Rob Gronkowski Is Kind Of An Asshole

I know this is a little old, but I have a lot of stuff go on from then and now to write this post like trying to get killed by a Vermont Drug Dealer and get the worst food poisoning of all time. Anyways, I went to the Celtics/ Lakers last week and obviously it was a devastating loss. And Rob Gronkowski, Vince Wilfork and other Patriots were at the game. Every time they were put on the big screen people were chanting and were cheering, etc. When the game was over, Gronkowski was openly celebrating and then was taking pictures with Kobe and so on an so forth. This really rubbed me the wrong way, you have all these people who are at the Celtics game against a rival and cheer for you after the devastating Superbowl loss, and then you celebrate with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant? Fucking dumb. I am completely with Rodney Harrison and others when it comes to him jumping on around the ankle that pretty much cost them a Superbowl after the game (also, I am equally disappointed at Matt Light too).

I don't know what his deal is or if he's just really dumb, but he needs to cool it. In my eyes as a football fan, I was disgusted with seeing him after the Superbowl and in person, I thought he was an asshole. And before everyone jumps down my throat for me being a Steeler fan, I have talked to a couple of die hard Patriot fans that feel the same way.

What Now For Patriots? (Part 3)

We have gone over what the Patriots can do to improve their WRs, and pass rush, now it's time to see what their options are for CBs. I have been reading a lot of people saying they should draft more CBs. I am not so sold on that idea. We have done a lot of that over the past couple of years and I think it is time to bring in a proven talent.

Brandon Carr - Prime of his career (26), and played for the Chiefs, which one would think could be an easy transition. He is going to be real pricey though.

Brent Grimes - He was injured late in the year and is about to turn 29. I like him because he is used to playing in man and zone, so he could be a good all around fit.

Cortland Finnegan - We know from his fight win Johnson that he gets under people's skin. He just turned 28, and could be a very nice fit.

Carlos Rogers - Was awesome for the 49ers last year, and could be another guy that will get get a lot of money. He is about to turn 31.

Tyvon Branch - He is a safety, which if the Patriots decide to put McCourty back to CB, could be a fit. He led the Raiders in tackles and is just 25 years old.

Dashon Goldson - Another safety, who is coming off a big year for the 49ers and had 6 picks. Turns 28 in September.

Tracy Porter - Feel like this guy has been around forever for the Saints, but is turning just 26 years old. Very solid, like him a lot.

Aaron Ross - Not a great CB, but a good #2. He has won 2 Super Bowls with the Giants. He is 30 years old.

Michael Griffin - Safety who hasn't turned out of be as good as everyone thought he would be. Then again the Titans defense is all that great anyways. He is just 27 years old.

Finnegan and Porter would be nice fits for the Patriots.

What Now For The Patriots? (Part 2)

Yesterday I covered the Patriots needs at WR. Today, I will go over what the Patriots might look to do about a pass rush (we will get to CBs later). We have seen time and again that the Patriots really aren't interested in drafted that kind of player. I keep waiting for it, and it never comes. Maybe they do it this year, but let's pretend it doesn't.

The Patriots pass rush was actually much better this year. Carter had a nice year for them, and so did Anderson. Both those guys are free agents. Carter is at the end of his career, I guess I could see them bringing him back for low money one year deal, and maybe use him as a straight up 3rd down pass rusher. Anderson is more interesting. He has 10 sacks this year and is still just 28 years old. I would really like to see him back.

My question is what the Patriots are going to do next year in terms of what defense they are going to run. They played a lot of 4-3 this year, but later in the year they seemed to go back to a 3-4 (and played better). Maybe a full (non lockout) offseason can transition it over, or maybe they just switch back and forth.

If they stick for a base 4-3 then their LBs are kind set with Spikes, Mayo, and Ninkovich. I am fine with that. If they go to a 3-4, then they might need to bring someone in. Guyton is a bust, and I although Fletcher is decent they would need a bit more depth.

Still, I think it's the defensive line that would need to be improved. Love is decent, Wilfork is a a beat, Ellis was a bust. Here are some guys they could look at...

Mario Williams - Wow, wouldn't that be a dream to put him on a defensive line with Wilfork. Plus, he can even play some OLB, though I think he is better as a DE. This is the dream, I don't think the Patriots will be able to bring him in, but the very thought of it gives me an erection.

Cliff Avril - Has 19 1/2 sacks over the last two season, and is still only 26 years old. He also seems to be trending up: 2009 5.5 sacks, 2010 8.5 sacks, 2011 11 sacks.

Red Bryant - About to turn 28. Had 16 sacks last year. He is more of an end for a 3-4 defense, so if they are going back to that, could be interesting.

Robert Mathis - Is starting to get older (31), but man this guy can be a force. He has terrorized Brady in the past, and is a great pure rusher, and fast as hell. Might even be able to play some OLB if need be.

Jeremy Mincey - Decent pass rusher (10 sacks), but more of an all around decent DE. Turning 29 years old.

John Abraham - 9 1/2 sacks last year, is starting to get old (34). He would've had more sacks if he was healthy all year. The Patriots have showed they like bringing in these older guys (Carter/Ellis), so maybe this could be a nice short term option.

Sione Pouha - Has played NT for the Jets and racks up a lot of tackles. The Patriots have moved Wilfork all over the line, and him and Wilfork could be a nice duo in the middle. Yet, he is 33 years old.

The dream is Williams, but I could actually picture them grabbing Mathis.

Ochocinco Getting Married And Changing Name Back To Johnson

The Patriots wide receiver tweeted Wednesday evening that when he marries his girlfriend Evelyn Lozada on July 4, he will return to his original last name, Chad Johnson.

We had heard before that he was going to change his name back, which I liked, because Ochocinco was funny for like a year and then was really lame. This story means nothing to me, but I read this and it made me write about it...

"he should change his name to "Gissilespussy", maybe Brady would hit it more often."

What Now For Patriots?

It's over the Patriots lost the Super Bowl. Am I over it? Ehhh, probably not. Yet, it's hard not to look forward. I'll start with the WRs, and address each of their needs over the next week or so.

Patriots have some free agency decisions. The Patriots currently have just two wide receivers under contract for 2012 (Ochocinco and Tiquan Underwood). Most, if not all, think Ochocinco and his $6 million deal will be cut. I think Welker will be back, and I could see them bringing Branch back as well. Yet, the Patriots are in serious need of a deep threat. Some to stretch the field for Welker, and the TEs to be able to work the middle.

Here is a quick list of some guys who could help...

DeSean Jackson - Obviously comes wight a lot of baggage, but the Patriots have shown a willingness to take on these type of guys with very mixed results. Dillon/Moss worked out, Haynesworth/Ochocinco did not. I don't think the Eagles will bring him back. He is one of the fastest guys in the NFL, and I think would be a perfect fit.

Vincent Jackson - I don't think the Chargers will let him go. I don't know if they will tag him, but I just don't picture him in another uniform. If somehow he was available his price will be high. He is under 30 years old, 3 of the last 4 years he has been obove 1,000 yards with 7+ TDs.

Dwayne Bowe - There are concerns about his conditioning, but this guy is a freak of an athlete. In the right situation he could be one of the best WRs in the league. Sources say the Chiefs will franchise him if they have to. He is 27 years old, and has 5-6 years of being in his prime if he stays in shape.

Steve Johnson - Another young guy he is 26 years old. He is an idiot at times, but he has had 2 very nice years up in Buffalo. He seems like a guy who is going to chase top dollar no matter what, so I don't see him coming here (as can be said for Jackson).

Marques Colston - Love this guy, but he really isn't much of a speed guy. Actually he is built a lot more like a TE. He has been so damn consistent though, but is yet another guy I just can't see leaving his team. Can you picture Colston in anything but a Saints uniform? I sure can't.

Reggie Wayne - Has been in a similar system as the Patriots, but I feel like they would just be getting another version of Branch.

Pierre Garcon - Had a hell of a year without the Colts having a QB. He is pretty damn fast, and like Wayne was part of a similar offense as the Patriots. Could be an interesting fit.

Robert Meachem - Other then DeSean this might be the fastest guy on the list. He could be a low cost guy to pick up, but there will be a lot of other teams that will fall in love with his speed. This guy will be boom or bust. He seems like he either has a great game, or you don't hear from him at all. Still, he interests me.

Jerome Simpson - Made the play of the year, and people now know him. He is fast as hell, and seems to be just scratching the surface of what he can do. Can he learn the Patriots offense, what's the price, what about his legal problems. Lots of question, but very intriguing.

Mario Manningham - Made one of the greatest Super Bowl catches of all time. He is just 26 years old. I wonder how much he will get. People are always talking about Cruz and Nicks, but Manningham is a heck of WR in his own right.

DeSean Jackson is my dream here. I think he could improve the return game greatly, and be the deep threat the Patriots badly need. I just know know if they will be able to afford him. Guys like Meachem and Garcon could be more in there price range. It will really interesting to see how much cap room the Patriots have, and whether they want to spend it here or on defense.

Also, I know this sounds crazy, but I wouldn't be shocked if Ochocinco comes back for a team friendly deal.

Final Thoughts On the Super Bowl

I know you are probably all sick of the Super Bowl stuff at this point (unless you're a Giants fan), so I promise this will be my one and only post on it.

I really didn't think the offense would be what would let the Patriots down in this game, because it certainly wasn't the defense, who I thought played a hell of a game. Drops, poor clock management, and Brady deciding to recklessly bomb it down the field for the 2nd week in a row led to the Patriots undoing.

It was painful being there. The experience was great, but having to watch the ending was like slowly bleeding out. You knew they blew it, but you had to keep coming up with reasons it would be Ok. Then slowly the "possibilities" roll away, and it's over.

Looking back on the season I didn't think the Patriots would make it this far (ironic that I thought it would be the defense that would cost them). Yet, what makes this so painful is that they had this game, and they gave it away. When Welker dropped that past I seriously had flashbacks of horrid Boston sports memories (Wesley hitting the post, Boone HR, ect). It just had that feel. Yet, as much as I wanted to be pissed about it, the only play that really set me off was Brady reckless bomb that got picked off. There was no need at that point in the game to be lobbing a 60 yard bomb to a one legged TE (especially when he did a similar thing just a game ago).

Saying that give Eli credit. I can no longer hold him out of the conversation of top NFL QBs. He is amazing in the 4th quarter, he is poised, and he no longer ever looks like a frightened puppy in the pocket. Also, that catch by Manningham might be the 2nd great catch I have seen in a Super Bowl.

Brady's window is closing. He probably has 2-3 years. I think the Patriots have a lot of way they can improve. Pass rush, OLBs, CBs, safeties, and a deep threat at WR is where I would start. It's painful to come that close and know some of the best players in your teams history blew it (Brady/Welker), but it's the truth.

Hell of a year though.

As for random misc stuff of being there...

- Cost is out of control. $500 for parking (knew someone so we didn't pay), $11 bucks a beer, $20 for popcorn, $8 for a hot dog. T-Shirt were going for $50 bucks.

- People need to leave protesting at home. Anti-Gay marriage, "Occupy", Bible Belt crap, honestly just go away.

- I'll say it, people in Indiana just aren't very smart.

- Lucas Oil is the loudest stadium I have ever heard, and might also be the nicest. Really cool place to go if you ever get a chance.

- Funny how many random fans are there. Almost every NFL team had a fan there (lots of Packers, must have though they'd be there and bought early).

I hate The Patriots and Steve DeOssie Really Pisses Me Off

I listen to this dope from WEEI almost every single day and although I understand his son Zack plays for the Giants this is a little over the top. He completely shit all over the Patriots after every day leading the league in sales for Patriot pink hats. He's a god damn dope and if I was WEEI I would relieve him of his duties and trade him the WFAN where he and Mike Francesa can compete on ridiculous things to say with their ridiculously awful voices.

The Patriots Are Taking The Loss Seriously

Here are Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light partying it up with LMFAO after the Superbowl loss. It's weird because I would expect this out of Rob Gornkowski because he's dumb and I don't think he understands the magnitude and how hard it is to actually make it to the Superbowl. But Matt Light on the other hand is a veteran has been through the battles, so going out to where there would be a ton of press and shit is a little weird. Especially since he knows how awful the Boston media is and how they are going to over analyse this, just like how I am right now.

If I were a Patriot fan, this is probably the last thing I would want to see. Because when Queeratek and Papelbon went around Boston partying after the Sox were knocked out, it made me both want nothing to do with them ever.

Why Not

Have a laugh at Wes Welkaaaah's expense

Gisele Needs To Shut Her Mouth

You can't do this stuff Gisele. Not only did you give the Giants extra motivation before the game by saying Pray for my Tommy, But you say this after the game, "“You (have) to catch the ball when you’re supposed to catch the ball. My husband cannot (bleeping) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times.”

I mean yea.... she's got a point. Welker, Branch and Hernandez all had drops. But wives need to know their roles in this situation and say it privately. But if I was a Patriot fan I would want Tommy to get rid of her tranny ass. He's gone all glitz and glam and he and his wife are just stepping on the little guys. Gisele is a curse, and everyone knows it.

FINALLY THIS SITE CAN GO BACK TO THINGS I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT

Now that the Giants have confirmed that the Patriots time on top has been decapitated and that you really can't spell Elite without Eli, and that Bill Belichick is a great coach, but he was a greater couch when he cheated, we can finally get to talking about things that I like to talk. Basketball, College BBall and Baseball.

Last night there could be goats on the Patriots Welker, Brady, Hernandez, Gronk's ankle, Bill Belichick, Cutting a Taiquan Underwood before the game, Deion Branch. When you saw all these passes being dropped, you could have thought to yourself, "Maybe Underwood would have caught that?" I did. Karma works in funny ways.

Here is what happened bad:
Wes Welker dropping a ball threw a little behind him (should have been caught), Aaron Hernandez dropping a pass and Brandy leading Branch into a tough catch that was dropped.

Bill Belichick challenging a play that was blatantly in bounds. Bill was standing 10 feet from that play. I guess this will be left out of the Captains video game of Bill Belichicks Situation Football. Actually the mismanagement in the final 2 minutes was atrocious. Also the 12 men on the field call, when they would have got the turnover was a JV penalty that really killed them.


And then Tom Brady deserves some of his share of blame, he forced the pass to Gronk which led to a INT. Then he had a brainfart by getting a safety 1st play.

I've been hearing a lot "if Gronk" was healthy excuses and it's true. When Tom loses his security blanket in Gronk, he's a mediocre QB. With him losing the only explosive player on offense killed him.

You can't blame any of the officiating at all, as the Patriots got 2 unbelievably favorable calls and non calls. One when Brandon Jacobs ran for a 1st down and they called a phantom hold, and then the other one was a no call on the blatant pass interference call Sterling Moore should have got.

Although those mistakes were costly, you have to give respect to the better team, and better QB. Eli Manning is Elite and as much as I hate his stupid hick face, he's a Hall Of Famer and he's 2-0 in Superbowls. The Giants have a hell of a QB over there, too bad she's a girl

Pitchers and Catchers report to spring training in a couple weeks. Celtics have been playing incredible and Kentucky just made South Carolina look like a JV team. Things are going Dave's way.

James Harrison had these truths to say:

Told you, cheaters never win!!!!!!!!!

and

0-2 post spy gate! Just saying!! Cant spell ELIte w/o Eli!! Night my friends!” Ditto goodnight! 0-2 post spy gate! Just saying!! Cant spell ELIte w/o Eli!! Night my friends!” Ditto goodnight!

Via Twitter

Giants 21, Patriots 17

Two plays can sum up this game. One was Mario Manningham's toe-dragging sideline catch in the 4th. The other was Wes Welker's drop, also in the 4th. Manningham was covered well yet brought his toes down, maintained control of the ball, and in one play brought his team from its own 12 yard line to just 15 yards shy of field goal range. Manningham reached his maximum potential in that moment. He made the play.

Welker's drop came with the Pats up 2, with 4:00 on the clock. Had he held on, it would have been 1st & 10 on the Giants' 22 yard line. The Patriots could have drained at least another minute off the clock and would have almost surely scored at least a field goal. And if they'd scored a touchdown, the game would be over. Welker had all 10 fingers on that ball. And it popped out. He didn't make the play.

The Giants made more plays than the Patriots. It's not rocket science, it's fairly simple.

There were plenty of times in this game that the Patriots were just a play or two away from claiming victory. They didn't make the plays. The Giants did.

It's not effort, it's execution. No sane person can question Wes Welker's effort. But when his number came up, he just didn't make the play. Mario Manningham did.

After the Pats scored to start the second half, victory was within reach. They never grabbed it.

17-9 Pats and the defense gives up a field goal. If the Pats respond with a touchdown, they're up 21-12 and in the driver's seat. Instead they went three and out.

The defense gives up another field goal. 17-15 game, Pats get the ball back, move it a bit, then on a 1st down Brady evades pressure, then throws deep to Gronkowski. He underthrows a bit, Gronk can't outmuscle the linebacker covering him and it's an interception. What was Brady thinking? Throwing a jump ball on 1st down? That was a cocky decision.

The Giants eat about 5 minutes of clock and pin the Patriots back on their own 8. That drive ended the play after Welker's drop. Punt, Manningham, a few more plays, touchdown, history.

Victory was out there. The Patriots didn't reach out and take it. The Giants did.

Looking ahead, there's little reason to despair. There is a great deal of talent on this team. There's room to improve, but there's a strong foundation to build on.

I think you'll see significant defensive retooling. As much as I blame the offense's lack of execution for this loss, the Giants did mount an 88 yard game-winning TD drive. It'd be nice to have a better chance to prevent that. A team can't be so dependent on half of its roster to win all its games and right now the Patriots are dependent on the offense to make every single play in order to win.

That needs to change. Safeties that know what they're doing. Cornerbacks that can cover one-on-one without being embarrassed. A consistent pass-rush. Maybe an OLB that can rush the passer.

Here's a weird, almost frightening thought: the Bruins are the clutchest team in Boston sports.

-The Commodore

BMack's Super Bowl Preview

This game just feels like destiny. After the Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all-time beating the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, was there really any doubt who Brady who have to go through to get his 4th ring?

I have heard this season called the season of Redemption. If the Patriots find a way to win this Super Bowl they would've beaten every team that Brady had lost to in the playoffs (Jets, Ravens, Colts, Broncos, *Giants). It's just another reason why this game seemed destined to happen. Yet, there are so many times in our lives these stories don't turn out the way we want. To say I am confident about this game would be a lie. I think the Patriots can win, but I a scared shitless by the Giants.

Why am I scared? Because this is by far the best QB we have played so far in the playoffs (Tebow/Flacco). Actually if you look even deeper into this ShEli the last good QB we played, and we lost that game...

Nov 13 @N.Y. Jets Won 37-16
Nov 21 Kansas City Won 34-3
Nov 27 @Philadelphia Won 38-20
Dec 4 Indianapolis Won 31-24
Dec 11 @Washington Won 34-27
Dec 18 @Denver Won 41-23
Dec 24 Miami Won 27-24
Jan 1 Buffalo Won 49-21
(the the two playoff games I had already mentioned)

I didn't mean to depress any Patriots fan reading this, but you need to recognize the facts, and the facts are the Patriots defense has been playing better, but they haven't been playing passing offenses like this one. That doesn't mean the Patriots truly haven't gotten better just that they haven't faced a team like this in a while, and when we have it hasn't gone well.

The other thing you have to be worried about is this Giants pass rush. They got to Brady the last time these two teams played, and they were missing guys. The Patriots offensive line is in for a huge test, they have to be able to give Brady some kind of pocket, so that guys like Welker, Gronk, Branch and Hernadez have time to make their cuts.

Ok, enough of the bad stuff. How do the Patriots win this game?

I am not the only one who thinks thins, but I think the Patriots need to run the ball. The Giants have a good defensive line, but they aren't overly big, and their linebackers aren't anything special. We have already heard that Ridley is going to be active for this game. That tells me the Patriots plan on pounding the ball.

I know somewhere DP is yelling "and take the ball out of the hands of the best player in football!!!!"

That's really not the point. It's to take the edge off the pass rush. It's to wear them down so that later if the Patriots need to spread them out they won't have the legs to be all over Brady. It's because Brady and this offense can be very effective off of play action. Don't be shocked if you see Nate Solder as a TE a couple times in this game with Volmer taking his spot. Seriously, he was a TE in college and if the Patriots want to straight up pound the ball, having both those guys out there will only improve their chances and put even more weight on those pass rushing DEs.

Another key is Brady has to play better then he did against the Ravens. The Giants are going to score, there is little doubt in my mind, but Brady can't give ShEli a short field. The Patriots defense does give up a lot of yards, but not a lot of points. That can change in a hurry though if they are point in bad positions.

One thing that people aren't talking about is where the Patriots offense starts on the field. Last time these two teams played the Patriots started with the ball ahead of their own 21 yard line once the entire game. Tough to score points when that happens. They need a better return game, but they also need this defense to find a way to get at least a couple 3 and outs. That's going to be tough to do, but whether they get them off the field through turnovers or 3 and outs, they are going to need to do it at least 3-4 times to win.

I think this is going to be a real close game. So close that every Patriots fan may lose a year or two off their life expectancy...

Patriots win 27-24
MVP: Tom Brady
Non QB MVP: Hernandez

Captain's Super Bowl Preview

Vegas favors the Patriots by 2.5 to 3. Which seems a little strange. The Pats were 13-3, and were the AFC's #1 seed. The Giants went 9-7, and were the NFC's 4th seed, even though they had the 6th best record. Of course, the Giants beat the Patriots 24-20 at Gillette Stadium in early November.

I don't want to play the underdog card too much here. As I said, Vegas is favoring the Patriots. Which means people are putting their money behind the Patriots. But the fact that questions like "Would you rather have Eli or Brady?" are being asked at all seems a little weird to me.

The Giants appear to match up well against the Patriots. They have a strong 4 man pass rush that can pressure Brady but also leave 7 men in coverage. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have the 31st passing defense, allowing 293.9 yards per game in the air. The Giants have a good QB, with a bevy of weapons for him to throw to. Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and tight-end Jake Ballard who caught a TD against the Pats in November.

As bad as the Patriots' pass-defense has been, people don't seem to be noticing how bad the Giants are at defending against the pass. The Giants are 29th in yards allowed. Opposing QBs have an 86.1 rating against the Giants. What is the QB rating for Patriots' opponents? 86.1. Isn't that funny.

And since when has Eli Manning become an elite QB? I heard one pundit say that Eli's success is due to his not making mistakes anymore. Really? Doesn't make mistakes anymore? He threw 16 picks this year, 7th most in the NFL. He threw 25 picks last year.

He's been excellent in the postseason so far, with 8 TDs, only 1 INT, and a 103.1 rating. But his whole career has been defined by inconsistency. And he was hardly dazzling back in November against the Pats.

The Patriots lost that game because Brady wasn't as good as he should have been. They lost because they made mistakes like missing a 27 yard field goal. They lost because they turned the ball over 4 times. Brady threw 2 interceptions and fumbled. Edelman muffed a punt. The Giants scored 10 points off turnovers.

Eli Manning is the best QB that the Patriots will face in these playoffs. But he doesn't scare me. The November game was actually one of the better games played by the Pats' defense. People are talking about Ahmad Bradshaw not playing in that game and how much it helps the Giants that he's back. But the Giants were 32nd in the NFL in rushing for a reason. Bradshaw rushed for 3.9 per carry this year, and never once eclipsed 60 yards in a game.

And to be blunt, rushing the ball against the Patriots is doing their defense a huge favor.

This game comes down to one person. And his name is Tom Brady. How he throws, and how he's protected, and how he executes will determine if the Patriots win or lose. I know I've been saying it all year, but it is all about Brady, Brady, Brady.

The Patriots beat the Ravens without a fully effective Tom Brady. They won't be able to pull the same rabbit out of the hat twice. Brady needs to have a good game for the Patriots to win. And if he has a great game, the Patriots will win. No matter what Eli does against the Pats' defense.

One thing that unnerves me is that for the past few years Brady's tried to force the play in big games. He's thrown into double coverage with no margin for error. For example: that deep ball in the Ravens game intended for Slater. No need to try to be that perfect in one throw. He needs to realize that it's better to throw a couple good passes instead of forcing yourself to throw one absolutely perfect one. Because if a good pass is off, it's incomplete. If the attempted perfect pass is off, it's an interception.

I think Brady and the offense will execute on Sunday. At the very least, they won't turn the ball over as easily as they did in November.

Gronkowski's health will play a huge part in the Patriots' offense. He caught 8 passes in that November game. He's Brady's #1 target in the Red Zone, and he's a good receiving option to have if Brady is getting hurried. When Brady needs to press the panic button, he can throw to Gronkowski's general direction and Gronk will haul it in. If he's healthy.

Let's not forget about Wes Welker, though. Welker would have been Super Bowl MVP in 2008 had the Patriots been able to hang on. He caught 11 passes in that game. He caught 9 passes for 136 yards in November. He also had a 13 yard run. He will have a big game on Sunday.

The Giants are vulnerable against the run. They allowed 121.3 yards per game on the ground, 19th in the NFL. In November, BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran well at the start of the game, 52 yards on 12 carries. Then for some reason Ridley and Woodhead got more of the carries. They didn't do as well (combined 10 carries for 36 yards). This might have been due to Ellis' health, or might have simply been a play-calling mistake.

Look for Ellis to get the ball with regularity on Sunday. Not only do the Giants give up chunks of rushing yards, but a strong run can also slow down and wear out a pass-rush. Then of course comes play-action. Ellis can also become an outlet receiver, chipping a lineman then sitting in the middle of the field or the flat for a safe pass. J.R. Redmond style.

Brady will not look at Ochocinco unless he's clearly on the good side of a mismatch.

In the November game, Brady targeted Ochocinco 5 times. This was before we all accepted the fact that Ochocinco is not a significant part of the offense. It was Game #8. In the first 8 games of the season, Brady targeted Ochocinco 21 times. In the 10 games since then, Brady's targeted him 11 times. So from 2.6 targets per game down to 1.1.

Why is that a good thing? Because it demonstrates that the Patriots have adjusted their offense. Ochocinco was thrown to at key moments in that November game. And it didn't go well. Now, he won't be. Brady will be looking for someone else.

One thing this offense has done remarkably well this season is adjust, adapt, and evolve. Adjust to coverages, adjust to pass pass rushes, adjust to Ochocinco's inability to adjust, and so on. The Patriots didn't adjust back in 2007, they simply kept hammering away at the same thing the same way.

They've adjusted since November. The Pats have won 10 straight since that game. The Giants are 6-5 since that game. Yet somehow they've been billed as the red hot team. And give credit to them for their playoff wins. But they are prone to inconsistency.

I think the Patriots' offensive line will man-up and slow down the Giants enough for Brady to find open receivers. We can talk about schemes and strategies all we want, but football usually comes down to one group of guys outplaying another group of guys. It'll be up to the Pats' offensive linemen to protect Brady and make holes for Ellis.

I think BJGE will also slow down the pass rush and set-up a few 2nd & 2 situations. Eli will put up a few TDs, but he'll throw a pick or two. The Giants will score, and will have one or two painfully unstoppable drives. But they won't keep up with the Pats.

Patriots 34, Giants 27.

-The Commodore

Gronk To Practice Today And Play In Super Bowl

For the first time since injuring his left ankle in the AFC championship game, Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski will practice Thursday and will play in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday here at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to a tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

I figured this news was coming after he saw him without a boot the last couple of days. This is obviously huge news for the Patriots, when these two team met Gronk had 8 catches for 101 yards and a TD in a 24-20 losing effort. He is a huge part of this offense, and the Patriots need all hands on deck. With him practicing today I am certain that he will be damn close to 100% for Sunday, otherwise they wouldn't bother risking a practice.

Legacies on the Line

How Super Bowl XLVI plays out will have a tremendous impact on the legacies of four men: Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick.

If the Giants win, and Manning does well, perhaps even wins another Super Bowl MVP, he'll be regarded as the superior Manning. At least he should be.

While Peyton has always been highly praised, and has been putting up gaudy regular season stats for years, the game of football is about playing your best in the big game. It's about performing in the clutch, capitalizing on the big moment, making that one play. More so than any other sport because other sports have best of 7 series. In the NFL, it's win or lose, live or die, all in one game on one night.

If Eli wins, he's the better big game QB. He'd have 2 rings. One more than Peyton. He'd have an 8-3 playoff record. Peyton is 9-10.

Eli would also have a much better record against the Patriots, a team that most NFL teams have measured themselves against for the last decade. Eli would have 2 playoff wins against New England. Peyton is 1-2. Eli would have a career record of 3-1 against the Patriots. Peyton, when facing the Patriots with both Belichick and Brady, is 4-8 against New England.

So if Eli does well and helps propel the Giants to a Super Bowl win, his legacy will surpass his older brother's.

What about Tom Coughlin's legacy compared to his former boss, Bill Parcells?

If the Giants win, then Coughlin matches the Tuna in the ring category with 2. Parcells won 303 games as a head coach, Coughlin has 256 wins. Parcells' playoff record isn't staggeringly amazing. He's led teams to 3 Super Bowls, won 2 of them, and is 11-8 in the postseason. Coughlin has been two 2 Super Bowls, won 1 of them, and is 8-7 in the playoffs.

I don't see much separation there. If I told you those numbers were some mystery coach, you might say that Coughlin is just a step behind Coach X. But Parcells' name carries the weight of his reputation as a winner. So it seems like Coughlin is further behind than he really is.

Parcells gets praised for producing lots of coaching talent. Like Coughlin, and Belichick. But that also means he's had high quality assistants helping him win. Was Parcells a great teacher? Or did he have genius students? Probably both.

I'm not saying that if the Giants win on Sunday, then Coughlin is better than Parcells. But he's at least in the conversation. Looking at just their bodies of work, there wouldn't be much separating the two.

And as for former Giants assistant Bill Belichick, a win on Sunday would put even more distance between he and Parcells. Belichick would be 96 games over .500 as Patriots head coach. Think about that. Parcells had a .570 winning percentage, and .611 with the Giants. Belichick has a .643 winning percentage, .724 with the Patriots.

Belichick has 272 career wins (31 behind Parcells, 22 behind if you include playoff wins), a 21-6 playoff record, 5 Super Bowl appearances, 3 titles. A win on Sunday would be icing on the already impressive cake of Belichick's legacy.

The same goes for Brady. If the Pats lose then both Brady and Belichick will still be considered among the best at their particular jobs. If they win, they'll be among the best ever in all of sports at anything, not just their specific positions in their specific sports. They're both already great. Winning Sunday could add an -est to the end of that word.

What would make ring #4 so impressive is that this team is completely and utterly different from the previous 3 Super Bowl champions. The Patriots won those with patient passing and a playmaking defense. Now they're trying to win with a playmaking offense and a defense that tests the fans' patience.

For a coach and quarterback to grow and adjust so dramatically over a 10 year span is impressive. Brady has become the poster boy for the passing frenzy that is the NFL. I think Belichick saw Brady's potential being underutilized in 2006, as he was forced to work with Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel.

That's when Belichick went out and acquired Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth.

And for 18 games, the formula worked. It just hasn't won Game #19. Yet. But if the Patriots win on Sunday, Belichick and Brady will have 4 rings, coaching and playing for 2 very different kinds of teams. Brady would have won as a "game manager" and as a "flashy" QB. Belichick would have won as an old-school defensive mastermind, and as an offensive "guru."

It's like a great actor who can do comedy and drama, who can play the hero in one movie, then the villain in another.

That kind of success puts you in the upper upper stratosphere of sports greatness.

Those are the legacies on the line Sunday. A good quarterback and a very good coach who can emerge from some shadows. And a great quarterback and great coach who can start casting even bigger shadows of their own.

-The Commodore

I Hate All Media For This Week

I hate all fucking media this week. It has killed me to watch any type of media outlet this week because the 2 teams I despise the most are playing. I'm sick and tired of seeing ShEli's stupid face smothered all over the TV, Magazines, and how people are saying that he is better than Peyton. I'm even sick of the conversation involving ShEli and Brady, Brady (like Peyton) will always be better than ShEli and is a much better QB than him so shut up with that conversation. I also hate hearing all of these scumbag New York people everywhere. It's out of control to see the Pink Hats for them, both the Patriots and the Giants must be having a race to see who can fill up their bandwagons first.

Now to New England, yesterdays suck fest on this site of the Patriots was puke worthy. Seriously? Praising a guy who was supposed to come into New England and makes only 15 catches because he made a good comment on media day...... barf. Fans are also saying he has done everything right this season? How? With the 2 snaps he gets in all game? He was a bust and a complete failure. I also love how New England and Patriot fans are trying to convince themselves that they are the underdog in this fight. They aren't. Maybe snap decision football fans that watched Brady choke last week are thinking that, but he will be fine and the Patriots have the better team. Vegas got it right, stop playing the disrespect card, it's embarrassing. It's not worth listening to WEEI too because those people who call in are ridiculous, these were the same people saying New England should trade Brady and keep Matt Cassel after the knee injury.

Yea, this may be out of hate, jealousy that my team isn't in it, or what have you, but everyone need to stop over analyzing things. The Patriots and Giants have really good teams and although I don't want to see them win their 1st legitimate Superbowl they probably will.

This Isn't 2007

Well, technically, I should say this isn't 2008 when Super Bowl XLII was played. Then again, it still isn't 2007 either. It's 2012.

Anyway, this isn't the same Patriots team that lost that Super Bowl to the Giants. Nor is this the same Giants team. Some key figures have returned. Belichick and Coughlin. Brady and Manning. Welker, Tuck, and a few others. But only 7 Patriots from that 18-1 team are still on the roster. Only 15 Giants are still on their roster.

The team's are fundamentally similar to their 2007 versions. The Patriots have a high scoring, high flying, pass heavy offense. They had 5 offensive starters named to the Pro Bowl. The Giants have a ferocious pass rush, and a QB who is now recognized as clutch, if not as flashy as guys like Brees, Rodgers, and Brady.

So will we get the same kind of game? Will Brady have 0.2 seconds to get rid of the ball. Will there be a new David Tyree? Will Devin McCourty see a ball fly just over his fingertips?

I think the game will be just as close as Super Bowl XLII. But the Patriots are different. For one thing, they have BenJarvus Green-Ellis and not Laurence Maroney. Maroney's hesitation and dance moves in the backfield frequently led to negative plays in Super Bowl XLII. BJGE will at least get to the line of scrimmage, maybe a few yards past it, and maybe he can help set-up play-action, maybe force the Giants' line to respect the run, and maybe give Brady some time.

The Patriots' offense is more dynamic than it was in 2007. It isn't just vertical passes to Moss with Welker as the outlet. Now the Patriots throw underneath to their WRs, and deep to their tight-ends. In 2008, Wes Welker caught 11 of Brady's 30 completions. Brady didn't complete a single pass longer than 20 yards, thanks to the Giants' pressure.

The passing game is more diverse now. Brady completed 0 passes to his tight-ends in 2008. That's just slightly different from what the Pats have done in 2012. It's also why Rob Gronkowski's health is such a big story this week. If Gronkowski can help Brady as an outlet, especially if the Giants send all 4 linemen at Brady, and leave Gronk covered by linebackers without chipping him at the line, the Patriots can move the ball at will.

Cartoon by Larry Johnson

But while the Pats offense is now more flexible, their defense has gotten significantly worse since 2007. They were an old crew back then. Now they're young, riddled with injuries, and loaded with subpar talent.

There are playmakers like Wilfork and Spikes. Then there is Julian Edelman playing as a slot corner, and Matthew Slater as a safety. And Devin McCourty getting neck cramps as he watches balls fly over his head to the receiver who has just smoked him. His nickname should be Parliament Light he's smoked so easily.

The Giants are no longer a surprise success story. Eli Manning is being touted as one of the NFL's clutch QBs. And it's hard to argue against that. a 7-3 playoff record is a 7-3 playoff record. And 5 of those wins came on the road. How is it that Eli and the Giants have found such playoff success, while rarely being considered elite during the regular season?

Some might say that they're clutch. I'm going to say that they're inconsistent.

The Giants are capable of brilliant stretches, like their last 5 games (all wins), or their 6-2 start of the 2011 season, or their 2007 playoff run, or their 12-4 record in 2008. But they're also capable of some painfully frustrating stretches. They lost 4 straight this year, and 5 out of 6. They lost their playoff game in 2008, after their 12-4 record. They missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010.

Eli Manning is 7-3 in playoff games. He's had some good ones. Some bad ones. He'll be up against a porous Patriots defense that will let him accumulate yards by the dozen. But I'm not quite convinced that he's Mr. February.

There's a significant psychological difference between this Super Bowl and Super Bowl XLII: The Patriots won't have the pressure of playing for 19-0. And this season they've been playing for something a bit more meaningful, and that's the memory of Myra Kraft.

These are not the same teams that met in 2008. The Patriots' offense is more versatile. But the defense is also more bendable. So maybe the game will be just as close, only with a few more points on the board.

And the result will be different.

-The Commodore

Giving Ochocinco Some Respect

Ochocinco was out there yesterday for media day, and you could tell that he was basically embarrassed to be part of it. He only has 15 catches this year, and really had nothing to do with the Patriots making the playoffs. We have shit all over him, and it has been well deserved. He's been a bust in every sense of the word, yet I don't write this post to twist the knife. Actually, I just want to thank him for taking it all in stride.

“After a 10-year span, I finally had a year where it didn’t go well,” Ochocinco said on Tuesday during a 30-plus minute session with the media. “The year wasn’t everything I expected or what anyone else expected, but I did what I was supposed to do, worked and stayed quiet and I’m not sure being on this stage would be the reward. There’s nothing else I can do, I’m part of the team and I did everything they’ve asked of me.”

I honestly believe the Patriots really like Ochocinco. He will not be back here next year, because on the field he doesn't fit in, but you have to admit that if I told you he would have only 15 catches all season and be benched on multiple occasions that you would have said one (or both) of the following things would happen. Ochocinco would go all diva on us, and demand a trade, AND/OR the Patriots would cut him. It happened to Haynesworth, but the difference is Ochocinco has been nothing but a good guy. He apparently practices hard, and is well liked in the locker room. We all wish it worked out better, but sometimes it just doesn't.

I know the quick response to this will be he is getting paid and it'd what he should do, which is true, but it wasn't something he is known for and I really feel that he did what was best for the team and I just wanted to commend him for that.

Rob Gronkowski's Injury Could Mean Awful Thing For The Patriots

If the Patriots have Gronk at nothing more than 85%, that would really hurt their chances. As a Steelers fan, I saw my QB Ben Roethlisburger get the same injury as Gronk and he was not the same guy after that, he was actually better the game he came in when the injury happened, compared to games going forward. And last year our Pro Bowl Center Maurkice Pouncey had to sit out because his high snkle sprain killed him in the AFC Championship.

I personally think Gronk will play more of a decoy than actually a playmaker and that sucks for the Patriots, because that means you will have to be clever with how you use Welker and Aaron Hernandez. Even if Gronk starts and plays decent in the 1st half, the elongated halftime show will not help him at all.

If the week continues and Gronk is still limited, than I will actually start to believe the Giants will win.