A little after noon on Wednesday, the most polarizing player in the NFL was traded to the New York Jets. Hours later, there were reports that the Jets apparently were mistaken or unfamiliar with aspects of Tim Tebow’s contract. (Perhaps they had thought it only called for Tebow to be paid for 16 fourth quarters instead of 16 games.) Those reports eventually pinpointed the exact issue: who pays for a $5 million salary advance on Tebow’s contract? The Broncos and Jets eventually decided to split the costs, allowing the Jets to narrowly beat out Tebow’s hometown Jaguars for the services of the third-year pro. Plenty will continue to be written about how Tebow will fit in with what’s been the most decadent team in footbal [...] Continue reading → | Bill Belichick, John Elway, Tebow Patriots, Tim Tebow Jets, Tim Tebow trade

Welcome to March.  We come into the month with news that the New Orleans Saints, winners of Super Bowl 44, will be facing severe consequences for "non-contractual bonuses" for defensive players.  The bounty program has already been labeled "Bountygate", and it involved several players pooling money and being paid under the table for reckless hits, "cartoffs", and "knockouts", all under the watch of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from 2009-2011.  It appears that the Saints stand to be fined as an organization, have select players and coaches suspended, and lose valuable draft picks.  The discipline will be unprecedented, much like the 2007 Spygate scandal involving the New England Patriots. [...] Continue reading → | Bill Belichick, Bountygate, Drew Brees, Gregg Williams, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton, Spygate, Tom Brady

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

It's been two days, and I still don't exactly know what to say about the New England Patriots winning this year's AFC Championship over the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 to earn a trip to Super Bowl XLVI against the NFC Champion New York Giants. Maybe it's because I wrote so much in the 1SKILLZ Gameplan about how the Ravens (and for that matter, the San Francisco 49ers) were going to win this game, only for them to win it ... or at least tie it ... or not. Blame [...] Continue reading → | Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens, Bernard Pollard, Bill Belichick, Billy Cundiff, Brandon Spikes, Cam Cameron, Hawaii, Jim Harbaugh, Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh, Kyle Williams, Lee Evans, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pro Bowl, Ray Rice, Rob Gronkowski, San Francisco 49ers, Sterling Moore, Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork

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 New England Patriots (14-3) host the Baltimore Ravens (13-4) in only the eighth overall meeting and second get-together in the playoffs since the Ravens came into existence in 1996 on Sunday at 3:00pm EST on CBS in the AFC Championship Game. Heated History The Patriots have [...] Continue reading → | 2012 NFL Playoffs, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, Brian Billick, Cam Cameron, Deion Branch, Derrick Mason, Drew Bledsoe, Ed Reed, Kyle Boller, Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Patriots Jets Rivalry History, Ravens Patriots Rivalry, Ravens vs. Patriots, Ray Lewis, Rex Ryan, Sean Taylor, steve mcnair, Terrell Suggs, Tom Brady

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

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

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