August 11, 2008
I took some notes while watching a few of the preseason games this weekend, and I thought you guys might want to take a look. I tried to clean them up for your edification. One more game's notes coming up here, then a full column on the weekend in fantasy in the Daily Dose coming shortly.
Ravens vs. Patriots
All the Baltimore quarterbacks struggled in the opener. Kyle Boller made some plays, but turned the ball over twice. Troy Smith could have been picked off twice and did not look composed whatsoever. He reportedly has followed up the game effort with two ugly practices. He will get to start next week. Joe Flacco doesn’t appear to have a chance to start Week 1. He threw only three passes. My takeaway here: Baltimore’s offensive line threatens to be terrible. The quarterbacks had no time. This could make them one of the worst offenses in the league, as usual. … Ray Rice is getting huge love form the Baltimore press, but struggled in his first appearance. It comes back to the line once again. I will move Rice up the depth charts following news of Willis McGahee’s injury. (More on that later).
Continue reading "Preseason Notes: Ravens vs. Patriots" »
July 31, 2008
A few readers have asked if LaMont Jordan was draftable now that he's in New England. As our latest Top 200 says, the answer is yes.
Continue reading "LaMont lives again" »
July 30, 2008
People make fun of New England's secretive injury reports, but the lack of information works. That's how a star like Wes Welker can miss the first week of training camp (not to mention a June minicamp), and no one even notices. The focus is on the healthy players. The injury probably isn't serious, but no even knows what the injury is. The Boston Globe's sage beat writer Mike Reiss says the situation could be similar to last camp, when Randy Moss sat out most of practice. I tend to agree, but I also know people weren't concerned with Richard Seymour at this point last year. He missed the first seven weeks of the season.
Welker looked healthy when Rotoworld talked to him this summer, but a similarly ranked injured player on another team would undoubtedly create a bigger stir. Welker shouldn't be moved on draft boards, of course, but keep an eye on him.
July 17, 2008
So technically I'm on vacation for the next few days. With training camp starting next week, this was the last chance to take a breather before getting back to six-or-seven days of work a week through the Super Bowl. (I can hear Evan Silva thinking, "I do that all year, jerkoff." Well, uh, I used to be like that too. Before I found Silva.)
Anyhow, I do have some new videos to show at least. Tiffany and I talk about the Patriots, and I tell noted fantasy player Jabar Gaffney not to draft himself. I also explain why I'd take Randy Moss over Tom Brady. The video is after the jump, as well as another link I had to pass along.
Continue reading "Sorry Jabar: Previewing the Pats" »
June 24, 2008
In one of the articles of our second magazine, Mark St. Amant has an interview with Wes Welker and talks about his man-crush on the Patriots receiver. We are including a breakout box of candidates to be "This year's Welker." That would be a receiver who emerges from the WR4/5/6 swampland to catch a whole lot of passes. (Extra points if he does it from the slot).
I have a quick list of candidates, but don't want it to just look like a repeat of my sleeper list. That's where you guys come in. Put on your tout hat and give me a player or two you think could be this year's Welker.
June 16, 2008
I opened the floor Gleeman-style to questions last week, and will answer a couple at a time this week during the blog. (On a related note, make sure to vote in this important election year.) You can still submit questions or email me and I'll answer the best.
Who do you like emerging to start opposite of Randy Moss in NE? You seem down on Gaffney, but is Jackson really the answer? I haven't seen him play. If Jackson's not who could be?
Continue reading "Mailbag Answers: Jackson could start for NE" »
June 03, 2008
Let's wrapup my June-induced drawn out review of a recent Mock Draft by looking at some running back flier picks.
Continue reading "Mock Review: Running back fliers" »
May 21, 2008
The title really says it all.
May 09, 2008
So I now know that Steve Smith is a good debate starter. The Smith vs. Colston vs. Marshall discussion was a doozy, setting a Pancake Blocks record for comments. In the current voting, a late charge by Smith made it close, but Colston went first, followed by Smith, with Marshall a distant third. Marshall seems like such a fantasy guy to get hyped up; I'm a little amazed how little love he's getting. And I suspect I may own him plenty this year if August goes well. I trust the Denver passing attack more than Carolina's.
Today, let's look at two more flashpoint wideouts: Wes Welker and Roy Williams. Both play for offenses that should dial down their pass attempts some this season. With Welker, 2007 has to be close to his ceiling. He also was behind Jabar Gaffney and Ben Watson (not to mention Randy Moss) in red zone targets, so double-digit touchdowns look out of reach. Williams, not unlike Steve Smith, has one season that stands above the rest, and has been overdrafted in the past based on potential. So are you buying a Roy rebound or does the steady play of Welker excite you enough for an early WR2 pick?
For the record, I'm going Colston, Smith, Marshall. But I barely see difference between them. That's why I asked. And for this debate, I'm not counting PPR leagues where Welker gets a big boost.
April 17, 2008
Perhaps the most interesting part of the latest round of Ocho Cinco blather was Adam Schefter's note that Cincy has already received an offer of two first-day picks for Johnson. (Is that the old first day - three rounds - or the new first day of two rounds? I'm guesing the former).
If someone is offering that much before the draft, the price should go up on draft day. And that means the Bengals would have to consider the offer, even though I think he'll stay put. So is this mystery team? Here are my five best guesses based on ammunition (draft picks) and need.
Continue reading "Chad Johnson has bidders" »
April 04, 2008
I've enjoyed letting you guys do the heavy lifting for the Mock Draft thus far, but the Patriots pick is all mine. With the seventh pick, I'm going to select Sedrick Ellis, defensive tackle out of USC. Let's explain this thing in bullets.
As a Patriots fan, I honestly don't get worked up over who they pick. And I can no longer be surprised by them. It's not that I'm disinterested, it's that I trust Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli know a lot more than me. Not every pick is going to work out, of course, but I trust their judgement.
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock Draft: Pick No. 7" »
March 28, 2008
No one covers up an injury quite like the Patriots. We learned this week that Ben Watson played the last ten weeks and playoffs during last season with cartilage damage and scar tissue in his ankle. The injury was caused by yet another Roy Williams horse collar tackle.
The surgery helps explain Watson's drastic decrease in run-after-catch ability; he was held under ten yards-per-catch after the injury. It doesn't totally explain his struggle with drops, and I think the addition of Wes Welker was nearly as big a factor in his disappointing year.
Continue reading "Watson surgery helps explain struggles" »
March 10, 2008
Mock Drafts aren't usually built on original thought. They primarily look at other Mock Drafts, switch some names, teams, and needs around, and go from there. Even draftniks who spend the college season following the players tend to have similar rankings because they read each other, but don't know what NFL scouts are seeing or saying.
I've been sold on Mike Mayock's mock drafts since 2005, when he had Aaron Rodgers falling all the way to number 25 to the Packers. It's not just that he nailed a pick absolutely no one saw coming, it's that he had the confidence and research to make his own decision instead of following the masses. His pipeline to NFL teams probably doesn't hurt. He revealed his first top-ten Mock picks last week and there were a few stunners that should be taken seriously. Let's take a look ...
Continue reading "Mayock's Top Ten" »
March 05, 2008
Bears fans don't know how to feel about the Marty Booker signing. Rotoworld Comeback Writer of the Year candidate Scott Morrow said it was, "Kind of comforting and kind of sad." I'd lean towards comforting, but it almost didn't happen.
The Patriots had a standing offer to Booker, and set a deadline for a decision last night. It came down to the wire, but Booker chose the Bears. That decision was either the cause or the effect of New England's Jabar Gaffney deal, although I suspect Booker was first in line.
Continue reading "Booker was almost a Patriot" »
March 01, 2008
With my wife out of town, Pancake Blocks is back to the working weekend. The action has slowed on Day two of free agency, but not by that much. Let's take a look at what's transpired since I last checked in here.
While Randy Moss might be frustrated, no other teams have stepped up to the plate. I can't think of many fits to be honest. Jacksonville made the most sense, but they are out of it following the Jerry Porter signing. Philadelphia, Denver, and Washington sound like fits but no contact has been reported. Which is possibly what is frustrating Moss. It reminds me of when Adam Vinatieri had no takers for a while because everyone assumed he'd return to New England.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Moss hanging around" »
February 18, 2008
Kudos to Mike Reiss for getting a treasure trove of quotes from Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli on Spygate. As a Patriots fan, the whole thing is an embarrassment that can't go away fast enough. I hesitate to even post this because it will predictably get some ESPN Conversation quality comments after it.
Still, it's interesting to hear Belichick defend himself for once, instead of letting the fans do it. While apologizing to the entire league, team, and fans, he also tries to downplay any advantage the team would have received from improper taping (rating it one out of 100 in their preparation), and explains how he "misinterpreted" the rules.
Continue reading "Belichick talks Spygate" »
February 05, 2008
At my wife's request, I promise to stop writing so much about the Pats sooner than later. But wanted to point out the first comments from Bill Belichick since Sunday night, including why he left the field early.
Continue reading "Belichick speaks on leaving the field" »
I've heard arguments that the Patriots wouldn't have been the greatest team ever because of how close their final ten games were. I can understand that, and wrote a number of times in this space that they weren't much more dominant than their 2003 and 2004 teams because they didn't peak late.
With that said, they beat eight of 11 playoff teams during the year, including five in their final ten games. They were outplayed throughoutthe Super Bowl, yet had a chance to put away the game many times. They have roster improvements to make, but they don't need to blow up their system because of a three-point loss.
Here's what the Patriots should address this offseason.
Continue reading "What the Patriots do now" »
February 04, 2008
On the Morning after, the Phoenix Airport feels like the night after prom. I half recognize a lot of faces milling about; The NFL Network crew walks by; Everyone is talking about the crazy events of the night before. Just like the postgame festivities Sunday night, you can tell which side a person was on by looking at their face.
That was as devastating a loss as possible for anyone associated with the Patriots. No one who lives in New England will blame Bill Belichick for walking in a trance in the immediate aftermath because that's exactly how they felt.
Continue reading "The Morning After" »
The quick stomach punch to end that game was quickly replaced with an appreciation that I was able to cover it. I walked on the field after the game among the confetti, and tried to soak in the moment before taping a video segment.
I wrote about why the Giants won for NBC, and another piece will be up shortly. I had a list of "under the radar plays" but it didn't come out right. One list that I'll keep for Pancake Blocks is the Five Biggest Plays from the Super Bowl. Here goes ...
Continue reading "Five Biggest Plays" »
February 03, 2008
9:06: Here we go. Second lowest scoring three quarters in NFL history. One possession game, 15 minutes to go. I bet the NFL isn't too happy they are getting such a low scoring game in what should be the highest rated Super Bowl ever.
9:09: Who needs Shockey? Kevin Boss gets the longest play of the game while exposing Rodney Harrison in pass coverage.
9:10: David Tyree, Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss killing the Patriots. Death by secondary depth. I'm going to have to slow my posts here as I prepare my post-game stories.
9:13: Patriots sideline is pretty calm after the Giants touchdown. Not much yelling or screaming. Brady needs a fourth quarter comeback to go undefeated. Who could ask for more?
Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII, Fourth Quarter" »
8:27: Patriots continue to go three or four wide every play. The Giants have mostly been rushing four or five.
8:28: Patriots offense looks much more crisp to open the second half. They are going to look to the middle of the field to counteract the Giants pressure.
Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII, Third Quarter" »
7:03: Interesting first quarter. As expected, the defenses didn't really make much noise. But they slowed the offenses down enough to keep ths score low. It reminds me a lot of the Jaguars-Patriots game. Laurence Maroney is your first quarter MVP.
7:08: Ellis Hobbs on Plaxico Burress, and he knocks it out of his hand. The Patriots have to consider a huge win whenever that happens.
7:10: On Amani Toomer's incredible long catch, he was wide open early in the play, but Eli Manning hesitated. Toomer was well covered by the time the ball got there, but his receiver made an outstanding play. Concern for Patriots: They are getting no pressure on Manning.
Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII, Second Quarter" »
6:30: And we're off. Flushbulbs a popping.
6:32: Giants go three wide on first down, four wide on third down. They get Plaxico matched up one on one with Randall Gay for their first down. They are definitely looking to spread out the Patriots early rather than attack them with the running game.
6:35: Giants are picking on Randall Gay. They get him matched up on Steve Smith (my pick for x-factor of this game) one-on-one for another first down. If you are a Giants fan, you have to love the confidence in Eli Manning.
Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII, First Quarter" »
I didn't see every kick, but Stephen Gostowski didn't miss a single one that I witness. He went up to a 52-yarder, and nailed it with at least five yards to spare. Bill Belichick likes going for fourth downs rather than kicking long field goals, but Gostowski certainly has the leg to give it a shot up to 55 yards.
Got here a little later than expected because of some busing problems, but I'm in my seat in the auxiliary press area, on the Patriots side of the field. Tom Curran and Alan Abrahamson are representing NBCSports.com in the main press box, but hundreds of the assembled press, including almost all online press and many other recognizable columnists, are seated in the crowd. Tables are set up in front of us with outlets, televisions, radios, food, and a game program set up at each seat. I'm not complaining.
The roof is currently closed, and it was drizzling on my way into the stadium. I'd expect the roof to stay closed, but we won't know for sure for about two hours.
There are a lot of tailgating buses outside the stadium, along with the NFL Experience and some concerts. When I got off the bus, I got chills for the first time this week. From what I've seen the Patriots fans are far more well represented than I expected. I've seen more Patriots fans than Giants fans, which is a big surprise. Perhaps the chance to see history has the Patriots traveling better than usual. We'll see who is louder come gametime.
The NFL won't decide whether to keep the roof open or closed today until roughly one hour before kickoff, but the early signs aren't good. It's about 46 degrees and overcast in Phoenix currently, with windy conditions and a 50-70% chance of rain tonight, possibly thunderstorms. The NFL won't want to risk any rain during the game.
Like Christmas morning as a kid, I couldn't sleep in today. The first media bus leaves for the stadium at 11:15 AM local time (1:15PM EST), and I'd leave on one right now if they let me. Anything to get away from the Spygate coverage on ESPN. Gotta wonder if the Patriots are watching at their team hotel right now.
February 01, 2008
* Patrick Willis wouldn't take sides in the quarterback controversy in San Francisco, but said the team expected a competition and may the best man win. There's no "Alex is our QB" talk around the 49ers.
* Of all the players I've seen here, Kyle Brady is the most frightening. The proverbial guy who looks good (and huge) coming off a bus.
Continue reading "Home stretch odds and ends" »
January 31, 2008
One big difference between the teams here is their reaction to the media sessions when they end. Almost all of the Patriots finished their answers, and bolted as fast as possible. The ones who didn’t leave right away were quickly rounded up by a team of Patriots employees who shooed them off the premises, on to bigger matters.
Continue reading "Patriots through with media " »
January 29, 2008
Weakest Attempt at Street Cred
Goes to myself. After Laurence Maroney was finished talking about his Kool Aid tattoo, he mentioned that his only pregame ritual was listening to 'Lil Wayne. This led to a long exchange, in which Maroney didn't agree that 'Da Drought 3 is Weezy's best, while scores of horrified middle-aged men looked on.
Happiest to be there
Giants practice squader Kay Jay Harris was positively bubbly answering questions in Dolce n Gabanna sunglasses.
"I usually get my Super Bowl experience playing Madden. Now I'm here. This isn't a video game, this is reality. I can't even believe it. It won't hit until Sunday when the flashbulbs are popping."
Continue reading "A few more awards" »
For those interested in some actual game analysis, I wrote up 16 reasons the Giants can win the Super Bowl . See, I'm not a homer. (And 16 reasons for the Patriots are coming tomorrow.)
Donte’ Stallworth, called the best ladies man on the Patriots by Jabar Gaffney, talked in depth about his alien alter ego Nicco Tuesday. Stallworth says Nicco takes over his body during games, and now wants some credit.
“I gotta talk to Madden. They need to factor in Nicco. He’s a little different ... If they have a crazy rating on there, he’s getting a 99.”
I can't fully do Ellis Hobbs justice in print, but we'll have the video later. The dude is a fireball of insanity. He had managed to get a hold of a local Boston affiliate's microphone, and punctuated every other sentence, no matter how mundane, by screaming, "ELLIS HOBBS, CHANNEL SEVEN NEWS" into the camera. A few highlights ...
On Lonnie Paxton: "I can only hope that I can feel what he feels someday. I live my life through him." (At that moment, he started a group hug)
On his record-setting field goal return: "I just pretended my mom was trying to get me ... Someday, I hope I can show to my grandkids, when they are wheeling me around in my wheelchair."
On fantasy football fans: "Leave me alone! I don't know what Tom's thinking! I don't know how his wrist is feeling! I'm not that kind of guy. I'm just a fish. I'm just a fish in a big pond. I'm just a pawn on the chessboard ... ELLIS HOBBS, CHANNEL 7 NEWS!"
The NBCSports.com crew had dinner last night, getting our plan ready for Media Day which I'm about to leave for. Will be tough to blog there for a while, but we will get some good footage and hopefully quotes. Before leaving, I wanted to share some final thoughts from yesterday's action that didn't fit elsewhere.
Ty Warren, who was very relaxed and intelligent, said that James Sanders is the unsung hero of the defense and continues to improve. When I try to think of how the Patriots secondary has held it together this year, I don't think of Sanders fast enough. He's been a huge stabilizing force - the player Eugene Wilson was suppposed to be.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts" »
Rodney Harrison was typically blunt at his press conference today. I asked him if he ever feared that his career was over after last season's knee injury. Titans wide receiver Bobby Wade took Harrison's knees out on a blindside hit in Week 17 last season, tearing his MCL.
"I was initially frustrated. Early in the offseason, I wanted to find him (Wade). Then I realized things happen for a reason. ... There was a time when I wondered, do I feel like coming back?"
Still, Rodney is a man that doesn't take slights easily.
"We just better not play Minnesota."
Bobby Wade can rest easy. The Vikings aren't on the schedule next year.
January 28, 2008
My wife Emika made it clear she wouldn't be happy if she didn't see me asking a question on NFL Network during the Bill Belichick press conference.
I am amazed by her sudden football aptitude. I knew the tide was turning the day she was home watching football by herself (A Miami Dolphin game to boot, when Cleo Lemon found Greg Camarillo for their only win of the season.) Still, this was another level. I put her through a lot because of this job, but imagining her sitting at home watching a 20-minute Belichick presser with no payoff is cruel and unusual punishment.
Continue reading "Making the wife happy" »
January 25, 2008
The Patriots aren't looking ahead to the offseason yet, but I can for them. They are going to have a lot of transition. The team is built around Tom Brady and both lines, and they are all young and signed long-term. But there should be a lot of change in the defensive back seven and in the skill positions, especially at wide receiver.
Continue reading "Last days of the Nicco era?" »
January 22, 2008
My favorite part of this picture isn't that Tom Brady is going to dinner without a walking boot after being seen in one earlier Monday. It's not that Brady is gracing my old neighborhood with his presence. It's the guy with the football on his head in the background.
Despite the ominous talk from some medical hack the NY Post quoted (never trust a "Dr. Rock"), Brady is in New York relaxing rather than getting treatment in Foxborough. That's the best sign possible that the Patriots aren't concerned with the injury.
January 17, 2008
And the winner is ...
Consensual Horseplay.
This post was brought to you by Patrick Dahl, Rotoworld Rookie of the Year candidate
January 14, 2008
Patriots fans, myself included, are undeniably spoiled. It shows up during games when Gillette Stadium sounds like a library. And it shows up in the reaction wins.
Multiple articles Monday in Boston are complaining that the Patriots don't face the Colts this week. Bill Simmons comparisons to the '86 Celtics are soon to follow.
Bob Ryan can appreciate the last seven straight hard-fought wins by the Patriots after the pinball scores from earlier in the season. Again, we're comparing how we like to win.
Continue reading "Spoiled Pats fans get another gift" »
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