This might be one of my shortest articles in my time writing New England Patriots articles, but I really want to write it, so I will! After 219 articles, 216 covering the New England Patriots (My first three covering the Tennessee Titans), and 53 1SKILLZ Gameplans, I will be closing my tenure as the New England Patriots Fan Voice.  It is fitting that my last 1SKILLZ Gameplan was of Super Bowl XLVI, and though I will miss pushing piping hot content to football fans beyond New England, I am proud that I was able to run the ship for three seasons, from 2009-2011! I won't be disappearing, which is my main reason for writing this article here.  I didn't want to drop [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, New England Patriots

Finally, the heat is over!  Super Bowl XLVI is this Sunday, February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.  The NFC champion New York Giants (12-7, #4 seed) will face the New England Patriots, champions of the AFC (15-3, #1 seed), in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII and (more importantly) Week 9 of the 2011 NFL season.  No comment on the Giants/Patriots preseason finale, except that the Giants are probably who the Patriots think they are.  Will they once again let them off the hook? The Giants won the NFC championship on the home turf of [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Aaron Hernandez, Aaron Ross, Ahmad Bradshaw, Antrel Rolle, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bernard Pollard, Bill Belichick, Bill O'Brien, Bill Parcells, Billy Cundiff, Brandon Deaderick, Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Spikes, Brian Waters, Chad Ochocinco, Chase Blackburn, Chris Canty, Chris Snee, Corey Webster, Dan Connolly, Danny Woodhead, David Baas, David Diehl, David Tyree, Deion Branch, Deon Grant, Devin McCourty, devin thomas, Eli Manning, Gerard Warren, Hakeem Nicks, Jacquian Williams, Jake Ballard, James Ihedigbo, JASON PIERRE-PAUL, Jerod Mayo, Josh McDaniels, Julian Edelman, Justin Tuck, Kareem McKenzie, Kenny Phillips, Kevin Boothe, Kevin Gilbride, Kyle Arrington, Kyle Love, Kyle Williams, Lawrence Tynes, Lee Evans, Linval Joseph, Logan Mankins, Marcus Cannon, Mario Manningham, Mark Anderson, Mark Herzlich, Mathius Kiwanuka, Matt Light, Matthew Slater, Michael Boley, Myra Kraft, Nate Solder, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Osi Umenyiora, Patrick Chung, Perry Fewell, Plaxico Burress, Prince Amukamara, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, Sebastian Vollmer, Shaun Ellis, Stephen Gostkowski, Sterling Moore, Stevan Ridley, Steve Weatherford, Super Bowl 46, Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Brady, Tom Coughlin, Victor Cruz, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker, Zoltan Mesko

The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI.  However, note that this is also the bye week for Super Bowl XLVI, and as such, the Pro Bowl players for the AFC champion New England Patriots and NFC champion New York Giants will not play. For all of my Patriots related Pro Bowl posts, check here, here, and finally here. The Patriots and Giants are practicing a bit this week.  The most [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl XLVI

After three years, the 1SKILLZ Gameplan has entered conference championship weekend!  The AFC #1 seed New England Patriots (14-3) is hosting the AFC #2 seed Baltimore Ravens (13-4) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, January 22, 2012, for the Lamar Hunt Trophy and a ticket to Indianapolis, IN to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVI.  Will the Ravens continue their three-year streak of winning at least one road postseason game and win the AFC for the first time since 2000-2001?  Or will the Patriots, in their seventh AFC championship appearance since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994, win their first AFC title since 2007-2008? The Ravens and Patriots both came off of their Wild Card byes with home victories in the AFC Divisional Round.  The Ravens eliminated the Houston Texans 20-13, [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Aaron Hernandez, AFC championship, AFC Championship 2011, Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens, Bernard Pollard, Bill Belichick, Brandon Spikes, Brian Waters, Deion Branch, Dennis Pitta, Devin McCourty, Ed Dickson, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Jarret Johnson, Jerod Mayo, Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh, Lardarius Webb, Logan Mankins, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFC championship, NFC Championship 2011, Patrick Chung, Ray Lewis, Ray Rice, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, San Francisco 49ers, Terrell Suggs, Tom Brady, TORREY SMITH, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker

The rematch no one was anticipating is here!  The 9-8 AFC West Champs Denver Broncos, the #4 seed in the AFC, are on the road at Gillette Stadium to face the #1 AFC seed, the AFC East Champ New England Patriots today, January 14, 2012, in Foxbourough, MA.  In this divisional playoff, the winner goes to the AFC Championship.  Either the game will be in New England, or the stage will be set in Houston or Baltimore to continue what has been an improbable run for the Broncos. The Broncos are coming off an absolute thrilling OT Wild Card weekend victory against the 12-win Pittsburgh Steelers in Denver, capped after 11 seconds when Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas took a slant from QB Tim Tebow 80 yards to end the game 29-23.  The Patriots, [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Aaron Hernandez, AFC Divisional playoffs 2011, Bill Belichick, Bill O'Brien, Brandon Spikes, David Binn, Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos, Devin McCourty, eddie royal, Jerod Mayo, john fox, Josh McDaniels, Mark Anderson, New England Patriots, NFL playoffs, Pamela Anderson, Patrick Chung, Rob Gronkowski, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker, Willis McGahee

The 2011 New England Patriots were the only team to repeat as division champions this season, and were also the only team to repeat as the #1 seed in the playoffs.  I will not say much in this post with the Patriots not even playing, but I would imagine they would pay attention to the Texans/Bengals matchup, since a Bengals win means they'll be hosting Cincinnati.  Of course, as New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan could point out, Patriots Pro Bowl QB Tom Brady most likely won't watch any of these crapshoot wild card games. The big Patriots story this week involves offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien's hiring as the next head coach at Penn State University.  While interesting, don't expect this to be like Charlie Weis leaving the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of last season. [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, AFC Wild Card, Atlanta Falcons, Bill O'Brien, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFC Wild Card, Penn State University, Pittsburgh Steelers, Saint Louis Rams

The last 1SKILLZ Gameplan of 2011!  The 12-3 New England Patriots will host the 6-9 Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on New Year's Day, a place the Bills have never won.  The Patriots are going for the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, and a win clinches that no matter what happens between the Baltimore Ravens (at Cincinnati Bengals) or Pittsburgh Steelers (at Cleveland Browns) Sunday.  Of course, the Bills broke a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots in Week 3, and will be going for a Patriots sweep for the first time since 1999 (the year before Belichick/Brady and the last time the Bills made the postseason). In that Week 3 game, the Bills overcame a 21-0 deficit to win 34-31, aided significantly by four INTs by Pro Bowl Patriots QB Tom Brady.  Since then, the Bills lost 9 of their [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, NFL Week 17 2011

When I said New England Patriots Tom Brady could produce half of his season opening smashing performance in Miami this time around and still beat the Dolphins, I wasn't talking about producing for one half and still beating the Dolphins. The Patriots, missing starting C Dan Koppen (IR), RT Sebastian Vollmer (expected), LT Matt Light (pre-game warmups), and LG Logan Mankins (in game) (and if you want to throw in last year's starter at RG, the retired Stephen Neal. go ahead), found themselves down at the half 17-0 to the Dolphins.  Brady was hit, hurried, and harassed constantly in the first half, taking three sacks and starting out 3/14 passing.  Brady shaped up to 7/19 to end the first half, but the Patriots were shut out on their home turf at halftime for the second time this season [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Brandon Marshall, Devin McCourty, Jerod Mayo, matt moore, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Patriots offensive line, Reggie Bush, Rob Ninkovich, Shaun Ellis, Wes Welker

It took all season (it always does), but winter has finally arrived to the NFL season, and on Christmas Eve this Saturday, the 11-3 New England Patriots will host the 5-9 Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.  This game will be the first time since the Patriots lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in October that they have the inside track on first place in the AFC. The Dolphins and Patriots met on the season opener of Monday Night Football this season, with the Patriots winning in Miami 38-24.  Patriots QB Tom Brady put up a career-high 517 yards passing, punctuated by a 99-yard TD pass to WR Wes Welker in the 4th quarter.  Dolphins QB Chad Henne had 416 passing yards in that game, but was placed on injured reserve earlier this season; former Carolina Panthers QB Matt Moore has done a [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Aaron Hernandez, Bill Belichick, Brandon Marshall, Cameron Wake, Karlos Dansby, Mark Anderson, matt moore, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL Week 16 2011, Reggie Bush, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, Todd Bowles, Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork

Finally, a real test for the ... Broncos?  Patriots?  The 10-3 New England Patriots will go on the road for the second consecutive week, this time to face the 8-5 Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field at Mile High.  The Patriots have feasted on weak teams and their mistake-prone QBs to win five straight games, and now they look to clinch a playoff berth against a similarly hot team in the Denver Broncos, who have continued to perplex during their six game winning streak. The Patriots' fifth straight win this season came on the road against the Washington Redskins 34-27, a game that saw Patriots TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combine for 244 yards receiving and two TDs but wasn't sealed until LB Jerod Mayo secured an INT inside the Patriots 10 yard line late in the fourth quarter. [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Aaron Hernandez, Bill Belichick, Brandon Spikes, Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos, Elvis Dumervil, Eric Decker, john fox, Matt Prater, New England Patriots, NFL Week 15 2011, Rob Gronkowski, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady, Von Miller, Wes Welker