Sorry for no picks this past week, but I was out of town. Then the Sean Taylor news hit, and I was so bummed out, I really couldn't even think about football. One of the joys of being a fan is watching a new kid join your team and develop into a player. There are the inevitable ups and downs, but once in a while you just know a guy will be special. With Sean Taylor, everybody knew he would be special. Even if he hadn't been a first team All-American at the U as a sophomore, you would have known the first time you saw him step on a football field. He had the size of a linebacker and the speed of a corner. He had great hands, but he lived for contact. He was an All Pro, but he played special teams and would often be the first guy to hit the wedge. If a ball was on the ground, he had an almost magical ability to somehow end up with it. He could have played any position on either side of the ball except for interior line. He was a star RB in high school, and the Redskins used him at receiver until the defensive coaches made a stink and insisted it stop. He had 5 INTs this year when he went down with an injury two games ago. Sean joined the Redskins as a 20 year old. He had a scrape with the law after some punks stole a couple of ATV's from his house and he beat one of them up and pulled a gun on them. Of course the police went after him, not the thiefs. The prosecutor was later forced off the case when it became public that he was using it to try to build up his second job as a DJ. Strange but true. Coach Gibbs, a committed Christian, said that Sean had become a regular at chapel services at Redskins Park. He had become a father and by all accounts had redirected his life. I know Sean Taylor was far from perfect. If he wasn't a famous player, few would have even noticed his death. I'm not a person who idolizes athletes, but I was devastated by his death and truthfully, I'm still not over it. Few Redskins fans are.
We discussed this before, as i recall, and agreed that keeping DA was a no brainer. If they let him go and Brady was a flameout, the fans would never let them forget it, particularly if DA hit it big somewhere else. Of course, people will say the Bengals put a very good QB, Jon Kitna, on the bench in favor of Carson Palmer, who had never taken a snap. But would the Bengals had been better off if they had used that pick on someone else? Or if they had traded Palmer? The problem with a lot of options is the cap. Once you give a guy a big bonus, it is hard to trade him for several years, because if you do, you get a one year cap hit for the rest of his bonus. That is something most teams can't handle. So it looks to me like you're stuck with Quinn for a couple of years. Of course, a team could make an offer for DA that would be painful to match, particularly if they had cap space. Either way, you're going to be paying starter's money to two QBs. Here's another option. They could franchise DA, and pay him a big one year deal to give them another year to decide if he is really a bigtime QB or just had a lucky season. I didn't see him play much, but when I did, I saw a lot of incredible catches and throws that went between defenders, Favre-style. Turn those catches into drops and those risky throws into INTs, and the fans are clamoring for Brady.
Most fucked up game I've ever seen. The pats are given the game. Not sure what the refs were thinking.
Yeah, of course it was the refs fault. It had nothing to do with Boller throwing a bad interception at a crucial point, nor the Ravens defensive coordinator calling a bad timeout at a crucial point, or the Ravens offense suddenly not being able to move the ball in the 4th Q, or the Ravens defense being unable to stop Pats on 4th downs (unless by fouling) etc.....
All that stuff is obviously true BUT that doesn't excuse the fact that when the game was on the line and it REALLY mattered the refs fell short. That last TD was in no way shape or form a TD. Nobody could say he had possession of that ball. The interference or holding call (cant remember) on 4th down was also questionable at best. Should have been a no call. Steve Young even said that was a BS call. I think he knows what he's talking about. The bottom line is the refs we ssssccccarrred to ruin the pats pretty little perfect season.
"New Patriots Rules in Effect In order to address the complaints and hurt feelings of the rest of the NFL, the commissioner has adopted 10 new "Special Rules" for all New England Patriots games. They take effect immediately, and are as follows: 1) In the course of an NFL game, if the Patriots go up by more than 31 points, they are not allowed to play offense until the opposing team draws to within one score. (Pats will kick-off after an opposing team's touchdown or FG). Once the team is within one score, the Pats offense may play, but Tom Brady may not, unless: the Pats play with 8 players (including Tom), or the Pats play with 9 players, but 1 player for the Patriots is chosen by the opposing team from the stands. No Patriots linebacker is allowed to play offense, unless that LB is inserted at quarterback. However, Mike Vrabel cannot be quarterback. 2) If an opposing player states "It's like were playing 7-on-5s" (7 offense, 5 defense during practice), such as indicated by Justin Smith, DE, Cincinnati Bengals 10/1/07, the Patriots must take a time out and serve ice cold lemonade or hot tea (weather dependent) to the opposing team. Scones are optional. 3) Once the 31 pt rule is in effect, Patriots may challenge any play, but the opposing team gets veto power over the referee. 4) Once the Pats offense is allowed back onto the field (7 pts), for any forward pass the Pats QB must point to the receiver and call out his number BEFORE passing. If Tom Brady is quarterbacking at the time, he must do that, plus turn the opposing team's water cooler into wine BEFORE passing. 5) Belichick must diagram any Patriots play to the opposing defense and ensure they understand exactly how to disrupt the play. This all must be done within the play clock. If this process is not complete prior to the play clock expiring, the Patriots will be assessed a delay of game and double unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. 6) Randy Moss must play with 10lb ankle weights on each ankle. An additional pound will be added for each TD this season. 7) Wes Welker is not allowed to have "that crazy look" in his eyes. 10 yd, "crazy eyesâ penalty assessed. 8 Tom Brady must immediately stop dating supermodels as he will not be allowed to date anyone that is more attractive then the least attractive significant other of an opposing team member (including coaches). He also must start doing commercials for every product imaginable, especially ones where he chants "cut that meat!â or refers to himself "as a 6'5" quarterback with a laser-rocket arm" 9) Bill Belichick is not allowed to be within 100 yds of any infant, for fear that his evil super genius powers would assimilate such a defenseless creature into the Patriots System. We have already seen this effect on an inordinate amount of chipmunks, squirrels, and 'possum that commit suicide while crossing Rte 1 to reach Gillette Stadium. 10) Patriots must respect all opposing playersâ feelings and apologize for every first down. Touchdowns must be followed by a written apology and a fruit basket presented with a hug."
Atta boy Mac - pour it on. They'll hate us no matter what happpens this year. Can't remember if I posted this above or not -- how in the name of God did the Vikes get that all time season point record of 565 years ago? Pats can't do that.