Numbers Are Stacked Against Law

Ian Logue

Jun 7, 2004 at 3:00am ET

Drama will build this week as everyone braces for the meeting between disgruntled cornerback Ty Law and head coach Bill Belichick when the team holds their mandatory mini-camp later this week.

The camp runs from Thursday through Saturday, and when it's over there probably won't me much to talk about. Law has to know that for now Belichick ultimately has the upper-hand, and despite his pleas to the media about how he was lied to by his coach and the front office, which he's told anyone who would listen is the real reason why he's unhappy, that doesn't change the fact that he's under contract for two more seasons. The deal he signed in 1999 that put him in this situation (a seven year deal) at the time was one of the most lucrative in the NFL, and it still has him as one of the more highly paid players in the league at his position.

The funny thing is that while Law had a solid season last year and was an intricate part of the team's Superbowl victory, he's a victim of bad timing. After all, with just one year remaining on the deal it would have made sense for them to do whatever it took to try and keep him in a Patriots' uniform by extending his contract and lowering his cap number. With two remaining they appear to be hesitant and Law obviously knows that to age another year before possibly being set free works against him when it comes to getting the big payday he's looking for.

			INT	'95	3	6
'96	3	6
'97	3	8
'98	9	23
'99	2	7
'00	2	9
'01	3	6
'02	4	6
'03	6	17

To make matters worse history is also working against him. Despite playing hurt last season he finished with 6-interceptions and 17-passes defensed, his highest totals since 1998 when he finished with 9-interceptions and 23-passes defensed. The numbers since that year have been dramatically different and in his 10-years in the league he's never had consecutive years where he's accomplished what he did in each of those two seasons.

Those facts have to be staring Law right in the face, because looking at the stat sheets the numbers stand right out.

Needless to say the numbers are stacked against him, and he knows it. So with that already working against him the pressure is on as he'll need to try and do something he's never been able to accomplish, and that's to have back-to-back standout seasons.

While everyone may think the drama will occur this week in Foxboro, for Law the real drama won't happen this week nor will it happen during training camp in July. It will take place when he steps on the field against the Colts on September 9th. Then the only person he'll be battling with will be the person he's lined up across from, and himself.

SCORING FIRST IS THE KEY

An interesting article by Dan Pompei from the Sporting News gave fans some insight into what Belichick is telling his players on gameday. According to the article Belichick stands before his players and goes over six to 10 key points that, in theory, will help them defeat that opponent, with one point included in almost every speech. Score first, and play with a lead. The article pointed out that last season in the NFL, the team that scored first won 70 percent of the time. When a team scored twice before the opponent scored its first points, even if it was two field goals, the team with the points won an incredible 84 percent of the time. According to the numbers in 17 of their 19 games last season when the Patriots were either up or tied after the first quarter, they won every game. In the two games where they trailed they only lost one of those games. Pretty amazing....Peter King made an interesting comment in his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column in his, "The 10 Things I Think I Think". King wrote, "I think Ty Law will hold out and report Aug. 8, and a month later he'll be covering Marvin Harrison in the first game of the year." Looks like we'll find out soon enough.