Deflategate....Who Cares?

Hopefully by the time Monday rolls around next week this whole "deflategate" issue will go away. But as of today it does not look like that will happen. More and more reports are surfacing about the Patriots using slightly deflated footballs during the AFC championship game this past Sunday. Now, I do not believe anyone can dispute the outcome of the game, deflated balls or not, but these reports are interesting. It is not uncommon for a team like New England, with so much success, to be ridiculed and accused in times like these. All I have to say on this issue is that I do not care. Not only because I am a Patriots fan, but also because it seems all teams do things like this. Whether it is inflating or deflating footballs, or spying on other teams. Every team in sports tries to get an edge. Just appears that the Patriots will not get away with it.

For the second year in a row, both the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will participate in the NFC and AFC championship games respectively. These teams were predicted by many to be here when the season began, and now they indeed sit with just one game between them and Glendale. Tom Brady will take on Andrew Luck and the Colts for the second consecutive year. Last year the team dominated Indianapolis in the divisional round and now look to end Andrew Luck's playoff run. He has now reached the championship game and is one step closer to reaching the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl. This run will likely end next week in Foxborough. Although the team looked good against the Broncos, the Patriots are a different animal and will give the Colts much more problems defensively.
Seattle will host the NFC championship and take on a slightly hobbled Aaron Rodgers. The key matchup will be Rodgers against the great defense of Seattle. If Rodgers can make some big plays and does not receive too much pressure, the Seahawks could be in trouble. Can't wait for an exciting Sunday next week.

Important For Patriots to Win Out

New England plays host to Miami this weekend, and look to continue their dominance of the AFC East. The Pats finish the season with Buffalo and the Jets as well, all very winnable games. If they win out then home field advantage is theirs. However, with Denver looming, if the Pats drop even one of these games then home field could be lost. We saw last year just how important that home field advantage is, when the Pats went to Mile High and lost in the AFC championship game. The Patriots almost never lose at home, and with the team looking as well-rounded as they have in recent years, I would like their chances against Denver in the title game. Lets hope that the injury bug does not bite them for a second consecutive postseason, and that Brady and co. are back in the Super Bowl come February.

Patriots Last Place in the AFC East?

As I look at the NFL standings, following the first Sunday of the season, there is something shocking about the AFC East. There are three teams tied for first in the division: the New York Jets (W 19-14 vs OAK), Buffalo Bills (W 23-20 vs CHI) and Miami Dolphins (W 33-20 vs NE). This leaves just one team sitting dead last, and that team, is the New England Patriots.

For the first time since 2003, a Tom Brady-led squad lost in week one of the season. The Patriots, as usual, are Super Bowl contenders this year. So, an opening week loss to an injury-plaugued Miami team comes as a bit of a shock to most fans, including myself. Now don't get me wrong, the Patriots and Dolphins always play great games in Florida, but never have I seen Miami's defense so dominant. After a strong first half from Brady and the offense, Miami ramped up the pressure. The Dolphins were able to get to Brady four times, twice forcing fumbles. Miami defensive end Cameron Wake forced both of the those fumbles, the last of which all but sealed the win.

New England was dominated in the second half of Sunday afternoons game, and were left as a last place team. However, the last two times the Patriots lost their opening week matchup, they went on to win the super bowl. That is not to understate how bad the Patriots looked in the second half, but it is interesting. Going into this year the Pats are once again favorites to compete for the Lombardi trophy. Most view them and the Broncos as a lock for a rematch of last years AFC championship game. One that saw the injury-riddled team come up short at Mile High.

This years team is revamped. Especially on the defensive side. The addition of shutdown corner Darrelle Revis is huge for the Pats, considering they let Aquib Talib go to the Broncos. It also gives gives Belichek one of the best corners in the game. Perhaps the biggest addition of all is simply the return of multiple players from injury. From tight end Rob Gronkowski, to middle linebacker Jerod Mayo, New England had many players finish last year on injured reserve.

So, the return of players like Vince Wilfork and Rob Gronkowski should make for a very successful regular season in Foxboro. Whether or not the offensive line holds up is another question. I'm not too concerned just yet, but if the Patriots have more performances like they did in South Beach, a trip to the AFC championship might not be so easy.

Broncos Defense Shuts Down Brady, and Patriots Lack of Any Deep Ball Threat

As Peyton Manning took and knee and let the clock run out, the Broncos celebrated a trip to New York, and the Patriots were left to deal with the heartbreak of a second straight AFC Championship loss. For the Broncos this is their first Super Bowl berth since the late 90s when John Elway was riding Terrell Davis to his second straight Super Bowl win. For Peyton he is back. It has been a long road for Manning since throwing game clinching pick six right into the hands of the Saints defense, and leaving South Beach with the bitter taste of another playoff loss. Manning struggled through his last couple years in Indianapolis with neck injuries, and arrived in Denver looking to resurrect his Hall of Fame career. Well, Peyton did just that by leading the Broncos to back to back 13-3 regular seasons, and this year an AFC Championship win.
On the other side Brady suffered a frustrating loss as it was as clear as ever that something was missing from the Patriots. No it was not Aquib Talib's absence in the secondary, or Wilfork on the defensive line, not even the gaping hole in the middle of the field that Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes once filled, it was a player who has not been in New England all year. The Patriots did not have that 6'3"-6'4" strong receiver on the outside. Now I know Gronk is a huge target who was lost to injury this season, but he has been there in recent years. The Patriots fully healthy would be scary with a star receiver on the outside, Randy Moss proved it.
This may sound like a sorry Patriots fan going off and making excuses, because New England has been very successful in recent years, but they haven't been scary like Denver's offense, or New Orleans. I guess what I'm saying is that despite all of this New England still made it to the AFC Championship game, and lost to a team with one of the best offenses of all time, maybe even the best.  If the Patriots want to be back in the Super Bowl next year, they're going to have get a little lucky health wise, and pick up a star receiver. It could be through a trade, free agency, maybe even a rookie through the draft, but it got to come from somewhere.
The reality, however, is that the Broncos and Seahawks still have one game to play, and it should be a great one. I'm leaning towards Seattle as of now just because of the weather, and a stronger built defense, but that could change over the next couple weeks. Come next week I'll know my favorite, and the fact is I don't want Peyton to win, so don't be surprised if I give Seattle the edge.