Patriot run game carries team past Colts to 8th Super Bowl

(Photo by Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

The New England Patriots were dominant in their dispatching the Colts from the AFC Championship Game.

After jumping out to an early lead which they held onto until halftime, the Patriots scored 21 points on Andrew Luck’s Indianapolis Colts in just the 3rd quarter alone. They fought through a heavy rainstorm with sometimes debilitating wind gusts to finish the night nearly perfect in their numerous redzone drives.

Tom Brady was crucial in ensuring that perfection, completing 23 of 35 attempted passes for 220 passing yards and three touchdown passes. His success in his record ninth AFC Championship game moved him into sole possession of the postseason touchdown passes record.

Though the game, like the season was not a perfect one for Brady, it was enough to get the Patriots to Glendale in convincing fashion.

"I know we've had some ups and downs this year," Brady said, "but right now we're up, baby, and we're going to try to stay up for one more game."

Brady had plenty of help in getting past the Colts though. As the Indianapolis secondary seemed to negate the efforts of Rob Gronkowski for much of the game, and a hip injury took wide receiver Julien Edelman off the field for some time, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDanials repeatedly called upon seasoned running back LeGarette Blount.

Blount, who ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s Divisional Playoff game against the Colts, put up three touchdowns and 148 rushing yards Sunday.

“He ran his [butt] off, ran hard for four quarters” teammate, Shane Vereen said of Blount. "Coming into the game, we didn't know what the game plan was going to be, because we didn't know really what to expect from the Colts' defense. We were expecting some wrinkles but we were able to run the ball."

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Blount had 68 rushing yards AFTER contact. On one notable play midway through the third quarter, Blount earned a first down by continuing to push forward after the Colts defenders assumed he was down and let go of him.

"He made some great cuts in not good conditions," Belichick said of Blount, citing still other carries where Blount simply shook defenders off him without any need for his power running game. "He's a tough guy to tackle."

The Patriots made themselves hard to tackle both in a literal and metaphorical sense in the AFC Title Game. Through Blount’s dominant day, Julien Edelman’s nine catch effort as well as a shutdown showing by the Patriots secondary, the Patriots gained separation from the Colts early and never relented in their scoring assault.

As they revel in their AFC Title Game blowout, New England keenly turns its collective head towards Glendale Arizona where in two weeks, the Patriots will face the Seahawks in hot pursuit of their fourth Super Bowl title.

As Bill Belichick said with a smug hint of a smile following Sunday’s win, “Were on to Seattle.”

Read More

Early look at the Indianapolis Colts

(Photo by Brian Spurlock/USA Today Sports Images)

by Dakota Antelman

Following Indianapolis' stunning upset of the Denver Broncos in Sunday's divisional playoff game, the New England Patriots are on to preparing for their AFC Championship Game against the Colts. 

The Patriots, decided favorites in this game, will spend this week prepping specifically for a unique Colts team as they aim to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2011. 

Below are some key storylines and players to watch going into next Sunday's game...

Colts passing game is second to none

The Indianapolis Colts were ranked first overall in the NFL in passing yards during the regular season. Such was largely the produce of third year quarterback Andrew Luck who completed 61.7% of his passes also leading the league in passing yards with 4,761. 

In the receiving game, stars TY Hilton and Reggie Wayne combined for over 2,000 of Luck's 4,761 passing yards. Though somewhat shaky in the endzone, Hilton and Wayne served as the secondary anchors to this offence that Luck built.

Indy run defense leaves room for breakout day for Patriots RB's

After running the ball on just 7 of 57 offensive plays vs. Baltimore, the Patriots could be headed towards a match-up vs Indianapolis that would favor a running back heavy approach. The Colts were 18th in the NFL this season in run defense, allowing an opposing RB to rush for 90+ yards on them five different times. 

The most stinging of those 90 yard days came in Week 11 when New England's own Jonas Gray dismantled the Colts rushing for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns on 38 carries. 

Lastly, if the past is any indication, this Patriots team enters this game with a history of running back explosions vs Indianapolis. Even before Gray this season, LeGarrette Blount blew the Colts away in last year's playoffs with 166 yards and four touchdowns of his own. 

Former Patriot Adam Vinatieri looking to prove he still has it

42 year old, four time Super Bowl winning, seasoned kicking great Adam Vinatieri has, in the time since he left the Patriots after the 2005 season, carved out a legacy for himself in Indianapolis. More so, 2014, a season 19 years after his debut, has arguably been his greatest. 

Vinatieri missed just one of the 31 field goals he attempted this season. He converted on three different kicks from 50 or more yards while also never missing from closer than 40 yards. 

As he faces the team that fostered his initial years of placekicking excellence, Vinatieri will be aiming to play a big part in one more AFC Championship win, proving his sustained skill as he does so.

Read More

2014 in 8 Days: Top Patriots Moments

(Photo by Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

After beginning 2014 with a loss to the Broncos that ended a vastly understaffed season for the Patriots, fans were treated to an off season roster shakeup as well as a roller coaster start to the 2014-2015 season. 

This season has featured the return of Rob Gronkowski, the departure and ensuing return of LeGarrette Blount as well as the signing of Darelle Revis. This year has at once featured some of the highest and lowest times in the career of Tom Brady and ends with Brady on top.

As we enter 2015, Patriots fans look back on what was a generally decent calendar year for their team...

1) Patriots fall 41-14 to Chiefs in Week Four  AND "We're on to Cincinnati"

There was a time in 2014 where once loyal fans were calling for Tom Brady to be traded. Those calls were never louder than they were in Week Four following a stunning Patriots collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brady was flat in the game getting pulled due to performance issues for one of the first times in his career. Though absurd in hindsight, the general consensus was that Brady was done with the NFL.

"Trade Brady, start Garapolo!" Sounded the calls of fans.

But Bill Belichick and his team kept true. Belichick addressed his team following the loss and then turned to the media with his signature cold faced demeanor.

"Were on to Cincinnati," he said. And so they were. New England beat up on the Bengals the next week and proceeded to rattle off seven straight wins following the loss to the Chiefs.

As 2014 fades into the history books, that four word quote from Belichick will stand as a defining moment, a memoir of devotion and direction following a chaotic loss.

2) Patriots fall to Broncos in AFC Championship

Many months before the Patriots even started the 2014-2015 season they were in Denver playing in their third consecutive AFC Championship game. 

Things did not go so well for them though as a team, devoid of receiving targets, struggled to put up points against the Broncos. Without Rob Grokowski and with Wes Welker playing for the Broncos instead of the Patriots, they were beaten by a score of 26-16.

As a result, the off season began two weeks too early for Brady and company.

3) Darelle Revis comes to New England, excels

In the wake of the loss to Denver that was as much punctuated by inept tackling and defense in the secondary as it was offensive deficiencies, the Patriots went out and bought themselves a franchise cornerback. They signed former Jets and Buccaneers conerback Darelle Revis to a one year $12M contract. He came to the team mere hours after they lost former star Aqib Talib via free agency.

The Patriots definitely took a chance on Revis but the decision paid off in the end. Revis has played every game of this season. He has made two interceptions and effectively shadowed a range of receivers from Wes Welker to Calvin Johnson.

***

Agree with the Go Titletown rankings? Be sure to chime in down in the comment section or mention us on Twitter (@GoTitletown) with your own "Top Patriots Moments of 2014". 

Read More

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets Preview: Pesky Jets look to rain on Patriot parade

(Photo courtesy of Charles Krupa/AP)

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots roll into the Meadowlands for their Sunday game vs. the Jets riding high following their 41-13 win over the Dolphins that wrapped up the division for them. Furthermore, they enter their second to last game of the season aware of the fact that wins in these two games will guarantee them the number one seed in the AFC.

On paper, their next two opponents, the Jets and Bills, are not the most imposing of foes. However against each of them, especially the Jets, the Patriots have a long history of struggles that beg to make these next two contests more intense than they might seem.

Despite the Jets 3-11 record, the team is a threat to New England.

"I know the records are what they are, but we don't look at it like that," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "We lost going into the Meadowlands last year."

The Jets have a way of keeping themselves in games that they could easily have been blown out in. Four of the last five Patriots/Jets games have been decided by three or fewer points. This season alone, which featured 10 New York losses by Week 13, has also featured four games decided by five or fewer points.

The Patriots attribute the Jets ability to keep pace to their defense.

“They've got a real good defense," Brady said. "We're anticipating their best game."

That Jets defense, made up of guys like Muhammad Wilkerson at the line and Marcas Williams in the secondary, like the rest of the team, has a history of elevating its game whenever the Patriots are on the schedule. In the five games since the beginning of the 2012 season, New England has scored 30 points just once.

At the same time however, New England comes to the Meadowlands with a kind of diverse attack comparable only to Patriots teams of the early 2000’s. They have three receivers (Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski) who are within striking distance of 1,000 yard seasons while they also boast a running back core that has them converting on 3^rddowns at one of the highest rates in the NFL.

If the roll over the Jets, which they might very well convincingly do, the result, though expected could lead to an immense turnover within the Jets system next offseason. Of the biggest of those potential changes stands at the coaching position. 

An eccentric Jets coach, Rex Ryan, appears to be on his last legs coaching a team that has averaged 16 points per game this year.

As has been pointed out all week, this game could in turn be his last as part of the Jets/Patriots rivalry. He insists however that he is focused on just this week’s matchup.

"It's not hard for me to do," Ryan said. "I'm a confident person, and I think I'm a decent football coach and I think people who know the game realize that. So, I don't worry about it."

If Ryan was watching the Patriots news feed this week he might have even been given some news to celebrate when a stream of announcements were made Saturday afternoon that neither Julian Edelman, LeGarette Blount or Kyle Arrington had made the trip with the Patriots to New York.

Each with mild to somewhat severe injuries, those three Patriots core players were the subjects of trending topics and worried analysis this week as they were all limited in team practices. The Jets could have predicted that at least one or two of them would have stayed back but to see Arrington, Blount and Edelman all as no shows ought to be somewhat of a surprise.

In their absence, the rest of the Patriots team will need to pick up the slack. Lucky for them, a stacked depth chart gives them the options and freedom to do that. 

Speculations dictate that RB’s who have seen decreased snaps since the signing of Blount could be thrust back into starting roles this week. Guys like Jonas Gray or Shane Vereen have their eyes set on big days.

Danny Ammendola could step in to compensate for the loss of Edelman at wide receiver, while the Patriots could also institute a more varied target distribution over the entire receiving unit including LaFell, Gronkowski and possibly even Aaron Dobson.

In terms of the secondary, where Arrington normally plays, New England will still be able to designate Darelle Revis to a full time coverage of Jets pass catchers Percy Harvin and Eric Decker while CBs, Brandon Browner and Logan Ryan could also see inflated snap counts.

All and all though, New England enters the game aware of their weaknesses but eager to exploit the Jets’. The Jets will try to rain on the Patriot parade but if the past is any indication, a close win could be in the near future for the Patriots as long as they do not get complacent.

"We have to play our best football to win," New England defensive end Chandler Jones said, "and I truly believe that."

Read More

Julian Edelman, Kyle Arrington, Le Garette Blount do not travel to New York, out vs. Jets

(Photo courtesy of Jared Wilkerham/Getty Images)

By Dakota Antelman

According to multiple reports, the Patriots realized the extent of several key players’ injuries Saturday afternoon before they travelled to New York for their game against the Jets. As a result, they elected to leave WR Julian Edelman, RB LeGarette Blount and CB Kyle Arrington home; ruled out for Sunday’s game.

All week, injury trouble has been a common theme and an overtly discussed topic for the Patriots. Julian Edelman had been listed as limited in each of the Patriots practices this week reportedly nursing a concussion. During that time, LeGarette Blount had participated in almost no contact drills as he is said to be dealing with a shoulder injury.

Finally, Kyle Arrington, who pulled up lame during last week’s game with Miami, has been out for much of the week with an injured hamstring.  Even though an MRI conducted Monday morning showed no major damage to Arrington’s hamstring, the CB appears to be still feeling soreness and as a result will not play.

The losses of Blount, Edelman and Arrington stand as big stories going into Sunday’s game. But against a 3-11 Jets team that has the worst passing game in football and is ranked 20th in pass defense, the Patriots ought to be able to compensate.

Without Edelman, who has hawked big target numbers from Brady all season, passes could be distributed to less targeted players like Danny Ammendola or Brian Tyms. Tyms has only been targeted six times this season, catching one ball. Ironically, that catch went for a touchdown in Week Four vs. Buffalo.

In the run game mind you, the Patriots excelled earlier in the year when Blount did not even play for them. Predictions and past trends dictate that rookie running back Jonas Gray could see increased snaps while an appearance from draftee James White has not yet been ruled out.

The New England secondary will likely absorb the loss of Arrington seamlessly as, beyond cornerstone CB Darelle Revis, Brandon Browner has been on the rise in recent weeks, increasing his effectiveness and thereby decreasing the yards his opponents gain off of him. The Jets passing game, which largely consists of just two capable targets (Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley) could be negated by Revis and Browner alone.

Las Vegas favored the Patriots to win this game on Monday and still does on Saturday night. Though a lack of Blount, Edelman and Arrington stings on paper, a Patriots team that prides itself in positional depth feels they are able to absorb the loss. 

Read More

Tim Wright excels in 34-9 Patriots win over Deroit Lions

November 23rd, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots kept things rolling Sunday vs the Lions when they steamrolled the Detroit Lions by a score of 34-9. They clenched their 14th straight winning season just eleven weeks into the season and, in doing so, solidified their place as one of the NFL’s best teams.

Tom Brady tossed a pair of touchdown passes, both to tight end Tim Wright while an old face named LeGarrett Blount managed to run in two touchdowns. The Patriots defense dominated as well, stuffing the Lions consistently and holding them to just three field goals.

“We did a good job today. We were ready to go. Any time you can keep a team like Detroit out of the endzone, that’s good,” Patriots coach Bill Bilichick said. “We were able to put some points on the board and make plays in all three phases of the game.”

Tim Wright staged a belated coming out party in the win. He caught his fourth and fifth touchdown passes of the year and was responsible for 36 of the Patriots 349 total receiving yards Sunday afternoon. 

Wright, who came to the Patriots from Tampa in the Logan Mankins trade before the season began, has definitely made the most of his targets this season. Wright has failed to catch just two of the passes thrown to him this season. Beyond that, now over a quarter of those 20 Wright targets have gone for touchdowns.

Needless to say, the Patriot are impressed with their new receiver’s sudden growth.

“It seems like every time we throw to him it's a touchdown,” Brady said of Wright. “So try to find him more often down there I guess. But he does a great job in coverage and finds the open spots and makes the plays so it was a big day, big day for that.”

Brady spread the ball to top targets Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman but ran into a roadblock with tight end Rob Gronkowski who was double covered for much of the night.

Despite the lack of Gronkowski, New England still managed to get down the field on a regular basis. They did so largely on the backs of their kick returners who gave New England immaculate starting field position as well as their running backs who accounted for 90 yards of offence.

LeGarrett Blount, who returned to the Patriots midweek, carried the ball 12 times for 78 total yards and a pair of pivotal touchdowns.

“He’s a really great guy, runs hard, runs alot and once he breaks through he can make you pay,” Brady said. “He’s got a little bit of explosion so it was fun to see some of those big plays.”

The Patriots defense limited the effectiveness of Lions WR Calvin Johnson further debilitating the NFL’s most productive offence.

The Patriots went into their home stadium and took care of business Sunday. They kept with the positive trends they had been assembling in recent weeks and reached several key milestones with their ninth win of the season.

Read More

Patriots intentions at RB clouded by LeGarrett Blount signing

November 21st, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

For the first time this season, the Patriots had a defined number one running back. Jonas Gray had one of the highest scoring games in years and proved himself capable of handling big time snaps. But then, mere days after Gray’s one man demolition of the Colts, the Patriots complicated the running back picture once again when they signed former player LeGarrett Blount to a two year contract.

Gray, a rookie, came alive verses the Colts. His four touchdowns were the most by any running back in the NFL this season. Beyond that, he rushed for a total of 201 yards on 38 carries; that was also a first for this year’s Patriots running back core.

In the coming days, the overnight sensation was trending on Twitter and dominating both local and national sports headlines. He was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated early this week and had stories about him circulated in the New York Times. More bluntly, a video of teammates chanting his nickname ‘Supreme’ had gone viral by Monday morning.

"I'll probably go home tonight, when we get back around 4 a.m., and just lay in bed, look up at the ceiling and just be astonished at what's going on," Gray said amidst that elated locker room atmosphere after the win. "Just writing a great story."

But at the same time that Gray was writing a great story, Steelers running back LeGarret Blount was erasing one. Controversy had sprung up around Blount angrily leaving the Steelers sideline late in their game vs. the Titans after a dispute with coaches over his playing time.

Though very little was known at the time, it was clear that there was an issue of character within the Pittsburgh locker room. Said issue was addressed swiftly and decisively when, Monday morning, the Steelers announced the release of Blount.

"We believe the decision to release LeGarrette is in the best interest of the organization and wish him the best of luck," said head coach Mike Tomlin in a prepared statement.

Blount had run into trouble with the Steelers before. He had previously expressed displeasure with his receiving sometimes less than 10 carries per game while also getting arrested for Marijuana possession back in August.

From the perspective of a fan, even one who watched Blount blow away the Colts a little less than a year before Gray did the same, Blount did not seem like the kind of player New England should spend its time on. They, a team recently plagued by the legal debacle brought on by Aaron Hernandez and the lesser mess brought on by Alfonzo Dennard’s DUI’s and probation violations, did not seem like one that should pay a guy who just got fired for his behavior.

But alas, the Patriots disregarded Blount’s issues and signed him to a two year deal at minimum salary Thursday afternoon.

Blount was present and practicing at Patriots facilities the next day.

One man who was not was the previously celebrated diamond in the ruff, Gray. He was sent home from Friday’s practice after showing up late. Though the Patriots coaching staff assured the media that the discipline would not affect his Sunday playing time it certainly added insult to injury for Gray.

Furthermore, the absence of Gray and the presence of Blount at Friday’s practice seemed to put a shocking, bow on a week of running back turmoil.

Right now not much is clear about how the Patriots will handle their new depth at running back or how the playing time of Blount and Gray will be managed.

One thing that the Patriots know for sure about Blount though is that he gives the Patriots a proficiency in the return game. He was the king of the kick return in his last stint with the team averaging nearly 30 yards a return in 17 attempts and once logging a stunning 84 yard run back in an explosive season finale win over the Bills.

But beyond the kick return game, Blount and Gray are very similar running backs. They are both powerful players who at the same time possess slick abilities to slip through gaps in defensive lines and then break away from any and all who chase them.

Thus the case could be made that the team should split their playing time, putting Blount on kick return and splitting rushing attempts right down the middle for him and Gray.

Friday at practice however, Bill Belichick seemed to disband any arguments in favor of that approach saying that for the time being, Blount would have to earn every snap he was given.

"That will be up to him, just like everybody else," Belichick said. "When he gets an opportunity, [it's] how much he can take advantage of it, how much he can be productive and what he can do with those opportunities [that] will determine how many more there are. It's totally up to him.”

Blount seemed to also understand that Belichick was putting his foot down and would not tolerate any of the playing time complaints that he assembled down in Pittsburgh.

"Bill is a straight-forward shooter, he's a 100 percent honest person," he said. "I truly believe that if I do what I have to do, then I'll make myself a role on this team. Whatever I have to do, I'm going to do it to be productive."

If Blount can be what he was when he rushed for 166 yards in the 2013 Divisional Playoff game for the Patriots, than they will be in possession of one of the strongest run games in football. But if he cannot than they will be in big trouble.

In short the Pariots have been indecisive in the run game for much of the season. This Blount signing, just a few days after Gray emerged as apparent king of the masses, was an example of that indecision at its most obvious.

It seemed to hint that the Patriots might not trust Gray as a number one back. After the great confidence boost that he was given by Sunday’s excellence, his team undermining him and bringing in this guy to breathe down his neck could do more harm than good. That could be shown as soon as Sunday when the Patriots face the Lions at home.

To keep that from happening, the Patriots need to let Gray defend his statistics with another day of starting reps. After a performance as historic as the one that he put up last Sunday, he does not deserve to fade back into the pot of talented Patriots running backs.

Read More

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos AFC Championship Game Preview: Brady/Manning takes a seat as Blount/Moreno figures to steal the show

In early August when the Patriots kicked off their preseason many Patriots fans, myself included never believed for a second that LeGarette Blount would become what he has. Logically, such an argument could be fairly defended seeing as going into this season Blount had not logged a 100 yard rushing game since the middle of 2011 and seemed to be more of a filler than a key piece on the Patriots preseason squad. However, as Blount blew away the Eagles in New England's initial preseason game, there was a bit of a though somewhat along the lines of who is this guy? and where did he come from?

But nevertheless, while he did made the team in September, Blount was no star. He took a back seat to star teammate Stephan Ridley who was coming off of a 1,263 yard, 12 touchdown 2012 season and did not even register his first of 7 touchdown runs this season until Week Four in Atlanta. However, as Ridley suddenly ran into a wall and began fumbling footballs like they were coated in butter, the need for Blount began to be finally recognized. From Week 12 on, Blount steadily increased his rushing yardage as each game during that span has had more yards gained by Blount than the last. For Blount however, Week 17 was the ultimate highlight. In what has been officially confirmed to be the greatest single game performance ever by a Patriot running back, Blount scored 2 touchdowns, ran for 189 yards and blew things up with 365 all-purpose yards, the most ever by any Patriot aside from their quarterback. 

As LeGarrette Blount has come of age, it has rapidly become known that even on this team, this team that has spent 15 years now benefiting from the services of guys like Wes Welker, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, a 27 year old 6 foot tall 250 pound Blount is their most important weapon in this, their most important game. But while he is the most important weapon, he is not the only weapon. 

In the immediate wake of divisional playoff week, it began to be suspected that something was wrong with star Broncos corner back, Chris Harris. The 3rd year corner had led his team in snaps in the 2013 regular season was soon diagnosed with an ACL tear and was ruled out for the AFC Championship. As could be fairly assumed, the loss of such a hardened pro will leave an immeasurable void within the Broncos defensive unit. That void combined with that left by the loss of Von Millar 3 weeks ago, will undoubtedly open up a huge hole for big yardage receiver, Julian Edelman to haul in passes and an equally weak linebacking core that might likely allow for guys like Shane Verreen to nab those screen passes and simply lower the shoulder and gain some big yardage.  

On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots won’t be given as much of a break. Between Wes Welker, Julias Thomas, Demarius Thomas and Eric Decker Peyton Manning has broken nearly every single season QB record in 2013 tossing 4 or more touchdowns on 9 different occasions this season. 

In what might likely go down as the last meeting of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning this game will not be focused on the two. It will the focused on LeGarrette Blount and Knowson Moreno, Julian Edelman and the assortment of Denver pass catchers and frankly it should. While this game might decide the hierarchy of each of these player's careers, it will also decide who gets to go to New York to participate in the biggest sporting event on the planet and for these teams, it is that later facet of meaning that this game will contain that is the most important. 

No matter the history, we live in the moment and when the moment dictates a proficiency in the Patriots running game than so be it. We will run. 

Read More

Patriots rush their way into the AFC Title Game: LeGarrette Blount sets records while unlikely heroes light it up on defence

Before yesterday’s game is said with absolute certainty that the results of the Patriots divisional playoff game against the Colts would go beyond the score. After Tom Brady and his rush oriented team demolished the Colts by a margin of 42 to 21, this dynasty of perennial berths in the AFC Championship game has been stretched to one 3 years long while the praise of Andrew Luck that was present as we rolled into the game yesterday has rapidly turned to criticism.

For the 3rd straight year, the New England Patriots are headed to the AFC Championship game and much like each of these last 2 years, they grabbed this decisive divisional playoff win via dominant rout of a team not inferior to them. In 2011 we ripped down the Broncos 45-10 then 1 year later against the Texans, Brady and company moved past their opponents 41-28. In both those years they rode a great passing day by Tom Brady to a berth in an AFC Championship vs the Baltimore Ravens. This time around, everything will be different. While the Patriots do not yet know who their AFC Championship opponent will be they know they won’t be from Baltimore. The Ravens finished the season at 8-8 were not included in the playoff picture meaning that as the second half of the AFC's divisional games draws nearer, it will come down to either a title game in Foxborough against San Diego or in Denver vs Denver.

But that is not the only thing that is different about this year. Instead of Tom Brady singlehandedly carrying this team on his back week 17 and now this divisional game have both been one by LeGarrette Blount's memorizing rushing talents. He slammed together 4 touchdowns and 166 all-purpose yards this week to compliment the team record 364 yards he banged up in Week 17. In the blink of an eye, this 6 foot tall 250 pound wrecking ball has become the hottest running back in football and basically from the get-go of Saturday's game the Patriots knew it was foolish to keep the ball out of his hands. That kind of will alone is what makes Bill Belichick as great as he is. Even with perhaps the greatest QB in history playing on his team, Bill knew that at that point in time, Blount would give the team the best chance to win and so he played him calling for Brady to shove the ball into Blount's gut 23 times from start to finish of this game. In the minds of many, this was the most rush oriented game the Patriots had played since Tom Brady has been their quarterback.

"That was amazing." Tom Brady said when asked about the excellence of the running game. "We keep handing it off and those guys just run so hard and do such a great job running and finding the holes where they can just slice through there and gain as many yards as they can. It was pretty cool."

The Patriots set a team record in rushing touchdowns in this game scoring 6. By extension that resulted in 6 extra-point kicks minus the 2 point conversion the Patriots attempted and scored on. However after Ryan Allen injured his shoulder on a punt early in the 2nd half, that left QB Tom Brady to deal with the duties of holder for a good portion of this one. 

"It's been a while since I've done that. I was happy to help the team. Maybe I'll try renegotiating my contract or something for doing more work." Brady said when asked about the holding situation. Of course, that last part was said with a joking tone of voice.  

As for the last time Brady said he held a kick,  "I think it was when I played in the Orange Bowl 14 or 15 years ago. I don't even do it in practice. They said, ‘Get in there and do it,' and I said, ‘What do I say?' But we figured it out." 

The stage is set, the Patriots are in the playoffs and at last check it seems that they will be heading to Denver to play that game. But there will be a different tone to this Patriots offence next week and while it will involve Tom Brady, he will not be throwing the ball. He will be looking back to his hulking running back Blount, shoving the ball into his gut and watching the rest. Even in a season so up and down as this, the injury to Gronkowski, the loss of Wilfork and others for the 3rd straight year the Patriots will find themselves involved in a game the winner of which will be Super Bowl bound. 

Read More

Patriots vs. Colts first half notes: Blount dominates while Ryan Allen makes huge mistake to give Colts safty

Score: 21-12 Patriots lead

Even in a game that has New England owners of a comfortable 9 point lead over their divisional playoff game opponent, Ryan Allen seemed to have lost a bit of respect with this Patriots team. Midway through the 2nd quarter of this one, Allen got unlucky on a terrible long snap that soared high over his head. While that mistake was not one that could be blamed on Allen his decision to pick the ball up on the 1 yard line was bizarre. 9 times out of 10 such a play would result in the punter kicking the ball out of the back of the end zone and yet, while the result of Allen's picking up the ball was no different than the alternative on the scoreboard, he was clobbered as 3 Colts swarmed the ball resulting in his eventual removal from the game because of what looked like a pulled bicep. 

But the Allen debacle was not the only thing that happened in this half. As predicted, the Patriots relied heavily on the run in this half putting the ball in a running back's control 27 times in the half while throwing it just 11 times. When he did throw it, Tom Brady was surgical tossing the ball not only where his receivers could dive an get it but more so where they could grab a ball 10 yards forward of the line and then sprint past the Colts coverage an turn the play into a 20 or 30 yard gain. This was the case at least 3 times in this half as while LeGarret Blount did the scoring guys like Julian Edelman and Danny Ammendola pushed the ball to the point on the field where Blount could bash it in. 

With a 9 point lead the Patriots kick things off in the second half looking to prevent the Colts from reviving that comeback magic they employed last week in Kansas City. 

Read More

Playing in the rain: How a rainy prelude to tonight's game vs Colts will affect New England

As kickoff to Saturday's Patriots vs. Colts game draws nearer, rain continues to pound the field in Foxborough soliciting at least a few looks of worry among the Patriots fan base. For 2 years now, a rainy field has translated to a loose football as when we look back to games like Week 15 of 2012 vs. the 49'ers and Week 17 of this season vs the Bills, the Patriots have fumbled the ball a combined 6 times and while 4 of those 6 were recovered by the Patriots, it is never a good thing to have the ball on the ground.  

Unfortunately, when it comes to the Patriots their players either seem unfocused or incapable of preventing that meaning that as we prepare to watch as the Patriots take part in their 3rd game in which their field is turned to a swimming pool in 2 years they will be looking to reverse this trend and simply hold onto the football. 

"It's a long year," New England coach Bill Belichick said when asked about the impending possibility of rain. "It's something that you have to deal with, unfortunately, during the season. But it pretty much happens to everybody."  

At last check, The Weather Channel.com has the weather conditions at tonight's 8PM kickoff involving close to 25 mile per hour wind and torrential downpours all combining to form what the website's forecasters deem to be a heavy thunderstorm. While such conditions are only projected to last until that about 9PM, this wind that has caused a wind advisory to be posted until 11PM will likely be a huge factor for both teams. Lucky for New England, the 25MPH winds at kickoff and then 15MPH gusts that will continue up until around midnight will without a doubt be enough to stifle any attempt to chuck something down field where New England is week defensively. Furthermore, the famous gap in Gillette Stadium's construction will make it so that whoever is throwing towards it might not even be able to throw for anything farther than 15-20 yards. 

When you take realities like that into account, the possibility of a game focused around the running game and a few surgical screen passes from Brady to Edelman or Ammendola ought to give the Patriots the edge. But I caution you this, of the Patriots top three backs this week, LeGarret Blount, Shane Vereen and Stephan Ridley two of them are not the best at holding a ball especially when it is slippery against their chest. While LeGarret Blount has given the Patriots  that power rusher kind of player than even Stephan Ridely cannot be he fumbled 3 times in the regular season. As for Ridley, his 4 fumbles, all recovered by the Patriots were what landed him on the bench for much of the second half of this season. 

As the rain pounds down, the thunder echoes through Foxborough the ball will be shoved into the gut of anyone who can be used in such a way. Yards gained after Brady either hands the ball off or tosses it over the line of scrimmage, will be key in this one and if the Patriots are to win they will have to do one thing. Keep the ball in their hands and off the turf below them. 

*Check back later tonight for any updates on the weathers effect on the game and for a reflection on the first half

Read More

2013 in 8 Days: Best Patriots moments of 2013 AND Patriots season in review

Christmas has come and gone and New Years Day is just around the corner. During the 8 days spanning from Christmas morning to New Years morning Go, Titletown will add daily updates to an 8 part series remembering the highs lows and all around heartwarming moments of 2013 in Boston Sports as well as a look ahead to what we might see in 2014. This is not a statistical analysis of these 298 professional sporting events that took place in Boston in 2013, this is a written rehashing and a reminder that we are the greatest sports town on the planet. 

Complete Schedule 

December 25th- A Year of Leaders

December 26th - Best Patriots Moments 

December 27th - Best Red Sox Moments

December 28th - Best Bruins Moments

December 29th - Top Plays 

December 30th - Top Games

December 31st - [To be determined] Is the Boston Athlete of 2013

January 1st - The Promise of 2014

2013 began on a low note for the Patriots and their fans. Just 20 days into the year, a greatly subdued Tom Brady threw just 1 TD and 2 interceptions as the Baltimore Ravens, exacted their revenge from a season ago winning the AFC Championships over the Patriots by a margin of 28-13. Unfortunately for Patriots fans, that loss would kick off a rather painful 8 months for the organization. Two weeks after the Ravens win in the AFC Title Game, the Patriots rivals won it all almost simultaneously beginning the transaction period of the NFL off-season.

By mid-march, Wes Welker had fallen victim to a deteriorating relationship with the Patriots coaching staff as SI writer, Chris Ballard cited the fact that Welker felt that "[Belichick] got on him in a way he never had before, admonishing him in front of the team." On March 12th, he signed a 2 year 12 million dollar deal with the Denver Broncos and their beloved Peyton Manning.

It seemed that that loss stung the most for Tom Brady and although he respected the authority in personal decisions that the Patriots front office possessed it was clear in the wake of the signing that he would miss his 5 time Pro Bowl preforming wide receiver.

“Of course I have feelings. But those feelings are very personal to me,” he said. “I used to get caught up in anger and frustration and disappointment. But I don’t make the decisions. These things aren’t up to me. At some point you’ve got to realize the things that are out of your control. You’ve just got to let go and focus on my job and what I need to do. Because the game moves on, the team moves on. There’s only so long you can dwell on the past. At some point you’ve got to move forward. Like I said, my job for my team is to be the best quarterback, and not the general manager and not the coach and not the owner.” 

There was hope for Welker's replacement, Danny Ammendola but as Brady's list of prime targets took yet another hit, things began to look bleak at the very best. On June 26th, Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd. He was released by the Patriots just 90 minutes after the early morning arrest.  

By the end of the summer, the Patriots were a team of question marks resting their entire offensive fate on a cast of young receivers and an injury prone veteran whom Brady had never thrown to in his life. As was constantly true in Foxborough throughout the off-season there was fear and uncertainty as the franchise began to appear to be drifting farther and farther from the talent based rosters of the early 2000's Super Bowl wins.  

There were questions and in Week One they were at least temporarily answered as Julian Edelman dominated the Bills defense and Shane Vereen cemented his role as the Patriots all-star utility man gaining yards through both rushing and airborne plays. However, that game came at a cost knocking Vereen out of action with a wrist injury while hindering Danny Ammendola via a groin strain. These injuries have remained prevalent for the entire season to this point and yet the Patriots are a dominant 10-3 gunning for the 2nd seed and a 1st round bye. In the absence of so many clear cut stars, it cannot be stressed how much the emergence of young talent has played a part in getting the team this far. 

In 2013 we have gotten to know names like LeGarret Blount and Michael (Hoo-Man) Hoomanwanui while reaffirming our relationship with star kicker, Stephan Gostkowski who leads the NFL in nearly every kicking category this season. It is players like these, and then Tom Brady, that had combined to produce some of the Patriots best moments in this roller-coaster of a season.

These are the top 5 of those moments...

1) November 24th: Patriots overcome terrible first half to beat Broncos in OT



Approximately half an hour into November 25th, Stephan Goskowski rammed a 31 yard field goal through the uprights to complete for the Patriots, the largest comeback in franchise history. After fumbling 3 times in the first quarter, the Patriots came out of halftime trailing 21-0 but ignored the scoreboard simply chipping away drive after drive en route to actually taking the lead as a result of 28 unanswered points. After the Broncos tied the game late however, overtime was inconclusive as to who would win the game meaning that with mere minutes left before the end of the period, the possibility of a tie was imminent...until a muffed punt by the Broncos gave the ball back to the Patriots with time to spare. 31 yards away from the game winner, Stephan Goskowski came onto the field and drilled this one into the history books.

Only one word seemed fit to describe this 3 hour span of football magic. The anatomy of a true miracle.

2) December 8th: Patriots score 14 points in final 61 seconds to beat Browns



Even after pulling within a touchdown of winning the game, there were just 61 seconds left on the clock and the Patriots were forced to kick off knowing that if they did not recover the hardly-ever-works onside kick they would be losers to a Cleveland Browns team that to that point had won just 4 games. They had not recovered an onside kick in over a decade and yet like so many other moments in this season the Patriots did not care. They booted the ball 10 yards off the tee and  watched as it bounced off a Brown and fell mercifully into the arms of Kyle Arrington. Tom Brady returned to the field and with fire in his eyes won the game.

3) October 13th: Kenbrell's catch: 18 yard TD with seconds left beats Saints



Kenbrell Thompkins' 18 yard, game winning touchdown reception with 6 seconds left in Week 4's match-up with the Saints was really the first 'never day die' moment of the 2013 Patriots season. In comparison to the Broncos or Browns comebacks, this lone touchdown drive seemed petty and yet at the time it was one of those exhilarating moments that football fans only dream of. 

Read More

New England running backs stand tall in preseason opener: Patriots beat Eagles 31-22...recap and statistics

Note: to see player by player statistics and notes, scroll to the bottom of this post

Alright, it’s the preseason and frankly, nothing matters.  But nevertheless, that sense of meaning still had a weak presence in last night's dominant win over Philadelphia. 

For guys like Tim Tebow (yeah Tebow) and LeGarret Blount, odds are they won’t be seeing any pro snaps come September. But nevertheless they were here and fighting for their preseason lives....long story short, it was a fun game.  

After winning the coin toss, the Patriots started the game at their own 20 yard line following a decent touch back kick by the Eagles special teams unit. Almost immediately the starters picked up where they left off last season as star Patriot: Stephan Ridley snagged his first touch after leaving the AFC championship with a concussion back in January. But even for Ridley, what he did next all with the ball in his hands was still eye opening. On literally the first play, Ridley went straight up the middle of the Eagles defense running step for step for nearly 62 yards before he was tackled. Just a few plays later, he capped off the drive via an easy 1 yard touchdown run to put New England up 7-0 after the Gostkowski extra point. 

But for the Patriots, Ridley was not the only star facet of the running game that dominated last night. Fact is, for almost every second of the game the trio of Stephan Ridley, Shane Vereen, and a newcomer: LeGarret Blount dominated combining for a total of 4 touchdowns and close to 200 yards.  

Blount in particular smacked up an artistic 51 yard touchdown run dodging and weaving out of nearly the entire Eagles defense. He finished the night as New England's leading rusher with 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

"It's critical to run the ball" QB Tom Brady said "and they know you're going to run it. We had big runs, we had short yardage runs where we needed to get the ball, we ran in on the goal line so I mean that establishes the identity of the team how well you run, how well you stop the run and all those guys did a great job, they are big strong powerful runners that want the ball in their hands and when they get in the rhythm, they make a bunch of plays and Stephan Ridley has done it since he got here.. Shane (Vereen) is doing it. Brandon (Bolden) made some runs." 

Brady then elaborated speaking specifically about his 13 yard touchdown pass to Vereen.

"I was trying to figure out what to do, I saw what we wanted. I was looking and trying to figure out well what's the best thing to do because I knew the coverage and then Shane (Vereen) and I had a little connection and it was good. It was a great catch, I mean to get his feet down, a tight area, Shane (Vereen) has been doing that but I mean he's really come on. He's really continued to improve so it was great to see him make that play."

But still there was even more to look at last night than simply the offensive ground game.

After he was signed by New England back on June 11th, there were some slight inclinings that Tim Tebow might possibly threaten to oust Ryan Mallet as the Patriots back up. Well, after both Mallet AND Tebow saw playing time last night...I will let you decide who deserves the 2 spot in the QB depth chart. 

Amidst his near 2 quarters of play, Tebow could not seem to get the ball out of his hands as he managed just 4 completions on 12 attempts while running for 35 yards on 4 carries. Now frankly, Mallet was not much better but seeing as over the past few years HE has been the backup, odds are that we are not in for much controversy this year. 

"It's all about the same for everyone," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said when asked about Tebow. "It was good, it was far from perfect. We all made mistakes out there and there are plenty of things to work on for all of us. Not singling anyone out. We haven't played a game in six months, so we saw decent things, but also things we need to work on."

New England won 31-22 last night and while this only was a single preseason game, the sights and bright spots delivered by the starters in this game begin to remind you that even without Hernandez or Welker this ensuing season still has the possibility of becoming a great one.

Player by player notes

Tom Brady finished the night 7 for 8 with 65 yards and 1 touchdown pass on 2 drives.

LeGarret Blount racked up 101 yards with 2 touchdown runs and 11 carries. 

Stephan Ridley hit up 92 yards and scored a touchdown 

Tim Tebow went 4 for 12 with no touchdowns and 35 yards rushing. Tebow was sacked once.

Ryan Mallet played less than 1 quarter, missing a wide open shot at touchdown pass to Vereen. He left the game with a head injury after he was sacked late in the 2nd quarter of the game. 

Stephan Gostkowski kicked at 33% with 1 field goal and 2 misses  

New England Defense allowed 3 touchdowns one of which was followed up with a 2 point conversion

Read More