Did Rob Gronkowski recently do his best Mark Sanchez impersonation? Sanchez famously carried on a physical relationship with a 17-year-old high school student last year. It was totally legal (the age of consent is 16 in New Jersey & 17 in New York), but just a bit creepy, right?

Well, Gronk apparently did Sanchez one better, “hooking up” with a 16-year-old Massachusetts girl while in Aruba this past weekend. What “hooking up” means is, of course, up to interpretation. In this case, Busted Coverage can confirm she at least kissed the Patriots 22-year-old tight end on the cheek.

Busted Coverage also has screenshots of the tweets (that have since been deleted) that tell the story:

“I just hooked up with gronks brother and @micaylaevans hooked up with gronk ….. life complete.” – @ke1seyanne

“Kelsey” also managed to tweet a pic of Micayla’s license at some point, showing that Micayla is indeed still 16 years old until May. (Note: Both Kelsey and Micayla have since made their Twitter accounts protected)

So, piecing all the evidence (including the above pic of Gronk’s kiss – Micalya’s former Twitter avatar), it’s certainly plausible to think that Gronk and this 16-year-old may have, in fact, hooked up.

Thoughts? Do you even care?

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Patriots.

Week 13 in the NFL saw a plethora of teams outside the top-five take a tumble.

The Cowboys, Falcons, Bengals, Raiders, and Lions all lost, and the teams lined up behind them reaped the benefits. In other words, a lot of teams took massive jumps in my power rankings essentially by default.

I’m talking to you, Jets and Broncos fans. Your quarterbacks still can’t spin the ball to hit the broadside of a barn. Don’t get too excited. As always, last week’s ranking in parentheses.

Without further ado, my weekly (albeit delayed) rankings of the loaded and the losers through Week 13:

32 (32). Indianapolis Colts (0-12)

The Colts scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to pull within seven. They still lost, but when you’re 0-12, I’m pretty sure there are such things as moral victories.

31 (31). St. Louis Rams (2-10)

The Rams managed to move the ball into 49ers territory three times on Sunday, but not once inside their opponent’s 35-yard line. I think it’s high time the curling horns decorating the helmets were replaced with shears of actual wool in honor of the team being renamed the St. Louis Sheep.

30 (30). Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9)

Blaine Gabbert is all kinds of terrible, from his miserable play on the field to that stringy hippy hair sticking out the back of his helmet.

29 (29). Minnesota Vikings (2-10)

The Vikings played reasonably well, accumulating 489 total yards and scoring 32 points, all without Adrian Peterson. But it was not meant to be, as the Hand of God reached down and caused Christian Ponder to throw a costly interception so Tim Tebow could keep winning football games and keep spreading the gospel.

28 (24). Cleveland Browns (4-8)

After getting embarrassed by Baltimore, the Browns have just three days to get ready for the Steelers on Thursday night. The Cleveland Frowns, everybody!

27 (22). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8)

With Josh Freeman out, the Bucs barely mustered 19 points against Carolina’s terrible defense. Maybe the “winky pirate face” decal on the throwback helmets isn’t the right message when you’re trying to avoid your sixth straight loss.

26 (23). Washington Redskins (4-8)

After two surprisingly competent performances, Rex Grossman lost his sexy luster with a stinker against the Jets: 19-46, 221 yards, 1 INT, and 2 miniature, weirdly folded ears.

25 (28). Carolina Panthers (4-8)

Cam Newton set the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 3 in Sunday’s win. Hooray for individual accolades!

24 (26). Kansas City Chiefs (5-7)

The Chiefs may have won, but only by the grace of a miraculous hail mary to end the first half. And Caleb Hanie’s best Blaine Gabbert impression.

23 (19). Philadelphia Eagles (4-8)

After 4 picks on Sunday (bringing his season total to 9 INTs in just 114 pass attempts), could Vince Young be any worse? Now that Michael Vick is healthy enough to play again, sadly, we won’t get the chance to find out. Gosh, I love watching QBs self-combust.

22 (20). Buffalo Bills (5-7)

After five straight losses, Buffalo is more like Buffa-blow. Thought of that all by myself.

21 (27). Arizona Cardinals (5-7)

The Cardinals continued their recent dominance over the Cowboys in Arizona with an overtime win, which was surprising when you consider how Arizona’s strict immigration law should favor America’s team.

20 (25). Seattle Seahawks (5-7)

Marshawn Lynch, aka “Beast Mode,” bullied the Eagles on his way to 148 yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries. QB Tarvaris Jackson commented after the game, “It’s like every carry is his last carry.”

Whoa. Deep.

19 (12). Chicago Bears (7-5)

I hate Brett Favre. I hate his retirement flip-flopping, I hate that he played for the Jets, I hate his constant scruffy excuse of a beard, I hate that his name makes zero phonetic sense, I hate that I can’t wear my Wranglers without conjuring up all that hatred (they also make my butt look big, but that’s neither here nor there).

My point is, even with all that bitter vitriol and spite of mine, if I were running the Bears, I would still place a courtesy call to the Gunslinger after another Caleb Hanie pants-crapping experiment. You shouldn’t be allowed to lose to Tyler Palko and get away with it.

18 (21). San Diego Chargers (5-7)

The Chargers put up 38 points in their first win in almost two months. Maybe all this time Norv Turner thought the NFL lockout was ongoing along with the NBA lockout.

17 (13). Detroit Lions (7-5)

Another loss has the Lions at 2-5 since their 5-0 start. Even with the Suh-stomper suspended for two games, Detroit still committed 11 penalties for 107 yards. It’s like a bunch of angsty teens running around in tights and rebelling against their parents.

16 (11). Oakland Raiders (7-5)

Don’t let Carson Palmer’s 273 yards and 2 touchdowns fool you; he couldn’t complete 50% of his passes, even with all those garbage time attempts against a prevent defense. In short, I don’t think they’re eventually going to name a drink after this Palmer.

15 (18). Miami Dolphins (4-8)

The Dolphins are playing so well behind Reggie Bush and their suddenly stingy defense that I kind of want a pair of Tony Sparano sunglasses.

14 (10). Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)

The Bengals reverted to Bungle status with an embarrassing 28-point drubbing. Cue Jethro Tull!

13 (14). New York Giants (6-6)

So close, yet so far. Awwwwww.

12 (17). Tennessee Titans (7-5)

With another 153 yards and 2 touchdowns, Chris Johnson ran away with this space, which I had reserved for making fun of him. Sad face.

11 (7). Dallas Cowboys (7-5)

In case you were living under a rock, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett took a timeout to ice his own kicker. He literally gave Dan Bailey a Gatorade bath during the timeout to help him “visualize” the victory with the premature celebration.

10 (9). Atlanta Falcons (7-5)

The Falcons continue to struggle on offense despite having Michael Turner, Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Matt Ryan. Oh, you mean football isn’t played out on AccuScore?

9 (16). New York Jets (7-5)

The Jets piled on 21 points in the game’s last five minutes to win 34-19, and now everyone is comparing Mark Sanchez to Tim Tebow for his theatrical fourth-quarter comebacks. For a QB who just went to two straight AFC championship games, I would say that’s a step back in Sanchez’s development.

8 (15). Denver Broncos (7-5)

With Sunday’s last-second win over the Vikings, the Broncos are 7-5 and in first place in the AFC West. Yes, the Broncos look like they’ll make the playoffs.

So much for that logic class I took in college. (Hence the massive jump in the rankings.)

7 (8). Houston Texans (9-3)

Could T.J. Yates be to football what Y.B. Yeats was to poetry? So I’m an English major. Sue me.

6 (6). New England Patriots (9-3)

If there were such a thing as an embarrassing victory, this would be it, as the Patriots gave up 21 points and failed to get a first down in the fourth quarter. I’m officially dreading the playoffs more than the consequences of eating a dozen 99 cent burritos from Taco Bell.

5 (5). Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)

The Steelers romped to a 35-7 win behind 28 second-quarter points. It looks like the Steelers are well on their way to wrapping up that #5 seed in the AFC. Nice!

4 (4). San Francisco 49ers (10-2)

I don’t know whether it’s more impressive that the 49ers haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown all year or that San Fran wrapped up their division on Sunday. Or that they’ve done it with Alex Freakin’ Smith as their quarterback.

3 (3). New Orleans Saints (9-3)

Drew Brees threw for 342 yards to become the first quarterback in NFL history to ever pass for over 4,000 yards in his first 12 games. Talk about the Big Easy.

2 (2). Baltimore Ravens (9-3)

Ray Rice rumbled for 204 yards to cover up another crappy day by Joe Flacco (10-23, 158 yards). How long before Ray Lewis goes crazy and kills Flacco out of frustration?

1 (1). Green Bay Packers (12-0)

Now the Packers can add a last-minute comeback to their perfect-season résumé. They’re definitely getting hired to win the Super Bowl.

© Nick Bohlen for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: NFL, Opinion, Patriots, Top Story.

Mark Sanchez stood on the sidelines, minutes after an uninspired three-and-out gave the Denver Broncos the ball on their own 5-yard line.

It looked, at the time, that the Jets defense would once again bail out an errant game from Sanchez. Once again, it looked like the Jets defense would mask Sanchez’s mediocrity.

See in the third quarter, Sanchez took the snap at his own 25-yard line and looked right. His eyes didn’t move. He fired a pass to the blanketed Plaxico Burress. Unbeknownst to Sanchez, Andre Goodman undercut the throw and took is back for a Broncos touchdown.

Initially, Sanchez’s head dropped to the ground. A sight seen too often for Jets fans.

But, everything was okay. Surely, Tim Tebow and a struggling offense couldn’t trounce down the field 95 yards and take the lead.

Surely, the Jets would escape.

Wrong.

With 5:54 left in the fourth quarter and up 13-10, Tebow engineered a 12-play, 95-yard drive that took 4:56 off the clock. There was Sanchez, standing on the sidelines watching. Maybe pondering that interception? The 3-for-14 third-down conversation rate? Or maybe deep down inside he was trembling at the thought of leading a game-winning drive.

Sanchez has nine game-winning drives in his career — not a bad number. But, in those nine games it was Sanchez who inevitably led the Jets to such a close game. In his game-winning comebacks, Sanchez completed over 60 percent of his passes twice and passed for under 200 yards fives times. Five times.

Three years ago, the Sanchez fit was perfect for the Jets.

Sanchez was the pretty boy GQ (to be) model. He had the appeal and swagger to be successful in New York. Then there was Rex Ryan. The complete opposite of his quarterback. Ryan’s tough, gritty and not as aesthetically pleasing (to be polite).

Ryan took ALL the media attention and Ryan did ALL the talking. Sanchez just had to go out and play. Ryan equipped Sanchez with a swarming defense, added a couple reliable offensive weapons, and built a stellar offensive line.

Sanchez — or Sanchize, Broadway Mark, etc. — couldn’t fail.

The Jets went 9-7 in 2009, got a wildcard spot, and surprised everyone by going to the AFC Championship Game. Sanchez wasn’t asked to do all that much. He completed 20 passing attempts or more just once that season, and passed for over 200 yards four times. Sanchez ended with 12 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions.

But, the Jets made the AFC Championship Game.

In 2010, the Jets went 11-5 and — you guessed it — was rewarded a wildcard spot. For the second year in a row, they advanced to the AFC Championship Game. Sanchez’s role increased, he completed 55 percent of his passes and played marvelously against the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round. But, Sanchez had seven games where he passed for under 200 yards — including a 10-of-21 performance for 71 yards against the Baltimore Ravens.

But, the Jets made the AFC Championship Game. Do you see a trend?

Now, Sanchez’s role has continued to increase. It’s almost like Ryan, acting as a parent, patiently nurtured Sanchez, a baby for this anecdote, along waiting for him to walk on his own.

Sanchez found his legs and finally gotten full-range on offense. Aside from the fact that the Jets are two late game collapses by Tony Romo and Philips Rivers from being 3-7, Sanchez has been consistently inconsistent. One game he’ll look great (20-28, 230 yards, 1 TD against Bills) and others he looks like he doesn’t belong anywhere near the field (11-35, 119 yards, 2 INTs against Ravens).

This is no new story. Sanchez is playing no different than he has as a rookie. He hasn’t improved and has yet to put the Jets on his back. The difference as to why the Jets aren’t winning games this season is simple — the defense.

Because of Sanchez’s ineffectiveness, the Jets defense has been on the field for 622 plays this season, which is fourth in the NFL. The defense is allowing 5.7 yards per play, which is 1.5 more than in 2009 and .9 more from last season.

The old cliche that defense wins championships does hold some water. It was the defense, after all, that led the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games. But, you need an offense to put you over that hump.

You need a quarterback — something the Jets don’t have.

–

Follow Matthew Marcantonio on Twitter: @M_Marcantonio

© Matthew Marcantonio for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Opinion.

Though it wasn’t the 45-3 dismembering the Patriots gave the Jets last season, the Patriots still drew first blood against their rivals from New Jersey Sunday when they beat the Jets, 30-21. The Patriots are now one 30-point game shy of the St. Louis Rams’ NFL-record 14 consecutive games. Who’s moving to the head of the class and who’s stuck wearing the dunce cap? The answers lie below.

Quarterback: A-

When running backs put up 149 yards and two touchdowns, the quarterback can usually ease up a bit. Still, Tom Brady played solidly, completing over 70 percent of his passes and averaging nearly 10 yards per completion. Brady didn’t let his interception off the hands of a still-recovering Aaron Hernandez affect his poise the way picks did against Buffalo. Brady also showed considerable heart by standing in the pocket over and over again despite a porous offensive line that four times allowed Jets rushers to sack him.

Running backs: A

BenJarvus Green-Ellis isn’t quite ready to give up the starting job to Stevan Ridley, setting a career-high with 136 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns Sunday. His biggest yards came on a fourth-quarter direct snap from the New York 46. Had Green-Ellis not converted that third-and-4, the Patriots would have punted and relied on their defense to preserve a six-point lead. Instead, Green-Ellis executed the play perfectly, chewed up 14 yards, and pushed the Patriots into field-goal range. The Jets burned all three timeouts, and the Patriots still went up nine on the field goal with just a minute to play.

Green-Ellis also added a 13-yard catch and helped sell the one play-action pass the Patriots ran. Terrific game all around.

Wide receivers/tight ends: A-

Wes Welker once again led the team in yardage, but this time Darrelle Revis limited him to a “meager” 124 yards, catching him from behind to turn an 80-yard touchdown reception into a 73-yarder. The Patriots had to run three whole plays to score, the last an easy touchdown pass to a wide open Deion Branch (who led the team with seven receptions). Despite Revis’ prowess, Welker still averaged almost 25 yards per catch.

The Patriots’ duo of Rob Gronkowski and Hernandez struggled a bit in their first game together in three weeks, catching just 12 balls for a combined average of just 10.8 yards per catch. Hernandez is still regaining his speed and agility, and Gronkowski wasn’t targeted often in a game in which the Patriots rushed slightly more often than they passed.

Offensive line: C+

The offensive line gets credit for springing the running backs for 149 yards, but allowing four sacks and a fifth quarterback hit just isn’t acceptable. Had any of those sacks resulted in turnovers or (gasp!) an injury, this grade would have been even lower. You have to protect your quarterback first and foremost, and the offensive line looked completely incapable of doing that Sunday. The Patriots’ running success was what saved Brady from further damage, not the line.

Two holding penalties didn’t help this grade either.

Defensive line: B-

The defensive line allowed nearly 100 Jets rushing yards and a touchdown. They were completely neutralized by the Jets’ offensive line, only getting to Mark Sanchez three times (one sack, two extra hits) before the game’s final play. Sanchez sat in the pocket all day long, safe from just about any of the Patriots’ big, bad defensive linemen. Had Sanchez been more accurate or his receivers not dropped quite so many balls, the New England defense would have been eaten alive. Instead, they held the Jets to 255 total yards, fewest of any opponent. But that doesn’t mean the defensive line played well.

Linebackers: A-

Jets starting running back Shonn Greene averaged just 4.0 yards per rush. A big reason: Gary Guyton, who filled in admirably for Jerod Mayo with nine tackles (tied for team high). The linebackers also held the Jets’ tight ends to just two catches and 11 yards. Sanchez didn’t throw over the middle very often, so the Patriots linebackers had less to do for pass-coverage. But what they had to do they did admirably.

Rob Ninkovich was the only non-lineman to hit Sanchez.

Defensive backs: B+

The Patriots secondary continues to improve bit by bit. They made it at least difficult for the Jets to get open Sunday. Had the defensive line forced a few more hurried passes from Sanchez, the Jets’ wide receivers probably wouldn’t have put up quite so many total yards. Still, the Patriots held Plaxico Burress to just three catches in eight attempts. Solid tackling by Patrick Chung (also nine tackles) and physical defense from Leigh Bodden (credited with the Patriots’ only defensed pass) showed this defense may finally be heading in the right direction.

Special teams: B+

Stephen Gostkowski and Zoltan Mesko certainly did their jobs: Gostkowski nailed all three field goals, each of which proved crucial in keeping the Patriots’ lead just out of reach, and Mesko averaged 51.3 yards per punt. But special teams coverage was downright atrocious at points in Sunday’s game. Joe McKnight averaged nearly 40 yards per kickoff return, including an 88-yarder in the third that led to a three-play touchdown and cut New England’s lead to three points. The Jets offense is terrible, but if you let them start 80 yards down-field, they’re probably going to score. Bad coverage didn’t kill the Patriots, but it certainly hurt.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots.

Patriots! Jets! This week always has a special feel to it. We thought it would be appropriate to merge SoB and SoNY for a preview podcast. I had Kristine Reese of Sports of New York  on the SoB! Podcast to discuss every facet of the game.

Is the Sanchize ready to take the next step? Is it Super Bowl or bust for the perennial brides maid, New York? What about the struggling secondary of New England, or the Jets run defense? Who will Revis cover? Is this a must-win game for the Jets or the Pats? And why in the world is the line -9 in favor of the Patriots?

Using A Cell Phone? Click Here!

© Ryan Hadfield for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Now!, Patriots.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about picking sides in the NFL lockout. The column took the form of a child in a divorce: Do you want to live with your mom (players) or your dad (owners)? What’s it going to be, huh? At the conclusion of the piece, things were left ambiguously. It’s a sticky situation. No one wins, really. The thought of the whole ordeal makes me sick…

(Quick Rant: I mean that in a literal sense. Since I wrote the column I’ve been out, on the DL, injured reserve, in the quiet room, or whatever other sports equivalent that means “out of commission” you could come up with. One could argue this column is my “Jordan Flu Game.”)

As a writer, I always try to look at things from a fan’s perspective. My rationale for this is simple, and can be explained in 2 points:

1. I was a fan first. Yeah, it sounds elementary (and is), but before I started criticizing players and taking this whole writing gig seriously, I was like Tiny Tim goading Scrooge, Rob Schneider yelling “You can do ittttt!” to Adam Sandler in The Waterboy, and a young Hayden Panettiere giving Denzel Washington coaching tips in Remember the Titans — all  rolled into one super fan. Once you’ve seen things from that extreme you can never go back to being objective, no matter how much you try.

2. What are “experts” or “analysts” in professional sports? I mean really? What do talking heads on the radio, in columns (Yes, even this one.), or on TV know more than a fan? Think of the term “fan.” It’s short for “fanatic.” When you’re a fanatic of something, you tend to know a great deal about it, right? And if you don’t already possess that wealth of knowledge, the Internet is more than a sufficient database to educate yourself. So other than being objective, what does an analyst really bring to the table? Tom Jackson or Cris Carter do not really have that much more insight than you or I. Sports is not rocket science, it is not formulaic.

——–

The issue with being a fan these days is that it is taxing. Back before the days of salary caps, selfish agents, TV contracts and to a greater extent the “24-hour-news-cycle-Internet-craved-Twitter-cell-phone-NOW!-NOW!!-NOWWWW!!” information yearning world in 2011, things were much easier. You followed your teams and their personnel moves, while watching the guys you already had develop their skills.

Now? Things are much more complicated. If Brandon Tate gets mangled, drives drunk, and gets arrested – we’ll find out the details within hours of his breathalyzer test.

The natural follow up question is, “Is this a good thing?” The cop-out answer (which you knew was coming) is “Yes…and No.”

The Good: Go on Twitter days before the trading deadline of any of the major sports. The gossip is unparalleled, the immediacy of the information of any transaction is instantaneous, and the “Oh-My-Gawwwdd-I-Can’t-Believe-We-Just-Traded-Perk” type moments are as lucid as can be.

(This is mainly because as you are sorting through your opinions on the matter, another fan is already tweeting their analysis on the deal. You’re interested in the cumulative reaction. The pulse of the fan-base actively gages how you should feel. Which in-of-itself is childish, since news of the trade broke 5 minutes beforehand. The anticipation feels like you are at an actual game, though. If the trade is perceived as a coup, the fan-base tweets jovially in unison. This is hardly palatable to logical reasoning. The good comes with the bad. Twitter is reactionary by nature and any real credible anaylsis develops over time. I digress.)

The Bad: The rest of this column…

I recall the day the Patriots made the deal getting a 2nd round draft pick for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel. I was in the office, on a Saturday, and found out from a co-worker. He was upset, “I can’t believe that’s all we got!” Around the same time, Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian broke up (the first time), I remember telling that same co-worker the news. He replied, almost angrily, “Who cares?”

This sets up the three levels of fandom:

1. Casual Cam – You watch the games, maybe some analysis and that’s about it.

2. Vested Victor – You watch the games, listen to sports radio, read columns, analyze offseason moves (the draft; free agency) and dedicate an hour of your night to a talking head show (ie PTI).

3. All-In Abe – You do everything big Vic from above does, except to the nth degree. You also keep tabs on the social aspect of these players. You know Rashad McCants dated the ugly Kardashian sister. Just like you know Nathan Horton is married to a Playboy bunny. You’re either in 17 fantasy football leagues, or diametrically opposed to the concept of fantasy football because of some odd moral high groud you cite that creates a conflict of interest. You are enthralled, you debate Brady vs. Manning like politicians debate “Don’t ask, Don’t tell.”

The Internet has spawned websites like The Big Leadand Deadspin, that have made millions of dollars off reporting and speaking flippantly about the personal lives of professional athletes. With exception to the unavoidable major stories (IE Brett Farve, and his Green Bay Packer), one can either chose to embrace this new world while taking your fandom to a new place or resign your allegiance to whatever happens between the lines.

Me? I’m an All-In Abe. I eat this stuff up. It’s in my wheelhouse. That’s why when news of Kim Kardashian having an affair with Patriots practice squad stalwart Bret Lockett came out, I immediately jumped on the story.

Kardashian – who has a sex tape with rapper Ray-J, dated Cowboys WR Miles Austin and Saints RB Reggie Bush in the same calendar year – is engaged to New Jersey Nets forward, Kris Humphries. Lockett came out to TMZ about the affair, and is adamant the adultery took place. On the other hand Kardashian, who dons an engagement ring rumored to be worth $2.5 million, is now suing the Patriots practice-teamer.

(Side Note: I swear none of that last paragraph was made up. This all developed over the last two days. Fun fact about Bret Lockett: He hosts his own youth football camp. Who would pay to go to this? He’s a perpetual practice-teamer. This would be like me hosting a seminar on how to write for ESPN)

The truth is we should’ve seen this coming. After all, this is just one of MANY, MANY post-lockout stories that oddly resemble a C+ reality TV show. Hank Baskett managed to stay in our lives by marrying another E! reality TV star, Kendra Wilkinson. That relationship peaked much like Baskett’s shining moment in the Super Bowl, when he reacted like he was shot in the leg while going after an onside kick. Mark Sanchez, who lives in a city crawling with single women, decided to settle down with a 17-year-old. Meanwhile, Sanchez’s backup Mark Brunell managed to go bankrupt after an investment in fast-food restaurant chain Whataburger went awry.

There were other red flags. Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears season ended embroiled in controversy. Cutler was accused of being “soft” after he sustained a mild injury in the NFC Championship game, and sat the second half. That’s a different debate for a different day. THE REAL STORY IN POST-LOCKOUT NFL WORLD is Cutler proposing to the star of the now defunct hit MTV show The Hills and infamous partier, Kristin Cavalarri. Somewhere, Phillip Rivers is yelling, “You suck Jay!”

Big Ben, fortunately, wasn’t on the prowl this offseason, but Steel-city wasn’t left starved for stupidity. Rashard Mendenhall, who had a critical fumble in last year’s Super Bowl, decided to let the American public know that we shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. A good lesson, for sure. It’s too bad he was trying to apply the fable to having sympathy towards a mass-murderer, Osama Bin Laden.

Fluky investments? Three players getting with one woman in the same calendar year, while another player from a different sport pops the big question to said woman? Statutory rape (depending on what state you’re in)? You’re telling me we couldn’t have compiled these plot lines into a show called, Playmakers: The Lockout Edition? I’m watching that show.

One can presume, with a strong degree of certitude, Lockett’s name will be admist the tabloids for the next few months. But his transgressions fail to reach the scope of one Mr. TMZ Tom Brady (my new name for the Patriots superstar). TMZ Tom has been involved in a number of head scratching events such as endorsing male-uggs, crying during the Brady 6 documentary, dancing in Rio, and finally showing off his spirit fingers in Mexico. The sure-fire HOFer could probably have his own spin-off show.

The final dimmension to this alternate NFL universe we find ourseleves taking residence in is that even actual news wreaks of a reality TV plot. For example, Logan Mankins making comments that he is now open to negotiating a long-term deal with the Patriots after he helped escalate a massive soap opera last season in his contract talks. Or, all of these “secret meetings” reportedly going on between owners and the NFLPA about ending the lockout.

I closed my aforementioned “picking sides” column comparing the uncertainty of the lockout to having your car in the shop and not knowing when the repairs will be finished. Well, it is almost as if as the car is being worked on, Xzibit and his crew broke into the shop and decided, “We need to mix this *issh up, time to Pimp My Ride.”

© Ryan Hadfield for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Opinion, Patriots, Rumors.

If you’re a guy, more often than not, you like ‘em young. If you’re a girl, you like ‘em older, wealthier, and more powerful. If you’re Mark Sanchez, the 24-year-old bachelor quarterback of the New York Jets, you definitely like ‘em young. Early on during the “Hard Knocks” days, 39-year-old backup quarterback Mark Brunell saw the signs.

“I’ve got a daughter that’s only five years younger than him (Sanchez was 23 at the time), so that’s really weird,” Brunell said, according to the Washington Post. “No, that won’t happen. He’s not meeting my daughter. She already thinks he’s cute. She saw a picture of him, but that’s not happening at all. I like the kid, but I don’t like him that much.”

A superstar quarterback (in terms of stature and popularity, NOT in terms of talent) would never even think of going after a teenager, right? They go after hot twenty-somethings they find at the bars and clubs, known to baseball players as “slump busters.” Brunell’s kid, though, was just 18 (judging by his math), and while he may have been joking, he’s also a father so he meant it when he said he didn’t want Sanchez near her. He was right.

According to a report by Deadspin (who else?), Sanchez has allegedly carried on a physical relationship with a 17-year-old HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT from Connecticut he met on New Year’s Eve. (Yes, how does a 17-year-old even get in a New York City bar?). In case you’re wondering, the age of consent in New York is 17, and in New Jersey (where his home is and where the encounters allegedly occurred), the age of consent is 16. What Sanchez may have done with that girl is entirely legal. It just seems oh so dirty.

The encounter according on a dark and stormy night (No, really.) at the quarterback’s home near a golf course in New Jersey. She showed Deadspin these pictures of his room to prove she was there. She also said the last time Sanchez sent her a text message was at 2 a.m. on Jan. 24, just hours after his Jets lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

Side Note: The New York Post went on to name the girl and expose her Facebook picture, but because her daddy is very rich and her lawyers are already after Deadspin, I’m going to protect her privacy completely. I don’t think she personally is the story at all. The story about Sanchez and an anonymous 17-year-old high school senior is just as powerful as if you knew her name.

Tangent: I also want to make a distinction between Sanchez and Ben Roethlisberger right now: by all accounts, Sanchez and the girl’s encounters were consensual. Big Ben, on the other hand, allegedly assaulted an unwilling college student inside the women’s bathroom of a trashy bar in Georgia while two of his “bodyguards” stood by the doorway. No comparison should be made at all between Sanchez or Roethlisberger. They are totally different situations.

Anyway, the Jets have already distanced themselves from the Sanchez rumors, better known as yet another P.R. disaster:

“We are not going to discuss Mark’s private life,” wrote Jets spokesman Bruce Speight.

To be honest, I don’t think this is really that bad for Sanchez. It’s just pretty embarrassing. How do you feel?

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!.

The title says it all.

Here’s the video:

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Now!, Patriots, Video.

If the aftermath of Sunday’s demoralizing defeat (no pun intended, I’m not Wes Welker) at the hands of Rex Ryan’s Jets, everyone in New England did what we always do, and immediately started looking for someone to blame. Brady was too flat, we said. Belichick got outcoached. To accept a loss to our (former) little brothers in the division, we needed to figure out exactly why we lost. Maybe it was the lack of a deep threat. Maybe it was a confusing Jets defense that made Brady hold the ball like Drew Bledsoe in his prime. Maybe it was Crumpler’s drop. Maybe it was the Patriots unleashing the excruciating 2005 Philadelphia Eagles eight-minute offense and failing to score.

Either way, the reasons for the loss aren’t nearly as significant as the repercussions. Braylon Edwards did flips on our home turf. The Jets (The Jets!) have a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl and at the very least have stolen the Patriots’ bragging rights. Aaron Rodgers has a legitimate shot to steal the title of best QB alive. Rex Ryan could be the next Belichick. As if all this wasn’t enough, we may be headed for a potentially brutal Bears/Jets matchup. Seriously, think about it. Polamalu doesn’t look right. The Steelers have so many injuries on the offensive line that they might have to pick a random fan out of the stands during the game to play left tackle. The Bears’ defense and home field advantage may be good enough to shut down Rodgers.  If Jets/Bears is the matchup, I’m not watching. Alright, that’s a lie, but still, it would suck. Admit it.

Whatever happens, Patriots fans lose. Or so everyone would have you believe. You see, there’s a good chance the 2010 Patriots severely overachieved. I know, I know, it sounds like I’m making excuses for losing to the Jets (seriously, like the little kid says in Big Daddy, “The God—n“ Jets!!!”), but think about it. They platooned two undrafted running-backs. They had a painfully young defense with no pass rush to speak of. Matt Light was doing his best impersonation of swiss cheese. They had no one who could even burn Jason Varitek on a fly route. To see this team go 14-2 was truly astounding.

Moving forward, the Patriots will have a ridiculous amount of picks in the first three rounds; six to be exact, and that’s not even counting their 4^th rounder. It’s like Belichick is running one of those Madden Franchises where you turn off the salary cap and trade all your gigantic contracts for draft picks. All of the deficiencies I just listed could be not only addressed BUT turned into strengths if the Patriots draft as well as they did in 2010. Should the Patriots choose to look at a receiver, they could potentially land Alabama’s Julio Jones, an incredible physical specimen who’s built like a 6’4 Dwight Howard. Former Heisman winner Mark Ingram would likely be around if Belichick wants a new running back.  They could look to Wisconsin’s All-American Tackle Gabe Carimi to protect Brady, or even the Badgers’ defensive end J.J. Watt.

To put it simply, the Patriots loss Sunday was, for lack of a more vulgar word, humbling, but I’m going to remain optimistic. After all, I’ve been battle-hardened over the years. I saw the Boone homer. I saw the Helmet Catch (as much as I hate to admit it). This loss was devastating, I know. Yes, the Jets pretended to be airplanes on our own field. However, I still trust Belichick, you know, as long as he didn’t actually call that fake punt.

© leo for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots.

For six straight days, the New York Jets did nothing but talk trash, building up their third match this season against the New England Patriots while putting down the Patriots themselves. At times, their talk was goofy, at times it was nasty, at times it was threatening. But all of it would have been for naught without a victory Sunday in Foxborough. Lucky for them, their actions spoke louder than their words.

The Jets defense held the Patriots out of the end zone for nearly three quarters, sacking Tom Brady five times and recovering two late onside kicks to secure a 28-21 Jets victory over the Patriots. The Patriots have now lost their last three playoff games, including their last two at Gillette Stadium, dating back to Super Bowl XLII in February, 2008.

Defense Can’t Make Big Plays

All season long, the Patriots defense lived and died on its ability to force turnovers. Teams racked up yards, but every time the Patriots would force a fumble or an interception to shift momentum in their favor. But there were no interceptions against the Jets. There was barely any pressure. The Patriots could not sack or hit Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez even once. The lack of pressure allowed Sanchez to complete 64 percent of his passes, including for three touchdowns.

Sanchez’s accurate passing and great protection allowed him to exploit a Patriots secondary that finally showed its youth and inexperience. On second-and-goal from the New England 7-yard line, running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran to his left and lined up behind other receivers. Gary Guyton lost track of him, and Tomlinson ran a quick corner route, catching the ball and beating Guyton to the left pylon, putting the Jets up 7-3 with 12:20 left in the second quarter.

In the fourth quarter, with the Jets up 14-11, Sanchez found wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery on a quick crossing route. Cotchery then leaped, juked and dodged his way for 58 yards, setting the Jets up at the New England 13. Two plays later, Sanchez floated a pass to Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone. It was a perfect pass, too high to be defensed, and Holmes leaped and caught it in the back-left corner, keeping both feet inbounds for the touchdown and extending the Jets lead to 21-11.

The Patriots had just as little success against the run, allowing 120 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jets running back Shonn Greene’s 16-yard touchdown run pushed the Jets lead to 28-14 with less than two minutes in the game, effectively clinching the victory.

Patriots Offense Finds Rhythm Too Late

It took the Patriots too long to figure out the Jets’ defensive schemes. They went without a touchdown for nearly three quarters of the game, finally scoring on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler. Brady dropped back to pass, then had to wait several seconds while receivers tried to get open. Although Brady was sacked five times and hit twice more, his protection held up this time, and he hit Crumpler in the back of the end zone. A direct snap to Sammy Morris added two more points, cutting the Jets lead to 14-11 to begin the fourth quarter. But the defense could not stop the Jets, and the Patriots’ next drive ended on a dropped fourth-down pass to Deion Branch that would have given them a first down.

Brady found Branch on a 13-yard crossing route in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, cutting the score to 28-21, but the Jets recovered their second consecutive onside kick, knelt once and ended the game.

The Patriots appeared to be picking up where they left off in December (a 45-3 victory) on their first drive of the game. Brady moved from his 16-yard line to the New York 28 on seven plays: four passes and three runs. But on first-and-10 from the 28, Brady was flushed to his right and overthrew BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Jets linebacker David Harris intercepted Brady and returned it all the way to the New England 12. That drive ended with a 30-yard field goal attempt that sailed just wide of the left goalpost.

The Patriots dodged a bullet, but the rare Patriots turnover made the Jets defense confident. They were unafraid to blitz and pressure Brady, who many times had to throw the ball away or rush his passes, at least twice throwing at receivers who had not yet turned to face him. Brady finished the game 29/45 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His final quarterback rating was 89.0. Sanchez finished with a rating of 127.3.

Special Teams Gaffes

For much of the regular season, the Patriots special teams unit was one of its strengths. But against the Jets, it was a definite weakness. Although the Patriots converted both field goals and extra points, they also failed on two consecutive onside kick attempts, both of which could have been recovered with better execution. Instead, the Jets recovered both, returning the first to the New England 20-yard line and setting up Greene’s touchdown run.

The Patriots also muffed a fake punt attempt with a minute to go in the first half. On fourth-and-4 from the New England 38-yard line, Patrick Chung dropped the direct snap. He picked it up and tried to scramble for the first down, but was tackled for no gain. The Jets took over and scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards, who dragged two Patriots defensive backs into the end zone with him for the score, extending the Jets lead to 14-3.

The Patriots looked like they might answer on their final drive of the first half, which began all the way at their 45-yard line. But a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty killed that drive, and the Patriots were forced to take a knee and hit the lockers.

Another First Round Loss

The Patriots played sloppy, mistake-heavy football, and the Jets still had to play close to perfectly to win the game. This game came down to big plays. The Jets made more, and they won. For the Patriots, another season’s hopes for a fourth Lombardi Trophy die after just one game. The Jets played passionate, aggressive football, and they were rewarded with a trip to Pittsburgh and a second-consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship game.

Brady has a reputation as a player who always rises to the challenge of the playoffs, whose emotions carry him to a transcendent level on the national stage. But for two straight years, Brady has appeared to be the less interested, less emotional quarterback on the field. Even when the Patriots started scoring in the final minutes, the team lacked the Jets’ fire and energy. The mechanical, business-like, formation-heavy style of the Patriots that won three Super Bowls may finally have worn off. To win big, perhaps you need more heart.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments
Filed under: Featured, Patriots, Top Story.