Celtics the perfect cure for ailing hearts

The Patriots playoff run was an unmitigated disaster.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are great. Not good, great. Hell, they might be the best of all time at what they do. But there has been something terribly, terribly wrong with them recently.

They can't finish.

The Pats 4th Quarter drive was slower than Conolly's return

I don't know why the Patriots looked like all-world beaters during the regular season and then got smothered by a team they beat by 42 just 6 weeks earlier. I don't know why Tom Brady looked like he was playing with a 103 fever (maybe he was?). No yelling. No excitement. No passion. I don't know why the Patriots fourth quarter drive was moving slower than Dan Connolly on his legendary kickoff return against the Super Bowl Champion Packers in Week 15. And lastly I don't know why, after not giving up the "big play" all year, after the Patriots had finally taken back momentum with Tom Brady's laser to Alge Crumpler (and Sammy Morris' Kevin Falk-like direct snap 2 pt. conversion), the Patriots defense allowed Jerricho Cotchery to catch a five yard crossing pattern and run all the way to the seven yard line for a 58 yard gain. That was the killer right there. All the momentum went poof, and it was a two-score game the rest of the way. Obviously, Brady's INT on the first drive was awful, Crumpler's TD drop on the second drive was huge, and that fake-punt (which turned into a NYJ TD) was mindbogglingly stupid, but we were still in it in the fourth quarter, and that Cotchery play really took the air out of the Patriots balloon.

I've mostly had enough talking about that god-forsaken game. I just want to talk about a few more factors which should prevent this from happening next season (located on the poll on the right):

1) Being realistic. Maybe we weren't as good as our 14-2 record indicated. We certainly were a very, very good team. But you need to have some specific traits to be successful in the playoffs. Particularly, you need a play-making defense, and a consistent and multi-layered offensive attack (throw long, throw short, run short, run long etc.). You also have to make smart managerial decisions. Unfortunately, the Pats did little of any of those things. The defense, which made plays all year, did a great job of keeping the game in range for the New England offense, but was unable to force any turnovers against a young, inaccurate QB (whom they intercepted 4 times in the 45-3 thrashing). The offense, normally unstoppable, was completely stagnant. Even the great Danny Woodhead was held in check with a paltry 3.3 yard per rush average (after averaging more than 5.5 YPR during the regular season). Brady was pressured like never before during the season except for maybe the San Diego game, and like that San Diego game, the offense was flat. And lastly, there was the obvious managerial dropping of the ball with that Patrick Chung fake punt call. I mean what the @U#* was that!! We haven't done a fake punt in years, at least none that I can remember. And we decide to do one in our own territory, with 50 seconds left in the half of a low scoring game! WHY?! ARGHHHHHH. Gimme a second while I blowtorch my eyes out.

WHY!!!!! CATCH THE DAMN BALL!!!

2) Don't get outplayed/outcoached. I think everyone would agree that we didn't deserve to win that game. We got outplayed, outworked and outcoached. Rex Ryan had a great game plan. The Jets D did a great job of executing the game plan, and they overall just looked like they wanted it more. The Pats have to start playing with more passion in these kinds of games.

3) More experience. Lets be honest. This team has a ton of rookies: 4-5 starters on defense, the punter, and 1-2 on offense. The inexperience on defense was especially evident during the Jets game. Next year though, I would imagine there will be less nerves, and more plays made (zero sacks/interceptions/fumble recoveries in Jets game).

Maybe trading #92 was a mistake

4) Where the hell was the pass rush!?! OK Bill. We have had enough with this 3-4, sit back, relax and enjoy the show bull$#!% defense. We want a pass rusher. No. We NEED a pass rusher. When you let Richard Seymour go, we said OK, because we thought Oakland's number 1 pick would be a top 5 or 10 pick. No, we got screwed. It is a number 17. Now the onus is on you to find us a pass rusher. Until we get one, we will not be able to take the pressure off of our young, inexperienced secondary. We will continue to be one of the worst third down defenses in the NFL. We will continue to lose in the playoffs. Get it done.

5) Where is the next Corey Dillon? Listen, I am a huge believer in BJGE. I love the guy. 13 rushing touchdowns, 1000 yards rushing, and no fumbles. And I love Woody Woodhead just as much as everyone else, but we need a more talented running back. We need someone who can take some of the pressure off of Brady. The teams that beat the Patriots are the ones that mix coverages and get pressure with the front four. We need to get the Patriots back to being a balanced offense. Brady had an astonishing 143 QB rating on play-action passes this season. When the run game is working, Brady is at his best which means the offense is at its best. Lets get back to that. We need to be able to finish games on the ground. In the past few years, especially against the Colts, we have done a terrible job of running time off the clock with a lead in the fourth quarter. We need that RB who will kill the clock.

At least we have a ton of draft picks!

6) We will be better. Besides for Tom Brady, Matt Light and Dan Koppen, most of the key players on this team are entering their prime, or haven't reached it yet. We are also getting back some key players: starting CB Leigh Bodden, starting DE Ty Warren, starting K Stephen Gostkowski, S Brandon McGowan, starting RG Nick Kaczur and a healthier Wes Welker. Not to mention the maturation of all of the rookies. Mike Reiss always says that the biggest jump in production and development in players comes between year 1 and year 2 of a player's career. Lets hope so!

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I never want to see this again.

Before I literally commit suicide, lets talk about the reason I am able to write this column again. After the heartbreaking loss to the goddamn, trash talking, bunch of invalids everyone calls the New York Jets, I was a depressed sports fan. Yes, we have won tons of championships this century. We have the two World Series wins, the three Super Bowl wins and of course the Celtics championship in 08'. We also have tons of heartbreak. I don't want to go into detail, but lets just say that since the Patriots lost in one of the most stunning upsets in Super Bowl history, there have been some awful playoff losses in Titletown, USA. Game 7 defeats have become the norm. Tom Brady can't get past the first round, and we lost a 3-2 series lead against the hated, arch rival LA Lakers last season after the devastating ACL injury to Kendrick Perkins in game 6.

But this years Celtics team has lifted my spirits. When healthy (which will probably never happen, but just let me dream for a minute) this is arguably one of the greatest teams 1 through 12 of any team in the history of the NBA. I don't want to hear all of you who are saying to yourself, "you are INSANE! They haven't won anything yet! They don't even have the best record in the league this year! How could they possibly be one of the best teams of all time?!?!" Well, if you look at it that way, then yes. This team is not one of the best ever. But it sure as hell could be. This team is 12 deep, with absolutely no holes (Sorry, Brad). Our second unit (when healthy) could probably beat half of the teams in the NBA right now. Our starting 5 has never lost a playoff series together. We have tons of experience, and absolutely ridiculous depth.

In this year's NBA, there is a large crop of great teams, there are the Celtics, Heat, Spurs, Lakers, Magic, Bulls and Mavericks. This year is shaping up like the NBA seasons of the 80's and early 90's, where there is just a ton of talent all across the league, and about 5 or 6 teams that have a legitimate chance to win it all. After what happened with the Patriots, I won't get my hopes up too high, but I do have a really, really good feeling about this Celtics squad.

Now that we are more than halfway through the season, let's take a look at each member of the Celtics superb starting 5, and how they are faring.

Rajon Rondo: Rondo hasn't been playing as well since his nasty looking ankle injury against the Knicks a month ago, but in the past week or so, he has looked much, much better. He makes this team go. Recently, he has been attacking the hoop with reckless abandon and the results have been fantastic. People weren't so awed by Rondo's big time assist numbers at the beginning of the year, because people were claiming that he would pass up open layups for assists. Not anymore. He has been very aggressive on offense, while maintaining his usual defensive intensity. Him and KG might be the most pesky 1-2 defensive punch on any team in the NBA. I mean, these guys knock away passes left and right, they cause so many deflections. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to try and run an offense when half the passes you make are getting tipped away. Last year I didn't think Rondo would be able to lead a team that wasn't loaded with superstars (meaning: I didn't think he could lead his own team. I thought he was a result of the Celtics system), but after seeing him this year, I think he could do anything. He needs to be teamed with a scorer and big man, but he really has the ability to do anything at this point. He can drive, he can shoot, he can get to the line, he plays great defense and he is extremely vocal on the court. He's going to be great for a long time.

Ray Allen: There really isn't much to say about Ray. He is efficient as ever. He gets the job done every night, and he even comes up big on the defensive end every once in a while (his defense on Kobe last week was terrific, lets see if he does it again tonight). He is the reason the offense works. Without him on the floor, the court shrinks, defenses sag off Rondo, and we flat-line on offense. With him, we are unstoppable on the fast break, and extremely efficient in the half court. Ray hitting 50 percent of his shots is a small miracle. The difficulty on some of the shots he hits is mind blowing, and he is about to turn 36 years old. He deserves the three point crown, and he's gonna get it tonight. Congrats Ray Ray.

Paul Pierce: Like Ray, he has just become an efficiency machine. Shooting the best percentages of his career, and finally healthy, this is one of Paul's most impressive seasons. I was one of the people who thought that PP was in decline after last season's slow, painful regression. But luckily for us, it was just the foot injury he had that was slowing him down. He still got game.

Kevin Garnett: KG's revenge tour has been absolutely thrilling to watch. All those young'ns who beat up on the raggedy KG of yesteryear are paying the price big time. He is back with a vengeance. His jump shot is hot, he drops at least one alley oop per game, and plays all-world defense every night. He is the heart and soul of this team. Like he said, "Basketball is my spine." With a healthy KG, the Celtics will make a run for an 18th title.

Kendrick Perkins: Still early, but Perk looks almost back to form. There have been some times, offensively, where he hasn't really gotten the lift he is used to (which have led to some embarrassing blocked shots), but overall it is crazy how well and how fast he recovered from the aforementioned ACL tear. With Shaq, JO and Semih all out with injuries, Perk's inspired play has been huge for the Celtics the last two weeks. Bill Walton, on a recent broadcast (against the Sacramento Kings) called Perkins the least appreciated player in the league, and the most underrated. I agree that he is the least appreciated. This guy does all the dirty work. Sometimes he does too much dirty work (getting a technical almost once a week). But overall, this is a guy you want on your side. Hopefully the Celtics sign him to a long term deal this offseason, as he is going to be a free agent.


Injuries have surely taken their toll on the Celtics this season, and they continue to do so, but the C's are lined up (barring another major injury. Please god, we have had enough!) to be completely healthy by the time the playoffs come around.
-Marquis was fantastic as Pierce's backup, and his terrifying injury is cause for concern. Danny Ainge has mentioned that they may be looking into a trade or into signing someone to back up Pierce, because of the worry that Quis' won't be the same when he returns from that scary neck injury.
-Delonte on the other hand, is almost ready to come back. When he does, look out. The Celtics have been looking for a Delonte-type player since they traded him back in 06'. If he is healthy, and remains healthy, the Celtics bench will go from OK, to very good.

The Lakers have a slight Championship hangover.

-Shaq will be fine, he is just being rested (a lot) for the playoffs. Unbelievable before his hip injury, Shaq has exceeded almost everyone's expectations so far.
-I don't like to talk about Jermaine O'Neal, because it just makes me upset to do so. What a waste of time and money.


Starting tonight, the Celtics look to begin their title chase against the hungover LA Lakers. With a little help from the basketball gods, and some minor medical miracles, hopefully we will get to witness this team in full health for an extended playoff run. And maybe, just maybe, this will go down as one of the greatest teams of all time.

Maybe the 2011 Boston Celtics will be held in the same regard as the great 1986 team.

Boston Sports: Is this heaven?

Is this heaven?

I know, I know. I'm getting ahead of myself.

We haven't accomplished anything yet (Bill Belichick™). We haven't won anything yet.

But it feels amazing to be a Boston sports fan right now, doesn't it?

The Pats are steamrolling their opponents, the Celtics are cruising despite the loss of five key players to injury, and the Red Sox are in the midst of one of the greatest (talent-wise) offseasons in team history. As a fan, what more could you ask for, right? 

Welcome to Boston!

Well, growing up in Boston, you might ask for one more thing. You might just ask for the destruction of all New York teams. And you know what? You might just get your wish. While the Red Sox were piling up superstar talents Adrian Gonzalez (one of my favorite hitters in the majors) and wicked fast outfielder Cahl Crawfahd (great Boston accent name), the Yankees were busy getting out-dueled (they couldn't possibly get out-bid) for the most coveted free agent pitcher this offseason- Cliff Lee.

If it were just that, it would be enough. But no, we've got more.

The New York Knicks have been making a lot of noise lately with their surprising 10 game winning streak led by Jewish (wink, wink) PF Amare' Stoudemire. The injury depleted Celtics took the floor at the World's Greatest Arena (according to everyone in NY. I think it's old and has terrible lighting- although the crowds there are very good), Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night- trying to protect Paul Pierce's claim that there was no rivalry between the teams. He basically told the media that the Knicks suck, so how could there possibly be a rivalry? Well, Pierce backed up his statement with an absolutely crushing game-winning jumper from, (where else?) the right elbow. The Knicks actually played pretty damn well, and they have definitely earned respect from the Celtics, but beating a New York team- especially when the fans were so excited before the game- in such dramatic fashion? Aint' nothing better.

J-E-T-S SUCK SUCK SUCK

Well, except maybe for something I like to call the Monday Night Football Massacre. The drubbing the Pats put on the Jets 2 weeks ago? They aren't going to recover from that any time soon. They were 9-2, atop the AFC. Now? 9-4 and in serious danger of not making the playoffs. Victory tastes so sweet. Oh. What's that? You want to know the score to the game? 45-3. No, wait. 

Looks like a gullet to me

45-3

That's better. Eat that Jets fans. Let that one sit for a while. Maybe fatty Rex Ryan will shut his gullet and start teaching his players how to win a game instead of gargling on like a turkey. Mark Sanchez sucks. Santonio Holmes can't catch. Mark Sanchez sucks. I LOVE THIS.

Anyway, enough about all New York teams failing miserably at life. Lets take a closer look at the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics and predict what the future holds.

RED SOX  

Last Season: 89-73, 3rd place. Didn't make Playoffs
This Season: ??-??

Analysis and prediction: This is going to be an extremely good Boston Red Sox team. They have fantastic hitters from both sides of the plate. They are a great defensive team. And, most importantly, they have a very good rotation (which could be great if they could get ANYTHING out of Josh Beckett and/or John Lackey). The bullpen isn't dominant, but the addition of Bobby Jenks certainly helps what was the Red Sox's biggest problem last season. Obviously, like any team, they need to stay healthy. Luckily, they will get Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia back after both missed extended time last year with tricky injuries. I don't see how any team can beat the Sox in a playoff series, but then again, the Yankees haven't finished "shopping" this winter, so we really don't know what we are up against. For now, I'll say (barring injury) this team should at least have the best record in the AL, and they should be back in the World Series fighting for another title. 


Celtics

Last Season: 50-32, 4th in the Eastern Conference. Lost an excruciating Game 7 in LA.
This Season: 21-4, 1st in the Eastern Conference. 


Analysis and Prediction: Health. Health. Health. If only the Celtics were healthy! Lets say, best case scenario, everyone is healthy for the playoffs. What a freakin' team that would be. They would have the best starting 5 (Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins- tied with the Lakers) in the league, and the best second starting 5 (Delonte, Nate, Marquis, Baby, Shaq)- with Jermaine O'neal and Semih "Automatic" Erden still on the bench! Are you kidding me? The depth on this team is otherworldly. And thank god for it, because they need every last guy right now. With Rondo, Delonte, JO, Shaq and Perk sidelined, the C's have turned to 3rd and 4th stringers to pick up the slack. The result? A 12 game winning streak (and counting...) aided by the rebirth of both defensive maestro KG and, to a lesser extent, captain Paul Pierce. As long as they stay relatively healthy they should be in the top 2 or 3 seeds in the East. If, and that is a huge if, they are fully healthy for the playoffs, I don't see anyone stopping them. I think they win the title over LA. 

Patriots 

Last Season: 10-6, 3rd in AFC, 1st in East. Smoked in the first round bye Baltimore.
This Season: 11-2, 1st in AFC, 1st in East.

Analysis and Prediction: Wow. That is all I have to say about the Patriots' recent performances, or should I say executions, against the Jets and Bears. The Pats are coming together right in time for the stretch run. With a victory against the Rodger-less (that's what the papers are saying, no one really knows 100 percent yet: via Simmons' twitter- http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/111973654.html) Packers, the Pats will all but have wrapped up the number 1 seed in the AFC, needing only a win against the Bills or Dolphins to secure home-field throughout the playoffs. Wouldn't that be sweet. Reminds me of the 2003-2004 Patriots teams: 14-2 and the number one seed. Let me just say this: if the Pats continue playing like they are right now, no one is going to beat them. Not the Falcons, Eagles, Ravens, Chargers or Saints. No one. They are dominant. They are relentless. And most of all, they are proving everyone wrong.They are on a mission to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to its rightful place. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have been brilliant this season, and they are both hungry for that next ring. And, by the way, if they get it, they may finally be considered the greatest coach/quarterback of all time. Screw one game at a time- this team is going to win the Super Bowl in Dallas on February 6th, 2011, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Pats will be raising another Lombardi Trophy this year!

We haven't won anything yet, but we will very soon, starting with the Patriots.

New look Pats hush doubters, expose Jets in front of national audience

Randy who?

When the Pats traded Randy Moss, I wrote that the effect would be "devastating." That was before the Patriots traded for Deion Branch and unleashed secret weapon Danny Woodhead. Now, the only thing that is "devastating" is the Patriots offense- which has steamrolled opponents the last month to the tune of 40 points per game. Tom Brady has not thrown a pick in 228 consecutive attempts, and most importantly, the Pats are 4-0. They have taken care of business against the AFC North leading Steelers, the defending AFC Champion Colts (who recently have lived up to their dictionary definition: Colt- "a young, uncastrated male horse, in particular one less than four years old." Low blow? Perhaps, but Peyton Manning has looked more like an uncastrated baby horse than an NFL quarterback the last couple of weeks), the defending cellar dweller Lions (OK, "defending cellar dweller" isn't an accepted term- it just sounded better that saying "the Lions"), and the (used to be, before they decided to choke on Monday Night Football) number one seed in the AFC- New York Jets.

That is one hell of a run.

Not quite as wild a run as Forrest Gump's sprint around the world, but close

In 2001, 2003 and 2004, the Patriots started getting hot when the weather started getting cold. This team is doing the same. The schedule doesn't let up though, with a trip to the surprise NFC North leading Chicago Bears, followed by a home game against the dangerous Green Bay Packers- led by budding superstar Aaron Rodgers. To say that the Pats have locked up the number 1 seed would be silly. But they certainly have earned the attention of the rest of the league, and look like the best team in the NFL following their explosive 45-3 dismantling of the poor New York Jets.

And you wonder why they call him "the Belly"

I, along with the rest of the United States (except maybe Rex, or as he was called in the Boston Globe, "the belly") expected a tremendous, hard-fought battle between the two marquee teams in the AFC. Boy were we wrong. The Pats used a balanced attack on offense to pick apart what was believed to be one of the toughest defenses in the NFL. The offense has so many weapons, it seems almost unstoppable. Mighty Danny Woodhead had a fantastic revenge game with 104 receiving yards on only four receptions, BJGE had a strong game with two rushing touchdowns, and Tom spread the ball around to Branch, Welker and Hernandez to keep the Jets defense on their heels. One of the big storylines going into the game was the question of who superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis would cover. Well it didn't really matter. With this offense, there are too many options for Revis to shutdown the passing game. If he covered Branch, Brady hit Welker. If he covered Welker, Brady found Branch or Hernandez.

It really was an offensive clinic.

Mark Sanchez reminded Jets fans of Vinny Testaverde

And what about the defense? They were fantastic. With the help of erratic second year QB Mark Sanchez, and some extremely questionable play-calling, the defense played its best game of the year. Sanchez looked uncomfortable in the cold all night; You think he misses Southern California yet? Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, as he has done a few times this year, outsmarted himself. For the first time I've seen, the Jets opened the first two possessions in a shotgun, spread-em-out formation. Not a terrible idea- to spread out the porous Patriots secondary. But the Jets are a run-first offense. Maybe Schottenheimer got caught up in all the talk about the Jets being an explosive offense with former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes leading the charge. Not surprisingly, the Jets didn't score on those two possessions. Sanchez brought back some awful memories for Jets fans of chicken armed quarterback Vinny Testaverde, making some atrocious throws both short and long. On their third possession, the Jets ran the ball five times in a row, got into field goal range, and scored their only points of the game. The Pats responded by going to little man Danny Woodhead for 35 yards, which set up a Brady four yard strike to Brandon Tate. By then, it was 24-3, and the Jets were forced to become a one dimensional offense. It was also right about the time that a drunk Jets fan stumbled into our section, asked "is this my seat," and then (in the most obvious plot development ever) tripped over a cup holder and fell onto about five different people. The poor guy got up and just walked away confused as to what had just happened to him.

It reminded us all of Mark Sanchez.

Nothing like the icing of a Patriots cake

Speaking of Sanchez, Brandon Spikes picked off a horrific throw at the five yard line on the Jets first possession of the third quarter, and everything after that was just icing on the cake. 

What does this game mean? Are the Pats the best in the business, or are the Jets just really, really bad? As is usually the case, it is a little bit of both. Let's start with the Jets. Maybe they were just a tad overrated going into the game. Because, as we all know by now, the Jets had only one win against a team with more wins than losses (week 2 against a completely different Patriots squad), and had only won one game convincingly (the next week against the immortal Buffalo Bills). Needless to say, this team isn't as good as their record says they are. Probably stuck with a 5 seed in the playoffs, this particular Jets team looks like it can pull off one upset (is beating the Jags or Chiefs even considered an upset?) before being put in its place in round 2. I've been saying this all year: the Jets can not win with Mark Sanchez at QB. Yes, he will probably be a good QB in a few years, but the Jets are built to win now, and he does not give them a chance. He is too inconsistent and throws way too many (dreadful) interceptions. You think Mark Sanchez is winning a game in Arrowhead Stadium, Heinz Field and Gillette Stadium in January? I didn't think so.

On to the Pats. Are they the best in the NFL? The answer is yes, but not by much. The Falcons have figured out ways to win a few really tough games, and sit atop the NFL with the Patriots at 10-2. There are 3 teams that I think would give the Patriots trouble right now: Baltimore, Atlanta and Green Bay. The Pats already manhandled the Steelers and Jets, while the wheels have completely fallen off in Indianapolis. Philadelphia is very inconsistent, and we have yet to see Michael Vick stay healthy for more than six or seven games (and he takes an absolute beating every week). Green Bay, Baltimore and Atlanta all have some terrific defensive playmakers to complement their balanced offensive attacks (except Green Bay- they have no running game, but Rodgers is playing so great that it doesn't even matter). What we have with the Pats is an offensive juggernaut and a young defense which gives up yards in bunches, but clamps down when it has to (or comes up with that big turnover they haven't got since the days of Bruschi, Law and McGinest). Brady is playing the best football of his career, and he has an almost unlimited arsenal of weapons at his disposal. King William Belichick is having one of the finest coaching years of his life (who thought the Pats would get the number 1 seed? If you answered yes to that then you are either a liar or an idiot), and the NFL is just wide open enough for the Pats (with their 32nd ranked defense) to go to the Big Game in Dallas.

But don't book your tickets yet, there is still a lot of fun football left to be played- starting this week in Chicago against the ferocious Bears.

Get ready for one hell of a Super Bowl run

Buckle up, this is going to be one hell of a ride.

Are you ready for some football? Pats-Jets prepare for Monday Night faceoff

This one's for ALL the marbles

Pats.

Jets.

All the marbles.

Everyone is getting excited for the most anticipated regular season game since the Pats and Colts squared off in Super Bowl 41 and a half in 2007. And for good reason.
This game is going to live up to the hype. Last week, the Falcons and Packers played an extraordinary game in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Falcons triumphed, getting the final score on a 47 yard kick from veteran Kicker Matt Bryant. The kick followed a frenetic 90 yard drive by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, which ended with a beautiful 10 yard strike from Rodgers to Jordy Nelson. Needless to say, the battle between two of the NFC heavyweights was great entertainment. I expect the same this Monday Night in Foxborough.

Whoa there!!!!

These teams hate each other. They may not say it but, oh wait, they do. Rex Ryan stoked the coals last year by grunting (I can't imagine him "saying" anything, every time I look at him I can only imagine him grunting) "I didn't come here to kiss Belichick's rings." Tom Brady took a blowtorch to those coals when he told reporters this summer "I hate the Jets."

It's on.

The thing is, this year it is the real deal. The rivalry was always missing something. Usually, it was the fact that the Jets were so inferior to the Pats. Even the few times that they beat us (Screw you Mangenious), it didn't seem like they were better than us, they just outplayed us on that Sunday.

Now, things are different.

It was the Jets who went to the AFC Championship game last season, and the Patriots who got blown out at home by the Ravens. This year, with a little luck for both teams, the Pats and Jets sit side by side atop the AFC at 9-2. They matchup with each other extremely well. The Jets say they were "built to beat the Patriots." The Patriots are built to win Super Bowls. But right now, it doesn't seem like the Pats are going to win a Super Bowl without going through the Jets. Whoever wins this game will most likely get a Number One seed in the Playoffs, with home-field throughout. This is less important to the Jets (5-0 on the Road) than it is to the Pats (riding a 25 game -regular season- home winning streak). But confidence wise, this game is critical for both teams. The Jets haven't swept the Pats in the regular season in the Tom Brady era, and would love to get over that hump (though I did speak to a die hard Jets fan recently who said he doesn't care about this game, he only cares if they win in the playoffs. Wait, it's more important to win in the playoffs? I would have never known!)

How evenly matched are these teams? There are so many questions for both teams:

Pats:
1) Where do you put McCourty? If you put him on Holmes, then Arrington has to cover Braylon (in week 2, Shaughnessy joked that Edwards was "eating candy off the top of his [Arrington's] head."), if you put him on Braylon, then Arrington has to cover Holmes (Arrington has had trouble with number 1's in the last few games, and Holmes has certainly earned the "number 1" tag after 2 game winning catches so far this season).
My Take: Put McCourty on Holmes, Arrington on Edwards (with help over the top from Meriweather), Chung on Keller, and pray to god that there is a good pass rush.

2) Is the focus on stopping the run or the pass? Usually, Belichick focuses on stopping the run and making Sanchize beat them. But it seems different now. The Jets have 5 legitimate weapons (Holmes, Edwards, LT, Keller, Smith/Cotchery) on the field every play. We've seen some beautiful throws from Sanchez to Edwards down the field this season (the one before the half in Detroit was gorgeous, and the throw down the sidelines against the Texans was perfectly thrown), we've seen some great yards-after-catch plays by Santonio, and obviously Keller DESTROYED the Pats in week 2. Do you try and stop the run game- which has slowed down lately- or try and stop the suddenly explosive passing attack?
My Take: Stop the run. Stop the run. Stop the run. As we've seen with the Patriots lately, if a team gets the run game going, the play action becomes a lethal weapon. The Jets do a great job with setting up play action by pounding the ball to Shonn Greene and LT. Stop them, and avoid big plays to Braylon/Holmes, and I think the Pats will put the Jets in a lot of third and long situations.

3) How long do you stick with the run game if it isn't producing big plays? We've seen what happens when the run game doesn't get going, and we've seen what happens when BJGE and Woodchuck have big games. The Pats offense is dominant when the run game is getting 4 or 4.5 yards a carry. In the past few games the Pats play action has been the focal point of the offense, and it has paid huge dividends, as the Pats are averaging a whopping 38 points per game in the last 3 games.
My Take: As long as the Pats don't fall behind by more than 2 scores (which I don't foresee), they should be running the ball often. Whether it is BJGE or Woodchuck will depend on the Jets' defensive game plan, but I don't expect to see a Pats offensive attack like we saw in week 2 (abandoned the running game, and forced the pass- allowing the Jets to disguise their defensive fronts and force some terrible throws from Lord Brady). I would guess that they start with BJGE early, and use Woodchuck later to offset the blitz with his trademark draw plays.

Jets:

He's also astonishingly good looking

1) How do you slow down Tom Brady? He has been playing on another level the last few weeks, and might be playing the best football of his career. He is making perfect throws, and is getting great protection from the re-invigorated (thank you Logan Mankins) offensive line. It seems that blitzing (Steelers), using speed rushers (Indy) and collapsing the pocket (Ndamukong Suh and the Lions) have done little to faze Brady, who has stood tall and made every throw possible in the last 3 weeks.
My Take: Don't give up the big play and stop the run. Both things the Jets do very well, and both things the Jets did very well in week 2 (Brady's worst game of the season). If the Jets force the Patriots to go down the field little by little, and don't allow any big plays from Branch or Tate (or anyone else for that matter), they have a chance to slow the high powered Patriots passing game.

2) How do you cover all of their players? The Pats have so many options on offense, and you never know which one will be the go-to guy for that week. There have been huge games from BJGE, Woodchuck, Branch, Welker, Tate, Gronk and Hernandez. That is seven weapons the Jets have to be aware of and game plan against. One of the reasons the Jets defense is so successful is their ability to shut down the other team's top WR with "Revis Island." Besides Darrelle, Cromartie has been fantastic this season (aside for a bunch of atrocious penalties- I think he had 3 block-in-the-back penalties last week. Is that even possible?). The thing is, those are two big, physical corners. They are built to shut down the Randy Mosses, Andre Johnsons and Brandon Marshalls of the world. They aren't built to run underneath with the slippery Wes Welker or keep up with route running wizard Deion Branch. Who covers Lebron over the middle? Oops, I meant- Who covers Gronkowski over the middle? Jim Leonard? Puh-leeze. He is 5'7- good luck with that.
My Take: Again, it is all about avoiding the big play. I would put Revis on Branch, Cromartie on Hernandez (or Gronkowski, whoever is in), double Welker with a LB and S, and assume that your front 4 can stop the Pats run game.


Keys to the game:

Pats:
1) Protect Tom Brady. If the O-Line is as good as it has been lately, the Pats will run away with this one.
2) Tackle. Tackle. Tackle. Tackle. Pretty self explanatory. (Especially Brad Smith and Santonio Holmes)
3) Red Zone defense. The D has been shaky the last few weeks inside the red zone, and the Jets have done a nice job of finishing drives lately. Also, the Jets kicking situation is a disaster, so expect the Jets to go for some fourth and shorts inside Patriots territory.

Why not? Tom is the luckiest man on earth.

Jets:
1) Pressuring Tom Brady without the blitz. With so many options, if Brady has more than 3 seconds to throw, he is going to complete the pass. The Jets did a wonderful job of getting to Brady without the Blitz in week 2. They need to do that again.
2) Finish drives. Field goals don't win games against the Patriots, it's that simple.
3) Keeping Brady off the field with long, sustained drives. If the Jets get the run game going early and grab an early lead, they could make the Patriots a one dimensional team- which would allow the Jets defense to disguise their blitzes more effectively (guys walking around the defensive line, zone blitzes, etc.).

This game is going to be a dogfight, but I think the Pats will win a squeaker 27-23.


And Another Thing:

LETS GO CAVS! LETS GO CAVS! LETS GO CAVS!