John Sarianides

Opinion: Matthew Stafford is Worth $27 Million a Season

August 29, 2017

By John Sarianides The Detroit Lions signed quarterback Matthew Stafford to a five year, $135 million dollar extension last night. The deal includes $50 million in bonus money and $92 million guaranteed. Not bad for a quarterback who has never won a playoff game. The deal makes Stafford the highest paid player in league history at $27 million per season. Naysayers will immediately point to Stafford’s playoff record and say…

3 Key NFL Preview: An Improved Defense Could Be the Key for the 2017 Packers

August 29, 2017

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By John Sarianides Packers general manager Ted Thompson made it a point this off-season to upgrade a Packers secondary that was brutal last season. Between injuries and inconsistent play, Green Bay’s secondary was the single biggest reason the Packers failed to reach the Super Bowl once again. Thompson addressed the problem in April’s draft by taking Washington cornerback Kevin King in the second round and strong safety Josh Jones in…

3 Key NFL Preview: The Vikings Look to Contend After AP

August 29, 2017

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By John Sarianides For ten years, Adrian Peterson was the center piece of the Vikings offense. Now Peterson is in New Orleans. The Vikings decided to move on from Peterson after last season and signed veteran Latavius Murray and drafted Dalvin Cook to fill the void. Both backs will have ample opportunities to replace the future hall of famer, particularly Cook. The Vikings revamped their offensive line this off-season adding…

Patriots Pulse Blog: 3 Ways the Patriots Could Minimize the Loss of Julien Edelman

August 26, 2017

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By John Sarianides The Patriots found out this morning that wide receiver Julien Edelman is indeed done for the season with a torn ACL. So, how do the Patriots replace so much production? Here are three ways. 1. Use 20 Personnel More: 20 personnel in football is two running backs and three wide receivers. By using 20 personnel more, the Patriots could get James White and Dion Lewis in the…

Patriots Pulse Rewind: Patriots 30 Lions 28

August 26, 2017

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By John Sarianides Game Rewind: After going up 24-0 in the first half, the Patriots rallied to beat the Lions 30-28 on a last second field goal. Of course, the story of the night is the injury suffered by Julien Edelman. Here are five thoughts from last night’s game. 1. Edelman Injury: The Patriots fear that Julian Edelman may have a torn ACL could be confirmed today after the star…

Patriots Pulse Preview: New England Patriots (0-2) at Detroit Lions (2-0)

August 25, 2017

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By John Sarianides The Patriots will be playing their third pre-season game tonight when they travel to Detroit to battle the Lions. The third pre-season game is traditionally the game in which the starters play the most. Expect to see the starters play at least a half tonight. Here are three things to watch for in tonight’s pre-season game. 1. How Long Will the Starters Play? I asked the same…

3 Key NFL Preview: The Lions Must Prove They Can Contend

August 25, 2017

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By John Sarianides The Detroit Lions are out to prove that they are indeed a contender in the NFC. Detroit made the playoffs last season but lost to the Seahawks in the Wild Card round. After making changes to their uniforms and personnel this off-season, the Lions are out to prove that they are indeed a contender in what a stacked conference. As always, Detroit’s success will hinge on the…

Nickel Defense: 5 Things That Are Pissing Me Off In the Football World

August 21, 2017

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The Patriots don’t need six people working their pre-season coverage. It’s absurd! By John Sarianides Here are five things that are really pissing me off right now in the world of football. 1. The Patriots Pre-Season Broadcast Annoys Me: Do the Patriots really need to have six people involved in their pre-season broadcast? Isn’t Dan Roche and Christian Fauria enough? Why is Matt Chatham a part of the broadcast? Seriously. He…

Patriots Pulse: The Patriots Losing Could Be Derek Rivers a Crushing Blow for the Patriots

August 20, 2017

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By John Sarianides The title of this piece may just be the overstatement of the year but I am going with it anyways. Losing rookie defensive end/outside linebacker Derek Rivers could indeed be a crushing blow for the Patriots this season. The Patriots were counting on the young pass rusher to replace the recently retired Rob Ninkovich. Bill Belichick knew Ninkovich might retire prior to the start of the season…

Patriots Pulse Rewind: Texans 27 Patriots 23

August 20, 2017

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Featured image courtesy of Kevin Jaira/USA Today Sports. By John Sarianides Game Rewind: The Patriots lost 27-23 to the Texans last night. The starters all played for a quarter plus, including Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski who played in his first pre-season game since 2012. Here are my thoughts on this game. 1. Brady: Brady made his 2017 debut completing 6 of 9 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown…