Why The Patriots Should Be Favorites For Super Bowl 47

     Last year, however great a year it was, with all the ups and downs it had, fell short of the goal of getting #4 for the Patriots. But that doesn't mean that we have to go into a slump next year like many teams do post-Super Bowl. We still have very real chances at the Super Bowl in 2013. Barring any major Brady injury like Peyton Manning just had, our offense should be just as good, if not better, than before. We still have Welker and it's probable that we grab a deep threat of a receiver like Brandon Lloyd or drafting Rueben Randle. Or both, since Randle could then learn from Welker and Lloyd. Maybe even throw in Vincent Jackson. And there is a vast number of Free Agent DEs and OLBs that we could go and grab, like Houston's Mario Williams. The defense was on fire though the playoffs (well, up until there was only a little bit of time left in the fourth quarter), and I think they could play like that all year if they needed. So unless Tom Brady severely injures himself or BB has a problem and has to resign, this team will be right back where they were last year, and may go to their 6th Super Bowl in 12 years, and 7th under Robert Kraft's time of owning the Franchise, hopefully winning it.

New England's Draft: Should They Trade Up To #2?

Should New England Trade Up In The Draft?

      Let me just come straight outta the gate and say no way. No. Rumor's went around on Wednesday that New England could be the mystery team who Mike Mayock describes as a team that "Nobody would expect" that wants to trade up to #2. That's just stupid. New England should not trade up to #2 in the Draft. That would require trading away our #27, #31, and probably both of our second round picks to get it. Why would we risk 4 players to get 1? I don't see the logic in trading up that far. Why would anybody ever throw all their chips in on one player instead of finding value in late-round gems? Classic example of late-round gems: Tom Brady at 199. What if New England, in that 2000 draft, had traded up to #18 and grabbed Chad Pennington, while trading away our 6th round pick and a handful of others to the Jets? Then the Jets would have Tom Brady. Does that sound like a situation that any New England fan likes? Nah it doesn't. Here's another more recent example: 2010 Draft. What if New England trades up and goes to get Ndomukong Suh, but trades away our second and fourth, let's say? Then the Lions could have Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, while New England would only have a DT who's known around the league as dirty and cheap, however talented. So why would NE give up the opportunity to get 4 great players to go all in on someone who may have a career ending injury in Week 1? It's better to have a table with 4 different parts holding it up than just one. Because that one leg may not hold the table up. That's why New England shouldn't trade up.

Will Green-Ellis Be A Patriot In 2012?

Will the Law Firm be back in 2012?

     With the lack of Green-Ellis being utilized in 2011, many suspect that since his contract is up and he'll be hitting Free agency, that he'll not return to the Patriots in 2012. Now, I for one think that Belichick would be completely stupid to do this. Of course, I also think he will. But Green-Ellis is a great back and deserves a 2012 contract. He has yet to fumble since he made it into the NFL, which is something Belichick loves in his players. He is also all but a guarantee to get a first down when you need him to. He made $1.875 million in 2011, which he has earned in my mind. I think releasing Green-Ellis and the probability that Faulk retires would make the Patriots backfield filled with Woodhead, Ridley, and Vareen. None are outstanding backs. Of course, there's always Aaron Hernandez at RB. But that's beside the point. When Faulk went down in 2010, Green-Ellis picked up the slack and rushed for over 1,000 yards. He's a key part to the offense. Especially on third downs. On third and short, who else in the NE backfield would be all but a guarantee to get it? I can't think of anyone. The Law Firm is our rushing workforce. That's why I think he should be back in 2012 with the Patriots.

Should the Patriots Pursue Randy Moss? (Plus Computer Background)

Randy Moss has announced that he will be (or at least will try to be) coming back to the NFL in the 2012-2013 season, saying "Your boy be back for the upcoming season." He's 35, but from everything I'm told, he's still got it. I, for one, think that NE should try out every WR they can get their hands on, but especially Moss. Him and Brady have that connection. However, Moss is also known for giving up when he isn't happy, by not running routes and dropping passes, as well as skipping out on practice. However, the last time Moss was in New England, Moss was able to be kept from doing this for 3 years, before he started giving up and was released in the 2010-2011 season. From there he went to the Vikings, for a very short time, and then went to Tennessee for the rest of the season, before announcing his retirement. Many people think Moss is just looking for a paycheck, but when I look at him, I think I know why he's coming back. Look at his hands. See any rings? No? That's why I think he's coming back. Well, and to add to his legacy. But either way, I believe he wants to go out and ball for somebody, and I think he would prefer that somebody to be the New England Patriots. What do you think? Tell me below.

14 Free Agents That New England Should Go After

A lot of people don't care much about Free Agency, thinking their team will get what they need in the Draft alone. Where this logic comes from, I don't know. But it's most definitely not completely true. Sure, you can find some gems each draft, but the real assurance in choosing players comes from Free Agency. So here's a list of Free Agents NE should go ahead and take after (In no particular order):
     1) Mario Williams, DE/OLB, Houston
     We all know Mario is a monster. And he's a great edge rusher. What is one of NE's major priorities? Pass rush. So hey, why not chase one of the best in the biz? Mario Williams is a very proven pass rusher, and I think the Texans don't want him anymore when they have JJ Watt and several other good defensive lineman. So he could be very good for the Patriots if they went after him.
     2) Cortland Finnegan, CB, Tennessee
     Sure he's gotten in a few fights before, most famously the fight with Houston's Andre Johnson. But hey, New England has shown that they can tame wild beasts (Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco). Finnegan is an underdog, no matter who he's lining up against, so he's always got that fire in him. He's aggressive. He hits guys. And most importantly, he's a pretty dang good cover CB. And he already said that if New England offered him a contract, he'd love to join the team. Sounds like a good plan to me.
     3) Calais Campbell, DE, Arizona
     In 2011, this Defensive End from the Cardinals had 72 tackles, and 8 sacks, as well as an interception and 2 forced fumbles. Not too shabby. And he's got some good size to him too, at 6 feet, 8 inches, and 300 pounds. He meets Belichick's requirements for D-Line, that's for sure. He's one guy that probably goes under a lot of people's radar, since he isn't a household name, but he can definitely be huge for the New England Patriots.
     4) Cliff Avril, DE, Detroit
     This guy is one of the great D-Lineman of the Detroit Lions, and at 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and 260 pounds, he's a quick guy that can get to the QB (11 sacks in 2011). He's also young, but has experience. Something New England could use on that defense. New England's defense is known for getting turnovers, and Avril got 6 forced fumbles in 2011, which is pretty good. He could definitely fit in in New England and get out there to start making plays early if NE signs him.
     5) Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego
     Here we have a household name. Vincent Jackson. He's a WR that Tom Brady would love to have, and that New England needs. Sure Ochocinco didn't have a great year, but I think Ochocinco should stay in NE at least for training camp and see how it goes. Restructure his contract for less money. Then put Ochocinco outside, Jackson outside, and everybody's favorite White Wes Welkah in the slot? With Hernandez and Gronkowski too? Oh man, would that be an offense for the ages or what? Jackson is a big bodied WR, that would be great in the Red Zone, and he can stretch the field vertically, allowing Welker to make his dough underneath. It would be like 2007 all over again!
     6) Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans
     This guy is a good WR with size and speed. 6 feet, 3 inches, 225 pounds. In 2011, he caught 80 balls for 1,143 yards and reeled in 8 touchdowns, while getting 55 first downs. He could also help stretch the field for the Patriots, and get defenses scared of our deep ball again. Spread those defenses out a bit more so Welker's job isn't so hard. NE has been lacking WRs since the start of the 2010 season when Randy Moss left the Patriots. Since then, everything has been on Welker's shoulders to carry the receivers corps. And he's done a good job at that, but a tall receiver is definitely a major priority in Foxboro, and Colston fits that.
     7) John Abraham, DE, Atlanta
     This guy is known pretty well throughout the NFL as a great pass rusher, with 9.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 2011. And I'm sure he's tired of not getting anything in the postseason in Atlanta. He's nearing the end of his career at 34 years old, and he wants a ring on his hand. He doesn't have one yet. So I think he'd definitely take a little pay cut to come to the reigning AFC Champions and give that SB trip another go. He's got a much higher chance of getting some bling in New England than he does in Atlanta, despite Atlanta's good Offense and Defense. So I think he could be a nice addition for a season, but not more. He could be like Andre Carter was for New England in 2011. A man nearing retirement, who's a bit old, but still has what it takes for just a bit longer, and wants a ring more than anything.
     8) Brent Grimes, CB, Atlanta
     This guy may not seem too flashy out there, only hauling in 1 interception in 2011, but he can be good for New England, who's very short at Corner Back, and hasn't had a great SB since Asante Samuel. Grimes isn't too good on paper, but he's not too shabby when you watch him play. He could help out a lot in the young, inexperienced secondary of the Pats.
     9) DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadephia
     After being benched by his coach Andy Reid for a game during the 2011 season, it seems that the Eagles may not even negotiate with DeSean. He's known for showboating and being about as flashy and cocky as Primetime was, but he's got Wes Welker quickness and Randy Moss speed. He's a freak of nature. He does have attitude problems, but I'm sure Belichick could get him whipped into shape in no time. He's an incredibly skilled WR, Adding him to Brady's arsenal of weapons could be great, if he's willing to take a pay cut to come here. And I think, like most players, he would be.
     10) Steve Johnson, WR, Buffalo
     Bill Belichick is notorious for trading for players who he can't figure out how to beat (see Wes Welker), and Johnson is no exception. He's big, and not only would BB not have to deal with him anymore, he'd become a great asset. He's got size and speed, and he may not be a Randy Moss, he certainly has what it takes to play elite football. With a QB like Brady throwing to him, he could be huge for us.
     11) LaRon Landry, S, Washington
     Did anybody just have flashbacks of Rodney Harrison? Thought so. Landry is a great safety from Washington, who's notorious for hitting. Again, Rodney Harrison anybody? He's exactly what New England's defense needs in the secondary. Somebody who knows what's up (5 years experience), and he's tall. New England needs tall DBs, because it seems every single WR over 6 feet, 3 inches just eats this secondary for breakfast. New England wants teams to be afraid of playing us again. And I think Landry could be a big part of that.
     12) Jarret Johnson, LB, Baltimore
     This guy is kind of like the unknown man on the Ravens linebacking coprs. But coaches playing him always know who he is. He had 56 tackles in 2011, as well as 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He bring experience to the table, as he's been in the NFL for 9 years. He knows what teams like to do, and he could be another key factor of this New England defense.
     13) Brandon Lloyd, WR, St Louis
     Lloyd is a very athletic WR who seems to very much enjoy working with New England's soon to be Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. They were on the same team in Denver, when McDaniels took Lloyd as a free agent, and when McDaniels was fired and went on to be the OC of the St. Louis Rams, Lloyd soon followed in a trade. Lloyd says he would love to go to play up in Foxboro, and there's no reason not to believe him. He had 70 catches for 966 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2011, with Sam Bradford as the one tossing him the ball. Not shabby at all. Lloyd could definitely be a nice addition to the Patriots one-man-show WR corps.
     14) Tyvon Branch, S, Oakland
     Branch, a 6 feet, 0 inch safety from the Raiders, had a pretty nice 2011 season with 109 tackles, a sack, and an interception, as well as a fumble recovery. He has some height to him at six feet tall, and that is big for the Pats (no pun intended). Height and experience is necessary in New England's poor secondary. Branch brings both. That's why I think he could find himself with a Flying Elvis on his helmet pretty soon.

4 Patriots Plays That could Help Them Win SB XLVI

Here is just a few plays I came up with to help the Patriots get past the New York Giants. Hope you enjoy.

This play is basically just a running play, but I'm going to break it down. You have Hernandez left, Gronkowski on the end of the offensive line, Brady in the shotgun with Green-Ellis to his right, Welker in the slot on the right, and Ochocinco outside. But the most important part of this play is that Hernandez and Gronkowski are both on the same side, and the Giants are more than likely going to double both. And you need a big body of Gronkowski and Hernandez, like a linebacker. So now you have 2 linebackers to the left, and only one in the middle, because Welker and Ochocinco will have CBs on them. The free safety is going to hover over Hernandez and Gronkowski in an attempt at bracket coverage, and the SS will try to cover Welker and Ochocinco (mainly Welker). But the Giants have to put all their big bodies, all their beef, to the left on Gronkowski and Hernandez, so the smaller bodies will be right. Which is perfect for the Patriots. Play action to Green-Ellis from the shotgun. Now Green-Ellis is basically going to run a short flat route in basically a screen, with Welker and Ochocinco blocking their men, while right guard Marcus Cannon pulls to the right as another big body. In my mind, because the big defensive players will be on Gronkowski and Hernandez, this play could be big, and even be a touchdown.

In this play, Branch is lined up wide left, Gronkowski on the end of the line, Brady in the shotgun, Hernandez beside Brady as a running back (the Giants will immediately think run if Hernandez is in the backfield), Welker in the slot to the right, and Ocho wide right. Basically the same formation as the last play, with slightly different personnel. Brady's primary route will be Welkers, with his in-out route (he goes forward, then left, and then turns to his left to end up going right again), Ochocinco will be Brady's secondary route, with a corner-post route that I've seen Ochocinco run well many times. Branch will be third with his hitch, then Hernandez on his arrow-slant route. Gronkowski will be last on the read with his option out-post, because he likely won't be open on the route, but his big body will still require double coverage even if injured, and if he's open, it could be a great play. The key to this play is that it's outside. A couple different route on the outside, which isn't covered very well by the giants if they run the same defense they did the last time they played us (a lot of press coverage and doubling of both right ends, keeping the middle of the field cloudy so Brady couldn't figure out coverages).

This is a pretty simple defense I think could help shutdown the Giants O. The Giants like coming out in this formation, with Manningham outside left, Cruz in the slot to the left, Manning under center with Bradshaw behind him, Ballard on the end of the offensive line on the right, and Nicks wide right. I have Arrington in Nicks, Fletcher on Ballard, Mayo blitzing, Spikes dropping into a zone over the middle of the field, Ninkovich calling pre-snap whether he'll blitz or whether he'll pick up Cruz (if he does blitz, Spikes will be the bottom of the bracket coverage, with Ihedigbo over the top) and McCourty on Manningham. Ihedigbo will be dropping into pass coverage if Ninkovich doesn't blitz, and Chung would be doing the same. I think this defense could be good, with Wilfork requiring double-teams, and NE blitzing 5 total guys (unless Ninkovich covers Cruz) to help get pressure on Eli and stopping any outside run, with Spikes plugging any holes he sees over the middle.

This play is pretty simple, with New England in an unbalanced formation to combat Man coverage and Zone coverage. Ochocinco would be mid-way between the numbers on the field and the end of the line of scrimmage, Woodhead next to Brady in the shotgun, Hernandez on the end of the line of scrimmage on the right, Welker in a bunch with Branch. Ochocinco would be running a corner-post again, which would probably require double coverage, and if he isn't doubled, just heave that ball up there to him. Woodhead would stay behind to protect Brady, and Hernandez would be running basically a rounded post, so that he keeps speed through the whole route, to occupy the upper-middle of the field, causing a safety of linebacker to take him, Welker running an arrow route to the outside (basically running just past the line of scrimmage, to the outside horizontally), and Branch running a delayed Drag route. This play would keep safeties on their heals, as well as attack the Giants linebackers, making them play smart football. Welker would be Brady's first choice on this play, with Ochocinco being his second deep over the middle, Hernandez and Branch could be read at relatively the same time on the third routes, because Hernandez will be in the same line of sight as Branch on this play.

So what do you guys think? Would these plays work in the game? Tell me below in my comment box!

New England Keys To Beating The New York Giants

Keys For New England To Beat The New York Giants

     This game obviously is huge for our beloved New England Pats. And there's a lot that goes on in a game that make a difference, so right now I'll name a few things New England NEEDS to do in order to beat the NYG.

     1) Rush Effectively

     The New York pass D may not be the best, but that pass rush is killer. So why not make sure that they don't know what's coming? Rushing well forces the Giants defensive lineman to look more at what's coming instead of just rushing head on. If they know NE is going to pass, that makes their job easier? Where's the fun in that? I expect the Patriots to rush early and often with the diverse rushing weapons they have to keep the Giants pass-rushers at bay. New England is 23-1 all time when Green-Ellis scores a touchdown, and 8-0 so far this year when he does. Rushing would also help New England manage the clock and keep our defense off the field, so they can play their aggressive style all day without being as tired. Which leads me to my next key:

     2) Play Aggressive On Defense

     All postseason, New England's Defense has played a very aggressive style, always attacking and never letting off the gas. The last time the New England Patriots played the Giants, the defense did a relatively good job of not letting the Giants go anywhere (until the fourth quarter hit). I distinctly remember early in the game, on a third and long. Obviously, the Giants are gonna pass. And Manning throws it deep over the middle to Jake Ballard, and right as Ballard goes to make the catch, he had a nice meeting with Brandon Spikes, which cause an incomplete pass. If New England can go out there and just hit somebody and play hard, they'll be alright in my mind. They also need to be aggressive at the line of scrimmage. Wilfork and his fellow D-Linemen, as well as any blitzing linebackers, have done a good job of making Offensive Linemen look like turnstiles as someones entering an amusement park, as the D-Linemen enter the park to have some fun. I think the D can do that early on and force some negative runs for the Giants, that will force Eli to pass. That might seem like a bad thing, but every incompletion is a clock stoppage, instead of a moving clock that rushing would cause. That would be great for the Pats, so the conservative offense can eat the clock up.

     3) Win The Turnover Battle

     The Patriots are normally really good at winning the turnover battle, but sometimes, and in playoff games of recent years, they don't. The Patriots need to maintain possession and not fumble or throw interceptions in this one. That's one reason I expect BenJarvus Green-Ellis to have a good game with a lot of plays. He doesn't fumble often. In fact, never in his professional career. So he should be utilized as New England's main rusher. And on defense, we know the Giants will try to pass because the New England pass D was 31st in the regular season. So the defense needs to make plays on the ball and get interceptions, as well as hitting people hard to seperate the ballcarrier from the ball. That is going to be big for the Patriots in this game.

     4) Use Our Receivers (yes, that includes Ochocinco)

     I was looking at the film from the Giants-Patriots Week 9 matchup, and the Giants did a lot of playing press coverage on the receivers and they doubled both tight ends, while also bringing their safeties in closer to the line of scrimmage, completely disrespecting the deep pass, because, well, New England wasn't throwing deep. So in this game, if Brady sees them try to do that, (and I suspect they will, because it worked last time) I expect that he'll audible a receiver like Ochocinco to a fly route, and let him beat the tight coverage like we know he can, and throw a deep bomb. I'm sure the Giants wouldn't play as tight of coverage anymore, so Brady could go right back to Welker or Branch or Gronkowski or Hernandez or whichever receiver is the best option. Keep their pass D on their heels. Make them pick their poison. New England has too many options to cover. Between two TEs that both demand double coverage and arguably the best route runner in the league. They can't cover everyone.

     If New England can accomplish these four simple things, I believe they can completely obliterate these New York Giants.

Things To Take Away From The New England - Miami Game

    
 This game, honestly, was terrible. The defense allowed 17 in the first half. The offense scored NOTHING in the first half. But on the positive side, the second half was penominal. Putting up 27 points and allowing 7. So what can we learn from the game?
     1) Even With Bad Reffing, New England Can Win
     I know reffing is always a bad excuse, but the reffing was absolutely horrendous in the first half.. Several bad PI calls on the defense, while not calling a couple PI calls on the Miami Offense and Defense. Including the Miami D Interfering on Welker all the first half., as seen in the picture posted at the top of this article. If the Offense and Defense stopped making mistakes early on, the penalties probably wouldn't have killed NE so bad.
     2) The New England Defense Needs Better Gap Control
     For a lot of the first half, Reggie Bush killed New England. Because New England's lineman and backers didn't stay in their rushing lanes. That consistently allowed Bush to find a hole and hit it hard. If the defense could have contained the run better early on, maybe the first half would have turned out different.
     3) When the Offensive Line Is Doing Their Job, Brady Is More Accurate
     The first half, Brady was being hit very early in plays and his accuracy was bad because of it, underthrowing Welker a lot. I don't know how you underthrow a 5'9 WR, but he was doing it. But in the second half, Belichick changed who was playing where on the offensive line, and the protection got much better, and Brady got in his groove. And what happened? NE overcame a 21 point defeceit.
     4) The Defense Needs To Cover The Deep Ball
     The deep ball killed the New England defense all day against the Dolphins. Whether it was to Hartline or Marshall, it ate the New England Defense alive. The defense needs to start double covering these taller recievers because our DBs are very short. So if you single cover any tall WR, the QB will see it and throw it up the tall man.

Should New England Go Back To The 3-4 Defense?

     Sunday against the Broncos, the Patriots swapped over from the 4-3 to the 3-4, which stopped Denver's rushing attack. New England allowed well over 100 rushing yards in the first quarter alone. But then Bill Belichick switched over to the 3-4 and held Denver to only 84 rush yards the entire rest of the game. Which left a lot of people asking if New England should switch back to the 3-4 that Belichick likes so much.
     I, for one, think the Patriots should go back to the 3-4. Last year New England was in the 3-4 and the defense, which started off ranked 32nd, moved all the way up to 25th in defense. This year Belichick moved to the 4-3 for some reason, and it hasn't worked too well. I think the 3-4 allows better blitzes and a better variation on coverages. With the 3-4, you can blitz from anywhere and you can also drop anyone into coverage. Something New England could use is being unpredictable. After the switch to the 3-4 in the game, New England started getting pressure on Tebow and they caused a few turnovers, which was huge for the win. So what do you think? Should NE go to 3-4?

New England Keys to Victory against the Broncos

We can all admit that at heart, we're all worried about if NE can come out on top in this one. But it shouldn't be that hard with our high powered offense.

     1) Contain the Outside on the Run
     You hear people talk about it ALL the time. Contain the run. Contain the outside. Talking about who has containment. But what you'll notice is that normally it's about players NOT keeping contain. It's a very simple concept. Force the runner back to the inside where you have other defenders there to help you bring him down. But instead you'll see the man with contain on the play move inside and go after the ball carrier. Normally he misses his tackle, and now who has contain? Nobody because the runner is already outside. Therefore allowing a big gain. Against Denver, NE needs to keep contain well. Because of the way they run their option, they want to try to get the ball outside. But New England has good DTs and MLBs. So if they can force the runner back inside, well, chances are that he won't get too far.
     2) Score Early and Often
     Last year, New England was exceptional at ending games in the first half. Scoring TDs or FGs on their first drive of the day, and then doing the same on the second. Even just going up 6 on Denver early in the game could be a big factor. But going up 14 by the end of the first quarter? That could be monumental for New England this week. We all know Denver is great at winning games when down 10 or fewer in the fourth quarter. But what if they're down 14? Or 21? Big gaps? We haven't seen them do that yet, and I personally don't think they have an explosive enough offense to do that. Just giving them a wide spread of points to cover in the fourth could be big.
     3) Get Turnovers on D and Don't Turn it Over on O
     Tim Tebow has only thrown 2 picks in almost 200 pass attempts. New England has to change that. Because of how much Denver eats up the clock with their running, we need to get turnovers in order to get the ball back and allow Brady to get on the field and score on them. Because New England can't easily stop teams on third down, as they've shown, So in order to get Denver off the field, it's going to take taking the ball from them. Getting it back anyway possible. Denver is going to own the Time Of Posession in this one. We know that much. So Brady and Company need to make sure to score when they can, and not miss opprotunities because of Interceptions or Fumbles. Good thing Brady has trimmed down on his surprisingly high number of picks this year. And the Denver D has only gotten 2 INTs in the past 7 games I believe. So protecting the ball could be big in this game.
     4) Protect Brady
     Sure Brady is great and hanging in the pocket and taking a hit while completing a pass, but he isn't superman. His elbow is already hurt, so allowing any backside pressure that can smack at his right arm isn't good. It would definitely wear down on him I think. We saw last week that his accuracy is off since his elbow injury. So allowing that right elbow to take unnecessary contact could be big. And the line can't let the Broncos good defensive linemen to get in on the play and make a difference early. Early on we should make the defensive lineman second guess their blitzing by running few screens. After you run a couple screens, the D Lineman will rush the QB at a slower speed because they don't wanna get fooled like they had been early on. So throwing a quick RB screen out there or a screen to Welker could make a big difference even if it only gets us a couple yards. Just make sure Brady's Jersey stays clean.

I think if New England can accomplish these 4 things, we should walk out of Denver with a nice point margin and the W.

Patriots-Redskins Postgame Analysis

     The game was rather disappointing. I think it was probably the most dis-satisfying win of the year. Sure the Colts game was close, but they weren't close all game. They only got close when BB started using the prevent and when he started experimenting more. But the Skins keeping up all game? NOT good.  So here's some things we learned.

     1) This defense, as Bart Scott said last year, can't stop a nosebleed.
     Allowing Rex Grossman to dictate the tempo? Allowing huge runs? Deep bombs to Jabar Gaffney, Santana Moss, and the like? Not even coming close to the WRs in coverage, but instead allowing nobody within 5 yards of them? As Charles Barkley would say, that's turrible. Sure there was that trick play, but where was the tackling? Just bad. There's absolutely no communication between defensive players. Jerod Mayo and Rob Ninkovich were supposed to be the new Tedy B and Mike Vrabel. And Brandon Spikes should have been the new Ted Johnson. Now, Spikes is still out, but what's wrong with Jerod Mayo this year? Him and Ninkovich NEED to talk before the snap so they know what they're doing. Ninkovich has been a pleasant little surprise though. I mean, I knew he was good, but he's playing great out there. Blitzing, reading plays, etc. I think he's the new captain of the defense. Also, we need pressure on the QB still. Andre Carter may have had that streak of several sack games, but the fact of the matter is that those sacks were because of bad quarterbacking. It's taking too long to get pressure. We need our lineman to get in on the QB early in the play so that he needs to hurry with his decision making. Hurried decisions are usually bad decisions. With this defense continually allowing bad QBs to throw for 300+ yards, I'm worried about our playoff chances. Every team that's currently leading their division, and most in the Wild Card hunt have good QBs. Flacco, Roethelisberger, Schaub, Carson Palmer, Andy Dalton, etc. Those QBs will eat our defensive backs for breakfast.
     2)  We need to utilize Chad Ochocinco
     OK OK, sit back down and pick up the mess you just made when you spit out your coffee. I'll be here when you get back. Ochocinco, sadly, had the surest hands on the team yesterday. Sure he only caught one ball, but he didn't drop any. He was hardly on the field. Even if he won't get the ball, put him on the field. Have him run some deep routes. Posts, seams, go routes, and corners. Let him stretch the D. Welker can't be the only #1 caliber WR on the team even with Gronkowski and Hernandez. Ocho showed to me that he can run routes properly in the system. That out route against Washington was beautiful. It may have only been 15 yards, but it was a pretty 15 yards. And it got us a first down when we needed it. I think if we can manage to use Ochocinco to stretch the field, like he did against the Jets, Welker and Gronk and even Branch can get done their work underneath. And if the safety dosn't follow Ocho deep and instead doubles Gronkowski, well, just throw it up to Ocho. Let him do his job. He could still be a great part of this offense.
     3) Bill O'Brien isn't cut out to be an OC
     With Julian Edelman being an ex-QB all though college, why have I yet to see him throw the ball after catching it? We ran a play like that with Moss, who never played QB, so why isn't a QB doing it? And why are there no screens to the RB and hardly any to the WRs? Why have we not seen any trick plays other than a little WR reverse? O'Brien needs to start being predictable. We lost in the playoffs last year because we kept trying the exact same thing over and over. The same thing we ran all year. Nothing unpredictable. The same thing this year. Welker running a slant, Gronk running an out, Hernandez on a hitch, it goes on. Early this year, we had Welker running 30-40 yard routes. And the defenses never knew what to expect. So you combine that with no-huddling, and the defense couldn't stop us. But now it's all the same. No variety. All it takes is doubling Gronkowski and knocking Welker down at the line (let's be real here, most corners have a 20-40 pound advantage on him), and we'll be forced to give the ball to Hernandez and Branch. Those guys aren't our big playmakers. We need to mix it up. And we need to no-huddle more on the first series. Because facing some of these high-powered offenses, we'll need points early. Run a lot of fast routes early on, run the ball a lot, and then run a nice play action. Keep the D off balance.
     4) This team can not make it deep into the playoffs
     Now, I know we all wanna think that Brady can play exceptional football for the 4 games straight that he'd need to in order to carry this team, but the fact of the matter is, well, he can't be amazing EVERY game, and the odds of this defense stepping up when he doesn't are slim. To beat some of these teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh and Houston, Tom Brady would have to light it up with at LEAST 3 TDs, and have BJGE get at least one more. Because these offenses in the playoffs are incredibly talented and can run all over this D. We need to make sure the O can keep up, but right now, in all honestly, playing a D like Pittsburgh, the offense will end up being stopped several times. Which means out D will need to do the same. I'm not sure it can. If BB can manage to find something to motivate this defense, then we have a shot. So BB, get started finding motivation, cause right now this team looks un-motivated as ever.