0:00 EPISODE TIMELINE
1:57 – Thoughts on Patriots this season
4:01 – Reaction to Jalen Carter spitting incident
5:13 – Experience coaching with Eagles
6:24 – Should Cowboys have paid Micah Parsons?
7:57 – Players impressed you in coaching time in NFL
13:11 – Experience coaching in NFL
18:45 – Prizepicks
19:50 – Evolution of Football
27:01 – Thoughts on Tush Push
27:57 – Experience coaching at NFL & College level
30:08 – Top 10 Best Coaches in History of NFL
41:35 – History of Black Starting QB in NFL
47:15 – Black Head Coaches in College & NFL
48:14 – Describing Players with one word
48:58 – Reaction to Saquon Barkley jumping over defender
55:15 – Wrapping up

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The post Best Head Coaches in History of NFL | Cedric Maxwell Podcast appeared first on CLNS Media.

That’s the question many Patriots fans are asking after watching the Patriots survive the Eagles in Philadelphia Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

If you ask Tom Brady, the answer is a definite no way.

At least not right now, given his lethargic body language and curtailed response to every single question throw his way after Sunday’s 17-10 win here in South Philly. After all, the only Patriots touchdown of the day was a pass to the end zone by a player not wearing No. 12 on his back.

Even asked in a very lighthearted manner by ESPN’s Mike Reiss whether Julian Edelman was bragging after the game about his 4-for-4 career passing mark with two touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3, Brady could barely manage a grin and a couple of words in response.

“Not much,” Brady replied. “It was a good throw. So, thank you guys.”

https://youtu.be/CpC-TIV_KUw

That concluded a 2-minute briefing with reporters, one of the shortest in his tenure as Patriots quarterback after a win.

When Edelman hit Phillip Dorsett from 15 yards out, it gave the Patriots the lead for good and the way the Patriots’ defense was playing it was game over at that point midway through the third quarter.

In fairness, the touchdown came at the end of the one drive Brady engineered that was a beauty, an 84-yard march in 10 plays to open the second half.

The Patriots were 1-for-3 in the red zone, with the first two failures coming in the first half when the Patriots reached the Eagles 17-yard line and Philly’s 4-yard line on back-to-back possessions. Like in Baltimore two weeks earlier, the Patriots had to settle for field goals on those two drives.

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t have anymore (answers),” Brady said with dejection dripping in his voice and tone. “I don’t know.”

Then, Danny Shelton stripped the ball from Carson Wentz and Lawrence Guy recovered at the Philly 22. The good news is that it wasn’t a red zone failure this time. The bad news is Brady and the Patriots gained one yard in three tries and settled for a Folk’s third field goal.

Mr. Glass Half-Full, Devin McCourty, looked at it a different way.

“If we’re struggling on defense, they go out and have a good drive,” McCourty told me. “Even if it’s three points, they let us get on the sideline and figure things out. That’s the biggest thing, to just make sure we always complement each other.”

Their defense shut down a short-handed offense led by Carson Wentz.

“Each time we take the field, whether they are scoring a lot or not, we want to have that mentality to just complement each other,” McCourty said. “It’s big if we can get a stop and switch the field position. Then (Edelman) threw the touchdown to go and get a big score and two-point conversion.”

It’s very true that the Super Bowl LIII champs didn’t really find their identity until they were 9-5 and facing a pair of home games against the Bills and Jets to end the season. Then they discovered their run game and their ability to impose their will. Clearly, that sort of metamorphosis needs to happen again in 2019.

There’s another possible reason Brady appeared fatigued and frustrated. He took an absolute beating in the first half, twice getting bent in half and once taking a shot to the head as he was going down to the turf.

“Well, we just played for three hours,” Brady explained. “So, I think everyone is a little tired.”

This is obviously not sustainable, for Brady or any NFL quarterback who is north of 40 years of age.

Maybe Brady realizes his defense can’t run block or catch passes or get open downfield. Read into Brady’s postgame as much or little as you want. The cold, hard truth facing him and his teammates is that – even at 9-1 – what we saw Sunday in Philadelphia needs to change. What does Brady think?

“I don’t think it matters what I think, it matters what we do,” Brady quipped.

The Patriots need to find a way to score more touchdowns inside the opponents’ 20. That usually means running the football, something the Patriots haven’t been able to do with any consistency this season.

Run the football and you take the pressure off Brady. And that’s all Brady really needs right now. Sunday, after a ninth win in 10 games, Brady looked like a 42-year-old quarterback who needs time to take a deep breath and regroup, physically and mentally.

The post Tom Brady Appears More And More Frustrated With Patriots Offensive Woes appeared first on CLNS Media.

The 33-year-old defensive end, who can also play inside, offers the Patriots a veteran who has seen just about everything NFL trench warfare has to offer.

Clearly, the Patriots saw something in Bennett’s ability to help fill the void of Trey Flowers when they sent a fifth-round pick in 2020 to Philadelphia for him and then a month later signed him to a restructured two-year, $16.75 million extension through 2020, with a $4 million signing bonus and $4 million guaranteed.

In six of the last seven seasons with Tampa Bay, Seattle and Philly, Bennett has played all 16 regular season games, amassing 57 of his 63 career sacks, including nine last year in his only season with the Eagles.

“I don’t really have any expectations,” said Bennett, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2009 because of perceived inconsistencies in his game. “I think I want to come in and just work as hard as I can every single day. I think that’s the only kind of expectation I have. I have an expectation of running hard, working hard, and just proving myself as a veteran player.

“I think my whole career I’ve always been doubted, and this is another opportunity to play under the lights again and just keep proving. I think as a defender – as a quarterback gets older, people think that they improve, whether it’s Tom [Brady], whether it’s Drew [Brees], or whether it’s Phil [Rivers] – but the defenders, as you get older, people think you go down. So as a defender, if you get an opportunity to playing in the older ages, it’s good to go out there and keep balling.”

A plane trip from Hawaii Saturday into Sunday didn’t keep the three-time Pro Bowler from stepping on the field Sunday and participating in his first Patriots practice in pads.

https://youtu.be/tWYrYK_kMLk

Like his brother Martellus, this is one unique and immensely talented dude the team is welcoming into their locker room. What advice did Marty give him about playing in Foxboro for Belichick?

“He just said just do your job,” Bennett told me after his first practice. “I think he said that Coach Belichick is a great coach and he’s always going to ask you to do more than what you’re capable of doing, make you change positions or make you do things that you’re not used to doing and work on every skill. I’m happy about that. That’s all you can ask for as a player is a coach who wants to help you continue to get better and help you prove yourself over and over.”

Playing outside one’s comfort level is a Belichick trademark with veterans who come to Foxboro wanting a run at a ring, something Bennett already earned with Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII. You come to Foxboro and the coaching staff is likely going to coach you in a way different from your previous NFL experience. Credit Michael Bennett for understanding that at the get-go.

“I think it’s important to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, so when it’s time for us to be in big moments like they’re always in, that we have the bank to go back into because we put so much into it,” Bennett said. “I think it’s important. Training camp is always fun. It’s another time to get a chance to work with young guys, and you get a chance to work on your skills and prove yourself every day.”

Bennett, as understandably tired as he appeared in his presser, said all the right things and genuinely seemed enthusiastic about just being on the field in the 90-degree heat.

https://youtu.be/dcJMahF2AF4

This is a player who has been vocal on social justice issues, politics and life in general in his 10 previous seasons in the NFL. Don’t expect that to change all of a sudden but one thing’s for sure, if Belichick makes a request of him, he’s more than likely to adhere to it.

Why is that? Well, consider how Bennett responded Sunday when asked what it meant to have the head coach grant him time to tend to a personal matter that caused him to miss the first three days of camp.

“I was lucky Coach Belichick – it’s nice when you have a coach that sees you as a human, sees you as a human being, not just a number and you’re able to go talk to him, tell him what’s going on, and you’re able to go take care of it,” Bennett said. “That just makes you want to play harder for a coach. When he believes in you, and lets you take care of your family first.

“I think everybody’s always concerned about how their boss is going to take into consideration if something happens back home, but when you have a boss who respects you as a man, it’s easy to go out there and play for him like that. I think for me, that’s easy to look him in the eye and whatever he asks me to do, I’ll do it simply because I know he respects me as a human being, and I respect that.”

Bennett heard and saw social media rumblings that his absence pointed to a likely retirement from the NFL before ever taking a snap with the Patriots.

“I was surprised that people thought I would quit,” Bennett said. “I haven’t quit on anything in a long time. I don’t even quit when I play my daughter in checkers.

“Oh, I had a personal reason. I didn’t retire, I heard everybody said that I retired. I was laughing at home – laughing – like no, I didn’t retire,” Bennett insisted. “No, I just had a family issue that I had to go take care of.”

It’s somewhat ironic that Bennett pointed to Ty Law and Adalius Thomas as two Patriots he modeled himself after early on his career, two players that were never afraid to be outspoken, even within walls of Foxboro Stadium or Gillette.

“I’m just a lucky guy to be able to come into an organization with no added pressure,” Bennett told me. “This is just a team, I mean, I always dreamed about getting a chance to play in that stadium. When I grew up, Adalius Thomas and Ty Law and all those guys were guys I looked up to, and it’s just an honor to be able to walk into that place.”

Bennett’s first practice was fairly impressive considering the jet-lag he was enduring to just get on the field. And the fact that the team permitted him to fully practice in pads speaks to his conditioning and ability. He took part in 1-on-1s, stopped a pair of runs at the goal line in red zone drills and displayed his trademark swim moves against second and third team units.

“It was exciting. I think that being able to get out there on the field with those guys and spend the off-season with them, and finally get a chance to be on the field is good,” Bennett said. “All these guys, they’re great players, and to finally get the chance to have some type of camaraderie with them is just a special opportunity.”

For a player who has been unstoppable when his motor is fully engaged, Patriots fans are hopefully that he’s still fully motivated after his 10 NFL seasons.

“What motivates me? I think winning. I think the opportunity to build teams – that’s what’s the best part of the game,” Bennett said. “I love winning – but I also love to build a great relationship with new people and the opportunity to be put in new positions and try new things and keep improving myself as an individual, as a father, as a husband, as a businessman. The opportunity to have that growth – I’ve been comfortable in Seattle over there. Now it’s time for me to take another step in something I can improve in, whatever they ask me to do, things I’m not used to do doing and I want to improve on that.”

The post Michael Bennett Hits Ground Running Thanks to Unique Understanding with Bill Belchick appeared first on CLNS Media.

Harrison told the national TV audience that Bill Belichick would always remind his players to play past the whistle and never assume a play to be dead when there was a loose ball on the field.

In the final 30 seconds of Sunday’s first half between the Bears and Eagles, Mitch Trubisky connected with Anthony Miller inside the Eagles 10. Miller was stripped of the ball by former Patriot Cre’von LeBlanc after three steps, which qualified it as a catch and fumble.

But there was, of course, one other huge catch to the play.

Since no player went to pick up the ball after the whistle, the referees ruled the play an incompletion upon review, because someone has to recover the ball in order for the play to be overturned as a catch-and-fumble. Had the other Eagles defensive backs or LeBlanc himself recovered the ball instead of celebrating the break-up, the Eagles would’ve prevented a go-ahead field goal before half that made it 6-3 Bears.

There was someone else paying attention that remembered a certain play against Philip Rivers and the Chargers 12 years ago in the playoffs.

Bill Belichick’s Patriots were in dire straights with just over six minutes remaining, trailing the powerhouse Chargers, 21-13, in the AFC Divisional round at Qualcomm Stadium. Tom Brady had 4th-and-5 from the San Diego 41. His pass intended for Troy Brown over the middle was picked off by Marlon McCree at the Chargers 31. But Brown didn’t give up on the play.

He went aggressively after McCree and punched the ball loose, with Reche Caldwell recovering at the Chargers 32 for a new set of downs. Five plays later, Brady hit Caldwell for the touchdown and Kevin Faulk ran in the 2-point conversion for a 21-21 tie. Stephen Gostkowski would win it with a 31-yard field goal with 70 seconds left.

Nate Kaeding missed from 54 yards and the Patriots pulled off one of the more improbable playoff victories in franchise history, prompting several Patriots to do the Shawne Merriman “Lights Out” dance on the Chargers Bolt at midfield, eliciting the “absolutely no class, and maybe that comes from their head coach” reaction from LaDainian Tomlinson.

So, on Monday, after watching the Bears and Eagles game and no doubt with that playoff game against the same quarterback he’s about to face on Sunday, Belichick said he does indeed use those games as teaching moments for his players.

“We hit it again (Monday),” Belichick told me. “As Rodney said, we’ve been through it a thousand times but we went through some of those things again today just to make sure everybody understands what we want to do and how important it is to do the right thing in situations like that or other game-type situations.”

There’s a reason Troy Brown and Kevin Faulk are two Belichick’s favorite players. They were almost always keenly aware of score and situation in every playoff game they played. Both had key roles in that win over Rivers, Antonio Gates and the Chargers on Jan. 14, 2007.

“Again, there are so many close plays in all these games – fumble, no fumble, score, no score, catch, no catch, did it cross the goal line, did it not cross the goal line,” Belichick added. “It seemed like there were a dozen of those kind of plays just in this weekend so every inch, every little thing is so important. We’ve emphasized it before and we’ll continue to do that.”

The post Recalling An Epic Patriots-Chargers Playoff Game That Details How Bill Belichick Teams Never Quit appeared first on CLNS Media.

After legitimate concerns over the lack of pass rush for the last several years, the Patriots might actually be able to get to the quarterback on a regular basis in 2018.

That, at least, is the hope and promise games like Thursday night provide. The Patriots sacked the Eagles eight times in a 37-20 win over the defending Super Bowl champions, including three of the defending Super Bowl MVP with the starting offensive line in front of Nick Foles.

Trey Flowers, arguably the Patriots’ best pure pass rusher, hasn’t played a down in the preseason.

But Thursday night, pressure came from everywhere. There were edge rushes, corner blitzes, inside attacks. You name it, the Patriots pass rush was on full display. Last season, the Patriots were a very respectable seventh in sacks with 42. But watching the film led many to believe they didn’t pressure the quarterback in key moments, like in Super Bowl LII, when they didn’t record a single sack. That left a vulnerable secondary exposed.

Bill Belichick postgame press conference: https://t.co/mQvpEWBwRH

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 17, 2018

Enter Adrian Clayborn as a free agent, Derek Rivers and Dont’a Hightower back from injury to join the likes of Flowers, Deatrich Wise, Adam Butler, Malcom Brown and Lawrence Guy. Even Kyle Van Noy was getting into the backfield some on Thursday, including a 13-yard sack of Nate Sudfeld. The Patriots have lots of options in their front seven to get to the quarterback.

“I think the most exciting part is the diversity,” Adam Butler said. “There’s so many people that can do a lot of different things. You’ve got some guys who can rush inside and outside. Some guys who are just very talented on the edge and to watch everybody come out and show their skills tonight is amazing.”

Adrian Clayborn, whose strip-sack of Nick Foles produced a fumble return for a touchdown for Ja’Whaun Bentley and a strained shoulder for Foles, knows exactly why he was brought to New England.

“Part of my job as a defensive lineman is to get after the quarterback and they were passing a lot tonight, so we had to get after the quarterback so we don’t leave our DBs out to dry,” Clayborn said in a fitting tone of honesty. “We’re working hard to be good and I think we will get there hopefully.”

For Clayborn, just getting the reps of hitting the quarterback out of the way is a good thing in the preseason.

“Yeah, this weird. Preseason is always good for that,” the 30-year-old veteran said. “Finally get to wrap up the quarterback. I slipped off one because I’ m just not used to it. Everybody is not used to it, but that’s what preseason is for.”

How good can this front seven be once Trey Flowers is added?

“Time will tell. I won’t put a prediction on it, but if we keep working hard and keep doing what we got to do we will be good,” Clayborn said.

The post The Patriots Are Suddenly In A Rush To Get To The Quarterback appeared first on CLNS Media.

Strip sack! Recovery!

TO THE HOUSE. @Patriots #PHIvsNE pic.twitter.com/uxrXTHeJv9

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2018

FOXBORO — Where was this Nick Foles last February?

While many Patriots may ask that question in the wake of their team’s first half dominance, what really stood out for the Patriots (2-0) in their 37-20 preseason win over the defending Super Bowl champions was the defensive play of Adrian Clayborn and rookie Ja’Whaun Bentley.

The two combined for the play of the game in the second quarter.

With the Patriots already up 10-0 and the Eagles (0-2) facing a 2nd-and-8 from the Patriots 38, Clayborn, the prize free agent signing of the offseason, blew through and yanked on Foles’ right shoulder, popping the ball in the air.

The ball hit the ground and Bentley was there to scoop it up and ramble 54 yards for the touchdown that eluded Geneo Grissom a week earlier against the Redskins. Foles, the Super Bowl LII MVP, went to a knee injured on the play, suffering a strained right shoulder. He did not return. Carson Wentz is still rehabbing from his ACL repair from last December and hasn’t been cleared for game action.

More Patriots Coverage: Evan Lazar’s 10 Things We Learned Last Night

Bentley has raised eyebrows pretty much from the start of training camp. His stock didn’t rise Thursday against the Eagles. It soared.

In addition to the scoop-and-score in the second quarter, Bentley stripped fellow rookie Dallas Goedert of a sure touchdown on third-and-goal in the final seconds of the first half. Defensive play-caller Brian Flores had Bentley play all over the second level of the defense, showing off his read-and-react in rushes and his ability to drop in coverage.

The Patriots’ defense made life miserable for Foles before his shoulder injury, constantly collapsing the pocket and holding him to just 3-of-9 passing for 44 yards and three sacks. The Patriots recorded eight sacks on the night.

Then there was Tom Brady. The Patriots quarterback saw his first game action since dropping Super Bowl LII to this same team. In his first home preseason game since Aug. 13, 2015, Brady opened with a precise short-passing attack, featuring James White. Brady, after moving well in the pocket, capped off the opening drive with a 4-yard dart to a crossing Chris Hogan in the back of the end zone, taking a shove as he released the ball. Brady was 5-for-5 for 27 yards.

Brady Hogan…

TOUCHDOWN @Patriots! #PHIvsNE pic.twitter.com/1lICFK2ZXq

— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2018

Brady’s other highlight came at the end of the first half. Playing his sixth and final series of the game, Brady entered with 1:51 left in the first half, looking to get in some 2-minute drill work. He and the Patriots were perfect, needing just 59 seconds to go four plays and 69 yards. His highlight came on a perfect 22-yard seam pass to tight end Jacob Hollister to the Philly 43. The drive was finished off by brilliant blocking from the offensive line on a 20-yard James White touchdown, as he scampered untouched into the end zone for a 27-7 lead. Brady finished the night 19-of-26 for 172 yards, two touchdowns and a QB rating of 116.2.

For a complete box score of Thursday’s game, click here.

Cordarrelle Patterson had the offensive move of the night. His deke of Sidney Jones was a thing of beauty and resulted in an 11-yard touchdown reception from Brian Hoyer in the third quarter.

Strip sack! Recovery!

TO THE HOUSE. @Patriots #PHIvsNE pic.twitter.com/uxrXTHeJv9

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2018

On the flip side, it was not a good night for Eric Decker again. He has battled drops in camp and he had a perfectly thrown ball from Hoyer hit him in the hands at the Eagles 40. He dropped the pass. He was targeted one other time and it was broken up. Decker

Before the game, there was plenty of trolling from the Eagles, reminding New England of what happened the last time these two teams met. There was the Eagles official Twitter tweeting a picture of two of their jerseys, 41 and 33, next to each other in the Gillette Stadium visitors locker room. Then there was a plane flying overhead that dragged a banner that read “41-33 PHILLY PHILLY S.B. LII”.

There were some teaching moments. Chris Hogan dropped a Brady pass over the middle on which Isaiah Wynn was bull-rushed by Michael Bennett. Wynn, who replaced LaAdrian Waddle at right tackle on the second series of the game, headed to the blue tent with an ankle injury and did not return after being carted to the locker room.

@ProFootballDoc thoughts on Isaiah Wynn? pic.twitter.com/TW3pIh852g

— Phil Swift Here For Flex Seal (@Leprechaunvict) August 17, 2018

Reserve tackle Ulrick John suffered an unspecified injury in the fourth quarter, forcing starting right tackle LaAdrian Waddle back into the game in the final moments.

No one had a rougher first half than rookie corner Keion Crossen, who played the slot corner with the starting defense. He was called for 50 yards of defensive pass interference on two plays in the second quarter, setting up Philly’s only first-half score. He was also called for a defensive holding in the end zone that set up the Eagles at the Patriots 4 before the Patriots stopped them. Crossen was also burned on a pair of underneath routes in the Eagles’ 2-minute offense before the goal-line stand.

Stephen Gostkowski avoided injury when making a tackle on Shelton Gibson’s 46-yard kick return to midfield. He appeared to fall on his chin and his head snapped into the turf. He was checked out on the sidelines and underneath the stands before returning to the game to convert field goals of 37, 49 and 29 yards, in addition to converting all four extra points.

Apparently, the Eagles haven’t been practicing tackling with the new NFL rules. They were called three times for lowering the head to tackle, a 15-yard penalty. Jordan Richards picked up the first such penalty by a Patriots player this preseason when he was tagged for one in the third quarter. It helped set up Philadelphia’s third touchdown of the night, a play on which Richards was also flagged for a personal foul face mask away from the play.

The next time the Patriots play at Gillette will be the regular season opener on Sun. Sept. 9 against the Texans, as they wrap up the preseason in Carolina next Friday and against the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 30.

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The post Ja’Whaun Bentley, Adrian Clayborn, Tom Brady Light It Up As Patriots Romp Past Eagles, 37-20 appeared first on CLNS Media.

MINNEAPOLIS — Now we know why Malcolm Butler appeared in tears during the national anthem before the start of Super Bowl LII here in Minneapolis.

The star cornerback who saved Super Bowl XLIX with perhaps the most important interception in the history of the game, was mysteriously benched by Bill Belichick before the biggest game of the season. Nick Foles shredded the Patriots secondary for 373 yards in a 41-33 Eagles win in Super Bowl LII at US Bank Stadium.

There were precious few answers after the game as to why Belichick would do this to the player who played in 97.8 percent of his team’s defensive snaps this season. He played in every defensive snap of the two playoff games.

“They gave up on me. F-. It is what it is,” Butler told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “I don’t know what it was. I guess I wasn’t playing good or they didn’t feel comfortable. I don’t know. But I could have changed that game.”

More from an emotional Malcolm Butler as he walked to the team bus: “I don’t know what it was. I guess I wasn’t playing good or they didn’t feel comfortable. I don’t know. But I could have changed that game.” https://t.co/FUjRvcycwG

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) February 5, 2018

Tom Brady threw for 505 yards and three touchdowns – all in the second half – but even Tom Brady couldn’t help the defenseless Patriots on this night.

“No, that wasn’t the plan,” said a stunned Eric Rowe, who added he wasn’t told he was replacing Butler until right before kickoff.

What was Belichick’s explanation?

“We put the best players out there and the game plan out there because we thought it’d be the best to win,” Belichick said, adding it was not disciplinary.

That answer suggests Rowe, Johnson Bademosi and Jordan Richards were better options on the other side from Stephon Gilmore.

It’s hard to believe Belichick really felt that way based on the numbers Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles put up against the Patriots defense. Foles finished 28-of-43 for 373 yards and the game-winning touchdown to Zach Ertz with 2:21 to play. Foles converted clutch play after clutch play, with none bigger than the completion on 4th-and-1 from the Eagles 45 with 5:39 left.

The Eagles finished 10-for-16 on third down. The Patriots gave up four plays of at least 15 yards on third down.

It’s hard to believe this is how it ends for a Patriots hero who appeared ready to make himself a long career in New England following Super Bowl XLIX. Maybe Belichick thought his play dropped off significantly. Maybe Belichick thought he wasn’t committed to the team when they needed him the most.

It’s hard to fathom Belichick doing anything that he didn’t genuinely believe would help win Super Bowl LII.

After watching the secondary play a game without Malcolm Butler and the stunned look on the players faces after, Patriots fans are left to wonder just how the result might have been different and whether they would be raising a sixth Lombardi trophy if Butler had played.

“It was a coach’s decision,” Butler added to Reiss. “I was just doing my job and supporting my teammates. I have nothing but great things to say about the organization. They gave me an opportunity. That’s about it.”

With Butler likely headed somewhere else as a free agent in 2018, we’ll likely never know.

The post Precious few answers for what happened to jilted Malcolm Butler in Patriots Super Bowl meltdown appeared first on CLNS Media.

In the most offensive game in Super Bowl and NFL postseason history, 67,612 watched as the Eagles captured their first Vince Lombardi trophy, 41-33. Tom Brady finished 28-of-48 with 505 yards and three touchdowns. His Hail Mary, like in Super Bowl XLVI, fell just out of the reach of Rob Gronkowski.

Zach Ertz scored the go-ahead touchdown from Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles with 2:21 left and Brady was strip sacked by Brandon Graham with just over two minutes left to help seal Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl title. The Eagles won their fourth NFL championship and first since 1960.

Jake Elliott’s 46-yard field goal after the Brady strip-sack and Derek Barnett recovery made it 41-33 Eagles with 65 seconds remaining. Brady could not march the team down the field.

The Patriots failed in their effort to join the Steelers as six-time Super Bowl winners.

Click here for the full box score.

The two teams combined for 1,151 yards as neither defense could sustain pressure of any kind all night.

Simply RI-GRONK-ULOUS.

Touchdown, @RobGronkowski! pic.twitter.com/PMuW5VjrJh

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 5, 2018

With Malcolm Butler benched at the discretion of Bill Belichick, the Patriots had to rely on a secondary that featured Eric Rowe, Jordan Richards and Johnson Bademosi.

The Eagles were determined to take the game at the Patriots, no matter the circumstance, no matter the odds.

The Eagles realized early that the only way they had a chance to hang with the Patriots was to play hard and fast. Doug Pederson was not afraid to take the wraps off the offense, even with Nick Foles at the helm.

The Patriots made uncharacteristic mistakes and their secondary was burned. Malcolm Butler was in tears during the national anthem before remaining on the sideline and not playing as Bill Belichick went with Eric Rowe. Their defense was torched for 323 yards in the first half. Tom Brady dropped a pass on a wide open trick play pass from Danny Amendola. Nick Foles caught his on a 4th-and-2 late in the first half to give the Eagles a 22-12 half time lead.

Tom Brady hit big play after big play but paid a huge price. Chris Hogan caught first half passes of 43 and 34 yards. Danny Amendola had a catch of 50 yards and Rex Burkhead had a catch-and-run for 46 yards. The Patriots actually outgained the Eagles in the first half with 350 yards.

But the Eagles made the Patriots pay a price and no one paid a bigger one than Brandin Cooks, who was knocked out of the game with concussion on a brutal hit from Malcolm Jenkins in the first quarter.

The Patriots made a simple halftime adjustment – feed Rob Gronkowski. He caught four passes for 68 yards on the opening drive after the kickoff, including a 5-yarder over the middle for the touchdown that brought the Patriots within 22-19.

A #SuperBowl @RobGronkowski #GronkSpike. #GoPats pic.twitter.com/f6PVWn8GgK

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 5, 2018

The Eagles responded again by shredding the Patriots third down defense. With 2 completions of 19 and 22 yards on third down the Eagles went back up by 10, 29-19, when Corey Clement hauled in a catch in the back of the end zone on third down. The Patriots came right back as Tom Brady hit a wide open Chris Hogan for 26 yards, making it 29-26.

The fourth quarter opened with more offense until Marquis Flowers stopped Nelson Agholor for an eight-yard loss on third down, forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal and a 32-26 Eagles lead.

But predictably, the Patriots marched right down the field. Rob Gronkowski hauled in a four-yard touchdown with 9:22 left in the back left corner of the end zone and Gostkowski’s extra point was good to give the Patriots their first lead, 33-32.

To start the game, the Eagles called tails and it came up heads. The Patriots deferred with weather not a factor inside US Bank Stadium.

The Eagles came out and executed on two big third down chances, picking on Eric Rowe, who was starting for Malcolm Butler. The Eagles converted twice on third downs drive to the Patriots 2 on a LeGarrette Blount run. But a false start by Zach Ertz proved costly. The Eagles had to settle for a 25-yard field goal.

The Patriots took their first possession and drove down the field, using hurry-up that forced a 12-men on the field and a big play from Chris Hogan, a 28-yard pass from Brady to get momentum going. But the Patriots stalled when a pass for Rob Gronkowski was broken up in the end zone. A 26-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski gave the Patriots their first first-quarter points in a Super Bowl of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era and their first since Super Bowl XXXI when they led Green Bay, 14-10, after 1.

The wild and wooly first only got crazier the next time the Eagles gained possession. Alshon Jeffery continued the epic story of receivers making spectacular catches against the Patriots in Super Bowls. Nick Foles dropped back and lofted a perfect pass for the tall wide receiver. Jeffery went airborne over Rowe and caught the ball in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point was wide right. So began one of the most dubious first half performances in special teams in Super Bowl history.

The Patriots would reciprocate twice, with Gostkowski missing a 34-yard field goal on a bad snap and a shank off the left upright. Gostkowski would then miss badly wide left.

With the Eagles leading 15-6, James White broke off a 26-yard touchdown run.

.@SweetFeet_White: #SuperBowl TD machine. pic.twitter.com/NtRhJNnfye

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 5, 2018

But the Eagles converted a huge 4th down for a touchdown when Trey Burton took a handoff from Corey Clement in the direct snap and found a wide open Foles in the end zone for a 22-12 halftime lead.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Tom Brady became the oldest recipient of the NFL Most Valuable Player award when it was announced Saturday night at the NFL Honors at the University of Minnesota.

At 40 years of age, Brady appears to be getting better with time.

Brady led the Patriots to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC, throwing 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while throwing for 4,577 yards, the most ever by a quarterback 40 years old. The seven years between MVP wins is an NFL record. Peyton Manning, who won five, twice captured the honor separated by four years.

Brady then engineered a win over Tennessee in the AFC divisional round before orchestrating a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against Jacksonville in the AFC Championship on Jan. 21 at Gillette Stadium.

Brady finished third in the balloting for NFL Offensive Player of the year, behind Todd Gurley and Antonio Brown.

While it was a great night for Brady, who pre-recorded his acceptance speech, it was another year of disappointment for Ty Law. The Patriots corner was denied again in his quest for the Hall of Fame due to a stacked class.

Fell short this year for the 2018 HOF class but very appreciative and humbled to be apart of the conversation and consideration congrats to the 2018 class, well deserved!!! #HOF2018

— Ty Law (@OfficialTyLaw) February 3, 2018

Another former Patriot did make it easily as Randy Moss was selected in the town where he began his legendary career. The receiver set the NFL record for single-season touchdown receptions with 23 in 2007. Joining Moss is Terrell Owens, the receiver who played with a broken leg and injured ankle ligament in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Ray Lewis, drafted by Ozzie Newsome on the recommendation of Bill Belichick in 1996, joins the 2018 class with another linebacker Brian Urlacher. Eagles safety Brian Dawkins earned his way in as well Saturday, as did Jerry Kramer, the right guard who famously threw the block that sprung Bart Starr into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in the 1967 “Ice Bowl”.

It was family day at the Super Bowl as the Patriots took part in their customary tradition of allowing friends and family of players to take pictures on the Super Bowl field the day before the big game. Tom Brady’s parents, Gisele and brother-in-law Kevin Youkilis were all in attendance with their family.

Several thousand Patriots fans turned out in the bitter cold Saturday afternoon outside Super Bowl LIVE in downtown Minneapolis to rally for the team. Several members of the Patriots’ injured reserve turned out for the rally in the wind, snow and cold.

https://youtu.be/DHkp4BnOW68

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By his side for much of the workout was tight end, who will practiced in pads and was listed as limited as he works his way through the concussion protocol.

“He’s working his way back,” Bill Belichick told AFC pool reporter Nicki Jhabvala.

Belichick clarified the pool report at the opening of his Wednesday press conference, indicating that the team placed Gronk in the non-contact red jersey on Saturday and Sunday in Foxboro but was good to practice in pads on a limited basis on Wednesday.

As Gronkowski makes his way through protocol, he was again not available to reporters for Wednesday’s Patriots media session at the Mall of America.

The Patriots worked on several 11-on-11 situational drills as they began their on-field prep at the Vikings practice facility in Eden Prairie, leading up to Sunday’s game with the Eagles.

Here is Jhabvala’s full report:

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The New England Patriots kicked off their Super Bowl week of practice with their first and only fully padded session Wednesday afternoon at the Minnesota Vikings’ Winter Park indoor facility.

And at Week 20, they seemingly haven’t missed a beat.

“We’re getting there,” coach Bill Belichick said. “Every year is a little bit different because we’re a little bit different and the team we play is a little bit different. But I think we’re doing the best we can.”

The 12:30 p.m. CT practice lasted approximately two hours without a minute wasted.

Quarterback Tom Brady, wearing only black tape on his injured right (throwing) hand, practiced in full and led the offense through passing and red-zone drills to start, then situational 11-on-11 football.

By his side for much of the workout was tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will practiced in pads and was listed as limited as he works his way through the concussion protocol.

“We red-jerseyed him today so he’s working his way back,” Belichick said.

Also limited were defensive lineman Deatrich Wise (concussion) and cornerback Malcolm Butler (illness).

The up-tempo practice was similar to most other Patriots practices, with receivers running routes and catching deep balls from Brady to start. The offense transitioned into a red-zone period, then went straight to 11-on-11, with the noise cranking up before every snap. Special teams took over for kick returns, and later field goals. After additional 11-on-11 work, Brady and the offense closed it out with a two-minute drill.

The location might have changed. The opponent too. But the Patriots’ schedule remains regimented, with morning meetings, weights and practice, then additional team meetings and media availability to follow at the team’s hotel attached to the Mall of America.

“Again, it varies during the season — short weeks, long weeks,” Belichick said. “But we had a week in Foxboro and now it’s kind of our day to hit the tempo here and tomorrow will be a little less, Friday will be a little less.”

The Patriots will return to the Vikings’ facility for practice at the same time Thursday and will have two more daily sessions before Sunday’s game.

Trags, Toscano, Molyneaux on the keys to a Patriots win in Super Bowl LII

[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4BEgzJ4yUw&list=PLjOuBY4yDXCaCVPKoLLVb-uIpaH5_N-wE” /]

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