Game Rewind: After getting off to a slow start, the Patriots scored 21 second quarter points and cruised to a 35-14 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots will be playing in their NFL record seventh straight AFC Championship game next Sunday. Here are five thoughts from the game. 1. Sluggish Beginning: The Patriots got off to an uncharacteristically slow start. They won the toss and took the ball only…
The Patriots open the playoffs by hosting the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots are prohibitive favorites in a game that most experts did not see coming. Instead, pundits had the Chiefs coming to town but Marcus Mariota and the Titans spoiled the party with a big road win in Kansas City. Here are five keys for the Patriots in this game. 1. Contain Mariota: The Patriots cannot allow Marcus Mariota to…
With rumors swirling Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is the leading candidate for the New York Giants job, it got me thinking. Who is more vital to the Patriots success. Josh McDaniels or Matt Patricia? I came to the conclusion that McDaniels is more vital to the team’s success moving forward. There are several reasons for that. For one, McDaniels has been the offensive coordinator in New England on two…
Here are some thoughts on the happenings around the football world. 1.Alabama, Georgia went from a boring game at halftime to one of the best national championship games in the last 25 years. 2. Nick Saban benching Jalen Hurts at halftime and going with true freshmen Tua T (can’t spell or pronounce his last name) was a ballsy move. It was a move that a coach who wins a lot…
It is an all SEC national championship game as Alabama will battle Georgia for all the marbles. The two teams did not play each other this past season. Here are three keys for both teams in what should be a great game. 3 Keys for Georgia 1. Keep Jalen Hurts in the Pocket: Jalen Hurts is a terrific athlete and he can beat defenses in a variety of ways. He…
I have no issue with Seth Wickersham’s piece on espn.com regarding the power struggle between Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Robert Kraft. Quite frankly, the notion that there is a rift is not that hard to believe. Patriots fans and certain members of the media around here need to take off their rose colored glasses for a second and analyze the piece. According to Wickersham, the rift between Belichick and…
One of my favorite days of the year is here! I love New Years Day for one reason and one reason only. BOWL GAMES! Outback Bowl (Noon ET) Michigan vs. South Carolina (+9): Give me the Wolverines in the Outback Bowl all day. Jim Harbaugh and his staff have had over a month to prepare for this game. That means that not only did Michigan prepare for South Carolina, but they…
The Patriots close out the 2017 regular season by hosting the Jets at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots beat the Jets 27-25 in the first meeting between the two teams in week 7. Here are five keys for the Patriots today. 1. Come Out of the Game Healthy: The Patriots are playing their starters because they want to secure the number one seed in the AFC. They are already banged up…
The New Years Six Bowl games kicked off with the Cotton Bowl last night. There are two more major bowl games today with the Fiesta Bowl and the Orange Bowl. Here are my previews and predictions for today’s games. TaxSlayer Bowl (Noon ET) No. 23 Mississippi State vs. Louisville (-5.5): Another game where a coaching change could affect the outcome of the game. Dan Mullen left Mississippi State last month for…
The Patriots signing of James Harrison was a good move by Bill Belichick but let’s not pretend like Harrison is going to put the Patriots “over the top”. There is no question Harrison will bolster the Patriots lackluster pass rush but he is 39 years old and hasn’t exactly been productive the last three years. Harrison is a shell of the player he once was and his value to the…