Posts Tagged ‘New England Patriots’

Playing to Win

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

In professional sports, the margin between winning and losing is razor thin.  Often, it is the team that plays to win versus not to lose, that ends up on top.  And it is this characteristic that makes the Superbowl win of the New Orleans Saints so impressive. 

     Head Coach Sean Payton (shown here) and Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams earned my admiration and respect with the go for it attitude they showed.  Payton’s on side kick call to open the 2nd half was the call of the season!  And don’t give me any of that lucky bounce nonsense.  Luck is the combination of preparation and opportunity arriving at the same time.  I may buy into a little bit of karmic intervention as well, but it’s interesting that unprepared and/or bad teams never seem to get the breaks.  Payton’s Saints practiced that onsides kick for two weeks before succeeding and Williams’ blitzing defense resulted in the winning pick six only after weeks of watching tendencies in film study.  The Saints were supposed to get worn down by Colt perfection, instead they outscored Indy 31-7 in quarters 2, 3 and 4 and are partying on Bourbon Street!

     On the flip side, the other Peyton is getting destroyed.  What is it with people these days?!?  Don’t get me wrong, I took some pleasure in watching the four time MVP, golden boy quarterback throw the interception that sealed the game for the Saints, but don’t blame it all on Manning.  Peyton Manning is a GREAT quarterback, will go down as one of the best ever and every team in the NFL (except maybe New England) whether they’re led by Brees, McNabb, Romo or Rivers would trade their QB straight up for Manning.  The Colts were undone by being conservative and playing not to lose.  They’ll spend the offseason kicking themselves and wondering what might have been.

     Play to win folks; there’s a reason they say, “to the aggressor go the spoils!”

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Colts Caldwell calls his Shot

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Jim Caldwell_Indianapolis Colts_Head CoachFor those of you who looked at the 13 and 0 Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints and 11 and 1 Minnesota Vikings and claimed NFL parody was dead, not so fast my friends!  The NFL playoff picture is a wild ride as we go into Week 17 with only one seed set in the NFC race and with multiple 8 win teams battling for the two AFC wild card slots.  In addition, three games this week, the Eagles-Cowboys, Cardinals-Packers and Jets-Bengals could be preludes to first round playoff match-ups.

     Adding to the mess, the only team that had their division sewn up weeks ago, the mighty Indianapolis Colts (who pundits are ranking as only the second best team in the AFC despite their 14-1 record), did the unspeakable and took out their players in the 3rd quarter of an eventual 29-15 loss to the New York Jets.  Fans in Denver, Pittsburgh and Houston are screaming foul as the Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters while sporting a 15-10 lead and let the Jets waltz to a win, an 8 and 7 record and the inside track to one of the AFC Wild Card slots.  Are they right? 

     In other sports, it’s a time honored tradition to try to play spoiler and send teams spinning out of the playoffs.  Only in football, where injuries are so prevalent, is it acceptable (to some…) to lay down and protect your starters for your own playoff run.  My thought is hey, protect your own, even if it means someone else will suffer for it.  Football teams only get 16 games and if you want a playoff spot, earn it.  I was a little unhappy with Caldwell’s call as the Colts were going for History as well, but I agree, the most important thing is to win the Superbowl.  Or do you think the Patriots were really satisfied with their 18 and 1 record two years ago???

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Fresh Take: Broncos, Eagles, Titans and Bears, oh my

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

tom-brady_NFL_New England Patriots_QB

Welcome back Sports Fans, it’s another addition of the SCL Fresh Take!  Has the NFL season been a surprise, or what?!?  Jockeying back and forth for biggest surprise of the year are the Denver Broncos on the good side and the Tennessee Titans on the bad!  The Broncos are 6 and oh and running away with the AFC West after pasting San Diego on Monday.  The Chargers are off to their normal weak start and look to be looking up at Bronco butt in the standings for the rest of the season. 

     Meanwhile the Titans got lathered by Golden Boy Tom Brady and the Patriots who watched Brady throw five TD passes in one quarter on route to a 59-0 laugher!  The Titans never showed up for the game and did not want to be playing in the ice and snow in New England.  I love Jeff Fisher and will love him even more when he’s coaching Dallas next year…  A Fisher firing is on the horizon especially after watching the Titans mail it in game after game this year.   On the flip side, Brady continues his reign as the NFL’s favorite and most protected QB.  Did you catch the “Roughing” the Passer penalty called when one of the Titans waved his hand in front of Brady’s face?  I’m stunned Tom didn’t take a dive to get away…

     Two other disappointments showed up on Sunday as the Eagles threw the ball 46 times (88% of their plays) against the Raiders and their 31st ranked run defense.  The iggies went down 13 to 9 which led Head Coach Andy Reid to ponder if they should have ran the ball a few more times.  The San Diego slow start makes one forget about Philly, but the Eagles always seem to flush home field advantage in the playoffs by blowing games like this and at Cincinnati last year!  Meanwhile Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears matched his season total of two fumbles in two successive plays at the goal line Sunday night in Atlanta.  The Bears went down 21 to 14 and it looks like Forte will get to go the the Tom Coughlin school of frequent fumblers ; wrap it up Matt!

     And that wraps it up for us, stay Fresh!

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SCL’s Fresh Take

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Tom_Brady_New_England_Patriots_NFLHey sports fans, welcome back to the all new SCL’s Fresh Take, a whole new twist on sports for you, the fan.  Did you happen to catch the end of the US Open match last night?  I bet you’re telling yourself ole Roger is over the hill now that he has 15 Grand Slam titles?  Right?  Don’t worry about ole Roger just because he got beat last night.  R-Fed played in the finals of all four Grand Slams this year and outside of a few lapses in concentration, would have had a clean sweep of all the hardware for his trophy case.  He’ll be fine as wine for a few more years.

What about that comeback by Tom Brady and the Patriots last night?  After a rough first half, Brady and company got things going late and scored two touchdowns with only 2:03 left in the game.  Can you say “Game On” for the Pats?  Not so fast Sporty!  While Tommy and the “O” were cranked up in high gear, the “D” looked like they were out for drinks.  Gone are the days of winning Super Bowls with their stifling defense.  This ain’t the same unit without Seymour, Bruschi, Harrison, Law and on and on and on of Pro Bowlers.  Brady to Moss better stay healthy for this team to return to glory in Miami this year.

Next…..T.O.’s debut in a Bills uniform was over hyped and never quite lived up to the drama we are all hoping for but the boys from the shores of Lake Erie LOOKED GOOD.  Trent Edwards was orchestrating the Bills “O” up and down the field (although against the aforementioned Pats D) with their last TD drive being a “Championship Drive.”  Just when you thought things may be getting better in western New York, the real Bills showed up and delivered ANOTHER heartbreaking loss for their faithful.  Game, Set and Match.  Will they ever get over the hump?

Let’s move on to something less depressing.  Did you see Tim Lincecum dominate the red hot Rockies last night?  Timmy Boy overcame a bulky back to hurl 7 complete, fan 11 and scatter 6 base knocks while only yielding 1 run.  Not a bad night at the office considering he was scratched from his previous outing with a doctor’s excuse.  Lincecum should haul in his share of post season awards this year including the National League Cy Young.  The Mullet Boy from the Frisco Bay is the REAL DEAL.

And finally, what about MJ’s Hall of Fame acceptance speech from Saturday night?  Yahoo Sports and many others are slamming the former Bull for his petty rants and score settling after being praised as the greatest basketball player of all time.  Mike? Mike? Mike?  What were you thinking?  Are you not above all the senseless jabs at your mere mortals in the “Association?”  Just hang your hat on those 6 pretty rings and knowing your mug hangs on those Springfield, MA walls.  Using some basketball vernacular, MJ threw up an air ball on this one.  I don’t think I want to “Be like Mike” anymore.

And that, my friends is what is HOT in sports.  Join us again tomorrow for SCL’s Fresh Take.

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Fantasy Tips: The Season Approaches

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Bill Parcells_NFL_Coach_Dallas Cowboys

In this version of Fantasy Tips we want to concentrate on coaching!

1)  Know your opponents!  When getting ready for a draft or game in Fantasy Football, you need to know who you are playing against.  Just like in poker, you want to know tendencies and moves your opponents are likely to make.  During the draft, watch for who is drafting what and in what order.  Many times you can “steal” a player by knowing that the guy in order behind you is likely to go Running Back, Running Back, Quarterback and you can tailor your picks to maximize your advantage.

2) Go for depth!  Its great to have a fantastic starting 9 players but what about injuries or bye weeks???  Make sure you have solid back-ups in the skill positions especially Running Back and Quarterback.  I always shake my head watching folks go for Defenses and/or Kickers early to fill out their roster (heck you can even go late for Tight Ends depending who is on the board) when they could get a good third RB or 2nd QB as insurance.  Also, when you are drafting late, go for the guys on high scoring teams.  It is likely that the 3rd Running Back or Receiver on the New England Patriots is going to score more garbage time touchdowns than the second (or even first) options on the Lions, Rams or Chiefs.  Last year Benjarvus Green-Ellis got me into the playoffs when my top RBs went down late in the season.

3) Be ready to make moves coach!  Like former Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells above, don’t be afraid to churn the bottom of your roster.  Watch the waiver wire and when guys come out of nowhere in weeks 1-3, jump on them!  A couple of years ago, nobody had heard of a receiver who went on to score two TDs  and gain 210 receiving yards in Week 1 when I grabbed him off the waiver wire.  Everybody knows who Anquan Boldin is now though, don’t they?

For Entertainment Purposes Only

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Michael Vick: Fallen Falcon to Eager Eagle

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Michael Vick_Philadelphia Eagles_NFLIt finally is here!  The day that the villanous dog killer Michael Vick rejoins the NFL, this time as a Philadelphia Eagle. 

     Wow!  I do not envy Michael Vick one bit.  Granted the Eagles run the West Coast Offense and that Andy Reid is an innovative offensive mind, but Philadephia???  Philly fans are tough and have a reputation of being hard on players, but I don’t think the Eagles Management envisioned the fury that started bubbling last night when the team made the announcement about the Vick signing.  The preseason game with the Patriots was forgotten (though the Eagles made a nice comeback in a 27-25 loss) and the Vick arguments began. 

     Even the talking heads don’t agree…  Steve Young thought the signing was a great move while former Eagle great Ron Jaworski thought the pressure may be too much for Vick and good friend Donovan McNabb who supposedly was consulted and signed off on the Vick deal.      

     The members of the Eagles brass have a great reputation, but I don’t agree with the assessment that they are a stable organization that can handle any crises the Vick signing will bring. The organization was well on their way to potentially firing Andy Reid and dumping McNabb after embarassing games last year against the Bengals and Ravens.  And McNabb was worried about Kevin Kolb looking over his shoulder, let alone Michael Vick who has led a team into the playoffs and NFC Championship Game.  Couple that with the loss of Jim Johnson and Brian Dawkins and the aftershocks of the Terrell Owen debacle a couple of years back and the Philadelphia Eagles organization may be mixing an explosive brew.

     As I stated a couple of weeks back, people need to move forward and let Michael Vick try to rebuild his life.  His actions were reprehensible and heinous and should not be overlooked, but he should get the chance to show he is willing to make amends and be a positive influence on the football field and off.  We’ll see if Philly’s the right place for him to start that journey.

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Grades for 32 NFL Franchises

Monday, April 27th, 2009

After watching the NFL draft over the weekend, I decided to grade each franchise and it’s performance over the past decade and to reasonable nflpredict it’s future success. 

A+  New England Patriots – Class of the league.  3 Super Bowls this decade.  Solid owner, Hall of Fame coach and great product every year.  Pittsburgh Steelers – 2 Super Bowls this decade.  Strong ownership, coaching and players.  Never overspends and never compromises values.  Iianapolis Colts – Bill Polian runs a first class operation.  Good ownership support and a Hall of Fame Quarterback, the Colts will always compete.  Philadelphia Eagles – 5 NFC Championship games in 8 years.  4th best winning pct. In the NFL since 2000.  Results are on the field.  Always in the top ranked teams for salary cap management.

A  New York Giant – Won Super Bowl 2 seasons ago and finished regular season in 2008 with 12-4.  Only received an A grade because prior to Super Bowl win, organization floundered 6 previous years. 

A-  Miami Dolphins – Anything with Bill Parcell’s stamp on it is heading in the right direction.  San Diego Chargers – I’m not a Norv Turner fan and thought Marty Schottenheimer got a raw deal but the changes in coaching has yielded no real drop off in on the field performance.

B+  Denver Broncos – Recent success has eluded this franchise but Pat Bowlen has 2 Lombardi trophies.  Bowlen made the move to oust Shanahan.  We’ll see how the Josh McDaniel era goes.  Minnesota Vikings – Team is on the rise with Brad Childress at the helm.  Long gone are the days of the Booze Cruise and Love Boat from Dante Culpepper years past. 

B  Tennessee Titans –Jeff Fisher is a good coach but Vince Young experiment is not panning out as planned. 

B-  Chicago Bears – Bears are unable and unwilling to develop the quarterback position as they failed with Rex Grossman.  Culter will not flourish as Lovie Smith is a defensive minded coach and not Mike Shanahan.  Jacksonville Jaguars – Up, Down, Up, Down.  Del Rio is a solid coach but the Matt Jones issue is sending up red flags.  Atlanta Falcons – Last year was great and brought their score from D- to B-.  Michael Vick still lingers.  Can easily move to an A grade or back to C depending on the 2009 season.  Tampa Bay Bucs – It was time for Gruden to move on but so did the heart and soul of the team in Warrick Dunn and Derrick Brooks.  It’s been a while since their 2002 Super Bowl Win.  New Orleans Saints – Sean Payton is a good, young offensive mind but offensive doesn’t win championships.  N.O. has not gotten the recipe right since their 2006 trip to the NFC Championship game.  San Francisco 49ers – Anyone who hires Mike Singletary is heading in the right direction.  How about a friendly jog on Pain Hill?  Baltimore Ravens – Jim Harbaugh is the right guy for the job and Ray Lewis is a player for the ages.

C+  Green Bay Packers – Not sure if Mike McCarthy is the right guy.  Year 1 under Aaron Rogers yielded -7 games in the win column.  Carolina Panthers – Problems, problems, problems.  Just overpaid for Delhomme, Julius Peppers wants out of town and sacked their D-Coordinator.  Their 12-4 record keeps them out of the D’s.  Houston Texans – Young franchise that made some BIG mistakes in the beginning.  Kubiak has their heads above water and looking up.  Arizona Cardinals – Bill Bidwell and 1 playoff win in 50+ years prior to 2008 Super Bowl run.  Given a C+ grade because they hired Wisenhunt and Grimm to turn organization around.

C  Dallas Cowboys – Jerry Jones is a younger version of Al Davis.  Recent success is only attributed to Bill Parcels personnel moves.  Jerry Jones is NOT NFL G.M.  J.J. has not had an experiment go well since he fired Jimmy Johnson and this past weekend’s draft was another, in a long list of ndications of a poor organization.  Washington Redskins – Daniel Snyder is a petulant child.  Coaching turmoil is ruining a very young and talented quarterback in Jason Campbell.  Turmoil at it best.  New York Jets – J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS.  We’ll see if new coach Ryan and QB Sanchez can get this team over the hump.  Brett Favre was only a 1 year experiment.  It’s is now time to play football and not patty cakes.  Buffalo Bills – Not much to sneeze at since their last Super Bowl appearance 15 years ago but have a good core of young players. 

D+  Kansas City Chiefs – Herm Edwards is a good coach but was a disaster in KC.  Not very good results since owner Lamar Hunt died.

D  Seattle Seahawks – I’m not a Jim Mora fan based on his Atlanta experience.  He’ll never live up to Mike Holmgren.  This team will continue to decline under Mora’s leadership (or lack thereof). 

D-  St. Louis Rams – Team has had 1 winning season since their Spygate Super Bowl loss to the upstart Patriots. Spags should get them on the right road in 3 years or so.  Cincinnati Bengals – Terrible ownership.  Marvin Lewis is the ONLY reason I didn’t give them an F.  Cleveland Browns – Terrible ownership.  No redeeming qualities from such a depressing town.  Can they draft LeBron James to play all positions?

F  Detroit Lions – Just like the Big 3 automakers…..DONE.  Oakland Raiders – Once a proud franchise based on a “Commitment to Excellence” now, just a joke drowning in an abyss of delusion.

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