Pats Lawrence

No surprise, NFL players are opting out. Little over 60, maybe more. This included six or more Patriots players, a number of which are defensive guys. For as much disdain as I have for their tainted legacy over the last 20 years, some say they might be tanking on purpose to get Trevor Lawrence. I'm going to call bullshit on this one.

Granted, the best quarterback they have is Cam Newton, though he hasn't played in almost a year. They don't have much experience with the other ones either. Brian Hoyer has started, but poor play and injuries haven't helped. That Stidham guy is terrible. Offensively, the run game wasn't good last year. No tight ends contributed. But it's not an offense that is going to tank. Defensively, they will find others to fill in the spots.

Bill Belichick has been around the NFL for 40 years. He knows what he can do with a defense. He's a reason the Giants have two of the four Super Bowl trophies (technically, four since he lost to them in 2007 and 2011). He got the best of Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player and NFL player ever. For 20 years, he knows what he needs in his Pats defense. Ty Law, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi early on. Vince Wilfork, Asante Samuel, in the middle part of the 2000s. Those are small examples.

However, this is not a Pats problem. A lot of reshuffling is going to happen for many of the teams. I would not have my expectations be high when the season begins next month if they start on time. Without any pre-season games, it won't serve as a good test until they meet an opponent in the regular season. Safety first, but not even one game? I have a bad feeling about the first week.

But what does the team gain from tanking? I think most of the bandwagoners will disappear if that happened. And even if Lawrence were to get, he's going somewhere else. I can see Tampa a little bit. The L.A. Chargers. Maybe Carolina or Pittsburgh. There's other locations I can see him going to. But yeah, they wouldn't tank on purpose. If Parcells didn't do it, neither would Belichick. Too much fight in someone like him to want to give up that quickly.

Bengal Cheater and More

Yet another incident involving a Boston based sports team. Back in December, the New England Patriots were caught filming the Cincinnati Bengals a week prior to their matchup. They have been fined over a million dollars and lost a 3rd round draft pick for next year. It adds another black eye to the franchise over its last 20 years of controversial moments. One of the brighter spots was signing former Carolina Panther Cam Newton for a year and a decent sized salary.

But that pales to the negativity surrounding the city of Boston and their sports teams. Particularly, the Red Sox. With racism a hot button topic over the last month, it came to light of incidents involving opponents and even actual Red Sox players. From their own fans saying nasty things to the players of the team they root for. I guess it started with Twins legend Torii Hunter. Not too long ago, he talked to a Boston radio station about not wanting to ever traded to Fenway. Not because he didn't want to go there. Because of fans shouting slurs. While I would say it probably happens in all stadiums, it probably happens more there. This isn't new either. Oriole outfielder Adam Jones went through rough moments in 2017 with slurs thrown at him. To the point where the Red Sox apologized.

Not too long ago either, Red Sox legend Kevin Youkilis talked about the fans going after his own teammates. It's one thing to berate a player on the team you like because of their struggles. But the slurs. It adds more to how bad Boston can be as far as their fanbase goes. Inside the locker rooms, many experience the same stuff. Pats tight end Ben Watson discussed earlier this month about racism with the teams he was with. It does go beyond Boston. Can't be any different than New York, Los Angeles, Miami. Just to name a few of some of the big sports cities. Whether stories get made public or not, who knows.

I don't know how fans can keep dealing with these kind of incidents. Too much controversy over the last 20 years.

Tampa's Party Animal

Tampa Bay might become the new destination for partying. A big boy like Rob Gronkowski will be turning heads. What has happened is that he is unretiring. New England traded him and a draft pick in exchange for a draft pick. Offensively, it should help a bit and the combo of him, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin will make secondaries scramble to figure who will get the ball.

I think this will help him. A few more years under his belt and getting to near 10,000 yards and maybe close to 100 touchdowns will solidify an already big career. The Pats are in clear need of a tight end. No one amounted to anything in that position this past season. No one could make big plays and the run game suffered a bit. Tampa gets a healthy Gronkowski in what is a small trend of players taking time off and coming back into the league. But I'd be more concerned about getting a ground game going and having a running back that will help compliment the passing.

New England might look to deal with defensive guys in the draft. Or maybe a tight end. These two teams face each other next year unless both reach the Super Bowl, which that seems impossible. The way the NFL is right now, anything can happen and anybody could win. A big wind of change. 

Krafty Solicitation

There is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some get away with slaps on the wrist. Others might get some jail sentences. Where this lands for Robert Kraft, I don't know. What we should know is that the New England Patriot owner is being charged in Florida with soliciting prostitution. Whether he was involved or not is a question for another day.

If the charges stick, it makes the Patriots look even worse. When you add in all the controversies and scandals since 2000, having situation like this does not help. I would guess varying by state, it's a misdemeanor. Those can carry a little bit of weight. They may not be as strict as a felony, but where you are, it could lead to some issues. If Kraft were to be charged, it could mean one of two things. Either he serves time in jail, which could be up to a year. The second could be a year of probation. More than likely, I see him getting probation and a small fine.

No doubt the NFL will figure out how to deal with Kraft. The thing I don't get is that he has a partner and I believe a child. It probably still hurts that he lost his wife back in 2011, something most people can relate to. Whether these charges stick or not, the league will more than likely discipline him. They gotta set a standard for this. After all, they dealt with Jim Irsay for his DWI. Whether this will be more serious or not of a punishment is a question for another day.

For now, innocent until proven guilty. Maybe Kraft was in at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe he knew what he was doing. Regardless, it's a black eye in the scandals and controversies of New England.

Hero to Zero New England

The New England Patriots lost last night to the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt Patricia coordinated one of the worst games of his career, giving up over 500 yards and 41 points in last night's Super Bowl. One of the big blemishes and fails to people was not how much the defense faltered, but who wasn't on it. A game time decision was made not to have corner Malcolm Butler play. The result was not getting any snaps on defense.

For those who don't know, Butler was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Patriots in 2014. His name would be recognized after his interception at the very end of Super Bowl 49. After that, he has played three more years which includes this last one. He has been one of their bigger contributors to the secondary. That being said, something must have happened. The media asked that question to him and coach Bill Belichick. Belichick said it was a coach's decision. As usual, he is vague and doesn't explain in detail. Not too long after the game was finished, the media tried to get something out of Butler. In the end, he thought the team gave up on him.

For as much as I don't care for both Super Bowl teams this year, this has got to be one of the biggest gaffes not just for a New England team, but any team overall. Butler didn't exactly have a great 2017 season, but it wasn't horrible. Considering the first half of the game, he probably could have made a few plays, especially when his replacement Eric Rowe got burned on Alshon Jeffrey's touchdown catch. This will be on Belichick's conscious for a while, and it will be talked all year, even when the 2018 season comes in September

Belichick will view 95 percent of his team as expendable. As I've said, this is the guy who cut Bernie Kosar in the middle of the 1993 season when he coached the Cleveland Browns. He's not afraid to find new personnel for both his offense and defense. Even with that, it's not entirely the defense's fault, though it was mostly that. The Partiots didn't run the ball too well. Questionable throws despite Brady's 505 yards. It's definitely a few other players, but the defense made it worse and rightfully so.

If anything, Butler's time in New England is over. Not a pretty way to say thanks for his four years. From hero to a big zero, that will sting a lot worse than the Super Bowl loss. Belichick is selfish at times and doesn't get it. Unfortunately, I think we won't get an honest answer. The Patriots have a lot things to look over and how they deal with their defense is another story. Dreams can be a nightmare.

Super Bowl LII Recap

There were a lot of storylines regarding Super Bowl LII. Philadelphia went to the game in 1980 and 2004, both of which were losses. New England has gone five and four. Five wins in 2001, 03, 04, 14 and 16, with losses in 1985, 96, 2007, and 11. They both met in the 04 season, another close one in the Super Bowl. When it's all said and done, Philly went toe to toe and won it's first ever Super Bowl and it's fourth overall championship.

Jitters might be the word I would describe the first quarter, particularly the kicking game. Missed extra points from both Jake Elliott and Stephen Gostkowski. A bad handle from punter Ryan Allen caused Gostkowski to miss a 26 yard field goal in the second quarter. Other than that, it was a very thrilling game that went down to the wire. It seemed like every drive was going to end up with points with the final being 41 to 33 Eagles. Only one punt was seen in the entire game. Gutsy calls on fourth down favored the Eagles while the Patriots attempt early in the game faltered. 

Yards piled up to the point where Tom Brady had 400 yards passing before the fourth quarter started, and he ended up with 505. Both teams combined for 1,151 yards. This is a record ever for any game in NFL history, regular and postseason. Nick Foles had a very strong game, which we will get to in a short moment. He joins Doug Williams and Jeff Hostetler as the only guys to start three or less games and win a Super Bowl (Williams for Washington in 1987, Hostetler for the Giants in 1990) Each side ran for 100 yards combined from their ground game. Philadelphia dominated it with reaching 160 plus.

For the Eagles, they make the NFC East the first division to have all four teams as Super Bowl winners. Foles was unstoppable. Outside of the interception, he had just over 370 yards and three touchdowns. He made plays when he needed to and finished one of the finer postseasons for a player. LeGarrette Blount had a big game with 90 yards rushing and a touchdown. Nelson Agholor and Corey Clement were big contributors. Zach Ertz gave them the lead for good with his touchdown. Foles even got a receiving touchdown himself. Defensively, they did not let up, and it led to the only sack in the game being a big deal. Despite the points they gave up, they were relentless and played for 60 minutes, something most teams can't do against New England. A tough secondary and a front four group adds a lot more with their ability to stop most plays.

Regarding the Patriots, it is their third loss under Bill Belichick, all being NFC East teams during his tenure. (Two losses against the Giants) Not only that, but it is their fifth Super Bowl loss overall going back to their first one in 1985, which is a record in itself. There will definitely be some retooling come next year. The defense didn't give up much in points this year, but it was shredded in pass defense. Tonight was no exception. Their run defense wasn't abysmal, but it looked really bad against the Eagles. Their fourth down play early in the game didn't pay off. A pass to Brady as a receiver failed miserably. Gostkowski's missed kicks hurt them. James White and Dion Lewis didn't amount to anything tonight. Too many mistakes in every facet was very noticeable. With Josh McDaniels (though whether he takes the job as Colts coach as of now is now a big question) and Matt Patricia on the verge of leaving to be head coaches, a big question will be how the Patriots handle having new coordinators.

Something will have to give in Philly. Where does Nick Foles go? Does Carson Wentz still have the starting job? A lot of decisions have to be made if they want to repeat. In New England, it will be a matter of how much this Super Bowl loss will sting for Belichick and Brady. Judging by the benching of Malcolm Butler, something tells me that team is going to start ridding of players they think would hurt them. It wouldn't surprise me. After all, this is the same coach that cut Bernie Kosar in the middle of the 1993 season when he coached the Cleveland Browns. Anything can happen under Belichick. I would think they would rebound, but who knows. 

Odds are the riots are going very strong in Philadelphia due to the city going nuts over this win. In a few days, I will discuss the Hall of Fame players that got their call this past weekend. Until then, savor one of the most entertaining Super Bowls in recent memory.

NFL Super Bowl Prediction 2018

This upcoming Super Bowl is either going to be very grand or very disappointing. There is no third option for how this will end up. For the sake of this, let's get into both sides.

Right now, the Philadelphia Eagles are riding high on their defense. This is the group that has been on a high level in their two games, but in order to win, they need to keep it going for 60 minutes. Keeping eye on the running backs of New England is critical. Nick Foles proved worthy last week, but it will be a daunting challenge to pick apart the Patriot defense. So far the run game hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders, and it might have to rest onto the passing game. Keys to winning include getting the rushing attack to prosper, staying on a high level on defense and Foles playing it smart.

There is no happy ending for the Patriots. A dark cloud will still hang over both Belichick and Brady, whether they win this Super Bowl or lose. If they were to win, they need the defense to actually play for 60 minutes, not just the second half. Who do you cover, though? Philly has receivers that can move anywhere on the field they want. Obviously, the passing game is still strong, but running the ball, like the Eagles, is a daunting one. Keys to victory include playing defense for all 60 minutes, getting the ground game going, and avoiding huge pressure like the last two weeks.

As much as I don't care for both these teams, it's going to be a New England victory. I would go 28 to 21. The Eagles can only do so much on offense without over-relying on the defense. That being said, I could see the city of brotherly love winning it, but a potential riot could occur. I would hope this would be a good game, so let's see how things go on Sunday.

NFL Championship Predictions 2018

There were certainly crazy games last week. With that in mind, here comes the Championship Games.

I really didn't think the Jacksonville Jaguars would be in the title game for the AFC. They need more than just luck to get past New England. Nobody expected them to get this far, and their confidence is through the roof. They would need to not give up much on defense, and keep giving Leonard Fournette the ball. Add in issues with Brady's throwing hand, I wouldn't say it will be a close game, but honestly, who knows? People do forget about Dion Lewis being a factor. He could easily shred the Jags. Still though, I'm buying into the underdog. Not to mention Tom Coughlin in the front office. He knows the ways to beat the Patriots. It's why he has two Super Bowls and is part of the Ring of Honor in New York.

Minnesota had probably one of the craziest finishes in playoff history and erased demons of the past. Now there is a chance to play the Super Bowl at home. The last thing the Vikings have in their way is the Philadelphia Eagles. For Philly, it's just pure luck. It's mostly the defense. The question marks lie into how well Nick Foles can play and if the run game will actually get yards. Even with a touchdown, LeGarrette Blount only mustered 19 yards. It has to be more than just defense contributing for Philly. Minnesota needs a mistake free game from Case Keenum, and like the Eagles, get the ground game going. The defense can't bend like it did against the Saints.

Personally, I see a Jacksonville vs. Minnesota Super Bowl. Two weeks from now will be my thoughts on whichever two make it into the big game. Who do you think gets in?

NFL Divisional Round Predictions 2018

A week in the books already and the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs begin Saturday. Let's get to the games.

Saturday's games are the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles match late in the afternoon. The night game is between the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots. With Philly and Atlanta, it comes down to Atlanta beating up on Philly. If Carson Wentz was under center, I would say otherwise, but whoever is starting is going to have a bad performance. If it is Nick Foles, this is going to be different since this isn't the 2013 version that surprised everyone. The Falcons are top 10 defense this year and are very good at stopping the run, particularly refusing backs from getting touchdowns. With the experience of the postseason last year and last week's victory against the Rams, they can ride that momentum to the Championship game. Philly's keys to victory are the defense to not bend, get the receivers going and rely on running the ball. I don't see two of these going well.

Tennessee was a shocker in their victory against Kansas City. Now they have the task of stopping New England and hoping to make it back to a Championship game for the first time since 1999. It is only their seventh appearance in the postseason since the start of the 1994 season and they need perfection to even pull another upset. Marcus Mariota needs more than just luck as the Patriot defense struggled throughout the year, ranking second to last in pass defense yards given up and in the lower half for rush defense yards. Obviously, New England's passing is at the top, but the question is the defense and if the ground game will show up like it did the last two games of the year. I'm all for the upset with Tennessee, though realistically, it's a losing effort for coach Mike Mularkey.

Sunday's games are two rematches from this season. The early game is the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers, while the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings are the final game of the Divisional Round. Jacksonville gave Ben Rothelisberger one of his worst games ever, picking him off five times. Their defense is good, but their magic won't work Sunday. The offense was putrid against Buffalo, and the Steeler defense will pulverize Blake Bortles. Leonard Fournette will struggle for yards and the Jaguars will be having issues scoring points. A lot can happen between October and January. The Steelers will win. How much they will win by is a question mark.

Week one saw the Vikes and Saints in a Monday Night game with Minnesota notching a victory. These are the two best teams not only in the NFC, but the entire league. They can throw the ball well and attack on the ground with duo running backs. The defenses can create turnovers and make big plays when necessary. Minnesota has to stop the Saints rushing prowess, which has run rampant throughout the season. Shut down Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, they will get their victory. Calm Case Keenum and he will do fine in his first playoff game. New Orleans has to put a lot of pressure on Keenum to make him throw a costly interception. Stop him and Latavius Murray, and a Championship game for the first time since 2009 (Both faced each other in the NFC Championship that year) will be theirs. I'm buying into Minnesota solely on their defense. Either way, this might be the best match up for the playoffs.

Next week, we will discuss the Championship games.

Throwing it away: Aaron Hernandez

If you no doubt heard about this in the last 24 to 36 hours, it will come off as a huge shock. Not long after considered not guilty of a double murder, former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez was found in his prison cell hung in the early hours of the morning of April 19th. You wouldn't think it's surprising considering some people think they didn't commit a crime and being on the other side is too much for them. In the case of Hernandez, who I think was still trying beat out his current reason for being in jail for life without parole, it makes no sense. Why kill yourself (if he really did) when you know you have a fighting chance, even if it's very slim, to get out?

Hernandez was a part of the Florida Gators for college football, playing with Tim Tebow and winning a national championship in 2008. He wasn't huge until his last year in 09, picking up over 800 yards and then declaring for the draft after that year. After you hear what he did, it represented what Florida was under coach Urban Meyer. Guys like Hernandez did whatever they want and didn't face much punishment. Whatever the case, he goes to the NFL in 2010 and gets drafted in the 4th round by the Patriots.

For his first NFL season, Hernandez put up decent numbers along with Rob Gronkowski, also drafted that year. The two tight end duo seemed like it would work, and it showed the next season. Both would put up very strong numbers. Gronkowski put up 1000 plus yards and 17 touchdowns. Hernandez was over 900 yards and 7 scores. This was a big threat that made it to the Super Bowl, only for the team to lose again to the perfect season killer New York Giants. Hernandez would sign a deal that would keep him with the Patriots until 2016. For 2012, he numbers were okay, but the tight end position was marred with injuries that year. He would put up decent numbers in the playoffs that year, but without Gronkowski, the offense couldn't do much to fool anyone at the most important time.

The pivotal point was 2013, where Hernandez would find himself in the midst of the reason he would be put into prison a few years later. In mid-June, Odin Lloyd was shot and killed. A little more than a week later, Hernandez is charged with murder and arrested. More charges pile up as police in Boston looked again at a double murder that he may have done the year before Lloyd's death. Almost a year later, the double murder gets him indicted, where police found evidence of the weapon Hernandez may have used after a word exchange with the victims led to the homicides.

More than half a year later, the trial for Odin Lloyd begins. Not too long, a verdict is given and Hernandez is sent to prison for life without parole. Then came another trial this year for the double murders, which he is declared not guilty a week ago. And then comes him hanging himself. From what I've said on other sites, attorneys were trying to get him out and try to drop the charges. Murder is a very serious offense. Especially with being let off the hook for what happened in 2012, maybe there would have been a chance to get out. As I said, it would have been very slim. Especially at that time when the Boston Marathon bombing occurred a few months prior to his arrest.

That being said, even if he was let go, he could have been a repeat offender and be one of those people who was constantly in and out of jail. There's the stories about being with gangs. I don't know if it was in high school. It might have been most likely when he was in Florida and Massachusetts. Who knows? I think he would have been out of the NFL very quickly, even if he played a few more years. Not a lot of teams would tolerate what he did.

Right now, Hernandez leaves behind a fiance and four year old daughter, who will no doubt be hearing a lot of shit. Some of it rightfully so, and other times uncalled for. It sucks to be that kid, and she'll be the subject of a lot of ridicule. Whatever he was charged of now is vacated. I don't know much about legalities, but Hernandez is now an innocent because of his suicide. However, that's going to be fought tooth and nail by the victims families to put the guilty moniker back on him. They might also try to get any money that's left from him. The Patriots could also have to pay depending on whether the conviction is dropped or not. If dropped, it's going to cost them a few million.

I hate to sound cold, but I think Hernandez did everybody a favor. Even if he did get out, he would have been a burden. No doubt in my mind, he would have seen jail time a whole lot that would have turned into a life sentence for a lot of repeat offenses.

Hernandez could have been one of the greatest tight ends and tight end duos with Gronkowski. But he threw it all away because of his way of life and everybody is paying for it on both sides. A long legal battle could ensue.