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Titans will go to the air against Patriots

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With a second-year quarterback making his first start and a missing top receiving target it might be easy to see only Chris  Johnson when scouting the Titans offense. Especially after Bill Belichick lays the praise on him like he did today:

“His production speaks for itself. He’s really an outstanding player with the ball in his hands. In the passing game, in the running game, inside runs, outside runs, draws, screens. Everybody is at the point of attack because he has the speed to start one way and go the other, to get back to the cut back, backside of the defense or bounce out in either direction. Really everybody is at the point of the attack when he has the ball.

The Patriots might be tempted to write off the Titans aerial attack and focus on Johnson, but our research over at FootballOutsiders.com tells us they should be prepared to have the ball thrown on them early and often.

Over the past three seasons the Titans have gone from 27th (2009) to 6th (2011) in offensive formations featuring three-plus wide receivers. Even with Kenny Britt out for this weekend, it would be foolish to ignore this statistic, especially considering the amount of yardage the Patriots gave up through the air in 2011.

The first game of the season always presents a great deal of unknowns. Teams have shown little in the preseason of their actual schematic plans for the regular season. The Patriots defense showed a fairly straight-forward defense that featured more of a nickel front with two large space eaters inside at the tackle positions. That will change. Expect Vince Wilfork to align somewhere over the middle of the Titans offensive line, a spot where Tennessee struggled last year and re-built in the off-season by bringing in a still solid Steve Hutchinson.

Johnson will get plenty of touches, but expect the Titans to move him around as they really started to do in 2011 when they had him split out wide 41 times compared to just 3 times in 2010.

Jake Locker lacks experience, but there have been plenty of green quarterbacks who have moved the ball against New England in recent seasons. Look for the Titans to use a lot of three-receiver sets featuring Nate Washington, Damian Williams and Kendall Wright, and try to exploit the Pats traditional bend-don’t-break style with a lot of quick passes.

A big part of their game plan should be to get the ball to Chris Johnson in space rather than sending him up the middle into the teeth of the Pats defense where Wilfork and Brandon Spikes will be waiting. A huge key to the game will be the pass coverage on Johnson, most likely by Jerod Mayo, who now seems like the only linebacker on the Pats roster with the speed to have a chance covering backs.

The way to beat the Patriots has never been ground and pound (hello Jets?), and with a full off-season to prepare it’s doubtful that the Titans will suddenly return to their Jeff Fisher-esque ways of running the ball nearly 50% of the time. The trajectory for what the Munchak Titans want to do is clear, and the Pats pass rushers and secondary better be prepared.

Win an Authentic Patriots Mini-Helmet from GamedayGoods.com!

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Hey Patriots Fans, we’re excited to announce our first sweepstakes of the new season sponsored by Gamedaygoods.com.

Register as a member at Gamedaygoods.com and get a chance to win this Free Authentic Mini Patriots Helmet.

All you need to do is sign up here and enter in PATS PROPAGANDA where it says enter in redemption or Groupon code here.  Also make sure to get all your Pats gear here  and be ready for Kickoff.

RULES
-the promotion will last for 2 weeks with the winner being announced just before the Pats home opener kickoff against the Cardinals on September 16th.

-valid entries must sign up at Gameday Goods

-Contestants agree to pay for shipping fees

Go Pats !!!

Quick hit thoughts on the 53 (or 52) guys the Pats are going to war with

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As always there were some surprises on Friday, and while there are sure to be some more changes, here are some thoughts on the initial cut down…

– Really not surprised at all by the move with Jeff Demps. He wasn’t ready to contribute this season, mentally or physically. It’s good that he got his feet wet but the safe move is to stash him and let him get back into football.

– Props to Mike Rivera for winning a special teams linebacker spot. Tracy White’s health still might knock Rivera off the team, but beating out Niko Koutouvides and Jeff Tarpinian, two players that had experience already in the system, was impressive. At the very least he’s headed for the practice squad shortly.

– There’s no question Branch’s release was a surprise. He was a luxury insurance and probably would’ve had a limited role this year. If any receiver comes back (or has to come back) I’d bet Branch is the one. He’s still enough quickness and savvy to be effective in short areas, but his days of being a threat on the perimeter are over.

– As of now it’s hard not to imagine that the Pats are going to get Julian Edelman a little more involved with the offense. His development could potentially cushion the blow if Welker leaves next off-season.

– I suspected they would keep four tight ends. With Shiancoe and Fells they have insurance for Gronk, but also blocking help for the young tackles. But it’s a clear commitment to protecting an offense that features their tight ends. Whether that translates into more commitment to the power run game remains to be seen.

– Love that kept lots of defensive backs and lots of defensive ends. Can never have enough of either in today’s NFL.

– The storyline of these three tackles is going to be one to watch. Can Vollmer hold up? Can Solder step up? Will Cannon be ready if needed? Stay tuned…

– Good for Marcus Forston. A lot of draftniks thought he should’ve stayed in school. He’s shown some burst in the center of the defense and that is something the Pats need.

– Oh speaking of interior pass rushers… what the Pats showed in preseason in pure passing situations was commonly Wilfork still, with Jermaine Cunningham inside. Cunningham was then followed by Justin Francis, then Forston. I really hope one of them can bring something, because I’m certainly not counting on Myron Pryor to.

– Chung was back at practice Friday. Phew…

– Not to sound mean but I like the Hoydog cut. It saved some money and at least it would be fun with Mallet. He might throw a ball threw someone’s chest but there’d be a couple rocket completions. Let’s ride with Mallet. For now.

There will be more to come obvs….

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf-BiwThN9A

Patriots cut Deion Branch

It was fun the second time around with Deion, and it was unfortunate that they couldn’t work things out in 2006. Many of us still think if we had Branch that year we’d have another Super Bowl ring. This closes the book on one of Brady’s all time favorite receivers.

Thanks for the memories, Deion. Especially that Super Bowl MVP.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

https://www.patspropaganda.com/patriots-cut-deion-branch/

Final 53-man Patriots roster projection

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Let me start by saying I love the team this year. Top to bottom I can’t remember being more excited by the collection of talented, aggressive and physical football players on both sides of the ball.

Most especially worth noting are the collection of pass rushers. There are multiple guys that can get after the quarterback and that is so important in today’s NFL. It’s also something we’ve really lacked in recent years.

Without further ado, here’s who I see has still having a job with the Pats on Saturday:

QB (3) Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett

I have to admit I am somewhat disappointed by the performances of Hoyer and Mallet this preseason. Granted the protection wasn’t always great, and often times they were playing without top weapons, but right now I’m unsure I see a long term future for either player. Next off-season should be an interesting one. TFB is TFB yet again, but these years of him being in his prime are slowly trickling away. Enjoy it people!

RB (5) Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead, Brandon Bolden, Jeff Demps

I’m sure BB would’ve preferred it if Demps milked last night’s injury in front of the media a bit. He could really use a year to get back into football shape and gain some weight while learning the system. We’ll see how it plays out, but I wouldn’t totally rule out him being put on IR. If anyone is getting cut here I think it’s Vereen. Bolden is worth developing and adds an element the others don’t have. If Ridley gets dinged at any point it will get interesting to see how they overcome it. Woodhead should bounce back after injuries plagued him last year.

WR (5) Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Julian Edelman, Deion Branch, Matthew Slater

Remember when we brought in all those free agent wide receivers and no one knew how it would all play out? Well, sometimes you throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and almost all of it falls off. Ultimately Lloyd was the only addition that really mattered and he should make a big impact. But it’s hard not to think about how things will go if he gets hurt and we’re back to the exact same core that struggled to stretch the field last year. Gaffney could always come back, but it’s clear that the Pats really need to try to develop some wide receivers, especially if Welker walks next off-season.

TE (4) Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Visanthe Shiancoe, Daniel Fells

Keeping four tight ends is a late decision but I really think it’s in the best interest of protecting the kind of offense the Pats want to run. Hoodie forbid anything happens to Gronk but you need some in-line insurance for him. Fells and Shiancoe are different enough that both can be utilized.

C  (3) Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell, Dan Koppen

Koppen is on for now, but I really struggled with him. If Waters comes back by tomorrow it could very much make Koppen expendable. It’s hard to see them putting Connolly back to the interior utility guy, especially when Koppen can only play Center. Connolly needs to start, either at center or right guard. The wild card offensive line is: Solder-Mankins-Wendell-Connolly-Vollmer.

G  (3) Logan Mankins, Brian Waters, Donald Thomas

Donald Thomas sneaks on, but his fate could be tied to Waters as well. The Pats have a lot of depth on the interior of the line and how it will all play out is one of the most interesting storylines to keep an eye on tomorrow. I think Waters comes back, if he was going to retire it would’ve made sense to let the team know before now. I really think we’ll know on him in the next 24 hours.

T  (3) Sebastian Vollmer, Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon

Not in love with the depth here and if there’s one area I think we could see a random acquisition after cuts it’d be here. However there are lots of teams that need tackles so it might be a stretch to think we can get our paws on someone who’s legit. But I could easily see Weems or Kopa make it over one of the interior back ups or Koppen. I do think that Cannon still has real potential and could thrive in the third tackle spot.

DE (5) Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Trevor Scott, Jermaine Cunningham, Jake Bequette

Things look really promising with this group, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a random cut here, possibly Trevor Scott. I still wouldn’t close the door on Andre Carter either. Cunningham looks like he’s carved out at least a shot at a DPR/interior rusher and could possibly see some time at defensive end. Bequette would be a surprising cut, but I think he makes it but doesn’t see the 45-man gameday roster. Expect Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich to play a lot. That’s an excellent thing too. No longer is this a defense of specialization.

DT (5) Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Brandon Deaderick, Ron Brace, Justin Francis

Really solid group built entirely in house which deserves some credit. Francis is a defensive end but I think he makes it because he can shift inside and could make an impact on passing downs until Myron Pryor potentially returns. Love seems to be ascending and Deaderick flashed against the Giants. Brace is a wild card though, and seems the perfect physical fit for the kind of defense the Pats want to run. Wilfork is the most important piece and the Pats would be devastated to lose him for an length of time.

ILB(3) Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Niko Koutouvides

Tracy White just can’t get healthy and though he’s been inconsistent I really like Niko’s style of play. Spikes and Mayo should be dynamic this year.

OLB(2) Donta Hightower, Bobby Carpenter

Looks like Hightower will start right away at strong side linebacker giving the Pats a fearsome threesome of SEC linebackers. Carpenter can play multiple positions and special teams. He could play a significant role this year if injuries strike. The good news is that he’s experienced and smart.

CB (5) Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington, Ras-I Dowling, Sterling Moore, Marquice Cole

What surprises here! Ras-I didn’t get hurt in preseason! McCourty’s not playing safety any more! And Marquice Cole suddenly seems like a lock to make it. This group really needs to break out this year and prove that they can improve. There are still questions if they can play man to man though. On paper it makes sense that they should be better, but will they be?

SS (2) Patrick Chung, Tavon Wilson

If Patchung misses the opener I’m really going to be bummed out. Regardless he has a lot to prove this year if he wants any kind of sizable contract next off-season. He hasn’t gotten off to a great start with another injury already. Either way it looks like Tavon Wilson is going to play a lot for us this year and I really like his calm steadying presence so far. It’s impressive for a rookie. Especially one that no one had heard of when we drafted him.

FS (2) Steve Gregory, Nate Ebner

Gregory has been everything the Pats lacked last year, a centerfield deep safety who can keep everyone on the same page on the back end. He’s been impressive so far, and I still don’t think we truly know how the Pats plan on using him. Ebner has been one of the most lovable new Patriots. He plays like a madman and looks like a flawless tackling machine. Add in that he’s always around the ball and it’s hard not to glow over his potential. He’s consistently stood out, and despite some inconsistency it actually looks like he could see some time on defense. Not bad for a rugby guy, eh?

ST (3) Stephen Gostkowski, Danny Aiken, Zoltan Mesko

Only thing I’d look out for here is a return of Lonie Paxton. Greg Bedard hasn’t loved Aiken’s snaps in preseason and we know BB won’t hesitate to jettison a long snapper who’s inconsistent. Paxton was super consistent for many years here and he’s available.

Total players: 53
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Five Patriots bubble battles to watch vs. Giants

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To be honest I’d really rather not watch any of this last preseason game against the Giants. It’s just too soon. At least the uniforms will be switched around so it won’t give me any immediate flashbacks to that game in February.

It’s just frustrating to have to see the Giants again, but not get a legitimate shot at them. Instead they’ll just stand there on the sidelines, probably all wearing their Super Bowl rings, with satisfied smirks plastered on their faces.

Anyway, enough about that. The regular season is upon us and we really need to be looking ahead.

Despite the fact that we probably won’t see very many of the Pats starters, if any at all, there’s still some final slots still there for the taking (as far as we know). Here are positions that I think could still be up for grab, and guys who need a big game.

1. Offensive Line – Of course Brian Waters could be back in the mix by the weekend, but if he’s not it will have an effect on who the Pats keep from their o-line group. As Greg Bedard pointed out, the fact that Koppen didn’t get released this week probably means he’s going to make the team. I can’t complain about keeping Koppen, he might be a one-trick pony but he’ll bring some veteran stability that I think could be needed this year.

The question as I see it is do they feel comfortable with just Vollmer, Solder and Cannon as their tackles? Could Weems sneak on? What about Nick McDonald, he’s played every position on the line. Should be some tough choices to make.

2. Secondary – Will Allen going to IR throws a wrench in my most recent projections. I liked his veteran presence and versatility. So now you’ve got Sterling Moore and probably Marquice Cole as locks, leaving maybe one more spot for Alfonzo Dennard, James Ihedigbo and possibly Sergio Brown. None of them have shown much this summer, so perhaps all three could be on the way out, but I consider Ihedigbo to have the inside track, though a strong showing from Dennard could really help his cause.

3. Running Back – The backfield has only gotten more convoluted lately with the addition of Jeff Demps. Stevan Ridley looks like he’s the starter, then after that is a collection of three backs who are all somewhat similar, albeit each with some unique traits, and Brandon Bolden as the only real short yardage bull and that has to be a big plus for him.

So how does Vereen/Woodhead/Demps play out? Could Eric Kettani even sneak on? We should get a good dose of Bolden and Demps against the Giants, and if we’re seeing a lot of Woodhead too it could be a sign his job hasn’t been locked up yet. This should be one of the most interesting positions to watch during cuts.

4. Defensive Line – It’s pretty clear who the defensive tackles will be barring a surprise (Wilfork, Love, Brace, Deaderick) but can one of the less heralded guys make the cut? Justin Francis might be a little more of a defensive end, but he’s flashed some burst when used inside. Marcus Forston has been up and down, but has some potential as well.  Or maybe even Marcus Harrison could be a dark horse.

Between Trevor Scott, Jermaine Cunningham and Jake Bequette there’s a little bit of a log jam for back up defensive end and all three are somewhat similar players. Could that open the door for one of the young d-tackles who bring a little something different to the party? It’s possible.

5.Jeremy Ebert – With the release of both Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney it’s possible a window of opportunity has opened for rookie Jeremy Ebert. He hasn’t done anything to stand out in camp or in the games but has looked generally solid. He still might be a long shot, but he’ll play a lot against the Giants and could make a statement with a strong performance.