No Sleep Till Glendale

I hate it when my pigskin heroes are prohibitive favorites, when the local gridiron cognoscenti smugly dismiss the opponent as victory is a foregone conclusion. I’ve seen it before. Don’t poke the karma bear.

Also…

Don’t sleep on the Colts.

With a Whimper

This one game shouldn’t be a referendum on his career. Besides, he was playing with a torn quad. Or a strained quad. It was something that didn’t need to be listed on an injury report and yet significant enough to impact the outcome of the game whatever it was.

Bill Belichick is Smarter Than You

John Harbaugh is asking the league to investigate why he doesn’t know the rules of the game he coaches. I expect Commissioner Roger Goodell to appoint David Petraeus as an independent investigator Monday with a full report expected by the end of the month.

Hey, it wouldn’t really be a big Patriots win if they weren’t accused of cheating, would it?

Instant Classic

Wow. Just wow.

Game Day Angst

It’s 18F in Somersworth, New Hampshire. It’s 10:30am and I’m already geared up with my gray New England Patriots hoodie over my long-sleeve Patriots t-shirt. I’ve been watching the NFL Network, listening to the litany of reasons the Patriots need to worry. I’m a freaking basket case. I’m not sure I’ll make it alive to 4:35pm and kickoff.

Wait - What?

I’m  not saying the Baltimore Ravens are a bad team, pigskin posers and pretenders, football frauds lucky to be in the playoffs in the first place because they aren’t. They’re a good team, a very good team in fact. A 21^st century head coach, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, an athletic and attacking defense and game-changing talent on special teams. Lately, some of my friends and neighbors in Patriots Nation have adopted a fatalistic acceptance of defeat come this Saturday. The Ravens have the Patriots’ number. They’re a match-up nightmare for New England. Terrell Suggs is Tom Brady’s Baby with one Eyebrow. It’ll be close but the Pats will lose 20-17 like they always do against teams with a dominant front seven on defense.

Wait a minute. When I said, “A 21^st century head coach, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, an athletic and attacking defense and game-changing talent on special teams,” I wasn’t talking about the Patriots?

The Precious

Maybe it's just that we saw "Five Armies" and then followed that up with a "Lord of the Rings" marathon but with all of the weeping and lamentation over the dreaded Ravens coming to town, I couldn't help but think...