1250 replies to this topic

[SoxScout]

74 degrees, 54 dew point (so low humidity, which was a concern), mostly cloudy, 8 MPH wind

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-0) at TENNESSEE TITANS (0-0)
Sunday, September 9, 2012 LP Field (69,143) 1:00 p.m. ET

The defending AFC Champion New England Patriots will begin the defense of their title when they open the 2012 season on the road against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field this Sunday.

The Patriots have won eight straight season openers, the longest streak in the NFL. Green Bay is second with five straight opening day wins. Only four NFL teams have had nine-plus opening day wins: Dallas (17 from 1965-1981), Miami (11 from 1992-2002), Portsmouth/Detroit (10 from 1930-1939) and Chicago (9 from 1984-1992).

The Patriots, who are 28-24 all-time on opening day and 9-12 on opening day on the road, have not lost an opening day game since a 31-0 loss at Buffalo on Sept. 7, 2003. During the Patriots eight-game opening day winning streak, two games have been won on the road, a 38-14 win at the New York Jets in 2007 and last season’s 38-24 win at Miami.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience by CBS and can be seen in Boston on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties with Phil Simms providing color. The game will be produced by Lance Barrow and directed by Mike Arnold.

RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network’s 40 stations can be found in this press release. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 36th season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action. Former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak will handle the color commentary, taking over duties for Gino Cappelletti. Cappelletti, a member of the original Boston Patriots in 1960 and the all-time leading scorer in the American Football League’s history, retired from the broadcast team after 31 years as the team’s iconic color analyst.

http://prod.static.p...909_release.pdf

[SoxScout]

OL Nick McDonald Shoulder DNP
RB Shane Vereen Foot DNP
TE Daniel Fells Shin Limited
CB Sterling Moore Knee Limited
OT Sebastian Vollmer Back Limited
S Patrick Chung Shoulder Full

[Norm Siebern]

Dallas won seventeen straight opening games, from 1965 to 1981? Tom Landry was a helluva Coach.

[Turrable]

New England, D.C. area, most of the bible belt and the Pacific Northwest will have the game on CBS. Awwwwwwwwwww Yeeeeeeeeeeah.

http://www.the506.com/temp11.html

[Ed Hillel]

Vollmer won't make it to week 6, will he?

[Shelterdog]

Vollmer won't make it to week 6, will he?

Who knows. He gets a slightly bad injury rap* (he's not hurt all the time--he missed two games in the four years from 2007-2010) but missing all of 2006, the vast majority of 2011 and at least a lot of practice time in 2012 with a similar sounding injury is certainly really, really disturbing.

What's hard to tell is how bad his known injury is compared to unknown injuries lots of players have--Matt Light's Crohn's disease spring to mind. All these guys are always hurt so it's just impossible to tell what's serious and what isn't.

*For some reason Pats fans are incredibly fast to say a player is always hurt. Chung and Spikes missed, combined, two games in their college and pro careers due to injury before each missing 8 games last year, and a lot of people say they're injury prone, can't stay on the field, etc.

Edited by Shelterdog, 06 September 2012 - 11:05 AM.

[Ed Hillel]

*For some reason Pats fans are incredibly fast to say a player is always hurt. Chung and Spikes missed, combined, two games in their college and pro careers due to injury before each missing 8 games last year, and a lot of people say they're injury prone, can't stay on the field, etc.

I agree, but it's the consistency of this apparently being the same injury that concerns me quite a bit. That, and the lack of depth at the position right now. To be fair to Canon, he's had a lot to come back from, and I'm optimistic he would improve. Still, I've no idea what his ceiling might be, nor how long it might take him to reach it.

[Shelterdog]

I agree, but it's the consistency of this apparently being the same injury that concerns me quite a bit. That, and the lack of depth at the position right now. To be fair to Canon, he's had a lot to come back from, and I'm optimistic he would improve. Still, I've no idea what his ceiling might be, nor how long it might take him to reach it.

Since we don't really have new information about Vollmer since he missed most of a season (other than that they don't have him TRYING TO TOUCH HIS TOES during stretching) it's certainly fair to assume his back is a problem until proven otherwise.

I'm not sure it matters as much as people think. I'm not as concerned as most about the Pats' o-line--in particular (and I know his is quasi heretical) because I think the pendulum has swung too far and people overrate the importance of good linemen. Obviously you need decent line play but with good skill position players and offensive play calling I'm convinced that you can be just fine with mediocre linemen if they're well coached and the team is running a smart offensive system. Look at the offensive linemen who are on top teams these days-- Jonathan Scott, Charlie Johnson, and the corpse of Chad Clifton have all been starting LTs in the superbowl the last couple of years.

[Groovenstein]

Patriots football. < 3 days. Oh hell yes.

[SeoulSoxFan]

BRADY EATS TAMPA-2 FOR BREAKFAST

[Corsi]

Patriots RB Shane Vereen has been ruled out for the team's season opener at Tennessee. Was injured on August 24th.

https://twitter.com/...167441532469248

[Super Nomario]

Guessing the inactives:
RB Shane Vereen (already out due to injury)
WR Greg Salas
C/G Nick McDonald (questionable and probably fifth on the DC)
DL Marcus Forston
DE Jake Bequette
CB Alfonzo Dennard (questionable and low on the DC anyway)
CB Sterling Moore (ditto)

Other possibilities: Hilliard / Bolden, Fells, Hoomanawanui, Vollmer, Thomas, Francis

[axx]

Vereen needs to get on the field. Perhaps the talk about him getting cut wasn't too far off.

[MJM2344]

Anyone got any more highlight videos I can watch a bunch of times in the next 24 hours?

[Turrable]

This comes to mind

[Adrian's Dome]

Less than 24 hours.

[RedOctober3829]

Anyone got any more highlight videos I can watch a bunch of times in the next 24 hours?

Edited by RedOctober3829, 08 September 2012 - 01:59 PM.

[Super Nomario]

Guessing the inactives:
RB Shane Vereen (already out due to injury)
WR Greg Salas
C/G Nick McDonald (questionable and probably fifth on the DC)
DL Marcus Forston
DE Jake Bequette
CB Alfonzo Dennard (questionable and low on the DC anyway)
CB Sterling Moore (ditto)

Other possibilities: Hilliard / Bolden, Fells, Hoomanawanui, Vollmer, Thomas, Francis

http://espn.go.com/b...riots-inactives

Mike Reiss has six of seven the same, with Fells inactive and Salas playing.

[Reverend]

Somehow, when working out my schedule of things to do, I failed to realize this weekend was the return of the NFL regular season.

Mother. Fucker.

[Reverend]

AVENGE ME!!!!

[sachmoney]

AVENGE ME!!!!

Edited by sachmoney, 08 September 2012 - 06:07 PM.

[Reverend]

[RedOctober3829]

Per @Patriots, Dennard and Nick McDonald are officially out.

[redsahx]

Not exactly sure why I have a bad feeling about this game, but I keep expecting the Patriots to come out flat while Tennessee rides the emotion of their home opener. Anyways this may be a good sign, as anytime I have doubts about the Pats, they tend to not only win, but win easily.

[Preacher]

Anyone else getting pumped? 7 hours to kickoff!!

[Ferm Sheller]

T minus 4 hours. Can't wait to coincide that first cold sip of Sam Oktoberfest with either Gostkowski's or Bironas' foot into the ball.

Edited by Ferm Sheller, 09 September 2012 - 08:01 AM.

[BigSoxFan]

(Pre-game warmups for me)

GRONK GRONK GRONK

Fucking McCourty

What's the status on Chung's injury?

Sign Waters now!!!

[Mystic Merlin]

Game day, bitches.

[Turrable]

Fuck I've missed this

[koufax32]

(Pre-game warmups for me)

Fucking McCourty

That is one strange pregame routine. Is this why he didn't play as well last year?


Go Pats. Try to give TB more than .2 seconds.

[Jack Sox]

I've been waiting to move on from the last loss for quite some time. God damn, football - it's good to have you back.

[phragle]

@GregABedard
Connolly's taking some snaps with Mallett. Wouldn't surprise if the team when with Connolly at C, Donald Thomas at RG for 'best five.'

[jsinger121]

New England Patriots ‏@Patriots
Patriots inactives: Bequette, Dennard, Fells, Fortson, Francis, McDonald and Vereen.

[Ed Hillel]

Schefter says Mankins tore his ACL week one last year and played THE ENTIRE SEASON WITH A TORN ACL.

Jesus.

[TheoShmeo]

So the Pats open with one Rams offensive coordinator, two WRs and one TE.

It's a good thing the Rams didn't stink last year.

Oh, wait...

I kid, mostly.

Yes, football has been a long time in coming since I walked out of Indy in tatters.

Today we get to see if the mantra about Dante being able to coach em up is accurate.

[jsinger121]

Mike Reiss ‏@MikeReiss
Titans inactives: QB Rusty Smith, RB Javon Ringer, LB Zac Diles, T Mike Otto, T Byron Stingily, DE Pannel Egboh, DT Sen'Derrick Marks

[SeoulSoxFan]

CJ's average runs/carry the last three years:

• 2009: 5.6
• 2010: 4.3
• 2011: 4.0
• 2012 PS: 2.9

Coming off the lowest yds/carry last year, CJ2K is just not the same. Measly 2.9 this pre-season.

Per bleacher report:

This was where Johnson struggled the most last season. He had only 26 rushes of over 10 yards [in 2011], nearly half of what he had in 2009. Even worse than that, those carries only accounted for 511 yards and one touchdown.

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

Schefter says Mankins tore his ACL week one last year and played THE ENTIRE SEASON WITH A TORN ACL.

Jesus.

He only tore one of two bundles, so his knee wasn't grossly unstable, which is likely how he was able to play like he did.

That and he's a tough SOB.

[SeoulSoxFan]

T-minus 40 minutes.

Hooooooooooooooly shit.

[SeoulSoxFan]

Not exactly sure why I have a bad feeling about this game, but I keep expecting the Patriots to come out flat while Tennessee rides the emotion of their home opener. Anyways this may be a good sign, as anytime I have doubts about the Pats, they tend to not only win, but win easily.

Brady & Co. say:

[MarcSullivaFan]

21-14 Patriots. After a Brady pick-six at the end of the first half, Pats go run-heavy in the second half and pound the Titans into submission. We get our first taste of a much-improved pass defense.

Of course, now that I've said that it will be 45-38.

[CaptainLaddie]

OH GOD OH GOD FOOTBALL IS BACK

[phragle]

OH GOD OH GOD FOOTBALL IS BACK

IM NOT LETTING IT DIE

[MJM2344]

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO

[Darnell's Son]

Awww yeah!!!

[mwonow]

Has anyone got a link for video?

[Boston Brawler]

SO. HAPPY.

[nothumb]

Anyone got any more highlight videos I can watch a bunch of times in the next 24 hours?

no, but i fucking love mogwai.

[SeoulSoxFan]

Has anyone got a link for video?

In full Japanese commercial glory:

http://www.vipboxspo...eam-online.html

[SeoulSoxFan]

SO. HAPPY.