Can anything top the 2013 Iron Bowl?
NEPD Staff Writer: CJ Sousa
Turkey. Stuffing. Delayed Flights. Oh yeah, it’s that time of year again. Rivalry Week is upon us in the college football universe. For some teams, their rivalry game is the only game that matters all season. Others need to beat their hated rival to stay in the play off race. Regardless, winning is the most important statistic of the weekend. (more…)
Kyle Arrington and the Patriots found a way to remove the Colts’ top receiving resource on Sunday night in Indianapolis. (NFL Game Rewind)
NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas
Nearly 40 years have passed since Bill Belichick received his economics degree from Wesleyan University. But what he learned in Middletown is still being put to use two hours northeast in Foxborough.
That was even evidenced in Indianapolis on Sunday, when the New England Patriots’ defense set foot on the Lucas Oil Stadium field to face quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts’ high-volume passing attack.
Belichick, along with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer and safeties coach Brian Flores identified the production awaiting them. The ground game, as well as Luck’s league-leading 393 pass attempts could remain. So could the 64 catches for 799 yards combined by tight end Coby Fleener and wideout Reggie Wayne.
The 56 catches for a top-five 937 yards from T.Y. Hilton could not. (more…)
NEPD Staff Writer CJ Sousa
Will Mississippi State get the monkey off their back and beat Alabama? Or will Amari Cooper & Co. once again own their SEC West rivals?
Some weekends just have a playoff feel to them, and week 12 is certainly one of them. Teams are playing a game of musical chairs for one of the playoff spots, while prospects are running out of time to build their resumes for the 2015 NFL draft. Week 12 has two mammoth SEC match ups, in which all four teams playing all have a realistic shot at the playoffs. Will you be camped in front of a television Saturday? I know I will. Here are the biggest matchups of the weekend broken down. (more…)
Tom Brady stood up to Denver’s vaunted pass rush last Sunday and lead New England to a resounding 43-21 victory. (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)
Tom Brady: I could sit here and write out the stats, but you already know them by heart after all the Brady-Manning week hoopla. I could even break down his throwing mechanics and how he still has pin point accuracy at age 37. I could also detail how he’s getting this done with less than others… but I’m not going to do that. All I really need to say is, mobility. Tom Brady hasn’t become Randall Cunningham, but he’s utilized his legs more than ever this season. Early offensive line struggles this year may have actually benefited him because he looks more aggressive after the snap with his movement. Being forced to create space and time due to poor line play has compelled Brady to step out of his comfort zone, literally. In some ways his recent play has reminded me of Ben Roethlisberger. Who in the past, has had to compensate for a poor line by stepping out of the pocket to give receivers a chance to get open down field. Fortunately, Brady’s line has come together and we don’t have to worry about him taking unnecessary punishment like Big Ben has in recent seasons. But this added element to his game should only bode well for the Patriots’ offense come January.
NEPD Staff Writer: Jason Cappell
Just five weeks ago everyone had Tom Brady written off. He was too old, past his prime, and no longer an upper echelon quarterback. But it is amazing how quickly things have changed since the Patriots were blown out by Kansas City.
Since the beginning of October no quarterback in the NFL has been as dominant as Tom Brady, and should his torrid pace continue, the AP would have no choice but to crown him with his third MVP.
Brady’s dominant play and the Patriots five game winning streak are no coincidence.
The physical game of Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner remains unchanged. And both sides of it were seen against the Broncos in Week 9. (NFL Game Rewind)
NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas
Brandon Browner’s brand of football may be going extinct. But despite the NFL’s points of emphasis on illegal contact, holding and pass interference, and despite the seven flags he has drawn through three games this season, his brand has remained the same.
The 30-year-old cornerback is not letting it go without a fight, a tug, or at least a shove.
“I’m not going to change my game. I’m not going to let it bother me,” Browner said as training camp opened in July. “I’m going to force them to make the call. I’m going to try to stay aggressive. That’s what got me here.”
Those words have rung true. The brand that got the 6’4”, 221-pound journeyman to the New England Patriots is not unlike what got him to Oregon State, the Denver Broncos, the Calgary Stampeders and the Seattle Seahawks. It’s physical, glaring, and in a sense, ugly.
It’s supposed to be. And the reason why was explained against the Broncos in Week 9. (more…)
Brandon LaFell’s rise has provided the Patriots’ passing game with the element of unknown. (NFL Game Rewind)
NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas
Brandon LaFell was targeted six times in his first two regular-season games as a member of the New England Patriots. And, heading into his third game of September, the former Carolina Panthers third-round pick had zero catches to his name.
He’s had 36 over the seven games since.
It’s been both a gradual and sudden rise for the 6’3”, 210-pound wide receiver; one that arrived along with the surveillance of his three-year, $9 million contact last March. Organized team activities proved to be about familiarization for him, and that continued through the summer as he looked to find a home on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.
Route miscommunications and concentration drops were the unintended consequences of a journey that sent him from the NFC South to the AFC East. The 28-year-old had to acclimate to the ball placement of quarterback Tom Brady instead of Cam Newton, and he had to acclimate to his own placement in the offense of coordinator Josh McDaniels instead of Mike Shula.
It required repetition. (more…)
2015 NFL Draft: New England Patriots Mock 2.0
Scouting Report: Henry Anderson, DE
Scouting Report: Arik Armstead, DE
Scouting Report: Preston Smith, DL
The Best Receiver You Don’t Know About
Scouting Report: Marcus Hardison, DT
Position Rankings: The Cornerbacks
