Patriots' Solid Road Win Tainted By Wilfork's Injury

Well tonight the Patriots ran into their first legitimate opponent of the 2013 regular season and you have to admit that they passed the initial test with a 30-23 win against the Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Sunday Night Football. New England (4-0 overall, 2-0 away) would be the first to admit that they should have won much more comfortably (they led 30-13 in the fourth quarter) since the Falcons (1-3 overall, 1-1 home) had a chance to tie it at the end after recovering an onside kick but Matt Ryan's (34 of 54 for 421 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) fourth down pass for Roddy White in the end zone was deflected away by Aqib Talib.

For what it's worth, the last two times the Pats started 4-0 was in 2004 and 2007: both years ended in the Super Bowl (a win and loss respectively). However before we start dreaming of the Super Bowl this season, it's likely that we'll wake up to the sobering reality that Vince Wilfork is out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles (reported by Boston Globe's Shalise Manza Young and ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss). It happened in the first quarter on a seemingly innocent play but with such a big body sometimes it's tough to tell the severity of an injury. When he got carted off then never returned, you knew it was bad because he never misses action. The Pats could survive without Wilfork since truth be told he plays a rather outdated position in today's pass-first, second and third NFL but he is unquestionably one of their best players, a captain and leader. Let's hope the early reports are somehow wrong.

Tonight's victory was a throwback to the happier times with the Patriots (the Super Bowl years) when nobodies picked up during the week or languishing on the bench turn in huge plays. Which was your favorite: Matthew Mulligan's (6th team in 6 years) first catch for New England (a 1-yard touchdown), undrafted rookie Joe Vellano replaces Wilfork and has a sack or Michael Buchanan (a 7th round pick) who also recorded a sack? I'm not even including Kenbrell Thompkins (6 catches, 127 yards, 18-yard TD catch) since by now we all know his story and importance to this team. Oh and LeGarrette Blount who nobody thought should make the final roster, had a 47-yard touchdown run. Haha it was that kind of night.

The Falcons proved to be the Texans or Chargers of the NFC: a talented team that plays too conservatively (Houston) or is prone to make the brutal mistake in a big spot (San Diego). In the first half they passed up an easy field goal only to get stuffed on fourth down when it was obvious points would be at a premium in this contest. Talib picked off Ryan for his NFL-leading fourth interception of the season that sent the fraud Atlanta fans home early.

No Steven Jackson meant little in the way of a running game for the Falcons. Tony Gonzalez (12 catches, 149 yards, 2 TDs) looked like the greatest tight end who ever lived but that probably isn't far off from the truth. Julio Jones (6 catches, 108 yards) was the focus of Talib and New England's defense so he only showed up in pseudo-garbage time with a miraculous 49-yard grab.

It is always a good day or night as it were for kickers indoors: Matt Bryant and Stephen Gostkowski each had three field goals with New England's kicker booming a 48-yard and 49-yard kick. Tom Brady (20 of 31 for 316 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 1 fumble) started off slow with only nine passing attempts in the first half but the Pats adjusted from a power running gameplan to more of a passing attack led by Thompkins and Julian Edelman (7 catches, 118 yards) in the second half except for Blount's long run.

The Pats survived another week without Danny Amendola (anybody seen him by the way?) and Rob Gronkowski. Next Sunday's game (1, CBS) at Cincinnati (2-2) doesn't seem as tough after the Bengals lost 17-6 today in Cleveland to Brian Hoyer and the Browns. Of course the NFL taught us long ago not to make too much out of one week (win or lose). New England is happy to be one of the six remaining unbeaten teams left in the league (5 after Monday Night Football) after a tricky road win against a desperate squad.

UPDATE 10/1: As I predicted, today the Pats resigned cornerback Marquice Cole and safety Kanorris Davis (who was signed off the practice squad on Saturday then released yesterday). I bet Davis is back on the practice squad as soon as tomorrow.

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Week 4 Injury Report: Patriots at Falcons

There is still plenty of time left before Sunday Night Football (8:30, NBC) pits the Patriots (3-0) at the Falcons (1-2) but the injury report still came out at the same time as usual this afternoon.

In addition, New England also made a roster move as they somewhat surprisingly released cornerback Marquice Cole who had been dealing with a hamstring injury. I wouldn't be shocked to see him back soon when he's healthy since he sees playing time in nickel and dime packages plus he's on all the special teams.

As for who will or won't play at the Georgia Dome, the three names on all Patriots' fans minds are Rob Gronkowski (back/forearm), Danny Amendola (groin) and Sebastian Vollmer (foot). They are all questionable but it sounds like Amendola won't play; Gronk is slowing getting better and Vollmer missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday but returned in a limited capacity today.

The other questionable Patriots are Kyle Arrington (groin), Nate Ebner (ankle), Will Svitek (knee) and Leon Washington (knee). Special teams ace Matthew Slater (wrist) has already been ruled out but you knew that if you read my blog post from last week.

For Atlanta, running back Steven Jackson (hamstring) is still out while four other marquee guys are questionable: wide receivers Julio Jones (knee) and Roddy White (ankle) along with former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel (thigh).

The annoying part of the late kickoff, besides its conflict with great television shows (Boardwalk Empire, Bar Rescue and Breaking Bad to name a few), we also have to listen to basically another full day of injury speculation regarding Amendola and Gronk. Ugh, I can't wait to have them back on the field so we can stop hearing vague speculation from every NFL reporter with a Twitter account.

UPDATE 9/29: Patriots inactives are Steve Beauharnais, Slater, Amendola, Gronkowski, Jake Bequette, Chris Barker and Washington. Falcons inactives are Samuel, safety Kemal Ishmael, Jackson, linebacker Jamar Chaney, guard Harland Gunn, tackle Ryan Schrader and defensive tackle Travian Robertson.

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Red Sox Spoil Todd Helton's Final Game at Coors Field

It seems apropos that Todd Helton's final game at Coors Field would more closely resemble a softball game, oh and also that his team lost since they were known to do that for many of his days (17 years) in Colorado. Tonight, the Red Sox (96-63 overall, 43-35 away) outslugged the Rockies (72-87 overall, 45-36 home) 15-5 in the series finale. The victory was extra sweet for Boston because this afternoon, the Angels beat the A's 3-1 putting the Red Sox two games up (with three to go) for the best record in the AL.

Helton did his part with a line straight out of a movie: solo homer, RBI double and sac fly. Unfortunately, the rest of his team weren't really on the same page. The Red Sox got most of their runs from extra-base hits: Will Middlebrooks had a grand slam and three-run homer; Shane Victorino hit a three-run homer and Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 4 for 5 with a double, three RBIs and two runs.

A nice footnote for Boston: David Ortiz's two-run double gave him an even 100 RBIs on the season. That's the seventh time he's done it in a Red Sox uniform, trailing only Ted Williams (9) and Jim Rice (8). The big news in this game for the Red Sox is that Jacoby Ellsbury returned after missing 16 games. He batted leadoff and was 1 for 2 with two runs scored before getting replaced in the fourth inning.

Jake Peavy (12-5) struggled mightily but still made it through six innings. This was the final interleague game of the season for Boston, the only other way they'll see an NL team in 2013 is if they reach the World Series. The Red Sox finished with the second best record (14-6) in Interleague play this season so they have no reason to fear anyone from the weaker league.

The Red Sox are coming back this way (relatively speaking) with an off-day tomorrow followed by a three-game series in Baltimore. The Orioles have been eliminated from playoff contention and perhaps after Friday, Boston will have wrapped up the top seed in the American League playoffs. You can't overstate the importance of that well-earned honor. The regular season concludes on Sunday.

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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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Criminally Underrated Rob Ninkovich Signs 3-Year Extension With The Patriots

Over the last few seasons, Patriots fans have come to realize how good defensive end Rob Ninkovich has become. Now it's gotten to the point where national TV announcers note this multiple times in every Pats game. For a defense that has lacked playmakers for years, he always seems to be in the right place and most times, he makes the clutch plays that few others do.

Today, one of the leaders of New England's improving defense signed a three-year extension through 2016 that's worth $15 million ($8.5 million guaranteed). He had been playing in the final year of his contract so New England was smart to lock him up early rather than wait until the end of the season where he would surely be the subject of a bidding war between smart teams.

In the first two games this season, Ninkovich has recorded 14 tackles and forced a fumble but that doesn't even really tell you his true value. He's not particularly big or fast, there are no skills that jump off the screen at you but when you watch every Patriots game you quickly recognize that he's almost always in the correct spot which translates to making play after play. In the last two seasons, he started every game and put up a very respectable line of 14.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and 132 combined tackles.

As much as any player from the last few seasons, Ninkovich is proof that the Patriots can still find a diamond in the rough when it comes to free agency. Remember, this is a guy that was a fifth-round draft pick by the Saints in 2006 who was only playing long snapper before they cut him. With New England, he's moved his way up from backup and special teamer to one of the unquestioned leaders of the defense.

The Patriots would be a much better team if they had a team full of Ninkovichs: guys that are unselfish, reliable and always do their job.

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Red Sox Win Their 1st AL East Crown Since 2007, 7th In Franchise History

Well that didn't take too long. Roughly 24 hours after they clinched a playoff spot, the Red Sox (94-61 overall, 52-27 home) wasted no time dispatching the hapless Blue Jays (70-83 overall, 32-43 away) 6-3 tonight at Fenway Park. Boston clinched its first AL East title in six seasons, the seventh in franchise history.

They remain 2.5 games up on Oakland for the best record in the AL so their hearty celebrations in the clubhouse and back on the field afterwards were well deserved especially after they didn't do anything following Thursday's victory over Baltimore.

There is plenty of work for the Red Sox to do in October in order to accomplish what is well within their grasp: an American League pennant and World Series title. Still, baseball is such an insane grind that it was nice to see them live in the moment for a second and enjoy their excellent regular season. As the last few seasons have shown, AL East (the best division in MLB) titles don't come around that often.

Jon Lester (15-8) set himself up to no question be the No. 1 starter when the playoffs roll around as he put together another stellar outing: seven innings, one earned run, five hits, eight strikeouts and two walks. Junichi Tazawa created a few scary moments when he gave up a two-run homer to Adam Lind in the eighth, cutting Boston's lead to 5-3. No worries, Koji Uehara would just be summoned for a five-out save.

Uehara allowed two hits (which is unheard of for him) and threw 26 pitches but he didn't allow a run and struck out two including Brett Lawrie to end it for his 20th save of the season. More than any other pitcher on the Red Sox, he earned the right to get the biggest out of the season (so far).

Boston's first two runs were gifts as Dustin Pedroia (3 hits, double) scored on a wild pitch in the first and Mike Carp (single) walked with the bases loaded in the second inning. Lawrie got the Jays on the board with an RBI single in the fifth but Boston added three in the seventh on David Ortiz's (run, two walks) RBI single and a two-run single by Carp. How good has Carp been?

With the big league hangovers that they're sure to all have this morning, it's best for the Red Sox that they don't have a game until tomorrow night (7:10, NESN). Clay Buchholz (11-0) faces Mark Buehrle (11-9), who Boston typically owns.

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Week 3 Injury Report: Buccaneers at Patriots

It's funny how quickly we fall into familiar routines when it comes to the NFL season. The Patriots (2-0) last played on Thursday (9/12) and maybe because it was such a horrific game that we tried to put it out of our memories but that feels like it was a year ago. Today, the injury report was released for New England's meeting with winless Tampa Bay (0-2) on Sunday (1, FOX) at Gillette Stadium.

Matthew Slater (wrist) has already been declared out for the Pats who as far as I know haven't publically acknowledged his broken wrist which should put him on the shelf for a while. Danny Amendola (groin) is doubtful and you can basically guarantee that he won't play either. There are six Patriots that are questionable: Brandon Bolden (knee), Dan Connolly (finger), Nate Ebner (ankle), Rob Gronkowski (back/forearm), Will Svitek (knee) and Leon Washington (thigh). Of that group, I'm pretty sure that Connolly and Washington are the only guys to have played in the first two games.

The Bucs aren't messing around as they've already said three of their players are out: defensive tackle Derek Landri (knee), cornerback Michael Adams (knee) and offensive lineman Gabe Carimi (illness). Four Bucs are questionable: tight end Tom Crabtree (ankle), cornerback Rashaan Melvin (hamstring), guard Carl Nicks (foot) and tight end Luke Stocker (hip).

Check back on Sunday prior to kickoff as I'll update these when the inactive list becomes available.

In other Patriots news, the NFL finally came down with their fines from the Jets-Pats game. Vince Wilfork, Alfonzo Dennard and Michael Buchanan were each fined $7875 for unnecessary roughness while Chandler Jones was docked $15,750 for an earlier play where he hit Geno Smith.

UPDATE 9/22: The new inactives for the Pats are Washington, Gronk, Amendola, Steve Beauharnais, Svitek, and Chris Jones. The other inactives for the Bucs include Orlovsky, Adams, defensive end Steven Means and Stocker.

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