Hey look, the most dreaded injury in sports, short of a broken neck…
https://www.patspropaganda.com/hey-look-the-most-dreaded-injury-in-sports-short/
Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe reports that Kevin Faulk is done for the year with a torn ACL. The play on which it happened looked innocent enough but the most dreaded of all knee injuries was apparently the result.
Where do we go from here? The Patriots are already thin at running back, and Faulk is the most valuable of them all. His blocking and pass catching skill are integral to the spread offense, not to mention the veteran leadership that he brought as a captain.
No way around it, this is a tough blow to the Pats. The season is a battle of attrition and the Patriots have been hit hard in 2010 by injuries, already having lost three vital members of their team before week three.
No excuses though, Faulk will be missed but this loss will force the Patriots to evolve how they do things on offense and that isn’t always a bad thing. Perhaps new addition Danny Woodhead will be able to contribute as a pass catching running back, or maybe it will be Julian Edelman.
There are fourteen more battles to be fought in the 2010 campaign, the Pats must find a way to get it done without Faulk. With injuries come opportunities for other players, and those other players must step up. Sometimes that’s how you find your next star player.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/shalise-manza-young-of-the-boston-globe-reports/
PatsCast Ep. 20 (with Jay Shields)
PatsCast Ep. 20 (with Jay Shields)
If you’d like to hear someone who actually knows football talk about the Patriots problems give a listen here. I posted some of Jay Shields’ commentary last week and he provides some great insight into the Pats from a schematic/coaching point of view. Let’s just say you won’t be feeling too great about Bill O’Brien after listening to this podcast. Jay’s one of the few people whose criticism of coordinators I take seriously.
Woodhead did not travel with the Patriots for their game against the Jets on Sunday. So the idea that the Patriots signed the former Jet as a gamesmanship type move seems to be off the mark.
“He came in Saturday, signed a contract, took a physical, but we were already in New York by the time he got in here,” Belichick said.
Mike Reiss
So there you go, Patriots coaches didn’t even see Woodhead prior to the Jets game. But uh, maybe the should have got him on the phone to see what he knew? Just sayin…
If Kevin Faulk is out for any length of time Woodhead might be an interesting option. We know Fred Taylor isn’t exactly a gifted ball catcher, nor is Sammy Morris, while Benjarvus Green-Ellis remains a work in progress.
My uneducated guess on Faulk: they’re waiting for the swelling to go down to know the extent of the injury. Based on how he went down it looked like it could be an MCL strain or tear (same thing Mayo had last year). Either way he’s looking at least a few weeks out.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/woodhead-did-not-travel-with-the-patriots-for/
Patriots Schwag Hunt: Overpriced Vintage Hat
Can anyone explain to me how they seller is asking for $100 for this hat? I remember this hat from when I was a kid, and clearly it’s in good condition. But who has a $100 to spend on a hat? You know when schwag costs as much as a game ticket it’s overpriced. But I can’t lie, I wouldn’t mind adding it to my collection. Maybe for about $35 tops.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/patriots-schwag-hunt-overpriced-vintage-hat-can/
Time to Stop Crying About The Jets and Focus on the Bills
The Bills have not beaten the Patriots since the 2003 opener so it might be easy to look past them this week. But here’s a couple reminders…
- The Bills should’ve beaten the Patriots in last years opener.
- The Bills beat both the Dolphins and the Jets last year.
I know it’s hard to get excited to watch the Patriots play a team they’ve beaten 13 straight times, but that streak is going to end at some point. If it’s this weekend it could be catastrophic for the Pats division chances, especially if Miami moves to 3-0 (2-0 in AFCE).
We look at the Bills and we see a team that will have a new quarterback, and ranks dead last in the NFL in almost every offensive category. But let’s not forget the Patriots are a young team on defense, and this Bills team is going to run a fair share of spread offense, and have three running backs that can all move the ball.
The Patriots should win this game, especially being at home. But young teams often take games they perceive as “easy” lightly. This will not be a cakewalk. Our young secondary and run stoppers will be tested.
The Jets game is over. This Sunday’s game against the Bills is as close to must win as you can get in week three.
