And with the Pats down 21 points, I called it a night.
What an awful embarrassment to your franchise. Your secondary is a fucking joke. Your pass rush, non existent. Your offense clearly no match for the Saints far superior offense.
From thinking that the Pats were a Super Bowl contender to thinking they’ll be ousted in the first or second round of the playoffs. Sure they’ll have a home game during Wild Card weekend since they’ll win their pathetic division, but after that there really isn’t a whole lot to look forward to. Heading to Cincinnati, San Diego or Indianapolis your confidence in the Pats has to have clearly taken a massive hit.
Good thing I went to bed and missed Brady’s second interception. Who the fuck was that pass to? Seriously? Just guns it straight down the field to the other team. What a fucking stupid, stupid play. Hit the bench pal, even better hit the fucking showers.
The only thing worse than watching the massacre on the field (the Pats first real beat down this season for all you optimists) was listening to the awful commentating from Jon Gruden. My buddy’s Toucher and Rich make fun of the “this guy” overuse every Tuesday morning following Monday Night Football, but it’s fucking annoying. “This guy threw for 5,000 yards last season.” “This guy is just making it look easy.” “This is the guy you want in this situation.” Enough already. Get someone in there that isn’t a retard that’s bringing down the entire broadcast.
Just an absolute fucking joke. From everyone in the area (myself included) thinking that the Pats were going to dethrone the “fraud” Saints and they did nothing but waste a trip to New Orleans.
When I initially looked at the schedule this year, I figured the Pats were going to lose three or four games. The losses I marked down were the Colts (check) the Saints (check) and probably one of the Miami games. No way anyone thought they’d lose a game to the Jets or Bills. They squeaked it out in week one against the Bills and followed it up with a shit show at the Meadowlands against the Jets.
They have five games left and the way they played this past week against the Saints you really have to question how they’ll play out. Miami, Buffalo and the Texans on the road with Jacksonville and Carolina at home. Of those games, again based on how they played last night, the Pats could easily finish 10-6. It’s not out of the question the Pats could drop two of those five.
Sorry to be the downer, but seriously that loss just ripped my confidence, completely.
So let’s recap what happened the last time the Pats played a team that was known for their incredible offense at the Super Dome in New Orleans. Oh yeah, they won the Super Bowl against the Rams despite being a 14 point underdog.
A different defense this time for the Pats but I foresee the same results.
The Pats are heading into New Orleans as the favorite. So to understand this correctly the Patriots who have yet to win a true road game this year (I don’t count England) are a favorite by 1.5 against the undefeated Saints and arguably the best offense in the NFL? You know what? I’m OK with that.
I’m thinking that the game plan will be very similar to the Rams Super Bowl. Try and confuse Brees as to where that extra guy is coming from. The big issue facing the Pats is, what guys are going to be available. As of Sunday night they had 17 guys listed on their injury report. Of those 17 the list includes Tully Banta-Cain, Ty Warren, Ron Brace, Pat Chung and Jarvis Green. So really where the blitz is coming from is going to depend on the guys available.
On the offense of side (this is killing me to write it) I think that Maroney is going to have a monster game. The way I look at it is this, the Saints are very susceptible to the run. They allow about 115 yards per game on the ground and 4.6 yards a carry. They don’t allow a lot of points total but that’s just because their offense seems to be on the field most of the time.
Brady and the passing game should have success as well considering that if they’re able to establish the dominant run game early it will open up the offense to use the play action that they love so much. Sure the five wide, no huddle has been their bread and butter when they’re really running it up on teams but the play action wasn’t available with guys running for negative two yards and playing dancing queen behind the line.
The over/under is set at 56.5. I think that’s a pretty smart line. Defense is going to be sparse in this game. Of course those are the games that are usually 7-6 at halftime and end 13-10. I don’t think that’s going to be the case. That Pats love playing indoors on the turf and if it weren’t for a depleted defense and a failed fourth and two would have beat the Colts on the turf.
So what do I think is going to happen. The same thing Vegas does. Pats win a close road game and pull out the win in classic Vinatieri style as time expires. Pats win 33-31 on a Gostkowski’s foot this time in the bayou.
There’s a package you used to be able to buy that you could stay in the Garden for all of Causeway Day in a Luxury Suite. With interest in both teams back on the rise, I don’t think it’s $250 anymore. More like $500, at least. So instead of sitting in the Garden bored, I’ll just watch the video.
Happy Causeway Day everyone. Back Monday with a Pats vs. Saints preview.
So yesterday I rambled on about the Sox and how they’re shopping Lowell and are looking to bring in a power hitting, Gold Glove winning first baseman in Adrian Gonzalez. I wrapped up the article in saying that a Causeway Day trade announcement like the Schilling one of 2003 Causeway Day would be outstanding.
Well my wish for a Causeway Day miracle may have been answered. Just not in the way I was hoping.
News this morning on ESPN.com is that the Red Sox are aggressively going after Toronto ace Roy Halladay. Now this would solve one of your problems on the team. It would solidify your rotation. Having Beckett, Lester and Halladay as your front three, you’re going to mow over the division and the rest of baseball.
Now what needs to be clarified is the asking price. If it’s Bard and Buchholz and a slew of your other minor leaguers that’s going to leave the farm system kind of bare if they’re looking to pull off a trade for a bat like Gonzalez. After this past season I’m reluctant to give up Bard in a deal seeing that Papelbon has lost a step (not saying he sucks or anything, he’s just not as good as he was).
Then there’s the issue of Halladay having his contract up at the end of the 2010 season. So happens that Josh Beckett’s deal also expires at the end of the 2010 season. After seeing CC Sabathia sign for seven years at $23 million a year, why wouldn’t these guys want to hit the free agent market and get similar dollars. If Sabathia is worth $23 million then Halladay must be worth at least that on the 2010 free agent market. Beckett, not so much. But Beckett at $18 million a year isn’t out of the question given team’s need for good front line starters.
Another rumor I read yesterday was the possibility of Adrian Beltre coming to the Sox. After an All Star type 2004 with 48 home runs, he signed a huge contract with Seattle and never managed to hit more than 26 home runs in five seasons. Rumor is that Theo is in love with him (Theo was also in love with Julio Lugo for reference sake) and with him being a Boras guy this may be the sign of a double signing on the horizon.
The Sox signed Drew only after they had negotiated the Dice-K signing. Well, Boras could be making another back room type deal where the Sox bail on Jason Bay, sign Matt Holiday to an outrageous deal and Boras lets him come to Boston so long as Boston ponies up for Beltre as well.
So maybe my favorite baseball team will get a Halladay on my favorite holiday of the year. Causeway Day. Here’s hoping.
