ATBNG

This seems like their standard setlist for this tour - it probably won't deviate more than a song or two. Square One Politik Yellow God Put A Smile On Your Face Speed of Sound Low The Hardest Part Everything's Not Lost White Shadows The Scientist 'Til Kingdom Come Ring of Fire (Acoustic) Don't Panic (Acoustic) Clocks Talk --------- Swallowed In The Sea In My Place Fix You (ending w/ curtain call) ------------------------------------- Don't miss Rilo Kiley......

Mankins is starting - he's started all three preseason games.

That is an incredible story aussie. It's amazing sometimes how we take having lots of transportation options for granted. Glad you got out in time and glad you're OK.

If they do get picked up (as you expect them to) and make other squads, then what you're saying is clearly a testament to how well Pioli and Belichick draft and evaluate players and not a criticism. It's saying (generally) that guys 72, 73, and 74 on their roster are good enough to be in the top 53 on a different team. An optimist might look at today's decision and say that the three guys the Pats cut were good enough to make the team last year when it won a Super Bowl, and not good enough this year to even make it to the final cut, so this year's team must be pretty damn good.

Brady didn't throw more than 4 +45 yard passes in any game last year, but naturally no one ever contended that he did. There may not have been a quarterback in the entire NFL that threw 4 or more passes over 45 yards in a single game last year. McNabb would be the most likely candidate because he had the most attempts - perhaps he did. But who cares? It's a meaningless measure you came up with based on this radically misconceived idea that there were actually "vertical" teams in the NFL that threw six 45+ yard passes per game, when the actual leading player in that regard last year threw 1.56 45+ yard passes per game. Who should be chiding who about watching the games here? The statistics for a whole season are more relevant to a discussion on a player or players than cherrypicking statistics from one game. Last year's completions and attempts on over 40 yard passes for Culpepper and Brady were very similar. Culpepper 7-17 Brady 7-16 Of course, whenever you lack facts or are unable to grasp facts, you can go back to your convenient strawmen - the "film" , the "try watching the games", the sadly lame vulgar insults, the pathetic closing one liners that end in an exclamation point, and now we can add "what might have happened in one game is more telling than what actually happened over the course of a season."

The latest AKC contention (bolded above) on what actually happens in NFL games again couldn't be further removed from reality. There were no quarterbacks in the league that regularly threw passes longer than 40 yards in the NFL 6 times per game last year….or 5…..or 4….or 3….or even twice. In fact, it was an anomaly for a quarterback last year to average as much as 1 pass attempt over 40 yards per game. Only four quarterbacks did so - McNabb, Culpepper, Kerry Collins, and Brady. Keep in mind that these stats are for passes thrown and not yardage gained – they track the distance the ball is thrown from the line of scrimmage to where the receiver catches the ball. I took a list of 25 quarterbacks and looked at their passing splits from last season on CNN/SI and compiled their stats for passes that were thrown over 40 yards in 2004. I didn’t consider any QB’s from Cleveland, Arizona, SF, Chicago, the NYG, TB, and Miami. The top five in terms of completions on passes thrown over 40 yards were: McNabb 9 Bledsoe 8 Brady 7 Culpepper 7 Palmer 5 The top five in terms of attempts on passes thrown over 40 yards were: McNabb 25 Culpepper 17 K. Collins 17 Brady 16 Bledsoe 15 The top five in terms of percentage completed on passes over 40 yards were: Bledsoe .533 (8-15) Favre .444 (4-9) Brady .438 (7-16) Boller .428 (3-7) Pennington .428 (3-7) Brady is in the top 4 out of the 25 in all three categories. For posterity, the 25 QB's were Culpepper, P. Manning, Brady, Bledsoe, McNabb, Green, Delhomme, Bulger, Collins, Favre, Harrington, Brees, Plummer, M. Hasselbeck, Vick, Brooks, Big Ben, Palmer, Pennington, McNair, Carr, Leftwich, Brunell, Testaverde, and Boller.

Last year, the Vikings (led by "Long Ball" Culpepper) average completion covered 6.24 yards in the air. The Patriots average completion covered 8.21 yards in the air - 31% farther.

Terrell and Johnson have been injured the last couple weeks, as has PK Sam (who they drafted last year and spent the year hurt/injured). Seems like a 5th round pick for Davis is pretty reasonable, but it's a bit surprising considering the depth at the position mentioned above. I'm just guessing they don't think they can count on those injured guys to make the opener, and they are a matchup driven offense to take advantage of Brady's best strength - find the matchup, make the quick decision and accurate throw. Dwight plays really hard and had a great game the other night, but I've been thinking he was a longshot to make the team all along. He's not what they need in the passing game as long as Brown is healthy, and they have been acquiring a lot of potential kick and/or punt returners this offseason (Morton, Starks, draft pick Ellis Hobbs). I think they'll have five WR on Opening Day - Givens, Branch, Davis, Brown, and Terrell. Johnson will be around because he's still on the PUP list.

It's preseason football. I think that most Pats fans understand that the middle linebacker position is a spot to keep an eye on because they lost their three main players at that position in the offseason (with Bruschi being an enormous, enormous loss), but it's an odd thought that we're supposed to worry or be concerned based on a preseason game against a team on the schedule (as HD pointed out). I'd rather have a preseason game like last night than the one the week before. No injuries last night. I've noticed that a lot of these preseason matchups where the teams face each other later in the season go over the total for you sports accounting types. Alexander and Banta-Cain looked OK last night late - just a lot of overpursuit (especially from Alexander). On the downside, I'll be surprised if Chad Brown makes it through this week...never mind into the starting lineup. He looks like he's done - if not done, then certainly misplaced in this role on this team. I wonder if the Pats will toy with a 4-3 at times this season on rushing downs...something like Green/Wilfork/Warren/Seymour up front, and McGinest/Vrabel/Colvin at linebacker.

Not sure what the mood would be here, but I suspect that if Bledsoe were to have such a season, Bill Parcells will get the vast majority of the credit. The national media takes any opportunity to worship at the shrine of the Tuna that it can. Bledsoe led the NFL in attempts in Parcells' last three years as Patriots' coach, even though Curtis Martin was on the team the last two and this includes '95 even though Bledsoe had a separated shoulder all year. The Patriots had a very one dimensional offensive line in those days that may have dictated that strategy, but it still makes me interested to see how the Cowboys call plays this fall. Bledsoe fumbled a lot less back then even though his sack totals were still reasonably high.

Separate issue - Reese has left them in the lurch for sure, but Fisher's coaching was abysmal last year. I think it may be Fisher's time to take a year off and then come back in a different situation. Between the nonexistent secondary and the wildly aggressive game management, he will need to improve or I think he's in trouble. I think he should be as well.

You must miss him horribly, Bill.... Fisher is headed for the hot seat....I feel quite strongly about this.

No - Belichick said in his press conference after the game that he wanted to get Davey and Cassel the snaps since they hadn't seen much game action...and then added "in one case, since high school." Davey was awful - I've been hoping Flutie was a preseason gimmick, but it looks like he's in good shape to make the squad based on last night. I think they'd like to trade Davey if at all possible, but they probably couldn't get a water bottle unless he shows he can manage a NFL preseason game one of these years. He clearly is not a good fit for the NE offense.

In their primes, playing at their best, Law was the much better player. The key to that statement though is playing at their best. Law was frustrating to watch at times because he would go stretches of 6 and 7 games without playing well. Milloy is much more consistent - just not as talented. Milloy is a step slow in coverage without being a huge physical intimidator out there like a John Lynch. He also takes some of the worst (too circular) routes in the league on safety blitzes. I think they're both decent guys - Lawyer is definitely the better leader of the two. Law has the better pedigree in big games. Lawyer has the better chance of having a successful 2005 but Ty probably has more upside if he's healthy because for once in his career he's making short money by his standards. My hunch though is that Law will be a bust, because the injury he has is particularly debilitating on a cornerback. John Olerud has the same injury and I think Don Zimmer could beat him in a race at this point.

I just read about Hunter Kelly’s passing. I know very well that this young man’s valiant struggle against Krabbe’s leukodystrophy was one that meant a lot to Bills’ and NFL fans everywhere. My deepest and sincerest sympathies to all of you, and of course to the Kellys.

What were they thinking about then? Did they have evil in their hearts? There is not a coach in the world who, given an undefensed conversion, would choose to kick for one (which might fail) rather than run for two (which can't fail). It's really, really inane to suggest otherwise - that the Pats did something that other teams wouldn't do by running in the two pointer. There is an enormous, enormous difference between pulling starters (and possibly protecting them from injury) and conceding point differential, and what Phillips did when time had expired. He had every right to be upset, because the end was a sham, but the method of protest he chose was really dumb because it could only hurt his team. Very unlikely that the point would ever matter, but there was no upside. Saying that a tiebreaker has never come down to that is irrelevant - it *could* come down to that. As Pacino said, you have to fight for every inch in football - you never know when that will be the difference. I lot a ton of respect for Phillips that day. He's not at Gilbride levels, but I don't think much of him as a coach. Plus, the whole Captain Kangaroo lookalike thing throws me off.

They're not being pricks. Of course NE is going to run it in. No sane person would risk a one point kick when the opponent is granting you a free two points. Point differential is a playoff tiebreaker after all. You can be glad the players walked off the field, but I'm pretty sure you didn't have a few quid on the Bills that day. The Bills were assuredly jobbed, but what Phillips did was ridiculously unprofessional.

Coates did catch the touchdown after the Pats were granted first and goal on the Hail Mary interference call. Three other points about this game: 1. The Patriots were favored by 3, so Phillips REALLY screwed anyone who bet on the Bills by not defending the point after and turning the game from a push into a loss. His walking off the field was one of the worst things I have ever seen in the NFL. I can't imagine a worse beat having bet on a game. 2. This game combined with the game the week prior (Monday night comeback win over Miami) was probably the epitome of Drew Bledsoe's popularity as a player in New England. He was playing with a pin in his finger and really gutting it out - he was finally showing his guts and heart and getting comparisons with other notable Boston athletes who had played their best while injured (Bird, Neely). If the refs had gotten it right and the Patriots had lost, would Bledsoe's rep have been diminished ever so slightly? 3. The Pats ended up staggering into the playoffs at 9-7 with Scott Zolak and getting trounced by the Jags. If they had lost the Bills game and ended up 8-8, might Kraft have ditched Carroll a year sooner...when Coach Belichick may not have been available? Or would he have pursued Belichick anyway (they supposedly forged a close relationship in 1996)? This is why the NFL is so great - one game can have the most extraordinary ramifications years and years down the road.

Both Barbers are really good guys. I would root for Tiki if he didn't play on the Giants. Liked the nod to "innovative" Gregg Williams as well.

There is no point where I asserted that I know "the secrets of life." I don't. I think though that it is disingenuous to say that pro-lifers are throwing around the term "baby killer" to inspire Eric Rudolph - that's simply not true. It's especially tough to take when you yourself didn't answer the question where you think life begins (and this isn't some "secret" of life - there's plenty of scientific information out there that can be evaluated...this is not to say that different conclusions from that data from my own are necessarily invalid). Perhaps many have concluded that aborting a fetus having functioning heart and brain tissue is doing just that - killing a baby. Why accuse them of a horrible ulterior notion - to inspire a grotesque murderer? Is that your idea of civility? Should you really be surprised that you're not getting anywhere?

This is utterly absurd. The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the heart, eye ear and respiratory functions all form in the first month. Brain waves are detectable at around six weeks. The only direction that science could possibly take us in the future is better technology that determines that these things occur even earlier in the gestation process. If it's not "baby killing," then what is it? When does life begin then, Mickey? Should we be able to prosecute people other than a mother - say a potential grandfather who doesn't want to experience the "shame" of his daughter's single motherhood and assaults his daughter causing a miscarriage - should assault and battery be the only crime on the table? If you wish to know some truth about abortion and whether or not it is baby killing, you're not going to obtain it by evaluating the content of the opposing side's rhetoric, concluding that it is overheated, and thus believing that your position is the sensible one. The other argument you're pushing, that a lack of action on the part of those who believe abortion to be murder suggests they don't really believe that, is equally inane. Do you think that MLK was not really committed to his cause because he didn't use a more forceful approach (like say the Black Panthers?)? Is a willingness to commit violence the ultimate arbiter of what is a truly worthy cause? I'm not a big fan of SUV's. In fact, I detest them. I think that they contribute to a lot of accidents on the road, damage to the road, damage to the environment, and dependence on oil from a people that we are in many ways at war with. Yet I don't think that entitles me to stab the tires of every SUV that I walk by. I recognize there are a substantial amount of people who do not agree with me; I'll await the opportunity to vote accordingly and perhaps impress upon people that I meet and know how I feel and why. Abortion is legal in this country; mere opposition to the procedure does not justify criminal actions against doctors, pregnant women, and deadbeat impregnators.

This post is 100% absolutely spot on.

No team hits on 100% of its picks and signings, but I think the teams that are around 80% versus the teams that are around 50% are there due to superior talent evaluation and not just luck. Nabbing a QB like Brady in the 6th was more lucky than most picks made in all of the NFL, but the Patriots have had five good drafts in a row since Belichick arrived. Also, Pioli is not the GM of the Patriots. He's VP of player personnel. Belichick is the GM; he has final say over all football decisions. Comparing Pioli to Donahoe is not really comparing equals - on draft day in Buffalo, TD has the final say. In New England, Belichick has the final say.

I don't see why pessimism about the Bills' record this coming year equates to trolling. I actually think that the whole division is in for a little downturn because they have tougher matchups (NFC South instead of West, AFC West instead of North). No Clevelands or San Fran, and they were probably the two worst teams in the NFL last year. I doubt the Pats and Bills will both sweep the NFC this year. Losman is a complete unknown quantity, so I think that I would expect lots of people to have varying opinions on where the Bills end up this year. I also think that while the statistics for the last two years have been sensational, the defense really opened itself up for questioning with that performance in week 17 last year, and has a few key players that might be hitting the autumn of their careers. The kicker still is in place and he's still a guy that seems more likely to cost you a game than win you one. On the other hand, the extraordinary 2004 special teams performance tends to show a team that has a deep roster. The Bills are a very tough team to evaluate. I think the Bills fundamentally have done all the right things with their offense in the offseason ditching those two overrated big name players, but the fruits may not be borne this season. Losman's a virtual rookie with a 180 degree style change from Drew - even though I expect the Bills will be way better off, it won't be instantaneous.

I doubt it - if anything, he probably is thankful he did so. Bruschi took less money in his contract perhaps, but more guaranteed money up front in terms of a higher bonus to salary ratio. I agree that these guys have every right to get all they can. Football players make the least out of the four major sports due to the roster size and length of the season, yet theirs is the most watched and liked sport in the country by far.