The Most Cut and Dry Patriots Playoff Loss that I Can Ever Remember

Well I think today's AFC Championship Game between the Patriots and Broncos left no doubt who the better team was today, tomorrow and in two weeks: Denver. The Broncos controlled play from start to finish and won 26-16 at Sports Authority. New England overachieved all season and at some point, you knew that their lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball would catch up to them. Unfortunately, this afternoon was that painful time.

I honestly can never recall a loss in the playoffs by the Patriots that was so simple. No drama, no bad calls (either by their coaches or refs) in terms of affecting the contest in a major way or things to second guess. Nope, this was an old fashioned beatdown. The Broncos should have won by 20+ points and if they were decent in the red zone (2 for 6), they would have accomplished that.

The lazy/hot sports take way to look at this result is that Peyton Manning (32 of 43 for 400 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) badly outplayed Tom Brady (24 of 38 for 277 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs). Clearly, Peyton was better but this just came down to his abundance of weapons and Brady's utter lack of anything outside of Julian Edelman (10 catches, 89 yards).

Denver got up 10-0 in the second quarter and 20-3 in the third quarter, thus eliminating New England's favored mode of attack: running the ball. SI cover boy LeGarrette Blount predictably plummeted back to Earth with five carries for six yards.

Meanwhile, the Thomas brothers-DeMaryius (7 catches, 134 yards) and Julius (8 catches, 85 yards)-dominated the Pats sorry secondary which lost Aqib Talib to a knee injury. PS they're not related. That makes it two years in a row that he went down with an injury in the AFC Championship Game. However, like last season I don't think his absence was the difference between a win and loss. Make no mistake, the Broncos would have won this game 10 out of 10 times.

Matt Prater opened the scoring with a 27-yard field goal in the first quarter. Jacob Tamme caught a 1-yard TD from Manning halfway through the second quarter for a 10-0 lead. New England's only points of the first half was a 47-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Prater added a 35-yard field goal with 25 seconds left in the first half for a 13-3 Broncos lead.

Demaryius Thomas caught a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Prater's 19-yard field goal increased Denver's lead to 23-3 early in the fourth quarter. As they did all season, the Pats showed plenty of pride by not rolling over when most would. Edelman caught a 7-yard TD but Prater's 54-yard field goal and a missed two-point conversion after Brady's 5-yard TD run sealed New England's fate.

It doesn't make up for two weeks of crap but Broncos-Seahawks should be an excellent Super Bowl. More importantly, the Patriots need to get to work immediately to figure out how to maximize the next few seasons. Brady and Bill Belichick won't be around forever so they need to show more urgency by spending as much as they can and getting better players all around them.

If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that Brady and Belichick can rack up the (meaningless) regular season wins and even a few playoff games (assuming they face some scrub team) but they need way more help to beat super squads like the Broncos.

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Week 17 Injury Report: Patriots vs. Bills + 4 Patriots Named to the Pro Bowl

You probably lost track of it over the holidays (you're excused) but the Patriots (11-4) have a very important game in their regular season finale, Sunday (1, CBS) vs. Buffalo (6-9) at Gillette Stadium. With a win, the Pats will earn the No. 2 seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They can also get it with a loss but since it is the Bills, let's just focus on beating that hopeless franchise.

Today's injury report had some interesting things on it: Josh Boyce (ankle) is out and Devin McCourty (concussion) is doubtful for New England. Bills mercurial wide receiver Stevie Johnson is out (his mother passed away) and safety Aaron Williams (ribs) is also out while quarterback EJ Manuel (knee) is doubtful but backup Thad Lewis has already been named the starter.

The Patriots have 11 players that are questionable: Kyle Arrington (groin), Alfonzo Dennard (knee/shoulder), Aaron Dobson (foot), Dane Fletcher (groin), Steve Gregory (finger/knee), Rob Ninkovich (ankle), Nate Solder (concussion), Brandon Spikes (knee), Will Svitek (ankle), Kenbrell Thompkins (hip) and Shane Vereen (groin).

In the past, I've written a specific blog just about the Pro Bowl selections for the Patriots but in my wiser age, I realized who gives a shit? The Pro Bowl rosters were announced tonight and it still boggles my mind that so many people care who is on it or not. I mean really? Anyways, I just thought I should mention that the Pats had four Pro Bowlers in 2013: Tom Brady, Logan Mankins, Aqib Talib and Matthew Slater. Bye!

UPDATE 12/28: Safety Kanorris Davis and cornerback Justin Green were promoted from the practice squad for tomorrow's game.

UPDATE 12/29: The Patriots inactives are Steve Beauharnais, Dennard, Boyce, Isaac Sopoaga, McCourty, Jake Bequette and Chris Barker. The Bills inactives are Manuel, Johnson, WR Cordell Roberson, RB Ronnie Wingo, DB Brandon Smith, OG Mark Asper and OG Antoine McClain.

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Week 12 Injury Report: Patriots vs. Broncos

Hey everyone, did you hear? The Patriots (7-3) host the Broncos (9-1) on Sunday night (8:25, NBC) at Gillette Stadium! I bet this is the first time all week that you've read about this game which I actually think could be pretty decent. Today, the injury report came out for this huge AFC showdown.

For New England, tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (knee) is the only player on either team who has already been declared out. Five guys are questionable: Kyle Arrington (groin), Alfonzo Dennard (knee), Steve Gregory (finger), Aqib Talib (hip) and Leon Washington (ankle). You'll notice that the first four are key parts of the Patriots' secondary. I'm confident that Arrington, Gregory and Talib will play. Dennard had surgery last week so I'd be stunned if he played and Washington never suits up so I won't hold my breath for him.

Denver has already taken much of the intrigue leading up to kickoff out of it by saying that Wes Welker (concussion) is probable. Obviously we all want to see him play (and in a weird way, torch the Pats) but I hope they don't rush him back simply because they are playing New England. You can't mess with head injuries as former NFL players have taught us in recent history. Fossil cornerback Champ Bailey (foot) and budding young star tight end Julius Thomas (knee) are the only Broncos that are questionable.

Stay tuned on Sunday afternoon/early evening as I update this with the remaining inactives. After that, let Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth (the best in the business) take us away.

UPDATE 11/23: The Patriots released Washington (for the second time) and promoted cornerback Justin Green from the practice squad.

UPDATE 11/24: The Patriots inactives are Gregory, Hooman, Jake Bequette, Steve Beauharnais, Marcus Forston, Josh Boyce and Chris Barker. The inactives for the Broncos are QB Zac Dysert, RB Ronnie Hillman, Bailey, S Michael Huff, OL J.D. Walton, G Chris Kuper and Julius Thomas.

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Patriots Lose In Unforgettable Fashion Once Again, What's With This Season?

I can deal with a Patriots loss just fine but to see them lose for the second time this season on a dubious play is tough to swallow, again. Carolina (7-3 overall, 4-1 home) held on for a 24-20 win over New England (7-3, 2-3 away) tonight at Bank of America Stadium on Monday Night Football. Ted Ginn Jr. of all people had the winning score: a 25-yard touchdown catch and run that came with 59 seconds left in regulation.

After moving the ball down the field, on the final snap of the game Tom Brady (29 of 40, 296 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) threw the ball into the end zone intended for Rob Gronkowski (5 catches, 59 yards, 1 TD). Panthers star linebacker Luke Kuechly (12 tackles, 8 solo) wrapped Gronk in a bear hug, making sure he had absolutely no chance to catch the pass. While this was happening, rookie safety Robert Lester picked it off to end it.

The questionable part of the play is that the refs actually threw a flag at first but then retracted it thus the game ended. Some would say the ball was uncatchable but I can only counter with look at what all the ex-players and officials (save for Grandpa Gerry Austin) concluded: it should have been a penalty for defensive holding.

The worst part is that one stupid play will dominate the airwaves for a few days. I guess we need to be happy that there is one less day to relive it before New England's next game-Sunday night (8:30, NBC) vs. Denver (9-1).

I also have to give the Panthers credit, I thought they might be frauds that took advantage of an easy schedule. Cam Newton (19 of 28 for 209 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs; 62 yards rushing) made a bunch of big plays and their defense is formidable. Carolina head coach Ron Rivera seems too conservative which could come to bite them (no pun intended) in the playoffs and yes I think the Panthers will make the playoffs in the superior NFC.

Brandon LaFell (7 catches, 59 yards) started the party with a nine-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter. This came after plenty of fighting between Aqib Talib and Steve Smith (4 catches, 62 yards) that resulted in Talib getting a penalty and a seat on the bench (for a while).

Graham Gano's 43-yard field goal made it 10-0 before the Patriots finally woke up with a 42-yard-field goal by Stephen Gostkowski late in the first half. New England's offense started to find a rhythm in the third quarter. Brady tied it on a 9-yard pass to Gronk who broke the tackle of three Panthers.

Newton responded with his best throw of the night: a 15-yard touchdown to Greg Olsen in the corner of the end zone where only he could get it. The Pats appeared ready to get an impressive road win as Stevan Ridley (48 yards rushing) tied it with a 1-yard touchdown run. LeGarrette Blount led the Patriots with 49 yards rushing while Shane Vereen had a great return to action with a team-high eight catches for 65 yards. Ridley had another fumble, this time in the red zone which led to a brief benching of his own. Will it ever end with this guy?

An incomplete pass on 3rd-and-1 proved to be costly for the Pats when they settled for a 26-yard field goal by Gostkowski that temporarily gave them a 20-17 lead. Carolina went down the field, gaining yards and burning clock before Newton connected with Ginn Jr. for his only catch of the night. The former first round bust of the Dolphins was able to make Kyle Arrington miss a tackle before he turned on the Jets.

There is no rest for the weary as the Patriots host the Broncos in another highly-anticipated game. Who knows how things will shake out in January but it could very likely be an AFC Championship Game preview. New England is 5-0 at home this season but it'll be tough to beat Denver with such a depleted defense. Losing back-to-back games against Super Bowl contenders would be harsh for the Pats' playoff hopes.

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Week 8 Injury Report: Patriots vs. Dolphins

This weekend marks the unofficial halfway point for all the NFL teams playing their eighth game of the regular season, crazy right? New England (5-2) hosts Miami (3-3) on Sunday (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium in their first of two meetings between the AFC East rivals (and I use that term loosely). Both teams really need a victory, the Pats have lost two out of their last three sandwiched around an improbable comeback win over the Saints while the Dolphins have lost their last three games after a nice 3-0 start.

Today the injury reports came out and for our purposes, Miami's is irrelevant because they didn't list anyone at less than probable. Haha that's no fun guys! On New England, Leon Washington and Tommy Kelly continue to be out making you wonder when they'll return this season and if they'll have any impact (well at least Kelly already did, Washington not so much).

Seven Patriots are questionable: Michael Hoomanawanui (knee), Brandon Bolden (knee), Tavon Wilson (hamstring), Danny Amendola (concussion), Aqib Talib (hip), Marcus Cannon (shoulder) and Julian Edelman (thigh). Amendola and Talib obviously are the most important, I'm assuming that Edelman is playing since he hasn't missed any action yet (shocking I know), and they both returned to practice this week which is always a good sign.

We'll have to wait until Sunday to see who else will join Kelly and Washington on the sidelines, keep in mind seven players are deemed inactive on gamedays from the 53-man roster.

UPDATE 10/27: Dolphins inactives-DBs Jamar Taylor and Will Davis; QB Pat Devlin, RB Mike Gillislee, OT Dallas Thomas, OGs Danny Watkins and Will Yeatman. Patriots inactives-Talib, Josh Boyce, Steve Beauharnais, Kelly, Washington, Jake Bequette (how is he still on the team?) and Chris Barker.

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Week 7 Injury Report: Patriots at Jets

I don't want to jinx it since it has been such a long time coming, but it appears that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will finally make his 2013 debut on Sunday (1, NBCS) vs. the Jets (3-3) then home vs. Denver on Sunday Night Football. Today's injury report came out and both teams are banged up.

Danny Amendola (concussion), Tommy Kelly (knee) and Leon Washington are all out for New England while former Patriot/Invisible Man Greg Salas (knee) and Santonio Holmes (foot) leave New York with some pretty grimy options for rookie Geno Smith to pass to. Aqib Talib is doubtful (hip) so I'd be shocked to see him on the field on Sunday.

There are many things to loath about the Jets: their players, coaches or fanbase all make it way too easy for others. What I'm trying to say is that despite all that, I admire how New York doesn't screw around with its injury report. Salas and Holmes are the only guys they mention that aren't probable.

The Patriots were not impressed with that refreshing honesty as they piled eight guys that are questionable onto the report: Michael Hoomanawanui (knee), Dan Connolly (concussion), Brandon Bolden (knee), Matthew Slater (wrist), Julian Edelman (thigh), Marcus Cannon (shoulder), Tavon Wilson (hamsting) and Gronk (back). It's interesting to note that they don't mention his arm anymore.

I learned my lesson from Week 2's ugly ugly win by the Patriots that while they own the Jets at the moment, they always seem to have tight games vs the Jets for whatever reason. Stay tuned as I update this while the weekend goes by.

UPDATE 10/19: Wilson and Talib are out but the good news is that Gronk made the trip to NY/NJ so he appears to be playing tomorrow. We shall see.

UPDATE 10/20: Patriots inactives are Wilson, Talib, WR Josh Boyce, OL Chris Barker, Amendola, Kelly and Washington. Jets inactives are Brady Quinn, Holmes, Salas, LB Troy Davis, G William Campbell, T Ben Ijilana and T Oday Aboushi.

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Patriots Stun Saints, 30-27 on Brady's Last-Second TD to Thompkins

For many reasons, tonight was a throwback to better days (yes I know we're very spoiled) for the Patriots as they beat the Saints 30-27 at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady (25 of 43 for 269 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins (3 catches, 45 yards) with five seconds left as New England (5-1 overall, 3-0 home) completely stole a win from New Orleans (5-1 overall, 2-1 away) 30-27.

With no Rob Gronkowski plus injuries to Danny Amendola, Jerod Mayo, Aqib Talib and Dan Connolly, this looked like a game the Pats would lose because they simply ran out of healthy bodies and decent players. Oh and the Saints played well on the road for about 58+ minutes and they should have won but they couldn't close it out.

New Orleans went ahead 24-23 on Drew Brees' (17 of 36 for 236 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) 34-yard touchdown pass to rookie Kenny Stills with 3:29 left in regulation. After New England turned it over on downs, the Saints added a 39-yard field goal for 27-23 lead. Keenan Lewis intercepted Brady on New England's next play so by then, it had to be over. Except it wasn't. The Patriots forced the Saints to punt after a 3-and-out and Brady had one last chance starting at his own 30 with 1:13 left.

It only took seven plays to get the clutch score; the big plays were a 23-yard catch by Julian Edelman (5 catches, 57 yards) plus a 15-yard catch and 9-yard catch by Austin Collie (his first two receptions as a Patriot). Brady's touchdown to Thompkins was vintage stuff, the likes of which we haven't really seen for years. The Patriots picked up a clutch win against a formidable opponent facing long odds and many key injuries. Sound familiar?

New England actually built a 17-7 halftime lead thanks to two touchdown runs by Stevan Ridley (20 carries, 96 yards rushing; 14-yard catch) and the first of three Stephen Gostkowski field goals (35, 54, 23). New Orleans predictably tied it up in the third with a 28-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley and 3-yard touchdown run by Khiry Robinson. Gostkowski's last two kicks put the Pats up 23-17 midway through the fourth.

Eight Patriots caught passes today and nine were targeted. It will take that type of approach if they are going to survive another long absence from Amendola who appeared to get knocked out on a vicious hit in the second half. Aaron Dobson (6 catches, 63 yards) had a good performance and even Michael Hoomanawanui (4 catches, 57 yards) played like an NFL tight end for one game.

Kyle Arrington also had a gift interception after Brees tried to call timeout, didn't get it then was forced to chuck it up for grabs. Before he left with a hip flexor, Talib held Jimmy Graham (the NFL's best tight end, sorry Gronk) without a catch. His teammates picked up the slack too as Graham (who also was hobbled late in the contrest) had zero catches.

After playing marquee games against quality teams, it'll be tough to re-adjust to the slop of the AFC East. New England goes to the Jets (3-3 overall) on Sunday (1, CBS). New York lost 16-9 at home this afternoon to the previously winless Steelers (1-4).

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Thanks To A Cake Schedule, Patriots Are 3-0 For 1st Time Since 2007

Pundits will rightfully poke holes in it but the Patriots (3-0 overall, 2-0 home) don't have to apologize for their 2013 early season schedule, they didn't create it. New England played far from a perfect game but it was their most complete performance of the first three weeks as they shut down the dumpster fire Buccaneers (0-3 overall, 0-2 away) 23-3 this afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

We had heard from afar how much Tampa Bay was struggling but to see it up close was another matter. Formerly promising young quarterback Josh Freeman (19 of 41 for 236 yards, 1 INT, sacked 3 times) has become a headcase incapable of consistently hitting quality receivers like Vincent Jackson (3 catches, 34 yards) or Mike Williams (5 catches, 65 yards). You can't say the Bucs don't have talent since they also employ Doug Martin (88 yards rushing; 20 yards receiving) and Darrelle Revis (5 tackles, 4 assists).

Predictably after they had a few extra days of practice, Patriots rookie receivers Kenbrell Thompkins (3 catches, 41 yards, 2 TDS) and Aaron Dobson (7 catches, 51 yards) looked way more comfortable with Tom Brady (25 of 36 for 225 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) who spread it around to six different players including Julian Edelman (7 catches, 44 yards) and Brandon Bolden (49 yards receiving; 51 yards receiving). Facing the Bills, Jets and Bucs in the first three games allowed the Pats to survive without Danny Amendola (the past two weeks) and Rob Gronkowski. It'll be a different story as the competition really ramps up starting next week.

Thompkins' first two NFL touchdowns were sweet but the story of this victory was New England's defense which held Tampa Bay to 323 total yards including 0 for 4 on fourth downs. Aqib Talib picked up his third interception in the past two games, against his old team no less, while the Patriots recorded three sacks as a team. Jerod Mayo (9 tackles, 5 assists, tackle for loss, quarterback hit) and Chandler Jones (sack, 2 quarterback hits) helped make Freeman's life miserable.

Ironically, the Buccaneers scored the first points on Rian Lindell's 30-yard field goal late in the first quarter. Little did head coach Greg Schiano know that would be their final points of the contest. Midway through the second quarter, Brady found Thompkins for a 16-yard catch and run TD. With 47 seconds left in the first half, Thompkins added a five-yard TD catch as Tampa Bay somehow lost him in the back of the end zone. Who else were they worried about, Zach Sudfeld?

You knew it wasn't the Buccaneers' day when Freeman threw the lazy sideline interception to Talib with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. New England gained eight yards in two plays, setting up Stephen Gostkowski with a 53-yard field goal that he boomed right down the middle as time expired.

You are excused if you fell asleep during the second half since little happened other than a 46-yard field goal by Gostkowski in the third quarter and he wrapped it up with a 31-yard kick in the fourth quarter.

I kind of look at the first three games as the preseason (in this case) while the next five weeks should be way more interesting: New England travels to Atlanta (1-2, 2nd in NFC South) on Sunday night (8:30, NBC). That's followed by a game at Cincinnati, home date with New Orleans then back-to-back divisional games at Jets and home vs. Miami. The Falcons lost 27-23 at Miami this afternoon so they'll be desperate to get a win. They have something these previous three teams definitely lacked: a competent quarterback in Matt Ryan along with numerous weapons like Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White.

On the surface, we couldn't have asked for a better start (record wise) for the Pats but most would argue that we won't know anything about them until they start playing elite teams. Next week is a good beginning point to see what they're really made of in a primetime game on the road against a team that is a legitimate Super Bowl contender after losing a heartbreaker in the NFC Championship game last season.

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No Seriously, What the Hell Did We Just Watch?

I have seen plenty of ugly football in my life, I used to cover high school football in Massachusetts after all, but tonight's Patriots-Jets debacle at Gillette Stadium was a new low. The Patriots (2-0) beat the Jets (1-1) 13-10 in their 2013 home opener that set the game of football back at least 20 years and made me want to huff ether.

How wretched did New England play against one of the worst teams in the NFL? Well I'm happy you asked. They had nine first downs, went 4 for 18 on third down conversions and only gained 232 total yards. Just like on Sunday when the Pats were lucky enough to be lining up against the hapless Bills, once again this evening they were rewarded by the NFL schedulemakers since there are only a handful of teams that would have lost to the Patriots with the level they played at.

New York lost because they had four turnovers (3 interceptions by rookie quarterback Geno Smith and a fumble by wide receiver Stephen Hill). Tom Brady (19 of 39, 185 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) had one of the most mediocre games of his legendary career and it's easy to see why: Julian Edelman (career-high 13 catches, 78 yards on 18 targets) was his main weapon in the passing game. A confluence of factors contributed to this being such a stinkbomb: short week, no Danny Amendola or Rob Gronkowski, poor execution and lack of chemistry. That about covers it, no?

Rookie Aaron Dobson was left wide open and as a result of New York's boneheaded blitz call, his first NFL catch was a 39-yard touchdown. After Aqib Talib forced a fumble on Stephen Hill's (4 catches, 87 yards) 33-yard catch and recovered by Devin McCourty. He returned it 44 yards to the New York 8-yard line but the Pats had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Foreshadowing!

Nick Folk got the Jets on the board with a 37-yard field goal later in the first quarter and Gostkowski's 30-yard kick in the second quarter turned out to be New England's final points. That's right, the team that won this pig orgy didn't score for the final 34:55. New York made it somewhat competitive as Bilal Powell had a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter which cut it to 13-10. As you can see, neither squad scored in the listless fourth quarter. I feel bad for the poor saps that paid all that money to go to this awful game, get stuck in traffic for hours then sat through that complete with buckets of rain. Fun times!

Obviously the Patriots' defense was the key to the win: they had four sacks (2 for Chandler Jones and 1 for Tommy Kelly and Michael Buchanan), three interceptions (2 for Talib and 1 for Alfonzo Dennard) and they took advantage of the fact that they were playing a rookie quarterback for the second week in a row.

Smith did his part to piss the game away by tossing all three of his picks in the fourth quarter that some people call winning time. Dobson (3 catches, 56 yards on 10 targets) and KenBrell Thompkins (2 catches, 47 yards on 7 targets) were never on the same page with Brady. That's not to say that every throw was perfect to them but they each had numerous passes clank off their hands. There are reports of Amendola being out until Week 6 which is a scary proposition. I don't know who the Pats could get at this point but they need a dependable veteran that knows their system and can jump right in (Brandon Lloyd?) to help out the rookies-Josh Boyce didn't even get a snap for some reason.

With a very rainy night and nobody to throw to besides Edelman on like 5-yard catches, you figured that Stevan Ridley (16 carries, 40 yards) would get plenty of yards assuming (big if) he didn't fumble. There was no Shane Vereen so this was mostly Ridley in the running game but for the second straight contest he was held to under 50 rushing yards (granted Sunday he would have surpassed that if he hadn't gone to the doghouse).

Knock on wood, it seemed like the Pats made it through this game relatively unscathed despite the short week and quick recovery time. The best thing I can say for them is that now they get a couple extra days off before they host the Buccaneers (0-1) on Sunday, September 22 (1, Fox). For what it's worth, Tampa Bay lost to the Jets in Week 1 (on the luckiest sequence) which is good news for the Patriots. They need as much time as they can get to try and improve this sorry offensive unit.

UPDATE 9/14: It was a quiet day in Foxborough after last night's nailbiter vs. the Jets. The Patriots re-signed rookie guard Josh Kline to the practice squad and released offensive tackle R.J. Dill.

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Patriots Re-Sign Right Tackle Sebastian Vollmer To A 4-Year Deal

I've been ready to move on from the Patriots debacle with Wes Welker for the last few weeks and today's news makes me happy and more importantly, it should help Tom Brady feel better about this franchise going forward. New England has reportedly re-signed right tackle Sebastian Vollmer to a four-year deal.

Vollmer is the team's best offensive lineman and one of the better right tackles in the NFL, he was a second-team All Pro in 2010 and second-team Pro Football Focus All Pro in 2012. With all the free agents on the move, it seems like the offensive linemen market never really got going as much as the other more sexy positions which is to be expected I guess. After Welker went to Denver and Aqib Talib re-signed with the Pats, Vollmer was the other very important piece that they needed to address.

He was a second round pick (58th overall) in 2009 by New England out of the University of Houston. He played in 14 games his rookie season, made 16 starts in 2010, played in six games in 2011 (5 starts) and started all 15 games he played in the 2012 regular season. Vollmer had a minor knee surgery in February but he should be fine for training camp this summer. The German will be 29 in October but keep in mind that he got started playing football later than most and offensive linemen tend to peak later than most.

This was a move that the Patriots had to make to stabilize their offensive line (which has been solid the last few seasons) and give Brady confidence that they were making the best decisions for the 2013 season and rest of his career in New England.

UPDATE 3/25: Vollmer's deal is worth a max of $27 million with $7 million signing bonus, $7.75 in base salaries and $10 million in incentives/roster bonuses.

UPDATE 3/28: The Pats signed free agent wide receiver Michael Jenkins. Last season with the Vikings he had 40 catches for 449 yards and two touchdowns.

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Patriots Lock Up Their Top Cornerback-Aqib Talib-For Another Season

Aqib Talib only played eight games for the Patriots last season (6 regular season, 2 playoff) after he was traded from the Buccaneers but in that short time span, he established himself as the team's best cornerback by far. He has the confidence and ability to be successful at one of the NFL's most difficult positions and today, they signed him to a one-year deal worth $5 million.

I'm sure he wanted a longer deal here or somewhere else but given his track record of injuries and off the field incidents, he probably didn't have much of a market. This means next season for him will be a showcase of sorts as he tries to score a big deal.

He had 19 tackles in the regular season, 10 in the playoffs, a fumble recovery, two passes defensed and he returned an interception 57 yards for a TD in his first game as a Patriot against the Colts. When he left the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore with a hamstring injury, that changed the whole complexion of the contest. I'm not saying he would have made enough of a different to beat the Ravens that day but he certainly wouldn't have hurt the Patriots' awful secondary which was torched by Joe Flacco.

Talib is 27 and entering his sixth NFL season. With a full offseason and training camp with New England, it's not hard to see him really excelling and having a Pro Bowl type year since he should be in the prime of his NFL career. With Adrian Wilson signed last night and now Talib, the Pats are addressing their biggest need-secondary-since the NFL is totally a passing league now. Next I'd love to see them sign some more guys (Freeney, Abraham, etc) that can get after the quarterback, the Patriots' second biggest issue on defense.

Also, linebacker Niko Koutovides (probably the most obscure Patriot) was re-signed to a one-year deal. That fills New England's quota (1) of Greeks on their special teams units.

UPDATE 3/16: Brandon Lloyd has been released but he could return if they restructure his deal (aka take away a bunch of money).

UPDATE 3/17: Patriots signed free agent offensive lineman Will Svitek to a one-year deal.

UPDATE 3/20: The Pats re-signed cornerback Marquice Cole.

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New England Patriot For Life Has A Nice Ring To It, Am I Right Tom Brady?

Today, the Patriots took most of the drama out of something that was still at least two years away from ruining our lives. Quarterback/icon Tom Brady signed a three-year $27 million contract extension that will keep him in New England through the 2017 NFL season. FYI, he'll be 40-years-old on August 3, 2017.

Brady earned a $3 million signing bonus with annual salaries of $7 million in 2015, $8 million in 2016 and $9 million in 2017. The whole point of this move was that it frees up $15 million of salary cap space for the Pats over the next two seasons. This is particularly important since they have a bunch of important guys that will be free agents two weeks from today: Wes Welker, Sebastian Vollmer and Aqib Talib being the headliners.

If it's possible to have a bigger mancrush on Brady, this unselfish act will surely win over the few haters in this region. How many other elite athletes, especially in the NFL (with no guaranteed contracts) would do this? I normally don't get too emotional about guys being on one team their whole career since it so rarely happens but in this case, it just feels right. Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league and with only untested Ryan Mallett behind him, New England will rely on Brady heavily for as long as he'll play.

The unspoken question on everyone's mind in this area is when Brady and Bill Belichick will retire. At least now we can be much more confident that Brady isn't going anywhere for five more seasons. You might as well add Belichick to that equation since I find it impossible to think he'd ever leave the Patriots with Brady still active. They seem to be a package deal.

In one of the few down times in the NFL off-season, this is a wonderful reminder to Pats fans that with a couple tweaks (mostly to the defense), the team should be a Super Bowl contender for as long as TB12 is under center. Exhale.

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Ravens Batter Patriots 28-13, Head To New Orleans To Face 49ers In Super Bowl 47

These bitter defeats in the playoffs never get easy to accept, especially when the Patriots have made it a habit in the last eight years. There will be no trip to New Orleans to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47 since the Baltimore Ravens (13-6, 6-4 away) came to Gillette Stadium tonight and beat down the Patriots (13-5, 7-3 home) 28-13 in the 2013 AFC Championship Game.

I'm not one to make excuses and there isn't a whole lot to say when your team leads 13-7 at home at halftime and then proceeds to get outscored 21-0 in the second half. The Ravens were tougher than the Patriots, their defense made way more plays and once they started working out of the shotgun in the second half, New England had no chance to stop them.

Aqib Talib hobbled off in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and Stevan Ridley (18 carries, 70 yards) got knocked out in the fourth quarter by Bernard Pollard (enough with that guy). Losing their top cornerback and best running back clearly hurt the Pats but their issues went far behind them and Rob Gronkowski's absence.

There were many signs that it wasn't their night: they squandered a chance for a touchdown at the end of the first half and settled for a field goal. Wes Welker (8 catches, 117 yards, TD) dropped a key third down pass early in the third quarter. Most of all, Joe Flacco (21 of 36, 240 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) was better than Tom Brady (29 of 54, 320 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs).

Brady's numbers look worse than he really was since one interception was tipped and the other was in garbage time but the point is that Baltimore didn't make any mistakes (0 turnovers) while New England had three (Ridley fumbled when Pollard concussed him). It is easy to blame the Pats defense and they certainly didn't cover themselves in glory giving up 21 points in the second half but New England is built around its offense and you'll never win with one touchdown and 13 points in a playoff game.

Nobody on the Ravens put up monster numbers but they all contributed to their first trip to the Super Bowl since 2000. Bernard Pierce had 52 yards rushing, Ray Rice had 70 total yards while Torrey Smith (4 catches, 69 yards), Anquan Boldin (5 catches, 60 yards, 2 TDs) and Dennis Pitta (5 catches, 55 yards, TD) each made plays for Flacco.

Baltimore has certainly earned it, beating Indianapolis Wild Card weekend then going on the road to knock off the top two seeds in the AFC: Denver and New England. Aaron Hernandez (9 catches, 83 yards) and Brandon Lloyd (7 catches, 70 yards) were fine but the Patriots lack a big play threat like Smith or even Boldin to some degree.

Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal was the only score of the first quarter. Ray Rice got Baltimore on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Welker answered with New England's only touchdown of the game: a 1-yard touchdown catch. Gostkowski's 25-yard field goal was the disappointing last play of the first half as the Pats went into the locker room with a shaky 13-7 lead. They had outplayed Baltimore but had little to show for it.

One play after getting crushed by Jerod Mayo (but holding onto a catch), Pitta's 5-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter gave the Ravens a 14-13 advantage that they would never relinquish. Boldin's 3-yard touchdown catch was the first play of the fourth quarter then he put it away on the ensuing drive after Ridley's fumble with an 11-yard touchdown catch. 21 unanswered points by Baltimore, unreal.

Every season that goes by without a Super Bowl title, you realize more and more how quickly Brady and Bill Belichick's window is closing. It's a tough reality that many don't want to face but that's how it is. The Pats have lost in all four different rounds of the playoffs in the past four postseasons. They've been so close, particularly in two Super Bowl losses to the Giants, but at low points like this you have to wonder if they'll get to the top again with this regime.

Questions about the NFL Draft, free agents (for the love of God please sign Welker) and other matters will have to wait for another day. For now, it's time to sign off on another uneven season for the Patriots. They were great at times, mostly in the regular season but once again they shriveled up as a team in the big moment. That has become more than a pattern since they beat the Eagles in Super Bowl 39.

UPDATE 1/21: Today the Patriots signed five players from the practice squad to future contracts: FB James Develin, WR Jeremy Ebert, WR Andre Holmes, DL Tracy Robertson and LB Jeff Tarpinian.

UPDATE 1/22: The Pats have reportedly signed former USC defensive lineman Armond Armstead, who played in the CFL last season. He got a three-year deal with $655,000 guaranteed and base salaries of $405,000 in 2013, $495,000 in 2014 and $585,000 in 2015.

UPDATE 1/23: Brady was fined $10,000 by the NFL today for kicking Ed Reed when he slid during a run.

UPDATE 1/26: Apparently the Pats can't get enough of guys from the CFL. At least this time, it's a guy that is from Brockton and played football at Northeastern (which doesn't have a program anymore). Defensive end/outside linebacker Jason Vega had 12 sacks over the last two seasons with Winnipeg and he worked out with New England in December.

UPDATE 1/31: The Pats re-signed linebacker Dane Fletcher to a one-year deal (terms weren't disclosed). He missed the entire 2012 season after tearing his ACL in the first preseason game in August.

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Week 15: 49ers At Patriots Injury Report

The Patriots (10-3) host the 49ers (9-3-1) on Sunday night (8:20 p.m., NBC) at Gillette Stadium in what could be the regular season game of the year for 2012. Granted, we said the same thing about last Monday-New England vs. Houston-and we all know how that one turned out.

Rob Gronkowski returned to practice for the first time today since breaking his forearm on November 18 but don't get your hopes up: CSN's Tom E. Curran thinks that he'll sit out the rest of the regular season and who could argue with that? No need to rush him back when the Patriots' offense is still putting up crazy numbers without him.

Other than Gronk, there are 17 other Patriots that are listed as questionable. San Francisco only had wide receiver Mario Manningham declared doubtful. The three New England players to pay the most attention to are cornerbacks Aqib Talib (hip) and Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring) plus tackle Nate Solder (abdomen). Talib and Dennard left the Texans game with injuries while Solder was limited in practice today and popped up on the list.

Let's all pretend that Kyle Arrington (knee), Ron Brace (elbow), Patrick Chung (shoulder/hamstring), Dan Connolly (back), Aaron Hernandez (ankle), Dont'a Hightower (hamstring), Chandler Jones (ankle), Brandon Lloyd (knee), Kyle Love (not injury related), Logan Mankins (ankle/calf), Nick McDonald (shoulder), Brandon Spikes (knee/ankle), Sebastian Vollmer (back/knee), Wes Welker (ankle) and Tracy White (elbow) might not play. Yeah that's it.

This will be updated before kickoff on Sunday night as we find out who is missing out on this possible Super Bowl preview.

UPDATE 12/15: Manningham is out. The Patriots currently have 52 players on the active roster, meaning that they have one open spot and they will only need to make six guys inactive tomorrow night instead of seven. We'll have to see who they add in the next few weeks, it's hard to believe they would stay at 52 past this game.

In honor of the victims of the Newtown, CT tragedy, New England will wear black-ribbon logos on their helmets and light 26 white flares during a moment of silence before Sunday night's game. A nice touch that they might as well carry on for the rest of the season if you ask me.

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Jermaine Cunningham Suspended 4 Games By The NFL For PEDs, It All Makes Sense Now

We all thought Patriots defensive end Jermaine Cunningham would be cut in this past preseason, so it was somewhat of a surprise that not only did he find himself on the initial 53-man roster out of training camp but he was actually making a few plays. Today, he was suspended without pay by the NFL for four games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs so I guess we know we he morphed from a complete bust (2nd round pick, 2010) to a bust.

It's not like he has been setting the world on fire (23 tackles, 2.5 sacks) but at least he was playing (in 2011, he had 1 tackle in 9 games) and when he got a chance, stepping up once in a while. He had appeared in all 11 games for New England in his third season out of Florida. He becomes the second Patriot (rookie running back Brandon Bolden was the other) suspended this season for PEDs. Bolden can return next Monday and then appear in the game on Sunday, December 10 vs. Houston. Cunningham can return on Monday, December 24 and appear in the regular season finale against Miami on December 30. He'll miss this week against the Dolphins, next week against the Texans, the Niners and Jaguars.

Cornerback Aqib Talib was also popped for PEDs (Adderall) when he was employed by Tampa Bay earlier this season. Not to speak in hyperbole but the NFL is currently fighting an epidemic of PEDs, Seahawks cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman also tested positive last weekend and they could be facing a four-game suspension although they appealed so they can play on Sunday. Brandon Spikes was caught two years ago in his rookie season.

For our purposes, Cunningham's absence is bigger than you might think at first blush. It all depends on Chandler Jones' status since he didn't play on Thanksgiving against the Jets due to an ankle injury. Cunningham is the first sub for the defensive ends so if Jones is out again on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS) at the Dolphins, it means that veteran Trevor Scott along with rookies Justin Francis and Jake Bequette will see much more playing time.

The best part of these failed drug tests is that we almost never know what the player got caught taking. Wouldn't it make more sense to be transparent and tell everyone what it was? Oh well, maybe it was just some Adderall for Cunningham (wink wink, nudge nudge). Let's just hope that the most important players on the Patriots are only drinking milk every night and maybe the occasional protein shake. Enough with these suspensions, no playoff team can withstand too many of them.

UPDATE 11/28: 7th-round draft pick Jeremy Ebert, a poor man's Julian Edelman, was resigned to the practice squad while fullback James Develin (formerly a defensive lineman at Brown) was activated to the 53-man roster today.

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Blowing Out Indy Comes At A Huge Cost: Gronkowski Breaks Forearm, Expected Out 4-6 Weeks

A few measly hours, that's all the time Patriots fans got to bask in the glow of a resounding 59-24 blowout victory against the Colts this afternoon at Gillette Stadium. 59 points ties a Patriots team record set in 2009 vs. Tennessee (that crazy snow game).

Reality came calling way too soon as we all (7-3, 4-1 home) found out that Rob Gronkowski (7 catches, 137 yards, 2 TDs) broke his forearm and is expected to miss somewhere in the 4-6 weeks range. The worst part (well besides the injury) is that it happened in garbage time, on the final extra point with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter. Rightfully, that opens up Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to a deserved cacophony of criticism asking why the best tight end in the NFL was still out there. Ugh!

Before I go to sleep depressed, let's remember that this was a very nice win. Indianapolis (6-4, 2-3 away) might have beaten up on some bad teams and taken advantage of a weak schedule but they are a good squad. Also, let's hold off the NFL Hall of Fame induction for Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck (27 of 50, 334 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs). After getting touchdowns on their first two drives of the game, Indy was outscored 52-10 the rest of the way. He looked rattled and made a couple terrible decisions/throws. What's more, he easily could have had a few more interceptions.

The Patriots scored touchdowns thanks to all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. Cornerback Aqib Talib's (7 tackles, 5 solo) debut for New England included a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown. Rookie Alfonzo Dennard (4 tackles) topped that with an 87-yard interception return for a score. Julian Edelman had the best game of anyone (and his anonymous career) since he scored on a 68-yard punt return, caught a 2-yard touchdown and also had an end around for 47 yards. Incredible.

Tom Brady (24 of 35, 331 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) has put himself right in the thick of the MVP discussion (assuming people talk about that in mid-November) with another excellent performance. Wes Welker added seven catches for 80 yards.

Four turnovers by Indianapolis were way too much to overcome, especially since New England took care of the ball and never coughed it up. Rookie wide receiver T.Y. Hilton had six catches for 100 yards and two TDs while Reggie Wayne notched seven catches for 72 yards. Patriots icon Adam Vinatieri (47-yard field goal, 3 PATs) was repeatedly booed by the brain dead crowd at Gillette, those people can't be serious. Who does that to him?

Rob Ninkovich had a very solid game with eight tackles (four assists), a sack, two tackles for losses and two quarterback hits along with a forced fumble that he recovered. Stevan Ridley (3-yard) and Shane Vereen (4-yard) had touchdown runs in the fourth quarter when it spun way out of control for the Colts.

He didn't play today but Aaron Hernandez is expected back on Thursday night (8:30 p.m., NBC) as the Patriots visit the Jets (4-6) at MetLife Stadium. New York won 27-13 this afternoon in St. Louis and you'll remember that they choked against New England on October 21 in a game the Pats ended up winning 29-26 in overtime.

Ironically, that gift has propelled to New England to their current four-game win streak. The Jets are not a good team and they won't go to the playoffs this season but they usually play the Patriots tough and anything can happen in a short week, especially against a divisional rival and without one of your best players.

UPDATE 11/19: Deion Branch cleared waivers so he's a free agent. The Patriots signed wide receiver Kamar Aiken to the practice squad, he's previously been on the Bills and Bears after entering the NFL as a rookie free agent in 2011.

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Stop The Presses: An NFL Team Made A Notable Move At The Trade Deadline

I was all set to make fun of the NFL trade deadline this afternoon since noteworthy things rarely happen but then the Patriots forced me to temporarily change my tune. They flipped a fourth-round draft pick in 2013 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for cornerback Aqib Talib and a seventh-round draft pick in 2013.

This has the potential to be a great move and complete steal for New England, assuming (and this is a huge if) Talib can stay out of trouble for the rest of the 2012 season. He is without question, one of the biggest jokers and criminals in the NFL (which is saying something). He's been suspended twice: once for fighting with a cab driver in August 2009 (somewhere Patrick Kane nods his approval) and he's currently serving a four-game suspension for a PED (Adderall) violation. He is eligible to come back in Week 11 when the Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts.

So what is all the fuss about? Well, he was the 20th overall pick of the 2008 draft out of Kansas and unlike pretty much all the cornerbacks and safeties the Patriots have drafted in the last five years, he has mostly lived up to his enormous potential. For his career, he has 18 interceptions including three that he returned for touchdowns. Despite being on a team that has been constantly rebuilding, he managed to put up four picks in 2008, five in 2009 and six (in 11 games) in 2010.

At the moment, the Pats don't have a true No. 1 cornerback. A cynic would add, they don't really have a second one either. He's 26 so in the prime of his career and he has good size: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, something which the Patriots lack in the back end. Talib suddenly changes that equation if he can get up to speed with the playbook. Maybe he can even teach his new teammates in the secondary to turn their heads. I have to believe a guy with his stats can do that. This move is the reason why New England released Sterling Moore yesterday. With this week off, who knows what the Patriots' secondary will look like against the Bills in a week then the Colts? We could see Patrick Chung and Steve Gregory back on the field at safety with Devin McCourty and Talib at cornerback. Or maybe McCourty stays at safety.

Above all, this shows that head coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the front office were willing to publicly admit what everybody already knows: their secondary is a disaster and the biggest obstacle they have to overcome if they want to win the Super Bowl in February. Talib might be a complete bust (doubtful given his on-field track record) but at least they were willing to take the risk, midseason no less.

UPDATE 11/2: Today, Sterling Moore was signed to the Patriots' practice squad. Here is how New England's practice squad, which has one open spot with just seven current members, looks at this moment:

FB James Develin

WR Jarred Fayson

DL Marcus Forston

OL Matt Kopa

CB Sterling Moore

WR Greg Salas

OL Jeremiah Warren

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