The Best vs. the Rest: What Separates the Consistently Good from Their Peers

The National Football League prides itself on parity, the opportunity for any team to make a run at the playoffs and the Super Bowl any given year.

It is a novel idea. Granted, it is nearly impossible to achieve perfect parity in any league, but, in seasons past, the NFL had done a pretty good job of making sure no single team dominated the NFL landscape.

Of course, there have been dynasties. The Cowboys, 49ers, Steelers, and Patriots all come to mind.

But the Steelers with six Super Bowl rings have more national championships than any other franchise. In baseball, the Yankees hold that honor with 26, and the Celtics hold that title in the NBA with 18 championships to their name.

In other words, even though there have been instances of dominance by a single team throughout the history of the NFL, it’s not as noticeable as the dominant teams in other sports.

Unfortunately, as we approach the conclusion of the current decade, the parity that the NFL supposedly prides itself on is going down the drain. Six weeks into the 2009 NFL season, there is a clear separation between the top 10 or so teams and the rest of the pack.

The separation between the top tier and the rest of the league is astounding. It is nearly insurmountable. We can all predict with relative certainty which teams will be participating in the playoffs this winter. There is not much suspense, which is a shame because it dilutes the quality of the game.

Teams such as Indianapolis, the Giants, Minnesota, New England, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and New Orleans (these are just examples, there are a few others as well) are so far ahead of their counterparts it isn’t even funny.

Each one of the above teams have, for the most part, played pivotal roles and have been on top of the league for most of the decade. The other teams (Atlanta and New Orleans, for example) haven’t been on top for long, but their respective organizations went through major overhauls at one point or another that completely changed the culture of the franchise.

It is not coincidental that the same group of teams routinely find themselves at the top of the Power Rankings year to year. Running a successful football franchise requires three aspects, all of which need to go right for a team to enjoy sustained success.

One, the ownership at the highest levels needs to be supportive and unobtrusive in the coaches’ day-to-day operation of the team. The owners need to provide stability to the organization. Let the coaches and the general manager run the show. That is what they are paid for, and, nine times out of 10, they are better at what they do than the owner ever will be.

Secondly, an NFL team needs to have great coaching.

Starting with the head coach, the team needs to have stability and cohesiveness at all levels of the staff. The head coach oftentimes will get too much blame, as the coordinators and the positional coaches will usually have just as much impact (if not more of an impact) on the performance of individual players than the head coach.

Finally, the team needs to have a roster filled with talented, professional players. Talent is an obvious necessity. While superior athletic ability is always important, having players that act in a professional manner and who love the game that they are playing are just as important. Ideally, an NFL roster is composed of 53 players that possess talent and professionalism.

While there are many parts that go into creating a consistently successful football franchise, those are the three most prominent aspects. Each area is crucial to the overall success of the team, and if any one of those categories is left unfulfilled, any given team will collapse.

Looking at the poorer teams in the NFL (Washington, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, etc.), it is clear that all of these teams are having major issues in one or more of those categories.

No matter how even the NFL attempts to make the playing field in the NFL, there are going to be teams that break down and need to be rebuilt. The concerning trend is that, as of the 2009 season, it feels like more and more teams are trending downwards, and it is taking longer for these teams to correct themselves.

Again, all these teams have multiple issues, and there will not be one sole fix all that can correct these teams.

However, one consistent problem with all of these teams remains the lack of truly professional players on NFL rosters these days.

Not all of these rosters are devoid of talent. In fact, on some of these teams (such as the Oakland Raiders), there is a great deal of raw talent. It is the lack of professionalism that is the core issue that drags these teams down.

The picture that accompanies this article is of Junior Seau and Tom Brady, both of whom play for the New England Patriots. These are two players that have the correct mix of talent and professionalism to make themselves great players. They are just two examples of the many players that can be described as talented and professional.

But what makes them different from players like JaMarcus Russell and Albert Haynesworth, two big name players that can’t seem to live up to their contracts?

First and foremost, the best players in this league have a tremendous amount of talent. After all, if they didn’t have athleticism, they wouldn’t be in the NFL anyway.

However, all of the underachievers in the NFL have talent as well. The real difference between a star like Hines Ward and a headache like Terrell Owens lies in what players do with the talent they have.

Players that come into the NFL need to have a tremendous work ethic to accompany their immense raw talent. All of the greats, in any sport, put in countless hours working out, fine tuning their skills, and learning the mental side of the game in order to maximize their talent.

No matter how much raw ability a player has, it will amount to nothing without hard, consistent work.

Leadership is another integral characteristic that NFL teams need to look for in the players they choose to sign and draft. For every successful NFL franchise, players and coaches talk about how close knit the locker room is and how there are numerous leaders that make their presence known.

Granted, captains are selected for a reason. They have distinguished themselves as they best of the best amongst their teammates. However, they cannot be the lone leaders on an NFL roster. Leadership means taking ownership of one’s role and executing it to the best of one’s ability. Every player, not just the captains, need to do this in order for a team to be successful.

Players also need to be able to communicate with coaches and the front office in an appropriate manner. Blasting the coaches’ decisions in the media is not an example of this.

Rather, a player needs to be able to go to the head coach or to the general manager and be able to have a conversation with the staff if he feels like something needs to be changed. This goes hand in hand with leadership. Players who can communicate with their coaches in an appropriate manner and let them know what is working and what isn’t can only help a team.

In addition, players need to check their egos at the door. The team is bigger than the individual, and the team can only operate at maximum efficiency if all the parts are focused on one common goal rather than as 53 individual parts all going in different directions.

Finally, and, perhaps most importantly, players need to love the game that they’re playing. If a player doesn’t care about their team and simply shows up to collect his paycheck, not only will he as an individual fail, but he will drag the team down with him.

And that is the premier issue right now: The NFL is saturated with far too many players who do not love the game enough to put in the time or effort necessary to make themselves and their respective teams into successful ones.

Most of these players had this lack of respect and determination planted in their heads from the moment they stepped on the football field for the first time.

Every single player in the NFL is a supremely talented athlete, and they all likely dominated their Pop Warner, high school, and college teams. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be in the NFL.

Such dominance can be both a blessing and a curse for a player.

The positive is that it puts them on a platform. By distinguishing himself as one of the best at his position, a player will be noticed by coaches at the next level.

However, such dominance can also become as issue if the player is not well grounded and does not love the game of football.

Because of their immense talent, many of these players have been coddled from a young age.

For starters, many players have probably received little to no competition for their roster spot, due to their amazing raw talent. This advantage allows for a player to slack off a bit in the weight room, doze off in the film room, and maybe even take a play or two off in practice.

These players are so good, their 75 percent is far better than most people’s 100 percent.

In addition, many coaches are obsessed with winning (like most of the world), and cannot stand to see their star player be suspended for a game, no matter what the infraction is.

If a high school coach is willing to let his star wideout run wild throughout the time, miss team commitments, skip out on classes and homework, and display poor judgment without consequence, a player is likely to develop a sense of superiority, a belief that the law or rules somehow do not apply to him.

This favoritism oftentimes begins at a fairly young age. If it goes unimpeded through college and into the NFL, it is usually too late.

By the time these players reach the NFL level, it will be nearly impossible to alter the thinking of these players. For their entire lives, they have believed that they are somehow exempt from every team rule and every commitment. It is unreasonable and, frankly, downright stupid to believe that a player can completely alter their thinking simply by joining the NFL.

There are exceptions to this, as several players have gone from being malcontents to models of consistency, effort, and performance on the field.

But the majority of players in this situation will unfortunately not make it the length of their rookie contract.

The teams with the best scouting departments will be able to spot such problems right away and avoid signing or drafting such players all together.

If they mess up and misidentify a player, or if a player develops a superiority complex during his time with the team, he gets cut.

The best teams in the NFL all have a rosters that are filled to capacity with talented players that also posses tremendous work ethics, great leadership qualities, and small egos.

Not some of their players. Not most of their players.

ALL of their players have talent, leadership, and work ethic.

The worst teams in the NFL are willing to settle for less. Teams that seem to be relegated to sewer year in and year out tend to become infatuated by raw talent (40 times, bench press, vertical leap, etc.) and forget about the intangibles that make the truly great players so good.

Teams like the Detroit Lions routinely draft players like Calvin Johnson and Joey Harrington, players that have talent, but don’t have the passion to go along with that talent.

The Raiders become obsessed with the numerical performance of a player, and they look for fireworks rather than players that can help build a solid base for years to come.

The Rams are just devoid of talent. Other than Stephen Jackson, the city of St. Louis seems to lack any serious football talent.

In short, the NFL is populated with far too many players who either don’t care enough or do not have the necessary skill set (both physical and mental) to survive in the NFL.

As mentioned before, a team will generally see breakdowns in multiple areas of its operation when it sinks to all time lows.

Many of the teams that are currently in the cellar of their divisions not only lack the necessary talent to compete, but they also lack competent scouting departments, and they are unable to separate the truly great players from those who simply have flashy numbers and an impressive combine resume.

If the teams that currently occupy the lowest rung on the NFL totem pole ever want to climb back to respectability, they need to fill their rosters with talented players that also have the leadership and work ethic needed to propel them over the top.

In other words, it is better to draft a role player that truly loves the game of football than the superstar who thinks that a 75 percent effort is all they need to get by.

Until teams like the Raiders, Chiefs, Rams, and Redskins acquire such talent, they will always be the fodder for the great teams to feed on.

The problem with these players start at the very earliest levels of football. Therefore, it is difficult for the NFL to correct these players, as they have always thought the way they do.

However, the NFL sets the example. If NFL teams begin to look for work ethic, leadership, and a love for the game over pure athleticism, there will be a trickle down effect.

If NFL teams don’t, the results will remain the same: The best 10 teams will routinely dominate, and the rest of the NFL will simply sit back and watch. 

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Sebastian Vollmer: The Forgotten Key to the New England Patriots Offense

When one sits back and examines the New England Patriots offense and looks at what makes it work and what areas of concern need to be addressed, several keys come to mind. That is, several factors that, depending on whether or not they are clicking correctly, can totally determine the offensive output New England will see on gameday.

How rusty is Tom Brady? Which running game will show up? Will the receiving corps be in stride with Brady?

All three of those questions are valid ones, and they all can determine how well the New England offense will perform during any given game. You can see articles about them plastered all over any website having to do with the Patriots. They are three of the bigger questions regarding the offense (although certainly not the only ones), and it makes sense to discuss them.

However, one issue that seems to be getting less attention than it deserves is New England’s loss of left tackle Matt Light. While there appears to be no ligament damage to Light’s knee, he will be out for an undetermined period of time, leaving a void at left tackle for the Patriots to fill.

Enter Sebastian Vollmer, a rookie from Germany who was considered a major project when he was drafted in the second round of this year’s draft.

How Vollmer plays in the coming weeks while Light recovers from his knee injury could have a dramatic effect on how well New England’s offense performs.

Generally, when one thinks of the crucial parts of an offense, the quarterback, running back, and star wide receiver come to mind quickly; usually before any other player. In a way, it makes sense. These are the players who grab the headlines and score the points.

However, how well they play can be directly attributed to the offensive line. The line opens holes for the running backs to run through and protects the quarterback, giving him time to look downfield for an open receiver.

The argument can be made the five guys who comprise the offensive line are the five most important guys on the field, since the offense effectively goes nowhere if they don’t play well.

In that sense, Vollmer’s job is very important. But, given his specific spot on the line (left tackle), his importance grows even more.

While every man on the offensive line is crucially important to the unit’s success as a whole (there’s a reason everyone keeps talking about chemistry along the line), there are two positions that hold a little more significance than the others.

One is the center, simply for the fact that he is the only player on the field that is guaranteed to touch the ball every play and it is his job to get the ball into the hands of whoever is going to be running the play (usually the quarterback, sometimes a direct snap to the running back).

The importance of the center in an offense is obvious.

When a team employs a right-handed quarterback (like the Patriots do with Tom Brady), the other position along the line that carries immense importance is the left tackle position.

Everyone along the line is responsible for making sure that the quarterback remains upright throughout the course of the game. Blitzes can come from anywhere, and they all need to be on their toes every play, being aware of stunts and guys blitzing from the linebacker and secondary spots.

Usually, though, a quarterback has the benefit of seeing these guys coming.

Granted, just because you see a middle linebacker blitzing up the middle doesn’t mean you are going to be able to avoid him. If the linebacker comes in unimpeded, it’s usually lights out for that play. But at least the quarterback can brace himself.

However, if the left-side defensive end or a blitz comes from the left side after the ball is snapped, most of the time the quarterback is going to have no idea they’re coming.

It’s called a quarterback’s blindside, and it’s the left tackle’s job to protect it.

Rushers coming from the blindside of a quarterback are usually the ones who get the bone-crushing sacks, the strip sacks, and the forced fumbles. They get them more often than other rushers because the quarterback has no idea they’re coming.

If a guy comes up the middle, at least the quarterback has time to see him and tuck the ball away. Sure, he still might get sacked, but at least he won’t turn the ball over.

If a defensive end coming from the blindside rocks the quarterback and has an opportunity to chop down on the throwing arm, it’ll be a fumble nine times out of ten.

In short, the responsibilities that come with being a left tackle are great. Perhaps they are a bit inflated, as the line certainly does work as one cohesive unit, but they are critical, nonetheless. After all, when a team is rebuilding its offensive line, there’s a reason they go with a new left tackle first.

When an offense doesn’t have an adequate left tackle, it stops. It breaks down. At the very best, it sputters.

Every offense, not just New England’s, needs a rock on the left edge of the line to protect the quarterback.

All that being said, left tackle is a difficult position to play. Many times, the left tackle is left out on an island to fend for himself against the best pass rushers in the game, and they have to succeed if they want their team to go anywhere.

New England is lucky to posses a left tackle of Matt Light’s caliber. Granted, he is a bit overrated at times. But that does not mean he is a bad player.

Following a somewhat shaky start against Aaron Schoebel and the New York Jets defense (then again, who hasn’t struggled against Rex Ryan and the Jets), Light has settled down and was doing a solid job against the likes of John Abraham (Atlanta), the Baltimore Ravens, and D.J. Williams (Denver).

Those are not easy players to block.

As Light’s play against the blindside rushers improved, so did Brady and the offense as a whole. Offensively, the Patriots scuffled to nine points in New York, and then they turned around and looked solid against Atlanta and Baltimore.

When Matt Light plays well, the New England offense just seems to click and perform at a higher level.

So, after establishing the importance of the position and seeing how Light was performing, who is Sebastian Vollmer and how much can we expect out of a rookie from Germany?

Vollmer was born in Germany and did not start playing football until the age of 14. Following his prep career in Europe, Vollmer made his way stateside and signed on with the University of Houston, where he played tackle for the Cougars.

New England drafted him in the second round of this year’s draft, expecting the talented yet raw prospect to be somewhat of a project. He can play both right and left tackle, giving him immense versatility, something that coach Bill Belichick has always held in high regard.

Coach Belichick had this to say when asked about Vollmer:

“Considering everything, he is probably a lot further along than maybe what we thought he would be when he first got here. He’s worked hard and he’s continued to improve. He’s definitely headed in the right direction.” –Boston Herald

This is all well and good, but the fact remains that he is still a rookie. An inexperienced rookie at that.

With that in mind, it is important not to place gigantic expectations on Vollmer right away, as he is preparing to likely make his first NFL start this Sunday when the Tennessee Titans visit Foxborough.

Vollmer looked solid in limited time against Denver, as he avoided making any glaring mistakes that would make New England fans overly concerned about his ability to play the position effectively.

However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make sure that he has a little bit of help against the Titans edge rushers, as it would not be surprising if the Titans made the rookie a target in their gameplan.

Granted, Tennessee does not have an end in the same class as Schoebel or Abraham. But they do have a solid group headlined by Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse, aka “The Freak.” In addition, starting outside linebackers Keith Bulluck and David Thornton may not be pass rushing aficionados, but they are more than capable of creating havoc at the line of scrimmage.

To be successful this coming weekend, Vollmer will simply need to keep the blind side rushers off of Brady. He may receive help from backs and tight ends, but the majority of the responsibility will fall on his shoulders.

It is unfair to expect Vollmer to totally dominate the left side of the line, to open gaping holes for the backs, and to render Kearse and his mates totally irrelevant.

He’s still a rookie making his first start.

With that being said, New England could be in much worse shape than they are now, as Vollmer has made some great strides so far this season. Vollmer has great potential in this league, and he could be a major cog on the Patriots’ line for the foreseeable future.

He is talented, smart, yet still raw. Vollmer will need to call on all his talent this weekend as he makes his first start, because, while the Titans are 0-5, they are still an NFL franchise with some supremely talented players on the other side of the ball.

Belichick could decide to move right tackle Nick Kaczur over to the left side and have Vollmer play right tackle (Kaczur can also play both tackle spots), but, in all likelihood, Vollmer will be suiting up as the left tackle on Sunday.

This is a game New England should win, and they should be 4-2 come Monday morning. Even if the offense has an inconsistent day, this is a team that New England still should be able to beat.

However, it would make Patriots fans everywhere much more comfortable if New England could put some points up on the board, particularly because the Titans secondary has been a problem area so far.

If New England wants to expose this weakness and have a comfortable win against the visiting Titans, Vollmer will need to step up and perform at a relatively high level.

He doesn’t need to be a Pro Bowler, but simply needs to do his job and hold down the fort until Light is ready to return from injury.

Everyone’s eyes will be on Brady, the backs, and the receivers to see how New England’s offense is performing and how far away the unit is from reaching its peak.

Go ahead, be sure to check out those guys, they’re pretty important, after all.

But don’t forget about the forgotten key. While Light is healing up, Sebastian Vollmer is going to need to step up and perform if the Patriots want to make strides on the offensive side of the ball in the coming weeks.

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Still a Gem, Taylor Will Power New England In ’09

After missing the playoffs, there was a flurry of activity in Foxborough following the 2008 season.

Granted, star quarterback Tom Brady missed basically the entire season, but the Patriots clearly had work to do if they wanted to return to the top of the NFL in 2009.

Defensive backs, safeties, wide receivers, defensive linemen—almost every position on the field was either addressed through the draft, a trade, or in free agency.

Some relatively big names came in to the New England Patriots family this past offseason, including receiver Joey Galloway, cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs, and Derrick Burgess from Oakland.

However, there was one guy that changed addresses over the offseason that will have a bigger impact on the fortunes of the New England Patriots than any of these other names will.

His name is Fred Taylor, and he is the Patriots’ best running back.

Now, this is not to say that Fred Taylor is not a big name. He has an outside shot at the Hall of Fame, is easily the best rusher in Jacksonville’s history, and is simply one of the best all around players that you can find in the NFL.

However, for whatever reason, when Jacksonville elected not to bring him back this season to make room for the explosive Maurice Jones-Drew (which was not necessarily a poor decision), it seemed like only two teams expressed any real interest; the Buffalo Bills and the Patriots.

The courtship did not last long.

It appeared as if he had his heart set on New England from the start as, soon after his visit with Buffalo was over, he signed a 2-year, $5 million contract with the Patriots.

For a player that, going into week 4 of this season, has 11,447 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per rush average, and 64 touchdowns in his career, that’s a pretty reasonable deal.

Not only is Taylor a quality back, but he is also a tremendous individual.

For a player to truly have a lasting impact on an organization and the fan base, he can’t simply play well, although that is a large part of equation. The player needs to have character as well, the kind of character that allows him to be a leader in the locker room and to connect with the fans.

Now, after spending his first 11 pro seasons in Jacksonville, it is unfair to expect Taylor to come in to New England and be a leader in the locker room and to have a strong connection with the fans right away, especially when the Patriots have so many guys that fit that mold already.

However, Taylor has all of those qualities. So, if he were to remain a Patriot long enough, he could possibly grow into that role.

In short, the Patriots are getting the total package with Taylor. He is a productive player who has all of the characteristics that a coach would want in a player, and he comes at a reasonable price as well.

That is hard to beat in today’s NFL.

At 33 years old, it is pretty unreasonable to expect that Taylor will be the feature back. If he were, he would wear down awfully quick, and would be of little use the second half of the season and the playoffs. Plus, New England consistently relies on the running back by committee approach.

However, that does not mean that his contribution cannot be significant.

As of today, New England has four backs on its active roster: Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk (Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis is also on New England’s roster, but he has yet to see the field, so he will be left out of this discussion for now). While each of these backs is certainly talented, they all have flaws, some more apparent than others.

Faulk, who has been a long time Patriot and is a fan favorite in Foxborough, is an excellent offensive option, and has been crucial to New England’s success over the years. However, at this stage in his career, he is best used as a third down back and as an option out of the backfield. He never really was suited for any kind of between the tackles running, and he is certainly not fit to start that kind of role now.

Maroney, who was drafted by Belichick several years ago to be the feature back that the team was looking for, hasn’t really panned out in the way that everybody had hoped. For one, he is incredibly injury prone. Secondly, as we have seen in the past, he tends to dance and move side to side rather than running north and south. It has decreased his effectiveness throughout his career, and has led to him being tagged with the ‘fragile’ label.

Morris is another solid back, one that runs more north and south than Maroney. However, like Maroney, Morris is also prone to the injury bug, and it always seems to crop up and bite him at least once during the course of the season.

That brings us to Taylor, the newest face in the backfield.

He cannot run the ball 21 times per week (like he did in week three against Atlanta) every week, but he can take the ball from Brady 10-12 times per game, and offer the best chance to grind out four or five yards every time he touches the ball.

Taking some of the carries out of the hands of Maroney and Morris a little bit also isn’t the worst thing in the world, as it will give them more time to rest up, hopefully preventing them from succumbing to further injuries.

Given the current state of the New England offense, with Brady still working his way back  from a knee injury and the passing game seeming a bit out of sync at the moment, a consistent, tough running game will be crucial to this offense if the Patriots want to go far.

By adding Taylor to the mix, New England has given itself a chance to produce that type of rushing attack.

He very well may be the best back in the group, and simply by being on the field he can raise the effectiveness of all the other backs around him, as they will all stay fresh and will, hopefully, be able to avoid injuries, allowing them to consistently remain on the field.

With so much potential for success, it is hard not to like Belichick’s signing of Taylor.

However, the proof is in the pudding, so we must ask what has Taylor done for the Patriots so far this season?

Up until their week three showdown with the Falcons, New England had not run the ball much at all, relying on Brady throwing the ball close to 50 times a week to power the offense.

With that in mind, it is a little difficult to fully grasp what Taylor’s true role will be going forward. However, we have been given a sampling of what Taylor can bring to the table.

After struggling in week one against Buffalo, the other team that was looking for Taylor’s services, Taylor was very effective in limited action against the New York Jets defense in week two.

He only rushed for 46 total yards, but it was only on eight attempts (that’s a 5.75 yards per rush average), and he looked effective when he was given the opportunity to run the ball. Had Taylor and his crew been given more of an opportunity to run the ball against the Jets, it is hard to believe that the offense would not have experienced more success than nine-point effort it put out against the Jets.

Taylor’s coming out party came about last weekend, when Atlanta rolled into town. In the first half, Maroney got hurt, thrusting Taylor into the feature back role.

How did he respond?

On 21 rushes, Taylor was able to amass 105 yards (5 yards per rush) and scored a touchdown, his second of the season (his first came against the Bills in week one).

Granted, the Atlanta defense is not exactly all world. They have their issues and were a decent, middle of the road defense coming into their game with the Patriots.

However, it is important to recognize that Taylor carried the offense on his back for a majority of the game last week. Don’t expect him to continue in the feature back role (as he’ll get worn out due to his age, as mentioned earlier), but it simply proves that Taylor still has what it takes to be a highly effective back in this league.

In an ideal situation, Maroney’s injury is not serious, and he and Taylor split carries out of the backfield, with Morris acting as the fullback and Faulk coming in during his usual third down, passing situation type scenario.

That way, Taylor will still get his 10 or so carries, giving him the opportunity to be an important part of the offensive game plan.

When used properly, Taylor is the best back on the Patriots active roster, and he is definitely the best new face on the Patriots this season.

The only way to properly prove this, however, is to look at the other new faces that have come into New England in 2009 and measure their contributions so far, and what they could potentially contribute in the coming weeks as the season progresses.

So far, while there have been some highlights, none of the other new members of the Patriots can quite stand up to the contribution that Taylor has made:

Joey Galloway: He could potentially make this passing game explosive, if he actually has anything left and if he and Brady can ever get on the same page. Unfortunately, neither of these things appears to be happening, as Galloway has looked very uncomfortable, and thus, very unhelpful when on the field. He could turn it around, but it does not look promising.

Chris Baker: The tight end was brought in order to help apply some pressure to incumbent starter Ben Watson. So far, he has looked solid (especially on his touchdown reception at the end of the game against Atlanta), but he has not had a major contribution yet, and, so far, nothing has happened to suggest that Watson is no longer the top tight end.

Leigh Bodden/Shawn Springs: These two cornerbacks were brought in to help shore up the New England secondary, something that the two have done pretty well to date. Other than Taylor, these two have clearly had the most positive impact on the team amongst the new faces.

Tully Banta-Cain: Brought back after a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Banta-Cain has proven to be reliable as a pass rusher and as a reserve outside linebacker. He hasn’t had a huge impact, however, and it will be interesting to see if his role expands as the season progresses.

Brandon McGowan: Never heard of him? Well learn his name, because, like Springs and Bodden, McGowan was brought in to help shore up the secondary. Despite his lack of name recognition, McGowan has done an impressive job so far in this young season, and if he continues to improve and develop, could end up being one of the better Belichick finds…ever.

The Rookies: Several rookies, including wideout Julian Edelman, defensive tackle Myron Pryor, and safety Patrick Chung, have all made some nice contributions so far this season (especially Edelman, who has been filling in at wide receiver for the injured Wes Welker, while attempting to change positions from quarterback, his natural position in college). However, none of them have had a major impact—yet. As everybody knows, things can change quickly, and if an injury opens up an opportunity for a rookie and he performs admirably, well, then he could suddenly jump to the top of these rankings.

Granted, it is early in the season, and, based on the small sample size of New England’s offense that we do have, it is difficult to precisely identify what Taylor’s specific role on the offense will be.

However, given the current state of the New England offense and given the kind of player and person that Fred Taylor is, he has an opportunity to become a vital cog not only on the field, but in the locker room as well.

Last week, he proved his worth, essentially carrying the Patriots offense throughout their encouraging 26-10 victory over Atlanta.

If he can fulfill his potential on this team and make the most out of every opportunity given to him by his teammates and the coaching staff, then, by season’s end, Fred Taylor will be the most important and significant addition to the New England Patriots roster in 2009.

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Mangini Needs to Go: The Worst Coach Is Leading The Worst Team

He’s about as likable as a stomach ulcer.

Actually, as a Patriots fan, I’m pretty sure I enjoy the presence of my stomach ulcer more than I would enjoy his company.

There is only one man in the NFL that could be described in such a manner.

That man is Eric Mangini, head coach of the Cleveland Browns, who currently hold the title in many people’s minds as the worst team in the NFL.

Right now, everything about the Browns is messed up. Their offense is putrid and their defense is absent.

And the guy Cleveland hired to turn all this around is the worst head coach in the NFL.

Going into the season, the Browns needed a guy that could connect with the players and fans, a guy that could revolutionize their organization.

Granted, there isn’t a ton of talent to work with in Cleveland, but the team has a great fan base, and there are some players that, if in the correct situation, could contribute or develop into solid NFL players.

Unfortunately, the Browns front office elected to bring in a Bill Belichick disciple who is about as huggable as an Arizona cactus to lead the team.

As a Patriots fan, I will fully admit that Bill Belichick to an outsider has a likability factor that sits somewhere in between the aforementioned stomach ulcer and a kidney stone.

However, at least Belichick can coach.

Mangini cannot, and after watching the debacle in New York last season and his start with the Browns in 2009, it is becoming evident that Eric Mangini is the worst coach in the NFL.

For starters, when will people realize that, in New England, the coaching tree starts and stops with the man at the top, Bill Belichick?

In theory, the Browns should know this better than anybody else, as they hired another Belichick disciple, Romeo Crennel, to try and right the ship several years ago.

Other than an anomaly of a 10-6 season, the Crennel-led Browns did nothing.

The other Belichick understudies who have moved on to claim head coaching jobs are Charlie Weis and Josh McDaniels.

At Notre Dame, Weis has never really gained any traction. They look solid so far this season, but it has taken Weis an awful long time to reach the point of respectability. Plus, who knows? The Fighting Irish could be a joke in a month.

While it is too early to fairly judge his tenure as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Josh McDaniels’ tenure in Denver hasn’t exactly gotten off to a stellar start either.

Granted they are 3-0 so far on the young season. But it’s a lackluster 3-0, with wins over Oakland, Cleveland, and another lucky one against Cincinnati. Throw in the drama with now ex-Bronco Jay Cutler and current wide receiver Brandon Marshall, and McDaniels’ first few months out there in the Rockies haven’t exactly been anything to write home about.

The biggest knock on Tom Brady has been that he’s simply a product of the Belichick designed system, that if he were to go to some other team, his numbers and success wouldn’t be even close to what it is New England.

For the most part, that assumption has been correct. Matt Cassel stepped in played well last season after not starting a football game since high school, and many players that leave New England never really live up to the expectations that they created for themselves while playing in New England.

What I never hear anyone bring up is, couldn’t all these coaches be a product of the Belichick system as well?

Perhaps Belichick has created such a great system that these coaches coming in and out of New England are simply products of his design. If this rule applies to players, why not coaches?

Mangini, so far, is just another failed product of that intricate and elaborate system.

Unfortunately, it seems like, ever since he left the nest in Foxborough, Mangini has tried to replicate Belichick’s system, and has tried to be Belichick.

There’s just one problem with that.

He’s not as good as Belichick.

While not exactly the same, it appears as if Mangini generally likes to run similar defenses to Belichick’s in New England. He also tries to be tight lipped and conservative at press conferences.

The problem with emulating Belichick’s approach at the podium is that, unless you are winning, the media and the fans aren’t going to put up with it.

Admittedly, Belichick drives even the most supportive New England fans mad at some points. However, they are all willing to accept it because, in the end, they all know that Belichick is the coach you want manning the helm of your team. He has three Super Bowl rings to prove it.

Mangini has a single trip to the Wild Card round, where, ironically, he lost to Belichick in Foxborough.

Eric Mangini needs to develop his own personality and his own style of coaching if he wants to be successful.

He can take Belichick’s defensive philosophy if he wants. He can take Belichick’s approach with the media as well. After all, they can’t be bad philosophies if they won three championships.

However, Mangini has gone overboard. He has no unique personality of his own, nothing to distinguish himself (other than the fact his record is awful and Belichick’s is not) from Belichick.

There are a couple problems with trying to imitate another coach.

One, you can never, no matter how hard you try, perfectly imitate another person. And that goes for everybody on the planet, not just football coaches.

People are unique for a reason. He shouldn’t run around trying to be like Belichick, all it leads to are the never-ending comparisons.

And that’s the other problem.

Granted, Mangini will always be compared to Belichick for the simple fact that he came from Belichick, that he was his understudy before becoming his own head coach.

Those will always be there, but if Mangini constantly tries to be exactly like Belichick and fails to live up to Belichick’s accomplishments, the only thing people are going to say about Mangini is that he is a bust, that Belichick is responsible for any success that Mangini ever had.

He needs to be his own coach, develop his own approach, if not for the reasons listed above than for the plainly obvious one that what he is doing right now is simply not working.

And it’s not like there’s a lack of proof to back that statement up.

In New York last season as head coach of the Jets, Mangini was gift-wrapped a playoff team. The Jets front office brought in guys like Calvin Pace, Damien Woody, and, of course, Brett Favre.

They also had on the roster already Thomas Jones, Laverneus Coles, and a solid defensive core.

All he had to do was let them play and not screw anything up. He didn’t have to do anything revolutionary or groundbreaking to bring this team together to form a playoff team.

He proved that throughout the first 11 weeks, when the Jets went 8-3, knocked off the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans, and were the trendy pick to go to the Super Bowl.

Too bad they finished 9-7 and third in the AFC East.

Mangini couldn’t hold the team together, and many of the players just couldn’t get along with or trust their head coach.

That doesn’t even get into the slew of poor decisions he seems to make over and over again. Fortunately, for the fate of this article, Mangini has provided plenty such examples during his time in Cleveland so far.

For starters he has assembled one of the worst offenses in recent memory. The product on the field is simply abysmal.

Their offensive line is sub par, their running back is way past his prime, they don’t have a reliable receiving threat, and the team doesn’t have a true leader at the most important position on the field.

For the most part, this is almost all Mangini’s fault.

For starters, Mangini could never seem to make up his mind throughout the preseason who his top quarterback was going to be. Instead of supporting either Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn, Mangini created a phony quarterback competition, one that stretched almost to the beginning of the regular season, when he picked the guy that pretty much everybody else knew was going to be selected for the job anyway.

By doing this, Mangini essentially denied his team the opportunity to develop chemistry and a sense of comfort with their leader. It is difficult for a football team to be successful when it has no idea who is going to be its leader.

Training camp is for selecting who will be starting at all positions, and then the four preseason games are for the players who have been selected to start to gel and get comfortable with one another.

In Cleveland’s case, they didn’t have a starter in the preseason, so instead of coming together then, they are trying to do it now.

The problem?

The games count right now. The beauty of the preseason is that the games don’t count, so it’s OK if a team is trying to iron out some of the wrinkles.

In Cleveland, Mangini and Co. are still trying to iron out a pretty darn big wrinkle, and they are losing games while they are trying to sort all of this out.

Now, it seems as if Mangini is unhappy with his quarterback. This makes his quarterback competition even worse. The only quarterback situation in the league that was worse than the fiasco that Mangini orchestrated in Cleveland was the relationship between McDaniels and his now ex-quarterback Jay Cutler.

Prior to the beginning of the season, Mangini had said that he wanted the Browns to employ an offense that featured a strong running game and a selective, conservative passing attack.

You can debate all day whether Mangini’s offensive philosophy is a good one or not, but the most egregious error here is that Mangini didn’t give his offense the necessary personnel to run such an offensive attack.

An offensive unit needs a few things to run such an offense:

1. A rock solid offensive line;
2. A dependable running back that can churn out tough yardage;
3. An efficient quarterback; and
4. A reliable receiver/tight end that has dependable hands.

In its current state, Cleveland has none of those things.

Reports out of Cleveland are that the offensive line is worse off than it was before Mangini got there and meddled with it.

As for the running back situation, they are relying on Jamal Lewis, who is way past his prime. He would still be OK in a platoon and if he were the secondary back. He just can’t be that primary guy anymore.

The quarterback situation is Mangini’s fault entirely. Neither Quinn nor Edwards have any idea who is the actual number one and neither one in all likelihood really knows what is expected of them when they take the field.

As for that receiving threat, to run the offense the Browns are trying to run, the top receiving threat should probably be more of a possession guy who has reliable hands, can go across the middle, and can fight for extra yards.

Cleveland had a guy like that. His name was Kellen Winslow.

Too bad he’s currently in Tampa.

Instead, the Browns’ primary receiving threat is a moody wideout that has cinder blocks for hands named Braylon Edwards. On top of this, Edwards is more suited for streaking down the sideline and making a big play, which, in theory, goes against Mangini’s desired philosophy.

Granted, Winslow had his off-field issues, and he was by no means a saint.

However, Winslow was at least a reliable target that Quinn or Edwards could always look for to make the catch and get a decent chunk of yards. At least he fit the job description.

It would have been more difficult to do, but if Mangini really wanted to trade someone on the offensive side of the ball, he should have shipped Edwards out of town first.

What Mangini should have done this offseason is add a couple supplemental pieces to the offensive line rather than try to drastically alter it, either draft a feature back or create a solid running back tandem through free agency, traded Edwards instead of Winslow (or, better yet, just left that whole situation alone), and, most importantly, picked a quarterback prior to the very start of the season.

On top of his poor personnel decisions, it appears as if Mangini is still just as unlikeable in Cleveland as he was in New York.

His latest example came last week when he fined a player $1,701 dollars for a three dollar bottle of water the player didn’t pay for at the hotel front desk.

Make the player fork over the $3 and then make him run a couple extra sprints following practice on Tuesday. But fining him $1,701?

That is a textbook way to alienate your players.

Throw in the other instances where Mangini has alienated players (such as busing his players to New York to work at his football camp for free) and it certainly looks like he will be light when it comes to friends in Cleveland.

To date, Eric Mangini has done almost nothing right in Cleveland.

Because of his decisions and his unforgiving personality, the Browns are 0-3 and are quite possibly the worst team in the NFL.

It will take a long time for the Browns to get back on top of their division (heck, it’ll take a lot for them to get back to .500), and to get there, the ownership will likely have to blow the team up and start from scratch.

They should probably start by looking at Mangini.

And firing him.

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Week Three Preview: Atlanta Falcons (2-0) at New England Patriots (1-1)

The Vitals:

Total Offense:

The New England Patriots are ninth in the NFL, with 370 ypg. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are currently 18th, posting 326 ypg.

Passing YPG:

The Patriots are in the top five when it comes to passing yards, averaging 292 yards passing per game, good enough for fourth in the league. The Falcons are ranked 17th overall, posting 216.5 yards passing per game.

Rushing YPG:

This has been an area of weakness for the Pats, and it shows in the rankings, where they are sitting at 26th in the league, averaging 78 rushing yards per contest. The Falcons have been solid so far this season, averaging 109.5 rushing yards per game, good enough for 16th in the league.

Total Defense:

New England’s defense has been surprisingly stingy so far this season, yielding only 265 yards per game (third overall). Coming in at 22nd in the league, the Falcons allow 349.5 yards per game when they’re on defense.

Points Per Game:

The Patriots are currently ranked 22nd overall, posting 17 points per game. The Atlanta Falcons have fared better so far this season, putting up 23.5 points per game, which has them at ninth overall.

Patriots Keys to the Game:

Establish a Running Game: The New England Patriots have been throwing the ball close to 50 times a game so far this season. In order to have a successful offense, the attack needs to be more balanced, especially with Brady struggling to get his rhythm back.

This would be the week to do it, as the receiving corps is gimpy at the moment, and, unlike Buffalo and New York, Atlanta does not have a Top 10 rushing defense, allowing 120 yards on the ground per game (19th overall).

Continue the Solid Defense: So far this season, Patriots have had more to worry about offensively than defensively. Even without stud linebacker Jerod Mayo manning the middle of the field, the Patriots defense is still ranked third in the league in yards allowed, and 15th in points allowed. This unit has been solid so far this season, and it needs to contain Matt Ryan and company if New England hopes to snag its second victory.

No More Injuries: Even though a Bill Belichick injury report essentially means nothing (he is notorious for being overly cautious—Brady has been on the injury report every game for four years with an elbow problem), it is clear that the Pats don’t need any more injuries.

Receivers Wes Welker and Randy Moss are a little banged up, linebacker Mayo is out for an extended period of time, and the Pats have a couple other injuries out there as well. While they are not in a dire situation yet, one more injury on either side of the ball could cause major problems.

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Patriot Games: Is New England’s Most Important Weapon Wes Welker or Randy Moss?

Since 2007, whether the title has been warranted or not, the New England Patriots offense has been declared one of, if not the, most prolific offensive units in the NFL.

And ever since the recognition came about, Patriots fans and others alike have always asked the question: Who’s more important to the offense, Randy Moss, the prolific deep threat, or Wes Welker, the under-appreciated slot man that can turn a five-yard catch into a 12-yard gain with regularity?

Both Moss and Welker were acquired by Bill Belichick prior to the 2007 season. Moss came to New England in a trade with Oakland, and Welker was shipped north from Miami in a trade as well.

So far, both have proved to be invaluable to the New England offense, with Moss providing the awe-inspiring fireworks, and Welker acting as the reliable safety valve that quarterbacks Tom Brady and Matt Cassel (who filled in for Brady in 2008 when the star QB went down with a season ending knee injury in Week One) can consistently rely on.

In short, they are both critical to the overall success and production of the New England offense.

But who’s more important?

Before any argument is laid out for either player, it is important to recognize that neither one would be experiencing the success that they have had in New England if it wasn’t for their counterpart.

If Welker remained in South Florida, Moss would be consistently double teamed over the top, reducing his number of opportunities to catch deep balls. In 2007, he likely wouldn’t have set the NFL single-season record for touchdown receptions.

Likewise, if Moss was still stuck in Oakland, Welker would likely still be an average slot receiver. Moss spreads the field, drawing defenders deep with him, as the defense always has to be concerned about the deep ball that Moss generally catches so well.

This opens up the middle of the field for Welker to roam around, and provides him with a lot of single coverage by linebackers and nickel backs, matchups that he can usually exploit.

Because of this, some people may deem this argument one that is nearly impossible to sort out, as these two players essentially need one another.

However, based on the offensive production the Patriots have had the past couple of weeks, it has become clearer which one of these talented receivers has more of an impact on the offense.

The slot man, Wes Welker, has proved that he is indeed the most important offensive weapon on the field for Brady to throw to.

Ironically, Welker, who has been hobbled by a knee injury so far this season and missed the Week Two showdown with the New York Jets, didn’t even have to be on the field to make his case. His absence from the field last week exposed just how much Brady and the Patriots offense need his presence to succeed.

Moss will always have more highlights, touchdowns, and total yardage than Welker. That’s just the nature of Moss’ job description. Primarily, Moss needs to get downfield, create matchup problems for the defense, and catch deep balls, using his speed and jumping ability to snag balls out of the sky.

This is very important to the offense. Moss, when he is healthy and going at full speed, is a nightmare for defenses to game plan for, as he is very difficult to defend one on one (although Darrell Revis this past week proved that it is not impossible).

However, without Welker, the New England offense just doesn’t click.

This fact was on display during Week Two against the Jets, as Brady struggled mightily to connect with his receivers on multiple occasions, mostly due to the Jets pass rush and some timing issues that Brady is currently experiencing due to a combination of him recovering from his knee injury and trying to acclimate himself with several new receivers.

When a play breaks down, Welker is the guy that Brady immediately looks to for a bail-out.

This past week, Brady did not have that bail out. Granted, for a rookie who is trying to learn a new position, wideout Julian Edelman played well in his first regular season NFL game. But it was still clear that Brady needed Welker. The timing with Edelman just isn’t there yet.

One area of concern with the Patriots’ offense lies on the offensive line, where tackles Nick Kaczur and Matt Light routinely struggle with speed rushers off the edge and speedy linebackers blitzing from the outside.

The Jets brought some heavy pressure throughout the game last week, and they were getting to Brady.

When an issue like this occurs, Welker becomes even more indispensable.

When Brady doesn’t have time to stand in the pocket and wait for Moss or Joey Galloway (another receiver he seems to be having difficulty getting in sync with) to get down field and get open, he will immediately look for Welker.

Without Welker in the fold last week, and with a talented yet very inexperienced receiver acting in his place, Brady was forced to rush throws countless times. Edelman performed well, snagging eight balls for 98 yards.

However, had Welker been in the game and playing at full speed, those numbers for the slot receiver likely would have been higher.

Welker’s value to the offense was also on display last season, after Brady went down with that knee injury and the inexperienced and raw Cassel was forced to step in and play for Brady immediately.

Cassel, a quarterback who had not started a game since his senior year in high school, needed as much help as he could get, particularly in the beginning of the season when he was trying to get acclimated to the offense and the speed of an NFL game.

For a majority of the first half of the season, it was clear who Cassel trusted most and relied on to move the ball down the field.

Through his first 11 games in the 2008 season, Welker recorded at least six receptions, which broke Jimmy Smith’s record of eight games with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2001. Through Week Eight, he was averaging seven receptions per game.

Cassel could have looked Moss’ way on multiple occasions, however, it was clear that Welker was his safety valve and Cassel was looking Welker’s way on most plays, particularly early in the season, when he needed the most help.

As the season progressed, Cassel continued to grow in the offense, and Moss began to get more touches as Cassel became more comfortable throwing the deep ball. However, Welker still got his touches.

Again, this is not to say that Welker is more talented than Moss. There are few players that are as physically gifted as Randy Moss. In addition, Welker would probably not be able to have the impact that he has had without Moss stretching the field.

However, when push comes to shove and the Patriots need a quick reception to get a first down or to avoid a sack, which receiver does quarterback Tom Brady look for?

It’s not Moss, despite his immense talent.

Without Welker, the New England Patriots offense sputters. It was on clear display this past week, and if Welker is not able to shake his knee issues, Patriots fans everywhere should be concerned about the state of New England’s offense and its ability to put points up on the board.

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2009 New England Patriots: What Can We Really Expect?

Two weeks into the season and Patriots Nation is already up in arms, distressed, and befuddled about the lack of consistency and results coming from the New England Patriots.

After an entire offseason where the press proclaimed the Patriots as one of the top three teams in the league and many pundits envisioned the Patriots representing the AFC in the Super Bowl, expectations for the 2009 season were high—very high.

However, two weeks into the season, the Patriots are 1-1 following a difficult loss to division rival New York in Week Two. The argument can be made that the Pats are actually an 0-2 team, as New England had to rely on another epic Tom Brady comeback to down the lowly Buffalo Bills by a mere point.

Given the events of the past couple weeks, one thing is clear: The expectations Patriots fans had going into the season need to be toned down, at least for now.

That’s the easy part to recognize. The harder part to identify is why, with so much talent and a likely Hall of Fame coach at the helm, are the Patriots floundering?

The easy answer is that the defense isn’t good and that the offense is under-performing. But that’s too general. There are numerous problems on both sides of the ball, some of which can be addressed in practice, while others cannot, and need to be ironed out through time.

Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball. For anyone who watches the Pats closely and has seen their Super Bowl teams, it is easy to tell that the talent level on the defensive side of the ball has gone way down since their last Super Bowl win.

Defensive stalwarts such as Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, and Ty Law have been replaced by guys like Gary Guyton, James Sanders, Jarvis Green, and Leigh Bodden.

Now I am not saying that these guys are poor players. In fact, Guyton has impressed so far in his young career, Sanders has proven to be serviceable, and Bodden is a talented cornerback that was unfortunately marooned in the wasteland that is Detroit.

However, when stacked up side by side with the players that they are replacing, it simply is not that impressive. In addition to the decline in talent, the leadership that Vrabel, Bruschi, and Harrison brought to this team has so far not been replicated by the youngsters.

Maybe someday Guyton and Sanders will turn into tenured, defensive leaders. But right now, on this 2009 Patriots squad, the defense lacks the necessary leadership from its young players to be effective come crunch time.

Throw in the loss of Jerod Mayo, the Patriots young stud linebacker and signal caller, and the defense suddenly is terribly thin at most positions on the field.

Offensively, the Patriots have not proven to be the offensive juggernaut that so many experts predicted they would be. This unit was supposed to be the bread and butter of the team, but so far, the offense has sputtered.

For starters, it is unfair for anyone to expect quarterback Tom Brady to be 100 percent back from the devastating knee injury he suffered last season. Sure, his ligaments may be healed and back together, but is his confidence back?

Most players when recovering from major injuries like Brady’s take two full years to return to their true form. Year one is spent repairing the physical damage, but it will still take most players another full year or so to fully regain their confidence and swagger.

This does not mean that Brady’s days as an elite quarterback are done. Carson Palmer, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, went through the same process when he was recovering from his knee injury several years ago.

Right now, like Palmer, Brady is trying to regain his confidence, and you can see his hesitancy when he makes throws under pressure.

Secondly, the Patriots seem to be running an incredibly unbalanced attack, relying almost exclusively on the pass. With a running back corps featuring Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, and Kevin Faulk, there is more than enough firepower in the backfield to produce a solid rushing attack.

There are some comments out there about the offensive line and how they are totally focusing on protecting Brady’s knee and how it must be difficult for them to rapidly switch back and forth between heavy pass protections and run blocking.

This shouldn’t be a problem. Switching back and forth between run blocking and pass protection is part of the job description for these professionals, no matter how difficult it is. Also, it could help protect Brady, as he won’t consistently face blitzes and a pass rush.

Sooner or later, the Patriots are going to need to start running the ball if the offense is going to be successful.

Another problem is the timing in the passing game, which seems to be off so far this season.

One big problem that some people seem to be overlooking is the absence of wide receiver Wes Welker from the lineup. While Randy Moss may be the fireworks for this offense, Welker has caught over 200 passes the past two seasons, and he has proven to be the glue that holds the Patriots offense together.

In addition to Welker not being 100 percent so far this entire season (and dating back through the entire preseason as well), Brady is trying to establish chemistry with two new receivers as well—Joey Galloway and rookie Julian Edelman, the latter of which has been converted from quarterback since he joined the Patriots in training camp.

Chemistry between a quarterback and a wideout is not something that comes easy. It takes time. Plus, the New England offense is a complicated one. It takes time to learn and comprehend.

It may take Brady and his new receivers several weeks to establish the chemistry the fans are used to seeing, and that process could be extended if Galloway and Edelman continue to have difficulties absorbing the offensive playbook.

There are many issues with the 2009 version of the New England Patriots, and the concerns listed above are just some of them. So far, they have proven to be an issue for the Pats, as the team struggled to a Week One win, and then looked totally ineffective in Week Two.

However, Patriots Nation should resist the urge to jump off the Zakim Bridge in downtown Boston. Remember back in 2003, when the Pats opened up against the Bills and lost 31-0? Remember where the Patriots were at the end of the season?

By no means am I guaranteeing that the Pats will rebound spectacularly, finish 14-2, and win the Super Bowl. Is that the goal? Sure. But the Patriots are missing the necessary leadership, defensive intensity, and the coherent offense necessary to make such a turnaround.

Bill Belichick and his coaching staff have the ability to turn this thing around. Despite the early struggles, there is plenty of talent in Foxboro. All the kinks just need to be smoothed out in practice. However, given New England’s current state, it may be a little too much too ask for that 13-3 or 14-2 record and another Super Bowl berth.

So what can we really expect from the Pats in 2009? Let’s say a record of 11-5 and an exit from the playoffs in either the divisional round or the AFC Championship game.

But we’ll see…when Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are on the same team together, anything is possible.

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Where Did The Good Guys Go? Tedy Bruschi Was Last of a Dwindling Breed

Terrell Owens. Pacman Jones. Michael Vick. Donte Stallworth. Chad Ochocinco. What do all these players have in common?

Well, there are actually two things. For one, they are some of the NFL’s biggest and most recognizable names. Secondly, all of these players carry significant baggage.

For those who are unaware, “baggage” denotes that a player brings negative characteristics to a clubhouse. Owens is notorious for tearing apart locker rooms. Ochocinco is the poster child for prima donnas. Jones, Vick, and Stallworth have all been convicted of heinous crimes and have seen the inside of a jail cell at least once.

The NFL is an elite group. Some of the finest athletes in the world are paid an average salary of $1.25 million a year to play a game. Unfortunately, a number of these players abuse their fortunes.

In the 2008 calendar year, 58 NFL players were arrested for crimes ranging from DUI to manslaughter. This number does not include the other players commissioner Roger Goodell suspended for violations not resulting in arrests and the players such as Owens who simply carry a “holier than thou” attitude.

Even though it may not be reality, it feels like the NFL has more criminals and malcontents across its 32 rosters than not.

It’s a sad day when we as fans need to search for the good guys in the game and struggle to find role models amongst over 1,500 players. As some of the most publicized people in the world, one would hope these individuals would hold themselves to a higher standard.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. It seems like there are fewer and fewer role models to look up to in today’s NFL. On Aug. 31, the NFL lost one of its true good guys to retirement. He wasn’t the most popular player or the most widely known. He won’t get into the Hall of Fame, and he only made one Pro Bowl.

However, if one takes into account this man’s body of work, his perseverance, and his character, it is clear that he was one of the finer players to step on an NFL field in recent memory.

Now ex-New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi called it quits following 13 seasons in the NFL. He experienced many highs throughout his career, but he also persevered through struggles and a near death experience.

Bruschi came into the league in 1996. At the University of Arizona, he set the NCAA record for sacks as a defensive end. Despite his impressive resume, Patriots head coach Bill Parcells began a project in training camp that season to convert Bruschi into a linebacker.

Numerous NFL players would throw a hissy fit at the thought of enduring the growing pains that come with changing positions. However, Bruschi elected not to gripe about his situation and instead chose to work hard. As a result of his efforts, he was able to put together a 13-year career that has placed him amongst the greatest Patriots linebackers in the franchise’s history.

Bruschi was a member of three Super Bowl Champion squads. He was widely considered to be the heart and soul of the Patriots defense in all three victories. While the Patriots are seen these days as an offensive juggernaut, it was their defense that netted them their three titles in 2001, 2003, and 2004. He wasn’t flashy; he just did his job and helped his teammates even when the situation looked dire.

For all his accomplishments on the turf, his greatest accomplishment may have come following Super Bowl XXXIX, when the Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. It was this challenge that proved his true toughness and earned him the most respect from his teammates and the fans.

Just a few short days following his first Pro Bowl appearance, Bruschi collapsed in his home. He was rushed to Mass. General Hospital in Boston and was diagnosed as having had a stroke.

For many people, a stroke can mean the end of the line. A stroke can knock out even the toughest people. Some people give up, refuse to fight it, believe that all is lost, that they will never return to normal. Nobody would have blamed Bruschi for retiring from football following his devastating diagnosis.

But Bruschi is different. Not only did he bounce back, but he was back on the football field the next season. And it wasn’t in a reserve role where he rode the bench most of the year, he started most of the games after he returned and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

He did it without much fanfare or press. His journey from a stroke back to the playing field epitomized Bruschi.

Tedy Bruschi always gave it his all. Whether it was fighting a stroke, playing for a Super Bowl, or mentoring young players that would someday take his place, Bruschi put forward a 100% effort every single time.

Teammate and second-year Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo said that Bruschi “took me under his wing when I first got here. He told me then one day he would pass the torch on to me and the rest of the team.”

Former teammate and now Kansas City linebacker Mike Vrabel said that “if you know Tedy and know where he came from and know how he was raised, and know what he played in college, and once he had his transformation into the NFL, you realized he was giving you everything he had.”

Perhaps the best description of Bruschi came from his head coach, Bill Belichick. Belichick has coached countless players, has established himself as one of the greatest coaches to ever patrol an NFL sideline, and almost never displays emotion or doles out glowing praise to his players.

However, at Bruschi’s retirement press conference, Belichick became emotional and doled out the glowing praise that we almost never see: “I guess, if you ask me to sum up how I feel about Tedy Bruschi in five seconds … he’s the perfect player …The torch has been passed, and we’ll try to carry it on. It’s a high standard … I’m proud of everything he did.”

In an era where there are fewer and fewer role models for the average fan to look up to, Bruschi was among the best. He never complained, always worked hard, and was willing to do his job.

He is someone that we can all look up to. We will all miss him, as the NFL lost one of its greatest on-field ambassadors last month.

Bruschi did many great things throughout his career, and he will continue to do many great things the rest of his life.

You can use any number of positive adjectives to describe him, but Bruschi probably summed it all up the best at his press conference:

“When you come in this facility there’s a sign … there’s one part of it that’s important … It says, ‘Do your job.’ Do your job. Well, I did my job for thirteen years and now my job is done. My job’s done … I’m looking forward to living the rest of my life, I really am. Thanks.”

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