PART I
PART II
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Introducing the Sirloin Podcast
To help bring in the new year, we're expanding the scope of Sirloin a bit. So for your listening enjoyment, here's the first ever Sirloin Podcast, broken up into two parts. The Mayor and I preview Wild Card Weekend. Part I looks at the Saturday games, Part II the Sunday games.
Monday, November 16, 2009
They Are Who We Thought They Were: AFC East Week 11
New England Patriots (6-3, 1st)
Last week: Lost to Indianapolis 35-34 on the road
We thought: On the verge of exploding. They seemed to be peaking and had them beating the Colts in Indy.
They are: Loved the decision to go for it. Easy to forget now how well they played throughout much of the game. The whole "Belichick disrespected his defense" argument is a bunch of crap. Why does having complete confidence in your Hall-of-Fame QB and Ultra-Clutch Kevin Faulk to gain 3 yards need to be perceived as a slight to the D?
Miami Dolphins (4-5, 2nd)
Last week: Def. Tampa Bay 25-23 at home
We thought: Susceptible to a bit of a letdown but confident enough to make them a survivor pool pick against the Bucs.
They are: Whew. Chad Henne's interception to set up Tampa's go-ahead score was one of the ugliest passes you'll ever see, but credit to him for rebounding and leading the winning drive. And even more credit to Ricky Williams, whose huge 27-yard run all but clinched the game. Now, with Ronnie Brown most likely out, Williams might even be a top-10 fantasy option this week.
New York Jets (4-5, 3rd)
Last week: Lost to Jacksonville 24-23 at home
We thought: Coming off a bye week, the defense was sure to come out firing and stifle the Jags in their own building.
They are: Same Old Jets: Maurice Jones-Drew gashes them; David Garrard picks them apart; they waste a timeout with a 1st and Goal from the 1; Braylon Edwards makes a fantastic leaping catch on a clutch 3rd down but then can't squeeze the 2-pt conversion; under instructions to let MJD score a touchdown, they tackle him on the first try (Rex Ryan: "We couldn't even get that right."), then watch in dismay (along with fantasy owners) as he takes a knee at the 1 on the following play. Next up, a pissed-off Pats team looking to make up for a crushing loss to the Colts and to exact some revenge on the mouthy Jets from Week 2. Searching for a reason to believe in an upset. Not finding one.
Buffalo Bills (3-6, 4th)
Last week: Lost to Tennessee 41-17 on the road
We thought: Not good, but better than people were giving them credit for.
They are: It was actually nice for these past few weeks when we didn't have so much T.O. in our lives.
Last week: Lost to Indianapolis 35-34 on the road
We thought: On the verge of exploding. They seemed to be peaking and had them beating the Colts in Indy.
They are: Loved the decision to go for it. Easy to forget now how well they played throughout much of the game. The whole "Belichick disrespected his defense" argument is a bunch of crap. Why does having complete confidence in your Hall-of-Fame QB and Ultra-Clutch Kevin Faulk to gain 3 yards need to be perceived as a slight to the D?
Miami Dolphins (4-5, 2nd)
Last week: Def. Tampa Bay 25-23 at home
We thought: Susceptible to a bit of a letdown but confident enough to make them a survivor pool pick against the Bucs.
They are: Whew. Chad Henne's interception to set up Tampa's go-ahead score was one of the ugliest passes you'll ever see, but credit to him for rebounding and leading the winning drive. And even more credit to Ricky Williams, whose huge 27-yard run all but clinched the game. Now, with Ronnie Brown most likely out, Williams might even be a top-10 fantasy option this week.
New York Jets (4-5, 3rd)
Last week: Lost to Jacksonville 24-23 at home
We thought: Coming off a bye week, the defense was sure to come out firing and stifle the Jags in their own building.
They are: Same Old Jets: Maurice Jones-Drew gashes them; David Garrard picks them apart; they waste a timeout with a 1st and Goal from the 1; Braylon Edwards makes a fantastic leaping catch on a clutch 3rd down but then can't squeeze the 2-pt conversion; under instructions to let MJD score a touchdown, they tackle him on the first try (Rex Ryan: "We couldn't even get that right."), then watch in dismay (along with fantasy owners) as he takes a knee at the 1 on the following play. Next up, a pissed-off Pats team looking to make up for a crushing loss to the Colts and to exact some revenge on the mouthy Jets from Week 2. Searching for a reason to believe in an upset. Not finding one.
Buffalo Bills (3-6, 4th)
Last week: Lost to Tennessee 41-17 on the road
We thought: Not good, but better than people were giving them credit for.
They are: It was actually nice for these past few weeks when we didn't have so much T.O. in our lives.
Video: Pats vs Colts
Here's the 4th and 2 and the Reggie Wayne TD. (Only allowed 45 seconds of NFL video on the site).
Bill Belichick's postgame presser. Vintage.
Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison both direct and critical of Belichick after the game.
Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.
Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.
Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.
Bill Belichick's Brass Balls
A few points regarding a certain coaching decision that might make talk radio and the internet simultaneously explode this morning...
First, loved the call. Loved the aggression, loved the balls it took, loved that it pisses off boring old conventional football wisdom, loved that Bill Belichick coaches like it's a Madden game, and really loved that it backfired and the Pats lost.
Maybe it's an oversimplification, but from the Pats' perspective: Do you like your chances better of giving Tom Brady the ball to get 2 yards on 1 play with Kevin Faulk and Wes Welker as options, or handing Peyton Manning the ball (anywhere on the field) with 2 minutes, 1 timeout, and in need of a TD? Given those two options, we'd let Brady have a crack at it.
(Note: We've seen a few writers place what seem like arbitrary percentages on the two options, including Peter King, who was very against the move: "Let's place the odds of Brady getting two yards at 60, 65 percent. The odds of Manning going 72 yards to score a touchdown in less than two minutes ... that's maybe 35 percent." So in other words, 65% chance that Brady makes it, 65% chance the defense stops Manning if they punt. Also, here's a dude who did the math.)
And if you're the Colts, what are you hoping they do there? Seeing Brady stay on the field to go for it on 4th down must have been terrifying. Give Manning or Jim Caldwell a shot of truth serum and ask, at that moment right before the play happened, if they'd prefer the Pats to punt or rely on their defense to stop Brady from completing a 2-yard pass.
Finally, we're with Gregg Rosenthal, who notes that because of all the scrutiny of Belichick, we're forgetting that the Colts did a fantastic job coming back and scoring those final two touchdowns, including a ridiculous catch by Reggie Wayne.
First, loved the call. Loved the aggression, loved the balls it took, loved that it pisses off boring old conventional football wisdom, loved that Bill Belichick coaches like it's a Madden game, and really loved that it backfired and the Pats lost.
Maybe it's an oversimplification, but from the Pats' perspective: Do you like your chances better of giving Tom Brady the ball to get 2 yards on 1 play with Kevin Faulk and Wes Welker as options, or handing Peyton Manning the ball (anywhere on the field) with 2 minutes, 1 timeout, and in need of a TD? Given those two options, we'd let Brady have a crack at it.
(Note: We've seen a few writers place what seem like arbitrary percentages on the two options, including Peter King, who was very against the move: "Let's place the odds of Brady getting two yards at 60, 65 percent. The odds of Manning going 72 yards to score a touchdown in less than two minutes ... that's maybe 35 percent." So in other words, 65% chance that Brady makes it, 65% chance the defense stops Manning if they punt. Also, here's a dude who did the math.)
And if you're the Colts, what are you hoping they do there? Seeing Brady stay on the field to go for it on 4th down must have been terrifying. Give Manning or Jim Caldwell a shot of truth serum and ask, at that moment right before the play happened, if they'd prefer the Pats to punt or rely on their defense to stop Brady from completing a 2-yard pass.
Finally, we're with Gregg Rosenthal, who notes that because of all the scrutiny of Belichick, we're forgetting that the Colts did a fantastic job coming back and scoring those final two touchdowns, including a ridiculous catch by Reggie Wayne.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
They Are Who We Thought They Were: AFC East - Week 10
New England Patriots (6-2, 1st)
Last week: Def. Miami 27-17 at home
We thought: After two blowouts (albeit against winless teams), the Pats were re-kindling (bad) memories of the 2007 team. Tom Brady was starting to look more comfortable, Wes Welker can't be covered, and with a week to prepare, there was no chance the Dolphins would win at Gillette. Maybe it'd be close, but the Pats weren't losing.
They are: In a lot of ways, it was a vintage Pats win - probably a B- effort against a good team, and even though it was close, there was never much doubt to the outcome. A two-game lead in the division is probably good enough at this point, although a loss this week at Indy might make things more interesting. Don't think they lose though, and terrified that they'll be peaking right around playoff time.
New York Jets (4-4, 2nd)
Last week: Bye
We thought: Even when they have a decent team, it's still fun to make the "At least the Jets didn't lose last week" jokes. As entertaining as some of Rex's new attitude has been, it was actually a nice to not have to listen to any of those guys this week.
They are: The Jets don't have a bad schedule in the second half. New England on the road could be bad, but Carolina and Atlanta at home, and with any luck, Indy and Cincy will be resting for the playoffs in those final two weeks. Even looking at things optimistically, 9-7 seems inevitable.
Miami Dolphins (3-5, 3rd)
Last week: Lost to New England, 27-17 on the road
We thought: Tough, well-coached (2-pt conversions aside), nasty o-line. Winning in New England was a lot to ask for, even though we were kind of rooting for it.
They are: Regardless of their record, the Dolphins will be a tough out the rest of the way, and with three straight winnable games, they could easily be 6-5 heading into a Week 13 rematch against the Pats at home (right now scheduled for SNF on NBC). No shock that a last-ditch 4th down attempt late in the game Sunday was intended for Ted Ginn, who did his best Misty May in defelcting it away.
Buffalo Bills (3-5, 4th)
Last week: Bye
We thought: Thousands of fantasy owners everywhere must've been relieved they could put T.O. on their bench and not have to worry about him finally breaking out in Week 9.
They are: Maybe the Bills aren't that bad? Should've beaten the Pats on the road. Played New Orleans and Houston tough at home before crumbling late. Back-to-back road wins against the Jets and Panthers. But then there was a throttling in Miami and an indefensible 6-3 loss at home to the Browns. They're not good, but definitely not gawd awful.
Last week: Def. Miami 27-17 at home
We thought: After two blowouts (albeit against winless teams), the Pats were re-kindling (bad) memories of the 2007 team. Tom Brady was starting to look more comfortable, Wes Welker can't be covered, and with a week to prepare, there was no chance the Dolphins would win at Gillette. Maybe it'd be close, but the Pats weren't losing.
They are: In a lot of ways, it was a vintage Pats win - probably a B- effort against a good team, and even though it was close, there was never much doubt to the outcome. A two-game lead in the division is probably good enough at this point, although a loss this week at Indy might make things more interesting. Don't think they lose though, and terrified that they'll be peaking right around playoff time.
New York Jets (4-4, 2nd)
Last week: Bye
We thought: Even when they have a decent team, it's still fun to make the "At least the Jets didn't lose last week" jokes. As entertaining as some of Rex's new attitude has been, it was actually a nice to not have to listen to any of those guys this week.
They are: The Jets don't have a bad schedule in the second half. New England on the road could be bad, but Carolina and Atlanta at home, and with any luck, Indy and Cincy will be resting for the playoffs in those final two weeks. Even looking at things optimistically, 9-7 seems inevitable.
Miami Dolphins (3-5, 3rd)
Last week: Lost to New England, 27-17 on the road
We thought: Tough, well-coached (2-pt conversions aside), nasty o-line. Winning in New England was a lot to ask for, even though we were kind of rooting for it.
They are: Regardless of their record, the Dolphins will be a tough out the rest of the way, and with three straight winnable games, they could easily be 6-5 heading into a Week 13 rematch against the Pats at home (right now scheduled for SNF on NBC). No shock that a last-ditch 4th down attempt late in the game Sunday was intended for Ted Ginn, who did his best Misty May in defelcting it away.
Buffalo Bills (3-5, 4th)
Last week: Bye
We thought: Thousands of fantasy owners everywhere must've been relieved they could put T.O. on their bench and not have to worry about him finally breaking out in Week 9.
They are: Maybe the Bills aren't that bad? Should've beaten the Pats on the road. Played New Orleans and Houston tough at home before crumbling late. Back-to-back road wins against the Jets and Panthers. But then there was a throttling in Miami and an indefensible 6-3 loss at home to the Browns. They're not good, but definitely not gawd awful.
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