Tag: Pittsburgh

The 300s Patriots Predictions

Image result for patriots gillette stadium

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

Is Ben Roethlisberger Feeling More Pliable? Steelers QB Says He Wants to Play 3-5 More Years

Ben Roethlisberger takes an absolute beating for a quarterback. Big Ben is the huge, lumbering, aging, savy veteran thats always extending plays in the pocket and running around before taking some big shots like he’s Cap Rooney.

As a result of that style of play, the last couple of offseasons have unsurprisingly been filled with questions of whether or not Roethlisberger would retire. Well the Steelers just happen to draft a quarterback in the 3rd round and Big Ben conveniently drops this line the other day:

“The way our O-line is put together, as good as they are, they kept me healthy as can be the last couple of years. I really feel I can play this game another three to five years.”

This seems to have shades of Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo, who the Patriots drafted when Brady was *also* 36 years old. When asked why draft a QB, Belichick replied with this famous line that spawned the TB12 institute as we know it today:

“We know what Tom’s age and contract situation is. I don’t think you want to have one quarterback on your team. I don’t think that’s responsible to the entire team or the organization.”

That pissed Tom Brady off more than we’ll ever know and made him recommit to the game. Numbers don’t lie and Brady, albeit slightly, had started to slip a bit at that point in his career. The Pats drafting his heir apparent was likely the thing Brady need to drive him even harder. Starting in 2014, Jimmy G’s first year on the roster, Brady’s numbers improved across the board and of course our favorite vocabulary word was forever etched into the New England lexicon; Pliability.

So is Ben Roethlisberger feeling a little bit salty that his team is planning his funeral and sizing him for a casket while he’s still battling for Super Bowls? You’re goddamn right. Maybe he’s feeling a little more pliable than he was this time last week. Sorry Mason Rudolph, unless Cap Rooney gets his head taken off by a linebacker, you’re ass is riding the pine. God forbid Big Ben finds his way to a TB12 facility, the kid won’t touch the field until his second contract. And I can’t blame Ben either. Imagine your boss telling you this kid is taking your job?

Not a chance in hell kid.

 

Ryan Shazier Says He Will Play in the NFL Again and I Hope He Changes His Mind

ESPNIn his first interview since suffering a severe spinal injury in early December, Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier said he plans to play football again. “I’ve gotta get back, bro,” Shazier said on teammate Roosevelt Nix’s podcast, which was posted to social media Tuesday night. Shazier touched on several topics in the podcast, including his desire to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Shazier, 25, underwent spinal stabilization surgery Dec. 6 after a tackling attempt on Monday Night Football in Cincinnati left him clutching his lower back.

I respect the hell out of the resolve and I hope that this is a ‘prove it to myself’ thing where Shazier can just get back on the field and then retire. What I don’t want to see is the guy who suffered one of the worst injuries we’ve ever seen in the NFL just jump right back in after nearly being paralyzed. I thought for sure Shazier was paralyzed watching him writhe around on the ground while his legs were motionless. Thats the kinda stuff that makes you watch football with one eye closed. Its tough to watch honestly. Now these guys all know what they’re getting into and they’re getting paid millions of dollars so I’m not gonna lose any sleep over it, but at some point you have to protect people from themselves. Thats why the NFL has concussion spotters now. Whats a few million dollars if you literally can’t walk?

Quotes from Shazier like this worry me though:

“I just have to be back out there so everybody can see it. You know what I’m saying?”

“[Shazier] posted a picture of himself standing with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He’s proud of that one. “People were thinking Ben was supporting me, too — he barely was even holding me.”

Is it hypocritical of me after having cheered on Tedy Bruschi coming back to the Patriots after suffering a goddamn stroke? Absolutely, but as athletes get bigger, faster, and stronger every year these injuries are going to become more prevalent not less. Thats why we’re seeing more and more players retire before the age of 30, including half of the 49ers last year.

Would I be bummed if Rob Gronkowski decides to trade in his football cleats for some spandex in the WWE? Of course, but I wouldn’t begrudge the guy. If you can make a bunch of money somewhere else without risking the car crash type injuries the NFL puts players through every week then you do you.

I can’t imagine how important it is for Shazier to prove that he can make it back to the NFL, especially for a guy that feels like he’s the absolute best player in the world at his position. I get that. Just don’t put blinders on and ignore the risks for the pursuit of glory on the gridiron.

Patriots Drop an Ugly Game to the Dolphins with Steelers Looming

Last night the Patriots lost 27-20 to the Dolphins in a shitshow of a game. They didn’t have Gronkowski who was out due to suspension from the people’s elbow he dropped on a guy last week, but Miami hit em hard, shut down their receivers and even pretended to deflate the football (I guess?) after a TD.

It was ugly. For all the people saying this loss doesn’t matter, it’ll sure as shit matter if the Pats lose a tight one to the Steelers next week. Then the Patriots are facing the prospect of opening the playoffs on the road in fucking Jacksonville. Not like the Jacksonville is this powerhouse that you should fear, but the Patriots could very easily slip from the No. 1 seed with home field advantage to having to hike down to Florida for a playoff game in front of those diehard fans watching from goddamn swimming pools.

If we learned anything from this game its that the Patriots can lose one of Edelman or Gronk and still manage, but they absolutely cannot lose both. They won the Super Bowl last year without Gronk, but Edelman balled out all year and made all-time catches in the SB.

This year the Pats have been surprisingly fine on offense without Edelman because Gronkowski, Amendola, Cooks, Hogan, and the stable of runningbacks have shared the load. But without both Edelman and Gronkowski? Well without both the Patriots went 0-11 on third down last night. An absolutely absurd stat for a team that routinely moves the chains on offense. Without that horse of a man to draw double coverage and make big plays when you need em most, the Pats offense looked strikingly like their defense last night; a bunch of JAGs.

This was a game I worried about going into for the sole reason that dirtbag Ndamukong Suh gets off on hitting Brady late, low, and hard. And the delusional Dolphins fans that defend him.

The Dolphins have a legit defensive line with him and Cameron Wake, and Jordan Phillips, which we all know is the one thing that seems to disrupt the Pats. Throw in the fact that they ALWAYS seem to struggle when playing down in Miami late in the year and this had all the makings of a trap game with Pittsburgh looming next week.

So the Pats get down early for the first time in about a month of football and now facing a 17 point deficit, Suh and the boys are able to just pin their ears back and tee off on Brady. Not ideal.

Granted they almost came back and they probably would have if not for a ton of uncharacteristically sloppy plays. Not converting late in the 4th on 1st and goal from the 1-inch line is unexcusable. The Patriots did not look themselves at all with James White drawing an illegal motion penalty, Solder taking a holding penalty, and a couple of busted plays later the Pats are kicking a 35 yard FG. Granted they still would have had to recover an onside kick either way to have a chance, this series was a microcosm of the entire game. Bad execution, some poor throws by Brady, not enough time to throw, and just overall sloppy football.

Its for those exact reasons that I fully expect the Patriots to blow doors in Pittsburgh next week. Those guys are marshmallow soft and are feeling themselves just a bit too much for a team that has had to squeak out wins over dog shit teams. Over the past month the Steelers have beat the Colts by 3 points, smoked the Titans by 23, barely beat a Brett Hundley led Packers team by 3 points, beat the Bengals by 3 points, and the Ravens by 1 point. Not exactly the class of the AFC there. Sure, the Pats haven’t played the hardest schedule either, but before last night they weren’t just squeaking by like Pittsburgh. They were fucking demolishing teams, or tomato cans as Shanks likes to put it. Over the same period of time New England has blown out the Broncos by 25 points, the Raiders by 25 points, the Dolphins by 18 points, and the Bills by 20 points.

Don’t be surprised when they take the Steelers to the woodshed on Sunday.

I Ruined Rich Hill’s No-Hitter Last Night

So you know how whenever a pitcher has a no-hitter going and the TV cameras show him by himself on the bench? None of his teammates will talk to him because they’re afraid of jinxing the no-no. Hell they even say fans and broadcasters shouldn’t talk about it because you’ll jinx it. Welp, I fired off a tweet about his no-hitter last night and 47 seconds later Hill gave up a walk-off home run in the 10th inning. So that ones on me, sorry Rich. I’ll strive to be better next time.

Phil Kessel Gets the Last Laugh by Crushing Hot Dogs Out of the Stanley Cup

Now THAT is how you clap back at the haters. If this were Beyonce or Rihanna responding to people on Instagram for fat shaming this picture would be on Good Morning America. But nay, since its Phil Kessel its just for us bloggers to champion.

For anyone unfamiliar with the reference, this is in response to the Toronto Sun hockey writers shitting on Kessel on his way out the door after the Maple Leafs traded him.

“The hot dog vendor who parks daily at Front and John Sts. just lost his most reliable customer. Almost every afternoon at 2:30 p.m., often wearing a toque, Phil Kessel would wander from his neighbourhood condominium to consume his daily snack.”

That was the lede of the story! Keep doing you man, pound those dogs like your on Coney Island on the fucking 4th of July. If only the Bruins could get players like Kessel.

Pittsburgh Pirates Continue to Have the Best Ballpark in the MLB with Super Mario In-Game Contest

As some of you may know, aside from Fenway, PNC Park in Pittsburgh is by far my favorite ballpark in the MLB. Just a great looking park, great sight lines, cheap tickets, easy access from public transport and solid fan giveaways. Now take all of that, throw in some cutting edge technology and sprinkle in some old school gaming nostalgia? That is a goddamn ballpark my friends. And that is exactly what the Pirates did with their new “Super Bucco Run” on the right field wall.

It’s basically an in-game contest for fans to physically compete in, essentially playing in your own version of Super Mario while running the warning track. This is awesome. Take those racing hot dogs, sausages and perogies out behind the shed and put a bullet in their brain because Super Bucco Run is the future.

Once Dominant Red Sox Reliever Daniel Bard is On the Comeback Tour

danielbard

Yahoo! Sports – For a time, Daniel Bard was one of baseball’s most effective and feared relievers. Now the 31-year-old right-hander is scratching and clawing for one more opportunity in the big leagues, which he hopes will come this season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

I admit I had completely forgotten about Daniel Bard. The once heir apparent to the best closer in Red Sox history, Jonathan Papelbon. Guy was absolutely lights out as a setup man and then the Red Sox fucked everything up. Seriously, don’t mess with success.

Remember when the Yankees had the same EXACT situation on their hands with Joba Chamberlain? Guy was an absolutely dominant reliever who was in line to take over as closer for Mariano Rivera. Nope, Yankees tried to move him into the starting rotation and the guy folded. Admittedly he had some sparks of dominance as a starter. I was at a game at Fenway he started and the guy went 7-8 innings and struck out 10. But for whatever reason, his build, his control, his endurance the guy unraveled and was ruined as a pitcher. They had a specific set of rules called the Joba Rules to keep this guy in tact for christ’s sake. Probably not the ideal guy to be messing with his whole workload and mindset. But I digress…

This is the latest team in a long list of teams kicking the tires on Bard. Theo was the first to try and resurrect Bard’s career unsurprisingly, picking him off the scrap heap in 2013 after the Sox placed him on waivers. He signed with the Rangers next season before actually re-signing with the Cubs organization in 2015, signed with the Pirates organization in January 2016 and didn’t even make it to April before getting released. Bard ultimately signed with the Cardinals last year and that’s where the comeback tour rolls on.

Reports say Bard seems to have his control back and is still throwing 96 mph. And this isn’t from some scrub St. Louis reporter, by “reports” I mean that this is coming from Peter Gammons, the human Britannica of baseball himself. So that’s gotta count for something.

With guys like Bard who were absolutely filthy for a short stint and then flamed out just as fast, it always reminds me of the Stellan Skarsgard quote from Good Will Hunting.

goodwillhunting_wishinevermetyou

Best of luck, Dan.

Patriots Dismantle the Steelers On The Way to Their 9th Super Bowl Appearance

patsafcchamps

The Patriots are going to their 9th Super Bowl. The most in NFL history. Bill Belichick is going to his 7th Super Bowl as a head coach. The most in NFL history. And Tom Brady is going to his 7th Super Bowl as player. The most in NFL history.

larrydavid

The Patriots played their best game of the year in all 3 phases of the game and Pittsburgh just had no answer. Tom Brady went 32 for 42 for 384 yards and 3 TD’s in the 36-17 dismantling of Pittsburgh. A handful of those incompletions were drops or intentional throwaways too. And Brady now has 22 TD’s and 0 INTs in his last 7 games against Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.

Sure, LeVeon Bell getting hurt did not help the Steelers (who appeared very LaDanian Tomlinson-esque on the sidelines), but the Pats shut down Deangelo Williams (34 yards and a TD), who in the past has roasted New England. But they also held All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown in check to just 7 catches for 77 yards. Kudos to Malcolm Butler and also to Mark Zuckerberg for setting up shop in Brown’s head with the whole Facebook Live debacle.

Patriots corner Eric Rowe does scare the shit out of me though. The stats say he had a pick and no huge plays given up, but in reality he was getting burned all night and if it wasn’t for 2 or 3 drops by Pittsburgh receivers this could have been a much tighter game. So he should be a blast to watch against the No. 1 offense in the NFL during the Super Bowl.

The Pats running game wasn’t great, save for that pile-carrying run Blount had down to the 1. But it didn’t need to be as Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman lit up the Steelers questionable secondary all night. The two combined for 17 catches, 298 yards and 3 TD’s. Hogan in fact broke the Patriots record for receiving yards in a playoff game with his 9 for 180, which is all you need to know about last night’s game. The Steelers either didn’t respect him or just forgot to cover him because he found holes all night long for big plays and 2 TD’s. He should have had another huge play too, but Brady underthrew him on a deep crossing route.

Tom Brady was brilliant once again. Completing passes to 9 different receivers. I’m sure the entire week of talk radio and ESPN saying how poorly Brady played against the Texans the previous week and how vulnerable they looked was a good boost of extra motivation.

The Patriots have now won 17 of 20 home playoff games with Belichick and Brady. That is bananas.

And, my goodness this ESPN the Magazine cover. Just look at it. You’ve done a lot of terrible, unforgivable things ESPN, but goddamnit will I be purchasing this beauty.

bradyespnmag

We’re on to the Super Bowl.

Patriots Preparing to Stomp the Steelers Out Zoolander Style

This is just too good not to post. Just picturing TB12 and the Pats players driving to the stadium every day as the Steelers are busy talking shit and Facebook Live streaming their coach’s postgame speech.

patriotszoolander

Thank God Tom Brady just came out with his new science altering PJs last week. Just in time. The whole team is probably sleeping like lambs. Just catching all the z’s before they stomp the Steelers out on Sunday.

tb12pjs