Week #12 - Not Baiting Fish Here

You know how something that you know better to ignore but it still sets you off for the rest of the day. Well, I knew better to go into the Worldwide Leader’s AFC East blog but I did anyway. The content I usually don’t have a beef with (I’m trying to forget last year’s quest to demonize the Patriots by the gang over at Bristol) but it’s the trolls that frequent the board that always seem to get under my skin.

One such mental giant made this astute observation in a post about how Miami will deal with Randy Moss:

FINSownPATS (11/20/2008 at 12:37 PM)

ha ha ha ha!
Im laughing
because last year all the punk patsy fans were saying that the Tuna cant do nothing for the Fins! We whooped your #### last game and its gona be easier this time around! Sporano is the man, Joey Porter is gona breack Cassle in half, and the Tuna owns Belibitch! Except for the 3 superbowls the Patriots have been an awful franchise and your on your way back! Get the paper bags ready to put on your heads after another blowout! Fins 27 Overated hasbins from boston 10!

Laughable Pre-K spelling aside, this kinda of crap really pissed me off. Obviously, it is misinformed, which should immediately tell me to ignore it. And yet, the whole statement about the Patriots being an awful franchise prior to 2001 is an emotional undercurrent that all members of the Patriot Hater Nation take to heart. I’m sure that if you ask any one of the former Bronco/Steeler players who are “football analysts” and they would say something similar to what Mr. FINSownPATS stated (and all but Sharpe would say it better).

So, I’m making this personal and proving the blowhard Fish fan is as wrong about the Pats organization in comparison to the Miami Dolphins as his grammar teacher was to give up on teaching him the Queen’s English.

And for all of the geniuses out there, I will make only two simple assessments. I will only compare both team’s regular season and post-season records since the last time the Dolphins went deep into the playoffs. That’s right; we’re going back in time start this statistical snapshot on the NFL’s 65th season otherwise known as 1984.

**Disclaimer – All stats were obtained from one of the high meccas of statistical warehousing known as Pro Football Reference.com

During the span of these 24 seasons, Miami won 212 games and lost 171 for a winning percentage of .554 with one season of 1 win (2007) and a season high of 14 wins (1984). By comparison, New England also won 212 games and lost 171 with one season of 1 win (1990) and a season high of 16 wins (2007) during that same timeframe.

Whoa that’s weird, man. And yet based on these stats, not only is Sunday’s game for a possible tie for first place in the AFC East but also it will give the victor one regular game up on the other since the last time the Dolphins went to Super Bowl XIX.

But really, the regular season only tells part of the story. The playoffs are what all teams strive to reach. The Dolphins made the post-season 11 times in 24 years with an astounding record of 9 wins and 11 losses for a .45 winning percentage. The Dolphins were 0-1 in the Super Bowl (1984) and three times, the Fish were one-and-done in the playoffs.

New England made the playoffs 12 times in the same time period with a record of 20 wins against only 9 losses for a winning percentage of .690. The Pats were 3-3 in the Super Bowl (1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007) and they left the playoffs three times without winning a playoff game.

Okay, so what was really learned here? The Pats and the Fins are basically equal, stats wise, since ’84; much to the dismay of both team fans. But with six appearances in February and winning over twice as many playoff games as they lost, the Pats have statistically proven that they are more than Miami’s match for in regards to franchise accomplishments.

With that exercised out of my subconscious, here’s the battle for win #213…

This Week – Miami Dolphins (6-4; Against AFC East 2-1; Against the Pats 1-0)

Fish On A Roll

Man, I’m beginning to wonder if Coach Belichick and his coaching staff is forgetting to read my column. I mean, he didn’t get my plans to expose the weakness of the Jets’ DBs by using 3WR/1TE or 4WR sets until near the end of the second quarter. I guess someone on his staff must’ve remembered to look here in between the 2-minute warning. Hopefully, with no more Thursday night games, it won’t happen again.

With that in mind, how should the Pats win against the streaking Dolphins, winners of four straight games, Mr. All-Knowing Football Man? If you look at the stats, the trends are there for the reading.

On offense, the Pats need to continue to work on the 3WR/1TE sets from last week to keep the Dolphins nickel and dime DBs on the field. The Fins are 23rd in the NFL for passing yards per game. The Pats also should go deep against the Dolphins as they Fish are 29th in the league in allowing passing plays of 20 yards or more. But since the Fins are in the top 10 in sacks, Cassel needs to get check down or rid of the ball if the deep ball is not there. I do have another plea to have Cassel use the shovel pass up the middle and the WR bubble pass on the sides to tire the D-line and LBs.

With Sammy Morris coming back this week, he might be able to run better on the left side. While I’m not a fan of running at the new Mouth of the South (Porter) and Holliday but prior to Game 3 of the 2008 season getting out of hand early, Morris did have some success on that side of the line and with a relatively healthy line, running the ball is a necessary component to a Pats victory.

On the defensive side of the ball, there will be visions of last week’s Favre check-down mode on the field by the Fish. With Pennington behind center, the Fish are 9th in the league in passing yards. But that doesn’t mean that the Fins won’t try to go long as they are 10th in completions of 20 yards or more. That means in obvious passing situations, the Patriots need to play a Cover 2 scheme with over the top safety help to keep Camarillo and Ginn, Jr in check.

But the real question is how should the Pats defend the high school Wildcat formation? They should do the same thing that they always do for run-heavy teams. They should play a 3-4 alignment. The D-line and LBs must be held responsible for their backfield reads. Staying home and seeing the formation for a second time will definitely limit those explosive runs by Brown and Williams.

Lastly, if the Pats can play a bend-but-don’t-break style, they might be able to hang in the game. The Fins are 24th in the league with a 20.9 scoring average and 26th in the NFL with only 9 TD passes. Keeping people in front of them, limiting the one-on-one exposure in the defensive backfield and wrapping people up will make it a successful night for the Pats and should help the Pats secure the needed win to keep pace in the tight AFC East.

Next team on the docket is the AFC North leader Pittsburgh Steelers, another recently made grudge match. Can the Pats take advantage of a QB who is still trying to get back his groove? Will they be able to withstand the blitzing onslaught that comes with playing the Black and Gold? Tune in next Friday to find out.

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Line 'Em Up Week #10 is up over at Patriots Daily

Week #10 brings the first of two division games as co-AFC East leader Buffalo enters the mighty confine of The Razor. This week's column, titled Gettin Up, looks at the aftermath of Pats/Colts and brings out some positives from the loss as well as what should the Pats do to drop Buffalo (at least for one game) from the top AFC East spot.

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Line 'Em Up Week 6 Is Up

NFL Week #6 brings the New England Patriots down the PCH and drops them off at San Diego for a Sunday night affair. This week's column is titled No Merry Men in San Diego and covers my beef with the whole Cris Carter rant on New England fans and how porous the San Diego defensive backfield has become in the '08 season.

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Line 'Em Up Week #5 is up

NFL Week #5 has the New England Patriots comng off the bye week to play the once mighty San Francisco 49ers. This week's column is titled "Dressed to the Niners". Topics of interest include if Al Davis is truly part of the undead, the youth movement in San Fran and what Patrick Willis has in common with Chuck Norris and Kiefer Sutherland.

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J-E-Wha? Life as a New York Jets fan

Courtesy of Sportscracklepop.com

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Line 'Em Up Week 3 is Up

Week #3 brings a very familiar opponent, the Miami Dolphins, and this week's column is titled "Playing with a Porpoise". Topics of interest include the the common thread in the two Dolphins losses, the lack of any positive numbers in Miami and a look around the fan-based media in regards to this game.

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Line 'Em Up Week 2 Is Up

This week's column is about this week's opponent, the NY Jets, and is titled "Melodrama in the Meadowlands". Topics of interest include the predominant formation that the Jets will run against the Pats, a change in the Jets' Special Teams and a look around the media in regards to this game.

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My Take on the Brady Injury at Patriots Daily

Of course, everyone will have a reaction to the almost confirmed serious injury to the NFL's reigning MVP and I am no exception. So, I wrote about a 900-word missive to Patriots Daily and what came out was Grinding Those Lemons. Here's the intro to the piece by the site's EIC:

Editors Note - As you might imagine, the PD staff has been on high alert since the startling loss of the Patriots’ best player yesterday, just moments after a new season began. We’re all trying to figure out where the Pats players and coaches - and yes, their fans too - go from here. Britt Schramm, author of our weekly Line ‘Em Up feature, offers these early thoughts (SB).

Click the image above or this link here to read more from the Head of the Pats Bunker in Hurricane Alley.

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The New Patriots Daily Column Is Up

This week's game versus the Kansas City Chiefs is titled "Hitting The Reset Button". Topics of interest include the youth of the Chiefs, the reliability of Nick Novak and what other web commentators are saying about the Chiefs. Give it a chance and Lemme Know what you think of it.

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The Debut of My New Column Over at Patriots Daily

Writing a football column during the last preseason game (SNF - Scrubs Night Football) was a tough assignment; especially when the column involves dissecting the opposing team. So, I tried to wordsmith some words using an old crutch of mine - using a song titled as the theme. It came out okay but it's not my strongest work whatsoever although the editor seemed to like it well enough to post it. Here's his intro to whet your appetite:

Editors Note: This morning I’m happy to introduce you to our newest PD staffer Britt Schramm, who will write “Line ‘Em Up”, our weekly preview of the Patriots’ next opponent. In his initial post, Britt looks at some of the issues facing the World Champion Giants as they wrap up their pre-season with a final exhibition game with the Pats tonight. Welcome aboard, Britt (SB).

Well, what are you waiting for? Click on the column image above or the text link below to read more of this goodness. Any comments/complaints/grievances are welcomed either here or at Patriots Daily.

The End Is the Beginning Is The End

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New BS In The News

Just a quick note while I'm on a little min-eye vacation...

I'm back in the column writing business but with a new twist. The good folks at Patriots Daily have done the unthinkable and have given me valuable writing space on their site to offer not only my take on the Pats and their next opponents but that of pro columnists, forum posters and other cyber "analysts" (you know, the ones who use IMO in almost every sentence uttered). Here's what the site's editor had to say this morning (and yes, this is pure ego-stroking):

Britt Schramm will be our go-to guy for a new Friday morning feature that will be focused on the coming weekend’s opponent. Britt will look beyond the Globe and Herald scouting reports to see what’s really been happening with the next team on the Pats schedule. Britt’s another experienced, articulate blogger who’s devoted to the Pats, and I feel like we’ve been lucky to attract people like him, Tyler and Chris to the PD masthead this season. I can’t wait to get rolling.

The column name is still to be determined. But I can tell you that I am looking forward to working with Scott and the rest of the PD staff. I have a feeling that this is a start of a beautiful relationship. You can read the rest of Scott's post right here.

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How To Leave a Job Without a Shred of Integrity 101 by "Prof." Tom Casale

Here's the course description from the Master of Career Suicide (he's the third from left in jailhouse stripes - a very foreboding attire, you might say):

• Learn how to trash your former co-workers and disgrace your former employer on your first day on your new job
• Discover new ways to dredge up old hot button topics by insinuating that evidence was suppressed by not only your employer but by its governing body
• Make baseless accusations about everyone from your co-workers to the subjects of your work duties without any proof whatsoever; all using the guise of "Keepin' It Real"
• Free up more time since there is no need to create a resume as you will become instantly unwanted by any company other than a gambling organization

Course references can be found here for those curious enrollees. You can contact the professor of Napalming Co-Workers and Killing Careers there.

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Comic-Con hangover

Due to the information outpouring during this year's SDCC, I've found that I do not have too much to say in a post. I have been messing around trying to come up with a New England Patriots GameDay Countdown clock (inspiration coming from Boston.com). After some searching, I found one at yourminis.com and have modded it into one that I can live with for right now. So, take a look below at the TTLF's clock and copy your hearts out.

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Who will benefit from Old Man Favre according to Chazer

Chazer over at his Life Happens blog was doing his best Mort impression as he was thinking aloud on which NFL team would benefit most by winning the Old Man Favre lottery (purely hypothetical as there was no talk of compensation discussed nor the possibility that he would do more harm than good to his new team).

As I read his quick breakdown, I noticed that his blindspot was showing yet again, which means that I had to call him out on it. To keep things in context, please read his post first then read my retort below:

It was interesting while reading your post that one specific team was not addressed on your list. The team that has burned through more QBs than most of the other teams mentioned. The team that not seen the Super Bowl since the beginning of the 90s. The team who not only signed and released a future NFL MVP but also released many other decent QBS only to see them stick around the league and actually start some games at the position.

That's right - it's your Washington Redskins. So, what's the reason for the omission? Is Campbell coming back from a season-ending injury with a whole new offense to learn that much better than bringing in Favre? Really, at this point, Washington needs a strong QB to help keep the heat off a new and very inexperienced HC. You may want to rethink that position, sir.

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Favre itching to return; Rodgers placed on postal watch

With Aaron Rodgers performing well in the offseason, Brett Favre has let it be known that he is on the verge of coming back to the playing field according the self-described Worldwide Leader. This is a classic narcissistic move by the future Hall of Famer and one that appears to further perpetuate an almost abusive relationship with the current starting QB of the Packers as he once again tries to prolong Rodgers' maturation into a viable starter in the NFL.

From the article, if Favre isn't received with open arms (and a starting spot on the team), he will probably force Green Bay to release him from the remaining two years of his contract and allow him to field offers from other teams. At this point, who wouldn't consider this annual retirement waffling by Favre an act of mental cruelty not only to Rodgers but to the faithful Cheeseheads themselves? Closure is needed by all involved but this interruption by Favre in an effort to soothe his "itch" will most certainly result in a rash decision by the Pack that could cost them a chance at the playoffs.

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Your Random Facts for May 8

Making more to do about nothing than the Spygate controversy, here are your random facts for today:

• Nice to see that Matt "The Weasel" Walsh has remained true to form. As I may have said before, he's just like the little kid that you used to remember from grade school - would say he could do anything but could never back it up. It's too bad that some people (The Worldwide Leader's Mike Fish, for example) have taken the lack of juicy material against the Patriots as a way to still attack the New England organization. As a journalist, he should stay more objective, like me. Yeah, bad example, I guess.
• I still don't understand why people want to "ban" books like And Tango Make Three, a book about two penguins and a new baby which critics considered endorsing a gay lifestyle. To me, if you don't like the subject matter, don't friggin' read it. the act of banning is more harmful than any book that coudl be created.
• Amy Winehouse is the female version of Scott Weiland.

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The Fanatical Review - "The new NFL Shield Logo"

Recently, the NFL decided to revamp their shield logo. For what reason, I have no idea but the new logo (for those who may not know) is the one on the right and it is unequivocally worse the the original source material. This point cannot be argued by anyone who doesn't have a vested (meaning financial) interest. Just compare the two. The new one looks like a cheap Korean knockoff.

Instead of refining the most iconic logo in all of Professional Sports, the numskulls at the National Football League went with the philosophy, "Less is More" and cheapened the end result. By removing almost all of the stars, taking off half of the laces and blocking the letters, the logo looks like it's been dumbed down; as if today's fan can't handle the flourish of the L or the pageantry of the stars.

This change wasn't necessary if only to sell more product to the fans by enticing them to buy new jerseys with the new shield on them. That type of money grabbing is not only exploitative but detrimental to the growth of the league. Using a football analogy, the NFL tried a end around reverse for a touchdown by changing their logo and ended up with a strip fumble returned for six.

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2008 New England Patriots Schedule Released

Here it is, gang! This year's schedule for the Pats (courtesy of Reiss' Pieces) is below with comments whenever necessary or not:

Sunday, Sept. 7 – Chiefs at Patriots (CBS, 1 p.m.) - A somewhat easy match-up; despite what the guys at HBO want you to think
Sunday, Sept. 14 – Patriots at Jets (CBS, 4:15 p.m.) - Ah, can you hear the deafening wail that is "Spygate" talk already humming?
Sunday, Sept. 21 – Dolphins at Patriots (CBS, 1 p.m.) - Last year's one loss team versus the one-win team. I wonder who will win? And thanks NFL for giving the Fish a pass at a winter game in Foxboro.
Sunday, Sept. 28 -- OPEN - Another way for the NFL to stick it to Kraft and Co by giving them a crappy bye-week.
Sunday, Oct. 5 – Patriots at 49ers (CBS, 4:15 p.m.) - Could be the first test of the Pats in the young season. Sorry, Mangenius.
Sunday, Oct. 12 – Patriots at Chargers (NBC, 8:15 p.m.) - Possible revenge for LDT and the chargers for getting punched in the mouth and not getting up?
Monday, Oct. 20 – Broncos at Patriots (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.) - Second straight National game and another team who always gets up for the Patriots
Sunday, Oct. 26 – Rams at Patriots (Fox, 1 p.m.) - Year Two of the Linehan Era will not result in a win here but good fantasy numbers for Steven Jackson
Sunday, Nov. 2 – Patriots at Colts (NBC, 8:15 p.m.) - The rematch of the 2008 AFC Cham.. Wait a sec, the Colts rolled over for the Chargers last year. Nevermind.
Sunday, Nov. 9 – Bills at Patriots (CBS, 1 p.m.) - An up-and-comer versus the stallward. Sounds like a replay of 1996 with the rolls reversed, obviously.
Thursday, Nov. 13 – Jets at Patriots (NFL Network, 8:15 p.m.) - I miss the days when Thursday NFL games only involved Thanksgiving and not the straight-up pimping of the league's network. At least Bryant will have to pay for his seat this year.
Sunday, Nov. 23 – Patriots at Dolphins (CBS, 1 p.m.*) - Sunny FLA for the holidays. Historically, this means trouble for the Pats.
Sunday, Nov. 30 – Steelers at Patriots (CBS, 4:15 p.m.*) - Another grudge match with the bye week looking like a year ago.
Sunday, Dec. 7 – Patriots at Seahawks (NBC, 8:15 p.m.*) - How fitting that the last year of Mike Holmgren's career and he gets to coach against the team that he won his only Super Bowl against. Maybe he can get Farve to have the Pack trade him so he can play for one game to jump start the big send-off.
Sunday, Dec. 14 – Patriots at Raiders (CBS, 4:15 p.m.*) - With the high drafts picks that Al Davis has received over the years of incompentacy, you would think that this would be a battle. I'm thinking not.
Sunday, Dec. 21 – Cardinals at Patriots (Fox, 1 p.m.*) - Last year, this would have been a tough match-up against the Pats' secondary. And with free agency hitting both sides, it still will be.
Sunday, Dec. 28 – Patriots at Bills (CBS, 1 p.m.*) - This game might determine who will get into the playoffs. Not for the Pats, who should have a spot already swen up but for the Bills.

* - subject to flexible schedule

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Mock 1st Round Pick for the Patriots by Mike Reiss on The Worldwide Leader

When checking the scores of the Ohio State-Michigan State Big Ten Tourney game (which the Spartans won behind 28 pts by Neitzel), I saw this link to a mock draft clip for the Pats with Mike Reiss.



Wait until the :41 second mark and you'll hear First Take host Jay Stephens leave Reiss hanging out to dry with about two seconds of silence. The Patriots Beat Reporter for the Globe does his best to quickly fill the vacuum with actual factual analysis.

It probably was a technical issue. Or maybe it was due to Stephens running back to the set after downing down a vodka shot with fellow host, noted ESPN drunkard and Carol Burnett cartoon look-alike Dana Jacobson (comparison picture below). One could only hope..

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Here's a shocker - Pats Suit Dropped

That little whimper that you heard this morning was the news that the lawsuit against the New England Patriots, Owner Bob Kraft and Head Coach Bill Belichick was dropped. That is a stark contrast when compared to when the suit was announced back during the period known to me as the "Blame the New England Patriots with the Death of Modern Sportsmanship Feeding Frenzy" or for others, the month of February.

I've purposely stayed away from dissecting the whole "Spygate" controversy for two reasons: 1) not all of the facts are in or ever will be in and it's hard to make a case either way without knowing what was exactly done, who knew what and how it benefited the team during the game; and 2) there are too many non-qualified people (numerous bloggers and actual professional reporters) giving their heavy-handed and pious sermons and my two cent-ible points would get lost amid the shuffle.

But here's something that I feel that is not rooted in the moralization on the decay of professional sports ethics (which is an oxymoron if I have ever heard one) perpetrated by the New England Patriots. All anti-trust legislation aside, the governing body of the National Football League has made a ruling on the Patriots involvement and have rendered a verdict. Unless there is any new evidence to provide (potential Three Card Monty dealer Matt Walsh included) that can dispute the original findings, the further vilifying of the New England Patriots (and more importantly, their fans) should be dropped faster than this supposed lawsuit.

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