This blurb will turn into weekend leftovers as it must sit here over Thanksgiving Friday and Saturday… I must do my annual winter shutdown of the old shanty by the Bay… but I’ll return in time for Sunday’s big game with the Patriots.
I am extremely thankful to all of you wonderful readers and participants in this blog. I am grateful for the brainpower that pours into this site from very savvy commenters and observers. I am thankful that Brizer was found after missing for days and he was not injured. I am hopeful that Nnamdi’s MRI shows nothing serious after his injury in practice.
This Patriots-Eagles match is a complicated game for me… The fellows up in Boston at Foxboro Blog picked my brain on a couple of aspects about the game… nothing we haven’t already talked about here in the Comments section… you can go there and read my interview if you want, but nothing revolutionary will be found (sorry for that)… Actually, they’ve got some nice lead-up features and a surprisingly respectful approach to the Eagles as their next opponent. (http://www.foxboroblog.com)…
One of their analysyts, Jason Thompson, had his own Thanksgiving message to Pats fans regarding this game coming up in Philly:
“As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I thought it’d be an appropriate time to list all of the things I’m thankful for as a Patriots fan. I’m thankful we’re 7-3 and have a very good chance at hosting a Divisional Round playoff game. I’m thankful that the best quarterback we have to face the rest of the regular season is either Tim Tebow or Ryan Fitzpatrick. I’m thankful that the second-best team in our division is the Jets, whom we’ve already beaten twice (by at least two scores each time). I’m thankful our head coach is not a fat arrogant underperforming loudmouth with a foot fetish who can’t control his mouth or focus his team of miscreants and probably smells like BO and rotting animal carcass. And I’m thankful that our defense is looking less like a gaping mortal chest wound over the past several weeks.
The Eagles will present a few challenges for the Pats this week as New England comes off a short week. Philly has one of the league’s best rushing attacks, and if all components of the Eagles passing attack are back at full strength, the corners and safeties will have their hands full. Holding this unit under 20 would be asking a bunch. The Eagles also do a good job of getting after the quarterback with 29 sacks on the year. And their cornerbacks need no introduction.
Philly will have a number of factors working in their favor, but they also have a few big matchup problems. It probably won’t be a huge week for Welker and the receivers, but Christmas could come early for Gronkowski and Hernandez. The Eagles have also been vulnerable to the run. The Patriots excel at running out of the hurry-up, and they should be able to create plenty of room for the running backs when the Eagles put their nickel package on the field.
This is a bit of a trap game for the Pats, and the Eagles could very well win outright. Even if the Eagles don’t win, their offense should give them an opportunity for a backdoor cover if they are trailing in the fourth quarter. Half of their losses have come by four or fewer points, and all but one game has been within a score. I’m picking the Eagles to cover.”
Hmmmmmm, as Sonbutts and/or JB would say… (oh yeah, I should mention, Livefyre is desperately trying to get Sonbutts, aka Moonbeam, back into action, there’s something wrong with his log-on, and I swear I have not tampered with Mr. Warmth’s account…)
Adding some trend analysis to the scouting report (which is Leo Pizzini’s bag), the boys up in Foxboro gave us this sneak preview of who’s coming to Philadelphia to damage us the most on Sunday—–
Here’s Steve Sheehan’s list of current Risers and Fallers for the Pats:
Risers
1. Rob Gronkowski: Let’s just pencil him in for a touchdown and a spot on our Risers list every week. The man is simply…The Man. The former second-round pick is far and away the top tight end in football. His versatility as an in-line blocker, dependable red-zone target and big play threat makes him undefendable. Gronkowski made two of the most impressive plays by a tight end, racing 52 yards for a touchdown and later back flipping his way into the end zone for his second score. Two years into his career, he’s already breaking records, becoming the fastest to 20 TDs by a tight end in only 26 games.
2. Kyle Arrington: His transformation from an undrafted free agent from Hofstra to starting corner to top playmaker has been a pleasant surprise. Arrington picked off two more passes to increase his league-leading total to seven. While he doesn’t have elite physical skills and isn’t a “shutdown corner,” he has a knack for getting his hands on the ball. Turnovers end drives, and Arrington has been a drive killer.
3. Running game: It finally re-appeared. BenJarvus Green-Ellis overcame a slow start to grind out 81 tough yards on 20 carries while adding a 25-yard reception. Danny Woodhead averaged 5.4 yards per carry, but the biggest surprise was the successful debut of Shane Vereen. The second-rounder had yet to carry the ball after finding himself buried on the depth chart, but carried the ball eight times for 39 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter. He displayed impressive speed and quick feet in his limited work.
4. Julian Edelman: The man without a defined role has become the jack-of-all-trades. He’s the new Troy Brown. Edelman worked as the dime back and made a few impressive tackles and finally exploded for a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown that had the crowd in a frenzy. The ultra quick, versatile former college quarterback has played many invaluable roles for this team.
Fallers
1. Sebastian Vollmer: Last year’s second-team All Pro right tackle has been somewhat of a disappointment this year. He’s missed time with a back injury and has looked rusty since he returned to the starting lineup. He’s been particularly inconsistent in pass protection and was worked over by Tamba Hali several times. Luckily the Pats have some depth with Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon available should Vollmer get benched for performance or injury.
2. Logan Mankins: While he certainly hasn’t pulled a Chris Johnson, Mankins definitely hasn’t played up to his potential after signing a lucrative deal this offseason. The All-Pro left guard picked up two more penalties to increase his team lead to eight. That’s unacceptable for a veteran, especially for a guy considered to be the best at his position.
Thanks for the scouting reports, gentlemen… and I will check back here as early as possible on Sunday to get the party started quickly against the Patriots…
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