Heading into the last week of the season the Pats are playing a COMPLETELY meaningless game. The only thing we need to do is stay HEALTHY not like last year when Welker blew out his knee in meaningless finale.

I have to say 17 weeks ago I never ever saw this coming. With so many rookies on defense and two starters (Bodden & Warren) on IR to start the season, I expected the Pats to have a lackluster season. I wouldn't have been surprised if they missed the playoffs especially given that they had to play the big, bad Jets who had supposedly improved themselves so much in the offseason.

Now here we are the Pats have the #1 spot in the AFC locked up. Randy Moss and Maroney are both gone. Who would have thought the season would have gone like this? Unbelievable! This has been a really enjoyable ride so far.
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Agreed. This has been a great season to watch, and I have enjoyed watching so many rookies really come into their own and work as a team.
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Six Pats make the Pro Bowl :-)
Brady, Mankins, Mayo, Wilfork, McCourty,and Merriweather, I don't get that one?
He is a headhunter and make some big hits.
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Mankins only played about half this season.
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Couldn't agree more with you guys. The Merriweather and Mankins selections make me scratch my head. Mankins is a great talent, but I don't think it's fair to select a guy who sat out almost half the season.

McCourty was also a surprise, but definitely he's a talent. If he didn't get selected this year, he'd likely go next year. Definitely the best DB drafted by the Pats since Ty Law.

Vince Wilfork and Brady are definitely two of the best players at their positions if not the best. Mayo is also one of the top MLBs in the game, but he's not as flashy as say Ray Lewis so he doesn't get much press.
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I like the Mankins selection.
Since he has been a part of the team the running game has certainly picked up. He also brings an attitude to the field that I thought this O-line was missing the first half of the year, and the rest of the Line has been feeding off of this.:-)

Merriweather, I don't know about this one.

Brady, Wilfork and Mayo all well deserving selections.:-)

Brady for MVP :-)
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One other team aside from the Pats that I've been watching closely this year is the Raiders. I was rooting for them to lose every game this year. :-) The Pats get their 1st rounder this year from the Seymour trade. Now, I'm happy to get a 1st round pick for Seymour who clearly doesn't have a lot of time left in his career (although still a good player), but I was expecting a pick in the top ten. I'm really disappointed to see that if the season ended today the pick would either be 15 or 16. :-) Depending on how the Raiders do this week, the pick could still move a few spaces in either direction.
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I don't disagree that Mankins is one of the team's best O-lineman. He's also performed extremely well since he started playing. My problem with the selection is that he sat out the first seven games of the season. If he were injured that would be one thing but he voluntarily sat out. I don't think it's fair to select him over someone who's been there all season long putting in the work. Plus, he's competing against guys who are beat up meanwhile he comes in not having been beat up during training camp, pre-season, or the first seven weeks of the season. It's just not fair in my opinion.

Another interesting debate I'm hearing a lot about is whether Mike Vick should win comeback player of the year award. The center of the debate is that he was out of football through his own actions (breaking the law). He wasn't injured and he was just a poor performer for a couple years.
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Where ever the pick is, Bill is going to trade it anyway. He'd rather have 3 low second round picks that a top 10.
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I agree about the only playing half a season, does he deserve it??
I think so.

Mike Vick, and I agree he should not be come back player or any type.
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I was really surprised when BB used his first rounder this year. However, McCourty was definitely a solid choice. I wonder what he'll do when he two picks to play with in the 1st round this year.
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I really think Bill judges the talent available at any slot vs what he thinks the value of that slot is. Thus if he judges that a top five talent is available at pick number 13 he will go for it. If he judges that the talent available does not live up to the slot, he trades down, especially if there is someone they like who he judges will still be there at a lower slot. Why so much attention paid to the slot? To a great degree, that's how rookies get paid, by their slot. Also, the Pats seem willing to only slot, (and pay) certain skill positions like Corner Back, Linebacker and Running Back high in the draft. Bill has proven over the years that much of the team can be made up of solid middle to low rounders or free agents and still be effective. At any rate with three picks in the top 33, it will be fun.
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Interesting read.
http://www.thejetsblog.com/2010/09/0...fts-2006-2010/
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Fun way to end the regular season with an old fashion beat down of Miami. Love to squish those Fish!

Some thoughts:

* Glad we got through the Miami game with no major injuries.
* Also glad that BB chose to try to win the game ... always better to enter the playoffs on a winning note.
* Nice move by BB to allow BJ Green-Ellis to get 1000 yards...(I'm sure it was appreciated by the offensive line too)
* Too bad that Woodhead had a fumble ... What will the national commentators have to talk about now that the turnover streak has been broken?

Really looking forward to the playoffs ... wonder who we will face?
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I am actually glad they got the turnover out of the way now.

I liked the way Bill sort of through Hoyer in with no warning, he looked a little shaky in that first few snaps but he has to be ready for that. I thought he looked really good later on and his ball handling on the play-action TD was outstanding.

Also good to see pryce get a couple of passes, there seems to be potential there.

Now who is it going to be?

I would personally like to see a Matt Cassel homecoming than have to listen to the Ravens contant jabbering again.
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I'd like to see us play the Chiefs, Jets, and Ravens, in that order. I'll be watching with excitement this weekend!
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The thing about the Chiefs is that Crennell & Weise both have extra special insight into how BB thinks and schemes. I keep remembering the Cleveland game and I get shivers. Frankly, my first choice is the Jets ... Oh how I would love to end the big mouth's season.
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Well, I got my wish. Jets in Foxborough next week. I don't expect another 45-3 drubbing, but I do expect a big victory. I know that Brady will be motivated by Ryans comments that he doesn't study as well as Peyton does ... hey the only reason gang green could finally beat the Colts is that they had a ridiculous number of key injuries this year. I love the fact that these two teams hate each other, and it is definately not media hype. I expect a very hard hitting, tough game. I also expect to send the Jets home for the offseason.
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30 minutes left!

It's going to be a great game!
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Lets get it on!! :-)
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