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- Mar 3, 2005
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He is the same bozo who said that the Pats had played nobody in the 2nd half of the season and would find out what a real NFL team was when Tampa came to town (hmmm..never saw the retraction on that one):
"Patriots at Broncos: It's the rock-paper-scissors nature of the AFC. Colts always beat Broncos. Patriots always beat Colts. And Broncos usually beat Patriots; they are 3-1 against New England since 2001.
With their bombs-away offense, the Colts can just out-score Denver. With their quantum-calculus defensive scheme, the Patriots can sabotage the Colts' offense. And with their keep-it-simple running game and disciplined defense, the Broncos aren't cowed by Bill Belichick's crafty tactics.
The Broncos are built to beat teams that like to spread the field like the Colts and Patriots; they've been doing the AFC playoff dance since Tom Brady was at Michigan and they know who the teams to beat are. They've spent the last two seasons upgrading the secondary with a mix of veterans (Champ Bailey and John Lynch) and rookies (Darrent Williams and Domonique Foxworth). The Patriots like to throw to backs and tight ends (wide receivers caught just five passes against the Jaguars), but the Broncos can counter with the best set of coverage linebackers in the league.
Offensively, the Broncos run the ball, protect Jake Plummer, and set up play action passes. Their zone blocking scheme is sometimes called "finesse" blocking, but don't let the name fool you into thinking that Tom Nalen and Matt Lepsis wear tutus: the Broncos' linemen are punishing in the trenches. The Patriots can send blitzers from all angles, but with extra blockers and a rolling pocket, Plummer will have time to throw. The Patriots want to force turnovers, but the Broncos average just one turnover per game.
The Broncos played their typical game against the Patriots in Week 6, earning a 28-20 win that wasn't that close. They struck early with a 72-yard pass, a 55-yard pass, and a 68-yard run by Tatum Bell to run up a lead. In the second half, Bell and Mike Anderson took turns cranking out 178 rushing yards. The defense cracked late, allowing two fourth-quarter scoring drives, but Tom Brady had no one to throw to for most of the game.
Granted, the Patriots were without Dillon, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, and other key starters in that game (Bruschi was scratched against the Jaguars last week but is expected back). The healthier Patriots are now a high-fashion favorite as a Super Bowl pick, but while the team paid lip-service to respecting the Jaguars last week, they are more serious about this opponent. "The Denver Broncos will be our toughest challenge this season," Belichick said on Sunday night. "To have any chance, it will take our best game and certainly a lot better performance than the last time we played them."
Any chance? Some members of the New England media are already printing "Threepeat" tee-shirts (the royalties to Pat Riley are a killer), but Belichick is speaking the language of a road underdog. The Patriots know how to win in cold weather, but the early forecast for kickoff calls for temperatures in the mid-50s. The altitude, however, remains unchanged, and the well-rested Broncos enjoy the biggest home field advantage in the NFL.
So don't overreact to last week's blowout of the Jaguars, and don't subscribe to destiny, mojo, or swagger theories. The AFC title game will be another chapter in a perennial grudge match. But it won't be Patriots-Colts."
That's right - it'll be Patriots-Steelers if the football gods are smiling on us! Go Pats
"Patriots at Broncos: It's the rock-paper-scissors nature of the AFC. Colts always beat Broncos. Patriots always beat Colts. And Broncos usually beat Patriots; they are 3-1 against New England since 2001.
With their bombs-away offense, the Colts can just out-score Denver. With their quantum-calculus defensive scheme, the Patriots can sabotage the Colts' offense. And with their keep-it-simple running game and disciplined defense, the Broncos aren't cowed by Bill Belichick's crafty tactics.
The Broncos are built to beat teams that like to spread the field like the Colts and Patriots; they've been doing the AFC playoff dance since Tom Brady was at Michigan and they know who the teams to beat are. They've spent the last two seasons upgrading the secondary with a mix of veterans (Champ Bailey and John Lynch) and rookies (Darrent Williams and Domonique Foxworth). The Patriots like to throw to backs and tight ends (wide receivers caught just five passes against the Jaguars), but the Broncos can counter with the best set of coverage linebackers in the league.
Offensively, the Broncos run the ball, protect Jake Plummer, and set up play action passes. Their zone blocking scheme is sometimes called "finesse" blocking, but don't let the name fool you into thinking that Tom Nalen and Matt Lepsis wear tutus: the Broncos' linemen are punishing in the trenches. The Patriots can send blitzers from all angles, but with extra blockers and a rolling pocket, Plummer will have time to throw. The Patriots want to force turnovers, but the Broncos average just one turnover per game.
The Broncos played their typical game against the Patriots in Week 6, earning a 28-20 win that wasn't that close. They struck early with a 72-yard pass, a 55-yard pass, and a 68-yard run by Tatum Bell to run up a lead. In the second half, Bell and Mike Anderson took turns cranking out 178 rushing yards. The defense cracked late, allowing two fourth-quarter scoring drives, but Tom Brady had no one to throw to for most of the game.
Granted, the Patriots were without Dillon, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, and other key starters in that game (Bruschi was scratched against the Jaguars last week but is expected back). The healthier Patriots are now a high-fashion favorite as a Super Bowl pick, but while the team paid lip-service to respecting the Jaguars last week, they are more serious about this opponent. "The Denver Broncos will be our toughest challenge this season," Belichick said on Sunday night. "To have any chance, it will take our best game and certainly a lot better performance than the last time we played them."
Any chance? Some members of the New England media are already printing "Threepeat" tee-shirts (the royalties to Pat Riley are a killer), but Belichick is speaking the language of a road underdog. The Patriots know how to win in cold weather, but the early forecast for kickoff calls for temperatures in the mid-50s. The altitude, however, remains unchanged, and the well-rested Broncos enjoy the biggest home field advantage in the NFL.
So don't overreact to last week's blowout of the Jaguars, and don't subscribe to destiny, mojo, or swagger theories. The AFC title game will be another chapter in a perennial grudge match. But it won't be Patriots-Colts."
That's right - it'll be Patriots-Steelers if the football gods are smiling on us! Go Pats
