Fortress Of Good Fortune

Week 5: New England Patriots 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 (3-2) (Thursday, October 5, 2017)

Well, the Pats did manage to pull out a win on a short week, but it was ugly! The offense looked like it was clicking but stalled several times in the end zone. The defense was improved since last Sunday but they still gave up the dreaded Big Plays, and they committed two consecutive roughing-the-passer penalties at the end of the first half that gave the Bucs an opportunity to steal 3 points. Fortunately their kicker couldn't get the ball through the uprights. An undisciplined Bill Belichick team is a shockah! Special teams were so-so, too.

The offensive line is a big concern. Tom got sacked, hit, and pressured WAY too much. He'll never last the season with all these big hits! Something has to be done, and quick!

Hopefully ten days off will help this team. They sure need to turn it around. 3-2 is okay, but hardly setting the world on fire.

Everyone in the division is playing tomorrow so I'll update after the games.

EDIT: Everyone won this week except for the Bills.

Next week, the New York Jets welcome the boys from Foxboro!

AFC EAST

NE 3-2
BUFF 3-2
NYJ 3-2
Miami 2-2

Yesterday was my annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Saints Bill and Tom, who are fresh off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. :) Fitting, as the weather was very autumnal, with the day being cool, breezy and cloudy, a huge improvement over last year's humid 100 degrees.

15,000 of us made the trek to Gillette Stadium. That meant I didn't get near the bleachers (third year in a row) and had to climb up the hill, but got a great viewing spot under a shady tree and used my binoculars for close-ups of the field.

Yep, saw Tom, who doesn't look like a guy who's gonna hit 40 in a week! :) He was sharp in drills, too, and Gronk spiked a ball after a touchdown. :) Newcomer Brandin Cooks looks very good in the offense, so it appears he isn't lost in this complex scheme. Coach Belichick was there spinning his whistle, barking out commands, and reveling in being at the top of his game.

Both back-up QBs looked pretty good, though Jimmy G. ended up with two INTs and had to run a lap with the center after a botched hand-off. Jacoby Brissett has healed from his thumb surgery and was less accurate, but not by much. He has a lot of promise.

It was a very festive atmosphere with a lot of Brady jerseys (and Gronk and Edelman and so on), and they added a few new vendor stations this year. Unfortunately, they also added security check with bag inspection. Pretty sad state of affairs when you have to check fans' bags just to enter training camp. *shakes head*

I brought some slices of bread and my own water, not wanting to pay the jacked-up prices, and it worked out fine. I do wish I could get a bleacher seat like the old days, but I refuse to come hours early before the gates open. I have a long enough drive as it is early in the morning to get here, so I'll make do with the hill.

All in all, very excited about football season! It officially kicks off in September, but training camp is an unofficial opening. The Pats will hold joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, and I bet the Jags don't see 15,000 people at their training camp! :) They are also holding joint practices with the Houston Texans at their camp and the Detroit Lions back here at Gillette.

The Texans and Dallas Cowboys clear out of Texas in the summer. Smart move! They hold their camps out-of-state to escape the godawful Texas heat.

So, yay, football is back! :)

AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots 36, PIttsburgh Steelers 17 (2-0) (16-2) (Sunday, January 22, 2017)

*dances* *twirls* *dips* *sashays*

The Pats are on to the Super Bowl!!! :)

It's the 9th time in franchise history and the 7th under Brady/Belichick. It was a GREAT game!

The first half was a bit tight, but the Steelers couldn't punch the ball into the endzone. The Pats weren't flawless but they had a comfortable lead by halftime and never looked back. Chris Hogan was incredible and so was Julian Edelman in the receiving corps. The O-line did its job. Dion Lewis scampered around and LeGarrette Blount bulled his way forward, carrying half the Steelers' DBs with him! Kicker Gostkowski did miss an extra point (after a steady second half of the season) so that's a tad worrisome, but hopefully he won't do so again in the Super Bowl. Otherwise he was right on the money.

Tom was fantastic. He was sharp and shining, though he will hear about his fumble on a quarterback sneak. Luckily he retained possession of the ball! Tsk, tsk, Tommy!

It became blow-out territory by the second half and was a game in which Pats fans didn't have to hold their breath 'til the last second! :)

We're on to Atlanta (in Houston)! The Falcons crushed the Packers in their Championship Game, and it's gonna be tough. Atlanta has a stout defense and great offense, but bring it on! Tom and the Patriots are going for Ring No. 5!

Oh, Marty Bennett! Dancing with the cheerleaders after the game. Sign this guy up! :)

Gillette Stadium rang with cheers of "Brady, Brady, Brady!" and "Where's Roger?" as the Commish once again showed his cowardice by not showing up.

We are enjoying this run for we shall not see its like again.

Week 11: New England Patriots 30, San Francisco 49ers 17 (8-2) Sunday, November 20, 2016)

A Jekyll-and-Hyde game! First half, the Pats were flat as pancakes. The second half, Tom ignited the offense. One amazing throw was completed while he was falling onto his back! He threw for 4 touchdowns, and LaGarrette Blount broke 100 yards in this game. Tom is now tied for 199 wins as a starting quarterback with Brett Favre. His next win ties him at 200 with Peyton Manning.

It was the first time Tom has played as a pro in San Francisco. His hometown is San Mateo is mere minutes away from the stadium. Julian Edelman is also from the same area. They both had family and friends in the stands, as well as so many Pats fans, it sounded like a home game! Even Coach Belichick commented that New England fans travel well. A grand homecoming! :)

The defense showed some improvement but needs a LOT of work. Right now they're the Achilles' heel of this team. Hopefully they can straighten things out.

The Bills and Dolphins won and the Jets were on their bye week.

AFC EAST DIVISION

NE 8-2
Miami 6-4
BUFF 5-5
NYJ 3-7 (Bye)

Week 4: Buffalo Bills 16, New England Patriots 0 (3-1) (Sunday, October 2, 2016)

Stink, stank, stunk!

O was abysmal. If anything, ST was worse. D couldn't stop anybody. Poor Jacoby. The rookie came down to earth.

Except for Julian's 90-yard run on the first play from scrimmage that was called back, there was pretty much no excitement in this game for a Pats fan. Awful, awful, and more awful. First shut-out at home since 1993. First shut-out at Gillette EVAH!

All the wiseacres ready to ship Tom out of town because looky what Bill can do with a third-string quarterback got a reality check today. Great coaches need great quarterbacks, period!

Hated losing to Loudmouth Rex at home but the Pats will be meeting them again soon. And the Dolphins and Jets lost this week, so that's a bonus! :)

Next week, Tom's return against the Cleveland Browns!

AFC EAST DIVISION

NE 3-1
BUFF 2-2
Miami 1-3
NYJ 1-3

Week 1: New England Patriots 23, Arizona Cardinals 21 (1-0) (Sunday, September 11, 2016)

Could the Patriots go on the road up against one of the best teams in the AFC without their unjustly-suspended star quarterback (subbed by a guy who has seen little regular-season action in his career), injured All-World tight end, two stalwarts of the offensive line, and various bumps and bruises?

YES!!!

Jimmy Garoppolo didn't wilt under the bright lights. He did make some mistakes, but that's to be expected. Nothing boneheaded, anyway, and while the secondary got burned by Larry Fitzgerald, the guy's a Hall-of-Famer.

Otherwise the offense moved efficiently and Jimmy G. was very comfortable with Julian Edelman to start as his primary receiver. He did spread the ball around and threw for a TD. He even caught his own ball! Ha! Guess Giselle was wrong ("My husband cannot throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time!"). ;)

The Pats were dominant in the first half but the Cardinals woke up in the second half and came close to winning the game. Not easy-peasy but still showcased Coach Bill Belichick's preparation skills and that of his staff. It also spotlighted the skill of the players as they executed the game plan.

Jimmy G. will probably have his ups-and-downs. The more film there is on a newbie, the more likely that opposing defensive coaches can find a way to slow him down or even stop him. Guys like Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III were the Next Big Thing, but they've flamed out. Kaepernick is better known now for sitting down while the national anthem plays and RGIII lasted one game before being put on IR for the season.

The pundits were almost universal in picking the Cardinals to win. So much for punditry! :)

Tom watched the game from his couch and congratulated Jimmy and the team on the win. Giselle posted a photo of Tom throwing her the football in their backyard. It's a Brady World! :)

Everyone in the AFC East Division except for the Pats lost yesterday. Guess that opportunity to grab the division crown from the Pats is hit a speed bump. :)

AFC East Division:

NE 1-0
BUFF 0-1
Miami 0-1
NYJ 0-1

(Preseason) Week 1: New England Patriots 34, New Orleans Saints 22 (1-0) (Thursday, August 11, 2016)

Preseason has begun! This year is a little different as Tom has been railroaded into losing a quarter of his season and back-up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will start the first 4 games of the season, so he needs a lot of work.

The heat index was 103 last night. Jimmy G. performed so-so: not great but not badly, either. He's only played in preseason games his three years in the league and occasional mop-up duty in the regular season, so he made a couple of bonehead plays but made some good decisions, too. And it's unfair to compare Jimmy to the Greatest Of All Time. He's going to suffer in comparison.

The offense showed some spark and WR Malcolm Mitchell provided a lot of it but dislocated his elbow. He will be back sometime this season, though.

The defense caused 3 turnovers and did some other good things.

All in all, for a first preseason game, not too bad. Tom, Gronk and Jules did not play. Tom was not even on the sidelines as he had permission to attend a funeral.

The Saints had come into Foxboro for joint practices and the Bears come in next.

Olympic Note: Head Coach Bill Belichick wore a Nate Ebner jersey to practice and cut practice short so that the team could watch their teammate score a goal for the U.S. rugby team! :)

Week 16: New York Jets 26, New England Patriots 20 (OT) (12-3) (Sunday, December 27, 2015)

Very dull game, mostly, though the Pats' defense did come up with a scoop-and-run after Jets' QB Ryan Fitzpatrick fumbled the ball. That was an awesome touchdown! :) Also TDs by Gronk and James White. Unfortunately, the offense really never got into much of a rhythm (couldn't convert a third down to save their lives) until the fourth quarter when Tom marched them down the field to tie the game.

When the game went to overtime, Belichick had so little faith in his offense (riddled with injuries) that he elected to kick off instead of receive after winning the coin toss. The Jets scored a touchdown on their first possession and it was all over.

Very lackluster game except at the end. They could have won home field advantage throughout the playoffs if they'd won this game but now have to hope they can beat the Dolphins in Miami next Sunday.

The Bills won and the Dolphins lost.

AFC EAST DIVISION

New England 12-3
NYJ 10-5
Buffalo 7-8
Miami 5-10

Week 2: New England Patriots 40, Buffalo Bills 32 (2-0) (Sunday, September 20, 2015)

The Patriots and Tom were spectacular in this Week 2 game. Tom threw for 466 yards, the most ever against the Bills in their history, and also threw for 3 TDs and attempted passes 59 times. It was his 100th game in which he threw at least 1 TD and no INTs, the first QB in history to do. Gronk once again got a touchdown, and two Bills’ DBs yelled at each other after the score. It was the same formation that the Pats used just last week! Awesome sauce! ;)

The crowd was really hyped up at the beginning of the game, because that’s what their head coach, Rex Ryan, is good at: getting his players and fans hyped up. Unfortunately, that doesn’t play well week-to-week in the National Football League unless you deliver success. So far Sexy Rexy hasn’t. He’s a great Defensive Coordinator. Head Coach? Not so much.

Julian Edelman got 11 catches again this week and a TD. Dion Lewis ran for another TD. The offense was steamrolling the Bills after a bit of a slow start. And the Bills began to creep back into the game in the second half but the Patriots crushed their last hopes with an interception. Three rookies played on the Pats’ offensive line against a Bills’ defensive line with 4 first-round picks and $250 million dollars in salary.

Man, Gronk and Jules are firecrackers! Gronk is the big cherry bomb and Julian is the small, sassy sparkler! ;)

Tom is on a mission, along with Bill Belichick and the rest of the Patriots. After Tom’s name was dragged through the mud all off-season, he learned who his friends were. He and the Patriots will lay waste to the rest of the NFL if the stars and planets align just right. Beware Avenging Patriots! ;)

The Pats beat the Bills and the Dolphins lost to the Jaguars while the Jets won, so the division looks like this:

New England 2-0
NYJ 2-0
Buffalo 1-1
Miami 1-1

Next week: the Jacksonville Jaguars come to Gillette Stadium!

Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24 (3-0) (Sunday, February 1, 2015)

YES!!!YES!!!YES!!!

My boys did it! They got ring No. 4 for Tommy and it was a crazy game!

Tom now has 4 Super Bowl rings as a starting quarterback, tied with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. He is the only starting quarterback with 6 Super Bowl appearances. He passed Joe Montana for most Super Bowl touchdowns (13, with 4 last night) and threw 20 complete passes in the first half, a Super Bowl record.

Julian Edelman was sparkling, Gronk fantastic, and JoJo LaFell did his part. Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Devin McCourty and LeVar Arrington were stellar for most of the game (some gaffes, but the same could be said of the offense). Undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler made the game-winning interception at the very end. Whew! Wasn't looking good there for a bit! :)

Bill Belichick ties Chuck Noll of the Steelers for most Super Bowl wins as a Head Coach. He has two other rings as a Defensive Coordinator for the Giants.

Rob Ninkovich, Jamie Collins, Vince Wilfork, Shane Vereen...the list goes on and on as guys 'did their job'. And, man, was it sweet that Roger Dodger (Goodell) had to hand the Lombardi Trophy to Robert Kraft, his old buddy who he left to twist in the wind for two weeks. Kraft barely spoke to him. Oh, and there's been a recent report that the deflated footballs were at the minimum after all, only one below standard. I doubt that will be leading the evening news, eh? The haters are stewing in their own bile!

I love Manning Face when Peyton Manning effs up or reacts to his teammates' mistakes, and now there's Sherman Face. The Seahawks were celebrating a little early with nine minutes to go. Tsk, tsk! It ain't over 'til it's over, boys!

Tom said he learned who his friends were these past weeks. I think he was shocked at the amount of hate and venom directed at him and he's never been an a-hole like some stars. He had a cold and looked absolutely wrung out at the end of the game. The Arizona weather was taking a toll on everyone.

You can bet the team wanted to win this one not just for themselves, but for Tommy and Bill. They saw what had happened last week and they must have gotten fed up. It must feel extra-good this morning to wake up as Super Bowl champs.

It's a big question as to why the Seahawks just didn't give the ball to Marshawn Lynch at the end instead of throwing it. That's a puzzler, all right!

It's snowing like crazy here and we don't care. :) The parade may have to be delayed a day, but get the duckboats out! There will be a parade again through the city of Boston, my friends! Whoo hoo! *dances joyfully*