I'm not exactly sure how he flew under the radar so much for the two seasons that he was a Patriot but can we all agree that safety Steve Gregory is absolutely terrible? He's undersized, slow, injury prone and gets burned time after time every week by anyone that he's supposed to cover. With nine years in the league, I have to wonder how a bum like him has lasted this long. Oh well, I bring good news this afternoon since New England has released him.
By dumping him, the Pats save $2.85 million which leaves them with $12.35 million under the salary cap. I could sit here and pretend that this means that the Patriots will use every cent of it to give Tom Brady more weapons and get more playmakers on defense like they desperately need to win another Super Bowl. Sadly, we know how this will likely play out: New England searches for the next Gregory and sign a couple stiffs just like him.
Not having Gregory won't automatically translate to more wins or success for New England but all we can hope is that this signals that they realize they need to change their scouting approach. The two important dates to remember for the NFL: free agency begins March 11 and the NFL Draft starts on May 8. By then, the 2014 Patriots' roster will take shape.
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Showing posts with label Steve Gregory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Gregory. Show all posts
Friday, February 28, 2014
Saturday, November 23, 2013
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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Sunday, November 17, 2013
Week 11 Injury Report, Monday Night Football special edition: Patriots at Panthers

You are not alone if it feels like five months since the Patriots last played (their blowout win over the Steelers) a game. Since then, they had a bye week and now we have to wait an extra day since they play Monday Night Football (8:40, ESPN) at Carolina (6-3). I can't say it's the game of the week since Denver hosts Kansas City on Sunday Night Football but the silver medal in this case is no small feat.
The injury reports were released today and there were a few notable items. Safety Steve Gregory (thumb) is out but you already knew that since his thumb is broken and he had surgery on it. Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (knee) is also out, I had missed it during the week but I guess he got hurt in practice. Yikes, hope that's not too serious. Leon Washington (ankle), Kyle Arrington (groin) and Aqib Talib (hip) are all questionable for the Pats.
For Carolina who is arguably the hottest team in the NFC, tight end Ben Hartsock (knee), linebacker Chase Blackburn (foot) and guard Chris Scott (knee) are all out. Cornerback Drayton Florence (groin) is the only Panther that is questionable.
Enjoy another full day of NFL Red Zone tomorrow and at some point, I'll update this on Monday when more inactives became available.
UPDATE 11/17: Washington is out, he hurt his ankle in Week 5 and hasn't been seen since. I don't understand why he's not on IR, this is a waste of a roster space if he never is on the field.
UPDATE 11/18: Shane Vereen will be activated for tonight's game, his first appearance since Week 1 when he broke his wrist. The four other inactives for the Pats are LB Steve Beauharnais, Brandon Bolden, DL Jake Bequette and OL Chris Barker. The inactives for Carolina: WR Tavarres King, WR Marvin McNutt, RB Kenjon Barner and DE Frank Alexander.
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
Patriots Roll Over Dolphins 28-0 To Clinch The No. 2 Seed In The 2012 AFC Playoffs
After Indianapolis beat Houston 28-16 earlier this afternoon, New England was handed a special opportunity: beat Miami and they'd clinch a Top-2 seed in the 2012 AFC playoffs. That extra certainty of motivation proved to be significant as the Patriots (12-4, 6-2 home) blanked the hapless Dolphins (7-9, 2-6 away) 28-0 at chilly Gillette Stadium.
With the victory, New England knows they host a divisional round game on Sunday, January 13 at 4:30 p.m. against either the Texans (who host the Bengals) or the winner of Colts/Ravens. I think I speak for all Patriots fans when I say that I like their chances against any of those three squads.
Basically the only thing that didn't go right for the Pats today was that Rob Ninkovich hurt his hip and had to leave the game in the second quarter. We're not sure how serious it is but the good news is that he has an extra week to heal and rest. Tom Brady (22 for 36, 284 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) had a solid game while Wes Welker (8 catches, 94 yards, TD) and Danny Woodhead (5 catches, 79 yards) were in a nice rhythm with TB12.
Stevan Ridley ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns while Rob Gronkowski returned after missing five games to catch a 23-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The ironic part is that Gronk still leads all NFL tight ends with 11 TDs despite all that time off. He was obviously favoring his arm though so I'm thrilled that he doesn't have to play another game for a while.
New England's defense posted its first shutout since 2009 thanks to its best pass rush of the season which produced seven sacks led by undrafted rookie free agent Justin Francis (3 sacks). Steve Gregory intercepted rookie Ryan Tannehill (20 for 35, 235 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) and Dont'a Hightower recovered a Tannehill fumble.
Miami's only effective weapon was wide receiver Brian Hartline (5 catches, 69 yards). Tannehill's interception was terrible and Reggie Bush fumbled on the goal-line (although it was charged to Tannehill). Clearly, the Dolphins had no interest in putting up a fight in their season finale.
After Gregory's interception, Welker cashed in with a nine-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Ridley had a one-yard touchdown run (on 4th and Goal) followed by a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The only intrigue left in the contest was over whether Ryan Mallett would make an appearance (he didn't) or if Miami would score (also a negative).
Now let's all sit back next weekend, watch the Wild Card games and get plenty of rest. The Patriots have never won a Super Bowl without a first-round bye so this was the first step to what we hope is a very special season.
UPDATE 1/1: The Patriots signed rookie defensive tackle Tracy Robertson to the practice squad.
UPDATE 1/4: Today, New England signed quarterback Mike Kafka and defensive end Marcus Benard to reserve/future contracts for next season.
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With the victory, New England knows they host a divisional round game on Sunday, January 13 at 4:30 p.m. against either the Texans (who host the Bengals) or the winner of Colts/Ravens. I think I speak for all Patriots fans when I say that I like their chances against any of those three squads.
Basically the only thing that didn't go right for the Pats today was that Rob Ninkovich hurt his hip and had to leave the game in the second quarter. We're not sure how serious it is but the good news is that he has an extra week to heal and rest. Tom Brady (22 for 36, 284 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) had a solid game while Wes Welker (8 catches, 94 yards, TD) and Danny Woodhead (5 catches, 79 yards) were in a nice rhythm with TB12.
Stevan Ridley ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns while Rob Gronkowski returned after missing five games to catch a 23-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The ironic part is that Gronk still leads all NFL tight ends with 11 TDs despite all that time off. He was obviously favoring his arm though so I'm thrilled that he doesn't have to play another game for a while.
New England's defense posted its first shutout since 2009 thanks to its best pass rush of the season which produced seven sacks led by undrafted rookie free agent Justin Francis (3 sacks). Steve Gregory intercepted rookie Ryan Tannehill (20 for 35, 235 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) and Dont'a Hightower recovered a Tannehill fumble.
Miami's only effective weapon was wide receiver Brian Hartline (5 catches, 69 yards). Tannehill's interception was terrible and Reggie Bush fumbled on the goal-line (although it was charged to Tannehill). Clearly, the Dolphins had no interest in putting up a fight in their season finale.
After Gregory's interception, Welker cashed in with a nine-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Ridley had a one-yard touchdown run (on 4th and Goal) followed by a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The only intrigue left in the contest was over whether Ryan Mallett would make an appearance (he didn't) or if Miami would score (also a negative).
Now let's all sit back next weekend, watch the Wild Card games and get plenty of rest. The Patriots have never won a Super Bowl without a first-round bye so this was the first step to what we hope is a very special season.
UPDATE 1/1: The Patriots signed rookie defensive tackle Tracy Robertson to the practice squad.
UPDATE 1/4: Today, New England signed quarterback Mike Kafka and defensive end Marcus Benard to reserve/future contracts for next season.
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Friday, November 23, 2012
Did That Game Really Just Happen Or Was I In A Food Coma?
I think we all knew the Jets were a mess but that still couldn't have prepared us for what transpired tonight at MetLife Stadium as the Patriots embarrassed the home team 49-19 in a game that wasn't nearly that close. Bill Belichick celebrated his 200th career win (including playoffs) by probably ending the Rex Ryan/Mike Tannenbaum era in New York. Look for major changes to be made there in the offseason.
New England (8-3, 4-2) won its fifth consecutive game thanks to an explosion in the second quarter that included three touchdowns (3!) in 52 seconds. Believe it or not, it was scoreless after one quarter before New York (4-7, 2-4 home) decided to self-destruct to an unbelievable level.
Lighting up the scoreboard in the past four games has been a common occurrence for the Pats. They've put up 190 combined points which is the most in a four-game span since the Rams in 1950 (208 points). Tom Brady (18 of 28, 323 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) was nearly perfect again; he's had 14 TDs and 0 INTs in their last five games. New England's 108 points in the last two blowout victories is the third highest total in NFL history.
For the second week in a row, the Patriots scored touchdowns in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. Wes Welker's (7 catches, 71 yards) 3-yard TD catch got the feast started in the second quarter. That was followed by Shane Vereen taking a swing pass 83 yards for a score, Steve Gregory (2 fumble recoveries, INT) scooped up a fumble 32 yards and took it to the house while Julian Edelman returned a fumble on a kick return 22 yards for the third touchdown in under a minute.
Speaking of Edelman, for good measure he added a 56-yard touchdown grab which put New England up 35-0 in the second quarter. Their 35-point quarter tied a franchise record. It also gave him four touchdowns in the last two games. The only downside is that he got crushed in the third quarter by LaRon Landry and it looked like he sustained a concussion.
New York couldn't get out of its own way and seeing Mark Sanchez (26 of 36, 301 yards, TD, INT) comically run into the back of his own lineman (in the most Jets play of all-time) and fumble then having Joe McKnight cough it up on the next play was something out of Football Follies. All that was missing was some Benny Hill music.
Credit to Rex Ryan and his team though as they scored 12 straight points to make it interesting. Haha yeah right. Nick Folk's 32-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half broke the shutout. A chop block in the end zone led to a safety for the Jets and Bilal Powell had a 4-yard TD run in the third quarter.
New England went back to trolling New York as Brady had a 1-yard quarterback sneak and Stevan Ridley (21 carries, 97 yards) was rewarded for a solid night with a 9-yard touchdown run.
For some reason, the Jets dressed Tim Tebow even though after the game he admitted that he has two broken ribs. That meant all the Tebow talk during the broadcast and chants by their miserable fans were pointless, he wasn't coming in no matter what. Third-string quarterback Greg McElroy must feel good about his work situation.
Dustin Keller had a 1-yard touchdown catch with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter for the final margin. New England leads the NFL with 32 takeaways, they improved to 7-1 against the AFC and 4-0 against AFC East foes-they are done with the Bills and Jets. Jerod Mayo had 11 tackles (8 solo), a sack and tackle for loss while Dont'a Hightower had four tackles (3 solo), a sack and tackle for loss.
It was a very physical game and especially considering the short week of preparation, the Patriots were outstanding. Yes, the Jets helped them out with most of their five turnovers but New England also made the plays. Like last season, they are showing the knack for getting turnovers on defense which is a great sign. The No. 3 team in the AFC will get this weekend off and then next week they'll begin work on the Dolphins (4-6, hosting Seattle on Sunday). The Patriots travel to Miami on Sunday, December 2 (1 p.m., CBS) to face a team that started out looking so promising but they have lost their last three.
UPDATE 11/23: Kyle Arrington was fined $23,000 today for his helmet to helmet hit on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck on Sunday. No word yet on any fines from last night's game vs. the Jets. Also, Greg Salas was claimed off waivers by the Eagles.
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New England (8-3, 4-2) won its fifth consecutive game thanks to an explosion in the second quarter that included three touchdowns (3!) in 52 seconds. Believe it or not, it was scoreless after one quarter before New York (4-7, 2-4 home) decided to self-destruct to an unbelievable level.
Lighting up the scoreboard in the past four games has been a common occurrence for the Pats. They've put up 190 combined points which is the most in a four-game span since the Rams in 1950 (208 points). Tom Brady (18 of 28, 323 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) was nearly perfect again; he's had 14 TDs and 0 INTs in their last five games. New England's 108 points in the last two blowout victories is the third highest total in NFL history.
For the second week in a row, the Patriots scored touchdowns in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. Wes Welker's (7 catches, 71 yards) 3-yard TD catch got the feast started in the second quarter. That was followed by Shane Vereen taking a swing pass 83 yards for a score, Steve Gregory (2 fumble recoveries, INT) scooped up a fumble 32 yards and took it to the house while Julian Edelman returned a fumble on a kick return 22 yards for the third touchdown in under a minute.
Speaking of Edelman, for good measure he added a 56-yard touchdown grab which put New England up 35-0 in the second quarter. Their 35-point quarter tied a franchise record. It also gave him four touchdowns in the last two games. The only downside is that he got crushed in the third quarter by LaRon Landry and it looked like he sustained a concussion.
New York couldn't get out of its own way and seeing Mark Sanchez (26 of 36, 301 yards, TD, INT) comically run into the back of his own lineman (in the most Jets play of all-time) and fumble then having Joe McKnight cough it up on the next play was something out of Football Follies. All that was missing was some Benny Hill music.
Credit to Rex Ryan and his team though as they scored 12 straight points to make it interesting. Haha yeah right. Nick Folk's 32-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half broke the shutout. A chop block in the end zone led to a safety for the Jets and Bilal Powell had a 4-yard TD run in the third quarter.
New England went back to trolling New York as Brady had a 1-yard quarterback sneak and Stevan Ridley (21 carries, 97 yards) was rewarded for a solid night with a 9-yard touchdown run.
For some reason, the Jets dressed Tim Tebow even though after the game he admitted that he has two broken ribs. That meant all the Tebow talk during the broadcast and chants by their miserable fans were pointless, he wasn't coming in no matter what. Third-string quarterback Greg McElroy must feel good about his work situation.
Dustin Keller had a 1-yard touchdown catch with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter for the final margin. New England leads the NFL with 32 takeaways, they improved to 7-1 against the AFC and 4-0 against AFC East foes-they are done with the Bills and Jets. Jerod Mayo had 11 tackles (8 solo), a sack and tackle for loss while Dont'a Hightower had four tackles (3 solo), a sack and tackle for loss.
It was a very physical game and especially considering the short week of preparation, the Patriots were outstanding. Yes, the Jets helped them out with most of their five turnovers but New England also made the plays. Like last season, they are showing the knack for getting turnovers on defense which is a great sign. The No. 3 team in the AFC will get this weekend off and then next week they'll begin work on the Dolphins (4-6, hosting Seattle on Sunday). The Patriots travel to Miami on Sunday, December 2 (1 p.m., CBS) to face a team that started out looking so promising but they have lost their last three.
UPDATE 11/23: Kyle Arrington was fined $23,000 today for his helmet to helmet hit on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck on Sunday. No word yet on any fines from last night's game vs. the Jets. Also, Greg Salas was claimed off waivers by the Eagles.
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Friday, October 19, 2012
Week 7 Patriots-Jets Injury Report
Is it just me or has this installment of Patriots-Jets, a matchup that normally gets a boatload of hype, been pretty quiet this week? I guess that's what happens when both teams come in at a depressing 3-3. Today, the injury report was released and the funny part is that while New England wore out the questionable designation (11 players), for some reason New York made 10 guys probable? Not sure the logic there.
For the Patriots, running back Brandon Bolden (knee), safety Steve Gregory (hip) and linebacker Tracy White (foot) are all out for Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS). The Jets haven't ruled anybody out yet but defensive linemen Kenrick Ellis (knee) and Sione Pouha (lower back), running back Bilal Powell (shoulder) and safety Eric Smith (knee) are all doubtful so don't expect to see them on the field unless backup quarterback Tim Tebow can perform some type of miracle on them.
New England defensive lineman Ron Brace (back), safety Patrick Chung (shoulder), wide receiver Julian Edelman (hand), tight ends Rob Gronkowski (hip) and Aaron Hernandez (ankle), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (hamstring), guard Logan Mankins (calf/hip), offensive lineman Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back/knee) and wide receiver Wes Welker (ankle) are all questionable.
The two guys that are the biggest unknowns on that list are Chung and Hightower. Chung got hurt last Sunday against the Seahawks and didn't return while Hightower has missed the last two games.
New York wide receiver Clyde Gates (shoulder), center Nick Mangold (ankle) and running back Joe McKnight (ankle) are questionable.
Stay tuned tomorrow night or Sunday afternoon when we find out who else will be siting out during this vital AFC East showdown.
UPDATE 10/20: Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian was added to the 53-man roster today from the practice squad. To make room, the Patriots released offensive lineman Matt Tennant. This will be his first game of the season, after playing in seven (1 start) last year-his rookie season-before going on IR with a concussion. If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly here, this probably means that Hightower is still out. We shall see.
UPDATE 10/21: The other Patriots out are Mankins, Chung, defensive end Jake Bequette and Brace.
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For the Patriots, running back Brandon Bolden (knee), safety Steve Gregory (hip) and linebacker Tracy White (foot) are all out for Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS). The Jets haven't ruled anybody out yet but defensive linemen Kenrick Ellis (knee) and Sione Pouha (lower back), running back Bilal Powell (shoulder) and safety Eric Smith (knee) are all doubtful so don't expect to see them on the field unless backup quarterback Tim Tebow can perform some type of miracle on them.
New England defensive lineman Ron Brace (back), safety Patrick Chung (shoulder), wide receiver Julian Edelman (hand), tight ends Rob Gronkowski (hip) and Aaron Hernandez (ankle), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (hamstring), guard Logan Mankins (calf/hip), offensive lineman Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back/knee) and wide receiver Wes Welker (ankle) are all questionable.
The two guys that are the biggest unknowns on that list are Chung and Hightower. Chung got hurt last Sunday against the Seahawks and didn't return while Hightower has missed the last two games.
New York wide receiver Clyde Gates (shoulder), center Nick Mangold (ankle) and running back Joe McKnight (ankle) are questionable.
Stay tuned tomorrow night or Sunday afternoon when we find out who else will be siting out during this vital AFC East showdown.
UPDATE 10/20: Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian was added to the 53-man roster today from the practice squad. To make room, the Patriots released offensive lineman Matt Tennant. This will be his first game of the season, after playing in seven (1 start) last year-his rookie season-before going on IR with a concussion. If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly here, this probably means that Hightower is still out. We shall see.
UPDATE 10/21: The other Patriots out are Mankins, Chung, defensive end Jake Bequette and Brace.
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Friday, October 12, 2012
Week 6 Patriots-Seahawks Injury Report
Only a day and a half left before the New England Patriots (3-2) take on the Seattle Seahawks (3-2) at CenturyLink Field Sunday afternoon (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS). Today, the injury report shed some light on who we should expect to see or not see in action.
The Patriots have two guys already out: safety Steve Gregory (hip) for the second straight week and linebacker Tracy White (foot) who left last week's game against the Broncos with an injury. The Seahawks will be missing defensive tackle Jaye Howard (foot) and guard John Moffitt (knee).
As always, New England is taking advantage of the questionable label by putting a whopping 14 guys with that designation. Running back Brandon Bolden (knee), defensive end Brandon Deaderick (ankle), wide receivers Julian Edelman (hand) and Wes Welker (ankle), defensive tackle Justin Francis (ankle), tight ends Rob Gronkowski (hip), Aaron Hernandez (ankle) and Michael Hoomanawanui (concussion), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (hamstring), guard Logan Mankins (calf), center Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), running back Shane Vereen (foot) and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back) are all 50/50 wink wink, nudge nudge.
Deaderick and Francis haven't played at all while Hightower missed last week. I'd say Dont'a along with Hernandez (out since Week 2) are the two names to watch out for since they are very important players that we know have legitimately been hurt.
For Seattle, defensive tackle Clinton McDonald (groin) is doubtful but he's the only other Seahawk that is expected to miss the game.
Stay tuned tomorrow and on Sunday as we find out who else will be on the sidelines.
UPDATE 10/14: Hightower and Edelman have been ruled out. The Boston Globe reports that Hernandez is expected to play but in a limited role so don't hold your breath for a big performance. Also, I wouldn't start him in fantasy football but that's just me.
The three other Patriots out today are defensive end Jake Bequette, center Matt Tennant and Hoomanawanui.
The Seahawks out are wide receiver Charly Martin, strong safety Winston Guy, cornerback Danny Gorrer, cornerback Jeremy Lane and McDonald.
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The Patriots have two guys already out: safety Steve Gregory (hip) for the second straight week and linebacker Tracy White (foot) who left last week's game against the Broncos with an injury. The Seahawks will be missing defensive tackle Jaye Howard (foot) and guard John Moffitt (knee).
As always, New England is taking advantage of the questionable label by putting a whopping 14 guys with that designation. Running back Brandon Bolden (knee), defensive end Brandon Deaderick (ankle), wide receivers Julian Edelman (hand) and Wes Welker (ankle), defensive tackle Justin Francis (ankle), tight ends Rob Gronkowski (hip), Aaron Hernandez (ankle) and Michael Hoomanawanui (concussion), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (hamstring), guard Logan Mankins (calf), center Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), running back Shane Vereen (foot) and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back) are all 50/50 wink wink, nudge nudge.
Deaderick and Francis haven't played at all while Hightower missed last week. I'd say Dont'a along with Hernandez (out since Week 2) are the two names to watch out for since they are very important players that we know have legitimately been hurt.
For Seattle, defensive tackle Clinton McDonald (groin) is doubtful but he's the only other Seahawk that is expected to miss the game.
Stay tuned tomorrow and on Sunday as we find out who else will be on the sidelines.
UPDATE 10/14: Hightower and Edelman have been ruled out. The Boston Globe reports that Hernandez is expected to play but in a limited role so don't hold your breath for a big performance. Also, I wouldn't start him in fantasy football but that's just me.
The three other Patriots out today are defensive end Jake Bequette, center Matt Tennant and Hoomanawanui.
The Seahawks out are wide receiver Charly Martin, strong safety Winston Guy, cornerback Danny Gorrer, cornerback Jeremy Lane and McDonald.
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Friday, October 5, 2012
Week 5 Patriots-Broncos Injury Report
I'll get right to it, the Broncos (2-2) come to Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m., CBS) to meet the Patriots (2-2) but only one team really did anything with their injury report this afternoon. Haha care to guess which one?
New England had two players out-safety Steve Gregory (hip) and wide receiver Julian Edelman (hand)-while listing an absurd 12 players as questionable. Denver on the other hand simply said five guys were probable, that's it.
The most intriguing names that are questionable for the Pats include tight end Aaron Hernandez (ankle) who hasn't played in three weeks, linebacker Dont'a Hightower (hamstring) and running back Brandon Bolden (knee). Haha you know Bolden has made it when he's getting the questionable treatment, that's usually reserved for some of the best players on the team. I'm willing to bet New England wouldn't have bothered if he hadn't played so well last Sunday in Buffalo.
The rest of the guys that are questionable: defensive end Brandon Deaderick (ankle), defensive tackle Justin Francis (ankle), tight end Rob Gronkowski (hip), tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (concussion), guard Logan Mankins (calf), center Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), running back Shane Vereen (foot) and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back).
I won't worry about Gronk, Mankins or Vollmer since they were all on the injury report last week with the same stuff and each managed to make it on the field against the Bills. The rest of the guys that I didn't specifically point out at the beginning or now aren't too important either way (Deaderick, Francis) or too injury-prone to expect anything from (Vereen) at the moment.
In other Patriots news, Brandon Spikes was hit with a $21,000 fine for unnecessary roughness against the Bills. That came on the play where he leveled Buffalo tight end Scott Chandler up high after one of Devin McCourty's interception returns.
Stay tuned tomorrow and Sunday as I update this with the latest news.
UPDATE 10/7: Inactives for the Patriots include Hernandez, center Matt Tennant, Hightower, Hoomanawanui and defensive end Jake Bequette. The only notable Bronco that's inactive is running back Knowshon Moreno. I haven't heard of any of the other bums that will be out, sorry guys.
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New England had two players out-safety Steve Gregory (hip) and wide receiver Julian Edelman (hand)-while listing an absurd 12 players as questionable. Denver on the other hand simply said five guys were probable, that's it.
The most intriguing names that are questionable for the Pats include tight end Aaron Hernandez (ankle) who hasn't played in three weeks, linebacker Dont'a Hightower (hamstring) and running back Brandon Bolden (knee). Haha you know Bolden has made it when he's getting the questionable treatment, that's usually reserved for some of the best players on the team. I'm willing to bet New England wouldn't have bothered if he hadn't played so well last Sunday in Buffalo.
The rest of the guys that are questionable: defensive end Brandon Deaderick (ankle), defensive tackle Justin Francis (ankle), tight end Rob Gronkowski (hip), tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (concussion), guard Logan Mankins (calf), center Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), running back Shane Vereen (foot) and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back).
I won't worry about Gronk, Mankins or Vollmer since they were all on the injury report last week with the same stuff and each managed to make it on the field against the Bills. The rest of the guys that I didn't specifically point out at the beginning or now aren't too important either way (Deaderick, Francis) or too injury-prone to expect anything from (Vereen) at the moment.
In other Patriots news, Brandon Spikes was hit with a $21,000 fine for unnecessary roughness against the Bills. That came on the play where he leveled Buffalo tight end Scott Chandler up high after one of Devin McCourty's interception returns.
Stay tuned tomorrow and Sunday as I update this with the latest news.
UPDATE 10/7: Inactives for the Patriots include Hernandez, center Matt Tennant, Hightower, Hoomanawanui and defensive end Jake Bequette. The only notable Bronco that's inactive is running back Knowshon Moreno. I haven't heard of any of the other bums that will be out, sorry guys.
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Monday, September 24, 2012
Patriots Suffer Another Devastating Loss, 31-30 To Ravens On Shady 27-Yd Field Goal
The esteemed Jerry Thornton of Barstool Sports said in his weekly Knee Jerk reactions piece (every Monday or Tuesday after a Patriots game) last Monday that the Patriots never lose in mundane fashion. This was after they fell 20-18 to the Cardinals last week on Stephen Gostkowski's missed field goal attempt.
They felt the other side of that pain tonight as once again they lost in another spectacular way, 31-30 against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Through incompetence of the replacement refs and the inability of New England's (1-2) defense to make a play/get a stop/get off the field, they allowed Baltimore (2-1) to move down the field and set up rookie Justin Tucker for a 27-yard field goal.
Of course in a game that featured 24 penalties (10 on New England, 14 on Baltimore), this had to end in a controversial manner: Tucker's chip shot appeared to go directly over the right goal post. Luckily with the clock nearing midnight on the East Coast (really) and no replays on field goals (really?), this gongshow was complete.
The easy thing to do which will no doubt be the choice of most Patriots apologists this week is to simply blame the officials. They were only part of the problem as the endless skirmishes after the whistle attest to. Let's start with the defense giving up 503 total yards plus 28 first downs and only 1 tackle for loss to the Ravens, including a monster performance from Joe Flacco (28 of 39, 382 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT), 150 yards for Ray Rice (101 rushing, 49 receiving, 1 rushing TD) and an incredible moment for Torrey Smith (6 catches, 127 yards, 2 TDs), who played after his younger brother tragically died this morning in a motorcycle accident. Steve Gregory had a gift interception and 37-yard return but other than that, the Pats defense didn't make any plays. Pressures, hurries and knockdowns were few and far between and they didn't have any sacks of Flacco.
The main reason the Pats find themselves under .500 for the first time in nine years (0-1 in 2003; but how'd that year turn out?) and 1-2 for the first time since 2001 because as usual, they couldn't protect a fourth-quarter lead (30-21). Stephen Gostkowski's 20-yard field goal put the Patriots up 30-21 with 14:10 left in the fourth but those were their final points. Smith cut it to 30-28 with a 5-yard touchdown catch with 4:01 left. New England moved the ball but Tom Brady (28 of 41, 335 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) was sacked then had to throw it away on third down.
While this game was going on, a main subplot was Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron locked into a battle of can you top this in horrible playcalls with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. I'd say the edge goes to McDaniels since even though Cameron called a handoff to rookie Bernard Pierce on 4th and 1-stopped by Patrick Chung-McDaniels beat him with sheer volume of baffling decisions. An end around to Julian Edelman worked once, why not try it again on the same drive? Danny Woodhead had a few decent runs, let's give him more carries than Stevan Ridley. On and on it went with a guy that suddenly doesn't seem like the wizard we remember from 2007. Now he appears much more like the guy in over his head in Denver and also fired last season in St. Louis.
Brady threw a touchdown pass for the 35th straight game, the fourth longest streak in NFL history. Brandon Lloyd (9 catches, 108 yards) and Wes Welker (8 catches, 142 yards) gave him a combination that the Ravens could never really stop. With no Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski (2 catches, 21 yards; 3 targets) was just another guy. I guess Baltimore double-teamed him but doesn't the best tight end in the NFL need more touches than that?
Befitting a team that has become a frontrunner the past few seasons, New England jumped out to a quick lead then faded as the game went on. Gostkowski had a pair of field goals (37, 49) sandwiched around a 2-yard score by undrafted rookie running back Brandon Bolden (1st of his NFL career) in the first quarter for a 13-0 advantage.
The Ravens woke up in the second quarter with Flacco and Smith connecting on a pretty 25-yard touchdown. Dennis Pitta's 20-yard catch and run was a disgrace since Gregory and Devin McCourty had the most pathetic tackle attempts (called out by NBC's Cris Collinsworth) that you'll ever see.
Brady answered with a masterful 2-minute drill, still his specialty, that was capped off by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Edelman over the middle with two seconds remaining in the half. New England led 20-14 at halftime.
Cameron remembered that his team had Rice in the third quarter, his 7-yard run made it 21-20 but Woodhead answered with a 3-yard score.
My head hurts from all the terrible calls, on both sides. I can also admit that McCourty needs to make a play when Flacco throws him multiple easy interceptions that he dropped. He also picked up a pass interference on the final drive when Flacco's ball was underthrown to Jacoby Jones (3 catches, 86 yards) and he didn't adjust properly.
The best outcome from this whole debacle is that it was the final straw that makes NFL owners (wake up Bob Kraft!) realize they need to get the real referees back in the games. After the Falcons-Broncos nightmare on Monday, this contest similarly in the national spotlight was more of the same dangerous slop. Plus, have you noticed how much longer these games are? Good lord, they are pushing four hours which is way too long for any sporting event (sorry Red Sox-Yankees).
The good news for the Patriots is that their schedule eases up for a while. They play the Bills (2-1) in Buffalo on Sunday (1 p.m.). Fred Jackson got hurt in Week 1 and C.J. Spiller was hurt early in today's game which means New England will likely be facing Tashard Choice. If there is anything you can count on in this crazy mixed up world, it's that the Patriots own the Bills. Until they prove us otherwise, I will keep clinging to that fact this week and beyond.
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They felt the other side of that pain tonight as once again they lost in another spectacular way, 31-30 against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Through incompetence of the replacement refs and the inability of New England's (1-2) defense to make a play/get a stop/get off the field, they allowed Baltimore (2-1) to move down the field and set up rookie Justin Tucker for a 27-yard field goal.
Of course in a game that featured 24 penalties (10 on New England, 14 on Baltimore), this had to end in a controversial manner: Tucker's chip shot appeared to go directly over the right goal post. Luckily with the clock nearing midnight on the East Coast (really) and no replays on field goals (really?), this gongshow was complete.
The easy thing to do which will no doubt be the choice of most Patriots apologists this week is to simply blame the officials. They were only part of the problem as the endless skirmishes after the whistle attest to. Let's start with the defense giving up 503 total yards plus 28 first downs and only 1 tackle for loss to the Ravens, including a monster performance from Joe Flacco (28 of 39, 382 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT), 150 yards for Ray Rice (101 rushing, 49 receiving, 1 rushing TD) and an incredible moment for Torrey Smith (6 catches, 127 yards, 2 TDs), who played after his younger brother tragically died this morning in a motorcycle accident. Steve Gregory had a gift interception and 37-yard return but other than that, the Pats defense didn't make any plays. Pressures, hurries and knockdowns were few and far between and they didn't have any sacks of Flacco.
The main reason the Pats find themselves under .500 for the first time in nine years (0-1 in 2003; but how'd that year turn out?) and 1-2 for the first time since 2001 because as usual, they couldn't protect a fourth-quarter lead (30-21). Stephen Gostkowski's 20-yard field goal put the Patriots up 30-21 with 14:10 left in the fourth but those were their final points. Smith cut it to 30-28 with a 5-yard touchdown catch with 4:01 left. New England moved the ball but Tom Brady (28 of 41, 335 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) was sacked then had to throw it away on third down.
While this game was going on, a main subplot was Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron locked into a battle of can you top this in horrible playcalls with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. I'd say the edge goes to McDaniels since even though Cameron called a handoff to rookie Bernard Pierce on 4th and 1-stopped by Patrick Chung-McDaniels beat him with sheer volume of baffling decisions. An end around to Julian Edelman worked once, why not try it again on the same drive? Danny Woodhead had a few decent runs, let's give him more carries than Stevan Ridley. On and on it went with a guy that suddenly doesn't seem like the wizard we remember from 2007. Now he appears much more like the guy in over his head in Denver and also fired last season in St. Louis.
Brady threw a touchdown pass for the 35th straight game, the fourth longest streak in NFL history. Brandon Lloyd (9 catches, 108 yards) and Wes Welker (8 catches, 142 yards) gave him a combination that the Ravens could never really stop. With no Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski (2 catches, 21 yards; 3 targets) was just another guy. I guess Baltimore double-teamed him but doesn't the best tight end in the NFL need more touches than that?
Befitting a team that has become a frontrunner the past few seasons, New England jumped out to a quick lead then faded as the game went on. Gostkowski had a pair of field goals (37, 49) sandwiched around a 2-yard score by undrafted rookie running back Brandon Bolden (1st of his NFL career) in the first quarter for a 13-0 advantage.
The Ravens woke up in the second quarter with Flacco and Smith connecting on a pretty 25-yard touchdown. Dennis Pitta's 20-yard catch and run was a disgrace since Gregory and Devin McCourty had the most pathetic tackle attempts (called out by NBC's Cris Collinsworth) that you'll ever see.
Brady answered with a masterful 2-minute drill, still his specialty, that was capped off by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Edelman over the middle with two seconds remaining in the half. New England led 20-14 at halftime.
Cameron remembered that his team had Rice in the third quarter, his 7-yard run made it 21-20 but Woodhead answered with a 3-yard score.
My head hurts from all the terrible calls, on both sides. I can also admit that McCourty needs to make a play when Flacco throws him multiple easy interceptions that he dropped. He also picked up a pass interference on the final drive when Flacco's ball was underthrown to Jacoby Jones (3 catches, 86 yards) and he didn't adjust properly.
The best outcome from this whole debacle is that it was the final straw that makes NFL owners (wake up Bob Kraft!) realize they need to get the real referees back in the games. After the Falcons-Broncos nightmare on Monday, this contest similarly in the national spotlight was more of the same dangerous slop. Plus, have you noticed how much longer these games are? Good lord, they are pushing four hours which is way too long for any sporting event (sorry Red Sox-Yankees).
The good news for the Patriots is that their schedule eases up for a while. They play the Bills (2-1) in Buffalo on Sunday (1 p.m.). Fred Jackson got hurt in Week 1 and C.J. Spiller was hurt early in today's game which means New England will likely be facing Tashard Choice. If there is anything you can count on in this crazy mixed up world, it's that the Patriots own the Bills. Until they prove us otherwise, I will keep clinging to that fact this week and beyond.
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Friday, September 21, 2012
Patriots-Ravens Injury Report Plus 2 Patriots Fined From Last Week's Game Vs. Cardinals
It's only taken three weeks in the 2012 regular season for the Patriots to start to employ their usual tricks on the injury report. Today, they listed 10 players as questionable while also designating Aaron Hernandez (ankle) and defensive tackle Justin Francis (ankle) out for Sunday night's game vs. Baltimore.
The funny part is that the Ravens clearly don't bother pulling the same stunts since they only list one player as doubtful: offensive tackle Jah Reid (calf). Other than that, everyone else is probable which isn't even worth mentioning if you ask me.
For New England, guard Dan Connolly (concussion), defensive end Brandon Deaderick (ankle), cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring), tight end Daniel Fells (shin), wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (thigh), guard Logan Mankins (hip), offensive lineman Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), running back Shane Vereen (foot) and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back) are the long list of questionable players.
The most important guys for the Patriots in that group are Connolly, Lloyd, Mankins and Vollmer. Their offensive line is the biggest weakness on the team and those guys are basically all the best players at that position so yikes. Hopefully they can all suit up against Baltimore for what should be a close, great game.
In other Pats news, safety Steve Gregory and linebacker Jerod Mayo were both fined today related to the 20-18 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Even though he wasn't penalized on the play, Mayo was fined $21,000 for what the NFL deemed unnecessary roughness on a hard hit of Arizona wide receiver Early Doucet. They thought he hit a defenseless receiver in the head and neck area although when it happened, it just looked like a clean hit. Gregory was fined $7875 for a late hit on tight end Todd Heap. Ironically, he was penalized on the play along with linebacker Brandon Spikes (for roughing the passer). That's what makes it strange that Spikes wasn't fined and Mayo's fine was way higher than Gregory's. Who knows?
Stay tuned tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon as we learn what Patriots will be inactive for the game against the Ravens which is on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m., NBC).
UPDATE 9/22: New England declared Deaderick and Dennard both out for tomorrow night. Before kickoff, the Pats will make three additional players inactive.
UPDATE 9/23: Vereen, McDonald and defensive end Jake Bequette are the other inactives for the Patriots. Sergio Kindle, Reid, Asa Jackson, Billy Bajema, DeAngelo Tyson, LaQuan Williams and Bryan Hall are all inactive for the Ravens. I've only heard of the first two guys but no major losses there for Baltimore.
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The funny part is that the Ravens clearly don't bother pulling the same stunts since they only list one player as doubtful: offensive tackle Jah Reid (calf). Other than that, everyone else is probable which isn't even worth mentioning if you ask me.
For New England, guard Dan Connolly (concussion), defensive end Brandon Deaderick (ankle), cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring), tight end Daniel Fells (shin), wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (thigh), guard Logan Mankins (hip), offensive lineman Nick McDonald (shoulder), cornerback Sterling Moore (knee), running back Shane Vereen (foot) and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back) are the long list of questionable players.
The most important guys for the Patriots in that group are Connolly, Lloyd, Mankins and Vollmer. Their offensive line is the biggest weakness on the team and those guys are basically all the best players at that position so yikes. Hopefully they can all suit up against Baltimore for what should be a close, great game.
In other Pats news, safety Steve Gregory and linebacker Jerod Mayo were both fined today related to the 20-18 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Even though he wasn't penalized on the play, Mayo was fined $21,000 for what the NFL deemed unnecessary roughness on a hard hit of Arizona wide receiver Early Doucet. They thought he hit a defenseless receiver in the head and neck area although when it happened, it just looked like a clean hit. Gregory was fined $7875 for a late hit on tight end Todd Heap. Ironically, he was penalized on the play along with linebacker Brandon Spikes (for roughing the passer). That's what makes it strange that Spikes wasn't fined and Mayo's fine was way higher than Gregory's. Who knows?
Stay tuned tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon as we learn what Patriots will be inactive for the game against the Ravens which is on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m., NBC).
UPDATE 9/22: New England declared Deaderick and Dennard both out for tomorrow night. Before kickoff, the Pats will make three additional players inactive.
UPDATE 9/23: Vereen, McDonald and defensive end Jake Bequette are the other inactives for the Patriots. Sergio Kindle, Reid, Asa Jackson, Billy Bajema, DeAngelo Tyson, LaQuan Williams and Bryan Hall are all inactive for the Ravens. I've only heard of the first two guys but no major losses there for Baltimore.
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