It seems like months since the end of the New England Patriots' loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl 46 ... but that's probably because the Patriots also lost to them months ago, in November.  All yuks aside, when a team plays its last contest, everyone knows that a journey that began with training camp has ended, never to be reduplicated.  Especially in the free agency era, and especially with the Patriots, roster turnover ensures that teams look remarkably different by time summer hits.  With that in mind, and after taking time to look at the Patriots' 2011 draft, let's reset the Patriots' veteran roster by position, with some added attention to the guys without [...] Continue reading → | Andre Carter, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Brandon Meriweather, Brian Waters, Chad Ochocinco, Dan Koppen, Deion Branch, franchise tag, Free Agency, James Ihedigbo, Kyle Love, Mark Anderson, Matt Light, New England Patriots, Randy Moss, Wes Welker

It was bad enough that the New England Patriots, minutes from potentially sealing a franchise-reassuring fourth Super Bowl win, played into the Super Bowl rerun and fell to the New York Giants 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI. The fall out from the game may prove to be even more devastating. As the New York Giants justified their brash delivery in The Big Apple, the New England Patriots (a team that lost four games in the 2011-2012 season by a combined 19 points) have this on their minds: 1) False Player Reputation.  Several years ago, I released a video titled "False Player Reputation" that [...] Continue reading → | Baltimore Ravens, Bart Scott, Bernard Pollard, Bradying, Brandon Jacobs, Butterfinger, False Player Reputation, Gisele Bundchen, Matt Light, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Rob Gronkowski, Super Bowl hangover, Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLVI, Super Bowl XX, Super Bowl XXXI, Tebowing, The Patriot Way, Tiquan Underwood, Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Yo Soy Fiesta

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 Super Bowl is one week away. The lights, the cameras, the Maxim Tailgate Party and, at the center of it all, two quarterbacks taking the stage for the second time in four years. This has become an Eli vs. Tom Bowl. So, why am I only consumed with the Giants defensive line vs. the Pats offensive line. Mostly because the memories of the 2007 Super Bowl are still fresh. Watching the absolute mayhem that the Giants defensive line inflicted on Tom Brady was quite a sight as the Arizona desert became a coming-out party for Justin Tuck and swan song for the Hall of Famer-to-be Michael Strahan. Not to be forgotten was the high-flying Osi Umenyiora, who would not be denied his path to the quarterback. As the 2007 season kicked off, I [...] Continue reading → | JASON PIERRE-PAUL, Matt Light, Maxim Tailgate Party, Osi Umenyiora, superbowl

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 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

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  The 1SKILLZ Gameplan continues to be churned out earlier in the week to accommodate the Thursday games, and thus we cover  the Sunday, November 27 game at Lincoln Financial Field before the holiday.  The New England Patriots (7-3) go on the road against an NFC team for the third Thanksgiving week in a row, this year to face the Philadelphia Eagles (4-6).  This is a 4:15pm game for the East Coast, marking the fifth national television game in a row for the Patriots, and the fourth in five games for the Eagles.  While the Patriots attempt to make a move to stay on top of the AFC (they are currently tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans), the Eagles are fighting for their playoff lives after blowing five fourth quarter [...] Continue reading → | 1SKILLZ Gameplan, Andre Carter, Andy Reid, Asante Samuel, Bill Belichick, desean jackson, Jason Babin, Jason Peters, jeremy maclin, Juan Castillo, Julian Edelman, LeSean McCoy, Matt Light, Michael Vick, New England Patriots, NFL Week 12 2011, Nnamdi Asomugha, Patrick Chung, Philadelphia Eagles, Rob Gronkowski, Super Bowl XXXIX, Thanksgiving, Tom Brady, Vince Young, Wes Welker

I had to wait until after the preseason this year to release what I hope to be a stripped down version of the New England Patriots season preview, but if you were waiting on this for awhile then wait no more.  The Patriots start their season on Monday Night Football at Miami against their AFC East rival Dolphins.  This year's Patriots season is the 12th for head coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady, and unlike the last couple of seasons where there were questions surrounding the continuity of the team, this year's Patriots look as tight and talented as ever.  Surely they will slip from last year's surprise 14-2 season that won them the AFC East and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.  But the Patriots will take some minor slippage if they can win at least one more playoff [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Hernandez, Albert Haynesworth, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bill Belichick, Brandon Spikes, Chad Ochocinco, Danny Woodhead, Devin McCourty, Jerod Mayo, Logan Mankins, Matt Light, New England Patriots, NFL 2011, NFL 2011 season, Patrick Chung, Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker

...And we're back.  It's about to be a full blown mess for a couple of weeks here, but it's the good mess that us football junkies have been chomping at the bit to get at.  The New England Patriots will open camp Thursday.  That's all I'll allow in the way of an introduction for this piece (if you want more intro, pop this link into your browser), so let's get to it: - It's nice to know that LG Logan Mankins will show up to work on time this year.  The Patriots have Mankins on board this season as their franchise player, and Mankins' reputation has taken at least a measurable hit this summer.  Who knows, maybe Mankins does get signed long term in New England.  Sure he plays a [...] Continue reading → | Lee Smith, Logan Mankins, Markell Carter, Matt Light, Nate Solder, New England Patriots, Sammy Morris, Training Camp, Tully Banta-Cain

Just when you thought the NFL lockout was on its way towards a breakthrough... it isn't.  This is going to be a fun summer, one filled with a rage of free agency news, trades, "high-profile" releases, and all of the usual drama that we get from the preseason.  But what are you really looking forward to?  The games.  And the hits.  And the on-the-field storylines that have been lost in this labor business. That all said, your New England Patriots are lightning rods for "storylines", however you want to define it.  I'll drop some (hard) queries, but you can add more and comment: -Plaintiff Brady. The face of the Patriots franchise is also the face of the NFL players at the moment.  But when we get on the field, Brady's going to be entering his [...] Continue reading → | BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bill Belichick, Brandon Tate, Deion Branch, James Harrison, Julian Edelman, Logan Mankins, Matt Light, Myra Kraft, New England Patriots, NFL Lockout, Patriots running backs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Randy Moss, Robert Kraft, Taylor Price, Tom Brady, Wes Welker