Projo Pats Blog

Thoughts that occurred while driving along the scenic Merritt Parkway Monday morning on the way home from Sunday's 19-10 jolting of the Jets by the Patriots at the Meadowlands, typed while watching on TV as the Red Sox play Home Run Derby with the overpowered Rays in Tampa...

If ever there was a mismatch, it would appear to be Sunday in Foxboro, where the 2-0 Pats, winners of an NFL-record 21 in a row, host the 0-2 Dolphins, losers of 20 of their last 21. It'll be fun this week to hear how Bill Belichick contrives to make these dismal Dolphins -- quarterbacked by Jets castoff Chad Pennington, with 31-year-old, world traveller and ganja smoker Ricky Williams at RB, and now without longtime defensive standouts Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas -- seem like the '72 Dolphins.

Speaking of Belichick, who's not always the most quotable of coaches, he slipped in a couple of sly lines during his opening remarks at his post-game press conference Sunday night.
One was: "It's good to come down here and win at Giants Stadium."
That's a dig at the Jets, who call their home field the Meadowlands, even though its proper name Giants Stadium. Belichick, of course, was a longtime defensive assistant for the Giants, earning Super Bowl rings with them under Bill Parcells in 1986 and 1990.
The other was when he said: "I thought we played a very good Jets team, who were riding high off of last week's win over Miami" -- as if the Jets felt that beating the lowly Dolphins by a touchdown was a significant achievement.

Watching the game, it was obvious that Jets coach Eric Mangini still has a lot to learn before he's on a par with Belichick, his former mentor.

If Oakland coach Lane Kiffen was (supposedly) going to be fired by Al Davis if the Raiders lost Sunday at Kansas City, after being embarrassed in their home opener the previous Monday night by the Broncos, shouldn't the Chiefs be thinking about firing somebody after they were trounced, 23-8? My suggestion would be longtime -- too long, it appears -- GM Carl Peterson, as the Chiefs haven't won a playoff game since 1993.

The first coach to go ought to be Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, where the Bengals are off to an 0-2 start. The team was in turmoil last season, and things in the locker room don't appear to be any better this year. Which is no surprise, given the cast of characters the Bengals have brought in over the years.

Interesting that, with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre at QB, and facing a first-and-goal at the NE 3 in the second quarter, Mangini would opt to run the ball three times in a row. Thomas Jones, who will not be going to the Hall of Fame, couldn't get into the end zone, gaining a yard on first down, another yard on second down, and then was dropped for a loss of two on third down by Richard Seymour.
Perhaps Mangini was figuring that, having spent more than $30 million to sign free-agent guards Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, he should be able to power the ball past the Pats. It's worth noting that the Patriots decided not to meet Woody's asking price five years ago, allowing him to sign with the Lions. Yet the Jets just gave him $11 million, guaranteed. And still couldn't ram the ball over the goal line. Personally, I'd rather have Brett Favre throwing the ball than Thomas Jones running it.

The Chargers got a VERY raw deal when they didn't get possession on the ball that Denver QB David Cutler fumbled, but was -- incorrectly, as the officials later acknowledged -- ruled an incomplete pass and, thus a dead ball.

Speaking of the Merritt Parkway, I highly recommend it for those returning to RI from points south of NYC. There's usually a traffic backup -- often looooong -- at the Geo. Washington Bridge, so I usually opt to cross the Hudson farther north, over the Tappan Zee Bridge, and then get on the Conn. Turnpike. Today, I decided to stay on the Merritt to where it heads north to Hartford, just west of New Haven, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. It's MUCH prettier than 95 through Stamford and Bridgeport, and less hectic, too. No trucks! And the bridges are architecturally interesting, with a fascinating variety of designs.

Let's close with a baseball note...What does it say about the fans in Tampa-St. Pete that, despite an influx of Boston fans, the Rays can't sell out their domed stadium for a Sept. game with first place on the line?

---