NFC West Preview

What a difference a few short years can make! In the 2010 season the Seattle Seahawks became the first team to reach the playoffs with a losing record when they clinched the NFC West title on the final day of the regular season. Now heading in to the 2013 season the Seahawks are one of the powerhouses in the NFC along with their arch rivals the San Francisco 49ers who made the Super Bowl last season. Heading in to this season the two will both believe that they have a good chance of going deep in to the postseason whilst the other two teams in the division, the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, are both in their own type of rebuilding process so predicting their fate for the 2013 season is something that will take unique analysis.

One things for sure this division has talent and its matchups are always good to watch so with 2 days to go until the rest of week 1 gets underway let us take a look at all four teams to see where they'll end up come the end of the regular season:


St. Louis Rams

When you look at the Rams you have to say that although they are in a rebuilding process you can see they actually have a plan for the future. They finished 7-8-1 last season and only lost 1 game to a division rival which is impressive considering they have the Niners and Seattle competing with them. On offense they are led by 4th year quarterback Sam Bradford who had his best year to date in 2012 throwing 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for 3,702 yards. The rest of the offense is also young and many people are predicting a good future for this group of young men but after improving from 2-14 to 7-8-1 it is being suggested by some that they have a shot at making it in to the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Now I like the job the franchise is doing on all fronts I mean both of the Rams first round picks from this year's draft class have great potential and will benefit them on both sides of the ball for years to come. Tavon Austin was the number 8 overall pick and the wide receiver will fit nicely in to the St. Louis offense and then there's Alec Ogletree who despite some run ins with legal issues has the potential to be a very good linebacker if he keeps his head screwed on and is managed in the right way. The Rams may have lost franchise running back Steven Jackson but Zac Stacy may have been a major steal in the 5th round as he impressed in the combine and made the Dan Walker Award watch list in 2012. He also was a two-time West Alabama Player of the Year and ended his career in college with 5,863 rushing yards and 76 total touchdowns.

How will Jeff Fishers Rams fair in 2013?

Now despite the good work Jeff Fisher has done the Rams need to be realistic in 2013 in the sense that they may take a step back in terms of their season record but if they can keep this group together they have reason to be optimistic for the future. Their downfall will be that the NFC West faces the NFC South which is another division with two front runners and two other teams looking to be that surprise package so the schedule is tougher for the Rams than last year. When you add that together with the fact that they will find it very hard to only lose one game within their division again, I have them winning just one NFC West matchup this year and losing the other 5, then you have to say that 2013 will be another learning experience for this franchise.

Season prediction: 6-10. 4th in NFC West.


Arizona Cardinals

After a surprising 4-0 start in 2012 the Cardinals lost 11 of their last 12 games which meant they finished 5-11 as well as bottom of the NFC West. Following the disappointing season Ken Whisenhunt was fired and replaced by Bruce Arians after he guided the Colts to the playoffs during his time as interim head coach. With Arians now given the opportunity of head coaching his home team he will look to revive the fortunes of Larry Fitzgerald whilst developing the likes of Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts who together create a wide receiver trio that could produce results for Arizona.

Will Fitzgerald put up big numbers this season?

 The talent on this team doesn't give off the impression that the Cardinals are a franchise that it is rebuilding but with new coaches, a new GM and a few new faces it's hard to predict how Arizona will do. With Arians as head coach the Cardinals ship will be steadied and they will make progress but sadly like their divisional counterparts the Rams it will be a tough schedule that hurts their chances especially as they line up in a division with two of the best teams in the entire NFL. Arizona will be tough to beat though as they now have new faces most notable on offense as experienced quarterback Carlson Palmer was brought in to help the offense out and ensure that Larry Fitzgerald is given the chance to show off his superstar talents again. Palmer endured a tough couple of years in Oakland before making the move to Arizona and he will be looking to prove himself as this is probably his last genuine shot at recapturing the good level he played at during his early years as a Bengal.

The Cardinals have potential on offense but on defense is where there season chances lay as they still have pro bowl calibre players in the shape of Calais Campbell, Patrick Peterson and Darnell Dockett despite losing an experienced leader in Adrian Wilson. As mentioned before Cardinals are enduring a lot of changes this year which isn't always ideal but I feel the players and coaching staff will embrace the challenge which will result in a productive year in terms of progressing forward and rebuilding the franchise.

Season prediction: 7-9. 3rd in NFC West.


San Francisco 49ers

After going 13-3 and defeating the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 the 49ers reached their first Super Bowl since 1994 under the guidance of Jim Harbaugh. Unfortunately for San Francisco they fell short of winning the Lombardi trophy by a mere seven yards as a Baltimore redzone stand clinched the win for them. For the Niners it was heart breaking but they had a lot of positives to take from the 2012 season and will look to become the first team to lose a Super Bowl then go on to bounce back by winning it the next season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins; 7/12 Super Bowl loses since 2000 have failed to even make it back to the playoffs after defeat in the big game!

The Niners defense is crucial to any success and even though they endured some playoff woes last season, especially in the Super Bowl against the Ravens, we know that the likes of Justin Smith, NaVorro Bowman, Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks are all top notch defensive players who can all be difference makers in their own right. They've added rookie free safety Eric Reid who will be beneficial to this secondary along with the veteran cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. It's scary to think that the 49ers defense could improve when you consider they were in the top 3 for defensive categories such as takeaways, points allowed per game, third down conversions and total yards allowed which overall made them the best defense in 2012; watch out for rookie outside linebacker Corey Lemonier who forced his way on to the roster and could make a big name for himself. The 49ers have a star-studded roster even when you take out a wide receiver like Michael Crabtree who underwent surgery to repair a torn achilles tendon this past May so he won't return for at least 6 months plus Anquan Boldin isn't exactly a bad replacement!

Colin Kaepernick is a real star in the making

The NFC West division is the only one which has given me a headache on deciding who will win it because to choose between San Francisco and Seattle may as well come down to the flip of a coin but personally it comes down to the fact that the 49ers have Colin Kaepernick. With this young man as their QB it makes me think they'll have a great 2013 and progress to the postseason as NFC West champions. He managed to beat out Alex Smith who had a 104.1 passer rating before his injury but Jim Harbaugh saw a unique and dynamic talent in Kaepernick; even in his first start he tore apart a highly rated Bears defense completing 16 of his 23 pass attempts for 246 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the 32-7 win. In Kaepernick's 10 starts he threw 10 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions and he threw for 1,608 yards whilst on the ground he rushed for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now that Kaepernick has had a full offseason to learn the offense you can expect greater success from him in 2013 especially under Jim Harbaugh's guidance as he has full trust in his young QB and will give him the freedom he needs. In the playoffs alone you could see how he had improved in such a short amount of time especially when he tore the Packers to shreds along with leading the Niners to a comeback against the Falcons in the NFC title game. His postseason numbers were impressive and even in the Super Bowl considering it was only his 13th start in the league he more than held his own; 798 passing yards in playoffs, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 264 rushing yards with 3 touchdowns and a combined passer rating of 100.9. Kaepernick can tear it up in the air and on the ground as he possesses fantastic arm strength with good accuracy, great speed and has great scrambling ability. There's so much you can say about the 49ers and their talented young quarterback but I'll finish by saying expect big things from the 49ers especially in the regular season as they'll be looking to prove many people wrong who are suggesting the Seahawks will take their divisional crown. Despite some tough challenges ahead it's safe to say that although it is a long season the 49ers are one of the standout Super Bowl contenders.

Season prediction: 1st in NFC West. 12-4


Seattle Seahawks

In three years Pete Carroll has taken the Seattle Seahawks to new heights. In his first year as head coach they won the NFC West with a 7-9 record then in 2011 they posted a 7-9 record again but finished 3rd. Last season was the turning point as Carroll started to build his own team and prove to the players they had the potential to succeed with the team finishing 11-5 and making it to the divisional round of the playoffs where they lost by the narrowest of margins 30-28 to the Falcons. Their 11 victories was the third best record posted in franchise history and they went undefeated at home for the third time ever.

The expectations have risen in Seattle and now it is the job of the players and coaching staff to rise to the occasions and make this talent count. Now while many people are predicting either the Seahawks or 49ers will dip personally I don't see a dip from either but I do see Seattle not meeting their own expectations which will be to win the NFC West. The only good news for them on this front is that they are a definite playoff team regardless of what happens in the division and it's what you do after January that makes you great so Pete Carroll just needs to keep his players focused and ensure that they get the job done. The reason I don't see them winning the division is due to their schedule as it was home form which helped them last season as the team only managed 3 wins out of 8 on the road. It will be success on the road which determines their fate this year as they travel to Carolina on week 1 which is no easy game then they also have matchups against the Texans, Colts, Falcons and Giants on the road to look forward to. Their home form will be fine and they'll win at least 6 games but I have just mentioned 5 hard road games so let's say worst case scenario was they lost all 5 and won the other 3 that puts them at just a 9 win team which in the NFC may not be good enough.

Can Wilson, Carroll and co go all the way this year?

Thankfully for Pete Carroll he knows how to manage talent and the likes of superstar running back Marshawn Lynch will ensure the Seahawks don't dip drastically. Their defense is arguably the best in the league with the team ranked 1st in points per game only allowing 15.3 along with being tied 4th for turnovers forced with 31; helped by the talented secondary of cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner  along with strong safety Kam Chancellor and free safety Earl Thomas. Now I don't believe sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson will have a sophomore slump but if he did they better hope the defense comes up big once again which I believe they will. Thankfully for Seattle they have near enough ever piece in their jigsaw in place for success and will have one coming back when Percy Harvin returns from injury later on in the season which will be a great boost for them. Wilson won't slump as 2012 saw him tie Peyton Manning's rookie touchdown record with 26 and the fact he only threw 10 interceptions was impressive especially when you consider Manning threw 28 picks in his rookie season. Wilson had a regular season passer rating of 100.0 and from two playoff games had a rating of 102.4 with 3 touchdowns and one interception so it is clear to see this kid has a bright future. His talents helped Sidney Rice produce the second best season to date in his six year career and could help fellow wideout Golden Tate have a breakout year in 2013. When you consider their potential on offense along with an established defense which has added Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril as pass rushers, sacks being maybe the one weak spot for the Seattle D considering their total of 36 ranked 18th, despite the fact I believe they'll finish 2nd in the West with an 11-5 record you have to say considering they're a sure bet for the postseason that this Seattle are a genuine early season Super Bowl contender.

Season prediction: 11-5. 2nd in NFC West.

Super Bowl 47

We are just hours away from Super Bowl 47 which pits the Baltimore Ravens up against the San Francisco 49ers as the two battle it out with the winner claiming the Vince Lombardi trophy.

This game has a lot of stories which include Ray Lewis playing his last ever game in the NFL as one of the greatest linebackers to play the game calls time on his long career hoping to go out on the ultimate high. The Ravens are appearing in their second Super Bowl with the first coming back in 2001 when Baltimore blew out in the Giants in a 34-7 win with Ray Lewis grabbing the Super Bowl MVP award on a memorable day for Baltimore. Also spare a thought for Baltimore wide receiver Torrey Smith who lost his brother early on in the season so he will be pumped up ahead of tonight's game.

Now you may have heard that the Ravens and 49ers head coaches are brothers so tonight's game is being dubbed as the "Harbaugh Bowl" as John and Jim go head to head in what will be a fascinating encounter as two of the league's best and brightest head coaches battle it out on the biggest stage of them all.

Now the loser will never near the end of it from their fellow sibling despite whatever may be said after the game in terms of modesty from the winning and losing head coach but it is worth noting that the San Francisco 49ers have never lost a Super Bowl with the team winning all five of the Super Bowl's that they have appeared in. Their last appearance in the big game though was 1994 so if has been a long wait for the franchise to reach the heights that use to come oh so natural to them back in the days of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.

Keys:

With any big game there are always going to be key points that can determine or change the outcome of the match. Let's look at what I think are the key things to look out for tonight ranked in order of importance:

1. Defenses: Both of these teams have great defenses and as they say defence wins championships. The 49ers possess every sort of quality on this side of the ball. They have the ability to pass rush, great man coverage options and their secondary is second to none. From linebackers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith to the super impressive Justin Smith to the likes of Carlos Rodgers and Dashon Goldson in the secondary all of these guys can make a game changing play and will feel like they deserve a Super Bowl ring. You bank on the 49ers forcing a turnover at some point tonight and the luxury of having a defense like this will take a lot of pressure off of the offense knowing that they can get it done on both sides of the ball.

As for the Ravens well they have been written off all year but a resurgent Ray Lewis has led Baltimore strongly as always and this time he has inspired as well as guided Baltimore back to the Super Bowl. The Ravens will do their utmost to try and make sure that Ray Lewis bows out of the sport in the greatest possible way. If they are to pull off yet another upset then this defense will need to keep the 49ers versatile offense in check so the likes of Ngata, Suggs and Lewis will have to muster up one more big performance to get the win. In the secondary they have the great Ed Reed and the hard hitting Bernard Pollard who can both change the game in the blink of an eye meaning that Baltimore's defense does have the talent as well as the experience to rival the Niners incredibly talented defense.

The key factors on defense will be who can come up with the big third down stops, who can force turnovers, most likely the 49ers, and who can be the most efficient in the red zone; most likely the Ravens who's red zone defense has saved them points time and time again during the playoffs.

2. Quarterbacks: Now it sounds obvious considering that the quarterback position has become undoubtedly the most important position on a football team but with Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick both getting ready for their first appearance in a Super Bowl and knowing that they'll have the chance to join the greats they will be nervous when stepping out on to the field in New Orleans. This may only be Kaepernick's first season starting as the 49ers QB and he only came in half way through the year but he has torn up many different types of defenses this year so when he goes up against the old Baltimore defense will this young, talented quarterback who has all the intangibles to succeed tear up the Ravens.

Now I would say that is quite possible but Baltimore has been written off throughout the playoffs and so has quaterback Joe Flacco. He has the ability to keep the Ravens in this game no matter how hot the heat gets in Super Bowl 47; we've seen Flacco call himself elite and he is one win away from being just that. During a Ravens playoff run which has seen Flacco knock off a superhuman like rookie and two future hall of fame quarterbacks who were playing some of the best football of their careers Flacco himself has completed 54.8% of his passes for 853 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions, and compiled a 114.7 quarterback rating. Now that Flacco is putting up astronomical numbers especially when you consider the fact that he has thrown no interceptions despite going on the road to Denver and New England he is finally getting some of the recognition he deserves during this fine playoff run.

Now I think that Colin Kaepernick deserves a lot of respect too with him putting in some fine performances during his short time as San Francisco's quarterback. He has took this 49ers football team to the next level and while some people are criticising this young man's ability to throw the football I've seen him make some great plays and veteran like throws too since coming in at quarterback midway through the season. During a huge win over the Packers and a road game which saw them overcome a tough as well as underrated Atlanta Falcons team Kaepernick has completed 63.5% of his passes for 496 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. He didn't throw a pick on the road against Atlanta and helped his team rally back from 17-0 down to 17-14 only for them to go in behind at halftime 24-14. In that second quarter the Niners came up big all over the field and it was clear that Kaepernick was key in engineering the comeback which saw the Niners win the NFC Championship. Both these wins showed off all the qualities he has to offer as on the ground he is also great with this being proven when the young QB put up big numbers against Green Bay in the divisional round when he put up two scores for 181 yards whereas against the Falcons he had only two rushing attempts but in the air he completed 16/21 passing attempts for 233 yards and a score whilst using Frank Gore in the backfield to get it done and get the Niners in to tonight's game.

3. Kickers: Now the position of kicker is often undervalued in the National Football League but in a game like the Super Bowl which has seen so many close encounters tonight's game could come down to one last field goal attempt. Now why this is so key is because both of these teams have had problems with kickers in recent memory. The Ravens had Billy Cundiff to blame for missing out on a shot at overtime and the Super Bowl last season but this year they have rookie Justin Tucker who has excelled in his debut season. The undrafted rookie from Texas kicked 30 of his 33 attempts successfully during the regular season and came up with the game-winning field-goal in overtime on the road at Denver against the Broncos.

Now the 49ers are having some problems with their kicker David Akers being off the boil this year as he only completed 29 out of his 42 kicking attempts in the regular season and missed his 14th field goal of the season against the Falcons in the NFC Championship game which almost proved costly. His dip in form was so alarming to head coach Jim Harbaugh that he added no other than Billy Cundiff to the roster ahead of that game before deciding to stick with Akers.

Now going in to the biggest game of the season the Niners will hope that if Akers is called upon he comes up big whereas the Ravens have full confidence in their young kicker to get the job done.

4. Running backs: Ray Rice and Frank Gore go head to head as both to open up the passing game for their respective quarterback's or come up with the big play that would fulfil their dreams. Gore is a 4 time pro bowler and the 29 year older is appearing in his first Super Bowl. He has racked up 209 yards in the Niners two playoff games with his two scores against the Falcons getting the Niners over the line and in to the Super Bowl. In his 8 years as the 49ers running back Gore is one of the guys on the roster who has helped transform the team and deserves to be representing them tonight and you can expect him to come up big tonight.

Ray Rice is in his 5th year as an NFL running back and over the years as established himself as one of the best. He leads all running backs in yardage with 247 to his name but has played a game more than his opposite number in Frank Gore. Despite coming under some criticism for the way he was carrying the ball against Denver Rice bounced back with an efficient performance in the AFC Championship win over the Patriots as he rushed for 48 yards from 19 carries and for a score. Rice is willing to do the dirty work for this football team but also possesses the ability to come up with a big play and tonight he will need to come up big for the Ravens to have a shot as his success on the ground will be key if Joe Flacco is to succeed himself when the time comes for him to throw the ball.

5. Receivers: Now by ranking receivers at 5th I am by no means saying they are not important as obviously they have to do their fair share of the work when it comes to making a big offensive play and it is very likely that one of these guys on either side will produce a Super Bowl picture perfect moment.

The Ravens and 49ers both have offensive weapons that can change the game for them but let us rank who is the most likely on either side to come up with the "big play":

1. Vernon Davis - The big tight end is one of the best in the game and will be effective as always
2. Torrey Smith - Underrated but has come up big for Baltimore when needed. Expect more tonight.
3. Michael Crabtree - He has become a big time player since Kaepernick become the Niners QB.
4. Anquan Boldin - Caught 2 touchdowns in the Raves AFC title win so could be the difference maker
5. Randy Moss - The self-proclaimed best wide receiver ever gets another shot at a ring tonight.
6. Dennis Pitta - Not the most dynamic tight end in the league but does his job well.

Prediction: This year's Super Bowl could be one of the closest ever and is one of the hardest to predict in recent memory. The term elite is starting to be defined more by the money paid to a quarterback as opposed to Super Bowl wins so I stand by my claims that Joe Flacco is elite following two big wins over Peyton Manning and Tom Brady during this post-season. Flacco will get paid big in the off-season but he is no Eli Manning and as comparable as this playoff run has been for Flacco to Eli Manning's run that saw him win his first Super Bowl I'm predicting that the Ravens fall short tonight.

I'm not saying that Flacco is going to be the one who costs them the game as if he can keep his team in the game then of course they have a chance but Baltimore is coming up against a 49ers team that is tough and physical so they won't be able to bully teams like they did to the Colts, Broncos and Patriots throughout their playoff run. The NFC has many physical teams but the Niners are also heavily talented and although I wrote it off earlier in the season I am predicting Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick to pull off a feat similar to what Bill Belichick and Tom Brady achieved on February 3rd 2001 which yes is the exact same date as today 12 years later and remember it is also being played in the same place; Louisiana, New Orleans.

Skye's predicted score: Baltimore Ravens 24-28 San Francisco 49ers

Bold prediction 49ers win: With the Niners down by 6, 27-21, Colin Kaepernick engineers a game winning drive deep in the fourth quarter finding Vernon Davis at the back of the end-zone which looks like a reenactment of Joe Montana's pass to Dwight Clark in the NFC Championship game back in 1982 against the Cowboys.

Bold prediction Ravens win: The Ravens lead the Niners 24-21. Kaepernick goes down the field to set up a David Akers field goal which goes wide left to give the Ravens the win.

Houston you have a problem: Tom Brady

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots torched the Houston Texans in a 28 point blowout win at Gillette Stadium. With the Patriots wrapping up the AFC East last week they have now set their sights on the top spot in the conference with the win taking them to a 10-3 record and leaving the Texans at 11-2 following this defeat.

In a game that was hyped up to be a potential preview of a future AFC Championship game only one side rose to the occasion and it was no surprise that it was the Patriots who got the win when you consider their recent record on Monday Night Football. Ahead of the game they were 10-1 in the team's last 11 games scoring 33.1 points per game and only giving up 16.2 points per games.

The Patriots also averaged 396.7 yards per game in their last 11 on Monday Night Football and last night they racked up plenty of yardage too; 419 yards in total. They were 50% on 3rd down completing 6 out of 12 attempts and had 17 first downs in the whole game; overall it's safe to say that the offense was efficient and definitely at its best last night.

Tom Brady himself put on another amazing performance as he continues to be a frontrunner for league MVP. Thanks to his four touchdown passes New England raced out of the blocks and destroyed Houston. He completed 21 out of 35 passing attempts for 296 yards including the four passing touchdowns.

Brady's 2012-2013 season continues to be out of this world. He has now thrown for 3833 passing yards in the team's 13 games. He has only turned the ball over 4 times and has thrown 32 touchdown passes leaving him with a Quarterback rating of 104.2. Finally a passing score in the team's next 3 games means Brady will overtake Johnny Unitas in second place for throwing a touchdown pass in consecutive games giving him a shot at Drew Brees' record next season.

With the win Brady and the Patriots continued their crazy second half of the season record which now stands at 21-0 since the 2010 season. The win over the Texans was their seventh straight victory meaning that they are now just a game behind Houston in the race for the first seed with them still having to play their divisional rivals the Colts twice in the next 3 games.

It has been mentioned many times before but the Patriots offense really is beautiful to watch even without the likes of Rob Gronkowski. They get it done whenever it matters and change it up game by game to combat against any type of defense. This week the no huddle offense and play action passing worked to perfection and on Brady's 37 yard touchdown pass to Bradon Lloyd late in the first quarter Tom Brady should win an Oscar for how well he faked the handoff to the running back.

That touchdown came around 6 and a half minutes after the early touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez from 7 yards out meaning that the Patriots ended the first quarter 7-0 ahead. Brady hit Hernandez again, this time  four minutes in to the second quarter, on a quick slant to his left with the tight end open giving him an easy passage in to the end zone.

At halftime the Patriots were in the lead by a score of 21-0 and any hopes of a Houston comeback were dashed when Brady connected on a spectacular 63 yard deep pass to Donte' Stallworth who announced his comeback to New England in style. Arian Foster got the Texans on the board from a yard out leaving the score at 28-7 going in to the final quarter.

Bradon Lloyd recovered a Danny Woodhead fumble in the end zone giving the Patriots another touchdown early in the fourth and Stevan Ridley ran 14 yards for a score mid-way through the quarter; he had another very productive day rushing for 72 yards from 18 carries and showed why he is one of best young running backs in the NFL.

The Texans got a consolation touchdown late on but it finished with New England winning in style. It was supposed to be close but the Patriots showed why they may be the best team in the league by declaring their dominance. The defense is looking great too with the secondary again putting in another impressive display with the likes of McCourty, Talib and Dennard all stepping up to the plate. Vince Wilfork seems to be everywhere up front and this defense can cause problems for anyone.

On offense they took one of the league's best defense's to town and swatted away the NFL's best pass rusher J.J. Watt despite his best efforts. Now New England will look ahead to another big home game when they take on the league's most talented defense in the form of the San Francisco 49ers. It will be a different type of test for the Patriots on both sides of the ball. On offense they'll have to either deal with Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith at quarterback, on defense they will face a unit that can pretty much get anything done.

It will be very close and will be a tougher test than this week but with Tom Brady at Quarterback and this team on the roll expect New England to continue their run of form by asserting themselves on both sides of the ball. If they can knock off another heavyweight team ahead of the playoffs this Patriots team could really gather the serious momentum needed by anyone ahead of the post-season. Based on what this team is doing it is safe to say that New England really does have the talent to go on and get to the Super Bowl in New Orleans and dare I say it win Super Bowl 47.

New England Patriots: A look ahead.

With a win over the Miami Dolphins in week 13 the New England Patriots clinched their fourth consecutive AFC East title. It may have been closer than they'd have liked but they got it done when it mattered with the team coming out with a 23-16 win at Sun Life stadium.

Their offense wasn't as explosive as usual but thanks to a good running game and a knack of knowing how to get it done the Patriots came out on top. Steven Ridley opened the scoring when he ran in to the end zone from 2 yards out for a touchdown; he racked up 71 rushing yards on the day from 19 carries.

Dan Carpenter kicked a field goal to cut the gap to four just before the second quarter. Tom Brady threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker to make it 14-3 and then a Gostkowski field goal put the Patriots up by 14. The Dolphins didn't make it easy for their opponents all day long and quarterback Ryan Tannehill ran in the end zone for a score just before the break leaving the score at 17-10 to New England.

A scoreless third quarter set up a nervy final one and with just over 8 minutes to go the Patriots were just 20-13 ahead. But that's when Tom Brady and all his experience came in to play. The Patriots ate up the clock by going on a seven-plus minute drive consisting of 16 plays which brought them all the way down to Miami's 20 and with the resulting field goal it was a two possession game with only 1:10 remaining on the clock.

The Dolphins got a field goal of their own with 31 seconds left to cut the gap to 7 points but failed with an onside kick and with the team using all its timeouts on New England's lengthy drive the game was over meaning that the Patriots won. The victory means they will end the regular season as division champions of the AFC East for the tenth time in 12 years.

For the record books it was a pretty good day for New England too, Tom Brady surpassed Joe Montana's record of 9 divisional titles by winning his 10th one as quarterback for the Patriots. By finishing the day with a touchdown pass Tom Brady also edged closer to Drew Brees' record for consecutive games for throwing a touchdown.

As well as that despite it not being his best day in comparison to his useful standards Tom Brady's statistics for the season are still astronomical as he has now thrown 3537 yards on the season for 28 touchdown passes and just 4 interceptions; the fourth interception came in this game and was the first time he had thrown a pick in 203 passing attempts. All of that means Brady's passer rating is at 102.6 with and with four games remaining he will only improve on these impressive numbers.

Wide receiver Wes Welker tied Jerry Rice’s NFL record by making at least 10 receptions for the 17th time. He had 12 catches for 103 yards and a score. The Brady and Welker combination is working well with the Patriots continuing to get it done on offense despite key injuries to the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman who broke his foot in the win over the Dolphins.

Edelman has become a versatile game changer on offense for the Patriots and will be missed but he and Gronkowski will return for the playoffs which is when the team will need them the most. For now Donte Stallworth has re-joined to help fill the gap at receiver and he will slot in to the system quickly after he previous spells in New England.

Aaron Hernandez has just returned from injury and Bradon Lloyd, whilst looking good, is still getting use to the offense so Brady and Welker are essential in keeping this offense ticking. The Patriots have the league's most prolific offense in terms of scoring and yardage. An added bonus for New England is that they have a strong running game too with Stevan Ridley being the primary runner on the team. He is having a very good season and has now rushed for 1,010 yards on the season with 9 scores as he establishes himself as one of the best up and coming backs in the NFL.

The running game was something the Patriots lacked last season when they just missed out on winning the Super Bowl but now that they have utilised it now they look set to replicate the success of the New England dynasty from the 00's which won 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons. Tom Brady knows how essential a good running game is in an offense and with the Patriots running the no huddle so well the suspense of whether they'll use the pass or the run as well as the possibility of screen plays to the likes of Danny Woodhead or using the play action once the passing game is opened up all of this is a migraine in the mind of any opposing defense.

With a devastating offense at one of the best quarterback's in the NFL's history at his disposal the New England Patriots are well equipped to make another run to the Super Bowl and compete for a championship. They'll need the likes of Gronkowski back come the playoffs but momentum is well and truly on New England's side as the victory over Miami was their six consecutive win in a row moving them on to 9-3. Bill Belichick's team know how to get it done when it reaches this time of year and since the 2010 season the Patriots are now a combined 20-0 in the second half of the regular season. 

With the Ravens losing to the Steelers it left them tied at 9-3 with the Patriots and the Denver Broncos meaning that New England held the second seed going in to week 14. The Broncos beat the Raiders on Thursday Night Football meaning that they now have the second seed but with a matchup against the Ravens in week 15 it means that New England still has control of its own destiny as if they win their remaining games they will surely clinch a bye and progress straight to the divisional round of the playoffs.

The 9-3 Patriots next game is on Monday Night Football at home against the 11-1 Houston Texans who currently hold the first seed in the AFC. It is a matchup that will go a long way in deciding who makes the bye week from the conference as well as who can secure home field advantage. With a win the Patriots could be just a game behind the Texans with 3 to play. During that time Houston will have to take on divisional rivals the Colts and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck who has guided his team to an 8-4 record. 

New England have a schedule that they feel they can finish strongly on, a win over the Texans will increase momentum their momentum going in to a week 15 heavyweight clash against the San Francisco 49ers before they finish off against the Jaguars and the Dolphins. With their defense improving dramatically over the last month the Patriots are really putting all the pieces together for a championship run; New England's defense is ranked 1st in turnovers in the AFC and after their huge Thanksgiving Day win over the Jets they had an impressive plus-24 turnover ratio.

If Bill Belichick's men can keep this up they will be one of the frontrunners to make it to New Orleans in February. The Texans have more pressure on them in this game as they are a healthy team who wants to put one over one of the league's best teams but they are not use to being the top dog and with the bye week and home field advantage now under pressure by the Broncos, Ravens and Patriots will they be able to hold on come the end of the regular season. The Patriots will go quietly about their business like they always do and know that a win over Houston on Monday could go a long way in helping the Patriots achieve those ambitions as they seek the fourth championship that keeps eluding them. Hopefully now Tom Brady and co has all the pieces in place to go on and lift the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 47.

Tom Brady will look to stake his claim as the greatest ever by going on to win his 4th ring this season.

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

plus-24 turnover ratio

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

plus-24 turnover ratio

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

plus-24 turnover ratio

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

Present vs Future

The Colts ran out of luck when they visited Gillette stadium on Sunday as the New England Patriots blew out Indianapolis in a 59-24 victory. The defeat ended a four game winning streak for rookie Andrew Luck and the Colts as the team were schooled by veteran quarterback and opposite number on the day Tom Brady with the Patriots dominating on both sides of the ball.

New England's defense stepped up to the plate with a big performance meaning that their offense, which at times has carried the Patriots this season, didn't take the field as much this week so it was a great all round performance. The blitz worked very well and confused Andrew Luck with the rookie ending up trying to force things in the latter stages meaning that he threw 3 picks on the day.

Things did start well for Indianapolis as Delone Carter's 1 yard touchdown run put them up by 7 within the first five minutes of the game but then New England hit back three minutes later when Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski from 4 yards out for the touchdown to level it at 7-7. In the closing stages of the first Luck threw a brilliant 14 yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with T.Y. Hilton hauling in the pass to put the Colts 14-7 up going in to the second quarter.

The Patriots tied the game up immediately when Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown with a spectacular 68 yard run. Special teams was brilliant all day for New England and Edelman himself put in an amazing performance. He performed like the playmaker any team would desire and with him racking up yardage all over the field he resembled Patriots hall of famer Troy Brown by putting on a monster game. Edelman finished the game 58 yards receiving in the air and a score, 117 yards returning off two punts and even rushed for 47 yards on his one running play.

The momentum took another big shift towards New England just a minute after the punt return when debutant and new acquisition Aqib Talib picked off Andrew Luck and returned the interception for 59 yards for the touchdown putting the Patriots 21-14 ahead. Talib made the teams secondary look very stable and the the defense as a unit took a big step forward this week with this great performance. Although one player can't change a teams fortunes with Talib and Dennard at cornerback and the likes of Devin McCourty shifting to safety this secondary is looking dangerous along with the rest of the defense which includes the likes of veteran Vince Wilfork as well as rookies Chandler Jones and Hightower up front.

A field goal each by either team meant that the Colts went in to halftime trailing 24-17. The third quarter was all for the Patriots though as Tom Brady kicked in to top gear by throwing two touchdown passes. The first was on a 2 yard play to Edelman and the second was a 24 yard pass to Gronk. Tom Brady put up brilliant numbers again with another efficient performance as he completed 24/35 passing attempts. He threw for 331 yards which included his three TD passes meaning that his season numbers after ten games now stand at a very impressive 2976 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 102.5.

The amazing tight end Rob Gronkowski also had a brilliant day as he racked up 137 receiving yards off of 7 receptions including his two scores but sadly for New England a fantastic day was dampened by the news that Gronk broke his forearm late in the fourth which required surgery and means that one of their most influential options on offense is now out for 4-6 weeks but will be back in time for the playoffs. Thankfully for the Patriots Aaron Hernandez is back for the thanksgiving day game against the Jets meaning that they still have one head of the double-headed tight end monster available for the big AFC East matchup.

So with the Colts down 38-17 going in to the fourth Andrew Luck looked to get something going in the final quarter but was picked off in the first 13 seconds of it when Alfonzo Dennard returned the interception all the way in to Indianapolis's end zone from 87 yards. Two minutes later Luck threw his second touchdown pass on the day when he linked up with T.Y. Hilton again on a brilliant 43 yard play. The first round overall pick may not have had his best day but he still played well as he completed just over 50% of his passes and racked up 334 passing yards. Despite dropping to 6-4 after this loss the Colts schedule leaves them with a lot of winnable games so if they can regroup they can still make the post-season.
 
Despite the bad news the Patriots' running game this year has been a great weapon and showed its talent again in this win with Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen being the two running backs who took the snaps this weekend. Ridley is having a very productive season and rushed for 28 yards from 13 attempts for the one score, Vereen who hasn't seen as much play time but has still looked good got the most yardage on the day at running back as he rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries and also got a score. The two touchdown runs came after the Colts last score on the day and with those two scores for New England it meant that the Patriots wrapped up the huge 35 point victory in style.

The New England Patriots are now 7-3 on the season and lead the rest of the AFC East by 3 games. A win for them over the Jets on Thursday will almost certainly clinch them the division as they will then look to push on and hope that they can clinch one of the top two seeds in the AFC to try and get them a bye week in the playoffs. At this moment in time they have the third seed in the conference but with the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens having some injury problems of their own as well as New England still having to play the 9-1 Houston Texans anything is possible as the Patriots look to get home field advantage as Tom Brady and co strive to return to the Super Bowl in February hoping that they can win a fourth championship for the franchise.

Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants vs New England Patriots.

This Sunday brings us the climax of this years NFL season as the 46th Super Bowl takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It will be contested between NFC Champions the New York Giants and AFC Champions the New England Patriots, the teams met back in Super Bowl XLII when the Giants knocked off the 18-0 Patriots in the closing moments of the game to pull off a shock upset and prevent the Patriots from achieving perfection.

As a Patriots fan myself the memories from that game still linger with me but the beauty of sport has given us the opportunity at revenge, a word that anyone associated with the team or the players themselvesnwould not use but that is pretty much what we can achieve come Sunday's game. With that being said 4 years have passed since that game in Arizona and the type of weather expected for this Sunday is not the only circumstance that will have changed. Both teams are completely different bar the Quarterbacks and other key players.

7 Patriots remain from that game in 2008 but back then the Patriots had a solid defensive unit and Randy Moss as the teams main receiving threat where as now the deep ball is not something the Pats often employ but the two athletic tight ends, record setting Rob Gronkowski (17 receiving touchdowns) and Aaron Hernandez, will be a handful even for this Giants defense. Former Super Bowl MVP Deoin Branch and long time Patriot Wes Welker will also be as useful as always for Tom Brady and who's to bet against Chad Ochocinco making a big play on the grandest stage of them all well that decision ultimately comes down to Bill Belichick. It is Belicheck's 5th Super Bowl as Head Coach of the Patriots and also Tom Brady's 5th Super Bowl as the teams Quarterback, it has been a great run for these two as they are 3-1 in the big game and with the added incentive of getting some payback for 08 I'm sure the Patriots will be more fired up then ever come kickoff.

But as mentioned before these two teams are very different from the sides that met before, the week 9 match between the two teams proved this with it being a close affair which saw Eli Manning construct a game winning drive to clinch victory for the Giants 24-20.

The Giants defense will be as strong as ever and it was them who helped a lot in pulling off that shock win in 08 and the 3 defensive ends - Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks this season) Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck will have to come up big if they are to stop Tom Brady and the Patriots from winning. On offense the Giants are a lot stronger then they were back in 08, for a start of Eli Manning has matured as a Quarterback and has proved he can mix it with the best. Plexico Burgess was the main and probably only major threat on offense in that Super Bowl winning team where as now the Giants have Ahmad Bradshaw at running back who can always rack up the yardage and 3 young and very talented receivers - Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks who can all cause this make shift Pats defense trouble.

Where as things have improved for the Giants since then their regular season record was still only 9-7, the playoffs is where they get it done and essentially that is where it counts but the Patriots have a lot to be optimistic about. As I mentioned previously the offense is very talented, as we all know they have Tom Brady as the teams's quarterback. A man who has been there, seen it and done it all; if the Patriots win tonight the case for Brady being the best quarterback ever definitely gains further momentum as he would have 4 rings to his name. Whatever happens he is a future hall of famer and easily one of the best ever up there with Montana, Elway, Marino and Peyton Manning.

The Patriots finished the season 13-3 with the best record in the AFC, the Giants are the slight underdogs in this one but because of the shock win last time a win tonight would certainly not be as surprising as 4 years ago. Despite all of the talent on the Patriots offense the defense will have to play great to help the team get the win tonight, the offensive line is better then it was in the last Super Bowl as they now have experience with Brian Waters joining the likes of Matt Light and then their are younger guys like Sebastian Vollmer and rookie Nate Solder who can help protect Brady to give him the time he needs to make the key throws downfield. Obviously the offenses effectiveness will be the main piece of the puzzle if the Patriots are to win as last time the amount of pressure the Giants D got on Brady and co was the reason the Pats came up short.

So we have established that Brady needs to have a big game and I believe he will, the man loves football and admitted to sometimes thinking about that Super Bowl defeat so he will be the most pumped up guy on that team and he will get the job done tonight I'm sure. Ever since that night in Arizona he has been on a mission to prove himself, not that he needs too, and the injury to his knee will only have pushed him on more to get another Championship for him and the Patriots. This season Brady has been back to his, they got over the recent playoff slide with a 45-10 win over the Broncos and then against the Ravens it was Brady's 1 yard frontflip touchdown that proved to be the deciding factor in that game clinching the AFC Title for the Pats. Brady got the 2nd most amount of touchdown passes in his career for a season this year, 39, and he broke Dan Marino's passing yards total for a season by passing for 5,235 yards so tonight I think Brady will prove that he is the best of the best and he is the definition of an elite Quarterback.

Rob Gronkowski's fitness will be a major factor for the Patriots has he is the main option in the passing game, the 17 receiving touchdowns for a tight-end speaks for itself but if he doesn't get as much time as he would like or isn't as effective or gets hurt then the Patriots will have prepared for this. I think the secret weapon tonight is the Patriots running game as back in 08 the Pats didn't have that guy to help open up from the backfield and then provide the play-action for Brady and open up the deep passes as well as the no huddle offense which is also key for the Pats as it has worked well all season for Brady and co and if its effective it will catch the Giants off guard and could seal the game for the Patriots. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has never fumbled in his NFL career and this season his production has gone to he next level with 9 rushing touchdowns as well as 667 yards which is impressive in predominantly passing offense so look for the lawfirm and the likes of Danny Woodhead, who can catch and gain plenty of yards after the catch, and even Stevan Ridley who both have great speed to tire out this Giants defense.

Overall I'm just hoping for a Patriots victory, I've been waiting all week for this moment and I am buzzing with excitement. I hope the Patriots get the job done because I feel the team definitely deserve it and it would be a very fitting way to end the season following the passing of Mr Kraft's wife Myra. Good luck Patriots and lets do this!!!

Let's Go Pats! PatsNation!

Patriots Super Bowl bound after 45-10 romp against Broncos

The New England Patriots had a lot to prove on Sunday and oh did they come up with the goods, Tom Brady led them to a 45-10 thrashing of the Denver Broncos and in the process the 2 time Super Bowl MVP tied a playoff record of 6 passing touchdowns in a game. The win ended a 3 game straight losing streak in the playoffs, following all the hype around Broncos QB Tim Tebow sunday night was a big game for the Patriots.

Since the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants back in the 2007 season the Patriots have experienced a few playoff woes. 2008 saw Tom Brady get injured for the season on the opening day of the campaign against the Kansas City Chiefs but shockingly the team rallied together and went 11-5 for the season but became the first team since the expansion to 12 teams in the playoffs to not make the playoffs with 11 wins.

Tom Brady then returned for the 2009 season and helped the team regain the AFC East Title before crashing out to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 who the Patriots meet this Sunday for the AFC Championship and a place in Super Bowl 46 but before we get on to that I'll continue with this. Brady looked back to his best last year, 2010 season, as the Patriots finished with the best record in the league, 14-2, but lost to rivals the New York Jets. The Patriots had hit a low, 2 home defeats in their opening games in the playoffs two years straight.

This is why Sunday's game against the Broncos was so important but within 2 minutes of the game Brady hit Welker and the Pats were up 7-0. Brady threw a pick at 14-7 which could of been a changing point to make the game closer but the Pats D was all over Tebow and with Brady on fire New England went in at halftime 35-7 ahead. Brady had broke a record for Touchdowns thrown in the first half of a playoff game, 5.

Brady who threw for 5,235 yards this season and 39 Touchdowns certainly looks just as good as he's ever played. With main receiving threat Rob Gronkowski on fire, he caught 3 of the 6 Touchdows on Sunday, and the likes of Welker, Branch and other tight en Aaron Hernandez all playing great in this unique looking Patriots offense the team could make their 5th Super Bowl in 11 seasons with a win over the Ravens this coming Sunday.

The Gronkowski-Hernandez combination suits Brady so well, it ensures that the offence is unpredictable and with both tight ends being able to catch them ball so well it make them a mismatch for any defence in the NFL. The Patriots could be on to something very special, as a Patriots fan myself once the Broncos game ended it was somewhat revenge seeing as Denver had beaten us in the last playoff game the teams played back in the 2005 season 27-13.

With them being swept out the way on Sunday the Patriots now have the chance to get revenge on the Ravens for that embarrassing home playoff loss two seasons ago, the Patriots and Ravens have had their war of words over the past few years which adds to the tension and excitement of this AFC Championship game. The obvious battle between the two sides is this amazing Patriots offense against an extremely strong Ravens defence who themselves finally managed to clinch the AFC North title for the first time in 5 years over rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers and were the 2nd seeded team in the AFC for the playoffs.

So the game on Sunday involves the 2 best teams in the AFC, I hope and I believe that come Sunday night here in the UK I will be celebrating a New England victory and a trip for the Patriots and all the PatsNation to Super Bowl 46 on February the 5th in Indianapolis. Hopefully the Giants get a win in the NFC Championship game over the 49ers to set up a Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots so that this time we can win the Vince Lombardi trophy and will exercise our demons from previous years to because Super Bowl Champions!

Let's Go Patriots!

New England Patriots 45-3 New York Jets - Tom Brady and the Patriots demolish and embarres the Jets!

Last Monday was a great night to be a Patriots fan, Tom Brady and co demolished the Jets in a 45-3 win to move to 10-2 and leave the Jets trailing by a game at 9-3 in the AFC East. It was the biggest game of both teams seasons to date as the playoffs get closer.

Throughout the game I was tweeting away about how great we was playing and how happy I was after every touchdown, for Green-Ellis' final TD I stood up and just shouted 'woo, fucking yes!'. Iv really grown to love the NFL and I almost consider my love for the Patriots as highly as that of my beloved Manchester United so Mondays night victory left me feeling very happy when I woke up after just 4 hours sleep seeing as the game finished at 5-6am over here in the UK.

Here are some key points and stats from the game: Tom Brady threw for four touchdowns and 326 yards as he surpassed Brett Favre's record for consecutive wins at a home stadium. It was Brady's 26th straight regular season home victory and after another amazing perfromance Brady moves into 13th place on the all-time records with 252 TD passes. He is one of the front runners for this years league MVP award as he aims to win it for the second time.

As well as Brady looking good generally the Pats on the whole look fantastic, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was picked off 3 times on Monday which shows that the Patriots pash defense is getting a lot better and is moving forward with its good rush defense. If both offense and defense can continue playing well I firmly believe the Patriots are on the way to the Superbowl. At this moment in time they are the leaders in the AFC with their 10-2 record and have gained wins over the Steelers, Ravens and Jets. The Falcons are the other team level with the Patriots who are 10-2 in the NFC.

To finish I'm going to predict that come February 6, 2011 in Texas it will be a New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons Superbowl. I said this weeks ago and as they are both sitting top of their respective conferences I'm feeling good about my prediction. A quick look at tonight's game where the Patriots play the Chicago Bears, it shapes up to be a good game but again I think the Pats will win. I heard that its snowing and in the Belichick era the Patriots are 9-0 in snow games so lets hope that they make it 10-0 tonight. I'll go with a 31-20 with to the Pats.

'This is a quarterback league and Tom Brady is the man!' I couldn't have put it better myself

thanks for reading. 

Read more at: http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=generalnewsdetail&pid=46449&pcid=41&rss=1&cp

Patriots Vs Colts - biggest game of the season?

So I have taken up the challenge of writing a post regarding the NFL and on the day of probably the biggest game of the season well so far, its the New England Patriots Vs the Indianapolis Colts. The reason I say its a challenge is because I live in England and it is a bit of a challenge writing about a sport I have grown to like from watching over the years where as I grew up watching football (or soccer to any Americans reading).

Well this game is certainly the biggest rivalry in the NFL today because of 2 men, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They are the quarterbacks for their respective teams, Brady (Patriots) Manning (Colts). In the last 10 years both have established themselves as two men who will definitely step into the NFL Hall of Fame once they retire. The rivalry isn't just down to these two though because the Colts and Patriots were AFC East division rivals from 1970 to 2001 when the Colts were in Baltimore but when they moved to Indianapolis then they joined the newly created AFC South following the 2001 season as part of the NFL's realignment. Since 2002, the only year these two teams have not played against each other in the last decade, the rivalry has been bitterly close as both teams entered the 2010 season with 5 wins apiece. To add to the rivalry together the two teams have had 4 Super Bowl victories (three by the Patriots) and five American Football Conference Championships since 2001.

This leads us to today, with less than four hours to kickoff everybody is anticipating another historic encounter. The Colts have lots of injuries but have last years league MVP Peyton Manning ready to lock horns with Tom Brady and the Patriots once again. The Patriots are currently 7-2 while the Colts are 6-3 so this is a big game leading up to the playoffs as it could influence home field advantage and it will also boost confidence for the winning side if they meet again in the playoffs and that is indeed possible.

I will finish by throwing in my views on todays result. As a Patriots fan most will be expecting me to say a New England win but I do honestly believe that the Pats will see off the Colts, they have too many injuries in both offense and defense to deal with the Patriots who have a young solid defense with key experience from the likes of Vince Wilfork and an offense that is starting to look like one of previous years with the likes of Wes Welker and the once again Patriot Deon Branch both having a great understanding with Tom Brady who is back to his best after looking very impressive against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. I was truely in awe of his performance last week, he was amazing and looked unbeatable and was obviously unplayable as the Patriots blew out the Steelers 39-26 at Heinz Field. Brady also has other great young weapons in his offense such as Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Tate who are all good young players and with other youngsters Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis at running back all of these players help add something unique to the Patriots offense. So yes a Patriots win today it shall be, I will take a guess and predict the score to be about 27-20. Hopefully today will define a new chapter in the New England Patriots franchise as they can build on a victory against their rivals today and go on to win the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas... Lets Go Pats!!!