In this episode, we first looked back at the Patriots 41-34 loss to the 49ers. Later on, we previewed the upcoming game for the Patriots against the Jaguars.

We were also joined for an interview by Will Gavin from the podcast Tuesday Morning Football. Please do take a listen.

The Patriots are coming off of an impressive 42-14  victory against the the Houston Texans, Monday Night at Gillette Stadium. The Pats face a very tough opponent Sunday Night, as they play the San Francisco 49ers at home at Gillette Stadium.

WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be shown live Sunday on WHDH-TV at 8:20 PM EST. You can also listen to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.

GAME NOTES: The 49ers are coming off of a 27-13 home victory against the Miami Dolphins. The visitors are currently 9-3-1, and are one of the best teams in the NFL this season. The Patriots definitely have an opponent that can test them for the full sixty minutes.

On defense, the 49ers have possibly the best in NFL this season. Their rush defense is ranked second, as they are only giving up 90.8 yards per game. Their pass offense is also ranked second giving up only 275.5 yards per game. On top of that statistic, their defense is ranked first in points allowed giving up only 14.2 points per game.

On defense, they have talent at all three levels, but their linebackers are exceptional. The two inside linebackers are among the best in the game with Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis defending the middle of the field. However, the two outside linebackers offer a great deal as Ahmad Brooks has 5.5 sacks, and Aldon Smith on the other side leads the NFL with 19.5 sacks.

This defense is very aggressive, and will try their best to get after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The 49ers defense deserves the respect it gets, and will be a huge challenge for the Patriots offense.

On offense, you have to start with their exceptional running back who is Frank Gore, and he already has 1035 yards this season.  Gore is also a threat in the passing game as he has 23 receptions.

Colin Kaepernick is the quarterback, who is a dual threat, as he is dangerous throwing the ball, and can break off a long run as well. He has two serious threats in the passing game with tight end Vernon Davis and wide receiver Michael Crabtree. These players are offensive weapons not to take lightly.

I think the 49ers will be the toughest test for the Patriots this season. I see this as a game that will be very close for four quarters, and will push the Patriots to the limit.

Here are my “five keys” which I believe could play a role in a potential victory for the Pats.

1. The Patriots defense needs to contain Frank Gore in the running game. Gore is one of the best backs in the game, and if you can stop him, you will force the ball in the hands of the rookie quarterback, to see if he can win the game for the 49ers.

The visitors are going to want to control the clock, and one of the best ways to do that is run. There is no doubt, that stopping Gore is a huge key.

2. The Patriots defense needs to keep Colin Kaepernick in the pocket. Whether Kaepernick is running a standard offense, or “the pistol”, he is dangerous when he has a chance to run. It is very important that the Patriots defense stays disciplined, and each player needs to stay in their lanes, and just does their job.

3. The Patriots defense needs to contain tight end Vernon Davis in the passing game. A weakness at times this season for the defense has been stopping tight ends. Now, Davis only has 38 receptions but is very dangerous, and also has the ability to go deep. Davis is a player to really watch in this game.

4.The left side of the Patriots offensive line needs to protect Tom Brady. San Francisco defensive end Justin Smith, and outside linebacker Aldon Smith have the ability to really get after the quarterback. It is imperative that Nate Solder and Logan Mankins are up for the challenge in containing these players.

5. The Hurry Up Offense should be used early and often against the 49ers. This has been a key several weeks this season, and honestly is a weapon that needs to be used against the 49ers.

The Patriots are playing against an aggressive defense, but it doesn’t substitute that much. The hurry up offense can benefit the Patriots, as it could really tire out this defense over the course of the game. The other benefit is to set the tempo for the offense and get them in rhythm.

The 49ers as stated earlier, I feel are the toughest opponent the Patriots will face in the regular season. This game might not be decided until the final drive, but I think the Patriots can do enough on offense, and play well enough on defense to pull out a tight victory. I am predicting a 21-17 Patriots victory against the 49ers.

What are your predictions? Feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Also, please feel free to listen to a preview of the upcoming game from the radio show Patriots Fourth And Two.

In this episode, we first looked back at the 42-14 victory for the Patriots against the Texans on Monday Night Football. Later on in the show, we previewed the upcoming game Sunday Night for the Patriots against the 49ers.

We also during the show had an interview with Jason Fierman, who is the host of Route 4 Podcast presented by the Sports Chronicles Network on Blogtalkradio.com. Jason is a 49ers fan, and he gave us the San Francisco perspective on this upcoming game for the Patriots.  Please take a listen.

The Patriots are coming off of a 23-16 away victory against the the Miami Dolphins which saw the Patriots clinch the AFC East. The Pats will be returning home for a huge Monday Night match-up with the Houston Texans.

WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be shown live Monday on ESPN at 8:30 PM EST. You can also listen to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.

GAME NOTES: The Texans are coming off of a 24-10 away victory against the Tennessee Titans. The visitors are currently 11-1, and arguably the best team in the NFL. Houston is a very tough opponent, and I expect to see a very tight game.

On defense, the Texans have one of the best units in all of the NFL this season. Their rush defense is ranked second, as they are only giving up 87.6 yards per game. On top of that statistic, their defense is ranked sixth in points allowed giving up only 18.4 points per game.

On defense, they have a player that could have consideration for the league MVP, and that is Defensive End J.J. Watt. He already has 16.5 sacks this season, and also has 60 tackles. He has the ability to take over a game, and the Patriots need to make sure he is limited in the damage that he does in this match-up.

On offense, you have to start with their exceptional running back who is Arian Foster, and he already has 1102 yards this season. Foster is also a threat in the passing game as he has 30 receptions. This player is a complete back, and the Patriots need to contain him as best as possible.

Matt Schaub is the quarterback, and he is very solid, as he can make all the throws while leading his team down the field. His main threat in the passing game is Andre Johnson, who already has 74 receptions  for 1114 yards.

The Patriots are playing against an opponent who is really a complete football team on both sides of the ball. This is going to be a huge challenge for the home team, but I feel the Pats will be ready for this game.

Here are my “five keys” which I believe could play a role in a potential victory for the Pats.

1. The Patriots defense needs to contain Arian Foster in the running and and passing game. Foster is a complete back, and it is imperative that the Patriots front seven keeps him in check. If they can limit his touches in the running game, it could make the play action game less effective.

The Patriots defense however must look out for Foster when he gets in space in the passing game. Being able to contain Foster could be the most important key  of the game.

2. The Patriots defense needs to contain tight end Owen Daniels. As stated earlier, the play action passing game is a huge part of the offense for the Texans. It is imperative that the defense knows where Daniels is at all times, as he already has 50 receptions this season.

3.The Patriots offensive line needs to contain J.J. Watt. This player is a game changer, and whether he is double teamed often or not, the Patriots need to find a way to not let him take over a game. The Patriots have usually been able to effectively game-plan for an exceptional defensive player, and they will have to make Watt a priority Monday Night.

4. The screen game needs to be part of the offense against the Texans. When you play an aggressive defense, one of the best ways to deal with that type of defense, is the screen game. Whether it is Wes Welker with a wide receiver screen or someone like Shane Vereen out of the backfield, I think this could be an effective strategy against the Texans defense.

5.  The Hurry Up Offense should be used early and often to get up on the Texans. This was a key last week, and I really believe should be part of the offense this week. I think it is important to get up on the Texans early and play from ahead. This style of offense can help in that result.

Also, when the Patriots played the Broncos early in the year, the “hurry up” really did a number on that aggressive defense, and could do the same with the Texans. It can tire them out very quickly if used early and often.

The Texans are a very tough opponent, and I expect a game that could go down to the very end. However, in this match-up with so much on the line, I see the Patriots holding on. I think their experience in big games could make the slight difference when the game is decided. I am predicting a 21-17 Patriots victory against The Texans.

What are your predictions? Feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Also, please feel free to listen to a preview of the upcoming game from the radio show Patriots Fourth And Two.

In this episode, we looked back at the Patriots 23-16 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Later on, we previewed the upcoming game for the Patriots at home against the Texans.

We also had a special interview as Adam Jones, who is the co-host of the Dunkin Donuts Pre-game Social, and the host of the SunLife Postgame Show, both on Patriots.com, joined us at the top of the show. I hope you can listen.

The Patriots are coming off of an impressive 49-19 away victory against the the New York Jets. The Pats will be looking for a continuation of positive results as they head to Miami to play the Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium.

WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be shown live Sunday on WBZ-TV at 1:00 PM EST. You can also listen to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.

GAME NOTES: The Dolphins are coming off of a 24-21 home victory against the Seattle Seahawks. The home team are currently 5-6, and still have an outside chance to make the playoffs.

On defense, the Dolphins are solid and are only giving up 20.5 points per game, which is ninth in the NFL. They are tough to run against as they are seventh in the NFL, only giving up 96.7 yards per game. However, they are vulnerable in the passing game, as they are surrendering 261.7 yards per game, and that is 26th in the NFL.

On defense, there is one player that stands out the most and that is defense end Cameron Wake, who already has 9.5 sacks this season. This the one defender the Patriots offensive line will need to contain in this game.

On offense, the Dolphins are led by rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who seems to get better each week. He has a very good running back behind him in Reggie Bush, and also has a reliable receiver in Davone Bess who already has 55 receptions. This unit is a work in progress, but one not to take lightly by the Patriots defense.

The Patriots dominated the Jets ten days ago, but going to Miami is always a tough task. The Patriots have two extremely difficult games coming up, and need to take care of business on Sunday.

Here are my “five keys” which I believe could play a role in a potential victory for the Pats.

1. The Patriots defense needs to take away Davone Bess in this game, Bess is really a possession receiver, similar to Wes Welker, and already has become a huge weapon for his quarterback. The Patriots need to limit his receptions in this game.

2. The Patriots defense needs to disguise their coverages to possibly cause mistakes by the Dolphins quarterback. Tannehill has thrown 12 interceptions, and only has 7 touchdown passes. He is vulnerable to make mistakes, and the Patriots have been excellent with causing turnovers.

3.The Patriots offensive line needs to contain Cameron Wake. This player can disrupt an offense, and it could take a team effort to keep him quiet. I wouldn’t be shocked to see tackle Nate Solder get some help from a tight end to make sure Wake is limited in this game.

4. Tight end Aaron Hernandez needs to have a big game for the Patriots. Without  Rob Gronkowski, you could see Hernandez become a serious focus of Brady in the passing game. Hernandez is probably still not back to 100 per cent, but I have a feeling this could be his breakout game.

5.  The Hurry Up Offense should be used early and often to get up on the Dolphins. The Dolphins only score 19.2 points per game, which is 26th in the NFL. I think if you establish a fast pace in this game, it will not only tire out an aggressive defense, but help the Patriots to get ahead of the Dolphins. I can’t see the home team being able to come back from a decent size deficit.

I know many fans are worried about the Patriots playing in Miami because in the past it has been a difficult place to play for the team and Tom Brady. However, I think there is too much on the line for the Patriots to not take the Dolphins seriously. I expect to see the Patriots play at a high level, and pull away in the third quarter. I am predicting a 31-17 victory for the Patriots against the Dolphins.

What are your predictions? Feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Also, please feel free to listen to a preview of the upcoming game from the radio show Patriots Fourth And Two.

In this episode, we looked back at the Patriots 49-19 victory against the Jets on Thanksgiving Night. Later on, we previewed the upcoming game against the Dolphins.

We were also joined at the top of the show by Erik Frenz who is the AFC East Lead Blogger for The Bleacher Report. Please take a listen.

In this episode, we first looked back at the Patriots 59-24 victory against the Colts at Gillette Stadium. Later on in the episode, we previewed the Thanksgiving Night match-up against the Jets.

We were also joined at the top of the show by Shalise Manza Young, who is the Patriots beat writer for the Boston Globe. Later on in the show we played an interview recorded yesterday with Asmir Begovic, who is a goalkeeper for Stoke City in the Barclays Premier League in England. Asmir is a Patriots fan, and we talked Pats with him.  Please do take a listen.

The Patriots are coming off of a very close 37-31 home victory against the Buffalo Bills. They will be looking for a much better performance this Sunday against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium.

WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be shown live Sunday on WBZ-TV at 4:25 PM EST. You can also listen to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.

GAME NOTES: The Colts are coming off of a convincing 27-10 away victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The visitors are now 6-3, and are actually looking to get into the playoffs.

On defense, this Colts unit is pretty average, but they do have some players that Patriots fans know very well that can get after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The Colts defense is a work in progress, but that doesn’t mean it will be a walk in the park for the Patriots.

Robert Mathis already has six sacks, and Dwight Freeney has two so far this season. They are hands down the two players to watch for on the Colts defense, and the Patriots offensive line needs to know where they are at all times.

On offense, this unit is led by a rookie quarterback who I feel is going to be great someday, and that is Andrew Luck. He already has shown the poise of  a veteran, and really knows how to read defenses. He also can extend plays similar to Ben Roethlisburger, and ironically runs the Steelers offense that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians uses. This player is special, and is only going to get better.

The Colts still have wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who is playing at a high level. Wayne already has 69 receptions for 931 yards, and is still a serious threat every time he catches the ball.

The Colts do have an average running game, and are currently 14th in the NFL averaging 109.4 yards per game. However, the main threat on offense for the Colts will be through the air.

The Patriots played poorly last Sunday, and they will need to play much better, if they expect to beat an opponent who is on the rise. However, this is a game that I do expect the Patriots to bounce back in all facets of the game.

Here are my “five keys” which I believe could play a role in a potential victory for the Pats.

1. The Patriots defense needs to find ways to put constant pressure on Andrew Luck. The best way to describe the Patriots pass rush has to be the word “inconsistent”.

Against a quarterback like Luck, the Patriots defense cannot just sit back, and let him survey the field until he finds an open receiver. I feel the Patriots need to blitz, if they are not able to get constant pressure with their front four, on the Colts quarterback.

2. The Patriots defense cannot let Andrew Luck get outside of the pocket. Again, the Patriots defense should treat this quarterback as you would Roethlisburger, and make sure he does not get outside to extend plays with his arm or running with the ball.

3.The Patriots secondary needs to contain Reggie Wayne, and make him a non-factor in this game. The Patriots earlier in the season, did a great job of taking out Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. They will need to do the same against Wayne, and I hope he is double-teamed with a cornerback, and a safety over the top.

4. The Patriots need to run as often as possible against the Colts. This was a key last week, and I feel is very important once again. The Colts are currently 22nd in the NFL in rush defense giving up 120.3 yards per game. I do expect Stevan Ridley to be featured in this game.

5.  Offensive tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer must contain the Colts pass rush. Like I mentioned earlier, the Colts still have Freeney and Mathis. It will be up to the Patriots tackles to keeping them quiet on Sunday.

Now, I was completely wrong in my prediction for the last game. However, the Colts defense should be able to be exposed on Sunday, and I expect the Patriots defense to bounce back when they face Andrew Luck. I am predicting once again a 31-17 Patriots victory.

What are your predictions? Feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Also, please feel free to listen to a preview of the upcoming game from the radio show Patriots Fourth And Two.

In this episode we will first looked back at the Patriots 37-31 victory against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.

Later on in the show, we previewed the upcoming game for the Patriots against Andrew Luck and the Colts.

We also had two special guests join us during the show. Greg Bedard from the Boston Globe talked to us at the top of the show, and later on in the episode, we had a discussion with Michael Carlson who presents in the UK, Sunday Night Football for Channel Four, the Wembley game and the Super Bowl for the BBC, and college football for Eurosport.

Please do take a listen to this episode.