It’s a two-for-one Know Your Enemy post. We have a Q&A and a podcast about the Bills vs Patriots match-up. Want to know what is wrong with Chad Ocho Cinco? How about the Pats defense? Do we have to worry about Albert Haynesworth? How are Pats fans viewing their team these days? All those questions and a couple more are answered by New England Patriots blogger, Ricky Keeler from Foxboro Blog.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xrIcXao8I4&w=259&h=155]
(If you want to download the podcast as an MP3, just go to this site and copy the podcast link from Youtube.)
As for the written Q&A, you can check out my responses to Rick’s questions over at his site.
1) It seems like every year we always hear about how Tom Brady is playing the best football of his career. So, how would you say his play has been?
Right now, I would say Tom Brady is playing his best football since 2007. He continues to set records in the passing game, and he does it with weapons that are not household names to anyone other than maybe Wes Welker. First he throws for 517 yards in a place where he has struggled in years past (Miami), and then last week, he throws for 400+ yards against a defense that was statistically the best in all of football last season. When Brady is playing like this, you know that he is out to prove a point. He wants to show the world that he is not on the down slope and that he can play for 10 more years, like he said when they drafted Ryan Mallett back in April. He takes it one game at a time and just continues to amaze with his pinpoint accuracy and clutch passing. What other QB goes out of shotgun from his own 1 in back-to-back games? Only Brady! 2007 was a great year, so I will not go that far just yet, but he is on his way.
2) What is wrong with Chad Ochocinco?
Right now, Chad Ochocinco just does not have full grasp of the playbook. With the shortened offseason due to the lockout, Chad did not get mini-camps/training camp to learn the offense and it is a complex offense to learn no matter how easy it looks on television. However, over the past 7-10 days, we have not heard much from Chad and maybe that is a good thing. He did have a solid game against San Diego (3 rec, 53 yards) and after Tedy Bruschi’s comments, he did not open his mouth. The old Chad would have feuded with Bruschi. The new Chad understands he can talk a little bit, but he knows he has to stay focused to keep him in New England. Now, in this Patriots offense, he is not going to get as many touches as he did with the Bengals, but so far he has not complained. By midseason, you will see his impact on the team and maybe sooner depending on the severity of the injury to tight end Aaron Hernandez. Look for Chad to start making an impact this week.
3) How has the defense performed this year? How do you feel about the team seemingly junking the 3-4 for the 4-3. I know they have been giving up a lot of yards as of late.
The defense has not been stellar, but so far they have been a typical Patriots defense. They give up a lot of yards, but they do one thing very well. They do not give up the big scoring play that can turn a game around. Case in point would be the Chargers’ game. Philip Rivers threw for over 300+ yards, but the defense was able to force four turnovers which turned that game around. People who keep judging the Patriots’ defense based on stats need to look beyond those numbers. They are not as bad as the stats indicate. Their defense, which was a top 10 D against the run last year, is 11th after 2 games so far this year. They say you can’t live and die by the takeaway. Well, the Pats’ D was number one in the league in takeaways last year. It is a young defense, and it will mature as the year progresses just like when they were playing at their peak in December last season. I do like the 4-3 change and they have a lot of depth on that defensive line that maximizes the 4-3 in plugging up the run lanes. That being said, they do need CB Devin McCourty to start playing like he did last year!
4) Has Albert Hayensworth made any sort of impact?
So far, he has not played the impact that people hyped him up to be a few weeks ago. His fitness is still an issue and he did get banged up in the Chargers game last Sunday. Through two games, he has 0 sacks and 2 tackles. Just like Ochocinco, I think we have to wait till the middle of the year before we can look at Haynesworth and the impact he has on this team. You can tell he wants to be here saying in the preseason he would give his $100 million back to play for the Patriots sooner. There are so many playmakers on the defensive line with Vince Wilfork as the anchor and even Mark Anderson, their 4-3 guy from Chicago has made some sacks on the quarterback so far. I would like to see Albert get in better shape to make that impact. Even Shaun Ellis only has two tackles so far. He has not made a large impact late, but the impact can still come later in the year.
5) How big of a factor is Rob Gronkowski in the passing game? Do you think he’s going to be the #1 target of Brady’s?
Rob Gronkowski has become a huge playmaker in the passing game, especially in the red zone. The second year tight end has great hands and he is 6 ft 6 which gives him an edge on just about everybody on the defensive side of the ball. Even Tom Brady loves him when he says he can put it right near Gronkowski and he knows he will make the catch. There is a nice confidence level between the two, but I don’t think he is Tom’s favorite target. Usually, Brady does not have a favorite, but if I had to take a guess, he would put Welker and Branch over Gronk. Welker is the guy who can always get yards after the catch and extend drives. As for Deion Branch, Tom tried to take less money to keep Branch a few years ago and Deion has as many catches as Welker does in the first two games. So, my order would be Welker, Branch, and then a tie between Hernandez and Gronkowski. In this offense, Brady’s favorite target is the open target!
6) How are the fans viewing the Pats these days? I know this sounds stupid coming from a Bills fan, but the Celtics, B’s and Red Sox have all won titles since the Pats last won the championship.
This question is tough for me to answer because the Patriots are the only team I root for from the Boston area. However, I think Patriots’ fans who live in the New England area have to be disappointed that the team has been consistently good in the regular season every year, but has failed to get the job done in the postseason since 2005. Even when the team went undefeated in the regular season in 2007, they still fell short. It is frustrating definitely, but I think fans just know that they want the team to take advantage of winning while Tom Brady is still the quarterback and Bill Belichick is the head coach. It has become like the Yankees or even the Red Sox in past years where the fans and the team know that just making the playoffs is step one and not winning the Super Bowl in a given year is nothing but disappointment.
7) How has the streak affected your view point of the Bills?
From 2003-2008, the Buffalo Bills were just a team you could pen in a W on the schedule. However, I like the way the Bills have progressed last season and the two games this season. I said on Twitter in the beginning of the year that I think the Bills can win eight games this season because although they did not make a big free agent splash, they still made some small improvements particularly on defense. They have a running back in Fred Jackson who just continues to not go down and get extra yards and Ryan Fitzpatrick has been the quarterback that can keep you in a ballgame. Just look at last season when the Bills, up in Foxboro, had the lead at halftime before the Patriots won 38-30. There is a lot of young talent on the Bills and eventually the streak has to end. I don’t think it will be this weekend, but when it does, it will ultimately propel the Bills another step forward into getting back to the playoffs. They are no longer a laughingstock as they were when the streak began.
8) Who wins and why?
I’ll tell you this. This game does concern me a little bit for the Patriots especially with Aaron Hernandez out and safety Patrick Chung’s status uncertain after having thumb surgery on Wednesday. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been on fire at the quarterback position and his offensive line has not even given up a sack. That will be tough to get a sack on him, especially for a team that does not do a good job of obtaining sacks. I expect this game to be a shootout and the Bills will have a raucous crowd in Orchard Park for the first time in a long time. In the end, I like Brady to have another big performance as well as Chad Ochocinco. The running game will also be crucial on both side and Green-Ellis and Woodhead have had their field days on the ground against the Bills. Look for this game to stay close into the 4th, but I think Brady makes one more play than Fitzpatrick.
Patriots 38 Bills 31
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