Chad Ocho Cinco's Role

With the news of Albert Haynesworth being released from the New England Patriots today, the attention has naturally turned to their other big acquisition, Chad Ocho Cinco. Already, pundits have begun wondering as to when he will be released. However, despite Ocho Cinco’s lack of production on the field, and his supposed inability to grasp the playbook, neither Bill Belichick nor Tom Brady appear to be overly concerned. Why would that be?

Perhaps the biggest clue to the solution would be to take a look at how the roster, and subsequently, the offense, is constructed. As had been previously mentioned on the blog, Ocho Cinco is presently nothing more than the fifth receiving option at best. In fact, the argument could be made that both Danny Woodhead, and, if healthy, Kevin Faulk would be ahead of Ocho Cinco on the pass catching hierarchy. On the surface, this would make Ocho Cinco quite the luxury item.

All of this masks the probable reason for Ocho Cinco’s continued presence on this roster. Bill Belichick is known for his tendency to acquire the next piece of the puzzle, ready to slot into a starting role, even if the starter has a year or more to go before being a free agent. In Wes Welker and Deion Branch, the Patriots have two starting receivers that happen to be in the final year of their contracts. The Patriots may have Welker’s replacement with Julian Edelman. But do they have Deion Branch’s?

Now, look at the fact that Ocho Cinco signed a three year contract this offseason. Belichick knows how this offense is constructed, and had to know that Ocho Cinco would not get many opportunities this season. What that essentially adds up to is to make the 2011 season a red shirt year for Ocho Cinco. He has no pressure to perform, can work on learning the playbook, and can develop chemistry with Tom Brady. This is a move that would provide the Patriots with a player for the 2012 season who can step right in and pick up where Branch left off.

In the end, Chad Ocho Cinco was not about this season. Bill Belichick signed him for 2012 and 2013, when he will be needed to step in for Deion Branch. And that is a pretty shrewd move.

Rob Gronkowski's Apology

Today, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots apologized for having pictures taken with porn star BiBi Jones. He stated that it was not his intention to hurt the reputation of the Patriots, or to offend anyone with the pictures that were taken. In fact, Jones was adamant that nothing happened between them other than the pictures, even though she was willing.

So, what exactly is Gronkowski apologizing for? He had the opportunity to have pictures taken with an attractive female that just happens to be in porn. That’s an offense that people need an apology for? It’s not like BiBi Jones is a criminal or someone like Casey Anthony. She’s just a girl that’s probably ‘just trying to work her way through college’. Just because she enjoys being on her back, or knees, or on top of multiple guys, means absolutely nothing here.

If anything, Gronk should be apologizing for NOT nailing her. Hell, she’s probably had a phone book worth of guys that can lay claim to sampling her wares. Maybe there just isn’t enough tread left on the tires, and Gronk figured it would be like a hot dog in a hallway. But seriously, who really cares? Who in their right mind is going to get offended by these pictures? Who really thinks that Jones being in Gronk’s jersey is a sign that the Patriots organization supports porn? Idiots, that would be who.

If anything, Gronk was with the wrong porn star. Remember Bernie Kosar? Remember who Bill Belichick essentially ruined his career by trading for Vinny Testaverde when he was coach of the Cleveland Browns? Well, Kosar’s daughter happens to be porn actress Lexxi Silver. Figure that there can be a nice little connection there – Belichick ruined Kosar’s NFL career, and Gronk can ruin Kosar’s daughter for everyone that comes after him. Pretty sure that Belichick and Gronk would be high-fiving each other after that one.

Anyway, let us here at the blog be the first to say that we’re disappointed in Gronk. Not because he was hanging out with porn stars, but because he didn’t close the deal. Seriously, next time, man up and do what hundreds of guys before you have done – BiBi Jones

The Time Is Now

There are no more excuses for Chad Ocho Cinco. No longer can it be said that he’s going through an adjustment period. If he is going to perform at all for the Patriots, it will happen next week, or it will not happen at all.

Let’s put aside the sarcasm for a moment. Stop with the Ocho Stinko and the NoCatchO jokes. It’s time to face facts. First, Ocho Cinco did not have a full offseason to learn the playbook, the routes, and to get extra tutelage from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. His offseason began at training camp; his first six weeks were his preseason. Quite simply, he had not had the time to adjust from being on the Bengals to coming to a perennial playoff team like the Patriots.

Also, expectations of what Ocho Cinco can be for the Patriots have to be tempered. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are major targets in the passing game. Wes Welker is the third down possession guy. Deion Branch is Brady’s favorite receiver, and always has been. So, in all seriousness, Ocho Cinco is, at best, the fifth target in the passing game. How many receptions can he realistically be expected to get?
However, the bye week has come at a fortunate time for Ocho Cinco. He has obviously gotten frustrated with his lack of performance. All he really wants is to be a contributing member of a championship caliber team, which he had never had the opportunity to be a part of.

Come Week 8 in the NFL? The excuses end. Either Ocho Cinco gets it, or he doesn’t. He has had his opportunity, and he must now seize it. If he doesn’t? Well, he will be nothing more than an afterthought, a forgotten man on a deep team that looks like it’s going to have a deep playoff run. And for Ocho Cinco, to be forgotten is worse than not being productive.

The time is now for Ocho Cinco, or it will never come.

Shut Up Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan is a man of obsessions, some of which are stronger than others. Yet, through it all, he has one thing that is most on his mind - his main fixation. No, he is not most obsessed with winning Super Bowls. Nor is he most obsessed with being the center of attention whenever a microphone and /or video camera may be anywhere nearby. In fact, he is not even this obsessed with his peculiar personal fetish of people's feet. No, his main fixation is none other than the New England Patriots and their head coach, , Bill Belichick.

Over the course of his tenure as head coach of the Jets, he has consistantly gone out of his way to poke at the Patriots and Belichick. While his stated goal each season is to win the Super Bowl, or so he claims, it is his actions and words that prove otherwise. Seemingly every other word that comes from his mouth is directed at the Patriots and Belichick, and for what purpose? He knows that Belichick is not going to engage him in a bout of sarcastic posturing before the bright lights and shiny microphones of the assembled masses of the media. What purpose does this serve?

What this does is give a glimpse into the psyche of a man who has essentially become a parody of himself. We now know that Belichick is on his mind more than whether or not his wife still has that hot bunion on her toe or if he should get a goddamned snack. In fact, if Rex Ryan spent nearly as much time on trying to develop Mark Sanchez as he does trying to come up with sarcastic rejoinders about the Patriots, then maybe his quarterback would be good for something other than being the focal point of countless off-color fantasy football team names.

As such, shut up Rex Ryan. Until you win a Super Bowl, stop talking about a coach that is lightyears better than you could possibly imagine being, and use your mouth for all-you-can-eat buffets and your wife's toes.

Bill Just Wants to Have Fun

In sports, we often forget that the coaches and players are people. With a few notable exceptions, they go out of their way to be devoid of personality during interviews. They do not give fun or entertaining quotes, so as to avoid prodiving bulletin board material for the opposition. They seem to be so wrapped up in sports, that there is nothing else in their lives.

Then there is Bill Belichick, who even amongst the dry and impersonal ranks in coaching, seems to be incredibly dry and impersonal. However, he will occassionaly provide bits of entertainment, deadpanning a sarcastic remark at the right time. Or, he will simply do something just because he can. This was the case Saturday during the draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots (specifically Andy Reid and Bill Belichick) have made a trade during the draft every year since 2000. It seemed as though that streak was going to end this year, until they managed to make one trade. The Patriots traded pick 193 to the Eagles for pick 194. That's it. They made a trade simply because they could.

Talking about the trade, Belichick told the Boston Herald that "We talked to the Eagles. We wanted to make the trade, they wanted to make the trade." Belichick gets a lot of criticism for continually trading back in the draft, but somehow I get the feeling that he will get a pass on this one.

Well done Bill. This was a great trade.

Revisiting Tom Brady

Given the expections that began to creep around Foxborough through November and December, this season is being considered squandered in the minds of Patriots fans. However, at the start of this season, if Patriots fans had been told that their team would go 14-2, even they would have considered that person insane. Of the 53 man roster, 45 players had two or fewer years of experience. Major questions surrounded the offensive line with the hold out of Logan Mankins, the defense with the infusion of youth, and even the coach. Had the game passed Belichick bye? Did he lose the team last season? Can he still find those players late in the draft that he had before?

These questions were answered by an offense that, even with the mid-season trade of Randy Moss, managed to lead the league in scoring. The defense managed to come into it's own towards the end of the year, with a potential emerging superstar in Devin McCourty. Indeed, the future in Foxborough is bright.

However, back when the Patriots were winning championships (in those helicon years of 2001, 2003 and 2004), they were lead by a defense that was the strength of the team. Brady was, for lack of a better term, more of a game manager in those years. And yet, the formula worked: build a lead or keep it close, and let Brady win the game in the end. Being able to rely upon an impressive defense, a solid running game, and a quarterback that did not make mistakes will lead to wins, and, in this case, championships.

However, things changed in 2007. Perhaps this was due to the postseason failures of 2006. Perhaps this was due to Spygate. Perhaps it was due to a major infusion of talent on the offensive side of the football in Moss and Wes Welker. Perhaps it was a combination of the three. Yet, for whatever reason, Brady was asked to become more than a game manager - he was asked to fire the ball downfield with regularity as the Patriots rode his arm to the Super Bowl in 2007.

Since then, Brady has proven to be a great quarterback, and in the discussion of the top five of all-time. However, is it possible that the Patriots have been asking too much from him? Over his career, he has achieved his greatest success with play action. Until this past season (mainly when Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis became the starting running back and Moss was traded) teams did not have to fear the run. In fact, New England typically used a short passing game with Welker to simulate a running attack.

However, with this approach, there are problems. First, an incomplete pass stops the clock, so it provides more time for the opposition to be able to score. Second, it makes the team one dimensional, which allows defenses to key on one thing and attack. This was proven in the Super Bowl against the Giants, where the Giants defensive line was in pass rush mode exclusively the entire game. For Brady to be at his optimal level, there needs to be balance on the offense. This also helps the defense to rest during the drive, as drives would take more time off the clock, even if they do not result in scores.

New England needs to revisit the formula that worked for them before - a stellar defense and a balanced offense. It appears that they are getting there, and 2011 may end up being a championship season. But Brady should not be expected to do it on his own.

Two storylines from the Pats-Jets game last night

In a much anticipated Monday Night Football game last night, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets squared off in what promised to be one of the best games of the 2010 season. Instead, this game was over by the end of the first quarter, as the New England Patriots pummeled the New York Jets as though they were Mike Tyson in his prime against Michael Spinks. Even France put up more of a resistance to Germany during both World Wars than the Jets defense did to Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.

However, during this drubbing, two things occurred. First, this game marked the complete derailing of the Sanchize Bandwagon. Mark Sanchez is now being criticized as not being a franchise quarterback, being incapable of playing in a big game, and essentially being a waste of the number five pick last season. Now, there are several things to remember here. Sanchez is only 23 years old. This is his second year in the league. Young quarterbacks do make mistakes, especially when facing a great defensive coach such as Bill Belichick. Even experienced quarterbacks make mistakes. Brett Favre has made an entire career out of making mistakes and being bailed out by his receiving corps.

The argument that Sanchez cannot win in a pressure situation also does not apply here. Last season, as a rookie, he won two playoff games and brought the Jets to the AFC Championship game. Yes, he had more of a game manager role, but the fact of the matter is that he still twice led them to road playoff victories. While Sanchez may never reach the levels of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees, not too many quarterbacks ever will. There is nothing wrong with having a solid quarterback who can play within a system and will only improve in time. The Jets are 9-3, not 3-9. There is no reason to panic and throw the quarterback under the proverbial bus.

The second interesting occurrence may have been missed by majority of the viewers. Late in the fourth quarter, with the game far out of reach, the Patriots brought out Fred Taylor to finish the game. While Taylor has been injured for much of this season, this was a peculiar time to put him on the field. Majority of the rushes during the game were given to Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the former was on the bubble in terms of roster cuts during training camp and the latter of which wasn't even with the Patriots until week two. It would appear that there should have been an opportunity for Taylor to get a couple of plays when the conclusion of the game was still in question.

So, at this stage of his career, is Taylor the Patriots human victory cigar - an aging veteran who no longer is capable of performing on the field but is great in the locker room? Has he taken over the role that Junior Seau had the past couple of years when in New England? If so, this is a sad ending to Taylor's vastly underrated career. Despite the injuries he has accumulated over the years, he has still managed to gain 11,647 rushing yards, good for second amongst active players and fifteenth all-time. He is a Hall of Fame caliber player, even if he toiled in the obscurity of Jacksonville for most of his career. Yet, Taylor only made it to one Pro Bowl, signifying the lack of respect he has received over his career. If this is truly the end of the line, then the best thing for Taylor would be for him to go onto the IR, and allow him to become an unofficial coach and mentor for the young runningbacks on the team. Watching him limp onto the field and take a handoff in the waning moments of a blowout is not how this underappreciated player should be remembered.