Easterlies

Hard not to think the Patriots may have taken the Steelers a little bit for granted with Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines. Still, despite the fumbles, the drops, the poor play on special teams, the Patriots did what other teams were supposed to do with Tom Brady on the sideline in September (only they didn’t). They won.

Up For Grabs

It’s one thing for someone like me to say Deflategate was all about giving the rest of the league a four-game head start but should players like the Jets WR/Reality TV Star Eric Decker actually be saying that out loud?

Hope Takes the Early Lead

It's never easy being a Patriots fan. The latest update on Darrelle Revis? There is no update. If Bill Belichick had been Secretary of State, nobody would even know what his email address was (nobody alive, anyway).

"We're on to Iran."

What does that even mean?

Black Monday Musings

I have to say, it doesn’t look like it could’ve turned out much better for the Patriots. Rex Ryan has lost his job, Joe Philbin has kept his and the Bills don’t have a 1^st round pick in 2015, having traded that pick away to draft the third or fourth best wide receiver in the 2014 draft. The Jets will be rebuilding, we can pencil the Dolphins in for another 8-8-0 season and the Bills will be hoping their defense can carry Kyle Orton EJ Manuel to the Super Bowl.

EJ Manuel.

Jay Cutler, anyone?

The Waiting

Nothing to do now but wait for training camp to open five weeks from now. As Tom Petty noted, it’s the hardest part.

Easterlies

This is the year.

We’ve been hearing that for a few years now. And maybe it will be. You know, the year some team other than the Patriots wins the AFC East. Last year it was going to be the Dolphins. Remember that? Miami had spent big in free agency, winning the Mike Wallace sweepstakes, and Ryan Tannehill was going to become the first QB since Dan Marino that Dolphins’ fans could talk about without shaking their heads in disgust. Injuries, stupidity and a failure on management’s part to see that Tannehill and Wallace were a mismatch in skill sets proved too difficult to overcome. Instead of leading the league in TD passes, Tannehill led the league in sacks.

This year, it’s the Bills and the Jets with second year QBs and shiny new wide receivers lighting the candle of hope in the Bill Belichick’s Dungeon of Decade-Long Despair.

Is this the year?

Lightly Toasted Schadenfreude for Sunday Brunch

I almost feel sorry for the Jets and their fans. Almost.

Look to the East

Are the Patriots vulnerable? Well, yes, of course. Who isn’t? Aside from Wolverine, of course.

Keeping the Faith

How about them Red Sox? In the wake of one the worst weeks in Boston sports history we are left with little that’s good other than the team everyone thought would finish in the basement of the AL East with the best record in all of the American League as we head into July and the All Star break. The Bruins fell short in game six and watched the Blackhawks hoist the cup on the TD Garden ice. I was one of those who thought the Celtics should’ve blown things up last year but it was still shocking to see Pierce and KG sent to the Brooklyn Nets for spare parts. All of that would’ve been bad enough and yet it wasn’t as we watched Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez arrested for murder.

There’s a silver lining here somewhere, isn’t there?

Look to the East

With a couple of high profile free agents taking their talents to South Beach, the inevitable question follows. Will Miami challenge New England for the AFC East in 2013?