Tag: NFL

The 300s Patriots Predictions

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The NFL season kicks off in mere hours and even though the Patriots aren’t playing tonight, it’s still a solid excuse to order some pizza and wings and throw back the last few Sam Summers in your fridge. With about 70 hours to go until the Pats kick off, the staff here at The 300s shared their final predictions for the upcoming Patriots season.

Red
Let’s be candid here; on the last episode of The 300s Podcast I picked the Steelers to beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship game this year, but that was BEFORE the entire Steelers organization started openly trashing Le’Veon Bell to everyone in the media. I did not expect him to actually hold out into the regular season. So with that being said I would like to issue a referendum and put my support behind the Patriots reaching their 9th Super Bowl in the Brady/Belichick era and winning it all for their 6th ring together.

Its so easy to take the field, but I just don’t feel confident about any of them. The Eagles are trying to repeat which hasn’t happened since the Patriots did it in 2003-04 and they’re relying on Nick Foles until Carson Wentz comes back from a torn ACL. Despite his SB MVP trophy, I would not want to put my repeat aspirations on the shoulders of Foles.

Just looking at the AFC who are the biggest challengers? The Steelers are in open rebellion against the crown and look like a team about to collapse into chaos. The Chiefs are banking on a guy with 35 career Pass Attempts in Patrick Mahomes. Pass. The Jaguars are a legit threat, but that is a team built around a ton of young guys who I would like to see them prove it for another year before I crown them anything. Plus Blake Bortles is always ready to implode with a handful of awful games.

Gun to head I’m taking the Patriots to get back to their winning ways. Yes, the defense was abysmal last year, but they were also ONE stop away from winning the Super Bowl. So with an improved defensive line (Danny Shelton, Adrian Clayborn, Derek Rivers) and the return of Dont’a Hightower, I like that defense to improve this year. The offense will be a work in progress while Julian Edelman is out with his suspension, but the team figured it out without him for 16 games last year so I think they will make it work.

I’m still predicting a 12-4 record, but with the recent news out of Pittsburgh, I’m taking the Patriots to go to, and win, Super Bowl LIII.

Big Z
I’m not predicting Tom Brady’s demise. That would be just as foolish as betting against the house in blackjack. I do wonder who the hell he is going to throw the ball to, though. Gronk is back, but the receiving corps is pretty thin after that. Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola are gone. Julian Edelman will be coming back from a torn ACL after serving a four-game suspension. That leaves Chris Hogan as Brady’s top receiver. This feels a lot like 2006.

The coaching is good enough to get enough out of the defense, and the division is so weak there’s no real threat of the Patriots missing the playoffs. But in addition to appearing to be a bit thin in some areas, this team has played a lot of football over the last four years. I think they go 11-5, but run out of gas and lose on the road in the AFC Championship game.

Mattes
Insert overplayed line about how the Pats don’t have any good receivers and that we’re not going to be the same because of it here. OK, I THINK EVERYONE GETS IT BY NOW: the team’s a little thin in the receiving corps. I’m not going to sit here and waste any more time talking about it. We still have Gronk. We still have Hogan. Edelman will be back soon. We have a great stable of backs who can all (pretty much) catch the ball out of the backfield. Also, as mentioned in this week’s podcast, Cordarrelle Patterson could be a real sneaky solid player this year. No matter what, Brady’s going to figure it out. It’s Tom Fucking Brady. (Again, he once made it to an AFC Championship game with Reche Caldwell as his No. 1 receiver. Need I say more?)

I also think the defense will be much improved, especially the pass-rush. Considering the Pats were already fifth in the league in terms of points per game allowed last year, that’s saying something. I love the addition of Adrian Clayborn and Danny Shelton up front, and they’re only going to help the young guys like Flowers and Wise continue to wreak havoc on opposing QBs. Gilmore and McCourty will have the secondary on lock, and they will also be helped immensely by the team’s much-improved line. Sure, the linebackers are a little suspect, but I think the Pats have enough in the front and the back of the defense to make up for the lackluster play in the middle.

In order not to sound like a complete homer, I don’t like the injury trend we’ve seen so far this year, and it could be our undoing. With both of this year’s first-rounders currently on the shelf, one of which could be for the whole season, and other guys throughout the roster, especially along the O-line, dealing with other nagging ailments (like the “slight tear” in Burkhead’s knee), there could be a serious depth issues at certain points this year at multiple positions. But if everyone stays relatively healthy, I say we go 12-4 but unfortunately lose to the Jags or Steelers in the AFC Championship.

Papa Giorgi
Tom vs. Time reared it’s ugly head once again this week in which Brady declared he’d like to play another five years, for like the 15th year in a row. We get it Tom, you’re from the future sent back to protect John Connor.

Well Tom, Edward Furlong doesn’t need your help anymore and it’s time you went back the way you came. Stop holding the AFC East hostage and go play with your children and wife before she leaves you for someone younger. Tom vs. Time? More like Tom vs. time spent on the couch. Gisele, if you’re reading this, I am available to spend time with you every Sunday at 1. Prediction: nothing I say matters and Pats win the Super Bowl because why should I be happy?

 

Who got it right and who got it wrong? Let us know on Twitter @The300sBoston

What I Learned from the Tom Brady Tom vs Time Epilogue

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To be honest, not much. When news of this Tom vs Time epilogue dropped out of the clouds I was a little nervous. People were theorizing that he might use it as an opportunity to announce his retirement. What it really seemed like though was a PR market adjustment attempt by Tom Brady. This offseason was not a great one for Tom’s image as rumors of infighting with Belichick, rumors of him threatening to retire, all the Alex Guerrero drama, and then of course his buddy and TB12 client Julian Edelman getting popped for PEDs.

So it seems like Tom just wanted to put his spin on everything and let people know that despite all the noise, its just that; noise. He still intends to play for as long as he can aka “5 more years.” So we’ll see, but I don’t think that 5 minutes of Tom vs Time can make you feel anything other than confident Brady is focused on getting that next ring.

With all that being said…

There is TONS of fire flames TB12 swag in the pipelines that I can only hope is coming our way soon.

Did anyone else catch this?

TB12 SHOES. Sorry Kanye, but Tom Brady just became my lord and savior in the sneaker world. So you better believe I will have my eyes open and on the lookout for these babies.

And the 5 Rings hoodie?

Just take my credit card information right now.

Tom Brady teased us for years with the TB12 hats before we were able to actually buy them. Once they went on sale I did not wait around. I bought two.

What can I say, the man knows how to market. I will, however, NOT buy a vibrating foam roller. Come on now.

 

Nike Wastes No Time in Dropping the Colin Kaepernick Commercial and It is Awesome

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Mattes touched on the decision by Nike to put it all on the line yesterday and make Colin Kaepernick the face of its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. If you have access to the internet you saw the full spectrum of responses across the country. There were people applauding Nike’s brazen effort to directly go against their biggest partners in the NFL by dropping this campaign without even a whisper of a heads up. There were people legitimately burning their swoosh apparel and cutting the Nike logo off their clothes, so much so that there are already fundraising campaigns encouraging people to donate to charity rather than burning perfectly good clothing. Then of course there was everyone in between.

Hate Colin Kaepernick or love him. Call him a traitor or a true Patriot. Either way, this commercial accomplishes exactly what Nike does best. It pushes the boundaries, it boils down a whole bunch of noise into one message in a two minute and five second commercial. It’s bound to be polarizing, which is exactly what Nike wants and probably what this issue needs.

Take the venom out of the discussion and try to understand or at least empathize with why everyone believes what they believe. On every side. It’s silly that it may have taken a company that makes shoes for people to actually have that conversation.

Jets Make Sam Darnold the Youngest Week 1 Starting QB in the History of the NFL

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ESPN – The New York Jets have a new starting quarterback and a new face of the franchise.

Rookie Sam Darnold was officially named the starter Monday, coach Todd Bowles announced. He will become the youngest opening-day quarterback in NFL history. He will be 21 years, 97 days old when the Jets travel to play the Detroit Lions next Monday night.

Since my brain only works in fragments of movie quotes and pop culture references, lets set the table for this story first.

The Jets are going to make the newly minted 21-year-old, Sam Darnold, the youngest Week 1 starting QB in the history of the NFL.

GOOD LUCK!

The Jets went 5-11 last year with one of the oldest starting QBs in the league in Josh McCown aka Dolph Lundgren.

So it should come as no surprise the Jets turned to the No. 3 overall pick sooner than later to take over under center. Could a guy who just became old enough to buy a beer use a little more seasoning before suiting up for one of the worst teams in the league? Yea probably, but I guess if you’re the Jets whats the difference? You won 5 games with the veteran last year and that 5-year contract clock is already ticking so why redshirt the rookie?

Darnold looked like a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick after his redshirt freshman year at USC throwing for 31 TDs with only 9 INTs, 3086 yards, 67.2 completion % and a 161.1 passing efficiency rating. His numbers dropped pretty  much across the board though in his second and final year as a starter at USC. He threw less TDs, threw more INTs, had a lower completion % and a worse passing efficiency rating — so that would concern me.

What would also concern me is where the guy went to school. University of Southern California. Not exactly a beacon for future NFL QBs and its where the Jets have some experience.

Side note: I was at that game!

But in all seriousness, USC has produced only one real viable NFL starter in Carson Palmer. The rest of the USC signal callers turned into serviceable at best NFL QBs; Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Matt Barkley, Cody Kessler, and John David Booty! Not a lot of Pro Bowls in there.

Who knows though? Picking a QB in the NFL is a total crapshoot. With my luck he’ll turn into the next great quarterback stud and will haunt me for all the fun I’ve had at the Jets expense over the past 18 years.

In Case You Missed the Patriots Last PreSeason Game, Rookie QB Danny Etling RAN for an 86 Yard Touchdown

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I don’t know how you could have missed the illustrious fourth preseason game, but if you somehow did you missed Michael Vick Danny Etling, and recently inducted member of the Handsome Mens Club, rushing for an 86 yard touchdown.

Good luck trying to stash those wheels on the practice squad, Bill.

The 300s Preview the Patriots (Part 6): Final Questions, Decisions, and Quick Hits Before Roster Cuts

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The Patriots beat the New York Giants 17-12 in last night’s preseason finale, and that means the preseason is finally over. We are now just over a week away from real, meaningful Patriots football!

It also means that we’re just a day away from final roster cuts, which need to be decided upon by this Saturday. But rather than bog you down with yet another “Patriots 53-Man Final Roster Projection” – seriously, there are already a million and one out there from pretty much every Boston-based sports website or blog – I’m instead going to highlight three of the top remaining questions/issues that need to be resolved either before the end of the weekend or before the team squares off with Houston on September 9.

Who Has the Final Running Back Spot?

(OK, so maybe we’re going to start off with a subject related to the final roster projection. But it’s an important one!)

Even with the news breaking yesterday that Sony Michel is likely to miss the start of the regular season, you know he’s obviously got a spot on the team. You can also lock in Rex Burkhead, James White, and Brandon Bolden. (Some may be surprised to see Bolden as a “lock,” but the fact of the matter is Bill LOVES him and always has. Not only is he a special teams superstar, but you know you can always rely on him to come in and get it done in times of desperation. Entering his seventh year with the team, he’s not going anywhere.)

Four running backs may be enough for some teams, but the Pats usually carry at least five, and they will especially need to carry extra bodies this year with the injury concerns at the position.

At this point, it comes down to two guys: Jeremy Hill and Mike Gillislee, both of whom are similar big-bodied, goal-line-type backs who would likely be expected share most of the ball-carrying duties with Burkhead until Michel is ready to go. Most expected to see the two battle it out in last night’s preseason finale, but, for some reason, neither of them played, which leads me to believe the decision has already been made.

They have both played somewhat well so far this preseason, but Hill has looked slightly better. Not only is he averaging over a yard more per carry, but it also just seems like he’s passed the eyeball test more than Gillislee. And above all, Gillislee lost his grip on the starting job last season before being benched entirely for the rest of the year, and he’s really done nothing to prove he deserves it back.

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Verdict: Hill gets the final spot. (However, I do think Gillislee will catch on with another team in quick fashion.)

Will The Pats Make a Trade for a Receiver?

We here at The 300s, along with pretty much everyone else in the world, have made no secret of the Pats dearth of options at wide receiver.

It’s not for lack of effort on Bill’s part: Jordan Matthews was signed and then released due to injury; Eric Decker was signed and retired because he’s not good at football anymore; Kenny Britt, who was signed toward the end of last season, was cut this week after never overcoming a hamstring injury from June; Malcolm Mitchell was expected to be a key part of the group after an impressive rookie year in 2016 but couldn’t get over previous injuries and was released as well. Guys like Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson have looked solid, and we know Chris Hogan will be the team’s leader at the position this year until Julian Edelman returns. But TB12 still needs some help.

Last Saturday, ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss floated out a possible trade scenario on his personal Word Press account, wherein the Pats would trade defensive tackle Malcolm Brown and linebacker Elandon Roberts – two players at positions in which the team has at least some depth – in exchange for Golden Tate, who has had four-straight 90-plus-catch seasons out in Detroit. Why? The Lions are currently stacked at wide receiver AND Tate is in the final year of his contract. This is also the time of year where teams try to trade away assets they know they won’t be able to keep long term as they try to make room for others on the upcoming season’s squad. Again, this is just speculation by one sports writer, but sign me up!

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Seriously, Bill, make it happen!

There were also rumblings that Denver could be interested in moving perennial 1,000-yard receiver Demaryius Thomas as well, even though long-time Broncos insider Mike Klis of 9News pretty much shut that idea down yesterday:

“I heard about the speculation of Demaryius Thomas and New England and ran it by some folks. I was told there’s nothing to it.”

Well then.

There are also still some free agents the team could look at, but at this point if they’ve yet to be brought in for a workout I highly doubt the team is interested. (Dez isn’t happening, people! And it’s a good thing!) But unless the Pats really like someone such as Tate or another perfect fit some team may be willing to trade, they’re likely rolling into the season with what they currently have.

Will Team Chemistry Actually Be an Issue This Year?

This one doesn’t have to do with any particular position on the field, but anyone with a pulse can tell that things haven’t been quite so cheery over at Patriot Place since the end of last season – and it’s not because of the team’s heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl.

Leading up to training camp, most of the chatter surrounding the Pats sounded like it was coming straight from TMZ. From Brady still being upset about his trainer/best buddy Alex Guerrero’s banishment from team activities to Gronk just not “having fun” anymore and how “mean” Bill is, it was all anyone seemed to talk about.

Initially, I disregarded it as nonsense, but oftentimes when there’s smoke there’s fire. It really does seem as though there’s a palpable tension in the air with everyone in Foxborough this season, and we could be seeing the breakup of the Brady Bunch sooner than we think. The team also looked very lackluster in the preseason dress rehearsal against Carolina. Brady has also shown visible signs of frustration throughout the offseason, and all summer it’s been reported by various sources that he does not seem to be as in sync with his team as in years past.

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Tommy Boy doesn’t seem too happy lately.

After my “sky is falling” article about Michel yesterday, a lot of people might think I’m being a bit too negative about the team’s prospects for 2018. I get it. But, look, I’m not saying the Pats are going to fall off a cliff this year; they’re still loaded and likely will be one of the top teams in the entire league, let alone the AFC. There’s a very good chance they could still win the next Lombardi Trophy. But things could get dicey at times this year, and the flawless execution we’re used to seeing from this team may not be as apparent this time around. Only time will tell.

So there you have it: our final Patriots preview piece of the season. Now it’s time for the real deal!

(If you like what you read and want some more, be sure to check out previous editions of “The 300s Previews the Patriots” series here. Also be sure to stay on the lookout for this weekend’s podcast for a more in-depth season preview from myself and Red.)

BREAKING: Sony Michel Could Miss Start of Regular Season

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As relayed by Rotoworld around midday on Thursday, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that the “sense” around Pats camp right now is that rookie Sony Michel, who just returned to the practice field this week after missing most of the summer with a “minor” knee issue, isn’t as likely to be ready for the start of the regular season as Rex Burkhead, another Pats running back who is supposedly recovering from a mysterious knee injury.

COOL. At this point, with pretty much the entire offense being injured or in injury purgatory, I think I might be able to persuade Bill and Josh to at least bring me in for a workout. Right??!! (All 5’7″, 150 pounds of me, with a solid 6.0-plus-second 40-time to boot. WATCH OUT.)

But no in all seriousness, this isn’t good.

First and foremost, while I’ll admit that I was pretty amped when we initially took Michel this past May, I presented his 2018 stat projections with cautious optimism (which now might not even be cautious enough) during my initial Pats running back preview at the end of July.

My reasoning: Not only do the Pats already have a solid stable of backs, each of whom was already set to get their fair share of touches in 2018, but the team also knew full well about his deteriorating knee issues, which date back to high school, before drafting him in the first round. Lo and behold, here we go again.

So what does this mean?

It means that Rex Burkhead better friggin’ be healthy. It also means my boy James White could get more burn, and either Jeremy Hill or Mike Gillislee – whichever of the two win the final spot in the rotation – are going to need to step up as well. (It also means you should probably knock Michel down a few pegs on your fantasy draft board.)

As I said in my Patriots fantasy preview last week – another article in which I expressed concern with Michel – knee issues do not just go away, especially chronic ones that don’t result from a one-off injury. So while he certainly could be ready to play again at some point within the next month, it’s probably not likely; also, even if he is, you know we’ll eventually be right back in this boat once again in the not so distant future.

I hope I’m wrong, Pats Nation, and I’m hoping for the best. But we’re not off to a good start here, and there’s a chance it could get even worse.

Mychal “The Wolf of Broadstreet” Kendricks Is Going Down For Insider Trading

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NFL.Com – Cleveland Browns linebacker and former Philadelphia Eagle Mychal Kendricks has been charged with insider trading, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday morning.

First of all, I’m completely shoving this shovel of shit down the throat of Philly and its fans as a.) Kendricks is their guy. b.) He hasn’t played for the Browns yet. c.) He was charged in PA.

So with that said:

WHAT AN IDIOT. WHAT A FUCKING MORON.

Financial gurus, Wizards of Wall Street, Stock Market mavens, cannot commit insider trading and get away with it. Yet this NFL linebacker thought he could? Ok bud, how’d that go?

It would seem like Kendricks “entrusted a friend” to “help him cheat the stock market” and “really regrets he got caught”. The best part is he is so up shits creek with the Feds that he is blatantly and fully admitting it. Full on “ya got me”. Which means between this, again, NFL linebacker and a Harvard MBA/Goldmans employee they couldn’t commit insider trading good enough to even leave a smidge of reasonable doubt. I mean it’s borderline impressive.

So Mychal Kendricks joins the Burress-Vick club of former NFL players to take a vacation at Club Fed. Or pay a steep fine wiping out his net-worth which he’ll probably regain some of because he’ll only have an 8 second suspension. It’s not like he may have deflated footballs after all.

Robert Kraft Keeps His Stake in DraftKings as They Transition to Sports Book. Umm, Why Wouldn’t He?

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ESPN – Two prominent NFL owners have a stake in a bookmaker as the first season with expanded legal sports betting in the U.S. gets ready to kick off.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have retained their investments in DraftKings, sources confirmed to ESPN, even as the company has shifted some of its focus from daily fantasy to traditional sports betting.

Umm yea, no kidding. Robert Kraft is no dummy. He realizes that his family stands to potentially make more money with DraftKings and legalized gambling than they could ever hope to make running a football team. While some want to straddle the fence as gambling is seen as “seedy” it is actually on the verge of being legalized in every state in the country. I can literally see the Everett casino being built from my office window in Boston.

“The NFL has been a staunch opponent of sports betting for decades and remains concerned about its impact on the integrity of the game. The NFL fought New Jersey’s efforts to offer Las Vegas-style sports betting all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

…..because they weren’t getting a cut of the action. The NFL was more than happy to promote and advertise “fake” gambling in the form of fantasy football over the past 15 years because it drove billions of dollars back into the NFL.

Now? Like a bookie, they want the juice on the action.

So for Kraft or Jerry Jones to cut bait now, just because DraftKings changed their position (and millions of dollars of lawyer fees arguing) from “We are NOT gambling” to now saying “um forget all that, we are NOW a sports book” is crazy. DK is going to only become exponentially more valuable with the influx of legalized gambling and I can imagine Kraft didn’t just buy a handful of shares. A guy like that jumped in with both feet and realizes how much money his family could earn in the long run. Thats a smart guy right there.

Also, I will never forget the look of disappointment in Papa Giorgi’s eyes when I told him that Robert Kraft did not actually earn his fortune running the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese empire, rather he made his money in paper products. It was like telling a kid theres no Santa Claus.