The man likes to party rock

Oh Robert.

How you’ve blossomed into a little media darling.

If you haven’t already noticed, Gronk is a favorite of sports media gossips. Whether it’s partying with LMFAO right after losing the Super Bowl or wrestling on a club stage with a cast on the broken arm that kept him out of the playoffs this season, there’s always something to nit pick.

The latest tidbit? Gronk posed with a fan at Universal Studios wearing a tank top that read “Sorry for Partying.” The fan made the picture her Twitter avatar and sent a thousand tongues wagging.

(If you want to see the pic, click here).

Naturally, the obvious question to be asked here is: who the *&%^ cares?

Seriously.

Even his own teammates (aka Logan Mankins) will admit Gronk is a meathead. He likes to get his dance on and put guys in half nelsons and tosses in a drunken body slam here and there for good measure.

That’s just who the guy is. Growing up with four brothers and a father who seemingly encouraged his kids to get a little rowdy, it’s just what he knows.

Now, the whole wresting-in-a-cast thing was a bit much, only because Gronkowski was injured back in November, rehabbed back for the playoffs and was subsequently reinjured almost immediately against the Texans. It’s understandable that some pundits, bitter about him not being available during the Patriots AFC Championship loss to the Baltimore Ravens, were frustrated with his apparent lack of regard for his own healing process.

However, it’s all become a bit much.

Gronk hasn’t broken any laws (that we know of). He holds or is tied for eight records in the NFL in just his first three seasons. It’s not exactly like he’s not pulling his weight in New England.

Love him or hate him, Gronkowski is who he is. And kudos to him for refusing to change because of pressure from a vapid media corps determined to find fault in every moment of fun he puts himself in.

Because that’s what it is. It’s fun. The same (or similar) fun other 20-somethings are having all over the world. His position as a football player shouldn’t dictate who he has to be in his spare time.

Can’t we just let the man live?

Welker’s return is one of the biggest question marks the Pats face this offseason

Who’s excited the Ravens won the Super Bowl?

Anyone? Bueller?

Didn’t think so.

But, in the wise words of Mr. Devin McCourty on his Facebook page, everyone is back to 0-0 now and a new season can begin.

(Although technically the new season doesn’t realllllly start for a few weeks. But whateves. We’ve been suffering long enough).

So what’s next for the New England Patriots? What do they need to do in this offseason to be in tip-top shape come September?

Glad you asked.

Re-Sign Wes Welker*

Welker should remain a Patriot. No one can argue the impact he has on this offense (when he isn’t dropping critical passes of course). He’s spent the last six years in Foxboro and caught more than 100 passes in five of those years. And Welker averages 11.2 yards per catch. It’s incredible really when you consider how productive he’s been at his size (no offense, it just is). His chemistry with Tom Brady is undeniable. Brady wants to keep him. Why wouldn’t he?

However, there’s an asterisk next to Welker for this reason: he will be 32 in May. Unfortunately, that’s getting up there for a receiver whose bread and butter are taking massive hits in the slot. Welker wants to get paid. Rumour has it he’s looking for a serious payday (think $6-$7 million a season) and he’s not willing to take a hometown discount to stay in New England.

Should the Pats choose to use the franchise tag on Welker for a second consecutive season, it will cost them $11.4 million. Not exactly chump change for either party but owner Robert Kraft has expressed publicly he wants to come to an “intelligent” long-term deal with Welker. Considering the big drops #83 made during the last two season’s playoffs, is he worth a double-digit payday for one more season if such a deal can’t be reached? Hard to say. But the Patriots without Welker? Hard to imagine.

Let Go of Brandon Lloyd

When Josh McDaniels came back to New England to be the offensive coordinator, he essentially brought Lloyd with him from St. Louis. But as clutch as Lloyd was at times, he isn’t what the Patriots need. He simply doesn’t have the skill set anymore to be a consistent deep threat. That’s what the Patriots have lacked for years and while Lloyd was touted as a solution, the speed isn’t there. With the Pats on the line for almost $5 million between salary and bonuses, it’s not logical to keep him around.

Address the Defense

Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, there has GOT to be a solution to the Patriots defensive backfield woes. Because if Kyle Arrington is a starting cornerback again next season, at any point, I will cry into my grey hoodie. While 2012 wasn’t the worst the Pats have looked on defense in recent years, they certainly didn’t look good. Like, at all. Aqib Talib has proved to be about as fragile as a china doll and McCourty is a full-blown safety at this point (god speed, kid) so who is going to take over leading the cornerbacks? We’ll know more about college prospects following the NFL Combine later this month, but there is a serious need for a reliable, non-injury prone veteran to help get that crew on the right track.

Belichick made big moves to help the front seven in last year’s draft. Will he do the same for the backfield this April?

What is there even to say about yesterday’s performance by the Patriots?

It was amongst the worst games they’ve played all season. How could they be so terrible on the biggest stage of the season? It was the Championship. Win and go to the Super Bowl. Lose and go home.

How could they have so whole-heartedly embraced the latter?

There are those sports fans among us who will poo-poo the complaints and frustrations of a Patriots supporter. Sure, the team hasn’t won a title in eight years, but in those eight years they’ve gone undefeated in the regular season, made four AFC Championship games and two Super Bowl appearances.

There hasn’t exactly been a dearth of things to celebrate out of Foxboro.

But that’s what makes this particular loss so hard. We all know the Patriots time to win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is winding down. We know Brady is getting older. We know other teams are re-loading every year with younger, more talented players.

More than anything though, we know how special the last thirteen years have been. For years, the Patriots were a joke. A 5-11, 6-10 kind of squad. One was mocked and ridiculed for their New England fandom. And then along came the dynasty that changed everything.

Nothing lasts forever. There was a sense this season the Patriots were lucky to even make the Championship game given their woefully inconsistent defense. But somehow they did it. Somehow this organization manages to defy statistics and anything quantifiable in this sport.

Every season since Brady tore his ACL, we question if this is the last shot he’ll have at the Super Bowl. Given how Brady has gone against the odds his whole career, I don’t think he’s done. I think there are a couple good years left in him, if he doesn’t get injured. Which is a very big if the older he gets.

People will blame the injuries to Rob Gronkowski, Aqib Talib and Chandler Jones for yesterday’s loss. They’ll blame the defense and the coaching and Wes Welker and I’m sure they’ll even find a way to blame Brady.

None of that concerns me. Because I blame the lack of heart.

Did you see any out there? Because I didn’t. I didn’t see the passion. I didn’t see the desire. I felt like I was watching the divisional playoffs in 2011, when the New York Jets marched into Gillette Stadium and dismantled the Pats. I saw a team on the field last night that didn’t have half the energy or fortitude or pure want their opponent did.

That’s what scares me going forward. Are the Patriots so much about business that they’ve forgotten why they play this game? New England was the best football team in the AFC this season. There was no reason the Baltimore Ravens should have defeated them so soundly.

In the coming months, we, along with the rest of the NFL world, will debate whom the Pats should draft or sign or trade. But we, like them, can’t lose sight of the fact there is no substitution for heart.

That’s what made the Pats Super Bowl winning teams so special. That’s how the miracle victories were made.

Back then every guy on the field wanted it more than the man across from him. Somehow, the Patriots need to get back there.

This is how I feel after yesterday’s 28-13 Patriots loss. In the AFC Championship game. To the Baltimore Ravens.

BRB when I have something more coherent to say.

(Kudos to the lovely Kelsey O’Donnell for bringing this epic pho to my attention).

They’re better together, but the Patriots can still win without Gronkowski

There’s a whole lot of talk abounding about Rob Gronkowski.

Arguably the best tight end in the National Football League, Gronk had a record-breaking season last year, finishing the season with 1,327 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.  The previous record for most touchdowns in a season by a tight end was 14, achieved by Antonio Gates (2004) and Vernon Davis (2009).

Understandably, expectations were high for Gronkowski coming into this season. And he was performing just fine until breaking his forearm in November sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season.

It was expected he would return for the playoffs and he did take the field Sunday against the Houston Texans, only to reinjure that same forearm and have to undergo another surgery. As a result, he won’t be available for the Patriots in the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night, nor would he be ready for the Super Bowl should New England get there.

It was in the Super Bowl last year that the Pats also had to go without a full-strength Gronk, who injured his ankle in the Championship game (also against the Ravens) and while he valiantly tried to perform two weeks later, it was like watching the shadow of who Gronk could be as a player. He just wasn’t the same.

So now, questions are swirling again about whether the Patriots can get their hands on another Lombardi without one of their most important offensive weapons. Gronkowski is such a dominant player, and such a difficult match up for defenses, when playing against a team like the Ravens, can New England realistically expect to win without him in the line-up?

Well, of course they can. Hasn’t anyone been paying attention? The Pats aren’t built to be a one-trick pony. Their talent runs deep. It isn’t always flashy or in-your-face, but it’s there. The mentality is “next man up,” and whether it’s Aaron Hernandez or Michael Hoomanawanui who steps into Gronk’s place, taking those snaps and making those plays, it will be done.

Let’s go back and examine the situation a little closer. Gronkowski has only been out of the Patriots line-up since Nov. 18, with the exception of the regular-season finale in Miami when he took some snaps. That means he was playing when the Pats lost to the Ravens in week three. But Hernandez wasn’t active. And that hurt the Patriots.

Hernandez is elusive, like a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. Looking at the Ravens defense, Hernando is almost a better weapon than Gronk. He can get the yards after the catch that Gronk doesn’t and since Baltimore isn’t want to give Tom Brady much time to throw, those short passes that Hernandez can turn into big gains are crucial to the Patriots success.

It’s natural to panic when a player like Gronkowski isn’t available to you. And it would be natural for the Ravens to think the Pats are diminished by their absence. But they aren’t. They basis of this team is that no one player can make or break their success. When Gronk was out during the regular season, the Pats only lost one game through the toughest stretch of their schedule. They can, and will, survive without him.

Should the Pats lose on Sunday it won’t be because they didn’t have Gronk.

Brandon Lloyd and Tom Brady celebrate in Lloyd’s first post-season appearance

There is something special about the New England Patriots.

It’s not just that they win a whole lot more than they lose. It’s not even that they are going to their second consecutive AFC Championship game after trouncing the Houston Texans 41-28 yesterday. It’s not that Tom Brady has made the Championship game 58% of the time in his career. It’s not about any statistic.

It’s about how good this team can be when they play together. Player versus player, the Texans should have won. The pieces they have on defense, dollar for dollar, were better than the Patriots. Is there a wide receiver on the New England roster as explosive as Andre Johnson? No. But it doesn’t matter, because this team’s mentality isn’t about stars.

When Danny Woodhead went down last night, Shane Vereen exploded for three touchdowns.

When Rob Gronkowski re-injured his forearm and left the game early in the first quarter, no one blinked; Vince Wilfork even admitted after the game he didn’t know Gronk wasn’t on the field.

When the Pats scored a touchdown to ice the victory in the fourth quarter, Bill Belichick looked up long enough to acknowledge it happened and without breaking a smile, returned to the conversation he was having with the defense.

The Patriots are a well-oiled machine. But they’re not robotic. They’re not guaranteed anything. They fight and scrap and adjust and they do what they have to do to win. Best of all, they do it without ego.

J.J. Watt could take a lesson in staying humble. The second-year defensive end for the Texans did something pretty deplorable before Sunday’s game – he spit on the midfield Patriots logo at Gillette Stadium and then wiped his cleats on the logo. Even worse than that act? He claims to do it before EVERY GAME. Oh, and then there was the “finger waving” incident, a follow-up move to a particularly good play by Watt to stymie the Patriots run attempt.

You don’t see that kind of behavior from the Patriots (except you maybe would from Brandon Lloyd…but he’s a veteran at least). Touchdown celebrations are one thing. A finger wave for making a routine stop is quite another.

But no matter. The Texans are done, their Cinderella Story-esque season finished at the hands of the big, bad Pats.

Next on the docket? The Baltimore Ravens, who once again stand in the way of the Patriots and a Super Bowl berth. Last year it took a wide-left kick from Billy Cundiff to secure New England’s trip to Indianapolis. Will they need a last-minute miracle again? Stay tuned.

Tom Brady did a lot of fist-pumping in 2012

With their 21-0 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots officially closed the 2012 regular season on a high note, securing the #2 seed in the AFC for the playoffs (complete with first-round bye) and earning an impressive 12-4 record.

Looking back over 16 weeks of football, there was good and bad for the Pats. As they (and we) wait to find out whether their next opponent will be the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts or Houston Texans, let’s reminisce over the highs and lows thus far.

Highs

Tom Brady. The man just doesn’t age. After 13 years in the NFL, few players can remain MVP-calibre season after season. Brady does. Whether it’s firing guys up on the sideline, completely seemingly impossible throws or rallying his team from a deficit, TB12 never fails to put his best effort on the field. Finishing the regular season with a 98.7 passer rating, 4,827 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, it might not have been his best statistical season, but Brady proved what he brings to the Patriots is about more than x’s and o’s. He’s the team’s heart and soul.

The (Almost) Comeback. Admit it. You thought the Pats were going to beat the San Francisco 49ers when they inexplicably came back from a 31-3 deficit to tie the game late before the 49ers’ Michael Crabtree scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Hanging 28 points on the best defense in the NFL in the second half of a game? No small feat. And yet another example of how dominating this offense can be.

Roasting the Jets on Thanksgiving. If that wasn’t the best game the Patriots played during the regular season, I don’t know what was. The 49-19 shellacking New England gave their hated rivals was a thing of beauty, a testament to their superior coaching, superior players and all-around superior selves.  For a minute there, it looked like the Jets were poised to take over the AFC East. Thanksgiving was a reminder of where Gang Green stands in the grand scheme of the division.

The Draft. Not technically a part of the 2012 season, but we’re going to count it anyway. Bill Belichick broke away from his customary frugalness in the draft and took two great players in the first round (Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower). Both are poised to be leaders in this organization for years to come with playmaking ability to rival that of many at their position in the league. After an embarrassing Super Bowl loss last February to the New York Giants, the Pats took the right steps toward building a better future for this organization. It was a welcome sight.

Lows

The Defense. Apologies to Vince Wilfork, Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones. You guys are great. But the rest of that unit is so maddeningly inconsistent, so often outplayed, so laughably terrible at times that they almost make Pats games hard to watch. What’s the issue? It’s the same problem that’s plagued this group for years: the secondary. Defensive success hinges so much on that backfield and while the Pats have improved in the front seven and getting more pressure on the quarterback, it’s negated when that quarterback can still burn a defensive back who’s out of position or turned around. It’s horrifying. With Bill Belichick calling the shots, this unit should be better. They’ll have to be if the Pats want to hang another banner.

One (or Two) Point Losses. Not winning a game is never a positive thing. But the Patriots made an absolute art of losing this season. Being beaten by the Arizona Cardinals by two at home. Letting the Seattle Seahawks dominate them all the way to a one-point victory. Not closing the door on the Baltimore Ravens when they had the chance to being handed another one point loss. Few things are more infuriating in sport than watching a better team lose to a lesser one but the Patriots seemed prone to allowing a win to slip through their fingers in 2012. Fortunately, the calendar has turned and hopefully they won’t carry the same issues into 2013.

It’s a whole new year and an entirely new season for the Patriots. Whoever they face next, they’ll have to bring their A game along. Because back-to-back Super Bowl appearances would just be too good an opportunity to pass up right?

Brady will have his hands full with the Texans D

General consensus seems to be that whoever wins this Monday night, the Patriots or Houston Texans, that team will control the AFC come playoff time.

Right now, the Pats sit at 9-3, having locked up the AFC East division last week with a win over the Miami Dolphins. The Texans are 11-1, lead the conference and have one of the best defenses around.

So what happens when an elite offense like the Patriots meets a superb defense like the Texans? Grab your popcorn. This one could make some history.

But how can the Patriots go about besting a team that is as fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball as any in the AFC? Find the weaknesses and target them. The Texans defensive backs have long been reviled as the weak link in an otherwise “flawless” unit. For Tom Brady, that means throwing early and often right at Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson. The Texans run defense – led by a front seven that included future Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt – will be difficult to penetrate with any regularity, so the Pats best bet is to tire out the corners and force them into making mistakes.

The other key for the Patriots? Urgency. The no-huddle offense has been an asset all season, but isn’t utilized with as much frequency as its success seems to suggest it should be. If ever there was a time to change that, it’s this week. Should the Pats hope for any kind of ground game to get going, they may not have a choice. Catching Watt and company off kilter may be the only way Stevan Ridley and Danny Woodhead find those seams they love to plow through. When Brady gets in the no-huddle zone, it’s good for his confidence too because he’s more successful. With the threat of Watt pummeling him into the dirt with every drop back, anything the team can do to boost Brady’s morale has to be considered a positive.

There are certainly other storylines to follow, like how the Pats defense will stand up to Matt Shaub and Andre Johnson. But it seems safe to assume that unless Alfonzo Dennard becomes elite overnight, Houston is going to collect their yards on offense. They’re going to score touchdowns. The Pats offense will win or lose this game. They have the power to keep up points wise with anyone, and if they’re special teams keeps making plays the way they have, that’s added insurance.

If Brady is a serious MVP candidate, he’ll show it Monday. He alone could make all the difference.

Tom Brady and Wes Welker stuck it to the Dolphins

Yesterday, the Patriots did something the Patriots really, really like doing. And it wasn’t just beating the Miami Dolphins (which they did, 23-16).

Even better than that, they clinched the AFC East division. Again. For the ninth time in ten seasons. Their only miss in the last decade was the season Tom Brady missed with a torn ACL. Not bad.

We could talk about the mistakes they made (enough people certainly were). We could talk about the lackluster showing by Brady. We could talk about the incredible play of Wes Welker. We could dissect the game and what it means going forward.

But let’s take a moment and just really enjoy this one.

How many teams, in any sport, are as consistently good as the Patriots? In a age of sports defined by parity, where everything is regulated and calibrated for the sake of equality, it’s a truly amazing feat that the Patriots are as good as they are as often as the are.

Is that why we’re so quick to nit-pick them? So earnestly saying “that was good, but…” Why is there always a “but?”

It’s natural to expect the Patriots to be good. They have the best quarterback and coach tandem in the league. They have won Super Bowls. They consistently knock off good teams. They manage to do more with less, season after season.

Perhaps that’s the problem. The Pats manage to win so often, and with such sub-par pieces (no offense), that even when they win, sometimes we mope around like they’ve lost.

Was yesterday’s win in Miami pretty? Did the Pats look especially good? At times they did. Welker certainly did. In typical fashion, the former Dolphin had 12 catches for 103 yards, easily leading both teams. But that doesn’t matter, apparently, when the secondary allows Ryan Tannehill to actually score touchdowns or if Brady doesn’t blow up the box score.

Here’s the thing: while it often feels like Brady and Belichick have the staying power Sonny and Cher lacked, they too will break up one day. And when they do, there might not be Patriots teams this consistently successful ever again. Not only that, there might not be Patriots teams this maddeningly, infuriatingly exciting again.

Before we start overanalyzing every dropped pass or missed assignment, take a moment to revel in all the good things this team does.

And, after that, take a moment to revel in the napkin resignation that turned Belichick into the Patriots’ coach instead of the New York Jets.

Patriots making plays on defense will be key to victory in Miami

It’s that time of year again. Hat and t-shirt day is (possibly) here.

This Sunday, the Patriots take the field in Miami for a tilt with their division rival Dolphins. A victory there would clinch the AFC East for New England for the fourth straight season.

And then, of course, everyone gets a hat and t-shirt.

But are the Pats primed to earn the latest in division champ hardware? Let’s investigate.

Momentum a factor

As is to be (somewhat) expected when a new offensive coordinator comes on board, the Pats faced some early season struggles. Tough losses to the Cardinals, Seahawks and Ravens loomed large and pointed to the team’s overall lack of identity. But now they’re on a roll, winning their last five in convincing fashion and taking control of their own destiny. Chemistry and consistency are starting to show on both sides of the ball (something the secondary desperately needed and still needs). Each week, the Pats have faced some level of adversity but whereas earlier in the season they might have let it get them down and force them into poor play, now they rise above.

Consider the first few series’ against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets. The Colts got an early lead on the Pats because of terrible defensive play. The Jets stymied the Pats offense early and for a moment made it look like the team was in for a long night. In both instances, the Pats responded in a cool, calm, collected manner and it paid huge dividends. A good football team is a happy football team. There appears to be harmony in Foxboro at last.

Special teams still special

Something is not quite right with kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Everyone can agree he’s looked rough so far this season. The veteran has missed kicks within 40 yards in consecutive games and has completed only 81% of his total kicks. Not what we’ve come to expect from him.

But beyond Gostkowski, the Pats special teams have been exceptional. Whether it’s Julian Edelman returning punts for touchdowns or fumbles being forced, the unit that gets the least attention deserves a lot more of it for their strong play of late. It’s those turnovers and playmaking ability that takes the pressure off the offense and defense. Harmony indeed.

Still a division game

All things being equal, the red-hot Patriots should be able to go into Miami and dominate. It shouldn’t even really be all that close. BUT the Fins beat the Seahawks and we all know how that venture went for the Patriots. Especially when it comes to games in the division, opponents should not be taken lightly. Ryan Tannehill has exceeded most everyone’s expectations. The Dolphin defense is familiar with Tom Brady and the Patriots scheme. And Cameron Wake it still Cameron Wake. New England’s offensive line will still likely be without left guard Logan Mankins and that’s not good on any Sunday, but especially not one where the Pats are playing a front seven that can be as ferocious as Miami’s. It’ll take a hard-fought 60 minutes to get those new t-shirts.

But, you know, totally worth it too.