Archives for December 2008

‘”In football, things always happen; you get emotional, and you start tussling,” he said. “It was one of those things that worked in our favor, and their guys did a poor job of clock management.”‘

‘Fred Jackson, RB On the possibility of a new coaching staff: I would love to be with this staff. I love every one of our coaches. I think that would make it easier on a lot of guys if we know we are coming back and we have the same coaching staff, we have the same kind of schemes to work on. I definitely would love for the coaching staff to return. It would make my offseason a lot easier knowing that I could just go watch film and correct the things that we did this past season knowing that’s what we are going to work on. If I had a choice or a say in it I would definitely want the same coaching staff here.’

Shut out (Boston Globe)

Sack carried them (Boston Globe)

A win from the ground up (Boston Globe)

Bubbly about uncorked kick (Boston Globe)

Not enough — but they gave plenty (Boston Globe)

Brady’s rehab progressing as expected (Boston Globe)

Photo gallery (Boston Globe)

Patriots win, but miss playoffs (Boston Herald)

No playoffs not reason for Patriots to hang heads (Boston Herald)

Matt Cassel beats odds (Boston Herald)

Stephen Gostkowski, kicking game shines (Boston Herald)

Jarvis Green fills large void (Boston Herald)

Report: Tom Brady’s rehab well behind schedule (Boston Herald)

Best and Worst of the Patriots/ Bills game (Boston Herald)

A long-winded statement (Boston Herald)

Patriots sing a sad song after beating the Bills but falling short of playoffs (Providence Journal)

Patriots rose above windy conditions by staying close to the ground (Providence Journal)

Cassel does it all in the final game of his remarkable season (Providence Journal)

Bills lost their cool, and their chance to score, before halftime (Providence Journal)

Patriots deserve praise, not criticism, after this season (Providence Journal)

Patriots-Bills postgame analysis (Providence Journal)

Report on Brady’s knee could mean Cassel sticks around (Providence Journal)

Patriots hold their heads high (Brockton Enterprise)

Patriots have no one to blame but themselves (Brockton Enterprise)

Pats have issues to address in offseason (Quincy Patriot Ledger)

A big Jet letdown (Metro West Daily News)

Gone with the wind (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Despite win, Patriots home for the playoffs (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

After 11-5 season, Pats on the outside looking in (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Decision was a breeze (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Tales of two quarterbacks (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Shut-out Patriots stoic upon return (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Cassel adds punting to resume (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Helpless (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

Cassel did admirable job filling big shoes (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

It’s unsatisfying that the Patriots are the best 11-victory team not to make the playoffs (Springfield Republican)

Photo gallery (Hartford Courant)

Fate blocks Patriots (New Bedford Standard Times)

Wait ’til next year (Manchester Union Leader)

Non-playoff-bound Pats end regular season with dignity (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)

The other franchise QB (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)

Two-Minute Drill (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)

No postseason for Pats; time to reflect and reevaluate (Lynn Daily Item)

Patriots get gust-win, 13-0 over Bills (Patriots.com)

Bill Belichick Postgame Presser – 12/28/2008 (Patriots.com)

Matt Cassel Postgame Presser – 12/28/2008 (Patriots.com)

Game Notes (Patriots.com)

Patriots Postgame Quotes (Patriots.com)

Bills Postgame Quotes (Patriots.com)

One wild, final ride (Patriots.com)

Patriots comment on end of 2008 season (Patriots.com)

Photo gallery (Patriots.com)

‘”We knew coming in, with the way the conditions were, that it was going to be a day to run the ball,” Jackson said. “I knew coming in that I would probably get a lot of carries. It was something that we wanted to take upon ourselves to be able to do to and kind of take some pressure off going to the pass earlier. We felt like we were able to do so, we just didn’t get enough plays out of it.”‘

‘It was so nice of our area’s fine weather to provide for us an empty canvas to judge Trent Edwards. I argued all week that if he had a fine game, we could ignore the injured first-half against San Francisco and point to the Kansas City and Denver games as the real Edwards. Surely he’ll be back as the starter heading into training camp, but I have more questions heading into next year’s Bills than I did going into this year, and perhaps that’s the main reason that Dick Jauron’s job should be in jeopardy.’

‘The Bills were moving the ball at the end of the half, but on 3rd and goal and with: 22 left, The Bills called a running play that ran the clock out in the first half. The ball was blown dead but Center Duke Preston had an altercation with several Patriot players that resulted in the clock running out at the end of the half.’

‘Dick Jauron made a terrible play call running with Omon on third and nine with the wind at their back. He had way too much confidence that Lindell would hit a long field goal even with the wind at his back. His team showed an extreme lack of discipline on the debacle at the end of the first half that resulted in no points. Interesting call to take the wind in the third quarter failed as most of his moves do. Jauron doesn’t belong in the same stadium as Bill Belichick. They wasted a timeout with the wind in the third quarter when the Patriots acted like they were going for it on 4th and 11. Perry Fewell had no answers early for the play action pass to the fullback and his defense struggled against the run late in the game. Turk Schonert had no answers on offense. Grade F-: It’s time to clean house!!!!’

‘This season is now over and Dick Jauron has led the team to three straight 7-9 seasons if the fact that he got a contract extension back in October keeps him in Buffalo, then it shows that Ralph Wilson doesn’t care about winning. So why should the fans care so much? At least they can be happy that they won’t see another Bills loss until September. They’ve seen enough of them the past 10 weeks of the season.’

‘Trent Edwards connected on 14-of-25 passes for 128 yards and Fred Jackson amassed 136 yards rushing for the Bills, who finished with a 7-9 record for a third consecutive season under head coach Dick Jauron.’

‘For the third straight season under head coach Dick Jauron the Bills finished 7-9 as they lost eight of their last 10 on the season after a 5-1 start. Buffalo went winless in the division (0-6) for only the second time in team history and the first time since 1976.’

‘LaMont Jordan scored on a 2-yard run set up by Cassel’s 12-yard completion into the wind on fourth down, and Stephen Gostkowski hit a pair of field goals to secure a 13-0 win over the bumbling Buffalo Bills on Sunday.’

‘Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters (knee) and running back Marshawn Lynch (shoulder) didn’t play for Buffalo. Peters missed his second straight game, while Lynch was held out for the first time this season. Lynch, the Bills’ leading rusher after amassing 1,036 yards on 250 carries, was replaced by Fred Jackson. Receiver/punt returner Roscoe Parrish also missed the game because of a knee injury.’

‘Very strong gusts occurred at about 8:30 a.m., when they tore a strip 2 feet wide and more than 50 feet long off the metal roof of the 12-story fieldhouse across the parking lot from the stadium. There was damage reported inside the facility, but no one was injured. Pregame events inside the fieldhouse were canceled.’

‘Patriots, 31-19.’

‘So here we are today, staring at the same sorry scenario. Dick Jauron’s team brings a 7-8 record into the season finale against the Patriots. His players say they love him. If they upset the Pats, it will be hailed as an endorsement of the coach. That’s how far we’ve come in six years.’