Sports Betting Tips and Game Handicapping Picks » New England Patriots

The Best of the Best in 2010 Pro Bowl

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:25:57 +0000

For the first time ever, the Pro Bowl will come a week before THE big game, as this year’s Pro Bowl kicks off Super Bowl week with a bang.

Yes, the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl will now come before the Super Bowl and this year, the best players from both the AFC and the NFC will play at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida for this year’s annual showcase of the league’s premiere talent.

This way, football fans will be able to further build their anticipation heading to Super Bowl XLIV and as far as this year’s Pro Bowl starters are concerned, both teams’ rosters have some familiar faces.

Leading the pack for the AFC squad is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Other selections include Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson and Colts teammate Reggie Wayne.

Dallas Clark, who also plays for the Indianapolis Colts, was also voted in for the Pro Bowl to play tight end, starting tackles will be the Dolphins’ Jake Long and the Broncos’ Ryan Clady. Starting guards for the AFC will be the Patriots’ Logan Mankins and Alan Faneca of the New York Jets.

Faneca’s teammate Nick Mangold will be the AFC’s starting center.

Over on the NFC side of things, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona and DeSean Jackson of Philadelphia, were voted in by fans to play for the conference.

This year, the Minnesota Vikings have the most players on the 2010 Pro Bowl with eight total players that include five starters on offense and defense. Philadelphia, Dallas, and Indianapolis followed them up with six players. The New Orleans Saints, the San Diego Chargers, and the Baltimore Ravens each have five players of their own on the team.

One shocking revelation was that the...

Patriots take on Ravens without Welker

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:02:55 +0000

Can the Patriots win without Wes Welker?

That’s right, the 2010 NFL playoffs continue this Sunday with a huge AFC wild card round match between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. In case you didn’t know, the Patriots lost Wes Welker for the playoffs last week, setting the stage for the Ravens D to take advantage.

This playoff matchup between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens is the only playoff game that won’t be a rematch of last week as the Jets and the Bengals, the Eagles and the Cowboys and the Packers and the Cardinals have all played each other last Sunday heading to their wild card matchup.

The first meeting between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens back in Week 4 was as exciting as ever as the Patriots barely edged Baltimore, 27-21. That game left both teams at 3-1 and provided an exciting quarterback battle that might have gone the other way had Derrick Mason not dropped a pass that would have led to a fourth-down conversion.

Joe Flacco threw for 264 yards, but needed nearly 50 completions to get there, numbers indicative of Baltimore’s mark of 7.1 yards per completion. Ray Rice eclipsed the 100-yard mark on the ground in just 11 carries, a number that helped bolster an impressive rushing mark of nearly five yards per carry.

The Ravens will likely have to use that ground game against a defense that gives up just 7.0 yards per pass attempt.

The Patriots boast one of the NFL’s best passing offenses, but lost a key cog in the final week when receiver Wes Welker went down with a knee injury. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for just 258 yards and one touchdown in the Week 4 win, but also ran for another. Now he’ll have to try and tame the Ravens with a depleted receiving corps and most likely not a ton of help on the ground against of the league’s best run defenses.

Can the Patriots overcome with one...

Honeymoon between Moss, Pats over?

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:05:44 +0000

More problems for the Patriots.

It looks like the New England Patriots are having all sorts of problems this 2009 NFL football season. After suffering back to back losses in the last two weekends, the Patriots finally snapped their losing streak last Sunday. However, despite beating the Carolina Panthers 20-10 to get themselves back in the win column, it seems they still have one huge issue they need to address.

Apparently, Randy Moss had the worst performance of his three-year marriage with the Patriots and according to two Panthers corners, the enigmatic Patriots receiver did it on purpose. Yikes.

Randy Moss finished with just one catch for 16 yards, one dropped pass, one lost fumble and a fourth quarter false start penalty for the New England Patriots. Moss was so terrible last Sunday that the home crowd at Foxboro started to boo him. Was it because of the fantastic defense shown by the Panthers or did Moss just stopped playing?

In case you didn’t know, Moss was sent home by head coach Bill Belichick when the receiver was late for a team practice in preparation for this contest against Carolina. The Patriots lost two in a row and were in desperate need of a win then and being late for an agitated Belichick is definitely something you don’t want to do. Moss did, Belichick sent him packing and the receiver’s ego was hurt since.

Against the Carolina Panthers, Randy Moss looked like he was more interested in hurting his team’s chances of winning the game than beating Carolina. According to two Panthers; Chris Gamble and Chris Harris, they felt Moss wasn’t going all-out on every play.

”We knew he was going to shut it down,” Chris Gamble said. ”That’s what we wanted him to do. That’s what we did. He’d just give up a lot. Slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell, his body language.”

”I know everyone who plays against him...''

Can Brees beat Patriots to stay Perfect?

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:02:05 +0000

Are you ready for arguably the biggest game of the week?

Week 12 of the 2009 NFL football season culminates with arguably one of the biggest games you’ll ever get to see this year.

That’s right because on Monday Night Football, we have the New England Patriots taking on the unbeaten New Orleans Saints in a game that is arguably THE game to watch this week. The Saints are trying to stay undefeated against a Patriots team that came close from finishing the season unscathed a couple of seasons ago. In case you haven’t guessed it yet, this one is going to be good.

Tom Brady helped the Patriots beat the New York Jets last week in what was a nice confidence – booster before facing another highly decorated opponent on the horizon.

After a 3-0 start, the Jets entered this game as the wounded lion, and it was up to the New England Patriots to pounce. They did just that, coaxing rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez into four turnovers three of them interceptions.

Now the road gets much tougher, as the Patriots play in another hostile environment against a New Orleans Saints team looking to keep its perfect season unblemished. The Saints have shrugged off a slow start defensively, shutting down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win their 10th straight game after yielding a long touchdown drive to open the faceoff.

The Saints’ 10-game winning streak is the longest in franchise history.

Who will win a battle between two of the best quarterbacks in the league? Can Drew Brees and the Saints stay perfect? Will the Patriots slay another solid team in a span of three weeks?

As much as we love them Saints...

NFL Week 9 Sports Betting Tips

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:04:08 +0000

The race for postseason slots are starting to heat up.

Yep, we are now starting to see which of the teams this 2009 NFL football season will be making a run at the Super Bowl come February.

After eight weeks, we have the Indianapolis Colts tearing it up in the AFC and the New Orleans Saints having a dream season for the Big Easy. Will these two teams meet each other in Super Bowl XLIV?

But before you contemplate on that, we still have some huge games for you this week as the season continues with Week 9. Sure, Brett Favre and those Minnesota Vikings have the week off, but will that stop you from watching more of the NFL this Sunday? Probably not.

One game you should watch out for is this game between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. Miami is coming off a huge win over the New York Jets last Sunday as they look to take Sanchez and the rest of his Jets out of that no.2 spot in the AFC East. A win over Tom Brady at Foxboro could give ‘em just that but of course, that’s easier said than done.

The New England Patriots are starting to look like the Patriots team that broke all kinds of records two years ago. They are currently lording over the AFC East coming to their divisional rivalry game with the Dolphins this Sunday.

I don’t like Miami’s chances this weekend. Tom Brady is throwing footballs like rockets again and I don’t see Miami’s wild cat offense getting the best of Bill Belichick either. Patriots by seven.

Next we have the Philadelphia Eagles completing their...

NFL Football Week 4 Betting Tips

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:04:10 +0000

You just know this week will be all about Brett Favre facing off against the Packers for the first time in his illustrious NFL career.

But that’s on Monday night, and until Monday Night Football gets here, Week 4 of the 2009 NFL football season still has games that will keep you jacked before we all head to Minnesota for Favre’s biggest test yet.

Let’s kick things off with the New England Patriots. At 2-1, they are nowhere near from the form they displayed when Tom Brady and Randy Moss were both setting records two years ago. But after beating a very good Atlanta Falcons team 26-10 last week, it may have brought some of their mojo back.

They need it to since they have the Baltimore Ravens visiting them at Gillette Stadium this Sunday. The Ravens are on a roll as they go for their fourth straight win in as many games. Surprisingly, while their defense remains as solid as ever, it has been their offense that has done a great job in helping this team to this fast 3-0 start. They are hoping for another stellar performance from wide receiver Derrick Mason, who reached a milestone during their 34-3 win against Cleveland Browns.

Our pick? We’re going with the New England Patriots by a field goal.

Touted as one of the most interesting games of Week 4, the New York Jets head to the Superdome to take on the high powered New Orleans Saints. Mark Sanchez is the first NFL rookie quarterback to lead his team to a 3-0 start and right now, he is the odds on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award. But is he for real?

A win over the New Orleans Saints will definitely give us an idea. After all, the Saints have that stingy defense that’ll force any quarterback out of the pocket, running for his dear life. And aside from that, the Saints still have that powerhouse at the other side of the ball, quarterback Drew Brees. If Sanchez can outplay Brees, then this rookie from Southern California definitely has something for sure.

We’re picking the New Orleans Saints though. Saints by...

Will Chad Ochocinco Lambeau Leap?

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:02:36 +0000

It’s Week 2. Can this week surpass last week’s exciting finishes?

It’s been a helluva’ start to the 2009 NFL football season. I mean, we saw Tony Romo move on without T.O. like an animal, throwing touchdowns effortlessly against that confused Tampa Bay defense. Then we saw Drew Brees do Romo three touchdowns better by coming up with six. And who can forget about the ”Immaculate Deflection” Brandon Stokley took advantage of to score the game-winning touchdown in Denver’s 12-7 win over the Bengals?

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we saw Tom Brady score two touchdowns in less than two minutes to lead the New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills, 25-24 on Monday Night Football. Incredible.

Can Week 2 do better? Let’s sure hope so because Chad Ochocinco for one, has already hyped us up for this weekend’s games when he told everybody that he’s going to Lambeau Leap at Lambeau Field. Apparently, he already forgot about their disappointing loss to the Broncos last Sunday. (Hee hee…)

Unfortunately for Chad Ochocinco and the Cincinnati Bengals, they’re facing a Green Bay Packers defense that came up with four interceptions the last time they were on a football field. Ochocinco won’t be getting any Lambeau Leaps if his team can’t move the chains against that D.

My pick? The Green Bay Packers by two touchdowns. And no, Ocho won’t get any love from Lambeau either.

Next game we have this renewed AFC rivalry between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. Sure, Eric Mangini may have moved on to Cleveland but that doesn’t mean that this feud between the Pats and the Jets is over. Thanks to new Jets head coach Rex Ryan flapping his gums about not coming to the Jets this year to kiss the Super Bowl rings Bill Belichick and the Patriots won, this rivalry is hot again.

Of course, Tom Brady responded to Ryan’s comments by simply saying ”talk is cheap.” He said that the Patriots are also confident and that he don’t expect the Jets to roll over for them.

Yep, heads are going to roll and I’m picking the...

Is it time to bet on the Patriots again?

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:20:13 +0000

Well, they have to protect their prized quarterback first.

New England’s campaign last season was ruined after the loss of Tom Brady for the rest of the year. It was a huge disappointment to their fans as the Patriots were coming off a perfect regular season and came close to winning it all in Glendale, Arizona. Witnessing all that momentum shattered in the very first game of the 2008 season with Brady limping off the field, was disheartening to say the least.

Coming to the 2009 NFL football season, Brady is at least, back throwing footballs again and it is in the Patriots’ best interest to keep their guy healthy this time. Brady returns to the same offense that helped the franchise go undefeated, finishing the regular season at 16-0.

Sure, it was two years ago and last season’s run wasn’t as dominant as their unbeatable 2007 regular season campaign. But the fact of the matter is, the New England Patriots only had Tom Brady for just a single quarter last season and he should have no problems making that West Coast offense work wonders again this year.

The big improvements for the Patriots came on defense, particularly in the secondary. Cornerbacks Terrence Wheatley and Jonathon Wilhite return, and are joined by rookie corner Darius Butler and veteran corners Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs.

PLUS, the Patriots added Patrick Chung to an already deep class of young safeties.

As far as Brady’s targets on the field, Randy Moss and Wes Welker will once again be key cogs on the preseason NFL favorite. Welker has dramatically improved after being the favorite target of backup quarterback Matt Cassel last season.

We all know Randy Moss should reclaim his spot as...

Tom Brady returns to Football Field

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:03:15 +0000

Yes, he’s back on the field.

And while it’s still quite early to say that Tom Brady is back to his usual form just in time for the coming 2009 NFL football season, you have to admit that seeing the guy back in uniform throwing footballs again on the field is a sign of better days ahead, especially if you’re a Pats fan.

It seems it was only yesterday when Tom Brady was nailed down to the ground by Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard. That sack ended Brady’s season since they later found out that he had to undergo surgery.

Of course, the New England Patriots faltered without the quarterback. Although then Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel did a fine job filling in for their fallen leader, the Patriots just were not the same, missing the playoffs with Brady sidelined.

After almost nine months since Brady was last seen limping off the field, he’s back with a few more pounds, a wife and a huge knee brace. Of course, he had time to talk to some reporters. After all, this was his first news conference since torn knee ligaments finished his 2008 season.

‘’The reality is, in this sport, you really never know. Any day could be your last day in football,'’ Tom Brady told a crush of reporters after practice. ‘’I don’t think about the end too often. Hopefully this is still, relatively, in the early part of my career.'’

‘’I think when you sit on the sidelines for an entire year you realize how much you love it. You experience things in a much different way, and a way that I never experienced as an athlete.'’

‘’I love being out here. I love participating and being around these guys.'’

Brady also talked about some other stuff like admitting to reporters that he is a few pounds over his playing weight, would rather not wear the unfashionable knee brace and is relieved that they’ll play the Buccaneers in London this year and not Tampa.

‘’I'd much rather play in...''

Who will sign T.J. Houshmandzadeh?

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:02:14 +0000

Since there’s a scarcity of good wide receivers available in the free agency pool, every team will probably gun for T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

And since T.J. Houshmandzadeh is really the only big impact wideout available from free agency, teams probably won’t mind spending a few bucks more than they usually do in putting the quite lengthy Houshmandzadeh name on their own jersey for the coming 2009-10 NFL football season. Good thing Ben Roethlisberger isn’t available, YET.

So where will T.J. Houshmandzadeh go? Will he stay in Cincinnati or will he finally move on after all those losing seasons he had playing for the state of Ohio? (Yes, he probably won’t even bother signing up for the Cleveland Browns…)

As of this writing, Houshmandzadeh already resigned himself to another season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Normally, a player with a definite decision would mean that it won’t be anything indefinite but since we live in an era where Brett Favre can retire, play again, retire, play again and (you guessed it…) retire again, we should now know better.

But for the meantime, we’ll buy in with what Houshmandzadeh has already said. And if he does stay away from the Queen City, which of the league’s other 31 teams will he play for next? Let’s start with probably the most intriguing one, the New York Giants. Now that the Giants are on the verge of letting Plaxico Burress go, signing Houshmandzadeh next is the logical way to go. The last postseason proved the Giants couldn’t advance without a big name wide receiver and while the Eagles took advantage of Burress’ absence when they took out the Giants in the divisional round, New York having a guy like Houshmandzadeh can probably...