ATippett56

Brady’s great, but Patriots need a running game
History shows pass-oriented, one-dimensional teams don’t win titles

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21298740/

OPINION
By Rich Cimini
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 10:26 p.m. CT Oct 14, 2007

One of the worst-kept inside jokes around the NFL is Tom Brady’s weekly appearance on the Patriots’ injury report. For what seems like forever, he has appeared on the report with a mysterious shoulder ailment, which has caused many eyes to roll.

The way things are going this season for the Patriots, they might have to tweak the ‘ol injury report. Don’t be surprised if you check your local newspaper’s agate page one day soon and see something like this:

QB Tom Brady, right-arm fatigue, probable

Brady is throwing like a one-armed bandit, leading one of the most prolific passing attacks in NFL history. The Patriots are 6-0, and Brady already has attempted 204 passes, including an NFL-best 21 touchdown passes. In Sunday’s 48-27 victory over the previously undefeated Cowboys, Tom Terrific became the first quarterback in history to throw at least three scores in each of his first six games.

He’s scary good, but it raises a question: Can the Patriots continue to blow away the competition with such a one-dimensional offense?

History says no. Sooner or later, it has to bite them, right? Every football tenet indicates that a team requires some semblance of balance to win a championship. I mean, you can expect to do the same thing over and over, and get away with it.

Rich Cimini is an msnbc.com contributor and covers the New York Jets for the N.Y. Daily News.

Keep your opinions to yourself Rich "the New York moron" Cimini and research the facts prior to print.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorysta...seasonType=REG

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PatsDeb

I guess he forgot that until this Sunday, we had a running game every week. Didn't we get at least 100 yds. out of Morris, Maroney, Faulk or some combination thereof each week until this one?

Cimini is a joke - he is the one who misquoted Peter King & said Belichick wouldn't want Kerry Rhodes on his team (seems King has come down with the same disease since).

Michigan Dave

The Pats are 7th in the league in rushing.

Oops.

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xmarkd400x

Opinions are like @$$holes...

PatsDeb

It's kind of funny how the Pats seem to be in the NY papers more than their own teams. The Jets are awful, but the Giants are looking pretty good after a slow start. Why don't you write on your own teams, loser?

zarakotas5

NEP: 412 tot. plays, 204 passes, 202 rushes
NYJ: 361 plays, 186 passes, 160 runs
NYG: 386 plays, 210 passes, 169 runs

NEP: 68.7 pl.pg (2), 34.0 pa.pg (12), 33.7 ru.pg (4)
NYJ: 60.1 pl.pg (15), 31.0 pa.pg (20), 26.7 ru.pg (16)
NYG: 64.3 pl.pg (4), 35.0 pa.pg (9), 28.2 ru.pg (13)

Dynamically speaking, it seems that NE proportionally utilizes the run much more than either of the teams in his city. The Pats are still averaging over 141 ypg, despite the Dallas game.

In summation:

1 NE team: 6 wins
2 NY teamS: 5 wins

shmessy

This was the funniest part of this football neophyte's column:

"A pass-heavy attack also doesn’t use much clock, putting a heavier burden on your defense. That happened to the Bills teams of the early 1990s, when Jim Kelly racked up big numbers with their “K Gun” no-huddle attack. Problem was, they scored so quickly that the defense never had much time to catch its breath on the sideline."

Did anyone show him the time of possession stats from the Dallas game?

Pats had it for 38 minutes of that "too much passing, not enough ground control game".

Cimini probably thought he heard Belichick "dissing" Kerry Rhodes again after the game!

Rich Cimini is in the MISinformation business.

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Nordy

Has anybody emailed this fool to smack him down with the stats?

National Sports Advisors

Does Cimini realize how much of a laughable hack he truly is? My lord, I think he hates Belichick and the Pats more than Mangini. He constantly picks against them and makes up *****. It's comical more than anything. Eat another doughnut Richie.

desi-patsfan

I dont understand why people keep forgetting this. We had one bad Running game. A game where our Starting RB was out, Our 2nd string played 1 quarter, and we had to go with our 3rd down back. One bad running game means we have no running game at all.

Once again what are the requirements for being a sports writer?