Ball or Nuthin' » Tom Brady

Who’s Going to Super Bowl XLVI??

T Lamont — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:19:32 +0000

Based on expectations alone, one conference’s top teams lived up to the hype, while the other conference has yielded some pleasant surprises.

Which AFC team is going to follow through on those lofty projections? And which roster will continue to be a stunning success from the NFC?

Let’s look at some of the determining factors of tomorrow’s conference title tilts:

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

Defensive Pressure- Obviously, the outcome of this game will depend heavily upon the defensive pressure that Baltimore is able to get against Tom Brady. No matter how good a team’s coverage is, Brady will eventually pick any set of linebackers, defensive backs and safeties as easy as McGyver would disarm an explosive. So, the Ravens will need to mix up their pash rushes, conjure up different stunts and blitz packages to keep New England’s offensive line guessing.

Joe Flacco- Which Flacco will show up? Will it be the cool and confident one who lets the game come to him? Or will it be the one who feels as if he has to prove that he belongs in the elite category of quarterbacks? Will the media focus on the comments that others have made about him force him to attempt to step out of his game? This is undoubtedly Flacco’s time to shine, but he has to realize that his star illuminates differently than does, Tom Brady’s, for example.

Ray Rice- Rice, the unquestioned offensive MVP for the Ravens, averages 18 rushes and 5 receptions per game. Baltimore needs to execute its game plan through Rice, thus minimizing the number of possessions in this game. John Harbaugh should shoot for 25+ rushes for Rice, and focus on time of possession.

The Ravens' game plan should include a heavy dose of Ray Rice.

The Tight End Tandem- For the Patriots, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski would be part of the recipe for a successful afternoon. If these guys end up with big numbers on Sunday, it will more than likely be a sign that Baltimore was not able to contain Brady’s most dangerous weapons – as well as his easiest targets.

Nitty Gritty:We all know the tale of the tape with this matchup. It’s going to pit New England’s dynamic air attack…

- 32.1 points per game (3rd in NFL)
- 428 yards per game (2nd)
- 5257 passing yards (2nd)

…against Baltimore’s intimidating defense:

- 48 sacks (3rd in NFL)
- 16.6 points allowed per game (3rd)
- 289 yards allowed per game (3rd)

This will clearly be a matchup of tempo, but even more importantly, one of maturity. If Flacco can maintain his composure, Baltimore could score its most meaningful victory (outside of its 2000 Super Bowl season) in franchise history.

But given the stage, there will be limited room for error. And this scenario is not one that would favor this particular group of Ravens over this particular group of Patriots.

For that reason, as well as the others pointed out above, my vote goes with New England.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

Frank Gore vs ???- The Niners are a team that makes one thing clear: they are going to rush the football. Whether they rush it efficiently or not is not as important (to them) as is the fact that they set up a situation for Alex Smith to thrive in. Frank Gore is noted as one of the game’s toughest runners, and he has no counterpart in this key NFC Championship contest. It’s going to be interesting to see if the Giants are able to sustain drives, and who, if anyone, they will elect to be the featured back in tomorrow’s game.

Eli vs. the Niners Defense- San Francisco has a fast, aggressive, and perhaps more importantly, smart defense. They adapt well to the tendencies of their opponents, and would seemingly feast upon the unbalanced nature of the New York offense. The Niners lead the league in turnover margin (+28), so a one-dimensional offense could be in for a rude awakening against such a talented unit. The Giants have made it through two teams that have not played opportunistically on defense this season, and Manning’s decision-making will get thoroughly tested on Sunday. The younger Manning has improved his interception rate over last season, when he tossed a career-high 25, and his statistics (including his best-ever passing yards total) compare favorably to any of his previous seven NFL campaigns.

The Victor Cruz Experience- How much salsa dancing will Giants receiver Victor Cruz do on Sunday? Cruz has been a staple on the highlight reels this season due to his spectacular grabs. However, Cruz has been especially deadly for his creative abilities after the catch and consistently looks to get as many YAC as he can. But Cruz will have to be sure to watch the ball into his hands, as there have been occasions when he was clearly focused on what he would do after he caught the pass – only to see the ball on the ground. These opportunities cannot be missed versus the Niners. His abilities will need to blend with receiving stud Hakeem Nicks and deep ball threat Mario Manningham to provide the pass-happy Giants offense with multiple timely targets.

Can Cruz continue his dancing around the vaunted San Francisco defense?

Jim Harbaugh- The rookie head coach deserves his own spotlight in this process. Harbaugh has his team fully drinking the Kool-Aid, and they totally believe in his system – and, just as significantly, in him. The Niners approach has maximized their talent by basing their offense off of the run, and getting big hitters through play action – to leverage the skills of Vernon Davis – because their opponents must respect Gore. On defense, they use the instincts and abilities of Patrick Willis to aggressively pursue the ball while other defenders can focus on their assignments. Harbaugh has effectively used the resources that have toiled in mediocrity over the past few seasons.

Nitty Gritty:The Niners have been a very disciplined team on both sides of the ball, thus contributing to their extremely high turnover margin. After dominating their NFC West division and validating that with a huge win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in primetime, San Fran began to turn a few heads. But with New Orleans being one of the NFL hottest teams, no one really saw their NFC Divisional round victory coming. They’ll have a much tougher time sneaking up on the Giants, who fought to get into the postseason and have played the underdog role in their first two contests. New York’s win in Green Bay proved that the Giants are not fazed by the stature of the venue, and that the supposed quality of the opponent will not affect what they are trying to accomplish.

With that in mind - and seemingly against all the quantifiable knowledge -I’m going with an encore of Super Bowl XLII…Patriots and Giants.

Three Keys to Patriots Win Over Jets

T Lamont — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:16:33 +0000

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Although Sunday Night Football presented the New York Jets with a chance to take control of the AFC East, the outcome was a bit on the predictable side.

The New England Patriots outclassed the Jets with a dominant second-half performance, and cruised to a 37-16 road victory to avoid its first three-game losing streak in nearly a decade.

Rex Ryan and his crew kept the contest close in the opening half, keeping the game manageable and trailing by only four points at intermission. But things swung in favor of the visitors, thanks to the following occurrences that sealed New York’s fate:

Rob Gronkowski was an unguardable force.

While Aaron Hernandez has had his nights in the limelight, Rob Gronkowski was the unmatchable tight end tonight. He ended with eight catches for 113 yards and two TDs (a number that could have been higher if not for stepping out of bounds during the play, and an offensive penalty). Tight end are usually in the quarterback’s initial line of sight, and are thus regarded as the easiest receiving targets on the field. With a quality passer like Brady you can be sure that the throws are that much easier than they would be for an average QB, and he took full advantage.

New York turnovers gave the Patriots the cushion that it needed.

After a relatively mistake-free first half, the Jets play was not so sharp when they came out of the locker room. Joe McKnight’s major-league punt muff – which somehow hit his chest but didn’t touch his hands – set the Patriots up with instant field goal position. A New England penalty saved the Jets from giving up seven, but New York continued to operate in a gift-giving mood. In the ensuing possession, Mark Sanchez attempted a check-down pass to LaDainian Tomlinson. The pass had a little too much heat for L.T., slipped through his hands, off of a defender, and finally into the hands of linebacker Rob Ninkovich (who picked off two passes on the night). Three minutes later – thanks to Brady and Rob Gronkowski – the Pats had posted another seven on the board as they began to separate themselves from New York.

Brady unleashed his football IQ on Rex Ryan and the Jets tonight.

Tom Brady showed off his top-notch quarterbacking pedigree.

With the Jets attempting to knock on the door of a comeback, Brady showed us why he is viewed as an elite signal caller in the NFL. The two-time MVP brilliantly used the no-huddle to victimize the Jets defense. Brady got his offense to the line quickly, surveyed the New York defensive personnel, and then audibled according to what he saw. He effortlessly toggled between pounding the ball on the ground and connecting through the air to march the Pats down the gridiron. The result: a 13-play, 84-yard drive that gave the visitors a two-touchdown lead that crushed the Jets’ short-lived momentum and effectively sealed the game in favor of New England.

Tedy Bruschi Needs To Chill on Ochocinco

T Lamont — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:56:47 +0000

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Tedy Bruschi showed his passion about a New England Patriots’ team issue. But there just one problem…

He’s no longer a member of the team.

Chad Ochocinco – the Tweeter extraordinaire – did his thing once again after Tom Brady’s shredding of the Miami Dolphins defense on Monday night:

“Just waking up after a late arrival, I’ve never seen a machine operate like that n person, to see video game numbers put up n person was WOW.”

So, the three-time Super Bowl champion Bruschi wasn’t exactly fond of Ocho’s comments:

“You’re not someone who’s on another team or watching TV,” Bruschi said. “You’re not an analyst. You’re a part of it. They want you to be a part of it. So get with the program because obviously you’re not getting it and you’re tweeting because you’re saying, ‘It’s amazing to see’? It’s amazing to see because you don’t understand it. You still don’t understand it and it’s amazing to you because you can’t get it.

“Wake up! If you’re just waking up now — I don’t know when this was, six minutes ago? — get out your bed and get to the stadium and watch some film if you still think it’s amazing. If you’re in it and you know what you’re doing and you execute out there, you don’t think it’s amazing. You know why? Because it’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Really? I think there are obvious some disconnects between the two players.

Bruschi was always known for his tough, physical play. Ocho is clearly a finesse player.

Bruschi was well known as the ultimate team-first players in New England’s organization. Ochocinco works hard…but will never be considered to be a sacrificial team player the caliber of Bruschi.

Bruschi wasn’t the type of player to put his (or the team’s) business into the media. Ocho…well, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Twitter considered him to be their official spokesman.

The bottom line here is that Bruschi isn’t fond of the type of player that Ochocinco is. Chad’s tweet did nothing other than show praise for a teammate’s great performance. His tweet couldn’t be twisted to upset his organization, or its members, in any sense, and can only be seen as a chemistry builder between him and Brady.

Sure, Bill Belichick has never been a fan of athlete’s making frequent use of social media. The Patriots organization has worked hard to maintain a professional image – and making use of Facebook or Twitter to say anything about the team has generally been a no-no. Make no bones about it – Bruschi’s ire comes from a point of view that’s contrary to everything that Ochocinco has been throughout his NFL career.

But seriously, he should have taken a pass on this one and internalized it…just like he did when he was with the Patriots.

NFL Free Agency Starts With a Bang

T Lamont — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:31:53 +0000

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Now that the NFL is back in business, there’s exponentially less time for players and teams to link up with each other.

Free agency has clearly gotten out a hot and heavy start, and here’s a look at the potential impact from some of the most notable signings and moves:

Plaxico Burress signs with the Jets:

What do the Jets have to lose? Not much, as they answered everyone’s question about where Burress would end up. Plaxico should fit in nicely as a third option, behind Santonio Holmes and Jerricho Cotchery. Although Plax has never really been a consistent deep-ball threat, replacing Braylon Edwards’ 2010 pass-catching totals (53 receptions) should not be a hard thing for Burress to accomplish. While the Virginia Beach native has been away from football for some time, one thing has not changed – his size. It should assist him in re-establishing himself as an important possession receiver for Rex Ryan.

Plax's new deal allows him and his wife to stay in New York.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young, Ronnie Brown sign with the Eagles:

Word has it that Asomugha, the top corner on the market, left lots of money on the table because he wanted to play for a team that would give him the best chance to win. This says a lot about Asomugha’s priorities, but it also says even more about peoples’ expectations for the Eagles. Philly went out and picked up troubled Vince Young – a great additional to their team as a back up quarterback with a playing style similar to Eagles starting QB Michael Vick (let’s face it – given Vick’s natural athletic attributes, we all know that he will spend some amount of time on the shelf…so this is very significant). Philadelphia topped that off by signing former Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown who, along with LeSean McCoy, will give Andy Reid even more versatility in the backfield. Philly, who was booted out of the postseason by the Super Bowl Champion Packers due to a failed final drive, appeared to be a candidate for the second-best team in the NFL last season. Knowing how difficult it is for NFL teams to repeat, the Eagles – for the first time in decades – sit atop the list of expected Super Bowl participants.

Donovan Mcnabb traded to the Vikings:

Good move by the Vikings? Hardly. Having an experienced quarterback that will set an example for first-round draft pick Christian Ponder is fine and dandy, but McNabb hasn’t been the best at demonstrating good performance habits of late. He suffered mightily with the Skins – so much so that Washington was chomping at the bit to send him packing after one season. Minnesota would have been better advised to stop trying to make last-ditch efforts to make their team relevant (see Brett Favre and Randy Moss), and to simply go back to the drawing board.

McNabb's disappointing tenure in D.C. didn't deter Minnesota from taking a chance on him.

Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth traded to the Patriots:

Another year, and another couple of players with a past history of disrupting their teams’ harmony get signed by New England. Both Ochocinco and Haynesworth underachieved in big ways last season, but who really believes that they’ll be flops again this season? At the very least, they’ll be on their best behavior. The Patriots were able to reform one of the all-time grumpiest players of all – the recently-retired Randy Moss – into one of the most productive single season performers of all time (in 2007), and were able to appease him for over three years. Comparatively speaking, Ocho and Fat Albert should be child’s play for the motivational abilities of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England organization. And I’m sure that Ocho will tweet us with all of the details.

Brady Accident – A Bad Omen For the Patriots?

T Lamont — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:06:10 +0000

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Reports are confirming that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was involved in a minor car accident this morning in Boston.

Further detail indicated that a witness stated that Brady’s Audi had a green light when a minivan went through a red light. Thus, the collision ensued. All vehicle occupants avoided any serious injuries.

So, did anyone get a beat on the van’s driver?

A few names come to mind:

Ray Lewis – Everyone remembers Lewis’ post-game tirade during last season in which he pronounced that Brady is “a man, and can be hit just like us”? Well, even though the Ravens knocked the Pats out of the playoffs last year, something tells me that Ray still is not a fan of a guy who would be a candidate for the most interesting man in sports.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is still mad about a roughing-the-passer call from last year.

Rex Ryan – The love fest between Ryan and Brady played out a little bit in the media, when Brady proclaimed that he “hated the Jets.” Ryan countered to say that both he and Brady probably hated each other guts. With the Buffalo Bills firmly predicted to be at the bottom of the AFC East and the Dolphins mired in mediocrity, Ryan could have tried to take out the leader of what figures to be the Jets’ only divisional competition. And we all know that Ryan is a mean and nasty guy.

Robert Kraft – The New England CEO…but why? A contract extension is in its final stages for Brady. What better way to save yourself some money that you might not want to spend on a 33-year-old quarterback who has probably seen his best days. But I’d think Kraft is the type that would hire someone and not do the dirty work himself. Or perhaps I just watch too many Lifetime movies with my wife.

Darrelle Revis – After not getting what he thought he was worth, Revis looked happy and relieved when he returned to camp on Hard Knocks. But he could have done an Incredible Hulk when he heard about Brady’s impending contract that could be worth an estimated $18-$20 million per season. We won’t like Darrelle when he’s angry…

Law enforcement needs to round up these suspects and let the questioning commence.