The Pats are Super Bowl Bound!!

My superstitious sports fan self won't let me say much more than HOLY CRAP, the Patriots are headed to Arizona and the friggin' Super Bowl!!!

Who could've predicted this turn of events after week four and that 41-14 lambasting they suffered at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs? The Pats were 2-2 and sports reporters and talk show hosts were calling for the end of Tom Brady. He was washed up. He sucked. He was too old and he needed to retire.

Bwaaaaaaaaahahahaha!!!

Tom doesn't like to be told he can't do something. So what did he do? Meh, not much. Just a 10-2 record for the rest of the season including seven straight wins after the loss to KC. And the #1 seed in the AFC. Yup. Then there was that thrilling come from behind win to beat the Ravens in the Divisional round. Oh and just a little bit of a trouncing of the Colts for the AFC title.

It's going to be a long two weeks, my Patriots fan friends.

Day 297: Super Bowl Sunday Snow? I Hope So!

For the first time ever, the Super Bowl will be played outdoors in a cold weather city. A week from Sunday, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will meet at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In case you're not up on the current weather, MetLife is currently buried under over a foot of snow after the most recent winter storm.

There has been much speculation whether or not the NFL was smart to plan the Super Bowl for an area that could easily be engulfed in a blizzard, making it difficult for both fans and players to make it to the stadium. If the players can't get there, that makes playing the game rather hard. Since the 2014 Farmer's Almanac was releases late last year, there has been talk about whether or not its predictions for a major winter storm during Super Bowl weekend will hold true.

As it stands right now, 11 days before the big day, Weather.com is forecasting a high of 40 degrees with a chance of precipitation and the night time temps dropping to around 20. Doesn't sound so bad right now, but that's a week and a half away... so much can happen between now and then. And so far, the Almanac has been pretty spot on for the month of January.

Personally, I'm hoping for a snowy game. Please, please, please let it snow! The weather can play such a huge part in a football game—making it difficult to do just about everything so it makes it extra fun to watch. It's almost like the whole game is happening in slow motion with everyone slipping and sliding around. We've seen what happens to Peyton Manning when the weather goes bad and something tells me the Seahawks won't fare much better. Plus, Commissioner Roger Goodell is planning to sit outside and brave the element.

Remember week 14 and the Lions/Eagles game? I'm looking for something along those lines. Honestly, what's better than a snow angel touchdown celebration? Although Wes Welker was penalized and fined $10,000 in 2008 for doing just that... I say take the risk. It's way better than stupid dance.

Day 287: Patriots are Headed to the AFC Championship Game!

Well, that was fun! The New England Patriots are going back to the AFC Championship game after beating the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 Saturday night. The Colts put up a pretty good fight for a good portion of the game and at one point were down just six points. But the Patriots were all like, I don't think so, and put a foot to the throat of the Colts early in the fourth quarter and never let up.

If the Colts had been playing anyone else, I would've been rooting for them. I like Andrew Luck. Out of the core of good, young quarterbacks in the NFL right now, he seems to have the best head on his shoulders. He's not as cocky and mouthy as some of the others—like the two who played Sunday afternoon. With Andrew Luck at the helm, Indy is capable of of great things... but the interceptions will get ya every time. And throwing four INTs against the New England Patriots is not advised. They will make you pay.

Tom Brady didn't really factor into this game much—he went 13-for-25 with 198 passing yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He was basically on the field to keep the defense honest and mix in a passing play here and there. He did connect with Julian Edelman six times for 84 yards. The real story here is the running game. After LeGarrette Blount exploded for a career day in the final game of the regular season, I'm sure I wasn't the only one wondering if it was a fluke. Or is this guy really that good?

I think at this point in time we can say Blount is really that good after his second consecutive spectacular game. And this time, it counted just a little more. He rushed 24 times for 166 yards and four touchdowns. FOUR! His longest run was 73 yards which of course, was for one of his TDs. Normally I'm more of a high-flying passing fan but this kid is seriously fun to watch.

There was a bit of sadness over the Patriots' game on Saturday though. Remember that post I did back in October about the Foxboro teenager, Sam Berns? He's the kid battling a rare, rapid-aging disease called Progeria who had befriended Robert Kraft. Well, just a day before Sam was to serve as honorary captain for the Patriots in their playoff game against the Colts, the 17-year-old passed away.

Robert Kraft, who had a special relationship with the young man, issued a statement following Sam's death on Friday night. (Click the link to read the whole thing.)

“I loved Sam Berns and am richer for having known him. He was a special young man whose inspirational story and positive outlook on life touched my heart. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend time with him and to get to know his incredible family.”

I'm glad the Pats won this game for Sam.

Day 273: NFL Week 17... Depressed.

The end of the regular NFL season always depresses me. Sure... the Patriots will have at least one more game in the postseason, but if they screw that up, it's over. Those 17 weeks of football seem to fly by faster than any other sports season out there. Those precious 17 weeks...

Most years (present season included) week 17 can be a crazy collection of if/then scenarios for lots of teams on the postseason bubble. If this team wins and this team loses than this other team will make the playoffs but only if they win too. Or, like with the Pats, the outcome of their final week could mean either a first-round bye or a fourth seed. Thankfully, the Patriots beat the Bills 34-20 on Sunday to take the #2 seed in the AFC and earn that first-round bye.

Normally a Patriots game during the final week is pretty boring. They've usually wrapped up their spot in the playoffs and it's not even worth watching. But today... today was fun. The weather was horrific—torrential rain, puddles on the field, slippery pigskin. You couldn't have paid me enough money to sit in those stands in that weather. I was quite comfy wrapped in my blanket on the couch!

LeGarrette Blount made that last game even more fun by putting on quite a show. He rushed 24 times for an astounding (and career high) 189 yards and two touchdowns. His longest rush of the day was 36 yards. And if that wasn't impressive enough, the 250 pound running back added another 145 yards on kickoff returns. His 334 all-purpose yards set a new franchise record—and put him 12th in NFL history. Bill Belichick even said he was "the best player on the field."

Tom Brady's day was just ok—14-for-24 for 122 yards, one touchdown and a bullshit interception that wasn't his fault. But with the weather like it was, who can blame him for relying on the running game to get the job done. Good thing that running game didn't let him down! And Stephen Gostowski, who is having quite a season himself, made four field goals to add to the scoring.

So now it's on to the playoffs. With all the injuries the Patriots have had to endure this season, I don't have high hopes for much success in January. But that's how I like to handle it... if I get too cocky about the Pats' chances in the postseason (*cough*2008*cough*), I think it's bad luck. If I'm more of a glass-half-empty fan, things tend to work out a little better. Let's see if this theory holds true this time around.

Good Luck, Patriots! Kick some ass...

Day 256: In Case You Didn't Know, Peyton Manning is the Ultimate Multitasker

Peyton Manning might not be very good at playing in frigid weather conditions. And he might have trouble beating the Patriots after being staked to a 24 point lead. He might even have difficulty moving around these days due to a bit of a bum ankle. What he doesn't have a problem with is multitasking.

There's a photo floating around the internet this week of Manning soaking his foot in a cold tub, looking at an iPad while wearing his helmet. Last I checked neither foot soaking or iPad watching seem dangerous enough to have to wear a helmet. So what was Peyton doing?

The easiest thing to figure out is the foot. Everyone knows Peyton's been dealing with some ankle issues so that makes sense. So maybe he's watching a movie to pass the time? No... he's watching game film on the iPad.

And the helmet? I could see wearing a life jacket... you know, in case he falls into the pool by accident. But a helmet? Evidently, the offense was out on the field running some plays so Manning wanted to listen in on the play calling and strategizing. He was also lecturing his tight end, Julius Thomas, on the game plan and repeating the calls as they came in.

Sounds like a classic case of a brown-nosing overachiever to me. We'll see how all this multitasking helps when they take on the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night.

Day 252: Dear Patriots, Just Stop with the Nailbiters.

The New England Patriots came dangerously close to losing to the Cleveland Browns. The 4-8 CLEVELAND BROWNS! There was a point where I actually thought to myself, "holy shit, they Patriots are going to lose to this team." And I sunk deeper into the couch as time ticked off the clock and the Browns lead still stood.

But then I remembered I was watching the New England Patriots. The Patriots who come from behind, pull off impossible comebacks and beat their opponents into submission. For the fourth straight week, the Patriots trailed at halftime, again posting dismal first half numbers. Tom Brady looked like a nervous rookie with a case of the yips.

After posting a goose egg on the score board through two quarters, Brady finally found his groove and finished the game 32-for-52 for 418 yards and two touchdowns—both coming in the second half. Shane Vereen became Brady's favorite receiver connecting on 12 catches for 153 yards. He needed someone he could count on after Rob Gronkowski went down in the third quarter with a reported torn ACL and Vereen stepped up to the plate.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots had closed the deficit to 19-14 on a nearly six minute drive that ended in a field goal. The Browns answered with a score of their own on a quick three minute drive highlighted by a big pass to Josh Gordon. They were up 26-14 with just over two minutes to go in the game. The Pats needed two touchdowns to win and I wondered if even Tom Brady could bring his team back from this one.

And then again, I remembered I as watching the New England Patriots. Brady and company drove down the field in 1:38 to score on a short pass over the middle to Julian Edelman. Score: 26-21. There was a personal foul on the play giving the Patriots a kick off from mid-field instead of the 35. There was nothing left to do but attempt an onside kick—something the Patriots hadn't been successful in doing since 1995. A long, long time ago.

Kicker Steven Gostkowski dribbled the kick down the middle of the field, running next to it as it bounced onward towards the magical 10 yard mark. As it reached the 40 yard line, the ball bounced off a Cleveland player and was covered up by the Patriots, giving them the ball back with 1:01 left to play and great field position. I couldn't believe my eyes.

After a short pass to Danny Amendola, Brady launched a pass to Edelman in the end zone which he missed but the Browns were flagged for pass interference giving the Patriots the ball on the one yard line. It was a total bullshit penalty because the Cleveland player barely touched Edelman, but after some of the crap calls the Pats have fallen victim to, it's about time one of those calls went their way. Brady threw a short pass to Amendola for the score and after a failed two point conversion attempt, they had a slim 27-26 lead.

Now is when the sweating started. They left just over 30 seconds on the clock—more than enough time for the Browns to get into field goal range. Lucky for the Patriots, they fell just short and their kicker booted a 58-yard air ball to end the game.

Patriots pull off another miracle comeback while giving me a heart attack. No big whoop. Bad news about Gronk's ACL—pretty sure his season is over. But they'll find a way to win without him. Maybe next week will be an easy blowout.