Here’s week two with thoughts on the pressing issues involving the Patriots (and maybe the other area teams).
1. Sunday obviously saw too much fumbling by Rhamondre Stevenson. Both last year and this year, his trust level right now is at an all-time low. Mike Vrabel’s comments about how mistakes wipe out the good things you do rings true here. Someone mentioned this, but I thought of it first. Go find Kevin Faulk (Louisiana?), bring him to Foxborough, and lock those two inside a private gymnasium until Stevenson learns how not to fumble. Faulk was one of the NFL’s worst fumblers early in his career, and he would go on to become the prototype Patriot third-down back. I feel in my gut that Faulk would come help if asked. Stevenson cannot be cast aside to excel on some other team. Bring in Faulk and see what shakes. If this were Fort Myers, Fla., and Stevenson could not make consistent reads off the left field wall, Jim Rice would be right there to help (assuming nobody sent Rice away saying that his help isn’t needed).
2. Andres Borregales is getting better at his extra points, but seeing Parker Romo kick five of five field goals a week ago had to rankle a few feathers. And every field goal Chad Ryland makes in Phoenix is equally hard to stomach. Leave Borregales where he is and let him grow into the job at the pro level. Letting Ryland go at this time seems like a major mistake. Romo, Nick Folk, and Joey Slye fall into a different category (veterans who should still be here, with old man Folk at the top of the list).
3. Alex Austin is becoming a penalty machine. Carlton Davis is being forced to cover the top receiver. The secondary is looking like big play territory. Bill Parcells was just in town to be inducted (finally) into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Send Christian Gonzalez to Parcells and listen to this coach’s greatest line: “In the fall, football players play football!” Then send Gonzalez down to Chapel Hill, NC and have him listen to his former head coach inspire him with “In football, the best kind of ability is AVAILABILITY!” Then go back home and get the hell in there when the Carolina game kicks off.
4. Some of you might still be skeptical about Parcells going into the Patriot Hall of Fame. Either you have never heard of the guy (if you are not yet 30 years old, he didn’t coach in your lifetime). To all of you who do remember the Tuna’s four-year tenure as Patriot head coach, you can’t help but still remember a horrible Super Bowl week where the late Globe columnist Will McDonough broke the story that Parcells would leave the Patriots after the Super Bowl. But what Parcells did do was to make the Patriots relevant and great permanently. The Patriots, as you know them today, are thanks to Parcells. It’s like the 1967 Red Sox. A line of demarcation: before Parcells, after Parcells. Just like before 1967, after 1967. Same exact thing. For just that one thing, which lasts to this day, Parcells deserves the red jacket. If it will make you feel better, it sounded nice when Parcells said, “There are several things that I would have done different here.” Maybe Bob Kraft feels the same.
5. Julian Edelman was also inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. His most famous quote was “I was a seventh-round draft pick out of Kent State, and look what happened!” He went on to have a Patriots career that stands out. One of the toughest Patriots of all time, he has three Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP. Don’t stop here with these sorts of honors. Some football experts believe this individual should make his way to Canton someday (not far from his alma mater, Kent State). Count me in as agreeing with this sentiment. He is currently the second-greatest receiver in Super Bowl history, behind Jerry Rice, the widely regarded wide receiver GOAT. His career longevity and career numbers also bode well for him. Edelman’s postseason body of work overall has to put him in any HOF conversation. Oh, and he also has a postseason touchdown pass. Make a bust for him, and do it fairly soon.
6. You might think that the Patriots still look and play stupid. New season, new coach, same old results. Pittsburgh was a beatable team and the game was winnable. Turnovers and penalties took care of that. Drake Maye might possibly be overrated. Belichick started 0-4 in 2000. Parcells started 0-4 in 1993. Give this team time to develop. They have a good coach, an exciting young quarterback who still needs to learn the league like most every other eventual great quarterback, more playmakers on offense than you realize who simply need to learn their place and role with the team, and a defense which currently has an ill coordinator, an absent superstar cornerback, and some more learning about cohesion, mostly in the secondary. Be patient, folks, and let the learning processes run their course.
7. Lamar Jackson is a dynamic player who is a dangerous runner and a good to excellent passer. Defenses have to account for him in many ways, and he frightens a lot of defenders who, at times, don’t know how to handle him. As Monday night showed us, in what should perhaps have been the real Super Bowl matchup last year, Detroit’s defense didn’t have too much trouble containing Jackson and wound up winning at Baltimore. Until Jackson actually makes it to a Super Bowl and wins one, Jackson “hasn’t done nothing yet” (Belichick, 2003). Jackson has continually shown over the years that big games become too big for him. His seeing eye throws against lesser teams turn into interceptions in big games. His scintillating runs turn into sacks in big games. To be fair, Josh Allen may be heading for this same category if he continually misses the Super Bowl. To be even more fair, it’s tough when Patrick Mahomes is one of your peers.
8. The Red Sox head into the final week of the season locked in a multi-team dogfight for the division titles and Wild Card berths. The Sox win tiebreakers with the Yankees, Guardians, and Astros. Six games left for the Sox, three at Toronto, three at home with Detroit. Both of those teams lead their divisions going into Tuesday night’s games. This is so much like 1967. All these teams are still in it with plenty of time for teams to flip-flop positions every day. All the Red Sox can do is what is right in front of them and try not to scoreboard watch. Win every at bat. Win every inning. Strive for professional at-bats. Play smart situational baseball. No stupid baserunning mistakes. Solid defense. Pitchers pitch up to their capabilities. Think more about the Wild Card than the division. As in football, just get into the postseason any way you can. Then worry about the playoffs when you’re actually there.
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Covering Boston Sports since 1997. Native of Worcester, Mass. Attended UMass and Univ of Michigan. Lives in California. Just recently retired after 40 years of public school teaching. Podcasts on YouTube at @thepic4139
