Hours Before Kickoff: Preseason Four posted by Randolph Charlotin

When CB Terrence Wheatley walked off the Gillette Stadium field last Thursday with a couple of trainers, it crossed my mind it would be for the last time as a Patriot for Wheatley. But his chance of sticking around went up with CB Leigh Bodden going down.

As one of the handful of moves needed to get the roster down to the 75 player limit, Bodden was placed on injured reserve for the 2010 season with a shoulder injury. That takes away the secondary’s doyen from a unit that averages just 2.5 years experience without Bodden.

The back four was going to be under pressure to begin with this season. Playing behind a front seven that needs to blitz to pressure the quarterback will leave the secondary in a lot of one-on-one situations. Without blitzing, the secondary will have to cover receivers for five or more seconds as the passer stands in the pocket as if surrounded by a force field.

It’s a costly loss for New England. Bodden was the top corner on the team and was expected to start on the left side, drawing the toughest assignment frequently. Now the starters likely will be second year Darius Butler and rookie Devin McCourty.

Besides taking a chunk out of the team’s depth, losing Bodden and the experience he could share with the young corners on the team will be costly. The little things Leigh notices during the course of the game that he could share with the youngsters would be invaluable. The insights Bodden would recognize can’t always been seen by the safeties.

It will be a very challenging season for the corners, starting with Cincinnati’s WRs Chad Ochocino and Terrell Owens in the season opener. That’s followed by the New York Jets’ Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery, and later Santonio Holmes for the December rematch. They will also have to deal with Miami’s Brandon Marshall twice, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin, and two top six passing offenses from last year in Houston (6th) and Green Bay (2nd).

NFL 2010 TO THE 2011 SPER BOWL ANALYSIS AND FORECAST posted by Johnny Matheis

Genreally, horse racing fans make good NFL fans. Not only because NFL fantasy involves Math, which is the horse racing fan's forte, but also because both involve conditioning.

A look at 2010 NFL, and what looks to happen. I'll give some predictions, but fans know that close games, injuries, blown coverages, and psycological brekdowns occur any time.

AFC EAST:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 11-5. A lot of people think this is Brady and Moss, but New England has always been based on a "full team" concept, with lots of depth. A team like this can survive injuries, and figures to play well at the season's end. They can run and pass. The defense is adequate.

NEW YORK JETS 10-6 Needs to retain their defensive dominance. They're strong at linebacker, up front, and the backfield. They were first in pass defense last year in yards allowed, and first in first downs allowed. There's no reason to think they still can't dominate. On offense, they wer first in rushing yards, which compliments a super defense quite well. The passing game is less than what they want. Braylon Edwards is there chiefly to make opposing defenses back off the line of scrimmage. He doesn't inspire a lot of fear. It's up to a good offensive line to keep it going, and they will at first, but it isn't a deep line. Offensive linemen go down too often, and this team can't afford that. Still, a power team in the NFL.

MIAMI DOLPHINS 9-7 were 4th in rushing yards last year out of the 32 teams. Their offensive line is young, deep, and in their prime. They usually run the wildcat. This is a stellar running team, and 6'4" Brandon Marshall is there to ensure defenses respect the pass. On defense, they were more mediocre, but were 15th in first downs allowed, which is in the top half. Their first two draft choices were a defensive lineman and linebacker. They have a 3-4, with the defensive linemen producing, but linebackers suspect. Lots of close games predicted, so they could go 12-4 as easy as 6-10. 9-7 is about right.

Spontaneous Excitement in Round One of the 2010 Draft...Maybe... posted by Frederick Barry

A theory:

  The NFL and its 32 teams knew before draft day what was going to transpire in Round one of the 2010 Draft.  The proof lies in the events that took place regarding college football golden boy Tim Tebow's draft.  Is it merely great predictions or coincidence that EVERY analyst on NFL network planted the seed that "perhaps" Tebow might "surprise" everyone by being taken in the first round and suddenly *gasp* he was?  It very well may be great predictions and a fantastically dramatic coincidence, but what if it wasn't?

  Think about it like this.  Tim Tebow has been a source of football drama for the NFL from his suspect abilities at QB, to his "controversial" Superbowl commercial.  Is there any way to create more drama around this guy during the NFL draft in an effort to drum up ratings among NFL fans?  Sure there is!  Why not make him a "surprise" pick, knowing all along that a team wants him and will select him in the first round.

  Let me give you some evidence. As mentioned before, NFL Network analysts predicted that just maybe Tebow would go in the first round despite the fact that he is most likely a 2nd or later round talent.  That was before draft day. Now, let's move forward to the draft.  The Denver Broncos pull a "surprise" move and trade up to take Tebow in the 1st round.  Please do not misconstrue my intentions. I am not suggesting that the Broncos were somehow coerced into taking him or bought into it by the NFL.  However, what I am suggesting is that the league, the Broncos, and the Ravens (the team that traded with the Broncos for the Tebow pick) perhaps knew, maybe well before draft night, what was going to happen.  Basically, this implies the knowledge of the entire league because the Broncos and Ravens would have to know beyond doubt that no team before that pick was going to take him.

The NFL Rock Draft! posted by Amari Harris

Friends and Countrymen,

I know that you have missed me so much over the last month or so and I want to apologize for my extended absence.  I have several ready made excuses for why I haven’t been actively blogging and I am sure that you will accept all of them at face value.  For one thing, there hasn’t been anything going on in the world of sports.  I mean other than the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, the start of the MLB season, the return of Tiger Woods, the transgressions and subsequent suspension of Ben Roethlisberger (I did it! I spelled the damn thing), etc. 

But screw all of that.  I’m ready to talk about this NFL draft coming up tonight at 7: 27 on ESPN and NFL Network (shameless plug).  I’ve probably seen just about every mock draft scenario on the internet and to be honest I am not that impressed.  Not because I don’t think these guys have studied the players and don’t have inside knowledge of what these teams are thinking but simply because they are so wrong every year.  Nobody can accurately predict the first round.  For one, there are many trades and it is impossible to predict the trade possibilities in the 1st round.  And once a trade goes down the whole thing goes haywire.  Even if you negate the trade factor, these so-called “experts” still miss the mark by a mile. 

And on that note I present to you the most accurate NFL mock draft in the history of NFL mock drafts!  Barring any trades, this is pretty much how the 1st round will break down and I think many of you will be pleasantly surprised.  I must warn you that if you are a big Jimmy Clausen fan then you may want to turn your head right about….now:

Manning's Colts prove too much for Ravens in 20-3 win posted by Joe Anello

I guess the Ravens used up all their karma. After everything went Baltimore's way last week against New England, they fell completely flat in Indianapolis Saturday night, missing every opportunity imaginable. Against a lesser foe, they could have mounted a comeback. Against Peyton Manning and the Colts, they had no chance.

While the first quarter saw each squad produce a lengthy drive, neither could punch it into the endzone. Peyton Manning decided the second quarter would be a different story. Capping off an eight minute, 14-play drive, a ten yard pass from Manning to Austin Collie put Indy up 7, giving Joe Flacco two minutes until halftime to respond. From there it all went downhill for the Ravens. 

Taking only 22 seconds off the clock, Baltimore was forced to punt the ball back to Manning, who marched it right back down the field and connected with Reggie Wayne to put the score at 14-3. In the third, the Ravens were their own worst enemies, killing possessions before the offense ever got on the field. Ed Reed managed to intercept Manning on two different passes, only to fumble the first right back and the second called back on defensive pass interference. A fourth quarter Ray Rice fumble and a field goal from Colt kicker Matt Stover put the icing on the Indy cake, ensuring they will host the AFC Championship next week at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts offense was crisp and in rhythm all night long in spite of their extended layoff. Manning had a typically average day (which is still awesome), even as his running game could not accumulate over 50 yards. He spread the ball to seven difference receivers on his 30 completions as the Raven secondary could do nothing but watch. Indy's defense was the real highlight, forcing the Ravens offense into three turnovers and five punts after their opening drive field goal. If they can build off this performance, they're ready for anyone in the NFL.

Joe's Opening Drive: Divisional Saturday posted by Joe Anello

In case you haven't heard, we're knee-deep in the NFL playoffs. Today kicks-off the best weekend of football all year. Eight teams remain in the Super Bowl hunt, with the top seeds in each conference joining in on the action. Let's not waste any time, here's the Opening Drive for Divisional Saturday in the NFL!

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
4:30PM ET FOX 

After last Sunday night's shoot-out in the desert, the Cardinals head to the Superdome, ready to repeat last year's post-season success. Quarterback Kurt Warner has a knack for playing his best football in the playoffs and last week was no exception. He is expected to be without receiver Anquan Boldin for the second straight week, but that will be a game-time decision. He'll still have Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston on the outside, so he'll be just fine. Arizona shocked Green Bay with their commitment to the running game last week, gaining over 150 yards on the ground. Concerns arise when discussing their defense, but as we saw in overtime last week, they can make plays when they need them. Darnell Dockett, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson all have thr ability to affect the outcome.

In New Orleans, they haven't seen a meaningful game in a month since they suffered their first loss of the season to the Cowboys. Followed up by a shocking loss to Tampa Bay and a give-in to Carolina, Drew Brees and the Saints may have significant rust to shake off to start this one. On the plus side, running back Pierre Thomas and tight end Jeremy Shockey will be back from injury, giving Brees his full complement of weapons. Defensively, the Saints lagged in the final stretch of the regular season, but still ended up leading the league with a whopping 39 takeaways. Resigning Deuce McAllister for the post-season won't do much more than provide some inspiration and crowd fervor. 

Pick Six: Wild Card posted by Randolph Charlotin

The loss was the equivalent of a mugging. The Patriots didn’t see it coming, and before they knew it, New England was on the ground, wondering what happened.

There’s no sugar-coating this. They got whipped. Baltimore came out with a fury and the Pats had no answer for the rapid flurry of haymakers.

This is easily the worst loss of the year because the expectations were, despite the difficulties over the course of the year, they would respond to adversity and put up a good fight. But the Pats couldn’t stop the freight train moving at full speed.

Now that the season is over, head coach Bill Belichick has to take a real tough look at his team and no one is spared. Players, coaches, and scouts must be evaluated and determine who’s doing a good job and where there’s room for improvement. Based on Sunday, looks like a lot.

1. The Patriots playoff winning streak at home came to an end. New England won eleven straight home playoff games. The franchise’s first ever home playoff loss was the first home playoff game in 1978.

2. The Pats had their worst two consecutive quarters of the year. After giving up three straight touchdowns to Houston in the fourth quarter last week, Baltimore ripped off a 24-0 start in the first quarter, for a total of 45 straight points.

3. It took until 7:40 left in the first quarter for the Pats to gain their initial first down. New England didn’t have two first downs in a drive until 10:28 left in the third quarter.

4. Believe it or not, but I found a couple of positives. Congratulations to OLB Tully Banta-Cain on his first career playoff interception. And WR Julian Edelman had his first two touchdown game in his career.

WTF of Wild-Card Weekend: Ravens trounce Patriots 33-14 posted by Joe Anello

Well that happened. 

From the very first play from scrimmage, it was obvious: These aren't your dad's Patriots. (If you dad was a Pats fan two years ago.) Ray Rice took the opening hand-off 83 yards to the endzone to put the Ravens up 7-0 en route to embarrassing Bill Belichick's Patriots 33-14.

On the following Patriots possession, Tom Brady was stripped by Terrell Suggs, who also recovered the fumble to set up a Le'Ron Mclain 1-yard touchdown scat. Two Brady interceptions stopped Patriot drives in their tracks, setting up another Rice score and a Billy Cundiff field goal to bring the score to an impossible 24-0 before the first quarter ended. After that, the Baltimore defense only needed to avoid a monumental collapse as the Raven offense dominated the line of scrimmage for 234 yards on the ground. 

The Patriots first touchdown came in the second quarter after questionably recovering a punt that grazed off Raven special teamer Tom Zbikowski. Baltimore Head Coach Jim Harbaugh chose not to challenge, giving the Pats a short field for the Julian Edelman score. At that point it seemed Belichick's boys would use that momentum to get back into the game, but the Ravens' defense refused to yield, forcing three consecutive punts and snagging another interception. Another touchdown and field goal in the third put the game out of reach and ended a phenomenal decade for the Patriots with a whimper.

Joe's Opening Drive: Wild-Card Sunday posted by Joe Anello

After the Cowboys and the Jets dominated their opponents to move onto the divisional round, we've got some great action on tap today with a physical match-up in New England and a (hopefully) high-flying contest in the Arizona desert. Here's the Opening Drive of Wild-Card Sunday!

(9-7) Baltimore Ravens at (10-6) New England Patriots
1:00PM ET CBS

After a deep playoff run last year, the Ravens struggled to find consistency this season on the defensive of the ball, much to everyone's surprise. Running back Ray Rice has the ability to pound the ball as well as catch passes out of the backfield for sophomore QB Joe Flacco. Receiver Derrick Mason hasn't been as dependable in recent weeks, but he still managed another 1000-yard season. Tight end Todd Heap caught 6 touchdowns this season, second on the team. Keep an eye on wide-out Demetrius Williams, who might be Flacco's best downfield threat. On defense, safety Ed Reed should be healthy enough to play after nursing a groin injury for part of the regular season. Ray Lewis is as demonstrative as ever, but that defensive line featuring Haloti Ngata and Trevor Pryce will be the biggest factor in whether Baltimore can pull off the upset.

In New England, things just aren't the same. Tom Brady may be the comeback player of the year, but he's not playing at his best yet. He'll be without Wes Welker until next year, so rookie receiver Julian Edelman has to step in and be that possession receiver. Edelman won't have the experience, but he could be quicker than Welker. I don't think it will be a steep drop-off in production. Randy Moss should see all the double coverage he can handle. Back Laurence Maroney has come on in the second half of the year to bring a running game back to New England. For all the offensive talent, the Patriots' defense has been the problem all year. Young, inconsistent and inexperienced, the secondary has made too many mistakes. They aren't pressuring opposing quarterbacks. It's difficult to win in the postseason with that combination.

Hours Before Kickoff: Wild Card posted by Randolph Charlotin

Don’t buy it when the Baltimore Ravens say they put the week 4 loss behind them. LB Ray Lewis avoided talking about it by saying it was in the past, but it’s on his mind.

Baltimore hasn’t forgotten the game that got away. DL Haloti Ngata has a picture of his contact with QB Tom Brady’s helmet. LB Terrell Suggs will have the time of his personal foul written on the tape on his wrist. WR Mark Clayton spent extra time catching passes so he won’t drop another fourth down pass.

Playing with emotion is encouraged, but to a point. You never want to let your emotions get the better of you. It could lead to costly penalties. But when harnessed right, a team plays with high energy and aggression, without crossing the line.

The Ravens is a team that plays with just enough emotion. Always a tough and physical team, B-more will stride into Gillette Stadium with an impetuous attitude, confident the only obstacle to success is themselves.

There is truth to that. Baltimore shot themselves in the foot on those two penalties. The Patriots capitalized on them and scored touchdowns thanks to those second chances. Take away 14 points and it’s a 21-13 win for the Ravens.

As for the Pats, they come into the game knowing they beat the Ravens once before and can do it again. But they understand it’s going to be tougher the second time around without WR Wes Welker.

Some people will point out that Welker only had six receptions for 48 yards in the game, but his presence on the field was valuable because the defense has to respect Welker. Without him, WR Randy Moss will star in the NFL version of “Three’s Company.”

Court rules against Ravens in logo flap (AP)

An amateur artist who designed the original logo used by the Baltimore Ravens won a partial victory Thursday when a federal appeals court ruled the commercial use of game and highlight films from the Ravens' first three seasons violates his copyright. In a divided ruling, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Jackson sits out Rams' preseason finale (AP)

Steven Jackson sat out St. Louis' preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, giving the Rams more time to find a backup running back. Backup quarterback A.J. Feeley also was out for the second straight game because of a sprained right thumb. Jackson, who participated in pregame warmups, finished the preseason with nine carries for 42 yards. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Seahawks trade CB Wilson to Ravens (AP)

The Seattle Seahawks have traded starting cornerback Josh Wilson to the Baltimore Ravens for a conditional 2011 draft pick. The move came just as the Seahawks were wrapping up practice on Tuesday, a practice that Wilson participated in. Wilson spent his first three seasons with the Seahawks after being a second-round pick out of Maryland in 2007. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Ravens place Ayanbadejo, Lawrence on reserve PUP (The National Football Post)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. --The Baltimore Ravens have placed inside linebacker and special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadeo... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Pass-happy Ravens top Giants

The Baltimore Ravens' objective on offense this season appearsto be eradicating all forms of predictability. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL