Top things to keep an eye on for the Patriots Chiefs matchups today.

I’m not much of a prognosticator despite making pickem’s and Season previews.  With that in mind, a look at the teams today gives us a chance to do some more analytical work, something that is more up my alley.

The Patriots Secondary: This is well worth keeping an eye on after the patriots released starting cornerback Fernando Bryant as part of the final roster cuts and Jason Webster the week before.  New England will start either rookie Terrence Wheatley or veterans Lewis Sanders or even recent pickup Deltha O’Neal.  My money is on Sanders.  I think he was one of the better corners in camp, at least on a consistent basis.  Is he starter material?  Houston thought so when they signed him away from the Browns, and Cleveland thought so but didn’t wan to pay him for it.  On the opposite side, Ellis Hobbs returns looking to rebound from a game he’d rather forget and injuries, which held him back in that game.

The Patriots Linebackers:  If you want one thing to keep an eye on which could spell trouble for the Patriots is the linebacker against the run.  Kansas City brings one of the best running backs in the league with Larry Johnson.  Though KC’s offensive line may have trouble opening holes, Johnson has the ability to make his own.  It will be up to Tedy Bruschi and Jerod Mayo to slow down Johnson when he does hit those holes in the middle.

In the eyes of the NFL 2008 will be another year of record earnings, renewed interest in team rivalries, more teams competing to make the playoffs, and not another spygate  – they hope.

For fans, it’s about new hope. They wonder; did my team make enough hay in the offseason to go places this year?

For many, that answer could be "yes." For some — those who finished on the bottom of the league in 2007 — any improvement is a reason to watch.

With those things in mind, I took a look at the season for all NFL clubs and shared my predictions with tens of thousands of Chiefs fans in Warpaint Illustrated. Sure, they said, he’s a homer, he’s from New England, and he’s going to pick them.  Ah… don’t let the obvious cloud your judgment was my response.

Maybe they liked what they read because I was invited back to do a radio show with Warpaint’s publisher.  You can listen to the entire interview here: Warpaint, or listen to to pregame on 101 The FOX in Kansas City this morning.

AFC

West
Chargers:  Michael Turner’s departure will hurt, but they added talent in Antoine Cason and Jacob Hester.  Their defense remains one of the best with Shaun Philips, Shawne Merriman,  Igor Olshansky, Jamal Williams and Antonio Cromartie.

Broncos: Denver will improve due to the quality of their system if nothing else.  If health isn’t an issue, Jay Cutler should be able to lead the Broncos into another competitive season. Draft pick Peyton Hillis will do what’s needed to open holes for Denver’s runningbacks.

Part of my duties as a multi-network writer is to offer competing opinions or insider analysis on the Patriots for people who do not know the team that well, or are looking for a Patriots expert’s opinion.  When they ask about Chad Jackson, I have to pause before I speak…

Let me put it this way, I’m a Chad fan. I always have been, and I probably will be for some time, unless he goes all Michael Vick on us.  But with that being said, I have to honest as an analyst and that honesty requires me to divulge the following in a typical scouting report on Jackson.

Mind you, I’m not an NFL personnel evaluator, but I do play one on TV.  wink wink

Jackson has world-class talent but suffers from “not getting it” syndrome.  Jackson knows how to prepare, what to do to get in shape, what he needs to work on and he prepares harder than anyone on the planet. At least if you take Bill Belichick’s word for it  LINK

But, with all that said, he still goes out on a Sunday afternoon in front of 70,000 people in the stands and hundreds of thousands of others watching at home on TV and runs the wrong route. OK, maybe it was a hot read, but isn’t he supposed to know that by now?

The Roster Shuffle Continues

Trying to keep up with the Patriots roster changes this week has been nothing short of a full-time gig.  Though the Patriots continue to bring players in and let others go, the end result is that the team is finagling the bottom end of the roster.

The Patriots announced four roster moves Thursday.  The team signed tight end Stephen Spach to the active roster and added punter Reggie Hodges to the practice squad. To make room, the team released tight end Jason Pociask from the active roster and tight end Tyson DeVree from the practice squad.

Stephen Spach is back, while former Jets tight end Jason Pociask was released.  Spach made it through the final round of roster cuts only to be released in favor of Pociask on September 12, 2008.  The Patriots took just 3 days to realize why the Jets cut Pociask over the weekend.

 New England was fortunate to recall Spach before someone else signed him.  They were not so fortunate with former Patriot Jonathan Stupar who signed on with the Buffalo Bills earlier this week after being released by the Patriots. 

Practicing Or Not?

Tom Brady is at practice, but he’s injured.  Wait… nope… he’s ok, he can still walk on it.  Wait, he has a broken foot and will miss 2-4 weeks.  Wait… he’s back at practice and off the injury report.

Do you get the feeling that some of the reports on Brady’s foot injury may be overblown?

Upheaval in New England, or part of the Master plan?

The New England Patriots parted ways with John Lynch and Chad Jackson on Sunday. Both moves were a surprise considering the team had already pared its roster to 53 the day before to comply with league rules.  The moves were even more surprising when taking into account the players the Patriots picked up; a second year tight end and an offensive lineman who has bounced from one team to another.  The net gain as of Tuesday was that cornerback Deltha O’Neal was signed to one of the spots vacated over the weekend.

Lynch Gone, But For How Long?

When the Patriots released John Lynch, it seemed odd that they would sign a veteran knowing that he had positives and negatives which might be a good fit for the team, only to release him a day after roster cuts.  There seems to be more to the story than what it looks like on the surface (An aging vet not making the cut).

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shared his appreciation for the veteran via a team release:

"It goes without saying but John is an all-time great safety, one of the league’s classiest professionals and his elite play speaks for itself," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. "As has been the case in other situations, I would not rule anything out down the road."

Lynch responded by issuing his own statement, also published via a team press release.

The New England Patriots pared their roster back today by placing three players on reserve lists and releasing 14 others.  The surprise move of the night was the team’s decision to retain quarterback Matt Cassel while sending quarterback Matt Gutierriez on his way.  That wasn’t the only surprise.

The Patriots decision to part ways with Matt Gutierrez seems a bit illogical when comparing preseason performances of Matt Cassel and Gutierrez.  Gutierrez led the team on more productive drives in each game except the last against New York. The experience Cassel provides obviously was a factor in the decision. but didn’t Gutierrez’s performance warrant the job?

Not according to the team.

Another surprise move was the decision to part ways with starting cornerback Fernando Bryant.  Bryant’s poor showing against the Giants on Thursday night may have contributed to the decision.  Though Bryant made a number of tackles during the evening, it was his decision to play patty-cake with Giants tight end Darcy Johnson, allowing him to stroll into the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown, that likely sealed Bryant’s fate.

"The little dude (Fernando Bryant) tried to tackle me up high and I drove him for a couple of yards," said Darcy after the game. "Especially when I saw the end zone was so close"

The departure of veteran linebacker Victor Hobson — also penciled in as a starter upon his arrival — was among the mild surprises.
 
 

The cutting has begin.  New England released four players yesterday afternoon; DL Steve Fifita, DB Jeff Shoate, OL Jimmy Martin and TE Jonathan Stupar.

From the team’s press release:

Fifita, 26, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on May 5, 2008. The 6-foot-1-inch, 312-pound nose tackle has played in 13 career games with one start, all with the Miami Dolphins in 2007. Fifita was originally signed by Miami as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 5, 2006.

Martin, 25, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Feb. 5, 2008. The 6-foot-5-inch, 306-pound offensive lineman has not appeared in an NFL game. Martin was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round (226th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.

Shoate, 27, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Aug. 9, 2008. The 5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound cornerback has played in 14 career games, all with the Denver Broncos (seven games in 2004, seven games in 2007). Shoate was originally drafted by Denver in the fifth round (152nd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.

Stupar, 24, was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 2, 2008. The 6-foot-3-inch, 254-pound tight end attended the University of Virginia, where he played for four seasons from 2004-07.

So they keep asking…
(Questions from the fans in the stands)

Email me if you want your answer included in the next issue

What about Tom Brady’s foot?
The question usually comes in many sizes, colors and — if you will — flavors. The key is that the focus is on ‘Oh My God what happens if Brady can’t play?’

Let me offer this advice: Step away from the ledge, put down the  (Gun, axe, bottle…), and take a deep breath.

According to my esteemed colleague, his doctor friend says that Brady will be fine.  After all it’s just a bruise.   Maybe Gisele can kiss it and make the booboo go away.

Is there help available for the offensive line?
Again, the question comes in a wide assortment of complaints, questions, concerns and outright rants.  To be honest, I do understand what you’re concerned about, which is why I wrote this ( Stephen Neal post)

Between Mike Flynn and John Welbourn, Russ Hochstein and Billy Yates, the team should have at least ONE guy who can play.   Scouting reports indicate Flynn and Welbourn were cast offs from their previous teams, but the reality is that they’re experienced veterans who were replaced by younger, cheaper guys with more long term upside.  They can play, and they will play, but how well, only Dante Scarnecchia can tell you for sure. 

The New England Patriots fell to the New York Giants 14-19 Thursday night in East Rutherford, N.J.  It was New England’s fourth loss of the preseason (0-4), while the Giants improved their record to 2-2.

The night started off poorly for the Patriots who were without Tom Brady.  Though Matt Light returned after missing most of camp due to an undisclosed illness, starting quarterback Matt Cassel was unsuccessful in leading the team to a score even with Light’s help.  Cassel has struggled all preseason, and those struggles continued against the Giants. 

The Patriots used many of their starters on offense and defense Thursday night.  With the exception of Brady, Wes Welker, Ben Watson and Stephen Neal, the offense first team was on the field for the first period, and parts of the second.  

With or without the starters in the lineup, the Patriots struggled. After electing to receive the kickoff, the Patriots took over from their own 28 and managed to move the ball to their own 49 before an incompletion forced their first of many punts on the night.  The drive was an indication of more to come from the first team offense.  For Cassel, his second series, ending similarly to the first (starting at the NE 28 ending in a punt from NE49), was his final possession of the preseason. His stats told the tale (4/6 for 37 yards, 0 sacks, 0 TDs, 0 INTs).

Patriots – Giants: What To Watch

There are plenty of interesting sidebars to this game aside from it being the last preseason contest for both clubs.  (Loud roar goes up from NFL faithful).  I’ll try to encapsulate them here.

Game: New England Patriots (-03) @ New York Giants (1-2)
Where: Giants Stadium, Meadowlands, N.J.
Weather: weather.com
Playing Surface: Artificial
TV: WNBC (New York), WCVB TV (Boston)
Announcers: Don Criqui, Randy Cross

What It’s Not:
No, it’s not a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, and for those pundits who are working hard to create that impression, it might make more sense to compare it to the August 30, 2007 Preseason game between these two teams.

What it Is:
A final tune-up for the 22 players facing the “Turk” (Poor SOB charged with the job of handing out pink slips). Roster cuts are due this weekend, and the players “on the bubble” have one more opportunity to show what they can do to help a team.  Aside from that a win or a loss doesn’t matter, though the Giants do currently hold preseason bragging rights having won 10, while the Patriot have won just 7 of the 17 exhibition matchups.

What To Look For:

Key Injuries:  Tom Brady is not expected to play after missing another practice session this week. It’s the fourth preseason game, and Brady needs to nurse that bone bruise on his foot.