nfl

Top 5 Patriots who need monster off-seasons

February 10, 2012 by Mike Dussault

Much will be made over the coming weeks of which free agents and draftees the Patriots should go after, but what about the guys already on the roster? One of the always underestimated elements of change over an off-season is the improvement of players who are already in the pipeline.

Here are my top five Patriots that I think the team most needs to make a jump.

1. Ras-I Dowling – Ras-I missed most of training camp yet suddenly played 67 of 77 snaps versus the Dolphins in the opener. No other player has the potential to positively impact the Patriots defense like Dowling does. He’s got the size they desperately need and apparently the skills to lock down one of the outside corner spots, which could allow Kyle Arrington into his more natural fit in the slot.

2. Markell Carter – Carter won 7 of 13 possible black jerseys this year as practice player of the week, while also adding over 16 pounds of mass since joining the Patriots, going from 252 to 268 pounds. While Jermaine Cunningham cannot be overlooked, Carter could very well be an impact player in 2012 with a full off-season. It looks like he has the size to play in the 4-3 or 3-4 and his development could very well factor into Andre Carter’s potential return.

3. Marcus Cannon – With a full off-season to complete his cancer recovery I’d love to see a big jump out of Cannon. Just the fact that he contributed like he did this year (9 games total, including 77 snaps against the Dolphins in December) is an incredibly positive sign. The real question is where Cannon projects long term. If he can go to right guard he should jump instantly into the mix with Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell if Brian Waters doesn’t return. And if he remains a tackle we saw this year you can never have too many of them.

4. Shane Vereen – Vereen only played 26 snaps in his rookie year, but flashed some explosiveness, especially against the Chiefs. The Pats had the luxury of bringing him along slowly after he battled a hamstring injury for a good chunk of the year. While Stevan Ridley should continue to increase his role despite late season fumbles, it’s Vereen who is the real wild card. Let’s not forget he was the higher rated prospect and was drafted before Ridley. Vereen is explosive and if he can translate that explosiveness in the NFL he’ll bring an added dimension to the Patriots offense that is badly needed.

5. Dane Fletcher – one of the great questions of the Super Bowl for me is why Tracy White was playing over Fletcher when the Pats went with their “fast nickel” package. White had barely seen the field once Spikes and Fletcher returned, including 0 snaps compared to Fletcher’s 10 in the AFCCG. With Gary Guyton likely gone this off-season Fletcher looks like he’ll be the primary back up inside linebacker to Spikes and Mayo, with a specialty in pass coverage. Barring the addition of a veteran I’d expect Fletcher to be significant part of the defense, and he’ll need to be in peak condition so that he can stay healthy. The thumb injury that plagued him all season can finally heal and Fletcher can continue his development.

Honorable Mention

Julian Edelman – continued development as Welker insurance at WR, and as a return specialist.

Jermaine Cunningham – 2011 was a lost year for Cunningham, he was battling injury all season long. If he returns to health I think he will again be a considerable factor on defense due to her toughness and versatility.

Devin McCourty – McCourty needs the off-season to get back on track physically and mentally. I expect him to show 2011 was nothing more than a sophomore slump.

Ron Brace – Brace needs to dominate this training camp from start to finish or else he’s probably looking for work somewhere else. He’s shown flashes but it will truly be now or never in 2012.

February 9, 2012 by Mike Dussault

And the crazy ride for Patriots fans continues.

No one will ever feel sorry for a Patriots fan. But our experience with this team over the last decade had us see Super Bowl success early and often, then only to suffer big game defeat after big game defeat ever since.

The 2011 Patriots were without a doubt my favorite team since 2007. And what excites me most is that if you truly believe that defenses win championships then you have to be very happy that players like Spikes, Chung, Mayo, McCourty, Arrington, and maybe even Moore just got the experience of playing in their first Super Bowl.

I am excited about this base long term!

No one will argue that there aren’t areas in need of a talent infusion, but they have the draft picks and the cap space to address those areas.

I really feel for Tom Brady. I know he wanted this one bad, and it was there for the taking and I’m sure it’s eating him up right now. But ultimately 2011 will be one of the more positively regarded seasons in his career, with another AFC Championship and record passing yards.

But the truth that everyone knows is that after all the bullshit about Gisele, Butterfingers, and legacies dies down we’ll be right back to where we always are, with the Patriots again favored to win the Super Bowl, sitting with multiple high round draft picks, and a young defense that’s just scratching the surface of what they’ll do in the next five years.

So until then, whatevs…

https://www.patspropaganda.com/and-the-crazy-ride-for-patriots-fans-continues/

Greetings from my Patriots Fallout Shelter!

February 7, 2012 by Mike Dussault

Apologies for my lackluster posting over the last two days, instead of just jumping into the furious blame-game I like to take a few days to gain some distance and perspective on the season before I start making commentary.

So if you’ve been knee deep in all the mud that the media has been flinging, without a beacon of Patriots homerdom like you get here, I’m sorry.

My TV went off as Brady’s last pass fell incomplete and it has not been turned back on to a channel that might show anything Super Bowl related since, but I’ve kept a lazy eye towards all the fallout.

From Gisele’s post-game analysis, to the Boston media finally getting a free shot on Tom Brady, to today’s Butterfingers that were delivered to Welker, it seems like an unending parade of ancillary story lines that conveniently ignore reality.

The most ironic part is how all season long we heard how bad the defense was, that it was their major weakness, and yet it wasn’t the defense that lost this game. The Giants offense made the critical plays at the critical times. The Patriots offense did not. End of ball game.

Of course this is far too simple for those who get paid to write thousands of words about what went wrong. Everything has to be linked to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s legacy, with a grand “what does it all mean” spin off of every last detail of this single game.

So does this mean every outlet can run their “Patriots dynasty is over” or “Belichick is no longer a genius” article again for the twelfth time since 2007? Hardly.

The 2011 Patriots proved that as long as Bill Belichick is there this team will be competitive. And for those who cried all season long about how untalented this team was, how they didn’t have a deep threat or a pass rusher, or whatever else, none of it really mattered. We lost the game on what had been our strength.

They couldn’t execute when it counted most on offense, something they had done a great majority of the season, and that sealed their fate. There’s no way to “fix” that. And when you lose a game because you can’t land your best punch you deserve to lose.

You can look at Brady and Belichick and yes, they’re the all time winningest coach-QB tandem, but clearly they are closer to the end of their run than the start. That’s all common sense and fine, and sure, you can say their window might be closing.

But the unsexy thing that no one wants to talk about is how this young defense, much maligned all season long, is only at the start of their trajectory. When you look at the experience that Tedy Bruschi, Ted Johnson, Willie McGinest and others gained in the loss of Super Bowl 31, you can see how that set them up for the dynasty run.

This current defense is no different, with pieces like Mayo, Spikes, Chung and McCourty clearly in place for the long haul. Couple them with all the draft picks that will be added again this season and it’s hard to really feel down about the Patriots, unless you’re solely beholden to Tom Brady’s legacy and your only factor for enjoyment is ensuring that Brady is the undisputed greatest QB of all time.

31 teams don’t win the Super Bowl, and even when the Patriots are the best of those 31 it’s still of little consolation. But there was a lot to enjoy about the 2011 season. Records were again broken. Rivals were dispatched. And the Patriots once again were AFC champs.

There’s no doubt the 2012 Patriots will be back and ferocious as ever, it just might take a few weeks to get over the sting of losing to the Giants. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and once we get there we’ll be winning games and trying to make another Super Bowl, which is more than you can say for at least half of the rest of the NFL.

Final Pats thoughts on Super Bowl’s Eve

February 4, 2012 by Mike Dussault

It still seems surreal but the Patriots will be playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow. Wow. I’ve tried to block out thoughts of what the story lines might be whether the Pats win or lose, but it will be nice to finally get on with it.

I love how the media coverage for this Super Bowl played out for the Patriots. Not many in the national media are picking them to win. Tom Brady’s shaky AFC Championship left the pundits two weeks to praise Eli Manning.

The constant Super Bowl 42 highlights were rough to watch, but for at least this week I was able to be at peace with that game. I’m sure it will be back in the vault of shame if we lose this one too.

But with all the questions and discussion of that game, and even Spygate, I have no doubt that the Patriots motivation has been nothing but fueled by this week’s media headlines.

The Patriots played it low key, and the general mood from Bill Belichick and the team was one of quiet confidence. And the Giants and New York media have just kept throwing gasoline on the flames.

I expect Gronk to play like he’s not even hurt. But if he’s a little limited I think the Pats can protect him and still have him be effective. If he’s severely limited it could really be a problem. Having Vollmer back really does help them out by taking some blocking slack from Gronk.

I think Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes are going to have big games for the Pats. The Giants have been vulnerable to blitzes up the middle and I think the Pats will attack them there.

The defensive line has to dominate this game, if they don’t get to Eli he will pick us apart. Mark Anderson needs to come up big. But so do Gerard Warren and Kyle Love. Of course I expect Wilfork to be his usual self, is that too presumptuous?

I am most curious to see how the Pats choose to cover Nicks, Manningham and Cruz. My guess is that they’ll spin the dial a lot and try to make it hard for Eli to know who’s covering who.

I expect the Patriots to play like they have something to prove, and it seems like the Giants are buying into their own hype a little too much. But who knows whose side the Football Gods will be on. No way to know who’s going to get the bounces and the calls and really, there’s a good chance those will determine the game.

I just hope it goes our way.

Sleep well my Patriots brethren. For tomorrow we play for a Super Bowl.

February 4, 2012 by Mike Dussault