Projo Pats Blog

A lot has been written these last couple of days about the New England Patriots' potent running game. Certainly it has been one of the stories of the season, ranking seventh in yards per game (137.6) and fifth in yards per carry (4.5) -- all despite the absence of opening-day starting tailback Laurence Maroney for most of the season. But while the Patriots do deserve kudos for their ability to run the ball, it should be noted that the impressive numbers have largely been run up against the some of the worst competition that New England could have faced.

Five of the Patriots games this season have been against teams that are currently in the bottom eight in running defense (Oakland, Kansas City, St. Louis, Denver, Indianapolis). In those five games, the Pats have averaged 179.6 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry. Take those five games away and the Pats are at 114.3 yards per game (which would be 14th in the league) and 4.0 yards per carry (which would be tied for 18th) over their other nine contests this season.

The Patriots' passing game has benefited from poor defensive competition, too -- eight of the Patriots' 14 games have been against teams in the bottom nine in the league in overall pass defense (the Rams, the 49ers, the Broncos, the Jets, the Chiefs, the Chargers and the dead-last Seahawks).

When you look at the list of the eight worst defenses in the NFL, only one of them -- the Lions' -- has not faced the Patriots this season.

FELLOW PLAYERS CAME TO THEIR AID: Wide receiver Wes Welker and kicker Stephen Gostkowski were not among the fans' favorites for this season's Pro Bowl, but they polled strong enough among fellow players and coaches to make the AFC squad (Boston Globe).

SENTIMENTAL FAVORITES: How is it exactly that the Jets deserve seven Pro Bowlers? (New York Post) When one of them is Brett Favre, you get the idea that it might just be a popularity contest.

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw some passes to youngsters yesterday while attending the annual Salvation Army Holiday Party at Gillette Stadium, and he took a pass when asked about his rehab progress (Boston Globe). When asked how he was feeling, Brady talked about how happy he is when the team wins and how sad he is when the team loses. Tom, that wasn't the question! The good news is, according to John Tomase of the Herald, Brady looked like he was doing fine and was walking without a limp.

A DUBIOUS RECORD: Brady is one of 14 Patriots who have gone on injured reserve this season, marking the highest total since the current IR rules went into effect, in 1993.

HOMECOMING: Former Brown star and Massachusetts native Sean Morey returns to New England this weekend as a member of the Arizona Cardinals (Boston Herald). Morey has continued to be a solid player on special teams as a member of the Cardinals. This season, in one of the highlights of his career, Morey blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. It'll be Morey's first-ever regular-season game at Gillette Stadium.

BILLS CONTEMPLATE A SWITCH: They may be out of the playoff picture, but the Buffalo Bills still have that Week 17 date with the Patriots, and therefore can make a big impact on the playoff picture. So when we read that they are thinking about handing the starting duties over to third-stringer Gibran Hamdan, who has only thrown two passes in the NFL, it makes you sit up and pay attention (Buffalo News).

TECHNOLOGY RESPONDS TO FOOTBALL CONTROVERSY: A computer engineering class at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is putting remote sensing technology into gloves and a football that could potentially be used to determine whether a ball hit the ground before being caught, or whether it ever broke the plane of the end zone on a play such as Santonio Holmes' disputed touchdown in Baltimore (Pittsburgh Post Gazette).

BACK IN THE HEADLINES, FOR THE WRONG REASONS: Anthony Dorsett, the nephew of Tony Dorsett, was arrested in West Virginia and accused of leading a large cocaine ring (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

GIANTS LOOKING FOR HELP: A lot of us thought the Giants would be fine without Plaxico Burress; turns out we were wrong. Which is why New York is apparently interested in signing flamboyant former star receiver Joe Horn (Newark Star-Ledger).

TICKET TO FLY? By getting named to the Pro Bowl yesterday, Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth gained the right to become an unrestricted free agent, under a trigger clause in Haynesworth's contract.

BEST WISHES GO OUT TO: Saints owner Tom Benson is recovering after surgery to remove a cancerous mass from his left kidney (projo.com).

 Tags  Football Today

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