Jets Beat Brady At Home For First Time

Rex Ryan sent a message to the Jets fans while his New York Jets delivered one of their own. Rookie Mark Sanchez outplayed Tom Brady and the Jets backed up their big mouths, shutting down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 16-9 on Sunday. So huge, in fact, that Ryan said he was giving the fans a game ball that would be placed in the team’s trophy case.

The win was the first for the Jets over Brady at home and the first over the Patriots at the Meadowlands since 2000. And, it came after a week through which Ryan reiterated his offseason remarks that he didn’t come to “kiss Bill Belichick’s rings” and sent a voicemail to season ticket holders, telling all of them to be loud. The fans obviously answered the call, causing a rough time for the Patriots’ offense all game as Brady was forced into consecutive delay of game penalties in the third quarter.

Brady rallies Patriots past Bills

Mediocre doesn’t define Tom Brady. That’s not what all those long rehab sessions and months of preparing for his return to the NFL were about. So while Brady’s performance was pedestrian for much of Monday night’s season opener, when the spotlight was at its most intense, he lived up to the advance billing. A year after being on the sidelines with torn knee ligaments, Brady resembled a out of form game manager more than the invincible record-setting quarterback who guided the Patriots to a perfect 2007 regular season. Yet, he threw two touchdown passes in the final 2:06 as New England defeated the Buffalo Bills 25-24.

These are still the Patriots, who have not lost a regular-season game with Brady at quarterback since Dec. 10, 2006. And they still have all those threats in the passing game, from Randy Moss to Wes Welker to tight end Watson. Although Brady had those remarkable stats, he never looked deep and struggled to convert key plays until the final moments. Maybe his team was uncomfortable in the throwback red uniforms or being introduced as the Boston Patriots for the first of the NFL’s tribute games to the old AFL. Something wasn’t right in Foxborough, until the final play.

Brady Faces Former Coordinator For First Time

Josh McDaniels spent two seasons running the New England defense so he knew what he was up against when he became the Patriots quarterbacks coach in 04. Now, as head coach of the Broncos, he should have a great idea of what he’ll face when Denver hosts Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday. McDaniels spent the previous three seasons with the Patriots as the offensive coordinator. But for Brady, knowing what to expect doesn’t always lead to victory. The Patriots could line up Sunday in an arrangement they used the previous year to run a certain play. But they could change that and run a diverse play out of it.

While the Patriots’ defensive players have changed radically this year, more or less all the offensive starters are the ones who started under McDaniels. Brady hasn’t been nearly as dominant as he was in 2007 when he threw 50 touchdown passes for an offense, masterminded by McDaniels that set one more league record with a total of 589 points. So far, Tom Brady has only thrown four touchdown passes and is just 17th in quarterback rating. Right now, the Patriots don’t have an offensive coordinator, so Bill Belichick has a large role in running the offense.

Roughing The Passer Rule Needs To Change: Why Tom Brady Needs to Stop Complaints

Football is and will forever be a tough game. There’s a reason there are only 16 games in an NFL season. Players need time to recuperate from being crushed for 60-minutes every week. But, if breathing too hard on a quarterback is a penalty now then do they really need a week to recover? For those that haven’t seen the plays in the Patriots-Ravens game on Sunday, there were two very questionable roughing-the-passer calls. Terrell Suggs barely touched Tom Brady’s leg and Brady started complaining like Tonya Harding hired someone to come after him.The second was when Haloti Ngata grazed Brady’s helmet. Maybe Brady was worried Ngata would mess up his hair because again Brady begged for a flag to be thrown.

Now I’m all for protecting the quarterback, if you’re an offensive lineman. I understand that quarterbacks have to stand in there and take hits when they are basically defenseless. And roughing-the-passer should absolutely be called when a quarterback is hit hard late. But looking threateningly at a quarterback is not a penalty. At what point do we just give these guys a red jersey and make it a game of touch-football? If quarterbacks don’t stop complaining every time someone gets near them, maybe they should just wear those pink shoes and wristbands every week.

The New England Patriots: Spooking the NFL One Week at a Time

The Pats have gone out and tamed two first-class sophomore quarterbacks in consecutive weeks. Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco played respectable games. Even the New York Jets’ win over the Patriots seem a bit off. The whole game looked like New York was waiting for New England to prevail; all the Jets could do was blitz all the time and pray that Tom Brady would not find his gait.  When Brady was knocked out at the start of last season there was a scuttle to reorganize the AFC pecking order. When New England regenerated itself, Miami had just squeaked by them in the East. A sense that the league had been given a brief break from Brady, Belichick, and the Ark of the Covenant they keep stored under Fox borough.

The New England Patriots status has preceded them this year. Tom Brady is still on the road to recovery from his knee injury. Brady must remember that hit every time he drops back. But Brady is slowly recapturing his form, and in the meantime the rest of the NFL is praying that Matt Cassel just dreamed that he left for Kansas City. If teams would like to pound New England they need to go out there and strike them in the mouth. You have to act, instead of just reacting to what the Patriots settle on showing up.

Patriots Vs. Ravens

Baltimore has looked very good so far on both sides of the ball, but dominating Kansas City and Cleveland at home is expected and their win at San Diego isn’t really impressive given that the Ravens were out-gained 5.4 yards for each play to 7.1 yards per play by the Chargers. It’s pretty obvious that Baltimore is improved offensively in quarterback Joe Flacco’s second season but their pass defense has been poor (6.8 yards per pass play allowed) and Tom Brady should be able to exploit that weakness in this game. The Patriots are worse than average defensively as expected, allowing 5.4 yards per play to the teams that would combine to average 5.1 yards per play against an average defensive unit, so Baltimore should move the ball as well.

My ratings favor Baltimore by 2 points, but the Ravens apply to a negative 25-57 ATS road letdown situation following last week’s easy win over the Browns.

Three Thoughts on Ravens-Patriots

These may not be the Patriots of 2007, but they are still the Patriots. These Patriots may have lost a game early to a team they usually dominate, and they may have struggled against a questionable Bills team, but they are still the Patriots. Tom Brady is just three games in to a recovery that many times can take a full season, or more. And yet, last week against Atlanta, the Patriots we all fear showed up and dominated a familiar Atlanta Falcons team.

The Ravens balance on offense gives them hope. The Ravens offensive attack this season might be the league’s most balanced. It’s not just balanced pass-to-rush. The rushing game itself is brilliantly balanced between three runners of varying styles – the speedy Ray Rice, the deceptive Willis McGahee, and the powerful Le’Ron McClain. The team may not be able to put all three on the field for every play, but each is strong enough to keep this offense moving on its own. Even in pass heavy victories against the Chiefs and Browns, the Ravens runners have made an impact.

The Ravens have plenty of holes. Not sure why the Ravens seem to be such favorites in this game around the country, but they are getting a lot of love. I’m not even entirely against it, but it is a bit curious. It was just two weeks ago that Philip Rivers threw for 440 yards against a battered Ravens secondary – without several starters on his offensive line. The Pats offer just as many problems: a steady, deadly quarterback in Tom Brady; a corps of tall, speedy receivers featuring Randy Moss; and a powerful offensive line that specializes in pass blocking.

The Golden Boy Tom Brady

Tom Brady, Jr., who I like to call The Golden Boy, is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After playing for Michigan in college, the New England Patriots drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

He has played in four Super Bowls, winning three of them (36, 37, 39). He has also won two Super Bowl MVP awards (36 and 37), has been selected to four Pro Bowls and holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season. He also owns the fourth-highest career passer rating of all time (92.9). Tom Brady won the Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year award, in 2005. He also helped set the record for the longest successive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons. An ACL injury to Tom Brady won’t slow him down; he’ll have more achievements to win because he is simply that good. He is the Golden Boy of the NFL.

Brady Says Recovery on Track

 

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has indicated that his knee is healing as scheduled and he is looking forward to open the 2009 NFL season on the field. The Super Bowl champion did however not give a definite date as to his exact return to receive a snap on the field.

Brady was interviewed and intimated that he is feeling real good and the recuperation and rehabilitation is going as planned. Brady spoke before the Boys and Girls Club in Allston as the Patriots Charitable Foundation visited the club to give away 1,000 laptops under its One Laptop per Child program. He fielded questions from the members of the club which included if he was ready for training camp which he says he is but his thoughts may not be shared by his trainers. He intimated that his workout felt good and the knee felt great as he the ball.

The last incident he had with the knee surgery was a post operative infection on the knee last September. He tore ligaments on the knee in the first quarter of the regular season opener last September. He did however avoid questions about his girlfriend supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

AmericanFootballBlog’s NFL Mock Draft ‘09

I know it’s too early to tell but with some underclassmen already declaring I am really itching to make my own Mock Draft for the ‘09 draft. So, let me have a crack on it with my own 1st Round Mock Draft, with the BCS championship crowned, I think it’s time for me to pick my best guess for this year’s draft. Here it is:

***Trades :

Green Bay trades #9 and 3rd to Cleveland for #5
Houston trades #15 and 3rd to Buffalo for #11
Minnesota trades #23, 2nd and 5th to San Diego for #16

First Round: (With Top 15 Reviews)

1. Detroit Lions – QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (SO-RS) 6′4″, 218 lbs. – If he declares which is highly anticipated this will be a logical pick for the Lions, they have their worst season ever. They will have to pick for needs and QB is their number 1 need. I would be surprised if they go the other way, but right now. WR Calvin Johnson needs a good QB for sure. If Bradford declares he’ll be the#1 ranked QB in the draft for sure. It will be a QB or OT for them, but I got my pulse on a QB.

2. St. Louis Rams – OT Andre Smith, Alabama (JR) 6′4″, 340 lbs. – This is going to be an OT pick for sure, if Andre Smith won’t be #1 well Rams would likely address their O-Line needs and Andre Smith is the best of the bunch. They can go for a defensive player but I doubt it. Rams would fill a need here and can likely get a starter with Smith.

3. Kansas City Chiefs – QB Matt Stafford, Georgia (JR) 6′3″, 237 lbs. – It’s tough I was going to say they’ll pick a DE or OLB but if you see them play last season the obvious need is QB, with a developing WR Dwayne Bowe, they might wanna go for a QB here. Although possibility of an OT being picked here is also there, there aren’t so much QB that can help them in the next rounds and Stafford is ready to contribute, let me see TE Tony Gonzales grin now.

4. Seattle Seahawks – OLB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest (SR) 6′3″, 247 - Seattle can go for an OT or WR here but they need some help in their defense. If Curry won’t be picked early and falls in Seattle’s lap, I won’t hesitate to pick him. He’s got exceptional speed and agility that can be an asset for sure. Seattle would likely take chance on this but it’ll be worth it. Especially if you see how their defense plays this season, you would think that this can be a good pick for sure.

5. Green Bay Packers (From Cleveland Browns) – OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia (SR), 6′6″, 315 lbs. – The Packers can go for a DE here but logical pick would be an OT. Monroe has the size and the strength to stop the pass rush and also to protect the run and create holes. This is a good pick if the Packers wants to protect its QB Aaron Rodgers and RB Ryan Grant. I think this would be a safe pick and smart at the same time, they can go sexy and pick a WR here but I doubt it, they’ll either going for an OT or a defensive player (DE or LB).

6. Cincinnati Bengals – DE Brian Orakpo, Texas (SR), 6′4″ 260 lbs. - I think that if Orakpo fallsat #6 Bengals should nab him, they need defense big time, I still think they need RB but they can get some quality there in the 2nd round, they also need OT but Orakpo is just too hard to pass, he is great overall athlete with the combination of speed, acceleration and power. You can’t pass on that. He can be an immidiate impact for sure.

7. Oakland Raiders – WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (SO-RS) 6′3″, 214 lbs. – Well, #1 he’s the best WR prospect and he just declared, he’s a clear cut top 3 prospect but in the event that he falls at #7, the Raiders who have a very poor WR corps (sorry guys) can not pass on this. Of course some additional OT or G can help but c’mon a WR that can make plays, a deep threat receiver that has the gear to change speeds when needed. He is one of the best WRs if not the best in the country. It will also help QB Jamarcus Russel on his progress, imagine him, Russell and RB Darren McFadden on your offense.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars – OT Jason Smith, Baylor (SR), 6′5″ 298 lbs. - Well, they need to protect QB David Garrard better and what better way to do that than picking the best OT available. Smith is strong and a good blocker, he can create some opening in the run while also giving QB Garrard the protection he needs. Jaguars should automatically go for an OT here. They can also go for defense or WR but OT is what this team needs.

9. Cleveland Browns (from Green Bay Packers) – S Taylor Mays, USC (JR), 6′3″, 230 lbs. – They can go for a CB but Taylor Mays is a good enough pick for them, one of the elite defensive player out of Pete Carroll’s system, he has the speed to make blitzes or the awareness for coverage. Browns needs a secondary and Mays will fit right in their system, although getting a Cb is not bad as well.

10. San Francisco 49ers – CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State (SR), 6′1″, 201 lbs. - A safe pick to get Jenkins at 10, he is smart and has the athleticism to be an elite CB. He can be a great zone or man-to-man coverage guy. I can see 49ers going for a DE or even a QB at this point but they need some help in the secondary and Jenkins will fit nicely for sure. He can help the 49ers secondary and can even be a special teams player an option for KR/PR with his exceptional speed.

11. Houston Texans (from Buffalo Bills) – OT Michael Oher, Ole Miss (SR), 6′5″, 318 lbs. – Well the Texans have developed a great offense this year and just need to protect it more. with Oher they can have a pass blocker that can buy QB Matt Schaub time to get his target. A strong and agile OT which can be a very good pick for them. They might also look for a Safety or CB with this pick.

12. Denver Broncos – ILB Rey Maualuga, USC (SR), 6′2″, 260 lbs. – The Broncos needs help with their LB set and Maualuga can be an answer, although a DE might also be in discussion here I would suggest them to get an ILB in this spot. Maualuga is a strong, big hitting stopper. He has the speed but not as elite as the others, but when he delivers you’ll feel it in your bones. This is a logical pick for Denver and can be a good one for sure.

13. Washington Redskins – DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (SO-RS), 6′4″, 295 lbs. – They need some stopper in the defenside side of the game, they got good enough offense but still mssing some pieces stopping the opposing team’s offense. If McCoy declares, he will be one of the best DTs in his class. He can help the Redskins declining defense and will be able to make changes as well. The Redskins should grab him if ever he falls this deep.

14. New Orleans Saints – CB Vontae Davis, Illinois (JR), 6′0″, 204 lbs. – The Saints need some help in their secondary and Davis can be the man, if CB Malcolm Jenkins can be gone which is probably the case, Davis will be their best pick will be Jenkins. It’s a good pick concerning they have needs in that position. This will be a good pick for sure.

15. Buffalo Bills (From Houston Texans) – TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma (JR) 6′6″, 261 lbs. – Well this is an obvious pick, the Bills need some variation in their passing game and Gresham is an elite prospect he have been one of the best players in the Sooners offense and with his size and skills it’s really be a treat having a player like him. although the Bills might need a CB, SS or DE but I think they need a TE more.

16. Minnesota Vikings (From San Diego Chargers) – WR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri (SO-RS), 6′1″ 200 lbs.

17. New York Jets – DT B.J. Raji, Boston College (SR) 6′1″, 232 lbs.

18. Chicago Bears – DE Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech (SR) 6′6″, 260lbs.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia (SO-RS) 5′11″, 207 lbs.

20. Detroit Lions (From Dallas Cowboys) – S William Moore, Missouri (SR), 6′1″, 230 lbs.

21. Arizona Cardinals – DE/OLB Aaron Maybin, Penn State (SO-RS), 6′4″, 236 lbs.

22. San Diego Chargers (From Minnesota Vikings) – DE Tyson Jackson, LSU (SR), 6′5″, 292 lbs.

23. New England Patriots -TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State (SR), 6′6″, 280 lbs.

24. Atlanta Falcons – DE Everette Brown, Florida State (JR), 6′4″, 252 lbs.

25. Miami Dolphins -CB D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt (JR), 5′10″, 182 lbs.

26. Baltimore Ravens – WR Percy Harvin, Florida (JR), 5′11″, 195 lbs.

27. Indianapolis Colts – OLB Brian Cushing, USC (SR), 6′3″, 255 lbs.

28. PhiladelphiaEagles (From Carolina Panthers) -OL Ciron Black, LSU (JR), 6′5″ 320 lbs.

29. Tennessee Titans – WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland (JR), 6′3″, 206 lbs.

30. New York Giants – WR Kenny Brit, Rutgets (JR), 6′4″, 215 lbs.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers – OG Duke Robinson, Oklahoma (SR), 6′5″, 335 lbs.

32. Philadelphia Eagles – DT Peria Jerry, Mississippi (SR), 6′2″, 295 lbs.

There you have it my own Mock Draft for 2009. I hope that ya’ll like it. It’s not as accurate as other mock drafts but I think that would be my opinion. Feel free to comment or suggest anything, you guys might want to say. Thank You.