Pretty strong video from Julian Edelman here right up until the Belichick intro, which actually made me laugh out loud. And the closing credits brings it all together. Going to be a great week for Patriots porn.
all I need is a little help from my friends #wheelsup #onemore pic.twitter.com/2OCwONmnK9
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) January 30, 2017
ESPN – “The New England Patriots obviously haven’t forgotten who started Deflategate, as team president Jonathan Kraft expressed little sympathy for former Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, who was relieved of his duties on Saturday. On Kraft’s weekly pregame interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Sunday, Kraft initially deflected a question about the Colts’ firing of Grigson, before referring to the AFC Championship Game against Indianapolis that started Deflategate. Said Kraft: “That game might have been Ryan’s pinnacle, I don’t know.” The Patriots beat the Colts 45-7 in the conference title game on Jan. 18, 2015.”
Jonathan Kraft is throwing shade and I love it. Robert won’t do it, at least not outright. Brady won’t do it. You know Belichick won’t do it. So it’s up to Jonathan to throw out these subtle little digs.
Oh you wanna create a gigantic fugazi scandal about something the NFL had never cared about to actually check or measure in the history of the league? It’s entrapment really. Just like that Sean Connery movie, but not as good. Grigson – you want to cause us to lose draft picks, get fined and have the greatest player in Patriot history suspended for 4 games? Cause an absolute shitstorm in the media that lead to investigations, league sanctioned and biased reports on how Tom Brady maybe, possibly knew about something? TB12 getting dragged into court over air pressure in footballs?
Well guess what, when you get fired because you can’t draft for shit, Jonathan Kraft will roast you. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
PS – Has there even been a more appropriate quote to describe Tom Brady and the entire DeflateGate saga than the one from the end of The Dark Knight?
“Because he’s the hero Foxborough deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.”
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.
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.
We’re on to the Super Bowl.
How do you feel about Tom Brady going to his 7th Super Bowl? #Patriots #AFCChampionship #SBLI pic.twitter.com/b7iR2TJPcd
— The 300s (@The300sBoston) January 23, 2017
Tom Brady and Gisele continue to be true American royalty.
Huge win for the Patriots, especially after all the talk about the “tomato cans” they’ve played, their weak strength of schedule, and how the Steelers are a playoff tested team. Didn’t matter. Cannot stop TB12 on the Drive for Five. We’ll have more of a game recap later today. Until then just set this pic of Tom and Gisele as your laptop background.
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.
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.
Look if Roger Goodell doesn’t wanna come into Foxborough I get it. Why go somewhere where you know the entire stadium is going to at best clown you and at worst treat you like Santa Clause in Philly. But come on man, its time to take the medicine. It’ll be theraputic for all the parties involved. Roger can make his appearance as the ambassador of the league should at one of the biggest games of the year. As Tyrion Lannister once told Joffrey: “You’re absence has already been noted.”
I seriously think Goodell needs someone like Paul Tagliabue to play the role of Tyrion in his life, give him a couple slaps and get his head on straight. You’re the goddamn commissioner of the NFL.
And Patriots fans can scream some F bombs from their seats and their couches. But come on dude, you’ll be in a luxury booth. Then you take the private elevator back to your transport and you’re done. And that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you.
To instead go back to Atlanta for the SECOND WEEK IN A ROW is bananas. That shit sticks out real bad. All it does is show that the commissioner is spooked about coming to Gillette. Can’t have that. Go grab a few glasses of merlot with David Stern and Gary Bettman and just listen to the war stories these guys have. They’ve eaten shit at every draft and championship trophy presentation, for years. And they actually seem to enjoy it. Take the medicine, Roger. You need it just as bad as us.
So last night the Patriots advanced to their SIXTH straight AFC Championship game (NFL record) after topping the Texans 34-16. It wasn’t exactly the easy street blowout most of us expected, even though the Pats did cover the highest playoff point spread in 20 years. But a win is a win is a win. TB12 was rushed and hit all night (2 sacks, at least 6 hits), with a couple of late hits from JeDeveon Clowney as the Texans D tried to do something, anything to stop the Patriots.
Tom Brady temper tantrum dot gif https://t.co/gUsZfBzaME pic.twitter.com/vSHxS4L429
— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 15, 2017
As they came to learn though, the Patriots are like the goddamn tide on the beach, they cannot be stopped. Any time the Texans D did anything positive to get some momentm, Brock Osweiler immediately reminded everyone why he’s been a huge waste of $70 million.
When Brock Osweiler sees McCourty jump his route for the INT. #Patriots #Texans #NEvsHOU #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Howstlz2tm
— The 300s (@The300sBoston) January 15, 2017
Dude threw 3 picks last night to destroy any chance the Texans had of staying in the game. And I would be remiss to not mention Dion Lewis having an absolutely befuddling game, all while dominating. Three touchdowns. Two fumbles. Receiving, rushing and a kickoff returned for a TD. Have a day kid.
I was starting to sweat a little bit down the stretch, not because the game was in doubt, but because Tom Brady, Martellus Bennett and other key players were taking unnecessary shots in a game that was already decided. Not to mention Tom Brady had a relatively mediocre game (47% completion percentage) so expect to come out and tear it up next week. Edelman and Hogan were huge per usual, making a bunch of clutch catches to bail out the Patriots offense. Now its time to watch the Steelers and Chiefs beat the crap out of each other to earn the right to play the role of sacrificial lamb next week. ONE MORE!
So just a quick post here late on a Friday. Just wanted to point out the fact that the Patriots are the biggest playoff favorite since 1998 with a spread somewhere between 15.5-16.5 over the Texans, depending on who you ask. Thats 3 scores folks. Remember, we did beat the Texans 27-0 with our third string quarterback.
I expect a swift and ferocious beatdown of old friend Bill O’Brien and his squad. Even JJ Watt pump up speeches and letterman jackets can’t stop it.
This is the Drive for 5, this is for Roger Goodell, Ryan Grigson, the Wells Report and every other asshole involved in the DeflateGate story. This is for freedom. Lets get it boys.
LOVE it. Say what you will, but no one, and I mean no one holds a grudge like Boston sports fans. And thats why we’re so passionate. We got dudes telling ESPN to go piss up a rope, we’ve got former Patriots players railing against the league any chance they get, hell even the Barstool guys got arrested for TB12. Can’t teach that loyalty. Can’t beat the guy who never gives up.
Hey @OnlyInBOS, look who I found on the Nantucket ferry on their bye week…#RelationshipGoals pic.twitter.com/mZkADW07MK
— Adam Markopoulos (@AdamMarko) January 9, 2017
@ESPNAssignDesk No chance @ESPN, you started Deflategate.
DO.
NOT.
USE.
MY.
PHOTO.#LoyaltyToBill#LoyaltyToTom#LoyaltyToKraft— Adam Markopoulos (@AdamMarko) January 9, 2017
Hey ESPN, it’s called loyalty
ESPN – “The Associated Press 2016 NFL All-Pro Team is showing off the league’s new wave of stars… Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is a first-time selection. Ryan edged out New England’s Tom Brady, who was suspended for four games to start the season.”
Gotta love ESPN. No matter the context or the circumstances, they will throw in a dig. “Matt Ryan edges out Tom Brady for First Team All-Pro, who was suspended, remember?” Regardless of the fact that they perpetuated the bullshit that got Brady suspended in the first place, which essentially caused him to miss out on 1st team and likely his 3rd MVP award.
Brady simply ran out of time. He was playing like the best QB in the league for 12 weeks, but when voters look and see that Matt Ryan has 38 TD passes to Brady’s 28, that’s basically it. Never mind the fact that Brady had the greatest TD to Interception Ratio in LEAGUE HISTORY (28-2). Or the fact that he was the driving force behind a 14-2 team (7 game winning streak) that just clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and looks like a lock to make the Super Bowl.
Brady was valuable. Probably the most valuable. But volume is what killed Brady here. I’ll tell you what though, TB12 and I will take a 5th Lombardi Trophy over a 3rd MVP Award every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
The Drive for Five continues…
P.S. – Matt Slater was the lone Patriots representative on the AP NFL First-Team All Pro, which was his first so congrats to him. The Pats also had Second-Team reps in Brady, Cannon (Dante Scarnecchia is the O-Lineman whisperer), Butler, McCourty, Hightower and Ebner. You think Belichick might put that last one in his trophy case? Took a college RUGBY player and turned him into Second-Team All-Pro in the NFL. Incredible.
The 300s 