Our own New England Patriots wunderkind, Mr. 50 TD pass record holder for 2007, and the NFL's MVP Tom Brady is back on the practice field.  As reported by Mike Reiss:

The media-access portion included stretching, some light throwing for quarterbacks, and Brady handing off to running backs. Brady did not appear to be limited in his movements.

Read that last sentence again - did not appear to be limited in his movements.  Now it's not, as of yet, time to schedule the ticker tape parade in Foxboro center.  More importantly, noone has said whether or not Brady will see reps against the Eagles this weekend.  My opinion?  Unless he absolutely needs the reps, let him watch from the sidelines or the comfort of his living room.  He needs to be rested for the regular season and, more importantly, the long haul.  If I were to be a homer, I'd say, "No problem.  Tom's ok and we're all set."  But, I'm not feeling that way right now.  Given the pre-superbowl foot issues as well as this past week's escapade, I'd rather he let the darn thing heal.  Oh, and there's that issue of the QB backups not fairing so well, especially #2.

The bottom line, however – and most likely the primary source of all the criticism he’s received – is he’s yet to lead the team to a touchdown, which will be a major point of emphasis in his next appearance, presumably Friday night if Brady isn’t ready to return.

He needs to come out against the Eagles and make some plays.  Between 2 preseason games and countless hours in training camp and OTAs, Mr. Cassel has had enough time on the field and with these players to come up to speed.  Brady was only doing 1 practice session for a long time which left the field to the backups, and Cassel was the main guy.  Matty, for the sake of the team, I hope you do well.  I'll be rooting for you to do well.

When it comes to safeties, I'm still depressed about Tank Williams.  I was so looking forward to seeing him jump into nickelback or safety/linebacker hybrid roles when teams start fielding 3 or more wide outs.  That's when things get exciting on a defense, in my opinion.  But nooooooooo!  He's on IR.  Now I'm REALLY depressed.  Until, in walks John Lynch.  Rodney and John have become fast friends and have respected each other for many years:

"I’ve always had tremendous respect [for him]; our careers have kind of paralleled each other in that we’ve played the position of safety – he’s going into his 15th, I’m going into my 16th [year]," he responded.

In case you're wondering what kind of a hitter John Lynch is:

Ouch!!  Oh, and there's more.  Check out Youtube and you can get a plethora of "School's in session" hits from Mr. Lynch. 

On to shoaring up the O line, the Patriots worked out Center and Guard, Mike Flynn.  Mike has played his entire career, from 1997-2007, with the Baltimore Ravens.  A hometown boy hailing from Springfield, MA, Mike is excited about the prospect of coming to New England.  He will most likely see time as a backup to right guard Stephen Neal given that Neal and his backups Hochstein and Yates are banged up.  JHR, thoughts?

Every time I hear that monicker for a swashbuckler I think of the old joke my father used to tell me:

Father: Where are your buccaneers?
Me: I don't know.
Father: On the side of your buccanhead.

Bahdum, ssssss.  Thank you very much - I'm here all weekend.

Ugly is my word for this game.  Ugly, messy, stinky.  There were very few bright spots in what was an abysmal showing.  However, as I've mentioned before, relax.  This is preseason and it's not about winning, although winning would be nice.  It's a science experiement.  It's about putting players in situations and examining the outcome.  It's about getting as many players on the field as possible.  And it's about getting a look at players so coaches can decide who to send home.  A few rambling thoughts:

• A most excellent observation by standingpat during the game thread, the defense was "bend don't break" and very generic, as if BB was purposely "hiding" his good stuff.  This was evidenced by CB Ellis Hobbs playing very soft for the first part of the game.  Bucs QB Brian Griese made the same observation.
• Adam?  We heart you and thanks for the rings, but DANG!!  G-man spanks a 53 yarder.  2 games in a row he's money.
• Welker looked like he'd shaken off the rust from a post season groin injury which put him on the PUP.
• Cassel stretched out Moss midfield and I thought he was going to get crushed.  Brady never does that as it spells disaster for tall skinny guys like Randy or little skinny guys like Wes.  2 de-merits, Matt.
• Speaking of Cassel, he's in the fight of his career and he's losing.  No excuses at this point, because the vets were on the field.  Matt can't blame "The Chad" or CJ Jones for his woes when Moss and Welker were on the field for a crapload of snaps.  He managed only 3 points in 6 drives.  Not good.
• S Brandon Meriweather appeared to be in considerable pain when he left the game in the first quarter.  If it's serious, batter up - John Lynch.
• Kevin O'Connell, after looking pretty good in his first NFL outing against the Ravens, throws an interception on his first play against Tampa Bay.  Later, he admits he forced that one and the ball should've ended up in the stands.
• ILBs weren't plugging the gaps during Tampa Bay running plays.  Even veteran Bruschi was having a tough night.

General observations: There were some glaring individual mistakes on the field.  But, this is where I gotta say Belichick is smarter than me.  He's playing very basic, vanilla offenses and defenses.  There's nothing exotic nor is there anything special about what he's putting on the field.  It's all about evaluation in a "live" situation, against someone wearing a different helmet.

Buccanhead...I kill myself.

I always laugh at this stuff.  The scrutiny placed on the health and welfare of professional athletes, especially a team's stars, is nothing short of ridiculous.  Remember how fast pictures of Brady's booted foot spread through the blogosphere?  Here's the word straight from our record breaking wonder:

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spoke on WEEI this morning, answering questions about the leg injury that kept him home while the Patriots traveled to Tampa Bay.

While he didn't give details, Brady said the current injury he has isn't the same ankle injury that dogged him in the Super Bowl. "Same side of the body, and same leg, but not the same injury," said Brady. He said it also wasn't related to an Aug. 2 bump during practice, when running back Sammy Morris accidentally kicked him during a drill.

"I spent some time this weekend getting treatment on it, and hoping that it responds quickly like it usually does," said Brady.

"The key is not to go out there and aggravate anything when I'm not ready to go," said Brady. Obviously I'd love to be out there with my teammates, but Coach made the decision that that's not the smartest thing to do right now."

The quarterback wasn't sure about his status for Friday's third preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'm not sure," said Brady. "I'm trying to get treatment this week, and I'm feeling better every day. It's going to be up to Coach, what he wants to do. I think he's been coaching long enough to know that the first game in September is the most important game for us."

Given the abysmal performance of Cassel and the rookie mistakes by O'Connell, one could assume we're in serious trouble.  Relax.  If we go 0-4 in the preseason Tom can rest his foot for the really important stuff, you know, like the regular season, that's fine by me.  We have 3 backup quarterbacks.  Lambs to the slaughter.

Yes, New England Patriots fans, preseason game number two is upon us.  For your viewing pleasure, tune in to The NFL Network or WCVB / Channel 4 @ 8:00 PM.  I'll have the game thread opened up around 6'ish as well.

After preseason game number one against the Ravens, I have a few things I'll be looking for, so here's a breakdown:

Quarterbacks - Matt Cassel did not have a good game.  Communication with wide receivers was off, despite a lot of reps in training camp.  Hopefully Belichick and the coaching staff worked on that aspect of Cassel's game and he comes out with a little more polish than we witnessed.  Matt Gutierrez wasn't much better, but he's backup to the backup; I'm less concerned about him.  Kevin O'Connell was a welcomed surprise and I hope to see more of the same.  Tom Brady did not make the trip to Tampa Bay due to a sore foot.  Which foot it is has not been revealed.  Happy place...happy place...ohhhhmmmm.  Seriously, relax.  Preseason is not the time to push an injury, especially with your star quarterback.

Wide Receivers - After Welker got off the PUP a few weeks back, he commented how it'll take some time to get back in the swing of things, that he was working to get his timing back with the QB's, specifically Brady.  Apparently, it didn't take long.  Mike Reiss has reported that the triumvirate is looking as sharp as ever.  Look for more playing time from Moss, Welker and Gaffney.  C.J. Jones is fighting for his job.  He did not have a good showing and will need to step up.  "The Chad" is another that needs to amp it up a bit.  I really hope he succeeds; we could really use the skills he projects to have.

Running Backs - LaMont Jordan was killer against the Ravens.  At this point, I really feel like he could own the redzone/goal line RB job.  I think Maroney and Morris will see more playing time as well as Faulk.  I'd like to see a few successful options to Kevin before a feel better.

Offensive Line - JHR is the guru, but overall the O-line struggled against the Ravens and has been hampered by injuries.  Barry Stokes has been IR'd and the boys are getting older.  A younger OL is a necessity, IMO but we needed to fix linebacker first.  Let's just hope we don't need Kevin O'Connell scrambling skills all around.

Linebackers - An area focused on so heavily, the linebacker corps appear to be shaping up nicely.  OLB draftee Shawn Crable is really looking good while ILB Jerod Mayo is turning into a stud and Pierre Woods was an animal against the Ravens.  OLBs Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas will see more reps as will ILB Tedy Bruschi.  I think if this lineup proves successful, fan favorite ILB Junior Seau will retire.  I'd like to see ILB Victor Hobson do well.  He's been struggling after moving from OLB for the Jets.  Rookie ILB Gary Guyton continues to impress.

Cornerbacks - Hobbs and Bryant continue to be the starters in my mind and rookie Terrence Wheatley has really gotten himself noticed in a field of 10.  Why so many?  Belichick's looking for something, some secret sauce that'll spell disaster for opposing teams.  With that many cornerbacks on the roster, this says to me he thinks this will be a key position for 2008.

Safeties - The Denver Broncos released veteran John Lynch and Belichick promptly snatched him up.  Lynch is known for being a super hard hitter and has signed a one year deal with the Patriots.  This appears to be a direct response to the loss of Tank Williams, the hybrid safety/linebacker guy who was such a good fit for the nickelback position.  I'll be watching John.

Defensive Lineman - Jarvis Green is back and Richard Seymour is feeling pretty good.  An interesting note: Belichick had the guys practice switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3.  A 4-3 is a good overall defense, but is very effective against the run so look for it during an obvious running situation.

A bunch has happened in the last few days, so let me see if I can break it down:

• Recent signings of veterans Jeff Shoate and Ade Jimoh have swelled the cornerback ranks to 10.  In addition, the Patriots have been talking to veteran safety John Lynch and have put him through a physical.  I can only assume our team from Foxboro is carrying so many defensive secondary players so they can find that elusive combination, that pot of gold that will prove to be unstoppable.  In particular, the loss of safety Tank Williams to a knee injury in our preseason opener with the Ravens leads me to believe Belichick and Pioli are looking for that hybrid cornerback/safety player who can fill the nickelback role.
• Ellis Hobbs and Fernando Bryant project to be the starting CBs with rookie Terrence Wheatley as third.  I'm psyched for Wheatley.  With a crowded field of cornerbacks, this draftee is getting noticed.  Can you imagine how good he'll be with more NFL experience?
• ILB Jerod Mayo is the standout of the rookies.  He was supposed to be eased into the rotation, but it appears he's going to see more snaps than originally expected.  Given we were hammered in 2007 for an aging linebacker corp, I'm really stoked about this one.  This will be the first undergarment put on by opposing running backs:

• Trio of Brady-Moss-Welker looks really sharp (See Ogor?  It wasn't just about Wes. ;-))  I think this is the most dangerous QB/WR combination in football.  They literally carpet bombed opposing teams in 2007 and I see more of that in 2008.
• When asked about Belichick's history with the penalty lap, he was quoted as saying, "Maybe the guy who made the mistake gets some advice from some of the guys who are running – but don’t feel like running,” Belichick said, which yielded some laughter from media members.
• Brady will see some time in this Sunday's preseason game @ Tampa Bay.  The game is on NFL Network / WCVB Channel 4 at 8:00PM.
• Finally, public training camp practices have been extended by one day.  Friday's practice, starting at noon, is open to the public.

From Reiss's Pieces:

Jabar Gaffney over Chad Jackson. In 11-on-11 work, the top receiving trio for quarterback Tom Brady was Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney. Chad Jackson, who struggled at times in the preseason opener, did not got any work with Brady when the team had three receivers on the field in the drill. Jackson came on with backup quarterback Matt Cassel.

Uh oh.  "The Chad", heir apparent to the Donte Stallworth crown, is not getting reps with Brady.  If I read too much into this, Chad's in a world of hurt regarding his spot at Donte's position.  If I relax and take a deep breath, Belichick is trying to spread the wealth, giving "Brady time" to all.

In the spring, it appeared that Hobson was a good bet to help the Patriots this year, but he’s yet to break through in training camp (most recently working next to Bo Ruud & Eric Alexander), and could be in jeopardy of not making the club if a player like Gary Guyton (rookie free agent) continues to excel on special teams.

Victor is moving from OLB in the Jets' 3-4 to ILB in the Pats' 3-4 and appears to be having a tough time of it.  Brian Basset from The Jets Blog, in Around the AFC East, Week 1, had his doubts about Hobson's effectiveness:

I think that Hobson is well suited to play inside, but at a minimum, the Patriots should be looking to start their young guys by the end of the season in Hobson's place.

Mike Vrabel and Ellis Hobbs join the first string. Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel and cornerback Ellis Hobbs seemed to have their workload increase.

It's good to see these vets back in the rotation after recently coming off of the PUP.  Interestingly enough, Hobbs is lining up opposite Fernando Bryant which, at this point, projects to be the 2 starters at cornerback.

The possibility of keeping 5 running backs on the final roster. With Belichick asked several questions about RB LaMont Jordan, the topic of possibly keeping five running backs came up (the Patriots kept 4 out of camp last year). The five would presumably be Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans and Jordan. "We'll keep the best football players, the players that will help our football team the most," Belichick said, pointing out that if the team would keep four quarterbacks (like it did in 2000) it would also consider keeping five running backs.

That's Bill being his usual cagey self.  Heck, I don't blame him.  You don't want to let the cat out of the bag too early.  But, can you imagine that lineup in the backfield?  Depth like a Roman Phalanx, mad skills, physicality and youth.  I could see Belichick hanging on to 5 running backs just to stuff it to all the pundits who claimed we didn't have a running game last year.

Jerod Mayo -- not a repeat offender. One aspect that the coaching staff and veteran players often stress is that mistakes will happen with young players, but the key is to not let the same mistake happen twice. Belichick noted that first-round draft choice Jerod Mayo has been solid in that regard, as he isn't a repeat offender.

Yup, great draft choice.  Time will tell, but I'm feeling better and better about Jerod Mayo.  Young, smart and big, he appears to be coming along nicely.  We're rooting for you, Jerod.  Keep up the good work.

Pat Kirwan's article at NFL.com is a well written and objective article in my mind.  Pat asks a number of burning questions and throw out some opinions based on his observations and interviews with Kraft, Pioli, Belichick and some of the players.  I won't cut & paste the entire text of that article, but I'll attempt to answer the same questions in my homeristic, blogger frame of mind.  If you're even remotely interested in comparing, bring up Kirwan's article and track side-by-side.

1. Can New England repeat its 16-0 2007 season?
No.  Now, before you unleash a blanket party on my sorry butt and drop my sad carcass in an alley behind the Bell In Hand, hear me out.  Most teams in the first half of the season were taken by surprise.  Before they knew what hit them, it was over.  Call it carpet bombing or call it a Blitzkrieg, the first 8 games were a massacre.  And then came the Colts.  As banged up as they were, it was a 4 point "Whew!!!".  It's my opinion that most teams are preparing for the carnage we unleashed last year.  I'm not saying we're gonna lose to Indy, but they're healthy and looking to prove it.  I also feel that 2 west coast swings with back-to-back games will take their toll; I think we can expect a loss from 1 of those games.

2. Is secondary a primary concern?
Maybe.  Rodney's aging, but he's still Rodney.  Tank Williams is showing some stuff like a good veteran should (besides, I like his name).  Terrence Wheatley appears to be challenging the vets for a spot.  That's what we need - talented young guys willing to throw themselves in harm's way.  I think the secondary will be underestimated.

3. Will problems that the Giants exposed be resolved?
The O line gets a bad wrap for the Superbowl.  Unable to stop the crushing pass attack unleashed by the Giants' defense, Brady spent a lot of time eating fertilizer.  But, let's not forget they protected him smashingly for most of the season.  My biggest gripe, however, was not with the O line; it's with OC Josh McDaniels.  The Patriots are known for adjusting in the second half and McDaniels didn't.  Brady was taking too much time in the pocket and should've gone to a Manning (Peyton, that is) style quick release.  I don't want to send too many props to the midwest, but Manning is one of the best in the league at this style of offense and I see the Patriots adopting some of that.

4. Is Seymour ready to return to his All-Pro form?
Seymour had a tough 2007, but supposedly he's healthy.  He hasn't been practicing a whole lot, but don't read too much into that.  Brady is only throwing one practice a day.  Belichick seems to be protecting his vets and stars so they don't get worn out.  Remember, the Patriots played a month more than most and need to rest their key players.

5. Where are the most critical position battles?
This is where I disagree with Kirwan.  3 out of 4 of his position battles are dead on except for Gaffney vs. Jackson.  Kirwan feels Gaffney is in the lead for a third receiver spot.  Gaffney has never struck me as a WR who lines up almost every play; in my mind, he's a speciality guy brought in to make sideline or corner grabs.  Jackson is supposed to be the bull of the WR group; a receiver with RB capabilities post catch.  I think that Gaffney and Jackson take on totally different roles.

The addition of another running back was, to me, a surprise move.  But, then again, Belichick and crew can come up with some interesting stuff.  Who on earth would've thought Moss would come here and thrive as much as he did?  I mean, honestly, when we first made that transaction, I was on the fence.  Granted, the dude had talent, but it seems Belichick is a master at identifying disenfranchised talent as well as creating an environment where players WANT to do well and fit into the system.  Randy "Problem Child" Moss comes on board and has a monster 2007.  Say what you will about him dogging it when the ball's not going his way, he is a massive threat when on the field, no question about it.

But this story isn't about Randy.  It's about another Raiders castoff, LaMont Jordan (guaranteed I'm going to forget to capitalize that M in LaMont 1 out of every 3 times this season).  I did not see this coming.  I was totally blindsided by this move.  With Maroney and Morris healthy, I thought we had all we needed to mount an impressive running attack.  Heck, Maroney had 4 100 yard games in the last 6 games of the season and he really kicked it up a notch (sorry Emeril).  Sammy didn't do too bad, either.  While stepping in for the injured Maroney in weeks 4 & 5, Morris logged 100+ yard games as well.  Not too shabby for a running attack that's constantly berated as sub-par.

Then LaMont pretty much rolls off the couch and into a Patriots uniform, after passing the required running tests.  Here it is.  We suddenly have serious depth in the RB position.  Not only depth, but a back that can do many things well.  He's fast and physical; at 5-10 230 lbs, I wouldn't want to be in the way of THAT freight train.  He's also got very good hands like another RB favorite of mine, Kevin Faulk; can you imagine the damage he could do to a tiny little cornerback during an option situation?  It reminds me of Bill Cosby's "Buck Buck" routine when Fat Albert was building up speed to jump on the buck buck pile, "Buildings losing pieces of brick, mothers taking their kids off the streets.  He turned the corner and the guys said What is that?  We give, we're not lettin' him jump on us!"  Except he's not fat.  He's more like a Tasmanian Devil, if you ask me.  LaMont "Taz" Jordan - has a nice ring to it, don't you think?  I'll have to call him up and suggest it.

I digress.  LaMont adds many new dimensions to the backfield.  He can act as an FB due to his size, adding depth with Evans and Eckel.  He can jump in on third down or option situations like a Kevin Faulk.  And, last but not least, he can run it down a defense's throat as a pure running back like Maroney and Morris.  As Ogor said in his most excellent comment:

I see us using him as an alternative to a blocking TE/FB. He can block, can run, and can catch passes. I think if we line him up as a FB/TE, it will create even more fits for the defense. Just imagine this line-up and try to figure out a defense: Moss, Welker, Watson, Jordan, Maroney out of the Strong-I.

Cover-2, Tampa-2, 3-4, 4-3... it won't matter.  That just puts too many weapons on the field at one time.  The only thing Brady will have to figure out is which weapon to use.  They'll all be fully loaded.

Be careful what you wish for.  The time between OTAs and Training Camp is a relative deadzone for information, a blackout period that I can't stand for 2 reasons, a) not much to talk about or report on and b) syndicated columnists writing stupid articles about power rankings, best receivers, who IS and who IS NOT going to win the super bowl - shutup people!!  Noone's thrown a regular season pass yet.

At any rate, come Training Camp it's like drinking from a firehose.  The media, like sharks circling a bloody carcass, are certainly pounding the keyboards.  I've been cruising around and thought I'd summarize some interesting tidbits for you.

As usual, Mike Reiss is doing an awesome job of reporting on Training Camp.  A few interesting quotes and some observations:

Training camp is both a physical and mental grind and Bill Belichick had the team in full pads in both practices today, putting his club to the test right off the bat.

18-1?  Record breaking season?  Get your butt on the field and put the pads on.  Belichick doesn't appear to be letting up starting from the first day.  They need to earn every no-pad minute or cancelled session BB sends their way.

Brady tried three long passes to Randy Moss – one of which was completed down the left sideline for a touchdown. But the play looked to be a blown coverage, with safety Antwain Spann late in getting over to help rookie cornerback Terrence Wheatley, who had lined up across from Moss.

No worries here.  50 TD passes for Brady and 23 TD receptions for Moss in 2007 ease my mind.  Plus, it's the first day.  If I can read anything into Brady and Moss missing those passes, I'm more encouraged that Spann and Wheatley seem to be doing well.

In a passing drill against eight defenders, Tom Brady attempted a long pass to Randy Moss down the right sideline, but Moss was well covered by cornerback Fernando Bryant in the end zone and the ball fell incomplete. The play seemed to be a good indication that Bryant still runs well, as he was stride for stride with Moss – in full pads.

It was projected Bryant may end up with the departed Asante Samuel's spot and this may be a good indication.  Granted, it's very early, but if Fernando is keeping pace with Moss, one of the best receivers in the NFL, I'm encouraged.  And happy he's on OUR team!

The Tom Brady/Chad Jackson connection was off on successive throws, which led Brady to share a few thoughts with Jackson. It appeared the two were not on the same page.

Uh oh.  It's early in the season...It's early in the season.  10..9..8..7...  Deep breaths.  Ok, a bit over dramatic, but "The Chad" is Stallworth's heir apparent; we need this to work.  My impression, given Jackson has route trouble, is that he's a tremendous physical talent with playbook issues.  Or, quite simply, Brady and Jackson haven't had that much time to work together given Jackson's 2 years of almost no play.  Time will tell, but I'm hoping for the latter.

And finally, Jerod Mayo is signed and on the field (props to bartHML for tracking this down).  Jerod, meet Tedy.  Tedy, meet Jerod.   Bond.  Play frisbee together.  BB, move their lockers side-by-side.

FOOTBALL!! FOOTBALL!! FOOTBALL!!  Relax man, it's only training camp.

Hello Patriots fans!  If you're like me, you're about ready to crawl out of your skin.  Like a bear waking up from hibernation, the amount of football news and stories has increased dramatically.  It's like drinking out of a fire hose if you ask me.  But, that's ok.  Better that than the "dead zone" that is the space between OTAs and Training Camp.

Mike Reiss, one of the best sportswriters covering the Patriots, is back from a well deserved vacation and you can tell.  Reiss's Pieces is absolutely loaded with a plethora of information.  Of paticular note is Mike's snapshots.  In his classic, non-editorializing style, Mike breaks down each position with an easy-to-read table full of strengths, weaknesses and questions, to name a few.  This is like a primer for those of us attending TC; print these snapshots out, study, and watch the field.  Thanks Mike.

Another awesome piece by Mike, entitled Reiss's 10 story lines to watch at training camp, is yet another great primer on what to watch for from the boys this summer.  This is classic football junkie stuff and I'm in heaven.  I just wish I had the time to read and digest every word of it, but things like work and family keep getting in the way.

Lest I forget to send some love to our Patriots Cheerleaders, tryouts have started.  These fine athletes get zero credit, but work incredibly hard at what they do.  Having a daughter in varsity cheerleading and a friend who was a former Patriots cheerleader, I can attest to how ridiculously hard they work.  And get very little credit.

ESPN.com's power rankings, the 2008 Training Camp edition, has the New England Patriots on top.  Let me get this out quickly: I place little value in power rankings.  It's a mind exercise a) attempt to make the subjective seem objective and b) fill up web pages or print articles.  At any rate, it's cool to see my team at the top.

Need some wallpaper to help get you in the mood for the 2008 season?  You'll find tons of stuff right here.

Tom Brady wins an Espy as Best NFL Player.  It's hard not to with the season he had.  I would, however, argue that a player who turns lemons into lemonade with less than stellar talent should win this award, much like Tom has done for the past 6 or 7 years, but stats are king in this gang.  In reading these awards, be prepared to cringe when you see the Best Play (Manning to Tyree) and Best Upset (Super Bowl, Giants vs. Patriots).  OUCH!!