands out. He stands only 5-10. His arms look ripped, but you wouldn’t say he’s above-average athletically. He doesn’t excel in press coverage. Heck, it doesn’t look like Arrington excels at any particular coverage skill.

He’s not a shutdown corner, not even after changing his number from 27 to 24, as if he wants to be the next Ty Law.

Yet somehow Arrington is leading the league in interceptions with seven. So as of right now, Arrington does have something in common in Law.

It’s a different method, but he gets the same result. While Law blanketed primary receivers and made quarterbacks regret testing him, Arrington has an innate ability to be at the right place at the right time.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 12"

1. He’s gone from cancer diagnosis, to enduring chemotherapy, to full remission, and activation from the physically unable to perform list. On Monday night, Marcus Cannon took another step in his recovery when he played his first snaps against Kansas City. Cannon entered the game in the fourth quarter and played right tackle. Opposite Cannon was Nate Solder, playing left tackle in place of Matt Light, who was injured earlier in the game. Might this be a glimpse of the future Patriots O-line?

2. Also seeing his first career action was RB Shane Vereen. He had eight carries for 39 yards and his first career touchdown. It was a good debut for the rookie after being sidetracked by a hamstring injury. Included in his evening was a nifty 19-yard scamper. Hopefully we see more of Vereen and fellow rookie RB Stevan Ridley as the season winds down, even if it is in garbage time.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 11"