Monday Night’s Meaning…

A recent article, written by ESPNBoston’s Mike Reiss, regarding the road woes of the New England Patriots got me thinking about what Monday Night’s game against the Dolphins means to the Patriots.

The Dolphins are certainly a formidable opponent.  The way that they have been playing so far this season, they may even contend for the AFC East title.  The only road game so far this season has been against the Jets, where the Pats put up a stinker and got smoked 28-14.  Their road woes last season are well documented, with their only road win coming against Buffalo (they beat Tampa as a road team but that was at a neutral site in London).  The Patriots success this season hinders largely on their ability to win games on the road.  Failing to do that might allow them to sneak into the playoffs, but lasting will be a daunting challenge.  What to look for: How the Pats fair on the road against a good team.

The Miami Dolphins rank 18^th in the NFL in total yardage per game (319.3), 22^nd in points per game (17.3), 18^th in passing yards per game (207.3), and 16^th in rushing yards per game (112).  On the surface, those numbers don’t look very scary.  But, considering that out of their first three games, the Dolphins played the Jets in week 3 and the Vikings in week 2 (two of the league’s better defenses), those numbers may be poised to rise.  What am I worried about?  Last week against the Jets, granted Revis wasn’t playing, but Chad Henne put up 363 yards with two touchdowns.  He was playing against the same defense that limited Tom Brady to just 248 yards!  I’m not saying that Miami’s passing attack is to be feared, but can Devin McCourty cover Brandon Marshall?  Can Darius Butler or Kyle Arrington cover anyone?  What to look for: How the Pats’ pass defense holds up against a decent Miami passing attack.

As I mentioned before, the Miami Dolphins’ running game averages a mediocre 112.0 yards per game.  But, the Patriots allowed the lowly Bills to rack up 139 yards on the ground (although I thought the rush defense played better than the numbers suggest).  The Ronnie Brown-Ricky Williams combination needs to be an area of focus for this defense on Monday night.  In my opinion, it is time for Vince Wilfork to take a game over.  Nose tackles are rarely called upon to make plays, with their primary responsibility being to take up blocks.  Although, throughout Vince’s career he has shown the ability to penetrate and break plays up in the backfield.  With such a young defense behind him, Wilfork needs to be a disruptive force on Monday night, allowing Mayo, Guyton, and Spikes to use their athleticism to make plays.  Also, Jermaine Cunningham and Tully Banta-Cain need to do a better job of setting the edge.  Allowing plays to get outside of them negates the strength of the 3-4 defense.  What to look for: How the Pats front seven stack up against a top rushing attack.

Last week, the Jets recorded only two sacks against the Dolphins.  Two sacks may not seem like a lot, but getting crushed twice may shorten the “clock” in Henne’s head.  The best way to help your secondary is by putting pressure on the quarterback.  The Patriots are tied for 18^th in the league with five sacks so far, so putting pressure on the QB isn’t their strong suit.  What has surprised me though has been the defensive lines ability to flush the quarterback out of the pocket.  Usually, a 3-4 defensive line is known mostly for taking up blocks, not really pressuring the quarterbacks; leaving that up to the outside linebackers.  This season, Gerard Warren, Wilfork, and a combination of Ron Brace and Mike Wright have done a good job getting the quarterback out of the pocket; the rest of the team just has yet to finish the play on a consistent basis.  I am very encouraged that both Ron Brace and Jermaine Cunningham started last week.  That gives the Pats a bit more athleticism at the defensive end and outside linebacker spots respectively.  What to look for: How Tully Banta-Cain and Jermaine Cunningham step up and make plays when needed.

The Patriots have a lot to prove on Monday night.  The result of this one game will be a good barometer for what to expect from this team for the remainder of the season.  If they come out and play like they did against the Jets, than the road woes continue, the pressure heightens, and a deep playoff run will be unlikely.  If they come out and play like we all believe they are capable of playing (led by the offense; supplemented by the defense), than the Pats are looking at a 3-1 start with hopes rising for the rest of the season.  My belief is that Tom Brady knows what this game means (see Reiss’ article to prove that) and he will be doing all he can against a young Miami secondary to ensure a victory for his team.

The 2010-2011 Providence College Friars

Now that I am officially back in school having to deal with URI students on a daily basis, the trash talking for the upcoming basketball season has already begun.  I’m not in the least bit concerned about playing a URI team coached by a guy who can’t even get his own kid to play for him.  But, all of the talk has gotten me pretty pumped for the upcoming college basketball season.  Unlike many so called “Friar faithfuls” I haven’t abandoned all hope for this team.  They have a great young recruiting class coming in and, in my opinion, one of the better young coaches in the Big East, if not the whole NCAA.  Say what you want about Keno’s disciplinary style, but the guy put a competitive product on the court from scraps that Tim Welsh left him.  Only one of his recruiting classes was on campus for the 2009-2010 season, and it contained the likes of Vincent Council, Bilal Dixon, and Duke Mondy; all of whom contributed significantly to the team as freshman.  I’m actually have moderate expectations for this team, littered with freshman and sophomores, a tenth place finish in the Big East would not be surprising (while most are picking them to finish 13^th or below).

In the spirit of the upcoming NCAA basketball season, I want to give the fans what they are looking for.  Here is a quick outline/review of the 2010 recruiting class:

Gerard Coleman, SG

Ht: 6’4” Wt: 170lbs. High School: The Tilton School (NH)

This left handed wingman has one thing on his mind while on the court, putting the ball in the net.  He has the natural athletic ability to compete for a starting spot as soon as he steps foot on the Providence campus.  He is a good shooter from beyond the arc, but is most effective while putting the ball on the floor and either getting to the rim or pulling up for a mid range jumper.  Coleman is considered to be a good defender, being very disruptive in the passing lanes.  In order to consistently compete in the Big East, Coleman needs to continue to dedicate himself to the weight room to add some bulk.

ESPNU 100: #54       ESPN Position Rank: #17

Brice Kofane, PF

Ht: 6’8” Wt: 195lbs. High School: The Miller School (VA)

Kofane is most notably known for the way that he plays the game.  He is an active, hardworking big man that is a great shot blocker and rebounder.  Shot blocking is an area that he Friars struggled with last season, so Kofane’s addition should help in that area.  Kofane’s offensive game isn’t necessarily strong, but his high activity level and motor lead to a lot of fast break and second chance points.  Kofane needs to improve his post-up game and put on some muscle.  But, with the lack of bigs on the roster, Kofane may be forced into action.

ESPN Position Rank: #46

Ron Giplaye, PF

Ht: 6’7” Wt: 240lbs. High School: Notre Dame Prep (MA)

Giplaye may be the most “physically” ready of the incoming freshman, weighing in at a solid 240lbs.  His physicality and upper body strength are a big plus for Giplaye, who uses these traits to make space on the low-post.  He is a great rebounder, even though he is only 6’7”.  His low-post game isn’t very refined yet, but he continues to improve on his close to mid-range jumper.  But, Giplaye is not a very good free throw shooter.  Sounds like a carbon copy of Jamine Peterson to me (same high school too).

ESPN Position Rank: #77

Dre Evans, PG

Ht: 5’10 Wt: 160lbs. High School: Carter H.S. (TX)

Evans is the smallest member of the 2010 recruiting class, measuring in at only 5’10”.  But, despite his small stature, Evans is certainly not lacking talent.  He somehow finds a way to get to the rim, but is most dangerous from the three point line.  He uses his quickness to get open and his smooth stroke to knock down long jumpers.  He is very good leading the fast break, consistently showing the ability to find the open man.  His size may make him a “pass first” point guard, but Evans has the ability to light up the score sheet.  At 6’1”, Evans would be a ESPNU 100 recruit.

ESPN Position Rank: #63

Alex Gavrilovic, PF

Ht: 6’9” Wt: 225lbs. High School: IMG Academy (FL)

In my opinion, Gavrilovich is the recruit that Keno Davis has been looking for.  As a European big man, Gavrilovich has a great combination of size and ability level which makes him a matchup nightmare.  Alex has the ability to hit long range jump shots, step behind the arc when necessary, and hit a turnaround jump shot when he gets down into the post.  Surprisingly, Gavrilovich is not afraid of getting physical.  Finishing above the rim, battling for rebounds, and playing tough low post defense are all strengths for Alex, who looks to make an immediate impact as a Friar.

ESPN Position Rank: No Grade – Post Grading Period

Bryce Cotton, PG

Ht: 6’0” Wt: 170lbs. High School: Palo Verde Magnet (AZ)

Cotton is a little sparkplug that was a late addition to the recruiting class after the Joe Young incident.  Cotton is a physical specimen.  At only 6’0”, Cotton combined with a fellow Arizona high school player to create one of the greatest slam dunk contests ever seen (check Cotton out on Youtube).  Little is known about Cotton because he did not sign until 8/30, but his athleticism will be yet another tool in Keno Davis’ bag for the upcoming season.

ESPN Position Rank: No Grade – Post Grading Period

PROJECTED 2010-2011 STARTING LINEUP AND KEY RESERVES:

PG – Vincent Council, SO

SG – Duke Mondy, SO

F – Marshon Brooks, SR

F – Kadeem Batts, FR (redshirt)

C – Bilal Dixon, SO

KEY RESERVES:

1.      Gerard Coleman – SG, FR

2.      Ray Hall – C, SR

3.      Ron Giplaye – F, FR

4.      Alex Gavrilovich – F, FR

5.      Dre Evans – PG, FR

Terry Francona is the Coach of the Year

Now that the Boston Red Sox have officially been eliminated from the playoff push of 2010 it is time to reflect on the season that was, and the manager that made it…

We all had major expectations from this team. While all the hype was surrounding the defending champion Yankees and the youth in pitching and hitting with the Rays, the Boston Red Sox were just going about their business preparing for the season. All the experts were making their picks, almost every one of them picking the Yankees and Rays to finish 1 and 2 in either order with the Red Sox on the outside looking in. Here is the humorous part of stating this fact: 1) these predictions are always made on the assumption that teams will stay primarily healthy for the 162 game schedule, and 2) out of the 3 teams mentioned here the Boston Red Sox kept stepping on injury land mines throughout the entire course of the season. Now your first thought should be that every single team has to deal with injuries throughout a full season. You’re right about that, but looking at the extent to which the Sox had to deal compared with their two respective rivals it is obvious that they deserve to at least receive some new honorable mention award, which would start with the manager.
Look at it this way…the manager is the key handler in regulating the roster with the most scrutiny placed on how he handled his pitching staff. Coming into 2010 the consensus was the same all the way from the experts to the common fan – the Red Sox pitching was going to save them, they would just have problems scoring runs. Well looks like we should start treating these experts like regular fans because last I checked the Red Sox on this day with 5 games left in the regular season rank in the entire major leagues 6th in batting average and 2nd in RBI’s, homeruns, and runs. Those are remarkable ranks when you spend the summer and end of summer without your all-stars and two best players in Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, and your entire season without your leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury (insert jokes here, but that was felt head on because with him there Marco Scutaro, who has done a nice job filling in, is your 9 hitter…think about that.) The makeshift lineup that Tido put out there on a day-to-day basis had its struggles, which if you watched every game as I did it felt like they struggled at the exact wrong time sometimes, but overall they produced which is shown by the numbers.
Here are some points about the pitching staff:
1) John Lackey is not worth $18 million…he just isn’t. There is nothing you could say that would make me think otherwise. Thinking that alone makes you an idiot.

2) Josh Beckett needs to stop having this “every other year” type of deal. Consistency is what draws the line between great and good. Beckett, aside from his most recent run, has been a great postseason pitcher, but only a good regular season pitcher. They will not be renaming him “Cy” anytime soon if he keeps that up. (Sorry Scottie.)

3) Dice-K was never and will never be worth the money. That’s it…because when you make us think “wow” with an 8 inning, 1 ER performance against a top line team you have no problem throwing a 3.1 inning, 6 ER gem against a Royals or Orioles team. You were supposed to be the pitching version of Ichiro…that’s a funny joke, hope someone translates that for him.

4) Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester will win a Cy Young before Josh Beckett. Those two are just a winners.

5) When you have the supposed ace of your staff (Beckett) miss 2 months, your supposed no. 4 pitcher (Dice-K) miss significant time, either your no. 2 or 3 (Lackey) not live up to the billing, and your SUPPOSED TO BE no. 5 (Buchholz…yea think about it) missing a few key starts in the middle of the playoff stretch, it is a testament to you as a manager that you still had a chance to make the playoffs with a week left.

So the 2010 Boston Red Sox are not going to make the playoffs. As of today they have posted a record of 87-70. Lets us look at that for a minute. 87 wins, 70 losses. Did you know that if they were in the AL West they would be tied with the Rangers, in the NL Central they would be a game behind the Reds, and in the NL West 2 games behind the Giants…and oh yea, the Rangers and Reds have already clinched their divisions. This here is a reason I hated turning my television on the other day to see talk about expanded the playoffs in the MLB because if that were the case this year then my team would have a chance.
As I have heard many around me say, the Red Sox have played with one of their “farm” teams throughout the season. Always having a significant injury being their setback. I guess for the most part I have agreed with this outlook, but here is one point that I just recently have refused to agree. I’ve heard to many people say that they wish these injuries would not have happened so that other fans (mainly Yankee fans) would see how much better we would have been than they are, but I disagree. I agree wholeheartedly with the concept that we would have taken the division, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. If this had not happened to us this year, out of any other year, then we would not have been able to see just how valuable the manager we have is to this team. Even with 2 World Series victories Tido has at times been taken for granted, it took a season like this one, facing all the adversity, and keeping this team in the playoff picture through the last week of the season that makes Terry Francona the Coach of the Year.

Week 3 – The Mattyoshow Review

In this segment I will provide a weekly review for the previous weekend’s Patriot game, as well as my prediction for next weekend’s game.

-Tom Brady and the offense sprung back to life this week against a Bills defense that isn’t overly terrible.  Again, the two young tightends received a lot of looks throughout the course of the game.  Hernandez led the team with 6 catches for 65 yards (targeted 7 times), while Gronkowski added 3 catches for 43 yards and a touchdown (3 targets).  I was encouraged that seven players caught at least one pass, but surprisingly only one pass went to a running back.

-Speaking of running backs, how about Danny Woodhead?  This guy has been on the team for eight days and he is expected to replace Kevin Faulk.  Woodhead surprisingly did his best Faulk impression by playing primarily on third down and totaling 42 yards and a touchdown on only three carries.  I’m interested to see if Woodhead’s role will be expanded as he spends more time learning the offense.

-BenJarvus Green-Ellis showed why he is still in New England and Laurence Maroney is in Denver.  Green-Ellis ran hard for 98 yards and a touchdown on only 16 carries.

-For the second week in a row, Wes Welker has not been as involved in the offense as in the past.  Welker still caught 4 passes for 45 yards (targeted 6 times), but his presence was sporadic and not exceptionally impactful.  I’m not sure if teams are making a more concerted effort towards stopping Welker, while removing coverage from other players (leaving less players to cover guys like Hernandez and Gronkowski), or is Welker’s health is something that we still need to question.  But, I did see Welker have two passes bounce off of his hands and hit the ground, granted they were very tough balls to catch, but they were catchable.

-Jerod Mayo played like the defensive stalwart that we are used to seeing.  Mayo got only his second career sack in a very critical situation, while also amassing 9 tackles.  I was very encouraged to see Mayo flying around the field, something that we have not really seen so far this season.  Guyton and Spikes also played pretty well in the run game.

-Ron Brace and Jermaine Cunningham both got starts for the first time this season.  I love both of these guys, and expect much more of an impact from them as the season progresses.  Once Cunningham gets his head wrapped around the playbook, I’m looking for him to be a big playmaker later in the year.

-Harvard product Ryan Fitzpatrick put up almost 250 yards and two touchdowns.  That is a complete slap in the face for the Patriots pass defense.  Fitzpatrick is pretty mobile, so flushing him out of the pocket was not as important as usual, but Kyle Arrington and Darius Butler could not cover anybody.  Devin McCourty played pretty well again allowing Lee Evans to grab only 5 passes for 54 yards.  But, aside for McCourty the rest of the secondary played like complete garbage.

-That being said, Patrick Chung and Brandon Meriweather both came out with huge interceptions.  It was exciting to see Chung finally make a play in the passing game and Meriweather to get back to his ball-hawking ways that we saw all last season.

-If I was playing the Patriots this season, I would attack the #2 cornerback position all game until I made them show that they could stop you.  That is the weakest spot on the entire defense, and after Sunday’s display it doesn’t look like Kyle Arrington is the answer.

-The Bills racked up 134 yards on the ground, but I thought that the run defense played much better than that (you also have to take into consideration that Fitzpatrick ran for 18 yards).  Spiller broke off a 20 yard run at one point.  Aside from those two numbers, I was happy with the play of the defensive line and the linebacker corps.

-NEXT WEEK’S PREDICTION: Patriots 28 – Dolphins 24

Boise St. and Alabama Survive; Texas is Terrible

It was quite a day in college football yesterday.  Heisman candidate Denard Robinson went down in the first quarter with a knee injury in the first quarter after scoring 2 touchdowns, Arkansas took Alabama down to the wire only to fall victim to Mark Ingram, and Texas showed how bad they really are.  Without further adieu here is the recap of week 4 in college football.

*Mark Ingram showed why he is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.  He ran all over the Arkansas defense for 157 yards and scored two touchdowns.  Despite Alabama not playing its best football they were able to reject an upset bid by the razorbacks.  In the first half Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet looked like a legit Heisman candidate and potential #1 pick in the NFL draft as he threw for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns at the half.  He then threw for 2 interceptions in the second half helping Alabama get back in the game.  Barring any unforeseen event, Alabama will be led into the national championship by Mark Ingram.

*Boise State took care of their last test of the season, handling Oregon State despite not playing their best football.  They have a cupcake schedule the rest of the way and I think they will need Oklahoma, Ohio State, or Alabama to lose in order to get into the title game.  The closest to a test they will have is Nevada, because Nevada has the ability to put up points in a hurry.  Kellen Moore was to able to cover up the mistakes made the Boise State special teams by throwing for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns.  I am to get a read on Boise State.  The last few years everyone loved them because they were the underdog.  Now it seems 50-50 as some people love ‘em and others are rooting against them.

*All season I have said that Texas is not that good of a team.  UCLA’s running game was able to stomp all over them yesterday in Austin.  They embarrassed the Horns en route to a 34-12 shellacking.  Not only was the defense terrible, the offense was nowhere to be seen again.  As a diehard Texas fan, even I didn’t realize just how much they would miss Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley.  They can’t move the ball at all and refuse to let Garrett Gilbert throw the ball down field.  They also do not have a running game to speak of.  I expect the losing to continue as they will get walloped next week in the Red River Shootout.

*Denard Robinson went down midway through the first quarter on Saturday against Bowling Green after he ran for two touchdowns and 129 yards on just 5 carries.  Many people have him at the top of their Heisman list, including myself.  But I want to see what he does against actual competition.  So far he has been able to dismantle the likes of Uconn, Umass, Notre Dame, and Bowling Green.  These aren’t exactly the cream of the crop teams.  Let’s see how he does now that they will start Big 10 play against the Iowa’s, Penn State’s, and Wisconsin’s of the world.

*I am not even going to bother writing about Notre Dame anymore.  They are a non story.  Just terrible.  But I predicted they would be, didn’t I?

HEISMAN WATCH

1) DENARD ROBINSON

2) TERRELLE PRYOR

3) MARK INGRAM

4) KELLEN MOORE

*What’s on tap for next week:

#21 Texas vs #8 Oklahoma @ Dallas

#11 Wisconsin @ # 24 Michigan State

Virginia Tech @ #23 North Carolina State

#7 Florida @ #1 Alabama

#9 Stanford @ #4 Oregon

#22 Penn State @ Iowa

Why I am Still Watching

Most of the Red Sox “faithful” have put their hats and shirts away awhile ago.  Some have not tuned into a game since Dustin Pedroia went down with a broken foot back in June, others haven’t tuned in since his failed comeback.  While I haven’t watched every game this season, I have done my best to follow the Sox throughout the season.  Yes, it has been difficult at times.  But I am still following them.  Contrary to popular belief, there are still plenty of reasons to follow them.

1) True fans stick by their team no matter what.  If you only stick by your team when they are in first place, you aren’t a fan.  Chances are growing up, you were a fan of the Cowboys, Bulls, and Yankees.  You are the definition of a pink hat.  Stick by the team when the fashionable thing to do.  Get out of my face.  It is seasons like this that make the World Series’ runs all the more enjoyable.

2) I’d be lying if I said I still wasn’t holding out hope that they go on an improbable run and sneak past the Yankees into the playoffs.  The Sox are not mathematically eliminated yet.  If they are able to pull this thing off, I want to be able to say I was watching and not be lying.  They did it in 2004.  Why not now?

3) 5 of their last 9 games are against the Yankees.  People say the Sox-Yankees rivalry is overrated.  Some say the games drag on forever.  Well I don’t care what people say.  I love baseball and Sox Yanks are as good as it gets.  If the Sox were to get knocked out, I’d still love to see them ensure that the Yankees only get the wild card and not the division title.

4) I am rooting for this team to get 90 wins.  They have had 19 guys on the disabled list this season.  Some will argue the disabled roster is better than the roster that is on the field.  Guys like Darnell McDonald, Bill Hall, Ryan Kalish, and Daniel Nava have overachieved.  All the Red Sox haters are quick to point at the payroll as a reason for the Sox success.  This year they were the underdog with no expectations.  The team was fun to watch all season and if you missed them, shame on you.

5) Yes they are on the brink of elimination.  They are two losses away from being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.  This means that there won’t be any baseball until April.  I am doing my best to enjoy it now because I love baseball and I love the Red Sox.

Scottie vs. Matty Week 3 Edition

Last week Matty made a bit of a comeback after I became a bit cocky in my abilities.  After looking over my picks Tuesday morning I was confused by my thinking on Friday afternoon.  Last week Matty posted a record of 10-6 moving to 17-15 on the year, while I went 8-8 and moved to 18-14 for the campaign.  This week I hope to get back on track.  The game of the week being the Falcons vs the Saints.

I’m trying to keep the ball rolling this week, looking to eliminate any hope that Scotty has of winning this thing…

Titans @ Giants

Scottie- Giants

Matty- Giants

Matt’s thoughts: The G-Men got destroyed last week.  Is Kerry Collins or Vince Young starting?  Look for a Giants bounce-back win.

Steelers @ Buccaneers

Scottie- Steelers

Matty- Steelers

Matt’s thoughts: Buccaneers are off to a 2-0 start, but Pittsburgh’s defense is too good, all Charlie Batch has to do is not lose the game.

Bengals @ Panthers

Scottie- Bengals

Matty- Bengals

Matt’s thoughts: Jimmy Clausen is welcomed into the league by one of the NFL’s top defenses…good luck.

Browns @ Ravens

Scottie- Ravens

Matty- Ravens

Matt’s thoughts: The Ravens are a mean team.  They will contain Seneca Wallace and their offense will finally become a factor.

Cowboys @ Texans

Scottie- Texans

Matty- Cowboys

Matt’s thoughts: The Texans are playing well, but I can’t see the ‘Boys starting 0-3.

49ers @ Chiefs

Scottie- 49ers

Matty- 49ers

Matt’s thoughts: The 49ers played well enough to beat the Saints, but they take out their frustrations on this surprising Chiefs team.

Lions @ Vikings

Scottie- Vikings

Matty- Vikings

Matt’s thoughts: Similar to my feelings about the Cowboys, the Lions aren’t good enough without Stafford to beat the Vikes.

Bills @ Patriots

Scottie- Patriots

Matty- Patriots

Matt’s thoughts: Do I even need to give thoughts about this one?

Falcons @ Saints

Scottie-Saints

Matty- Falcons

Matt’s thoughts: The Saints have not impressed me the first two weeks of the season, and as I’ve stated before Matt Ryan is ready to be a big-time quarterback.  What better time to do it than against the Saints?

Redskins @ Rams

Scottie- Redskins

Matty- Redskins

Matt’s thoughts: Sam Bradford has surprised me with his early season play, but Shanahan won’t lose to a rookie quarterback.

Eagles @ Jaguars

Scottie- Eagles

Matty- Eagles

Matt’s thoughts: The Mike Vick era is officially underway in Philadelphia.  What better way is there to reward your coach than with a win?

Raiders @ Cardinals

Scottie- Raiders

Matty- Cardinals

Matt’s thoughts: The Raiders have been pretty terrible so far this season.  The Cardinals have also been pretty terrible.  Arizona wins the battle of the terribles.

Chargers @ Seahawks

Scottie- Chargers

Matty- Chargers

Matt’s thoughts: Breaking News: Marcus McNeil reported to the Chargers…The Seahawks can’t slow down the Chargers enough to win.

Colts @ Broncos

Scottie- Colts

Matty- Colts

Matt’s thoughts: I really want to pick the Broncos here, but the Colts were great last week.

Jets @ Dolphins

Scottie- Dolphins

Matty- Jets

Matt’s thoughts: The Dolphins have started 2-0, but their undefeated streak ends against the surging Jets.

Packers @ Bears

Scottie- Packers

Matty- Packers

Matt’s thoughts: Green Bay is my Super Bowl pick.  The Bears played well last week, but the Packers are playing much better than the Cowboys.

Taking a Look Ahead

It is pretty fair to say that the 2010 season for the Boston Red Sox will end as of October 3^rd when they play the New York Yankees on the final day of the regular season.  Whether your feelings about the season are positive, negative, optimistic, pessimistic, etc, as of that day in October, it will no longer matter.  Red Sox fans will being looking towards next year as soon as they can.  I feel that being at the hub of all sports information here at NTCF, it would be beneficial to all of you Sox fans out there to maybe get a head start on the rest of Red Sox nation in looking towards the 2011 MLB season.

FREE AGENTS

-I constantly find myself in intellectual debates with close friends about Theo Epstein’s success in his signing of big-time free agents.  I think that we can all agree of Theo’s ability to sign the perfect “role player” for this team (see Bill Mueller, Kevin Millar, David Ortiz etc.).  But, Theo’s success rate in terms of signing highly paid free agents has drawn skepticism from many.  For example, the Red Sox spent big money on Julio Lugo, Edgar Renteria, J.D. Drew, and more recently John Lackey.  While I’m not sold on John Lackey being a bad signing just yet, I do have to agree that the Sox have wasted a ton of money on players that haven’t worked out.  It is important for all of us to remember that while rehashing the bad, we certainly need to consider the good.  Adrian Beltre was a spectacular signing, and the Sox would be lucky to keep him around for next season and beyond.  Free agency also brought the Sox Hedeki Okajima, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Alex Gonzalez.  Those names may not be “big time players” in your mind, but all have played key roles in the Sox’s successes.

-Where Theo has been very effective is through trades.  Acquiring Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell from the Marlins was a key move that paid off in the 2007 World Series.  The 2003 acquisition of Curt Schilling helped in ending the 86 year World Series drought.  Dealing fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra for Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz, as well as acquiring Dave Roberts were pivotal moves.

-Before we get into the available players, we need to consider who is coming off of the books.  David Ortiz’s contract is up (pending the team picking up his $12.5 million option).  I expect the Sox to try and resign Ortiz, but trying to keep his salary around $6-7 million will be tough.  Mike Lowell’s contract is up, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it looks like Lowell is headed towards retirement.  Papelbon’s contract is up, but I expect another one year deal to be agreed upon, avoiding arbitration.  Adrian Beltre has a player option for 2011, but after his 2010 he’ll be looking for a big payday.  I expect the Sox to go hard at trying to resign him and it looks like Beltre likes playing here.  But, as always there are a lot of teams willing to over pay for players (something that Epstein hasn’t really been willing to do).  Victor Martinez’s deal is up.  This is a tough situation for the Sox.  I don’t think that they see Martinez as their catcher of the future, but trying to pay him DH type money probably won’t even have the Sox in the conversation for keeping Victor around.  Bill Hall and Okajima’s contracts are also up, and I expect Boston to part ways with both of them.

-As for 2011, the free agent class seems to have some players that could certainly help the Red Sox reach the playoffs and maybe compete for another championship.  Establishing the positions of need is something critical for the Sox.  It looks like left field, third base, and catcher are all positions of need.  While improving the starting rotation and bullpen are always on Theo’s mind.  The 2011 third baseman class isn’t particularly strong.  Beltre is atop the list as the best third baseman available, which brings a lot of competition when looking to sign him.  Other possible candidates to end up in Boston include the versatile Brandon Inge and Nick Punto.  Aside from those players, a possible switch to third base for Kevin Youkilis could allow for the team to look into a deeper first baseman group.  Available first baseman include Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, Paul Konerko (although he is primarily a DH), Derrek Lee, and Lyle Overbay.  Konerko looks like he could be a replacement for Ortiz, but that wouldn’t make you much younger.  As for catchers, Gerald Laird is a possibility.  Also, there is always a possible platoon situation between Varitek and Saltalamacchia.  Jason Werth and Carl Crawford are the two gems of the outfield free agents.  I think that Boston really respects Crawford’s abilities and will make a big push for him (just imagine his numbers in Fenway), but going for a bigger bat in Werth is certainly enticing as well.  Other than those two, other available outfielders include Jose Guillen, Coco Crisp, and Maglio Ordonez (the latter two both have 2011 options).  Available starters include Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly, Kevin Millwood, Carl Pavano, and Brandon Webb.  As for relievers, the list includes the likes of Jeremy Affeldt, Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Aaron Heilman, J.J. Putz, and Scot Shields.

PROSPECTS

-To be optimistic, the one really good thing about the Sox not making the playoffs is that they are getting their young kids a hell of a lot of experience.  Guys like Josh Reddick, Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish, Lard Anderson, and Yamaico Navarro are going to benefit greatly from this time facing MLB pitchers in game situations.  In terms of next season, the prospects that I see contributing on a consistent basis are Felix Doubront in the bullpen and Ryan Kalish as the “reserve” outfielder.  I don’t think that Kalish will get a starting spot right out of spring training, but one injury could lead to an every day spot for him.  As for Anderson and Navarro, they need some more seasoning in the minors.  Anderson was supposed to be a big time prospect, but has yet to pan out.  Although his defense at first has improved and he does not look nearly as lost at the plate as he did last season.  I guess I can’t really call them prospects, but Jed Lowrie and Jarrod Saltalamacchia will both be big pieces on this team next year, seeing around 300-400 at bats each if not more.

-As for the distant future (2012 and beyond) important names to keep your eye on include P Casey Kelly, 1B Lars Anderson, 1B Anthony Rizzo, SS Jose Iglesias, 2010 first round pick P Anthony Ranaudo, and a guy that I really like in C/DH Ryan Lavarnway.  Casey Kelly is the one “can’t miss” prospect on this list, but just becoming a full time starter this season may impede his progress a bit.  Ranaudo, formerly considered the best starter in college baseball, had a mediocre season at LSU but his talent alone made him a first round pick.  If he can get his mechanics back on track his trip to Boston could be expedited.

EXPECTED TEAM

-The chances of me coming even close assembling a team similar to the one we will see in 2011 are slim, considering the amount of variables involved (trades, injuries, signings, retirements, etc).  But, I gave you all of the players so I might as well take a shot at it.

Starting Lineup

1. LF Carl Crawford
2. 2B Dustin Pedroia
3. DH Victor Martinez
4. 1B Kevin Youkilis
5. RF J.D. Drew
6. 3B Jed Lowrie
7. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
8. SS Marco Scutaro
9. CF Jacoby Ellsbury

Starting Rotation

1. Jon Lester
2. Clay Buchholz
3. Josh Beckett
4. Daisuke Matsuzaka
5. John Lackey

-Damn, that lineup is not intimidating at all.  Looks like we’ll have to adopt a new motto for the 2011 season, pitching and defense…

An Early Look at the 2010-2011 Bruins

In an effort to broaden my horizons, I intend on paying attention to the Boston Bruins this season.  I have been a casual fan of the B’s for the last 3 three years. This season I hope to follow them a little more closely than I have in years past.  Now I must preface my new found motivation to “cover” the Bruins with this:  My experience in hockey is limited to going to support my high school and college teams, going to Providence Bruins games, working as the Chuck-a-Puck guy for the Manchester Monarchs, and watching playoff hockey.  Yes, I will provide no actual insight to the game because I do not understand hockey strategy.  I just know that the team that “lights the lamp” the most will win the game.  So here we go.

After the Bruins made history for all the wrong reasons in last year’s playoffs, GM Peter Chiarelli and Cam Neely were silent.  What happened in the quarterfinals against the Philadelphia Flyers is unspeakable and the Bruins will forever be associated with failure after losing 4 games in a row to a team that was using its backup goalies.  Now that the past is off my chest and I feel better after that rant, we can look forward to the future of this team.

The Bruins landed the number 2 pick in the draft after trading Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs for their 2010 pick.  With that pick the Bruins selected Tyler Seguin, an 18 year old prodigy out of Canada.  With that pick Bruins fans will have a short memory of the 2010 playoff debacle.  Seguin will be relied upon to contribute to the Bruins feeble offense.  Last year in the OHL Seguin tallied 106 points (48 goals, 58 assists).  Seguin has been labeled as a can’t miss prospect and he will be in select company being a number 2 pick.  Bobby Ryan, Drew Doughty, and Jordan Staal have been among the last few years number two picks.  In the preseason head coach Claude Julien has put Seguin on the same line with Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron.  Some have coined it the PPF line. Past, present, and future.  All indications out of Boston are that they have been very impressive.

Another big acquisition for the Bruins this off season was trading for Nathan Horton, the number 3 pick of the Florida Panthers in 2003.  Horton had 57 points last year (20 goals and 37 assists) on a weak line in Florida.  In 3 seasons in the NHL Horton has scored 27, 22, and 20 goals.  With him on the same line as a David Krejci, Marc Savard (if healthy), or Tyler Seguin it is entirely possible Horton can hit the back of the net 35 times or more.  The aforementioned players are very good at creating for others and Horton has never had the benefit of playing with someone of that caliber or possessing those abilities.  The offense was atrocious last year and that pressured goalies Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas to stand on their heads night in and night out.  Horton will alleviate that pressure.

Speaking of goalies, this season Tuukka Rask will be expected to shoulder the load with Thomas spelling him.  Many will fear a sophomore slump from Rask.  He did seem to tire in the playoffs last season.  Keeping Thomas will be important to the Bruins chances of staying competitive all season. Some people will be calling for Thomas to be traded.  Because of his hefty contract, Thomas is virtually untradeable therefore the Bruins should embrace him.  I look for them to start a new trend, much like what is going on in the NFL with running backs right now.  Let the Bruins goalie situation be a “2 headed monster.”  Let Rask and Thomas play in 40 games each.  If one gets outrageously hot, ride them for that streak.  Other than that balance the work load and stay healthy.  When it comes playoff time go with who has given you the most confidence during the season.

Other things to watch for during the upcoming season:

Marc Savard’s health.  A few outlets have reported he may be out for the season with post concussion syndrome.  I find this to be a rather bold report.  I personally would have like to see the Bruins deal him during the off season and keep Vlady Sobotka.  But that wasn’t the case.  If he is healthy, then the Bruins will have depth at center.  If he isn’t then the Bruins will have an uphill battle this season.

Zdeno Chara’s contract situation. Chara enters the last season of his contract.  Talks have started on an extension but they are yet to get serious.  Chara is a game changer.  He isn’t flashy.  He just gets the job done and he is the best at what he does.  The Bruins need to bring him back especially with a weak defense around him.  If he leaves town, it spells trouble for the future of the organization.

How will Dennis Seidenberg, Milan Lucic, and David Krejci look after coming back from injuries that hampered (Lucic) or even took them out completely (Seidenberg, Krejci) of the playoffs last season?

With this being my first foray into the hockey world any comments or feedback would be appreciated!

Farley’s Fantasy Football 2.0

Happy waiver Wednesday everyone!

There were a lot of big performances in week 2. So many that the studs portion of this post will be a bit larger than last week.  I must first address something that I was totally wrong on.  I excluded Mike Vick from my week one diamonds in the rough section because I, along with everyone else in the league, figured that Kolb would resume his role as starting quarterback this coming Sunday.  After another strong performance from Vick and a handjob of a press conference from Andy Reid who so eloquently put that Vick is simply, “playing out of his mind right now”, I retract that statement and apologize.  Vick looks like a real quarterback for the moment and if you jumped on him early good for you.  If you need a quarterback stay tuned because the diamond in the rough section will feature one, maybe two.

As for the top performers from week 2:

Studs

1. Matt Schaub- If you read the column last week you will remember how I said Schaub and Andre Johnson will torch the Redskins.  497 yds and 3 TD’s later I will pat myself on the back.  Some people were worried about the low attempts from week one, but make no mistake, this Houston offense is for real and is running like a well-oiled machine right now.  When Owen Daniels gets healthy every starter on this team is a must start in my opinion. From Arian Foster to Neil Rackers, Start em!

2. Andre Johnson- Listen, Johnson is a beast, he sprains his ankle during a solid performance and on a 4th and ten jumps through the ceiling to catch a TD.  Don’t worry about the ankle sprain he will rest enough this week and continue to toy with defensive backs.

3. Jahvid Best- Best is a bright surprise this season and if you’ve got him on your roster you are no doubt a happy owner.  He is the total package and contributed this weekend with 78 yds rushing, 154 recieving, 9 catches and 3 total TD’s. 

4. Lesean McCoy- McCoy had a great day, as expected vs the Lions, running for 120 yds and 3 TD’s. I was worried about McCoy’s opportunities given the fact that Andy Reid likes to chuck it 50 times a game.  Vick actually helps to balance the offensive game plan for the Eagles so I would expect McCoy’s role be extended.

5. Jason Snelling- You’ve got to give massive props to Snelling.  After the burner went down Snelling stepped in and dominated! He amassed 129 yds on the ground 57 yds receiving with 3 total TD’s.  If Turner is out for an extended period of time than Snelling has great value. Unfortunately, all signs point to Turner being fine for this weekend.

Duds

1. Chris Johnson- Johnson was totally shut down by the Steelers defense and saw his 12 game streak of 100 yds rushing come to an end.  Johnson ran for 34 yds and only managed one catch for 19. I don’t expect him to be on this list much and you couldn’t expect much production from him going against the steel curtain.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew- MJD personally hurt me this weekend, however I had Andre and Schaub clean up his mess . Jones-Drew is definitely a concern for his owners so far. The whole Jags offense has been awful and without a passing threat he will be seeing 9 in the box.  He had 48 total yards and only one catch.  He is normally a PPR stud and his lack of catches is a reflection of David Garrard.  I would not try to trade him at all but with his stock this low you would be a fool.

3. Joe Flacco- Flacco was downright terrible Sunday.  Don’t think I am putting him in the same burp as Tom Brady, but after watching film of the Bengals pass defense, how do you throw for only 154 yds and 4 picks??Hopefully you drafted a contingency plan because with all of these weapons he is not producing.

Diamonds in the Rough

Last week was a little bit of a mixed bag. Mark Clayton was a great pickup and Brandon Jackson should be fine as long as Green Bay doesn’t bring in another receiver.  I think the Camarillo pick was a week too early. Harvin didn’t practice again today and with a bye week looming in week four, he could sit out against the Lions. Here are my waiver wire gems for week 3.

1. Kyle Orton- Orton is available in most leagues right now and if these two weeks are any indication, he will be a solid fantasy option.  Hey Flacco owners, do it! McDaniels system is extremely quarterback friendly and Demaryius Thomas’ return adds yet another weapon.

2. Marshawn Lynch- If you need a back and he is available, make him your first priority.  Don’t get me wrong there will still be a committee there, but Chan Gailey has been a “one back man” for a long time.  He loves establishing the run and incorporating his running back in every possibly way.  CJ Spiller’s impressive pre-season gave everyone a hard on but the honeymoon is over.  With a bad offensive line Spiller’s inability to break tackles and make his own holes bodes well for the stronger, almost as young, Lynch.  Besides, if the trade rumors with Green Bay are true his value will only go up!

3. Keiland Williams- Grab this guy now! With the recent release of Larry Johnson it has been confirmed that Williams is the number 2 back in Washington.  Portis hasn’t been too productive this season and if Mike is up to his Shannahanagans again, you could see Williams cutting into Clinton’s time.  In my opinion, Williams has more long-term value than Mike Tolbert and yes Jason Snelling!

Fantasy team name of the week: For those of you familiar with coaching rants….

I’m a man…..I’m Forte!!!!!!

Good luck this week!