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.

Bill likes what he sees with our new linebackers:

Some good things, some need to be better," he said. "I think Shawn [Crable] and Jerod [Mayo] both competed well. They played hard. Same thing with [Gary] Guyton and [Vince] Redd.

Asked about the new coin toss rule, BB responds:

I think it will be a regular occurrence and it will probably be what most teams [do].

What is the new coin toss rule, you ask?  If the coin toss is won, coaches will have the option to defer their decision to kick or receive to the second half.  More than likely, the loser of the coin toss will choose to receive in the first half, but there is the possibility, however remote, that a team could receive a kickoff twice in one game.

Training Camp, at least the portion open to the public, ends on 8/14/08.

Patriots.com analysis of the Ravens @ Patriots first preason game.

And finally, I hope to see more of this:

via cachemediasrv.patriots.com

With less than a month and 3 preseason games left until the Sept 7th opener with KC, the New England Patriots have their work cut out for them.  But, this is no surprise; every team has their work cut out for them.  Preseason games are not about winning, they're a science experiment designed to test many hypotheses in a live situation.  You'll see play calling I'd term "head scratchers" (pass on the 2 point conversion vs. hand off to Jordan), but coaches are experimenting with different packages, players and situations.  There's a lot of ingredients in this soup and we haven't even seen much of the starters.

Positives

Jerod Mayo - as any first rounder should, he's having an immediate impact.  Other than a few mis-reads in coverage, he appears to be stepping up to the NFL level and making an impact.  One play in particular, knocking of Ray Rice's helmet on a 1 yard run, was of particular note.  He smothered Rice.

Stephen Gostkowski - I said it in the game thread - Adam who?  I mean no disrespect to one of New England's heroes, but Gostkowski was money.  He hits 3 field goals for 36, 44, and 40 yards and was kicking off like a mofo.  Thanks G-man.

Shawn Crable - he used his long arms to bat down at least one pass.  When he was taken out on one play, I saw his eyes never the play and he bounce up running.  It's good to see the "never stop" mentality.

Kevin O'Connell - cool surprise.  He handled himself better than Matty Squared.  Sure, he may have been up against backups to backups to backups, but I thought he did a fine job and DAMN... he can run.

Pierre Woods - What tha?!?!?!  He was all over the field, reading pass coverage and making tackles.  I think we'll see more of him.

LaMont Jordan - the guy's a bull and fills the gap between fullbacks and running backs; he could be the goal line guy to blast through defenses.

Negatives

Cassel and Gutierrez - looked like O'Connell should've looked - deer in the headlights.  Whether it was their fault or receivers running bad routes, who knows.  I just know how Kevin looked compared to #2 and #3 - they should be worried.

CJ Jones - dropped passes, mental mistake during a kickoff return (should've let the ball hit the endzone for a touchback) and bad routes.  If he can't catch the backup's passes, how's he going to pull down Brady's rockets?

Chad Jackson - He's not showing me he can fill Stallworth's shoes.  Whether it was Cassel's fault or his, there was clear miscommunication between the 2.  Chad needs to build confidence with the QBs and hit the playbook.

Special Teams - FINISH! FINISH! FINISH!  That run back was ugly.  I mean, how many Patriots had their hands on the guy?  Finish the tackles by either knocking his block off or wrapping the guy up.

Head on over to Baltimore Beatdown for blogger Rexx's take on the game.

Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!  Finally there's lots to scribe about.  I LOVE this time of year because something is happening all the time.  Players are being acquired or let go; backups are getting a shot at drills.  It's drinking from the firehose, but who cares!  With that said, here's a few more notes to chew on.

When the Patriots were working in the red zone, there were two times in which passes did not get past the line of scrimmage because they were batted down up front. On one play, it was rookie linebacker Shawn Crable getting his hands up and disrupting the passing lane. The Patriots were in a base 3-4 alignment and Crable was rushing off the defensive right side from the outside linebacker before swatting down quarterback Matt Cassel’s delivery. At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, Crable brings noticeable length to the field and with plays like that, he could be a factor in the team’s pass rush this season. Linebacker Jerod Mayo had the other deflection.

I always thought Shawn's long arms would be an asset during pass rushing schemes and this is a good sign.  Yes, it's very early, but it's cool anyway.

Belichick went 1-on-1 with rookie first-round pick Jerod Mayo. At one point, Belichick could be seen putting his hands on Mayo’s left shoulder pad, directing him in his movements. It was a snapshot of how hands-on the coaching can be in New England.

I can't imagine how that would feel.  A 22 year old draftee working 1-on-1 with one of the greatest coaches in the NFL today.  I have a feeling after he's run the gang into the ground, none of the players hold BB on a pedestal; he's simply "Coach" and the guy who is there to whip them into the championship team they're going to be.

With cornerback Jason Webster not at practice, that elevated second-round pick Terrence Wheatley to the first-unit defense opposite of fellow cornerback Fernando Bryant. Jonathan Wilhite then moved into the slot role. Wheatley seems to be competitive, as one can’t see a noticeable drop-off when he’s on the field.

I've liked Wheatley since we drafted him.  There was something about this kid that caught my eye.  Talented, young, smart and hungry, he appeared be the classic Patriot.  The fact that he can jump in without a noticeable drop-off is a very good thing considering the CB position was one that pundits claimed would be a huge weakness for the Patriots.

Although he was on the field for Saturday afternoon’s walkthrough, today’s morning session marked the first chance to watch newly acquired running back LaMont Jordan in a full-pads practice. As advertised, the 5-foot-10, 230-pound Jordan runs with a low center of gravity and with power. Such a style seemed to fit the work the Patriots were doing in the red zone. After the practice, Jordan – who joked that he went back to his high school look of a bald head and sideburns – said he hoped to have a Randy Moss-like season. “Randy came from Oakland and had a big year [in 2007]. I’m hoping for the same thing.” Like Moss, Jordan joins the Patriots from the Raiders.

As I stated earlier, at 5-10 and 230 lbs, LaMont runs with a low center of gravity and will be a powerful force.  This move will add a lot of depth to the RB position creating many problems for defenses around the NFL.  Classic Belichick, he's not one to rely on a few stars to carry the load; he wants depth in key positions.  It's early, but this projects to be an interesting year on the ground.

www.athlonsports.com

Normally, I support a hometown boy.  Heck, I'll even put my homerism in overdrive and be totally subjective.  But THIS hometown boy should learn his place.  Matt Ryan should keep his mouth shut.  Who cares whether or not he respects Goodell's opinion:

Matt Ryan isn’t apologizing for benefiting from a system that allows top NFL draft picks to receive massive contracts. Even so, he appreciates where Roger Goodell was coming from last week when the commissioner questioned paying millions in guaranteed salary to rookies who have yet to play a down in the league.

"You can also understand the other side of it, the concern of veterans who have been in the league 10, 12 years and proven themselves but not seen the money," Ryan said in a phone interview Tuesday. "I can understand both sides."

To be fair, everyone is entitled to an opinion.  Ya know, when you've been around for a while, it's expected that you can speak out about what's going on.  And Matty has thrown...wait.  0 TD's in the NFL.  0 completions.  C'mon, has he even made a single handoff in an NFL game?  Nope.

Matt's 6 year $72m with $34.75m guaranteed is, in a word, nauseating.  Top flight rookies are demanding ridiculous cash.  Matt Ryan, Jake Long, and Darren McFadden all got mega deals without ever playing a minute of NFL football.  Insulting to the vets?  Yup.  Should some sort of rookie salary cap be instituted?  You betcha.  The NFL is in dire need of a sanity check for rookie salaries.  The NBA Rookie Scale Contracts keep salaries at a reasonable level until a newbie proves himself.

Why does this happen?  First, NFL rules, or lack thereof, allow them to happen.  Second, desperate teams hang their futures on a few stars.  They throw wheelbarrows full of cash at these young, college studs in hopes they can drag their sorry butts out of the dregs and back to relevance.  These teams will never learn.  It's not the player.  Well, maybe not.  There's probably a few examples of a player rescuing a team, but I would argue it's short lived.  It's the SYSTEM, my friend.

Players WANT to play for successful systems like the Patriots and the Colts.  These franchises have a sensible front office, great coaches, and seasoned veterans a rookie can learn from.  That's the mark of a great team.  Give me that any day over a team throwing cash at unproven "stars".

So Matt, even though you're a hometown boy, keep your mouth shut.  Just because you're newly rich and have a pulpit doesn't mean you should open your mouth and have an opinion.  Show me something, dude.  It's a shame we don't play Atlanta in 2008.  It would've been cool to see Shawn Crable or Jerod Mayo flatten you.

 
via cache.boston.com 

As many of you know, Mike Reiss is a sports reporter for the Boston Globe and scribes about the goings on with our favorite team, the New England Patriots. Mike's fact-based writing style provides us Patriots nuts with great reference material; you will often see him quoted here, more so than any other reporter.

I knew Mike Reiss was prolific, but I realized just how crazy he was during the Goodell/Specter press conferences.  Reiss's Pieces , Mike's Patriots blog, was being updated constantly with the goings on.  I think it really connected us fans with what was happening at the time.

I've done enough jabbering.  Let's get to the Q&A.

A Colts blogger of ours did an excellent analysis suggesting it will take time for the Patriots's new acquisitions to add value to the defense.  Have Belichick and the front office done enough to fill the gaps between the old guard (Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau) and the new guard (Crable, Mayo) while our rookies come up-to-speed?

Reiss: Time will obviously tell, but I'm going to say a definitive "yes" right now. One area that stood out to me at recent organized team activities was the versatility among many of the defenders, and how the Patriots have a lot of different parts that will allow them to do different things. I could be way off on this, but I think this defense is going to be a lot more dynamic than we've seen in recent years. I sense they're going to try some new things -- a little 3-4, a little 4-3, different sub-package combinations -- and I wonder how much the influence of new secondary coach Dom Capers is playing into that. It might be stuff that we don't see for a few weeks and then all of a sudden it pops up. In terms of the new defenders, I think Fernando Bryant looks like he's a starter at one cornerback spot. I also envision Jerod Mayo and Victor Hobson teaming up with Tedy Bruschi to provide a 1-2-3 combo at inside linebacker. I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon Meriweather is in the starting lineup at safety and much improved, with Tank Williams a major factor in sub packages, bridging the gap between safety and linebacker. On paper, the Patriots might be a bit weaker on the back end of the defense (it hurts to lose Asante Samuel), but I think they'll be stronger in the front seven. Overall, this rates as one of my top storylines going forward -- how will this defense be re-shaped? I might be reading the tea leaves wrong, but it's one reason I particularly enjoy following a Bill Belichick-coached team. Good luck figuring out what's coming next.

The Red Sox won the World Series, The Patriots narrowly missed having a perfect season and the Celtics are inches away from a championship. Have we become spoiled?  Are our expectations now too high?

Reiss: Can I turn this question over to safety Rodney Harrison? Entering his 15th NFL season, Harrison was asked this exact question at the Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday. His answer: "No question, fans are spoiled. Having a baseball team, world champions. A football team. Now possibly with our basketball team. Just a great legacy and history of winning championships around here. Hopefully it continues." As for my own opinion, I think Harrison is probably right in some respects. I'd just add that it seems to me that many fans realize this is a great era of sports in town that we'll be reflecting upon fondly when we all look back. Given all the ups and downs of the Patriots since their inception -- not just wins and losses, but ownership instability and off-field incidents -- I don't think any long-time Patriots/football fan who lived through that can ever really be considered spoiled.

Tom Brady won't be around forever.  Do you think the Patriots see something in Kevin O'Connell indicating he's the future of this franchise?

Reiss: I don't know if I would word it that way. Obviously, a team wouldn't draft a player in the third round, specifically a quarterback, if it didn't think it had a chance to be a big part of the future of the franchise. But in this case, I think it's as much as being a No. 2 as it is the possibility of being a future starter. More than 60 quarterbacks started at least one game last year in the NFL. That's an astronomical number, and a reminder of the importance of the backup spot. Can Matt Cassel be that guy? I don't think anyone knows the answer, because it's a question that can only be answered if he's thrust into that role, and he hasn't been. So in that case, I like the idea of improving your odds by adding a highly touted player to the mix. I also like the idea that Cassel's contract expires after this season and the team gives itself built-in insurance. That's just smart long-range planning. I'd also point out that there have been positive signs from Matt Gutierrez, a rookie free agent who signed with the club in 2007. The Patriots have been fortunate that Tom Brady has been an ironman, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't prepare for the possibility of having to call on a backup.

There's been a lot written about Chad Jackson and his return to full time play. Do you think he could be the Donte Stallworth replacement we're looking for?

Reiss: Yes, but I don't have the highest confidence at this point. Maybe it's that I caught out of the corner of my eye Jackson running the wrong route in the weekend mini-camp, when there wasn't a defense on the field. I don't want to base my opinion solely on that -- it would be short-sighted to do so -- but I also know there needs to be a trust and bond that develops between quarterback and receiver and that doesn't seem to be there at this point with Tom Brady and Jackson. That's what training camp is for, and it's probably fair to say that's why Jackson will be one of this camp's most intriguing stories to follow.

It's early and there's been limited access to Patriots voluntary camps (ie: Passing Camp), but which new acquisition do you see as adding value quickly?

Reiss: Not including the obvious choice of first-round pick Jerod Mayo, cornerback Fernando Bryant would be at the top of my list. I also think Victor Hobson is going to help, and people will be looking back and saying 'How could there not have been more interest in the free agent market for him?' The third name I'd add to the list is Tank Williams; much of today's game is played with offenses calling on three- and four-receiver packages, and he adds value as an extra defensive back who has linebacker-like skills.

A big Thank You to Mike Reiss for his time and thoughtful answers.  Very cool, Mike.  Don't forget to check out Mike's articles as well as Reiss's Pieces at boston.com 
 

It's time to talk football and the New England Patriots's roster.  In this Spotlight On series, I will pick a position and dive into the players with a few tidbits on each (not too much - I can't come close to Marima's skill at analysis ;-)).  So, let's get cracking.

After our resident Colts's blogger, shake n bake, crafted a most excellent analysis of the Patriots's rookies and how long before they may be useful , It got me thinking, "Have the Patriots's done enough to shore up issues for our linebacker core?"

The concerns with our linebackers have been well documented and in the draft, Belichick wanted to get younger and faster on defense .  Given that it takes some time to come up-to-speed, have we done enough?  Have we plugged the gap between the old guard (Bruschi, Seau, Vrabel) and the youngins (Mayo, Crable)?  Let's check it out.

The Patriots and NFL columns are years experience and NOT what you'll find on the Patriots's website ; they use current year the player is in (ie: a newborn is in his first year).

Eric Alexander - mostly lining up on special teams, Eric sees spot duty as an LB.  A proficient special teams tackler, Eric is brought in to the strongside OLB position when called for.

Tedy Bruschi - What can you say, Tedy's Tedy.  He's the heart and soul of this defense, not to mention a clear leader; he is continuously voted defensive captain by his teammates.  At 35, it is safe to say he's only got a few years left of active duty.  Noone wants to see him go, but it's a fact of this business; it's a young man's game.

Shawn Crable - A new guy in town, Shawn will play OLB and is a tall, big dude.  I'm really hoping he turns into the pass rusher he projects to be, but he may need to get bigger and stronger to muscle offensive lineman.

Gary Guyton - He needs to bulk up a bit, but this ILB has a great vertical and long jump, and is super fast for his position.  He seems to have good hands and can get down with OLs as well as blitz when needed.

Victor Hobson - Vic comes to us as an FA from the Jets and will fill that  "middle ground" between old guard and new.  An OLB in Mangini's 3-4, he would be a better fit for ILB due to his lack of speed.

Larry Izzo - Leading or tying for the special teams tackle record 7 years out of 8, Larry is Mr. Special Teams for the Patriots.  Voted special teams captain 6 years in a row (2001-2006), he's the heart and soul of that unit.

Jerod Mayo - We expect big things from this young man.  Jerod will, more than likely, play ILB, but he's more than capable to play OLB if called upon.  He's not tall and may not have the long arms for wrapping up, but he sure seems powerful.

Vince Redd - Projected to play OLB, at 6-6 260 lbs this kid is freakin huge.  With those long arms, OLB is just where he needs to be - batting down balls, wrapping up RBs and receivers, and terrorizing quarterbacks.

Bo Ruud - OLB is the place for Bo, but he needs to bulk up.  He doesn't have much experience in a 3-4 and may have a lot to learn, but he is apparently a film junkie.  Since High School, his football brothers and he would watch and study film.  Let's hope his geekness translates to the field.

Adalius Thomas - A lot was expected of Thomas in his first year, and he had a very average 2007, but that's not totally his fault.  A more natural OLB, he was asked to take on ILB duties for a while.  He certainly has the experience and his time with the Ravens proved he has the skills.  I'm looking forward to 2008.

Mike Vrabel - A veteran Patriot, Vrabel is the ideal OLB - he makes quarterbacks really nervous.  He may not register a sack, but lots of QBs are looking over their shoulders.  Mike will also line up as TE on red zone and goal line packages.  He's got receiver-like hands and it's a real kicker to see a linebacker catching touchdown passes.

Pierre Woods - A special teams ace, Pierre is a very productive tackler, consistently leading that unit by either tying or coming up with the most tackles in a game.  Pierre will sometimes jump in as a reserve LB.

I'm really psyched about this feature.  The SBNation AFC East writers, cajoled and threatened by Buffalo Rumbling's BrianG, got together and traded questions about each other's teams.  So far, everything's been rather cordial, but I'm sure the gloves will come off by Week 3.  In this story, you'll find my questions to the other head writers.  In another story, I'll post questions posed to me with my answers.  Without further adieu, here's the skinny from Buffalo Rumblings , The Phinsider and The Jets Blog .

The Patriots @ Bills Week 11 matchup turned out to be the highest scoring game for the Patriots.  Many decried this as proof positive NE was running up the score.  Is this how most Bills fans feel or was it a case of NE just playing 60 minutes?

Buffalo Rumblings : I can tell you right now that there were a lot of peeved Bills fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium that night - I was one of them.  I personally didn't feel that the Pats ran up the score - Buffalo's defense didn't even attempt to play football that night; a junior high team could have thrown up 56.  What irritated me was that New England's starters played so long - Tom Brady played into the fourth quarter, for crying out loud.

I don't hold anything against the Pats for that game, though - they dominated Buffalo through and through that night, and could have easily scored 60+.  Rest assured that the Bills will have that game on their mind when we play y'all on November 9.  I appreciate you bringing it up, though - now I'm glad I asked you about Spygate. ;)

Junior High team, huh?  Not to call you out, but with a 7-9 2007 regular season, seems like the Bills played a lot of Junior High teams.  They've made some moves on defense this year, so we'll have to wait and see.

Depth is good.  Talent and depth is better,  but at least "The Tuna" has his head in the right place.  It sounds like a team he used to coach, doesn't it?  The Pats didn't have a lot of stars, but he sure was able to put them on the road to 3 Lombardis.

The Patriots just signed former Jets linebacker and free agent, Victor Hobson to a one year deal.  I view this a good move to fill the gap between the old guard (Bruschi, Seau, Vrabel) and the new guard (Crable, Mayo) while the rookies come up to speed.  Why did the Jets not re-sign Hobson?  Performance?  Cap space?

The Jets Blog : For the role you just outlined, Victor Hobson is perfect.  He's a good insurance policy until the rookies get their feet under them, but I don't see Hobson starting 16 games in New England and racking up 140 tackles.  I like Hobson, but he was playing the Weakside OLB in Mangini's 3-4, and he was too slow and too short to do the position justice.  He's much better suited for the inside in a 3-4, but he's still not quite fast enough to be a more than a good ILB.  So why did he play on the outside in New York?  It was a matter of necessity and the Jets just didn't have the personnel to do anything else. 

Hobson was a casualty for a number of reasons, performance being the main one.  Like I noted, he'll add solid depth and should be able to play inside.  But for the Jets, that's a spot that is already occupied by Eric Barton, a veteran leader and willing tackler, along with David Harris, the second year player who statistically would have matched up with Patrick Willis had he started a full season.  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.

I like Hobson, especially for a 1 year deal.  He'll fill the gaps between the veterans and the youngins, giving the latter enough time to reach NFL playing level.  And, most importantly, give Bruschi or Seau some time to rest their bones.  As much as I hate to admit it, they're starting to need it.

Props to Brian Galliford at Buffalo Rumblings , Matty I at The Phinsider and Brian Bassett at The Jets Blog .  Great job guys.  Check out their blogs for my answers.