Boston Sports Then and Now

Tom Brady sits on the ground following the interception that sealed the AFC Championship game win for the Ravens.

Remember when Tom Brady in the postseason was as sure as death or taxes? His 9-0 start to his postseason career had people all over New England thinking that this late-round diamond in the rough could never do any wrong. Three championships in his first four seasons.

None in his last eight.

Maybe it was payback. Maybe it was destiny. Whatever it was, Joe Flacco outplayed Brady, the Ravens defense outplayed that of the Patriots and as banged up as Baltimore  had been this year, it was the home team and favorite that felt the blows when it mattered most. Oh, and Ray Lewis, with the help if his good friend, God, has lived to play another day – and for the Super Bowl.

From the moment the coin hit the ground in favor of the Ravens and they deferred to the second half – stealing the Patriots’ bread and butter on their home field – it just seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. They committed fewer penalties, made less mistakes and completed a higher percentage of their passes. Most importantly, their zero turnovers, compared to three from the Patriots, were nothing less than huge. They were the team that executed better on Sunday.

Like it did towards the end if the regular season, the Patriots offense struggled to capitalize when their defense set them up with good field position and scored just 13 points – their lowest total of 2012. As the league’s No. 1 offense, the fewest points they had scored this year before yesterday were 18 in the Week 2 loss to the Cardinals.

The windy conditions at Gillette Stadium forced both teams to play conservatively and cost the Pats a couple chances at field goals they would normally attempt.

Their opening drive looked promising, but Wes Welker couldn’t haul in a deep pass from Brady when he had his defender beat by a couple if steps. They then almost caught the Baltimore special teams off guard, however, as Ryan Mallett snuck into the punt formation and forced the Ravens to burn a timeout.

A quick three-and-out by Baltimore gave New England the ball back, but only after a holding penalty called on Aqib Talib backed them up to their own 21. They had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski and took a 3-0 lead on their 32nd straight red zone possession that resulted in points.

The next Baltimore drive ended quickly as well, but came at a cost as Talib hurt his thigh while breaking up a pass on third and long. Some production from last week’s star Shane Vereen on the ensuing drive and a 15-yard personal foul penalty called on Lewis were for not as Brandon Lloyd ended up dropping a tough catch on third down.

Flacco then missed an open Dennis Pitta down the field and New England couldn’t convert following a 28-yard punt return from Welker as Paul Kruger influenced the Brady pass. The Pats D allowed just one completion in the first quarter and the Ravens went 0-for-3 on third down. New England led the Ravens 3-0 after one quarter of the AFC Championship game for the second consecutive year.

As the second quarter began, Flacco would lead a 90-yard drive in his first Title Game win to put the Ravens on the board with a two-yard run by Ray Rice. Jerod Mayo and Dont’a Hightower both missed tackles on the back as he then walked into the endzone on second down. Pitta had an 18-yard reception on third and four and Flacco took advantage of Talib’s absence, hitting Torrey Smith on a 25-yard pass to the New England 15.

Brady would answer right away, however, aided by another personal foul penalty, this time on Dannell Ellerbe. A 24-yard pass to Welker set the Pats up in good position and Brady found him again from a yard out to make it 10-7 Patriots with 4:18 left in the opening half.

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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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Mission complete…kinda, sorta. The New England Patriots played the first game of a tough two-game stretch, as they went into last Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans, and answered more of the questions about who they are, than not. The final outcome was a 42-14 victory for New England, and another step in the right direction. The win happened at the right time for a team itching at the chance to show how improved they’ve become, over recent weeks. In this country, Monday night’s game is what one calls a “good ole’ fashioned whooping.” Just to make sure the icing was on the cake, Monday’s game was on national television, in front of NFL fans from all over, and, more importantly, the rest of the league. It was New England’s way of saying, “We’re still here, and we do not plan on leaving!” – a message many fans of the team have been waiting to receive from this year’s New England Patriots.

How did New England do it? Put aside the coaching and the quarterback play of Tom Brady for a minute, and it ultimately came down to the individual matchups. Much hype was given to JJ Watt, or “JJ Swat”, as they call him, as it should have been. He has had a stellar season: with 64 tackles, two forced fumbles, and 16.5 sacks. For most of the game, New England kept Watt in check, but he also had his moments where a sack was a fraction of a second off. It was a big test for this New England offensive line, as they needed to show they could stay intact and make a name for themselves. On the defensive side of the ball, New England needed to stop a sometimes potent Houston Texan’s offense, led by running back Arian Foster. He is currently the league’s sixth leading rusher, and has the ability to change a game at any time. Foster was held to just 46 yards, on 15 carries.

With a quick turnaround, buckle your seatbelt; things are not going to change anytime soon for New England. This Sunday they face another major test, against one of the NFC’s elite, the San Francisco 49ers. Sunday’s game is yet another nationally televised one; an opportunity for New England to show they are the class of the NFL. San Francisco has big play capabilities, on both sides of the ball, and it will be evident in this week’s individual matchups. As we look ahead, there are three key matchups to keep your eye on: Nate Solder vs. Aldon Smith; Stevan Ridley vs. Patrick Willis; and the Patriots’ defensive front seven vs. the 49ers’ multi-threat running attack.

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It’s been a while since we’ve seen this as Tom Brady, surprisingly, hasn’t raised the Lombardi Trophy in eight years, but his chances this February look good.

Before Monday night’s demolition of the league’s best team, the Houston Texans, the Patriots were thought to be in pretty good position in their pursuit for their fourth Super Bowl Title. Since their 42-14 win, however, the Pats have gone from Super Bowl contenders to Super Bowl favorites with oddsmakers placing them at 3-1 to win Super Bowl XLVII.

If they can destroy the then 11-1 Texans by 28 points, then the feeling is that they should be able to beat anybody in any round of the playoffs. After all, the team’s three losses this season have been by a total of four points if we remember and two out of three came against playoff caliber teams in the Ravens and the Seahawks.

The 11 other teams currently in position to make the playoffs are averaging 25.4 points per game this year. The Patriots are averaging 36.3 points per game this season – 7.5 points per game more than the second-highest scoring team, the Broncos. In fact, their offense is on pace to perhaps break the record for the most points scored in a season, which is held by the 2007 team (589) as they have scored 472 points through 13 games.

Those 11 teams are also allowing an average of 19.6 points per game, something else that New England would seem to not have a problem dealing with. They have scored less than 19 points only once this season (18 in Week 2).

The Patriots’ last six games have resulted in these point totals: 45, 37, 59, 49, 23, 42. Would anybody really be able to slow them down enough at a time in his career when Tom Brady is playing on a whole other level?

Though they have three losses, many of their wins have come against playoff teams, including big ones against Houston and the Colts, as well as a 10-point victory over the Broncos. Their schedule was not as tough last year when they went 14-2 and won the AFC Championship.

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We won’t be seeing any of this in New England for a while as Rob Gronkowski will likely be out for the remainder of the regular season.

By now, we’ve all heard about the broken arm that Rob Gronkowski unfortunately suffered in garbage time of New England’s 35-point win against the Colts a week ago. Everyone has their opinion on whether he should have been in there for the attempt of a meaningless point after to a meaningless touchdown during meaningless minutes.

It’s all part of the game.

Remember 2009? The 10-5 Patriots entered their season finale against the lowly Texans with their playoff seed locked up. The starters dressed and played anyway.

In case everyone forgets what happened, Wes Welker caught a short pass and went to make a cut like he has done so many times throughout his career. One wrong move and his knee buckled the wrong way. Just like that, his season was over with a torn ACL. And with it, seemed to fall the Patriots’ playoff chances.

The Pats fell to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 in a game that was never close. While this isn’t exactly the same situation, it is similar. Both injuries occurred at meaningless points of the game and of the season.

I know there’s the hundreds of people who are quick to jump to the fact that the injury happened on a point after play, so no matter what the score was, Gronk would have been out there. There is only one point after unit – no matter what the score.

What I haven’t really heard discussed, however, is the fact that he, along with much of the rest of the first-team offense, was out on the field throughout the out-of-reach 4th quarter. I don’t understand that. There was nothing to gain.

The injury was much more likely to occur with him in the open field catching passes and running with the ball, but the freak incident just happened to come at a time when he would have been out there no matter what.

It just so happened that Tom Brady didn’t have to take a hit or Nate Solder didn’t roll his ankle over or Welker didn’t get popped in the head coming across the middle. While no serious injuries occurred during any of the team’s 4th quarter drives, and there seems to be have been no way to avoid Gronk’s injury, I still think the first-teamers should not have been in as long as they were.

But that’s how Bill Belichick coaches. And his players don’t seem to have any real problem with it. Some day, however, it could really come back to bite him as a similar thing to what happened to Welker in ’09 could just as easily happen to someone else without warning next week or in the season finale.

The team has been banged up at the tight end position this year with Aaron Hernandez missing extended time with an ankle injury. He returned in Gronk’s absence on Thanksgiving night, but was not effective, catching only two balls. He figures to get more looks in the coming weeks with the only other Patriots’ tight ends being Daniel Fells, Visanthe Shiancoe and Michael Hoomanawanui.

Not for nothing, but the game that Welker tore up his knee was the last time that the Patriots lost a game in the second half of the season (19-0 since).

Follow me on Twitter @RealAndyLarmand.

Former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch had a solid night in his battle for a roster spot.

New England Patriots nation was oozing for football. After the team’s first preseason game a week and a half ago, Patriots fans were forced to wait until the team’s primetime game last night. Fans, however, were disappointed.

Coach Bill Belichick was at it again – this time benching the majority of the team’s “core” players. Brady, Welker, Gronkowski, Wilfork, Mayo, McCourty, and others did not suit up. With three games coming up over the next 10 days, the team found it in their best interest to save the many of the players until Friday night’s affair in Tampa Bay.

This provided a wonderful opportunity for many fringe roster players to get significant repetitions against what is believed to be a solid Philadelphia Eagles squad. The team fell 27-17, but a lot was learned.

Three Up:

Brandon Spikes – In his preseason debut, Spikes made his presence known. The thomper in the middle of the team’s defense laid some heavy hits on his way to four total tackles (three solo). There was a slight cause for concern, as Spikes opened camp very limited early on and he then proceeded to miss more practice time after returning fulltime. He appears to be fully healthy though and will be a fixture in the middle of the team’s defense.

Deion Branch – Thought to be battling Donte Stallworth for a roster spot, the savvy veteran hauled in three catches for 51 yards. One catch in particular highlighted Branch’s knowledge of the system as he went full throttle on a deep route, but stopped instantly to catch a bullet from Ryan Mallett on his back hip. Branch could be making a push for the third receiver spot with Jabar Gaffney out.

Stephen Gostkowski – After missing his only attempt and not handling kickoff duties in his presason debut, Gostkowski connected for three field goals from 51, 35, and 51 yards out. He also kicked off in the first half. Nothing to worry about here.

Honorable Mention: Nate Ebner (rookie safety had INT), Jack Bequette (rookie d-end had solid pressure off edge despite roughing the passer penalty), Jermaine Cunningham (knocked QB Mike Vick out of the game in what is a valuable play in a regular season contest)

Three Down:

Brandon Bolden – Brandon Bolden was given first half repetitions tonight, ahead of Stevan Ridley, but he could muster little. Despite an early seven-yard run, the undrafted free agent only could muster 14 yards on seven totes on the night. In an effort to display some versatility, Bolden also fumbled on a punt return attempt when he failed to haul in the catch clearly.

Nate Solder/Marcus Cannon – Going against first teamers for the majority of their time on the field, the team’s bookends were burned. The Eagles had two sacks on the night and one was off the edge which resulted in a Brian Hoyer lost fumble. Brittle Sebastian Vollmer is set to return to practice and will almost certainly slide into Cannon’s right tackle spot, but improvement along the line will need to come from within. Progress from Solder is certainly something to watch for on Friday.

Brian Hoyer – Yes, he was playing behind an overmatched offensive line, but Hoyer started the game on the bench behind Ryan Mallett. In a contract year, the Pats may have felt it valuable to get his future replacement some reps, but one would think if Hoyer was playing/practicing well, he would have gotten the veteran nod. Hoyer did not display the greatest body language either after his fumble. He finished 5-17 for 55 yards on the night.

Honorable Mention: Sterling Moore (whistled for defensive holding and often around pass catches), Donte Stallworth (just one catch – despite multiple targets – for the receiver who is battling for a roster spot)

Quick turnaround for the Patriots as they head to Tampa Bay for joint practices Wednesday and Thursday before the team’s game on Friday. This third preseason game would appear to be the “dress rehearsal” for the first team defense and offense, so there will be much to watch.