Tag: Tom Brady

ALL the Highlights from the Patriots Super Bowl Parade

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Considering I dutifully honored the national holiday that is the day after Super Bowl Sunday, I was not in a great position to go to the Pats parade. BUT thankfully the internet is here to live stream every second of the damn thing, so below are some of the highlights if you too were stuck in the cubes yesterday.

Brady Not Liking Being Called the GOAT is the Most Tom Brady Thing Ever

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As comes with the territory of being a Super Bowl champion, both Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, the game’s MVP, were in Disney World on Monday, parading around the Magic Kingdom in celebration after winning the big game the night before.

When it came time for Brady to sit down and do his obligatory interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the 41-year-old said the following to Michael Strahan regarding how he feels about being labeled as “the G.O.A.T” (h/t CBS Sports):

“I don’t even like that. I don’t even like it — it makes me cringe. I guess I take compliments worse than — I wish you would say, ‘You’re trash, you’re too old, you’re too slow, you can’t get it done no more.’ And I’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, I’m gonna go prove you wrong.'”

OH COME AHHHHNN, TAAAHHHMMM. Can’t you just enjoy this for one freakin’ second??!!

We get it. You have the determination and work ethic of a coal miner in the 1800s. Your meticulous diet is enough to make even Richard Simmons blush. You’ve taken hundreds of hits – both on the field and off – over the past 20-plus years of football, and you STILL want to play for another 20 more. It amazes everyone how you are still so driven, on such a visceral level, by some incessant Napoleonic complex that comes from being a sixth-round draft choice almost 19 years ago. You’re also the only NFL player in history with six titles to his name. You’ve literally won more games than ANYONE else in the history of EVER. There will simply never be another Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. Period.

And, I don’t know, maybe that’s why people can’t really say anything other than the fact that you’re the best that’s ever played. As much as people still want to hate you out of spite, at this point I don’t even think the most ardent Brady-haters out there would dare try to dispute that.

Look, I know this is just typical “athlete talk” and Brady would get eviscerated in the media if he instead responded to Strahan with a “YOU DAAAAAMN RIGHT, I AM.” But still.

So, come on, Tom. You’re not fooling anyone. You are the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. I know it. You know it. The world knows it.

But still, don’t lose that drive, though, old man. I wouldn’t mind another one or two before you ride off into the sunset.

Patriots “We’re Champions AGAIN!!!” Super Bowl Postgame Reaction and Quick Hits

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A lot of people are going to want to sit there this morning and say that was one of the worst Super Bowls that they’ve ever watched. It felt long. It felt tedious. It felt just outright boringgg a times. And it did feature the lowest total amount of points scored in any title game in NFL history, as the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams by a score of only 13-3.

All that matters, though, is that the Pats came out victorious in the end, tying them with Pittsburgh for the most championships in NFL history (6) and making Tom Brady the ONLY NFL player in the history of the planet with six Super Bowl titles to his name.

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Julian Edelman, the game’s MVP, continued his long history of postseason dominance with another exceptional performance. His 141 receiving yards accounted for over a third of the Pats’ total offensive output in the game, and his 10 receptions were just under half of the total passes Brady completed overall in the game. Gronk also stepped up with six catches and 87 yards of his own, as the two combined for 228 of the team’s 262 total receiving yards.

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Jules put up a performance for the ages.

But this game was ALL about the defense, as both sides were absolutely dominant on that side of the ball. Here’s a few stats for you to illustrate just how tough it was for both teams to move the chains last night:

  • Neither Brady nor Jared Goff could surpass 262 yards through the air, and both quarterbacks finished with ratings well under 75 for the game. (Goff had a putrid 57.9 rating!) Each signal-caller also threw a pick without a score.
  • Both teams converted on only about 25 percent of their third-down opportunities, and the Pats failed on their only fourth-down attempt.
  • There were a total of 14 punts in the game for over 630 yards.
  • The Rams did not reach the red zone ONCE throughout the entire game.

So, while some may be quick to claim that both teams were “bad” last night, maybe it was actually just the fact that both defenses were so “good.” In today’s NFL, offense usually steals the show, but I thought it was actually refreshing to see both sides play some old-school, smash-mouth, grind-it-out pigskin. And considering that both the Pats and Rams were top-five scoring teams this year, what both defenses were able to do was all the more impressive.

Both team’s defensive success started with their pass-rush. After not getting touched all postseason, Brady was finally sacked and hit another four times. But the Patriots were even more aggressive coming at Goff; they were able to take the young fella down four times and hit him another 12 (!), forcing him to make horrible tosses all over the field last night. For as much as I crap on Kyle Van Noy and his pass-coverage skills, he was a monster up front for the Pats on Sunday, with one sack and three QB hits of his own. Dont’a Hightower also had two sacks.

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All right, Kyle. Enjoy this one. You deserved it last night.

However, I would be entirely remiss if I did not mention the incredible play of the Pats’ secondary. Everyone will mention Stephon Gilmore‘s game-ending interception, but I think that Jason McCourty may have single-handedly saved the game with one third-quarter play. With the Pats up by only three points and just over 18 minutes to play in the game, Brandin Cooks broke free down the seam and was sitting WIDE OPEN in the end zone for what should have been a cupcake touchdown for L.A. Yet McCourty never gave up his pursuit and followed the 40-yard bomb Goff threw all the way to Cooks’s body, ultimately using his arms to knock the ball right out of Cooks’s hands at the very last moment in front of the goal post. (You can watch the play here. It truly was a season-saving play by No. 30.)

The Pats then held the Rams to a 53-yard field goal, which would be their only score of the game. In total, the defense also defended another eight passes from Goff, and, above all, they held both Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson to 68 total yards on 20 touches. At one point, the Pats also forced the Rams to punt the ball eight straight times. The Patriots defense was the real Super Bowl MVP last night.

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This dude was pretty much M.I.A. in Atlanta on Sunday. His non-existence is truly what killed the Rams in this one.

Here’s a few more key takeaways from last night’s events:

  • I was all ready to write a fury-filled post today about Stephen Gostkowski AGAIN missing yet another field goal in a Super Bowl. On the Pats’ second drive of the game, Gostkowski missed a 46-yarder, after Brady threw a pick on the first drive, causing me to just stare blankly at the TV in complete fear and disbelief early on. BUT, the 13-year vet made up for it with two other successful kicks (and an extra point) which ended up being vital to the game’s final outcome. Still, that’s three straight times Gostkowski has missed a field goal on the game’s biggest stage, plus the one he missed in the 2015 AFC Championship in Denver. I’d still rather have him than most other guys in the league, but it’s never a given with him in pressure situations.
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Nice save last night, Steve. Nice save.

  • Even though it’s usually a bad sign when you notice your punter’s efforts in a particular game, I gotta give it up to Ryan Allen. Some casual Pats fans probably couldn’t even name the 28-year-old or pick him out of a lineup, but he pinned three of his five punts last night inside the 20. He was one of the reasons the Rams kept starting off with such poor field position all night long. Matthew Slater also kept proving why he’s one of the best special teams guys ever, as he was constantly the one chasing those punts down and preventing them from bouncing into the endzone. I just wanted to make sure I gave credit to some guys who I know will fly under the radar in most postgame pieces out there today.
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Long an unsung hero, Slater was vital to the team’s success again last night.

  • While both Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead ran the ball well last night, I was completely shocked by how little the running backs were used in this one. James White – who I shamelessly praised earlier this week – was completely invisible, in every sense of the word, touching the ball just three times for a total of nine yards. Surprisingly, however, White was on the field for just as many plays (27) as Michel, and both guys outsnapped Burkhead by eight plays. When you look at it, they all still played about a third of the team’s offensive snaps, and it seems as though they were simply called upon to be decoys last night, being used to draw coverage off of the primary targets Brady really wanted to go to. So, they didn’t really play “bad” at all; they just didn’t all get as much shine as usual. (And yes, game script was also a big factor here, too.)
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The rookie showed up with some big plays last night, including the game’s only touchdown.

  • If this really is Gronk’s swan song, what a way it was to go out. Sure, he didn’t have a throwback, tried-and-true GRONKINATOR performance, but he was the team’s second-leading receiver behind Edelman. He also played on 100 percent of the plays, and we all know this guy still isn’t fully healthy (and may never be again). But he still gutted it out, with a few huge grabs in the biggest moments, cementing his status as one of the greatest Pats ever. Hats off to you, No. 87!

In all honesty, there’s really not much more to say about the game last night, as it truly was a test of patience for everyone involved – players, coaches, and fans alike. Sometimes, it’s just like that, and it all comes down to whoever’s left standing at the end.

And for the sixth time in the past 18 years, the ones left standing were none other than your New England Patriots. We’re champs again, baby! We are champs AGAIN!!!

Tomorrows. The. Day. The 300s Podcast LIVE….Oh and the Super Bowl Too

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I know you’ve all been waiting months and months for this. The Patriots. The Rams. Tom Brady. Jared Goff. Bill Belichick. Sean McVay. Red. Big Z. Mattes. Joey B. The 300s Podcast LIVE on Super Bowl Sunday might be the most ambitious crossover event in entertainment history. Come stop by Oak Square Liquors in Brighton from 1-3 pm to see the boys chopping it up, make your predictions, and win some free stuff. Or if you’ll already be glued to your couch, no worries because you can catch us on Facebook LIVE as well.

So keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for all the updates and behind the scenes of The 300s Podcast live event!

PS – Rumor has it the person that predicts the final score of the game will even win a 30 rack (or just a gift card if thats frowned upon by the ABC).

Patriots Rams SUPER BOWL LIII Preview, Odds, and Predictions

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Photo cred: Roku Blog

Ya know, we really are so incredibly spoiled as Patriots fans.

Just think about it: For the third year in a row – and the ninth time in the past 18 seasons – we’re STILL gearing up for our favorite squad’s upcoming game as the calendar is about to hit February. Not since Buffalo made a run to four-straight Super Bowls in the 1990s has any other group been able to say that, and, in fact, four groups of fans have never had the chance to be in this position. I think it’s pretty well-established by this point that the Pats are quite possibly the greatest dynasty in the history of sports. But I just wanted to provide a friendly little reminder for anyone who forgot. (*He said with a big smirk.*)

All right, enough subtle bragging. Let’s get into the preview.

As always – for those who missed my full breakdown of all the game’s odds and prop bets last week – here’s a quick look at the important game info and latest lines:

  • Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
  • Kickoff: Sunday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Spread*: Patriots -2.5 / Rams -2.5
  • Moneyline*: Patriots -115 / Rams +130
  • Total*: 56.5 (total)

(*All of the information is courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of Thursday, January 31.)

Where to begin? Well, for starters, both teams feature top-five offenses which are capable of putting up a lot of points in a hurry, while their defenses sit near the bottom third of the league overall (the Rams are 19th in total defense and the Pats aren’t too far behind at 21). But that does not mean either team is a pushover on the defensive side of the ball; in fact, both sides have Pro Bowlers and/or All-Pros all over the field, including likely NFL Defensive MVP Aaron Donald (Rams), who, in all seriousness, might be one of the greatest defensive lineman to ever play the game. (I’m not kidding.) Don’t also forget that the Pats gave up the seventh-least amount of points per game in the league this season (20.3).

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More on this monster when we get to the storylines.

Again, though, it’s the offensive side of the ball where these two squads really cut their teeth. The Rams were one of three teams to put up over 30 points per game this year (32.9) and can be very explosive; they had the third-most completions over 20 yards this season and averaged the second most yards per play (6.4), only behind Kansas City. The Pats finished fourth in the league with 27.3 points per contest, and their 5.9 yards-per-play mark isn’t all that far behind. The point is: both of these teams know how to move the ball and get into the end zone.

But there’s one pretty notable advantage the Pats have over the Rams on offense, and it should be pretty obvious to even the most casual NFL fans. This will be Tom Brady’s 39th postseason game overall and the ninth time he’s played in the Super Bowl; Jared Goff will be playing in just his fourth playoff game and his first-ever Super Bowl. In fact, Brady has played in as many career postseason games (39) as Goff has played overall career NFL games when you combine regular-season and playoff appearances.

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Goff looked petrified the whole time the two were up on stage together Monday night.

This is the Super Bowl, where experience matters. (Yeah, I know the Eagles pretty much disproved that last year, but I’m going to say that was an aberration.) And I think it’s pretty safe to say the Pats have the upper hand there:

There’s also the whole coaching experience the Pats possess as well. Again, much like Brady, I don’t think I need to waste time waxing poetic about how Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of all-time or talk about how he’s 34 years older than Rams coach Sean McVay, who is only in his second year of running the team. But, as I already pointed out last week, the fact that Belichick has been coaching in the league for over a decade longer than McVay has even been alive is INSANE, and it could certainly present itself as quite important in the game’s biggest moments.

However, McVay truly is an offensive wizard, and you can’t ignore the immense talent the Rams still possess. Fortunately, they may be slightly less talented than they were coming out of the gates this year, as Goff’s binky Cooper Kupp (aka “Julian Edelman Light”) was lost earlier in the year to an ACL tear, and All-World running back Todd Gurley has been slowed by knee issues of his own since the very end of the season. In fact, Gurley touched the ball just five times in the NFC Championship against the Saints for 13 total yards. Yet DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS MAN; he still put up over 1,251 yards on the ground and another 580 receiving this season with 21 total TDs. When healthy, Gurley is probably the top running back in the game right now. (And don’t forget, he’s also had two weeks off to heal up.)

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A fully healed and rested Gurley is capable of taking over any game at any time.

Even if Gurley doesn’t show up, the Rams have C.J. Anderson, who apparently signed a deal with the Devil this winter. After a 1,200-plus-yard effort with Denver last season, Anderson was let go, and for some reason it took forever for him to find a new home. He then signed with Carolina and struggled through nine games as a backup before being cut in early November. Then, just before Christmas, the Rams signed him due to Gurley’s health, and he’s responded with three 100-plus-yard rushing efforts in four games so far, averaging 5.68 yards per carry!

The Rams also have Robert Woods and former Patriot Brandin Cooks as a very solid wide-receiver pairing. Both guys had at least 80 catches, 1,200 yards, and five TDs this season, and they’ll make it tough for the Pats’ secondary to decide who to focus on. (QUICK PREDICTION: The Pats will likely bracket Cooks with one safety over the top due to his deep-threat ability, basically nullifying him as a weapon. In turn, Goff will have to force the ball to Woods more often than he’d like to, causing a costly interception or two.) As I said, it’s no longer a three-headed monster with Cupp out, but Josh Reynolds has still been a decent No. 3 option who is averaging over 18 yards per catch this postseason. As far as tight ends go, they’re pretty unimpressive in that department, and the Pats should be able to lock them down with ease.

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Old friend Cooks will be looking to actually play in the entire Super Bowl this time around.

Now, let’s get into some of the key matchups and other things I’ll be watching out for specifically on Sunday:

(Rams D-Tackles vs. Pats O-Line): I mentioned Aaron Donald at the top of the piece, and yes, he really is THAT good. He compiled 37 sacks through his first four seasons while also proving to be a force against the run, immediately proving himself to be one of the league’s top defenders after being drafted in the first round out of Pittsburgh in 2014. This season, though, he hit other-worldly levels, posting a league-leading 20.5 sacks, which is even more impressive considering he plays mostly from the interior. Michael Brockers has also been an underrated tackle for years, and let’s not forget the Rams also added former All-Pro Ndamukong Suh to the mix this year as well. Other than these guys, though, the Rams aren’t really all that scary up front (though defensive end and former No. 3 overall pick Dante Fowler can be good in spurts). Luckily, though, the Pats O-line has been even better, allowing zero sacks this postseason. As ferocious as Donald is, I’m really not worried about the Rams’ pass-rush in this one.

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The Pats O-line has truly been exceptional, but they haven’t played this guy yet.

(The Rams Secondary vs. the Pats WRs): The strength of the Rams defense is supposed to lie in their secondary. This offseason, along with Suh, the Rams brought in two former All-Pro corners in Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, and most were ready to hand them the Lombardi Trophy before the season even started (myself included). But, for some reason, Peters has actually been just awful at times this season, Talib missed half the year due to injury, and the team finished right in the middle of the pack in terms of pass-coverage. Safety Lamarcus Joyner has probably been their most consistent player back there in 2018, and I’m scared at how confidently I believe in Brady’s ability to carve them up. Also, even though Nickell Robey-Coleman has been one of the league’s best (if not the best) slot corner this year, I still fully expect Edelman to eat him ALIVE in the slot – hopefully he just doesn’t get away with any more B.S. non-calls:

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(Pats Running Game vs. Rams Front Seven): The Pats were able to use all three of Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead against Kansas City, who collectively give them the best stable of backs they’ve had in years. While Michel is undoubtedly the grinder on the ground, the Pats can keep the Rams off balance with a mix of the other two catching balls out of the backfield. The Rams run defense has been a bit inconsistent this year; they kept guys like Ezekiel Elliot, Alvin Kamara, and Mark Ingram to a total of just 98 rushing yards this postseason, but they’d also given up over 100 ground yards in nine-of their-last-10 before that (including one where they surrendered 273 [!!!] and another in which they gave up 194). They also gave up the highest yard-per-carry average (5.1) to opponents this season. Knowing how good the Pats’ pass-blocking has been and the success they’ve seen with running the ball lately, the Rams will probably focus more on stopping the run. Believe it or not, even as bad as the Rams have been against the ground attack this year, I’m still expecting this one to set up much better for White and Burkhead as opposed to Michel. Cory Littleton (125 total tackles) has also been a revelation at linebacker for L.A. this year, and he could be the X-factor for them on defense in this one.

(Rams Running Game vs. the Pats Front Seven): I already mentioned how the Rams feature not only the game’s premier running back in Todd Gurley, but they’ve also received some unreal production out of C.J. Anderson lately as well. Whether Gurley is fully healed and rested in this one or not, Anderson has proven to be more than capable of carrying the load. The Pats have struggled against running backs at times this year, allowing 4.9 yards a tote, but they’ve given up just 60 rushing yards in total this postseason and a total of just 176 combined in the last two games of the regular season. However, Gurley can hurt them as a receiver out of the backfield, which is perhaps the Pats’ biggest area of weakness on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, Chiefs running back Damien Williams posted a solid five-catch, 66-yard, two-TD performance against the team less than two weeks ago. Dont’a Hightower, Elandon Roberts, and Kyle Van Noy are going to need to step their game up big time in this one.

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Van Noy has been one of the team’s best pass-rushers and all-around defensive contributors this season, but he leaves a lot to be desired in terms of pass-coverage. A LOT.

(Watch out for “Greg the Leg”): The Rams have one the league’s top kickers in Greg Zuerlein. He missed a couple games with an injury this year but has otherwise been money for the past three seasons, nailing 90 percent of his attempts over that time (including 95 percent of them last season). Not only is he accurate, but he’s got an incredibly powerful leg that pretty much puts the Rams in scoring position any time they’re on the opponent’s side of the field (10-for-13 on 50-plus-yarders the past two seasons). If the game’s close at the end and the Rams have the ball, this dude could end up being the dagger that takes down the throne.

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This guy can seriously kick the ball to outer space.

Prediction

While both teams are pretty close in terms of talent level, I feel like experience will end up being the key to victory here. Again, I know the Eagles had a first-year head coach and a backup quarterback win them a title last season, but the Pats defense was also really, reaallllyyy bad in that game. This year, they’re much more refined on that side of the ball, and the Rams aren’t playing at full strength. Above all, I just can’t see Jared Goff beating the G.O.A.T. coming off a Super Bowl loss. I just can’t. Edelman, White, and an adrenaline-filled Gronk will lead the way on offense, and the Pats end up winning with a bit more ease than expected, 34-27.

AND DON’T FORGET: Be sure to tune in on Facebook Live this Sunday from 1-3 p.m. – or come hang with us at Oak Square Liquors in Brighton – as The 300s crew brings you our first-ever LIVE podcast, giving you even more predictions, insight, and crazy shenanigans until just hours before kickoff!

Win or Lose Super Bowl LIII, Tom Brady Will Be Back Next Season

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With a tumultuous offseason that saw Tom Brady skipping OTAs and going on a world tour to promote TB12, coupled with the reports of tension between him and Bill Belichick, there was plenty of speculation that 2018 could be Brady’s last season. Don’t get it twisted, Tom Brady is my favorite athlete of all-time, but it would be a gigantic dick move to retire a year after essentially forcing the Patriots to trade away his young replacement in Jimmy Garoppolo. Brady was incredible last season; he was the MVP of the league and brought the Pats to the brink of another Super Bowl title in 2017, but it would be fair for fans, not to mention Robert Kraft, to be a little pissed if Brady left the team high and dry like that with no succession plan in place.

I never thought I’d see the day I wrote this, but it looks like Devin McCourty may retire before Tom Brady does. The GOAT seems to have outlasted yet another teammate a decade plus younger than him. Incredible.

Now, Brady has long said he wanted to play into his mid 40s, but he then released the mini-series Tom vs Time that literally ends with him openly questioning his love of the game and why he’s still doing it.

Soo it was naive at best, disingenuous at worst, for Tom Brady to wonder why people would question his commitment to the Patriots now. However, Brady put that to bed and triple stamped a double stamp this week when he told ESPN that there is a 0% chance he’ll retire after Super Bowl LIII. I don’t know about you, but I breathed a sigh of relief and I’m a guy that thinks Brady will play until he’s collecting social security. It’s just nice to know that when Sunday night comes and I am screaming and resisting the urge to kick a hole through my TV in what will undoubtedly be another stress filled game, it’s nice to know that I won’t also have to be worrying if this is the last time I ever see No. 12 on the field.

Will Tom play play until he’s 45? He’ll be 42 when next season starts, which means he’d have to play another 3+ seasons to hit that mark so I don’t know about that. But, he still looks better than the majority of quarterbacks in the NFL over longer stretches and is still the best in the NFL in clutch, gotta have it situations. So he should be in no rush to retire.

TB12 will always be there. Tony Robbins will always be there. But the NFL won’t.

So for now Tom Brady is still the King in the North and is my quarterback from this day until my last day.

Patriots Absolutely DESTROY Rob Parker with One Amazing Tweet

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For much of the Brady/Belichick era, the Patriots have usually made a point of taking the high road, often choosing to disregard the “noise” and refusing to engage with those who take shots at them and their unparalleled success.

In fact, Belichick once even benched Wes Welker – who was coming off a 122-catch, 1,500-plus-yard season – for the first half of a playoff game against the Jets in 2011 for his little press conference comedy show a few days before. (Ya know, the one where he “subtly” pokes fun at Rex Ryan’s foot fetish. It was actually pretty hilarious. Here’s the link in case you need a refresher.)

But not this time. On Tuesday, the team itself tweeted out a video which eviscerates long-time Patriots hater and absolute joke of a “journalist,” Rob Parker.

For those of you who are unaware of who Parker is, here’s a quick rundown: He’s a former ESPN analyst – who was fired by the worldwide leader back in 2013 for, you guessed it, opening his big, ignorant pie hole. Now working for FS1, he will literally take any opening possible to dump all over Tom Brady and the Pats. He even goes so far as to call Brady the “L.O.A.T.” (“Luckiest of All Time”) – meaning he believes Brady’s entire career can be attributed to pure luck, and nothing more. Yup, the guy is unbearable to listen to, even on topics not involving the Pats. How he even got a job in the industry in the first place is truly mind-boggling.

Anyway, the tweet was posted in response to some pre-AFC-Championship comments Parker made on FS1’s “The Herd” last week:

Just fucking perfection – even all the way down to the wordplay on “reign” in the caption. Bravo, social media team. BRA-VO.

Stuff like this gets me even more amped up than I already am for next Sunday, and I’m sure it fires up the boys in the locker room, too.

So hopefully you really do take off to Mexico, Rob. Hell, I’ll even buy the plane ticket for ya. I doubt anyone will miss you and your “hot takes” anyway.

Patriots “We’re On to Atlanta” AFC Championship Postgame Reaction and Quick Hits

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I’mma let the Kekambas start this one off tonight:

For the third year in a row, and the NINTH time in Brady’s career, the Pats are back in the Super Bowl after what was an all-time game for the ages. No, but seriously, that game was almost indescribable – a complete roller coaster that had me experience pretty much every human emotion possible, especially in the second half.

While the Pats rolled out to a 14-0 lead, holding one of the greatest offenses the game has ever seen to zero points and just 32 yards of total offense at the half, things changed significantly over the last 35 minutes. Not only did the Chiefs increase their yardage output eight-fold in the second half (they finished with 290 total yards), but the Pats offense also slowed down significantly, starting off with a punt, field goal, failed fourth-down conversion, and an interception on their first four drives after halftime. In the meantime, the Chiefs scored three touchdowns and were up four with about eight minutes left to play.

There was also a muffed punt, ANOTHER interception by Brady, multiple back-breaking penalties on both sides – including a few complete B.S. calls, or missed calls (cough*that missed illegal pick by the Chiefs on Sammy Watkins’s TD*cough) – and THREE scores over the final 2:06 of regulation, including two within the final 42 seconds. Seriously, it would take an entire 1,000-word piece just to detail the insanity that was the fourth quarter.

All that matters is that Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr. proved once again (for the 567,589,732th time) why he is the greatest player to ever step onto the gridiron. He not only lead two scoring drives in the final eight minutes of regulation, but that opening drive of overtime was a thing of beauty – one that saw Brady convert on three different third downs of 10 or more yards, before Rex Burkhead’s game-winning score.

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Red already hit ya with a little postgame piece earlier tonight, but here’s a few more takeaways for all you out there in Pats Nation as we celebrate deep into MLK Day:

  • I usually hate giving individual awards to a group of players, but there’s no doubt that the Pats’ offensive line has been the team’s offensive MVP this season. It seems like every week I wax poetic about the big boys in front of Brady, but it’s because they are literally playing out of this world. They held the league’s No. 1 pass-rush to ZERO sacks, and Brady was hurried just ONCE on the night. Even with Aaron Donald and his 20.5 sacks set to square off against us in two weeks, I am not scared one bit. How could I be? This might be the best Patriots offensive line I’ve ever seen in my 29 years of living. Actually, no – it IS the best, no questions asked.
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We wouldn’t be here without these guys this year, plain and simple.

  • A lot of people may want to hop all over cornerback J.C. Jackson for what looked like a horrendous night BUT two things: 1) that P.I. he was called for at the end of the game was complete and utter BULL, and 2) he was asked to cover Travis Kelce one-on-one on multiple occasions, for what reason I have NO idea. The undrafted rookie has actually been fantastic this season, grabbing hold of the starting job opposite Stephon Gilmore midway through the season and coming up big on multiple occasions. For what it’s worth, he wasn’t as bad as some may think tonight. He’s going to be a good player here for a long time.
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Don’t worry, kid, I’m still on your side.

  • And let me set the record straight: the defense was NOT bad tonight; they held the third all-time scoring offense to less than 300 total yards. Even more impressive was the fact they held Tyreek Hill to just one catch. Bill Belichick is a master of neutralizing the opponent’s No. 1 weapon, and he did so once again on Sunday, double-covering the speedster all evening and making him pretty much invisible. Kelce also only had three catches for 23 yards. (And remember, these two combined for 190 catches and over 2,800 yards this season!!!) This man is a master schemer, and this secondary is playing absolute lights out.
  • On the other hand, Kyle Van Noy actually had a much worse game than people think, and he’s been getting away with some pretty lackluster play at times this season. Yes, he makes nice plays here and there, but he also absolutely whiffed on multiple tackles tonight, including what should have been two more sacks on Mahomes. He also couldn’t cover a defensive tackle stuck in molasses in pass coverage. Again, he’ll have a nice sack here and there, but if it weren’t for our stellar secondary and solid D-line, this defense would be in trouble.
  • As pointed out by Red already, the team’s running game came up huge again. Sure, none of Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, or James White averaged more than 3.9 yards per carry, but they ALL came up big when it counted: two TDs a piece for both Michel and Burkhead; SIX first-down conversions for White; no turnovers; and 176 rushing yards overall. Burkhead even received four targets to White’s six in the passing game. This is a really solid three-headed monster which will keep a solid L.A. defense on its toes down in Atlanta.
  • Finally, I gotta give it up to Patrick Mahomes. That kid is ICE COLD, in a good way, and he will be running the league for years to come once TB12 hangs ’em up for good. Seriously, this kid is a monster, and there is no way he should be hanging his head after this one.

But again, all that matters in the end is that WE’RE GOING BACK TO ANOTHER FREAKIN’ SUPER BOWL. Man, this just does NOT get old.

Be sure to stay tuned to The 300s for all your Patriots pre-Super Bowl coverage – including our soon-to-be-officially-announced LIVE podcast!

The Patriots Are Going to Their Ninth Super Bowl With Tom Brady After Instant Classic AFC Championship

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Over an hour after the game I still have a heart rate somewhere near 200 beats per minute because that was the most stressful 4 hours of my life since February 2015 during the Patriots Seahawks Superbowl. My goodness. If I was wearing a Life Alert necklace there would be an ambulance on the way to my house right now because my heart rate is straight up unhealthy. As I said earlier tonight, this is no way to live….but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Rob Gronkowski: Vintage like Merlot

He may not be putting up 9 for 160 and 3 TDs anymore, but this guy is still Tom Brady’s “gotta have it” guy. He is still a 6’6″ mammoth of a man with baby soft hands that can beat anyone one on one. As I mentioned on The 300s Podcast last week, the Patriots would need a vintage game from Gronk and thats exactly what we got with some key catches.

Julian Edelman is Logan

The man must have adamantium in his bones, there is no other explanation for how he can continuously take these massive hits. The guy just throws his back into 250 pound linebackers and gets up faster than I get out of bed after sleeping on my neck wrong. Incredible.

The Muffed Punt

If the Patriots go on to win the Super Bowl, the muffed punt that wasn’t will go down as one of the most insane moments in Patriots playoff history.

The Muffed Punt t-shirts are now on sale!

A play that likely would have sunk their season was overturned thanks to instant replay, despite the fact that the footage the referees were reviewing looked like found footage from an iPhone 4.

The Future

To the Chiefs I tip my cap, that was an absolutely incredible game. The future is yours, but like an older brother with the N64 clicker in hand; it’s still our turn.