March 2009 - New England Patriots Wiretap

Brady Just 163 Yards From Franchise Mark

Sep 10, 2014 6:59 PM

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will surpass Drew Bledsoe as the team's all-time leading passer with 164 more yards. Also, Brady is 505 yards away from hitting the 30,000-mark for his career. Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb have surpassed 30,000 yards this season.

Providence Journal

Tags: New England Patriots, Misc Rumor

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Saints Defense Described As Mirror Of Their Potent Offense

Jul 28, 2014 6:46 PM

New England was 5-1 against Buffalo when Gregg Williams was their head coach, and scored an average of 30 points per game in the victories. The only loss was in the 2003 season-opener, the infamous 31-0 game played just days after the Bills signed recently released-by-the-Pats safety Lawyer Milloy. Williams is now the defensive coordinator of the Saints. ?They are sort of a mirror image of their offense," said Bill Belichick. "They give you a lot of different looks ? they pressure, they man-pressure, they show pressure and drop out of it, they overload,? he said. ?They mix in man coverage, zone coverage. ?Greg is very aggressive; he?s creative. He has a couple new wrinkles for each week. And over the course of four, five, six weeks, you watch him and you kind of don?t know which one of those you really have to prepare for and which one you don?t. They run five or six things that aren?t their normal thing. Are you going to get those or do you just have to waste time on them and they?re going to do something else? It puts pressure on you from a preparation standpoint.?

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Tags: New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints

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Risdon's Picks For Week 12

Jun 7, 2014 2:40 AM

Last Week: 12-4, giving the season forecast a nice bounce to 112-48. Turkey Day games Green Bay at Detroit: My fellow Lions fans, savor the taste of last weekend?s sweet victory, because it might be the last one for awhile. With Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson both extremely doubtful, so is a Detroit win over the Packers. Green Bay will struggle with some injury issues of its own defensively, but the OL is slowly playing better. The Risdon family tradition of skipping the second half of an already-decided Lions loss in order to feast on Thanksgiving dinner will continue yet one more year. Green Bay 38, Detroit 17. Oakland at Dallas: The Dallas game on Thanksgiving is known in my extended family as the Tryptophan Bowl. Dallas had better not come out sleepy once again, because these Raiders proved on Sunday that the talent is there to beat good teams. Bruce Gradkowski is a great short-term shot in the arm for the moribund Oakland offense, a fiery leader with decent accuracy and an infectious passion. In short, he?s sort of the anti-Jamarcus. He?ll be tested by a very good Dallas defense that is really ratcheting up the pressure. Plug-in safety Alan Ball proved a nice upgrade against the run, and Keith Brooking is playing in coverage better than ever. With the Raiders playmakers just not trustworthy, I like the Cowboys to put up just enough points to outscore the Raiders in a low-scoring field position battle. Fun turkey day diversion: have a glass of wine every time the broadcast shows Raiders punter Shane Lechler and then pans up to the infamous scoreboard. You?ll be lit by halftime! Dallas 20, Oakland 13. New York Giants at Denver: I?m thankful for the NFL Network Thanksgiving night game, which gives millions of beleaguered, stuffed men a legit excuse to get away from the family and watch some football. It?s the one time of the year where I?m glad the NFL Network isn?t available on pretty much every cable company in the country. I say that speaking from my family experience; I can?t get it in Grand Rapids, my parents live on one side of Cleveland and some close family friends on the other and neither can get it, my in-laws live in greater Chicago and can?t get it, my brother lives in Greenville SC and can?t get it, my old house in Richmond VA can?t get it, my brother-in-law in Detroit can?t get it, my friends in Raleigh, Charlotte, Birmingham, suburban Denver, and across the lake in Milwaukee all can?t get it. You might have noticed that I haven?t mentioned one iota about the matchup, and there?s a reason for that...I have no inkling one way or the other. I believe the Broncos have been exposed for what they are, a well-coached but under-talented team with a broken mirror and smoke machine. That would normally send me scurrying to the Giants, but they have some troubling issues of their own. I don?t trust Eli Manning handling Denver?s exotic pressures, and I don?t trust the Giants secondary to contain Brandon Marshall or Eddie Royal, even with a hobbled Kyle Orton throwing it to them. I like the home cooking and altitude advantage for Denver. Broncos 24, Giants 21. Game of the Week New England at New Orleans: In the spirit of brevity, I?m taking the Patriots here for three reasons: 1. Even though the Saints are still playing well in the secondary, all the injury-related lineup shuffling ruins continuity. That?s bad news when facing Wes Welker, Randy Moss, but especially Kevin Faulk out of the backfield and Tom Brady?s knack for quickly identifying weak points. 2. The Patriots are exceptional at taking one thing away from the opposing offense, and the opponent has no idea what that will be until the game unfolds. Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind and Drew Brees is one sharp cookie, but those adjustments often take a few drives to figure out. That?s likely sacrificed opportunities, and you cannot afford those in a shootout. 3. Don?t think for a minute that the Patriots aren?t fiercely proud of their perfect regular season two years ago, and that they desperately want to preserve the rarity of such an accomplishment. It?s a similar vein to how the 72 Dolphins treated it, though less obnoxiously than Mercury Morris & Co....for now. New England 33, New Orleans 31 Prime Leftovers Pittsburgh at Baltimore: I?m going to waffle on this one, folks. If Big Ben and Troy Polamalu both play and are effective in the game, Pittsburgh wins. If Dennis Dixon takes more snaps at QB than Roethlisberger, and Polamalu plays less than half the snaps, Baltimore will roll at home. The grey area is if one plays and the other doesn?t, which could very well happen. I think Baltimore?s offense has cooled a bit, but they still hung in with the Colts last week even with little working well. Pittsburgh?s dreadful special teams and propensity to forget about the run for extended periods give the Ravens enough of an opening to even up these two in the playoff race. Ravens 28, Steelers 24, but if both Big Ben and Polamalu play, flip the score. Indianapolis at Houston: This isn?t the mismatch of prior years, but as the Texans once again proved Monday night, they still aren?t ready to hang with the big boys. As much improved as they are, particularly in the defensive back seven, they still find ways to lose where teams like the Colts find ways to win. I expect Matt Schaub to have good success and for the Texans D to keep Peyton Manning relatively in check, but when the game is on the line I simply cannot foresee Houston pulling it out. Sorry, Texans fans, but your team reminds me a great deal of the Toronto Blue Jays of recent years--good enough to win some other divisions, but not built to beat the teams in their division and not quite deep enough or loaded enough to crack the playoff ceiling. Colts prevail, likely on a late Houston mistake, a la the decision to run a QB dive to get two feet closer for the potential game-tying field goal instead of running a quick throw to freakazoid WR Andre Johnson to get a few yards closer and make it much more likely. That?s why I?m not a coach, and why Gary Kubiak won?t be one much longer either...Indy 32, Houston 28. Arizona at Tennessee: I?m thisclose to jumping on the Vince Young bandwagon, not necessarily because of how well he?s played lately but also because of how well he?s handled playing well. That is a major step in the maturity of a young QB finding his way in the NFL, and it?s a hurdle that kept tripping Young in years past. When paired with a simplified, more focused defensive scheme and increasing health of those practitioners of said defense, these are the Titans most everyone expected to see. They get a real test in Arizona, which is quietly racking up victories in unexpected ways. Only 10 teams have more rushing yards in the last four games than the Cardinals, and Arizona ranks 8th in the league over the same time period in yards per first down rush (5.1 YPA). Remember that when the talking heads blabber on about how Arizona won?t win because they can?t run the ball. Having said that, I get the strong guttural feeling that these Titans are on a historic mission, and Kurt Warner?s grogginess doesn?t help the Cards. This is victory #5 in a row of an impending 10-game winning streak that takes them from 0-6 to the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs. Tennessee 27, Arizona 17. Warm Stuffing Washington at Philadelphia: This is a real dangerous game for Philadelphia, which comes in having lost two of three, with the win a squeaker over the immolating Bears. Washington continues to play very solid defense; every Monday, fans of their most recent opponent bemoan their offense while ignoring just how talented the Skins are on D. Philly?s offense relies almost exclusively on the home run play, and the Skins are very adept at pitching around the sluggers and making the bottom of the order beat them. The Eagles have enough weaponry to get that done, but the 9.5-point spread seems awful high even with Washington?s inept offense. Take the Skins and the points, but the Eagles for the 17-10 win. Carolina at New York Jets: Death-gasp game for two teams still clinging to the longest of playoff hopes. There?s an intriguing contrast here in how the coaches have handled the rockiness. Carolina coach John Fox has stayed the course with his conservative game plan and turnover-prone QB Jake Delhomme, making few tweaks and believing that all the work over the summer and in prior years will pay off. Jets coach Rex Ryan has decided to expand his role in the offense, more specifically in mentoring rookie QB Mark Sanchez. They have changed defensive attacks almost weekly, and fluctuate wildly between asking Sanchez to be a careful came manager and then asking him to take over games with his arm all by himself. I think the handling of panic by the Panthers will prevail here, though I do agree with Coach Ryan that Sanchez needs a different voice in his ear. Short-term loss, long-term gain for New York. The return of Charles Godfrey at safety and the strong play of rookie Sherrod Martin carry the Panthers to a 26-21 win. Jacksonville at San Francisco: The Jaguars have quietly won three in a row while the Niners are fading away to playoff oblivion. But those three JAX wins have not exactly been impressive, and SF can claw back into the wild card mix with a couple of wins in a row, but it has to start here. That means Alex Smith has to summon the same type of performance he displayed in relief in the Houston game, and not the Alex Smith that deservedly got benched that we?ve seen the past few weeks. Color me pessimistic, because there are too many things that Smith just doesn?t do well, things that a smart defense can exploit--even one like Jacksonville that gets almost zero pressure on the QB. Pretty much all the matchup checkmarks go to the Jaguars, who can run the ball and stop the run, and they don?t turn the ball over. I think this is the type of game that demonstrates why Mike Singletary?s coaching style has a very short shelf life; they?ve already heard all the fire and brimstone speeches and intense exhortations from Iron Mike, and he?s pushed all in on too many smaller hands. Having said that, the more I wanted to finish this off by picking Jacksonville, the more my body told me San Francisco. It might be the black bean tostada I had for dinner, but when that cool, crampy, tingling sensation overcomes me like it is right now, it?s almost never wrong. San Fran somehow wins 27-24. Stomach Upset of the week Miami at Buffalo: If you read last week?s forecast, you might recall my research on midseason replacement coaches. Twelve of the last 15 mop-up coaches, as my friend Desmond likes to call them, have won game two. I did a little more digging with the help of the good folks at BetUS.com and found that 10 of those did that feat as at least seven point underdogs (opening line was MIA -3.5), and all but one of the home coaches won. That?s an awful lot of history going against the Dolphins, even in the face of pretty much all rational thought. So even though Buffalo lost yet another starter (G Eric Wood) to yet another freakishly nasty injury, I?m not fighting history, Recent history in this series also favors the Bills, who have won the last five against Miami at Ralph Wilson Stadium and have won 12 of the last 14 over the Fins when the temperature is below 45 degrees. Kickoff forecast: 39 and partly cloudy. Buffalo 23, Miami 20. Cold Turkey with Lumpy Gravy Games Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Atlanta is remarkably consistent at winning games they are supposed to win and losing games they are expected to lose. It makes them fairly easy and reliable to forecast, like a strong northwest wind producing lake effect snow showers off the Great Lakes in winter. A quick check reveals I?m 9-1 on Falcons games this year. This is a game they should win, even without Michael Turner, though the Bucs aren?t quite the pushover they were before Josh Freeman took over. Still, the Bucs are a mess with Coach Morris firing Jim Bates, his defensive coordinator. That means a coach younger than some of his players has already axed both coordinators in less than 3 months. Desperation isn?t any prettier with Tampa?s bad run defense and scattershot offense than it is after 10 Killian?s on Cougar Night at your local watering hole. Atlanta slogs to a 24-13 road win. Seattle at St. Louis: Another classic ?something?s gotta give? game. St. Louis can?t stop the run at all, while Seattle averaged less than a yard per carry last week on the ground and has topped 80 yards rushing just once on the road all year. The Rams have shown some improvement recently, though losing Marc Bulger isn?t going to help. Steven Jackson will have to do it all, and fortunately for the Rams he?s one of the few players in the league capable of doing so. It?s real hard for a team to go 1-15, and the defensive uptick in St. Louis leads me to believe they notch win #2 here against a Seattle team that hasn?t even been close on the road this year. St. Louis 17, Seattle 13. Chicago at Minnesota: One of the biggest mismatches you?ll ever see shapes up in this game. The Minnesota defensive line versus the Chicago offensive line brings to mind the Polish trying to ward off the German panzer attack with mounted cavalry. That didn?t go to well for Brigadier General Julian Filipowicz (see Dr. Fletcher, I paid attention in your sorry European WWII class!), and it won?t go well for Jay Cutler either. Vikings 33, Bears 17. Kansas City at San Diego: Beware overconfidence. Pittsburgh found that out the hard way last week, and the Chiefs could very well make the Chargers pay for it this week too. I like the way the Chargers secondary and pass rush have stepped up, and their OL is playing better every week. That should be enough, but it bears repeating: beware overconfidence. Chargers 30, Chiefs 24. Cleveland at Cincinnati: Any time a team bursts out with an unprecedented output like the Browns did last week, the question becomes, ?Was it legit?? I watched the game twice, studying Brady Quinn and all his successes, and I quickly concluded it had a lot more to do with some awful Lions coverage than sustainable greatness by Quinn and his greenhorn receivers. For all those great plays, Quinn also threw some real clunkers, and he makes his receivers work for the catch far too often. It worked against Detroit?s collection of misfit corners, but the Bengals have one of the best secondaries in the NFL. They also have a superior pass rush and better run defense, one that consistently smothers the types of runs that Jamal Lewis attempts. I think Cleveland gleaned enough offensive confidence to crack double digits, but that just won?t cut it in The Jungle. Bengals roll 33-10. Drinking in the Dorm Room Games Last week: 3-2, 39-21 on the season Florida 32, Florida State 10 Clemson 24, South Carolina 20 Stanford 38, Notre Dame 29 Georgia Tech 33, Georgia 21 BYU 20, Utah 17

Jeff Risdon/RealGM

Tags: New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints

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NFL Power Rankings For Week 12

Aug 7, 2014 10:54 AM

The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs, and turnovers. For this reason, I created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game: (2x Yards per pass) + (2x Yards per carry) + (.5 First downs) - (Penalty yards/10) - (2.5 Turnovers) - (Opposing Team's Trench Counter) Click here for more information on the Trench Counter For the 2009 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New Orleans Saints: 10.7 After a one week intermission, the Saints have reclaimed the top spot with their 38-7 (+16.4 Trench Counter) thrashing of the Buccaneers. The Saints rushed for 183 yards and two Mike Bell touchdowns while keeping rookie Josh Freeman to a 33.1 passer rating day. 2. Indianapolis Colts: 9.6 I love the balance of the Colts air game these days; Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne and Tom Santi each had 80 or more yards on Sunday. That trio of course doesn't include Dallas Clark, who was held by the Baltimore linebackers to his lowest reception output (one reception) since Opening Night of 2008 against Chicago. He did, however, score a touchdown with that lone reception. 3. New England Patriots: 9.0 The Jets neutralized Randy Moss again on Sunday, but having Wes Welker healthy in the rematch made all the difference, as he caught 15 balls for 192 yards. He is projected to finish the season with an astonishing 126 receptions. 4. Minnesota Vikings: 7.2 Brett Favre had a near perfect, 22-for-25, four TD, zero interception day, but somehow his 141.7 passer rating wasn't as good as Tavaris Jackson's 144.3 during his own eight attempts. While Adrian Peterson rushed for a pedestrian 82 yards on 24 carries, Minnesota's defense held Justin Forsett to nine yards on nine carries. 5. Green Bay Packers: 7.2 With Sunday's win, the Packers improved to 3-0 when Greg Jennings has over 100 yards receiving. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6.8 Super Bowl teams don't lose to the Chiefs under any circumstances, but there were enough flukish occurrences to excuse the loss. Hines Ward finished with over 100 yards for the fourth time this season and 24th for his career; the veteran receiver has never had five 100 yard games in a single season. 7. New York Giants: 4.4 The difference between the 2009 Giants and the 2008 edition continues to be on the ground, where they averaged just 2.4 yards per rush on Sunday and were fortunately bailed out by Eli Manning's 384 yards. 8. San Diego Chargers: 4.4 The Chargers have now won five in a row since the 23-34 loss at home on Monday night to Denver in Week 6. They host Kansas City this week and then travel to Cleveland the next, which should assure them of traveling to Dallas in an attempt to extend the streak in Week 14 to eight games. 9. Cincinnati Bengals: 3.5 Bernard Scott filled in very well for the injured Cedric Benson, rushing for 119 yards on 21 carries (5.7 average), but the Bengals gave up 10 points in just a matter of seconds in the 4th quarter. Cincinnati is now 0-10 while playing in Oakland. 10. Philadelphia Eagles: 3.3 LeSean McCoy proved himself to be more than adequate in replacing Brian Westbrook, rushing for a career high 99 yards during his second 20 rushing attempt game. 11. Dallas Cowboys: 3.3 The Cowboys were just 3-for-11 on 3rd down, while allowing Washington to convert seven of their 15 opportunities. Dallas is ranked 17th in 3rd down percentage this season, down from their ninth rank showing in 2008. They are ranked 12th defensively in 3rd down situations, which isn't too significantly off of their eighth ranked finish a season ago. 12. Baltimore Ravens: 2.5 The Ravens returned the Colts ground game to the anemic 3.0 yards per rush version, but they gave up 9.6 yards per Peyton Manning pass (in spite of the two interceptions). Most importantly, the Ravens went 0-for-4 in the red zone. 13. Denver Broncos: 1.7 Denver is just barely hanging on the positive side of the Trench Counter. The Broncos rushed for 6.8 yards per carry against San Diego, but were 0-for-4 in the red zone and were -3 in turnover differential. 14. Arizona Cardinals: 1.6 The Cardinals suddenly have a potent running game, which will be an invaluable element they were missing in the playoffs last season. Tim Hightower and Benie Wells rushed for 110 yards and 74 yards respectively, while the team combined for a 6.1 yards per carry average. 15. Houston Texans: 1.6 The Texans desperately needed a win in their rare national television appearance on Monday, but were undone by LenDale White's second touchdown of the season and two 50-yarders from Rob Bironas. 16. Jacksonville Jaguars: 0.7 With three consecutive victories, the Jaguars now are in second place all by themselves behind the Colts in the AFC South despite a -36 season point differential. 17. San Francisco 49ers: 0.0 I don't believe it is necessarily a coincidence as much as a symptom of playing behind, but Veron Davis has scored seven of his eight touchdowns and 470 of his 601 yards during San Francisco losses. 18. Miami Dolphins: -0.1 This third act of Ricky Williams' career has been nothing short of extraordinary. He is rushing for a 5.3 yards per carry average, which beats out his 4.8 per carry average when he led the NFL in yards with 1,853 during the 2002 season. 19. Atlanta Falcons: -0.3 With Michael Turner shelved, Matt Ryan kept Atlanta in the game and took care of the ball for the first time since Week 3 by not throwing a single interception. 20. Washington Redskins: -0.5 The Redskins will limp out the rest of the season, or at least the next week or so with Rock Cartwight getting carries at running back. He averaged a respectable 5.2 yards per carry and also caught seven balls for 73 yards in Washington's loss at Dallas on Sunday. 21. New York Jets: -1.5 Thomas Jones rushed for 421 yards and five TDs on 74 attempts in October, while behind held to 282 yards and one TD on 69 November attempts. 22. Seattle Seahawks: -1.9 I have continuously liked Seattle as a sleeper, but they realistically needed to get a win either at Arizona or Minnesota (more importantly Arizona because of the potential NFC West tiebreaker) to have a realistic playoff shot. They could very conceivably run the table over their final six (at St. Louis, 49ers, at Houston, Buccaneers, at Green Bay, Titans) and finish 9-7, but they would need a ton of help from the teams who play Arizona including Detroit in Week 15 and St. Louis in Week 16. 23: Carolina Panthers: -2.4 DeAngelo Williams continued another late season surge by rushing for a season-best 9.4 yards per carry, but the Panthers still lost 17-24 to Miami at home. 24. Buffalo Bills: -2.4 The Bills had to travel to a sparse Jacksonville Stadium to get their first legitimate Terrell Owens spotting, as the receiver caught nine balls for 197 yards including a 98-yard TD. 25. Chicago Bears: -2.7 Matt Forte's sophomore struggles remain ubiquitous, particularly in light of Kahlil Bell's 81 yards on four carries. 26. Tennessee Titans: -4.9 Vince Young now has a 95.5 passer rating during the month of November, all wins for Tennessee. 27. Kansas City Chiefs: -5.1 Despite the Dwayne Bowe suspension, Matt Cassel had his best game in a Kansas City uniform in Sunday's overtime win over Pittsburgh, finishing with a 100.4 passer rating. 28. Detroit Lions: -8.6 Matthew Stafford had his first 100+ passer rating game in Sunday's thrilling victory against Cleveland. He is now 2-6 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. 29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -8.8 With Tampa Bay's decision to fire defensive coordinator Jim Bates, they have hired and fired coordinators on both sides of the ball since September. Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik will need to begin making lasting decisions if they want to stick around long term. 30. St. Louis Rams: -9.8 Steven Jackson continues to perform admirably for a Rams team going nowhere fast; he extended his 100-yard game streak to four in Sunday's 21-13 loss to Arizona. Jackson must feel a lot like Russell Hammond when he looks around that St. Louis locker room. 31. Oakland Raiders: -13.4 Bruce Gradkowski won't win any style points, but his 73.5 passer rating kept the Raiders in the game to setup their miraculous comeback victory over the Bengals. Two of Oakland's three victories have come against likely playoff teams. 32. Cleveland Browns: -15.1 Whether Brady Quinn is dating Alica Sacramone or can take a punch better than Jimmy Clausen, I'm not entirely sure, but he did have an excellent 21-for-33, 304 yards, four TD, zero interception game on Sunday, albeit against a porous Detroit defense.

Christopher Reina/RealGM

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints

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Jets Upset By Patriots' Deep Pass Attempt

Sep 23, 2014 8:16 AM

Jets coach Rex Ryan felt "disrespected" by the Patriots for attempting a deep pass late in Sunday's game. New England defeated New York 31-14 and Tom Brady threw long for Randy Moss on third-and-6 from their 45-yard line with just 30 seconds left in the game. The pass fell incomplete. "We need to stop them anyway, so it's no biggie, but I was surprised, and I did feel a little bit disrespected," Ryan said.

ESPN

Tags: New England Patriots, New York Jets, Misc Rumor

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Jets Expect Surprises From New England

Sep 23, 2014 8:24 AM

The Jets aren't expecting the Patriots to run many familiar plays. "I think there is one thing that we can be sure of and that is it will be something we haven't seen," New York offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. "It will be a surprise." The Jets are expecting the Patriots to blitz rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez more often than usual. "They've never really been a big pressure team against us," Schottenheimer said. "Do I think they'll pressure us more? Absolutely, I think that is what most teams are doing to us now."

New York Post

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Belichick Curses Out Patriots During Film Session

Mar 16, 2014 9:25 PM

When the Patriots gathered to watch film of their loss to the Colts, Bill Belichick let his team have it. ?He (cursed us out) pretty good on the things we did wrong,? Tom Brady said, this week holding his news conference back in front of his locker, much to the aggravation of stall neighbor Randy Moss. ?There?s no ?welcome back,? there are no hugs in the locker room or anything like that. We forget the things we didn?t do so well and we get back to work. ?We?ve lost plenty of games here, and you have to show back up the next day and put just as much effort into it as you did the previous week. The reasons why you lost, you have to understand those, and the reasons why you?re doing well; you have to understand those and try to be more consistent in the things that you?re doing well.?

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Colts' Defense Felt 'Disrespected' By Patriots' Decision To Go For It

May 17, 2014 5:31 AM

The Colts' defense felt "disrespected" by New England's decision to go for it on fourth down Sunday night. On fourth-and-2, the Patriots went for it and Tom Brady completed a pass to Kevin Faulk that fell one-yard short. "I was thinking, 'Man, they're going to try us like that? They're going to disrespect us like that?' " linebacker Philip Wheeler said. "We've got to stop them. We've got to man up. And we did that. Maybe it wasn't disrespectful, maybe it was the smartest thing they could think of to do. I think we handled our business when they did it."

ESPN

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Risdon's $.10 For Week 10

Nov 7, 2014 8:45 PM

$.01--For all the statements made on Sunday, and there were quite a few, the biggest one to me was the Packers emphatic victory over the Cowboys. Green Bay had surrendered 76 points and 13 sacks in their past two games, but they completely dominated the heretofore surging Cowboys. The Packers defense turned up the pressure, sacking Tony Romo five times and consistently getting great pressure. Green Bay created turnovers and had none of their own, and allowed just an after-the-fact TD in their 17-7 triumph. The Packers were in very real peril of having their playoff aspirations snuffed out after two humbling losses, but with this win they killed two birds with one stone. Not only did they vault themselves back into playoff relevance, they also earned a tiebreaker with Dallas, which could wind up fighting for the same Wild Card spot. Charles Woodson played a game reminiscent of his Michigan days versus Ohio State, forcing two fumbles while bagging a sack and providing blanketing physical coverage. $.02--San Diego also made a big statement, beating up the Eagles to pull to a 1st place tie in the AFC West with the faltering Broncos. LaDanian Tomlinson turned back the clock a little, showing much better burst and more ability to finish his runs with power. But the most impressive thing for San Diego is their performance in the red zone at both ends. The Chargers defense held Philly to three David Akers field goals when the Eagles had 1st and goal on three drives, while the offense went a perfect 5-for-5 with four TDs and a field goal in their red zone visits. That had been a recurring issue during the Bolts? early season struggles, and with those woes apparently remedied, San Diego is now looking like the team I thought they?d be when I forecast a 14-2 record. This victory sets up a winner-take-all AFC West matchup in Denver next Sunday, though even with a loss the Chargers schedule sets up very nicely for a near-certain playoff berth. $.03--Another statement was made by the downtrodden teams. Tampa Bay valiantly fought against Miami, losing on a last-second FG. St. Louis gave the undefeated Saints all they could handle, with Steven Jackson strapping the team on his wide shoulders and the Rams defense doing a relatively good job slowing down Drew Brees & Co. and having a shot at the win. Washington, losers of five of their last six, upended the Broncos thanks to a strange fake field goal and hard running by backup RB Ladell Betts. Tennessee annihilated Buffalo behind Chris Johnson and another solid game-manager performance from Vince Young, winning their third in a row while sending the Bills to a finger-pointing cellar. Even the Lions played reasonably well in their loss to Minnesota, keeping the game within reach most of the day despite having six defensive starters leave the game due to injuries. All season we?ve been talking about the stark dichotomy between the haves and have-nots, but for one weekend anyways, the gap closed considerably. Nobody is happier for that than the bookmakers, who have taken a beating this year thanks to predictable lopsided slaughterings. $.04--The Thursday night affair was an unmitigated disaster for the Bears, and there are plenty of fingers to point. I think one finger that isn?t getting enough wagging is the lack of veteran mentorship and leadership on the Chicago offense. This team is screaming for a savvy veteran backup QB, someone to serve as a sounding board and support system for Jay Cutler, similar to what Jon Kitna has done for Tony Romo. Cutler is not a great leader, and far too often he spends his sideline time either brooding alone or joking around with teammates, not focusing on how he could get better. He badly needs someone to push his buttons and keep his head right, showing him where he could improve. It?s an extra imperative when the head coach is focused almost completely on his defense and the offensive coordinator isn?t a great teacher. But it?s even more pronounced at wide receiver, where the Bears feature converted CB Devin Hester and two guys (Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett) with zero career catches entering the season. This group runs terrible routes and freelances too often, as well as failing to run hard all the time and being abysmal blockers. With no veteran to show them the ropes or tell them why they?re not getting open or how to plant and cut with sound footwork, there has been no visible improvement throughout the season. By comparison, look at the wonders Torry Holt has done in Jacksonville with Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas, two greenhorn wideouts that have become significantly better as the season progresses. Chicago screams out for a player like Holt or Amani Toomer or Laveraneus Coles, a beyond-his-prime vet that can still function as a secondary weapon but can also teach the young talent how to play in the NFL. All three of those guys were affordable free agents last summer, and the Bears are paying the price for not stepping to the table. $.05--Highlight of the day goes to Arizona safety Adrian Wilson for his impressive game-sealing INT of Matt Hasselbeck?s shovel pass near the goal line. It was a bit of a broken play, and Wilson correctly picked up on Hasselbeck?s intentions. His diving snare sealed the win and all but sealed the NFC West for the Cardinals, who now hold a two-game lead with a rediscovered running attack. Kurt Warner shook off a sluggish start, and the offensive line that helped Beanie Wells run so well also kept Warner?s uniform spotless. When that happens and the opportunistic, aggressive defense led by Wilson are playing well, this Arizona team is as good as any in the NFC. Gut-check comeback wins like this one have been few and far between for this franchise, and in winning five of their last six the Cardinals have announced their presence with authority. $.06--5 quickies: 1. There were audible screams at Buffalo Wild Wings when Mo Jones-Drew took a knee at the one instead of scoring the winning TD against the Jets. How big is fantasy football? I counted at least 15 patrons with laptops, constantly checking their fantasy teams, and the guy next to me at the bar borrowed my Droid phone three times to check his team. 2. After watching Bruce Gradkowski inject some life and potency to the Oakland offense, there is no valid reason why Coach Cable should reinsert JaMarcus Russell at QB. Gradkowski?s INTs were not his fault, though it?s hard to blame the Oakland wideouts for being surprised that the pass was actually where they wanted it. 3. I never thought I?d say this, but the Bengals were clearly the more physical team in their battle with the Steelers. It was an ugly game with no offensive TDs and many crushing hits and forced mistakes, i.e. Pittsburgh Steelers football. But once again the Bengals did it better. Trust me folks, they are not a fluke. 4. Matt Stafford won over a lot of Lions fans with his toughness and never-say-die spirit despite taking a major beating in the loss to Minnesota. In 54 dropbacks, Stafford got hit on 34 of them. He kept his chin up and never lost his poise, continuing to sling good throws despite the constant pounding. His leadership and tenacity scored major points in the locker room and the message boards, not to mention the Vikings locker room. 5. Brian Westbrook?s second concussion in three weeks is a real cause for concern. The Eagles have LeSean McCoy to fill in, and the rookie is proving capable, but he?s not the dynamic playmaker that Westbrook is. The greater concern is for Westbrook?s health, which has been an ongoing concern for years. $.07--The New England-Indianapolis game developed into an instant classic, with the Colts coming from behind for an amazingly improbable victory. The Indianapolis defense held tough despite being ravaged by injuries, and with Peyton Manning in charge they are never out of a game. His masterful performance changed my (non-existent) MVP vote, and Manning is having his best year ever, one of the greatest years by any pro athlete ever. If nothing else, Peyton put an end to all the asinine ?quienes mas macho?? debates with Tom Brady. Still, this was just one game in the standings, and if/when they meet again in January, this outcome will mean next to nothing. The sooner the talking heads realize this, the better off we?ll all be. There will be very little difference between the #1 seed and the #6 seed in the AFC playoffs this year. Of course no other team has a Peyton Manning... $.08-- Non-football thought of the week--I must have struck a chord with my whining about the ability to smoke in public places in Michigan, as I received several emails of empathetic disbelief from all over the country. My fair state is in a state of economic catastrophe, yet for thousands of us who revile secondhand smoke, we?re discouraged from spending money in restaurants and bars. I loathe coming home smelling like I just spent three hours inside a burning building, the food tastes worse, and my eyes take a day or two to recover from the haze. Michigan needs to step into the modern era and do what so many other states have done: ban smoking in all public places. For you Michigan smokers who protest, consider this: your health insurance costs will decrease, and you just might get a hook-up with a non-smoker that you never would have had before. $.09--6 college quickies: 1. Georgia Tech is the quietest 10-1 team ever. Consider that if Texas and Cincinnati each lose (which could happen), the Yellow Jackets might be playing for the national title despite almost zero national media coverage. They should beat Clemson for the ACC title and will not be an easy BCS opponent with their throwback offense and disciplined, talent-laden defense. 2. This USC team is the epitome of what happens when you recruit nothing but blue-chip athletes. They sorely lack anyone for whom football didn?t come easy, early. Those type of players are great when it?s going well, but tend to stumble badly when really tested--just as these Trojans have all year. 3. Much is being made of Charlie Weis having the same winning percentage as the ingloriously deposed Bob Davie and Ty Willingham at Notre Dame. What that says to me is that the coach really doesn?t matter anymore at Notre Dame; the program is simply no longer a national power, and not even Knute Rockne rising from the grave is going to change that. It?s an academically restrictive, low-enrollment school in an impoverished small city with poor weather, and the national reputation and NFL pipeline have both withered to insignificance. That is not just Charlie Weis? fault. 4. Maybe I?m just a bitter Lions fan, but if Matt Millen would have put half the acumen he shows as a college analyst into his drafting duties, the Detroit Lions would be a perennial playoff team and not the perennial doormat. 5. Daniel Passafiume of Hanover College caught 25 passes on Saturday, breaking an NCAA record held by Jerry Rice. I don?t know how impressive the feat is, considering he netted just 153 yards on those 25 catches, though he did score twice. Hanover lost the D-III game 42-28 to Franklin College, another Indiana school that happens to be where I lived from 1984-86. I?m writing this proudly wearing a Franklin College hat. Go Grizzlies! 6. TCU answered any lingering questions about their BCS legitimacy by walloping a very good Utah team 55-28. This is the same Utah team that spanked Georgia in a BCS bowl last year. The Horned Frogs? improved offense this year makes them the best non-BCS conference team of the BCS era...and that still isn?t good enough to earn a berth in the national title game. $.10: Scouting Report--Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State. 6?6?, 284 pounds, 4.7ish 40. Positives: Tremendous size/speed/strength package and he?s comfortable with his body. Great base strength to hold at the point of attack, rarely gets moved backwards. Outstanding quickness for his size, consistently dictates the action by forcing the blocker to react to his movement. Good at using his hands and arms to shed blocks. Maintains excellent pad level and consistently gets strong leverage. Good tackler, wraps strong and keeps his head up. Shows good awareness and quick reaction to screens and cutbacks. Has a polished barrage of pass rush moves, can go inside or outside with speed or power. Fast in pursuit with decent closing speed, and he does a good job of staying in control while chasing. Good balance, great knees and feet to stay with plays even when blocked. Good football IQ. Solid locker room leader. Father was Craig ?Ironhead? Heyward, former NFL running back, and stepfather played at Wisconsin, so he?s been brought up around the game a la Larry Fitzgerald. Negatives: Strictly a 3-4 DE in the NFL; lacks burst around the edge and speed to play DE, too upright and not bulky enough to play full-time DT in 4-3 fronts. Can be too eager to just tie up blockers and let his mates make the plays--makes him a great teammate but could cause disappointment if drafted high (think Chris Long). Will get caught in the interior trash when the runner or QB bounces outside. Has had some issues with shorter, fireplug-type guards against the run. Has been surrounded by loads of talent that is often quite superior to the offense they are facing, has not been asked to do a lot by himself; that doesn?t mean he can?t, it means he hasn?t done it yet. NFL Comparison: A taller, quicker Tyson Jackson from last year?s draft, or a lighter Richard Seymour. Forecast: Just a junior, Heyward has continued to improve and impress scouts with his playmaking knack and rare physical attributes. Not as fast or explosive as the elite edge rushers, but much like Tyson Jackson last year, Heyward?s all-around play elevates his stock. He?s more highly regarded by scouts than most media pundits at this point, but that will change. Surefire 1st rounder, probably in the 10-20 overall range.

Jeff Risdon/RealGM

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers

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Belichick: I Thought We Could Get A Yard

Oct 31, 2014 10:40 AM

Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn't think going for it on fourth down late against the Colts on Sunday night was that big of a risk. "We tried to win the game on that play," Belichick explained. "I thought we could make the yard. We had a good play, we completed it. I don't know how we couldn't get a yard." New England went for it on fourth-and-2 on their own 28-yard line with 2:08 left in regulation instead of punting the ball in a game that they led 34-28. The Colts took over on downs and marched in for a relatively easy score to win 35-34 and maintain their perfect record. "That fourth-down play, that's one of your best plays, and you go to one of your best guys," Brady said. "We've got our offense on the field. We have over 450 yards of offense at the time. We've got a lot of great players on our offense. They stopped us."

ESPN

Tags: New England Patriots, Misc Rumor

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Risdon's Football Meterology For Week 10
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Jeff Risdon/RealGM

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