Boston Sports Then and Now

It’s time to clean out the house, time to shuffle the faces and time for the 2012 New England Patriots to start looking toward 2013 after they failed to show up in the second half of their embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Ravens in Sunday’s AFC Championship game.

As is the case every year, the team has a host of free agents that they need to make decisions on. Eighteen of their 20 free agents heading into the offseason are unrestricted and if the team doesn’t do anything to lock them up, they could be gone like that.

If the front office is having any trouble, they can just ask me. I’d be glad to help. Here’s my first offseason addition of will they or won’t they. (Hint: Both Wes Welker and Aqib Talib need to be back).

A veteran in the secondary would be good to have, but I don’t see Will Allen making a comeback for the Pats in 2013.

Will Allen: The former first-round pick has had a decent career and certainly could have been able to help in the Patriots secondary this season, but he has played in just 21 games since 2009, missing entire campaigns in both 2010 and 2012. Of course, as he was drafted almost 12 years ago now, age is going to be a question. Would he be able to keep up with the fast and physical tight ends around the league like, oh, I don’t know, Dennis Pitta for instance as a 34-year-old coming off of whatever injury he had. I’m just not sure it would work out like that. I’d cut Allen loose.

Kyle Arrington: Assuming the team does bring Talib back for his first full season, Arrington’s role would be that of a third corner in nickel situations or when injuries occur, like in Sunday’s game when Talib went down. In that game, particularly in the second half, Joe Flacco was pretty much throwing the ball at will with Arrington and Marquice Cole in the secondary. In 2011, Arrington led the league with seven interceptions. In 2012, however, he had zero. If he is okay with his role as a third corner, then I wouldn’t hate to see him brought back in 2013, but for less than the $1.85M he made this year.

Josh Barrett: In the five years since getting drafted out of Arizona St., Barrett has barely touched the turf during the regular season. Though he has shown signs of strong play and intelligence, his consistent ability to get injured has done neither him nor the team any good. Though he should be ready for the 2013 season after a calf injury has held him out for more than a year, he just might be playing it with another team. I’d let this one go too.

Deion Branch: Branch only returned to the team in 2012 following the injury to Aaron Hernandez in Week 1 of the season. He was cut by the team in the preseason. At 33 years old, he isn’t getting any younger. While Tom Brady still trusts him as much as anyone else, Branch had just 29 targets on the season, an indication that even if the team may want him back, he might not be willing. I predict that one way or another, Branch will not be a Patriot for the 2013 regular season. That is, until someone gets hurt.

Patrick Chung: Chung’s play and presence on the field has declined in each of the last two seasons, culminating with him losing his starting safety job to Steve Gregory in 2012 and seeing most of his playing time come on special teams. With both Gregory and Devin McCourty expected back next season, Chung may be the odd man out at safety. He could always be used as a backup and a spot defender, but I think it’s fairly safe to say that he could be a starting safety on a lot of other teams in the league. I wouldn’t be shocked if Chung has played his last game as a Patriot.

Marquice Cole: Aside from being a pretty decent gunner, Cole doesn’t bring much to the table in terms of secondary play. Only used as a defensive back when there were six or seven of them on the field or, like Arrington, when there were injuries, Cole is the kind of player who makes his money on special teams. His speed, particularly utilized at the gunner position, can also be helpful on the coverage teams. If he wants to come back, I’d have no problem seeing No. 23 in blue again next season.

Julian Edelman has been solid, but unfortunately may have played his last game in a Patriots uniform.

Julian Edelman: When Edelman went down with a broken leg on Dec. 2 against the Dolphins, there was talk about that potentially being his last game as a member of the Patriots. Assuming the team does decide to re-sign Welker, Edelman may not be needed or wanted. His real value to the team is in the punt return game and not as a play-making wide receiver. If Welker is lost, which I don’t see happening, then Edelman would appear more likely to return to the team in 2013. I guess it kind of depends on what happens with Wes, but it is very possible that Edelman does not return to the team next season.

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The last time the Patriots played the Texans, it was pretty easy. This time, however, it likely won’t be.

It’s almost here. The rematch of the biggest game in Texans history. Thus, the new biggest game in Texans history. As kickoff between the defending AFC Champion Patriots and the revenge-minded Texans approaches, here are some things to keep in mind.

While many of the core of the Patriots players have been there early (and often) in their careers, it is the first playoff game for eight key members of the team. They include Brandon Bolden, Alfonzo Dennard, Aqib Talib, Shane Vereen, Michael Hoomanawanui, Dont’a Hightower, Chandler Jones and, perhaps most notably, Brandon Lloyd.

Lloyd has played the most regular season games without getting to play one in the postseason with 128 in his career.

In his 23rd career postseason game, Tom Brady could become the first quarterback to ever amass 17 playoff wins. His idol, Joe Montana had 16 in his 16-year career. Brady’s playoff record currently sits at 16-6. So, we got that going for us.

Also, we have the support of self-proclaimed nerd and eerily accurate predictor, Nate Silver, who has an uncanny knack for knowing exactly what will happen before it happens. Silver, who appeared on ESPN’s First Take earlier this week, explained why it will be the Patriots and Seahawks facing off in Super Bowl XLVII three weeks from now.

Silver correctly predicted the winner of 49 of the 50 states in the 2008 presidential election and was also right on the money in all 35 of the Senate races that year. Needless to say, he’s caught the ear of a few people. It can’t hurt to have him on our side.

Just to make things seem a little more comfortable, 11 of 12 ESPN experts have picked the Pats to win the rematch against the team they dominated a little over a month ago. Tedy Bruschi, Mike Reiss and Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com all picked the home team to win as well and were joined by simulations run by Madden ’13 and AccuScore.

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On the surface, it is easy for any fan to see just how good or bad of a season their team has had. Whether it be wins and losses or total points put up, some stats tell the story, god or bad, of the year of their favorite team.

What most fans fail to sometimes realize, however, is all the stats that go into making an NFL team successful. Here are a bunch you would never even think to remotely consider about the 2012 season of the New England Patriots.

You name it. If it can be statistically tracked in the NFL, it’s probably in this post.

0 – The number of wins the team had when their leading rusher was under 40 yards for the game (0-2).

0 – The Patriots had no two-point conversions on the year. Just kind of odd.

0.5 – Brandon Bolden averaged half a yard more per carry than Stevan Ridley did.

1 – The number of franchises to score 500 points four different times. New England accomplished that this year after 500-point seasons in 2007, 2010 and 2011 as well.

1 – The New England offense ranked first in the NFL in total yards, yards per game, points and points per game in 2012.

1 – Of the four members of the team who finished the year as the starting secondary, only one (Devin McCourty) was on the team last year. Alfonzo Dennard, Aqib Talib, Steve Gregory were the other three.

1 – Vince Wilfork‘s four forced fumbles were tied for first in the NFL.

1 – The number of full games that tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski were both on the field for the whole contest – the season finale against the Dolphins.

1 – The number of NFL quarterbacks to throw at least one touchdown pass in all 16 regular season games for three straight seasons – Tom Brady in 2010-12.

2 – The number of teams to ever win 10-plus games in 10 consecutive seasons – the Patriots became the second to accomplish that this year.

2 – Their two-game losing streak in Weeks 2 and 3 was tied for their longest losing streak since they lost four straight in the 2002 season.

2 – This season was the second time they have gone undefeated against the AFC East, joining the 2007 team.

2 – The number of teams to ever record 400 first downs in a season – the 2012 Pats and the 2011 Saints.

2 – The number of points that Stephen Gostkowski needed to tie the all-time single-season Patriots scoring record set by Gino Cappelletti in 1964.

3 – Pass plays in the NFL this season longer than Shane Vereen‘s 83-yard reception in Week 12.

3 – It had been three years since the Patriots lost four or more games in a season (10-6 in 2009).

3 – The Pats have scored 500-plus points in three consecutive seasons.

The Patriots’ offense has been nearly unstoppable in the three years since drafting this duo.

4 – New England had four different players lead the team in receiving in their 16 games – Brandon Lloyd (3), Wes Welker (9), Gronkowski (3) and Vereen (1).

4 – It was Brady’s fourth career season of throwing 30 or more touchdown passes, good for a tie for the fourth-most all-time.

4 – Welker finished four receptions behind league-leader Calvin Johnson, who had 122 on the year.

4 – The Patriots have made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons.

4 – The team had four different players lead them in rushing in their 16 games – Ridley (13), Bolden (1), Julian Edelman (1) and Danny Woodhead (1).

5 – There have only been five Patriots running backs to rush for 1,200 yards in the team’s history. Ridley became the fifth this year.

5 – Wilfork was elected to the fifth Pro Bowl of his career and will start on the defensive line for the AFC.

5 – The team has held its opponents to 20 points or less in five of six games since Nov. 18 (5-1).

6 – In 16 games, the Patriots only lost six fumbles.

6 – The Pats finished six spots higher in total defense this year compared to last season when they finished 31st in the league.

6 – New England has been a top-10 offense in the NFL for six straight seasons.

7 – The amount of consecutive games that Brady needs to throw a touchdown pass in to break the all-time record of 54.

7 – New England’s longest winning streak of the year from Week 7 through Week 14.

7 – The number of points that Brady’s total QBR trailed Peyton Manning‘s for tops in the league.

7 – McCourty was one of seven NFL players to return a kickoff more than 100 yards on the year.

7 – The team sent seven members to the Pro Bowl in 2012.

New England’s seven Pro Bowlers in 2012 are the third-most in the league.

7 – Last year’s NFL leader in interceptions, Kyle Arrington, had seven fewer interceptions in 2012 than a year ago. He had seven in 2011.

8 – The number of years it had been since the team had a 1,200-yard rusher before this year. Corey Dillon rushed for 1,635 yards in 2004.

8 – Rob Ninkovich led the team with eight sacks on the year.

8 – The Pats had eight return TD’s on the season.

9 – The number of games in which the starting offensive line of Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Ryan Wendell, Dan Connolly and Logan Mankins were all on the field together.

9 – Brady now ranks ninth on the NFL’s all-time passing list with 44,806 yards. He needs 1,427 yards to pass Vinny Testaverde.

9 – Ridley finished the season as one of just nine non-kickers in the top-40 in the league in scoring.

9 – The team has a nine-game division win streak heading into next season.

10 – The number of consecutive 10-win seasons for the Patriots – the second longest such streak ever (16).

10 – The team scored 30-plus points 10 times in their 16 games in 2012 (8-2).

10 – The number of players who had a rushing attempt for the Pats in 2012 led by Ridley’s 290 carries.

10 – New England had 10 more sacks than it allowed in 2012.

11 – They also had 11 more interceptions than their opponents did.

11 – The combined number of points New England fell by in its four losses against the Cardinals (2), Ravens (1), Seahawks (1) and 49ers (7).

11 – The number of current and former Pro Bowl running backs that Ridley out-rushed in 2012.

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With the regular season coming to its annual close and the Patriots enjoying yet another successful year, it’s time to give out some hardware. Well, not real hardware. But fictional, invisible hardware based on the performances of some of the members of this year’s team.

Players in all phases of the game stepped up this season and made it one worth remembering. It is time to reward the improvements that the team made following their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss nearly 11 months ago.

Special Teams Player of the Year: My first award goes to special teams captain and two-time Pro Bowler Matthew Slater. In 16 games this season, Slater has continued his role as gunner on the punt team as well as seeing a bit of action in the kick return game. A member of all four special teams units, he made 19 tackles while playing in every game for the second straight season. His biggest game of the year came in the loss to Seattle in which he made three special teams tackles on the afternoon. He had the third-highest tackles of any non-regular Patriots defender.

Matthew Slater (18) quietly had another successful year on special teams for the Patriots.

Walter Payton (Patriots) Man of the Year: This award annually rewards the player that best exemplifies the importance of not only being a good player on the field, but a better person off of it. Almost every week since he has arrived in New England in 2010, punter Zoltan Mesko has been spotted doing various projects around the community or just visiting children who might need their days brightened. He has taken the ‘Community Tuesday’ concept to a new level while continuing to be one of the best punters in the league for the third straight season. Some of his efforts over the past year have included visits to Children’s Hospital Boston, an appearance at a youth triathlon and some quality time spent with Hungarian fans.

Zoltan Mesko has gone above and beyond to give back to the community during his time with the Patriots.

Comeback Player of the Year: We all remember the ankle injury suffered by tight end Rob Gronkowski in last year’s AFC Championship game win over the Ravens. He wasn’t the same in the Super Bowl, but after offseason surgery and a rigorous rehab routine, Gronk returned for 2012 and looked like he never went down. The huge tight end caught 55 passes for 790 yards and 11 touchdowns while only playing in 11 games this season because of a broken forearm. He was elected as the AFC’s starting tight end in his second straight Pro Bowl and showed no signs of having ever sustained the injury. In his second return of the season, Gronk caught two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in the 28-0 win over the Dolphins.

Rob Gronkowski came back after this injury slowed him down in last year’s playoffs only to get hurt again this year, but he still put up huge numbers.

Unsung Hero: Balance on offense is something that every professional football team strives to achieve. With all the passing weapons that this team has, it certainly would have been easy, as it had been it recent years, to only throw the ball and abandon the run. Stevan Ridley made sure that would not happen, however, as he had an incredibly strong sophomore season, leading the team in rush yards with 1,263 and finishing seventh in the league. In his rookie season, he showed signs, but really took his game to the next level this year and the balance that was brought back to the Patriots’ play calling did wonders for them both on the scoreboard and in the win column. Ridley definitely performed above most of the expectations set for him entering the 2012 season. His 12 total touchdowns, including two on Sunday were tied for third in the league.

Stevan Ridley found the endzone 12 timee this season, helping the Patriots return to the playoffs.

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In this social media age, NEWS and ODDITIES are all around you and at your fingertips. With a tap of your smartphone, you can find out what your favorite athlete or celeb is doing and thinking. Some things make you SCRATCH your head or say HMM.

The members of the New England Patriots are no different, they are quite in tune with the Twitter bird.

In this edition: Brandon Spikes Has A Pet Turtle, Hightower Grateful For The Fans, & Brandon Bolden Likes Cheese, But Can’t Eat It.

FILE THIS UNDER: DOES THIS MEAN SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

I’m sorry I’m busy walking my turtle.

— brandon spikes (@BrandonSpikes55) December 24, 2012

Spikes did not make the trip to Jacksonville due to injury. So after watching his team squeak out a win against a bad team, Spikes took his tortoise for a jog?

Or is this another way to say “WAXING THE DOLPHIN”?

FILE THIS UNDER: REMEMBER THOSE THAT PAY YOUR CHECKS

Thanks for all the support frm the #Pats fans who traveled all the way dwn and the #bama fans that were there to #rollpats

— Donta Hightower (@zeus30hightower) December 24, 2012

Donta Hightower knows who butters his bread. He seems to be a class act. Perhaps Spikes can learn a few things from his fellow linebacker.

FILE THIS UNDER: CHASING THE DAMN DAIRY!

I chase the cheese that isn’t digestive

— Brandon Bolden (@BB_HulkSmash) December 23, 2012

Bolden may have ODD cravings after his PED suspension? I have NO idea what that means.

He sounds like the Riddler from Batman.

GO PATRIOTS!

Bold move: The NFL suspended Patriots running back, Brandon Bolden, on Friday after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing supplement.

Injured Patriots running back, Brandon Bolden, made news on Friday for something other than his injured knee or potential return to the playing field.

The NFL suspended the rookie from Ole Miss for four games without pay for violating the league’s substance policy with the use of an illegal performance-enhancing drug, according to the league. They declined to indicate what drug it was.

The hit leaves New England with just three running backs on the active roster. Bolden joins the newest Patriot, Aqib Talib, on the suspension list. Talib was acquired by the Patriots from Tampa last week and has one game remaining on a four-game suspension of his own.

Initial reports indicated that the drug may have been pseudoephedrine, a nasal decongestant commonly found in popular cold medications like Sudafed & Dimetapp, but the league declined to comment further than the announcement of the suspension.

Bolden burst on to the scene in the team’s Week 4 win against the Bills in which he exploded for 137 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, but has not played since leaving New England’s Week 6 game in Seattle with that injured knee.

He will be eligible to return to practice following the team’s Week 13 game against the Dolphins and can return to game action the following week against the AFC South leading Texans. He will miss games against the Bills (Sunday), Colts, Jets and Dolphins.

In six games this year, Bolden has run the ball well. He has carried 43 times for a total of 231 yards – most of which came in his breakout game against Buffalo – and two touchdowns.

The undrafted running back will forfeit $97,500 of his rookie salary, according to boston.com.

New England should be fine without their rookie in the backfield, however, as they will continue to ride second-year man, Stevan Ridley and mix in Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen against the terrible rush defense in Buffalo, which ranks 31st in the league through nine weeks of play, giving up an average of 169.5 rushing yards per game. Should they need him, they can always sign James Develin off the practice squad to fill the void.

The Patriots host the Bills (3-5) tomorrow at 1:00 in their first game since their demolishing of the Rams in London two weeks ago.

Follow me on Twitter @RealAndyLarmand.