First it was Dwight Freeney.

Then it was Maurkice Pouncey.

Now it’s Rob Gronkowski.

Three superstars, three bum ankles.

The curse of the Super Bowl high ankle sprain bit again, this time against the Patriots All-World tight end who we thought was made of pure steel.

Gronk’s ankle has been the talk of the town in Indianapolis. When he showed up to Media Day without a boot, it sent shockwaves through Twitter and ESPN.

Osi Umenyiora said he doesn’t think Gronk will play on Sunday.

That’s just plain stupid.

Gronk will dress and be on the field, but the true question is, how effective will he be?

Number 87 is quite possibly the most important player on offense outside of Tom Brady.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound goofball/superhero is the definition of a throwback tight end.

Sure, Jimmy Graham of the Saints posted some ridiculous receiving numbers, but have you seen that guy block? How many highlights have you seen of Antonio Gates pancaking Terrell Suggs on a chip block?

That’s what separates Gronk from the rest. The second-year kid takes pride in blocking and just happens to be an excellent receiver.

Because of his size and strength, Gronk draws a double team on almost every play. He can beat you down the seam with his speed, and is a beast in the open field…when healthy.

Gronkowski has been healthy his entire NFL career and without a true diagnosis of his injury, none of us can be sure about how effective he’ll be in the Super Bowl.

Luckily, there is some precedent for players playing through the pain of the high ankle sprain.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger battled through a gruesome ankle injury this year, and I’d argue his injury looked worse and his position requires a little more agility, especially moving in the pocket.

Freeney played in the Super Bowl against the Saints in ’09 and managed to get a sack in the first half.

One factor that doesn’t help the Patriots is the Super Bowl halftime show, which can run for almost 30 minutes.

With such a long layover, the adrenaline and perhaps any pain-killing injections will have time to wear off which could limit his effectiveness in the second half.

If Gronk is playing at less than 75 percent and is used more as a decoy, it’ll be a tough task for New England to generate offense.

Besides Gronk, the only consistently effective receivers are Wes Welker and Aaaron Hernandez. I have faith that Deion Branch will step up in the spotlight, but he can often disappear in games.

The key for the Giants defense is to be physical at the line of scrimmage with Welker and Branch and to assign their best coverage linebacker or safety on Hernandez. If they’re successful in doing that, it’ll be a long day for the Patriots.

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Rick's weekly podcast is available and this week's Super Bowl Edition is one to not be missed!  In this episode, Rick teams up with a Giants blogger to discuss the game and go over some of the crazier Super Bowl prop bets.  Click the link below to listen.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whatsbrewin/2012/02/01/kickin-it-with-keeler

Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.  Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion.  Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption.  But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole.  For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years.  It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.

"Eulogy"

Written on January 16th, 2011

It's hard to believe the Patriots' 2010 run is over.  After looking so good for so long, the season came to a grinding halt.  Making matters even worse is that they lost to the their hated rival, the Jets, and opened the door for a solid eight straight months of smack talk regardless of whether the Jets win the Super Bowl or get ousted next week.  Then again, I doubt Rex Ryan and the Jets would have shut up even if the Patriots had won 45-3 again.  I've got a lot to get off my chest, so I'm just going to move forward with it.  I had kept pretty quiet all week, mostly due to a busy schedule, so there's a lot to cover.

We'll start with my thoughts on the game.

• I had feared for weeks that Tom Brady's interceptionless streak would be broken at the worst possible time.  Even though the Jets didn't get any points off the 1st quarter Brady pick, it did appear to be a potential game-changer.  The INT definitely killed what would have almost certainly been a New England scoring drive.  The key for the Patriots was to get points on the board early and force Sanchez to try to play catch-up.  It was just an awful throw by Brady.  There was still a lot of football to be played afterwards, but that pick was certainly very costly.
• On a similar note, the drop by Algie Crumpler in the end zone on the next drive was also very costly.  If Brady doesn't throw that pick and Algie catches that ball, you're looking at a 10-0 or 14-0 lead.  Don't tell me that a lead like that wouldn't have ruffled the Jets game plan.  (Although props to Algie for hustling and making the tackle on the Brady pick to save the TD.)
• The fake punt towards the end of the first half might have been the dumbest play call I've ever seen by this team.  Apparently, Pat Chung has the green light to call fake punts when he sees a favorable formation from the defense.  Favorable or not though, it's just not a smart call in a four point game with barely any time left in the half.  A 7-3 deficit at half time is nothing to worry about, especially when you're getting the ball to start the 3rd quarter.  There was no need to risk giving the Jets favorable field position, which they then used to push the lead to 14-3 and really put the pressure on.  I'm at least glad to hear that it was Pat Chung who called the play and not Belichick, or I'd really have to question our coach's judgement.  Whether a criticial decision should be left up to a 2nd year player is another story, but at least it wasn't Belichick making a dumb call.
• The Patriots managed to recover them, but the two fumbles they had would have really killed them if the Jets had pounced on them.   The Patriots were very fortunate that this was just a one-turnover game.  Over all, their ball security was very out of character.  For a team that's 82-3 in the past decade when winning the turnover battle and shattered the record for fewest turnovers in a season this year, it was very disappointing.
• The biggest game-changing play came early in the 4th quarter.  The Pats had clawed their way to a touchdown, hit on the two-point conversion and appeard to have the momentum shifted back their way.   Then Sanchez nailed Jericho Cotchery for a 58 yard gain, which was the key to a 5-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.  Overall, the Jets didn't do a whole lot to move the ball down the field.  Their other three touchdown drives were 49, 37, and 20 yards, respectively.  That early 4th quarter drive was the one point where this Patriots defense caved and allowed the Jets to pull off a long scoring drive.  After that, the clock became the Patriots' enemy.
• Still, down ten points, with over 10 minutes to play, the Patriots were far from finished.  What did kill them was a late-game drive lasting 7:45 where they walked away with no points.   I don't know what was going on here, but apparently the Patriots decided to take a page from the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, and show absolutely no urgency while trailing by a two-possession deficit.  With the amount of time that they took, even a touch down would have made things tight time-wise.  It was just awful clock-management from a team that so often excels in that area.
• Deion Branch dropping that 4th and 13 ball...   Just killer.  This was the only game of the season where I missed Randy Moss.  The Patriots just weren't explosive at all tonight.
• The Pats were essentially going "all-in" on that first onside kick.  If they didn't recover it, they would have to burn their timeouts and really make a long march down the field, which they had showed no ability to do.  Cromartie ended up recovering and set-up another touchdown with his long return.  I know it's 20/20 hindsight at this point, and if the Pats recover, which they almost did, we might have seen over time, but I think the safter play would have been a deep kick, pinning the Jets, and getting decent field position to move towards a final score.  The Patriots, after all, did end up tacking on a TD with a late drive there in the final moments.
• Overall, a turnover, dropped balls, that dumb fake punt, and poor clock management killed this team.  Very, very un-Patriot-like.

 

The New England Patriots are favored by 2.5 points over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

In Week 9, I wrote this about New England’s matchup with the Giants when the Pats were favored by 9 at home:

“I can’t see this game being a blowout for the Pats. I’ll pick the Giants to cover the spread, and I even like them enough to endorse the moneyline at +300 if you want to take a shot at a huge payout in a parlay.”

In a year where my predictions were only slightly more accurate than Rex Ryan’s, it’s good to remember that I had at least one moment of clarity. My overall record (47-47-4) was the worst in my four years of picking games, but I still did well in determining the best value in New England’s contests (11-7). This is the most important week not only for Patriots fans, but also for sports bettors (if you can get a seat in any sportsbook in Vegas this week, more power to ya). Let’s take a look at a few of the factors that could tip the balance in this game.

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Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.  Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion.  Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption.  But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole.  For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years.  It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.

"Typical"

Written on January 13th, 2010

An opening game rushing play that should've gained about three yards goes off for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Typical.

That image above pretty much sums up the New England Patriots' 2009 season. Whether it was defending a large fourth quarter lead, making basic play calls, punching the ball in from the 1 yard line, or something as simple as not letting a wide receiver run right past you, the Patriots managed to make the mundane into a monstrosity. This was a season built upon a foundation of late-game collapses, 4th and 2's, goal line fumbles, and missed assignments. The fact that it came to a screeching halt in the wake of a 24-0 first quarter deficit should come as no surprise. At no moment throughout this entire 17 game run did the Patriots do anything to establish themselves as one of the NFL's elite teams. Every opportunity to do so was seemingly met with an indominable will to "blow it". As a result, New England found itself overwhelmingly under achieving at 10-6. What could have easily been a first-round bye, became a wild card game. What could have been a young defense on the rise, became a squad notorious for giving up important plays. What could have been a season to build upon became a giant step backwards.

What could have been...

No player is bigger than the team.

Does any franchise live by that motto more than the Patriots?

Even with a subpar performance by Tom Brady, the Patriots scratched and clawed their way to an AFC Championship victory over the Ravens (props to Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff).

For a 2011 team that saw Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth don Patriots uniforms, these offseason acquisitions turned out to be total busts.

However, there were three under-the-radar free agent signings that paid big dividends to this Super Bowl run. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 most important players that got us to the big dance.

1. Tom Brady: Any list of MVPs begins and ends with Tom Brady. With no deep threat, a below average running game and an even worse defense, the three-time Super Bowl winner put the team on his back. Brady finished second in yards to Drew Brees and had an incredible 19:2 touchdown to interception ratio during the second half of the regular season. Oh, the Pats went 8-0 during that stretch.

2. Rob Gronkowski: Supremely talented, but sometimes immature, the hulking superhuman of a tight end put together a historic season. “Gronk” dominated in every facet of the game, including a signature spike after every one of his 17 touchdowns, a new single-season record for a tight end. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder finished with 1,327 yards and destroyed the Broncos in the first playoff game. If you think a sprained ankle will slow down this All-Pro, think again.

3. Vince Wilfork: If Vince Wilfork really weighs 325 pounds, then Tom Brady runs a 4.5 forty. Whatever his real weight is, and I’m guessing it’s somewhere north of 350, Wilfork sure knows how to use it. Up to this point, he mostly served as a 3-4 nose tackle, eating up blocks by the forkful, but with a switch to a 4-3, he got a chance to be more disruptive. Sunday’s performance against the Ravens proved why he’s more than just a space-eater. He single-handedly dominated the line of scrimmage and accounted for six tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss.

4. Wes Welker: What Vince Wilfork has in size, Wes Welker has in heart. The man stands 5-foot-9, 185 pounds sopping wet, yet he had his best season of his career despite being the only true threat at the receiver position. The revolutionary slot receiver found a knack for big plays this season, averaging 12.9 yards per catch, his best mark since he joined the Pats in ’07. He finished the year with 122 catches for 1,569 yards and nine TDs. Guess size doesn’t matter.

5. Brian Waters: How do the Chiefs cut a five-time Pro Bowler? Well, the Patriots capitalized on that head-scratcher, and Waters managed to make his sixth Pro Bowl after a stellar season at right guard. The longtime veteran brought a great work ethic and leadership to a line that featured some new blood in rookies Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon. Waters actually outplayed Logan Mankins and solidified the right side that featured backup center Dan Connolly and a rotating lineup at right tackle.

6. Aaron Hernandez: The other half of the Boston TE Party should have made the Pro Bowl after posting a terrific line of 79/910/7. While Gronkowski received more national attention for his earth-shattering spikes, I'd argue that Hernandez was actually the single-most difficult Patriot to defend. His versatility and athletic ability caused headaches for defenses and his alignment often determined what coverage the defense would play. Once pegged as a first-round pick, the Patriots got a steal by getting the former Gator in the fourth round. 

7. Andre Carter: Like Waters, Carter is a hard-working veteran who found himself without a job this offseason. With the new defensive system, Belichick signed the former first-round pick from ’01 with the hopes that he could bring some pass rush. And boy did he bring it. Revitalized after returning to his normal 4-3 end spot, Carter dominated through the first 13 games before going down with a season-ending quad injury against the Broncos in week 15. The 2011 Pro Bowler recorded 10 sacks and played stout against the run during a tough transition period for the rest of the defense.

8. Rob Ninkovich: It’s so easy to compare this guy to Mike Vrabel, and it goes beyond just his appearance and jersey number. On a defense featuring a ton of undrafted, unknown commodities, Ninkovich has ascended as one of the better linebackers in the league. His versatility enables him to play both 4-3 end, 4-3 outside linebacker and 3-4 outside linebacker. His combination of smarts, toughness and effort enabled him to have his best season as a pro, finishing with 74 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. The sixth-year jack-of-all-trades put on a show against the Broncos and was instrumental in proving Tim Tebow isn’t guaranteed a starting job next year.

9. Kyle Love: We dreamt that pairing Albert Haynesworth with Big Vince would lead to nightmares for quarterbacks and opposing offensive lines. That dream went out the window in about two days. Haynesworth rarely practiced due to a back injury (maybe he should of tried getting in shape) and was cut after several underwhelming performances. In stepped Kyle Love, a former undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State who was ranked the 93^rd best defensive tackle by NFLDraftScout.com for the 2010 draft. All he did was grasp the starting spot and record 33 tackles and three sacks while doing his best to appear like a Wilfork clone.

10. Mark Anderson: Chicago Bears fans can reminisce about 2006. The team went to the Super Bowl and Mark Anderson was nearly the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The former Alabama standout never replicated his rookie year success when he posted 12 sacks…until he came to New England. Playing as strictly a pass rusher, Anderson notched 10 sacks, more than he had the last three years combined. When Carter went down, his playing time increased and he’s become a more complete player. If the Pats plan on getting their fourth ring, Anderson will need to get pressure on Eli.

Honorable Mention- Nate Solder: Fans groaned when the Pats selected an offensive lineman with the 17^th overall pick. I’ll admit I wasn’t a big fan of Solder. He didn’t have a ton of experience, he needed to get stronger and he was a project. Not a good combo for a team with its star quarterback’s window of opportunity dwindling. But with Sebastian Vollmer hobbled by injuries, Solder was forced into the starting lineup sooner than expected. The mammoth rookie from Colorado did an admirable job considering the lockout prevented him from a full offseason. While he still has work to do in pass protection, he didn’t get Brady killed and has actually been a solid run blocker. The upside is there, and he needs to have his best game against the best defensive line in football.

Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.  Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion.  Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption.  But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole.  For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years.  It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.

"The Carnival of Idiots"

Written on December 30th, 2008

Week 16Trailing 9-7 in the 3rd quarter, Dallas defender, Ken Hamlin, recovers a fumble deep in Baltimore territory which would've set up an easy score, only to decide it would be a nice idea to toss the ball back to the Ravens, you know, just to keep things competitive.

After Dallas surges to come with 19-17 late in the 4th quarter, the Ravens have the ball. This is an obvious running situation for Baltimore as their best bet is to kill the clock. Will McGahee runs as expected, only none of the Cowboys saw this coming and let him run untouched for a 77-yard touchdown. 

Dallas manages to score a quick touchdown to cut the deficit again to 26-24. You would think they'd be prepared for a run this time, right?  Not so, because on the ensuing play Baltimore's Le'Ron McClain notches an 82 yard touchdown run. 

Week 17
Fifteen seconds after a Miami touchdown gave the Dolphins a 7-6 lead, Brett Favre thought it would be a good idea to throw the ball directly at a Miami defender. I'm not talking a bad throw or a missed route. I'm talking about having the ball snapped to you and then inexplicably chucking it directly into the chest of a defender. The throw turns into a 25-yard TAINT and the Phins go up 14-6.

With the Jets trailing 24-17 late in the 4th, Brett Favre is tempted to add another legendary drive to his resume. However, he just can't resist the urge to end the season with as many INT's as TD's and once again decides to take the snap and throw the ball DIRECTLY to a Miami defender. 

And with that pick, the man who started this entire Carnival rolling with his un-retirement brings the show to a crashing halt. The New England Patriots season is over. 


When I look back at the 2008 New England Patriots, I will undoubtedly remember the myriad of stupidity that kept them out of the post-season. Some of those gaffes rest squarely upon their own shoulders. Others, as I've so bitterly chronicled above, were completely out of their control. In the end,  no NFL team is an island and each franchise is ultimately affected by how the others perform. Indy's lucky horseshoe streak, Dallas's collapse, the Favre saga - those are all part of what makes the league what it is. Some seasons you reap the benefits like Miami did, other years you get shut out. The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI because their starting quarterback got injured. By the same token, the Patriots probably lost out on Super Bowl XLIII because their starting quarterback got injured. You have to take the bad with the good. I guess if there's one thing about 2008 that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, it's that an 11-5 team has been left out of the mix while an 8-8 team gets the 4th seed and a playoff game at home. 

Far more idiotic than any Brett Favre pick is the current NFL system of 4-team divisions. When you have divisions like the NFC West, the AFC West, and the NFC North guaranteed to hand home playoff games to mediocre-at-best teams how is that good for the league?  I realize that things change over time and in four years the NFC West could be a powerhouse and the NFC East could be pathetic, but can you ever think of a year when all eight division winners were arguably among the best four teams in their conference?  The Chargers are tied for the 8th and 9th best record in the AFC this year!  They aren't even clearly in the top half of the conference!  Andyet  they're HOSTING the 12-4 Colts this weekend?  It's just ridiculous. Want some more insanity about the Patriots' situation?   The 12-4 Steelers who finished ONE game better than New England earned a bye week. How does ONE game make the difference between getting a 1st round bye and not making the playoffs at all?  Explain to me how that makes any sense!  Or what about the fact that after New England smashed Arizona by 40 points in Week 15, the Cardinals had two more losses than the Patriots, but had already clinched a home playoff game on Week 13?  Seriously, the Patriots got a 1st round bye and won the Super Bowl at 11-5 back in 2001. The Giants won it all last year at 10-6!  The fact that something like this is even possible proves the system is broken...

...and I have a way to fix it. The league needs to scrap the four divisions and go back to having just an East and West for the AFC and NFC. If you win your eight-team division, you get an automatic bye. The other four playoff spots go to the teams with the best record. You're pretty much guaranteed to have the the best six teams competing for the conference crown and it makes winning the division mean that much more. Some may argue that this would kill rivalries, but if you simply merged the East and South divisions and North and West divisions, you would keep all the feuds intact. It works perfectly geographically, with one one exception possibly being the need to flip the Texans and Ravens as no team bordering the Atlantic Ocean should be in a "West" division. 

This is how your 2008 Playoff Seedings would look...

AFC:

1. Titans
2. Steelers
3. Colts
4. Dolphins
5. Ravens
6. Patriots

NFC: 
1. Giants
2. Vikings
3. Panthers
4. Falcons
5. Eagles
6. Cardinals

Yes, I realize that the only team difference is the Patriots over the Chargers - but that's no homerism, just fairness. 11-5 should get precidence over 8-8 every time.   With this system the Colts also get a home playoff game, which is fair. As do the Falcons, also fair. The one and only "unfair" aspect to this whole system is that the Vikings would get a bye week at 9-7. Still, they would've beaten seven other teams to earn it, not three. Also, when you break it down, forcing Carolina to play an extra home game against the weak Cardinals is hardly as unjust as the Patriots not getting a playoff game at all. A perfect system doesn't exist, but what I've proposed is worlds better than the current mockery the league is using. 

At any rate, an 11-5 season is nothing to hang your head about. There are 22 other teams in the league who would have loved to have that record. If you had told at the beginning of the year that we were losing Tom Brady, and Rodney Harrison, and Adalius Thomas, and Lawrence Maroney, and Tedy Bruschi - and that Deltha O'Neal would be featured heavily at corner back for most of the season, I would've gladly taken my chances with 11-5. While there were certainly many mistakes and bumps along the road, the Patriots managed to band together and weather the storm, literally. Needing to win out their schedule to even have a prayer of the post-season, the Patriots withstood a Northwest downpour, a New England blizzard, and 60-mile-per-hour winds in Buffalo to secure their tie atop the standings with Miami. In the end, they looked nothing like the team I had berated in my article four weeks ago. Instead, they looked like the champions I knew they could be, finally clicking into gear and peaking at just the right moment. 

Unfortunately, that moment will never come.

Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.  Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion.  Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption.  But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole.  For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years.  It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.

"Imperfect"

Written on February 3rd, 2008

I wouldn't swap the pain, for never knowing you,
I wouldn't swap the pain, it was worth it for the view.
- Bell X1 "In Every Sunflower"

I'm going to make this brief because I need to get to bed, and there's no way I'll be up for writing this article for at least another week. It's pretty much now or never.

The Giants were the better team tonight. They deserved to win. End of story.

I wish it was that simple. It's not. As much as I want to play the role of the dignified loser, put this game in the back of my mind, and move on, I won't be forgetting this game for a long time, maybe ever.

This one hurts. It doesn't hurt as bad as last year's collapse against Peyton Manning, but it still hurts. Deeply. To go an entire season, 18-0, and then fall short at the final seconds - "disappointing" doesn't even begin to describe it. Tonight I lost the opportunity to watch my team make history. It's an opportunity I may never get again. It's a fact that just flat-out hurts for me, for my fellow fans, for Coach Belichick, and for every man that put on that jersey tonight an played his heart out.

That being said, I'm extremely glad that I'm not a New York Giants fan. I'm not trying to pull sour grapes or diminish what they've accomplished. Believe me, they're experiencing a well-deserved euphoria tonight that I certainly wish me and my fellow fans could take part in. It's that rush of adrenaline, pride, and pure joy that makes us follow these games week in a week out. But I would never trade being a Patriots fan for the thrill of winning that game tonight. I will gladly sit here and suffer with my players, because being a part of the Patriots nation means more than any championship every could. We've overcome an amazing amount of adversity this season, just like we have the six years before this, and just like we will in the years to come. I couldn't be prouder to root for this team and what they stand for. Come the greatest victory or most crushing defeat, I am proud to be a Patriot. Here's why...

I have the privilege, well sometimes it can be a detriment to be a fan of a team that lives in one city, but live in the city of the opposition. Five years ago, I was at the final regular season game in Giants Stadium to watch the Patriots complete the first sixteen game undefeated regular season in NFL history. Tom Brady and the Patriots were on the verge of something totally special. Then, the Super Bowl came along.

Now, I have no problem dealing with the Jets’ fans in New York City because at the time, Jets’ fans were not as loud as they used to be. The Giants were a team that the Patriots had already beaten that year, so it felt like a sense that history would happen. Watching the game with a bunch of Giants’ fans as the game got tighter and tighter made it even more nerve wracking. Brady completes the touchdown to Moss to give New England the lead with 2:00 to go and I was ready for the greatest moment in my fan hood.

Then, the unthinkable happened. To this day, I try very hard to avoid any clips of that final drive from Eli Manning whether it be the Asante Samuel dropped interception, the David Tyree catch, or the Plaxico Burress touchdown. That was a low point for me as the next day was filled with a lot of low points going back to a New York school as a Patriots’ fan. In fact, I tried to watch that Super Bowl when it was replayed on Monday night on NFL Network and could not get my mind to flip to that channel.

Five years later, I am a college student, getting to write for the team I love to root for, this game that will be played next Sunday is not only a revenge/redemption tour for the Patriots, but revenge for me. I was asked on a show I co-hosted Sunday night whether I would give back two of the Patriots’ three titles just to see them win this one in Indianapolis. I actually paused for a second on that one. That shows you how much I want this win!

This win would start to put Tom Brady into the discussion as the greatest of all-time among quarterbacks and complete the rock band revenge tour that he and Belichick are on this season. So far this week, I have seen a lot of people lean towards Eli Manning in this matchup of quarterbacks. All I am saying is as great as Manning has been this year, you still have to take Brady because he just never seems to play two bad games.

See, it is not the Giants’ fans that anger Patriots’ fans in New York because Giants fans are classy. It is the Jets’ fans who pretend to be Giants fans that actually do the most talking, but there is no surprise in that.

Here’s hoping we have a great Super Bowl and we at Foxboro Blog will have all the coverage for you over the next week!

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Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.  Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion.  Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption.  But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole.  For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years.  It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.

"Death of a Dynasty"

Written January 21st, 2007

I couldn't sleep that night.

I tossed and I turned, my mind racing, my stomach churning. How did we lose that game?  We were up by 18 points. We didn't make any huge mistakes. We didn't get hosed by the referees. How did the Patriots lose that game?

I think it's safe to say that after Sunday's AFC Championship game, all Patriots fans feel like they've stumbled into the Twighlight Zone. That was the type of game that the Patriots win, not throw away. It's Brady and Belichick who rise the occasion late in the fourth quarter, not Manning and Dungy. Yet when everything was all said and done, it was the Colts hoisting the Lamar Hunt trophy into the air. And the Patriots Nation was left watching, completely befuddled, and trying to make sense of the apparent disconnect between Asante Samuel's interception and the image we were seeing now.