Sunday afternoon was more of the same for the Patriots. Just like early last week against Buffalo the Patriots offense was ineffective when it mattered most. Tom Brady and the offense were in the redzone twice and had to settle for field goals. At halftime the Jets trailed only 9-3 after Brady and rookie Julian Edelman just missed hooking up for a a touchdown inside the Jets 15-yard line.

All week and really this summer Rex Ryan and his Jets made it abundantly clear that they were going to take it to the Patriots. Although I wouldn’t describe it as “embarrassing” the Jets did pull it off. In the third quarter Mark Sanchez made the Patriots defense look like a mediocre Pac-10 team, (Not to be confused with Washington’s.) After throwing for just 15-yards in the first half Sanchez threw for 148 yards and 1 TD in the second half, with the bulk of his production coming in the third quarter. The Patriots offense never got off the ground in the second half, smothered under Rex Ryan’s pressure defense. For Patriots fans dissecting this loss however I don’t think they will find anything that qualifies as “news.” Through the course of Super Bowl XLII we all learned that if you get pressure on the Patriots their offense falters. This afternoon we saw another example of that. Although it’s important to point out that Brady’s comfort blanket, Wes Welker was out today. Rookie Julian Edelman making his first NFL start played admirably catching eight balls for 98 yards in Welker’s spot in the slot.

Early in the preseason Steve Young talked about how the biggest challenge for Tom Brady would be timing and decision making in the redzone. Young has been proven prophetic Brady and the entire offense has at times been off. This afternoon with the Jets bringing six and seven defenders the Patriots timing problems were exasperated. In the fourth quarter with the Patriots trailing 16-9 and needing a touchdown Tom Brady just had no time to throw the ball. While the Bills dropped into a Cover 2 late against the Pats Rex Ryan and co. continued to bring defenders at Brady. Without time there was no miracle escape like last Monday.

After the game the Patriots gave credit where it was due, Bill Belichick after the game summed it up pretty well, “Give the Jets credit… they outplayed us, outcoached us, played better than we did for 60 minutes.” After constant harassment from the Jets defense Tom Brady talked about going forward from the loss, “We all gotta do a better job, I gotta do a better job throwing the ball, being more accurate, making better reads. A lot of things are correctable, that were not so good today. Towards the end of the game a sign was shown on CBS that read, “Bye Bye Brady Bunch” that is a little premature but for the Patriots they must know they have to work harder to maintain control of this division.

Last night certainly had a different feel than most people were expecting and all that credit falls on the Bills. For 55 minutes Buffalo’s no huddle offense and bend but don’t break defense stymied the Patriots. Seemingly all-night the Patriots were just a little off their game. Brady would have Moss or Welker open in the flat but for whatever reason they just couldn’t connect. In the mean time the Patriots defense was having a terrible time adjusting to Trent Edwards no huddle offense. With consistent two-man coverage on Lee Evans and Terrell Owens, Fred Jackson exposed the Patriots out of the backfield. Jackson had a banner night rushing 15 times for 57 yards and adding five receptions for 83 yards and what appeared to be a game-clinching touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

With just over five minutes left in the game the Patriots were down 24-13 either because of how well the Bills were playing or how poorly the Patriots were, depending likely on which part of the Eastern seaboard you live in.  Here are the facts Tom Brady was missing receivers high, he threw a pick six to Aaron Schobel on an spectacular defensive effort that aborted a screen play, and the Patriots failed to convert deep in Bills territory. On four occasions within field goal range the Patriots failed to convert on 4th and 1, missed a field goal wide right, and in the red zone settled twice for converted field goals. Those are not the results of the high-octane offense that Patriots fans have come to expect.

Down by eleven in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter many fans could have been forgiven for heading to the exits, for Brady and co. when it mattered most they began to click.  Gone were the running plays with six lineman, in their place came four and five receiver sets. With three timeouts and the two-minute warning the Patriots needed to score and get the ball back.  No problem, finally looking like the Brady of old the Patriots drove down the field. Brady methodically drove the Pats with 11 plays including nine completions the longest being a 18-yard strike to Benjamin Watson in the endzone. After a missed two-point conversion the Patriots found themselves down 24-19 with 2:06 left. With three timeouts left and the two-minute warning the question was really could the Patriots stop Fred Jackson.

However thanks to the Patriots special teams and Leodis McKelvin, it wouldn’t be an issue. McKelvin for whatever reason took the ensuing kickoff out of the endzone despite having the Bills’ hands team to block for him. The resulting play was a disaster for the Bills, safety Brandon Meriweather crushed McKelvin with a hit, but critically held him up as well. With McKelvin held up on the play Pierre Woods stripped him, and Stephen Gostkowski the Patriots’ kicker of all people recovered the kick. From an outsiders’ point of view this was exactly the kind of break the Patriots receive/create, and on the flip side the same sort of bad luck the Bills (or Bengals) always seem to have.

For Brady it was back to business, a six-yard completion to Moss, followed by a nine yard completion to Welker, than ho hum a beautiful 16-yard strike again to Benjamin Watson in the endzone to put the Patriots up 25-24. Again their two point convert failed but the Patriots defense was able for the first time all game to get pressure on Trent Edwards and closed the door for good on the Bills.

Key Numbers:

Tom Brady- 39-53, 378 Yards 2 TD 1 INT
Wes Welker- 12 Rec, 93 Yards
Randy Moss- 12 Rec 141 Yards

Although there were some noticeable hiccups along the way, those numbers have to serve notice to the NFL.

Tonight the Boston Patriots will take the field to open the 2009 season and for Patriots fans they will be hoping this season will be a throwback in more ways than one. After an 11-5 season, without Tom Brady or a playoff appearance there is a sense in New England that it is now or never for the club. It has been five years since the team won a Super Bowl. The Patriot way once built upon stingy defense and an opportunistic offense has seen a complete role reversal. The Patriots that take the field tonight will be successful or not based on their offensive production. Gone are many of the familiar names on defense, in their wake the Patriots have proven perfomers surrounded for the most part by no names. For every Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo there is Patrick Chung and Myron Pyror. It has worked in the past for Belichick and co. but their is no question that their weakness in the secondary cost them a playoff berth last season. Here's a remarkable fact for you the Patriots defense tonight will feature only four players who started Super Bowl XLII against the Giants.

The big story tonight an probably for the whole season will be the return of Tom Brady. The 2007 NFL MVP threw for just 86 yards last year before going down for the season early in the second quarter. After the preseason there is no question that he will be effective, but there is a big difference between good 'ole Tom and just effective. In the preseason at times his footwork was a little shaky causing some poor throws, in addition his shoulder injury suffered in Washington figures to not help matters much. But the Patriots offense is at its best when they are quick to the line and effective with their spread offense. If Brady and the offense can keep defenses off balance then Brady should have a definite advantage in getting back to the swing of things.

Of course tonight the Patriots face off against their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, with the Terrell Owens show in tow. I expect the Patriots to come out sharp this evening. All Preseason Bill Belichick has been pushing this team hard, tonight it all pays off. It's hard to imagine a team that fired their offensive coordinator two weeks before opening day will be able to hang with the highly motivated Patriots.

Prediction:
Patriots 34 Bills 13

The Patriots didn’t exactly put on a show last night against the Bengals. In the Patriots first game at home this season they simply didn’t seem to have it. It really was a bizarre night at Patriot Place. For one thing Tom Brady and many Pats fans came into the game looking to see what Brady’s reaction would be to a big hit. They got their wish as he was twice leveled to the ground by Bengals defenders. Both times he got up and was fine. Baby steps perhaps but a still a good sign on the Patriots progress towards the regular season. Other than that relative good news it was a bleak night for the Patriots.

It is never my intention to single out players in their poor performance but last night it what ended up being a single-digit Bengals win, mistakes cost the Patriots. It is professional football and these players are being paid, significantly more than most of us. So with that disclaimer out of the way here are a few players that should be concerned after last night’s performance. Number one on that list has to be the Patriots second year corner Terrence Wheatley. He was beaten badly twice in the second quarter. On one play he was bailed out with an offensive pass interference call, but on 4th and 17 the Bengals were able to gash Wheatley for a touchdown their only points of the game. All night Wheatley looked uncomfortable and for him it only gets worse, rookie Darius Butler was flying around the field last night breaking up passes. To add insult to injury it was Chad Ochocinco who delivered the PAT that at the time gave the Bengals a 7-3 lead. With kicker Shayne Graham out with a strain, Ochocinco handled some kick-off duty as well. And of course as he mentioned after the game, he was actually quite capable. Ochocinco quipped, “It's easy. It's like riding a bike. You don't forget much.”

Both of the Patriots other options at quarterback Brian Hoyer (11/19, 112 Yards) and Kevin O’Connell (8/15 84 Yards) moved the ball well but were unable to come up with anything besides an additional field goal. With the Patriots in field goal range with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter BenJarvus Green-Ellis fumbled on third down preventing the Patriots from attempting a go-ahead field goal. The Bengals held on for the 7-6 win, without any scoring in the second half, that’s preseason football for you.

The Patriots next play in Washington a week from today in front of a national CBS audience.

For the Patriots organization it’s hard to imagine how Tom Brady’s return to competitive football could have gone much better. Tom played four series throughout the first half last night and was an impressive 10-15, for 100 yards, 2 TD, and 1 INT. In Brady’s first series he made a quick completion to rookie Justin Edelman on a bubble screen for six yards. On the subsequent third down play it appeared that Brady missed hitting his receiver perfectly in stride. On the replay you could see a little reluctance by Brady to plant off his foot. As far as I could tell Brady was more comfortable in the pocket after the first series, which was to be expected.

On Brady’s second series it was business as usual. On the first play he delivered a beautiful ball to Moss on a play action pass for 14 yards. As if to answer his critics on the next play Brady looked deep to Randy, throwing a perfect 56-yard bomb to the receiver, only a late grab by former Patriot Asante Samuel prevented the completion. After the pass interference call the Patriots found themselves in the red zone, which has been a focus this year in camp. With trips to his right Brady found newcomer tight end Chris Baker in the end zone with a perfect ball off Baker’s cut at the goal line.

As expected the Patriots came out in a 4-3 defense, reminiscent of Super Bowl 39 when the Patriots surprised the Eagles. However this season the Patriots are expected to use a lot more 4-3 defense, in large part to their depth of quality lineman. While Donovan McNabb wasn’t that sharp last night the Patriots defense still got the chance to show off some of their rookies. Myron Pryor, out of the University of Kentucky, got the start on the defensive line and was quite successful. He was able to sack McNabb and make two other tackles. All the while you could see Vince Wilfork giving him tips. That’s the Patriot Way at it’s finest. Pryor was hardly the only rookie to show up last night, Darius Butler was in on several pass breakups in the first half, and Patrick Chung successfully tipped a field goal late in second half. Also off the defenses spectacular job Justin Edelman, out of Kent State, returned a punt 75-yards for a touchdown.

As for Brady his one noticeable mistake came in another deep throw to Moss that was picked off. Tom was visibly upset on the bench afterwards. But he responded quite nicely in his last drive of the half. During a ten play drive Brady sidestepped pressure and delivered some picture perfect throws including a beautiful 35-yarder to Randy Moss. Brady also quarterback sneaked for a gain of four yards, which I think showed the Patriots and Tom’s belief that he is fine. At the end of the Patriots 10-play drive Brady found Baker once again in the end zone to pace the Pats to a 21-6 halftime lead, a far cry from some of their awful preseason performances last season.

After the Patriots closed out their 27-25 win Brady talked about his performance, “We’re on a mission this year. This is the first step, it's a small step, but it's a step in the right direction.” It is just week one of the preseason but all signs point to Brady and the Patriots being healthy and quite determined this season. The NFL and fantasy owners should take notice.

Tonight the New England Patriots take the field for the first time in 2009. Obviously the biggest story of the night as the Pats face the Eagles is the return of the franchise, Tom Brady. Brady is expected to make his first start since his season ending knee injury in Week 1 last year. Brady has been quite outspoken this month that he wants to make the most out of the preseason this year. You may recall that in 2008 Brady didn’t take so much as a snap in the preseason. So besides OTA’s and controlled scrimmages in camp this will be the first action we’ve seen of Brady since Super Bowl XLII. It is astounding to think he has played just one quarter since then. Talking to the media Tuesday Brady hinted at his playing time tonight, “From his tone and the message he’s been sending to the team, it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a first preseason game for us. I think he wants to see what we’re all about. I don’t think it’s like a guest appearance or anything like that. I think we’re going out there to play.” Assuming Brady and the offence can stay healthy throughout the preseason I think playing them more than is considered typical is a good idea. Brady and his receivers and backs need game reps to get back into a groove, and the preseason presents the perfect opportunity.

Here are three other keys to watch for tonight.

1) Drafted for a Need- Over the past two seasons the Patriots have drafted Patrick Chung, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, and Jonathan Wilhite to fill holes in the defensive secondary. Based on the reviews in camp they are expected to make a solid contribution this season. Particularly for the two rookies; Butler and Chung the real test begins tonight.

2) Burgess Watch- The Patriots traded for Derrick Burgess after I attended Patriots camp and I am looking forward to seeing him with my own two eyes. The hope is with his new environment he will be set for a break out year. In an interesting twist Burgess is largely expected to be an outside rusher in a 4-3 defense, which Coach Belichick looks to employ much more this season. Look for the package and Burgess this evening.

3) Odd Man Out- The Patriots have unbelievable depth at running back. With Laurence Maroney back from injury, Fred Taylor in from Jacksonville, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis on the roster the battle for playing time starts tonight. It also seems very unlikely that all five healthy will make the roster. Not to mention with Brady back will the running game suddenly be an after thought again?

Kick-off is set for 7:30 PM on all of the New England Patriots affiliate stations. Not sure if you have a carrier take a look,

http://www.patriotsdaily.com/2009/08/patriots-preseason-tv-network-affiliates/

For our Canadian readers the game, and three of the Patriots preseason games will be on Rogers Sportsnet East.

There will also be an 11 PM replay on NFL Network.

Enjoy the game, football is finally back.

This week I made journey to training camp in Foxborough, Massachusetts hoping to have a few questions of mine answered about the 50th edition of the Patriots. The most pressing concern of course is the health of starting quarterback Tom Brady. Brady at least to me looks to be completely recovered from his surgeries. One of my counterparts even mentioned that if you were unaware of his injury last season you wouldn’t even notice. To me it seemed like the ole Brady we are all used to seeing. At the morning practice session right before the team finished up, they were practicing their redzone offensive packages. In full 11 on 11 action Brady was flushed out of the pocket, and while on the run delivered a perfect strike in the corner of the endzone to newcomer Joey Galloway. It was quite eye opening and encouraging to see Brady move with such precision. On a lighter note in the afternoon session Brady was actually kicking a football like a soccer ball as he moved from one rotation to another. Although it was probably harmless, it would seem that Brady is not too concerned about his ankle or health to full around a bit. A point that was driven home since it was his 32nd birthday and he was doused with water and received a cake to the face from Matt Light.

Outside of Brady's health training camp was pretty much exactly what you would expect in the NFL. Bill Belichick has been riding his players pretty hard in this the first full week of camp. The Patriots have had two-a-days in full pads throughout the week. In the media it is being seen as the Pats commitment to excellence. After their perfect season was foiled and Brady's injury it would seem the Patriots are determined to be better than ever.

If you ask me I can't wait for the Pre-Season to begin, let's get to the action.

Going into tonight’s game in Chicago the Angels sit at 63-40 good for first place in the American League. While traditionally Mike Scioscia’s clubs have won with a combination of great pitching and timely hitting this season has been a little different. The Angels surge after the All-Star break has been in large part to their ridiculous offensive production. The Angels lead the American League with a .290 batting average. To put that number into perspective the second place New York Yankees are .13 off the Halos mark as a team. The Angels .451 slugging percentage combined with their penchant for stealing bases and hit and runs have created an offense without match, at least in July.

A glance at the League leaders in hitting is littered with Angels, and not necessarily with the names that you would expect.

6. Bobby Abreu .322 73 RBI

10. Juan Rivera .316 60 RBI

13. Chone Figgins .313 36 RBI

14. Erick Aybar .309 39 RBI

16. Torii Hunter .305 65 RBI

26. Kendry Morales .299 69 RBI

It is pretty safe to assume that if six of your lineup regulars are within the top-30 of the AL in terms of hitting that the team is doing alright. The Angels however have had well documented struggles when it comes to pitching. It also doesn’t help that last season in the ALCS against the Red Sox they saw firsthand what even a slight difference in pitching can make. Really it’s quite comical that Angels fans are so concerned. Most fan bases would be more than satisfied with a 4.5 game lead in their division in August coupled with the second best record in baseball.

If the Angels can get their pitching set this team will be nearly impossible to beat at it’s best. Management has to feel that is a realistic goal for the last two months. Between Santana, Lackey, Saunders, and Weaver there are several All-Star appearances, and complete game shutouts within the last two years. With 59 games to go and with the Rangers still lurking hopefully and postseason baseball looming it will bring out the best in the Angels pitching staff.

If any Halos fans were disappointed by the team’s inactivity at the trade deadline they were likely pleased with the Angels past two performances. Through the first two games of the Angels series in Minnesota they have been absolutely destroying the baseball. In their two wins the Halos have combined for 22 runs and 37 hits. Certainly if the Angels continue hitting the baseball like that their pitching concerns will be less significant.

As of Sunday morning the Halos sit atop the American League for the first time this season. They have continued their July surge to the top. Over the last 10 games the Halos are 8-2, two games better than any other club, during that span the club has scored an astounding 77 runs. At a clip of 7.7 runs a game it would be nearly impossible to beat anyone. Their 62-40 record also puts them four games ahead of the Rangers in the AL West, a season high for the Halos. Just like last season the Angels also have the best road record in the AL, at 30-20. Everything seems to be coming together for them the question becomes can they keep it up? The Angels have been through a lot collectively this season. If you look at the Angels body of work this season it is hard to imagine that their pitching could get much more inconsistent, and at the same time there is no way realistically the Angels bats can stay hot. If the Angels offense and team defense can meet in the middle it is possible that the Halos could make some noise.

For now the Angels are in a position they’ve grown accustomed to, in a playoff position considered contenders behind the Yankees and Red Sox. And for now that’s enough.

The Angels have overcome a lot of adversity this season and it is amazing that the club leads the AL West, once again, by three games. But that being said the Angels need pitching help. While the 100-win Halos of 2008 relied on superior pitching this year’s club has been almost a complete reverse. The Angels powerful offense has delivered for them this season. It is no coincidence that in July a month the Angels were 19-7 they led the League in runs.

With the trade deadline at 1 PM local time yesterday it was assumed by many that General Manger Tony Reagins would be pushing hard to land the Angels pitching relief, literally. If you believe the reports, the Angels were actively pursuing Padres closer Heath Bell and of course the crown jewel of the deadline the Blue Jays Roy Halladay. In the end Reagins was unable to make a deal for either player. Certainly the price tag for Halladay was astronomical, but in my opinion worth it. Watching Roy Halladay pitch on a weekly basis is absolutely a treat. He single handedly would have taken the Angels from contender status to a legitimate World Series threat. However the Halos were not willing to give up roster players or relinquish their prospects. It was reported all last week that the Blue Jays wanted shortstop Erick Aybar, infielder Brandon Wood and top pitching prospect Trevor Reckling. I think the Angels would have been foolish to deal Aybar, who is really just know coming into his own, both offensively and defensively. But just before the deadline according to an ESPN report the Halos offered the Jays Joe Saunders, and three to be named prospects. But the Jays evidently didn’t budge on their position.

To be fair I think the Halos front office should be applauded for not caving in to make a big splash, but there were smaller deals that management seemed to let slip by. The Halos watched as Cliff Lee went to Philadelphia, Jake Peavy to the White Sox, and Jarrod Washburn headed to Detroit. All of these pitchers were dealt for largely prospects. Meanwhile the Angels next three starters have been dismal of late. Of Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana the lowest ERA in July is 6.88.

Management will tell you that the Halos are happy with the players they have, and that with Vladimir Guerrerro and Torii Hunter coming of the DL next week it will be like a trade deadline move. But the fact remains the Halos need pitching help, not more bats. I am not predicting doom for the Halos by an means, at the very least Angels fans can take solace in the fact their division rival, the Texas Rangers, also did nothing to bolster their lineup. If the Halo’s can hang on and win the West then we’ve seen often enough in Anaheim that anything can happen in the playoffs. They just have to get their first.