Sorry, Patriots fans.  But for the third consecutive season, the 1SKILLZ Gameplan predicted the end of the New England Patriots' season.  The New York Giants defeated the Patriots 21-17, and Giants QB Eli Manning (30/40, 296 yards, 1 TD, no INTs) won the Super Bowl MVP award, outplaying Patriots QB Tom Brady (27/41, 276 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT). This was a game that the Patriots defense stepped up and played well enough to win, save for three things: *Awful 12-men penalty that negated a fumble recovery, leading to Giants' first TD. *Patriots failed to recover two other fumbles, including Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw's 4th quarter fumble that Patriots SS James [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Hernandez, Bill Belichick, Deion Branch, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Mario Manningham, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Rob Gronkowski, Super Bowl 46, Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Brady, Tom Coughlin, Wes Welker

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

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

I know what you're thinking: Tom Brady's a heck of a punter, no? And Aaron Hernandez—who knew he was the best running back on the field? Oh, and the New England Patriots' defense, ranked 31st in total and passing yards allowed... whoever thought they would force the Denver Broncos backward 14 times? What happened to the Broncos on Saturday night was not even fair, and we're not even talking about Josh McDaniels.  The Patriots, 0-3 in the postseason [...] Continue reading → | 2012 NFL Playoffs, Aaron Hernandez, Aaron Rodgers, AFC championship, AFC Playoffs, Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Spikes, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Patrick Chung, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady, 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

After finishing 14-2 in 2010 with the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, the New England Patriots lost to the New York Jets 28-21 in the AFC Divisional.  Just like last year, the Patriots enter the 2011 NFL playoffs on an eight-game winning streak and with homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs.  The Patriots seemed like a team playing in the preseason to prepare for their real season starting in January during the last half of their winning streak.  The Patriots went on the road to hold on against the inferior Washington Redskins 34-27, came back from a 16-7 deficit to defeat the Denver Broncos 41-23 on the road, came back from a 17-0 halftime deficit to sweep the Miami Dolphins 17-0, and came back from a 21-0 first quarter deficit to defeat the Buffalo Bills 49-21.  Of [...] Continue reading → | 2011 New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez, Andre Carter, Brandon Spikes, Brian Waters, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Devin McCourty, Jerod Mayo, Logan Mankins, Mark Anderson, Matt Light, Matthew Slater, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Patrick Chung, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, Stevan Ridley, Tom Brady, Washington Redskins, Wes Welker, Zoltan Mesko

I'm going to keep this one short, because I pretty much called the New England Patriots' 49-21 victory over the Buffalo Bills down the middle in the 1SKILLZ Gameplan.  In fact, we're just going to go with bulletpoints and italics: *BOTTOM LINE: Fitzpatrick will get off to a big start in New England, but it’s doubtful the Bills offense will generate the points they did in September without some assistance from the Patriots’ offense.  With Brady nursing a bad shoulder but still healthy enough to perform, expect a more conservative approach that will test the Bills ability to play total defense.  Expect records to be broken and for the Patriots to not have to [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Hernandez, AFC East, AFC Playoffs, Bill Belichick, Bill O'Brien, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Rex Ryan, Rob Gronkowski, Ryan Fitzpatrick, The Patriot Way, Tom Brady, Wes Welker

First off: This is my 200th article on NFL Touchdown! Enough of that.  Last week, I wrote this article, letting you all know how the Patriots were going to have many Pro Bowlers, including what should have been both of their tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  I said a lot to get around to my main point of Hernandez being the clear-cut #2 TE in the AFC. Well, the Patriots had eight Pro Bowlers selected to the game.  Seven of them are starters: QB Tom Brady, WR Wes Welker, TE Rob Gronkowski, LG Logan Mankins, RG Brian Waters, DT Vince Wilfork, and DE Andre Carter (injured).  All of those guys were mentioned in last week's article in some capacity, [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Hernandez, AFC 2012, AFC Pro Bowl, Antonio Gates, New England Patriots, Tight Ends

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

I'm going to make this article short and sweet for you all.  The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl selections will be announced next week, and as far as New England Patriots are concerned you already know of a few obvious ones. Patriots QB Tom Brady will be selected as the AFC starter at QB; he has 14 more TD passes, three less INTs, and over 700 more passing yards than the next viable candidate, Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maybe DT Vince Wilfork makes it again; his tackles are down, but he has a career high 2.5 sacks, his first two INTs of his career, and he scored his first TD this season.  CB Kyle Arrington is tied with likely Pro Bowl Green Bay CB Charles Woodson and San Diego Chargers FS Eric Weddle for the league lead in INTs with 7, a number that his teammate Devin [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Hernandez, Andre Carter, Brian Waters, Kyle Arrington, Logan Mankins, Make It Rain, Matt Light, New England Patriots, Pro Bowl, Pro Bowl tight ends, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker