Calling out RealFootball365.com

By Os Davis  |   Friday, November 24, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New England Patriots
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Sometimes complaining does work.

Before you read the remainder of this piece, be sure to participate in the latest superdupedopehype RealFootball365 poll. Go to the RF365 homepage, scroll down just a bit, and you'll see it; the current question is "Who is the best Defense?" Your vote matters, so please put in your two cents. Do it now, if you want. I can wait.

Finished? OK, great.

Hey, this writer wanted to vote as well. Online polls like ours are great. Click your mouse and instantly a map splays out, a pie chart pops up, or bar charts grow pleasingly from left to right. "Fantastic!" I said to myself over my morning coffee, "I know exactly who I'm going to vote for."

Sure, the no-brainer choice is the Chicago Bears. Former University of New Mexico Lobo Brian Urlacher is the prohibitive favorite for the NFL's defensive MVP award and The Monsters of the Midway are truly one of two teams in the league whose defense wins ballgames outright.

So where's the fun in a Bears vote? Besides, I've got a superior 'D' in mind, anyway: A unit that is fourth overall in yards allowed, second in points allowed at 13.1 per game, second against the run, tied in the top spot in TD passes allowed, and No. 1 against the fourth-down conversion (indeed, nearly perfect at six stops in seven attempts).

"Let's see," I muttered half-awake, "Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys - all compelling choices...Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, yes, fine defenses there..." And the last team listed in this field of 11 is ... the Minnesota Vikings? "Wait a minute," I self-admonished, "I read that wrong."

So I scanned the list again. And again. I rubbed my eyes to clear the last of the sleep. And I scanned the list again before speaking, madly, wildly, to myself.

"Where," I demanded at the screen just a decibel below waking-deeply-sleeping-baby-in-another-room-with-closed-door level, "in the name of Nick Buoniconti are the New England Patriots?"

I figured this was a situation in which I was expected to spit out my coffee in surprise. Instead, I took a gulp, deliberately expectorated screenward, got on my high horse and demanded (okay, whined profusely) to the RF365 editorial board about such a grevious omission. They agreed I just might be on to something -- either that or they really figured I might actually hold my breath until I turned Patriot blue -- and added New England to the list of candidates.

Sportswriters and talking heads always chuckle when a Tom Brady or Troy Brown comes out to proclaim that the Patriots don't get any respect. "Yeah, surrrrrrrrrrrrrre," they and we all chant, recognizing the national coverage and columnist props the navy blue-and-silver continue to amass despite an offense consisting of Brady and whatever dudes Robert Kraft can find to play for Gillette disposal razors in lieu of actual money. The fact that New England rarely enters into conversations of top-notch NFL defenses serves as proof of this ineffable disrespect.

Seriously, isn't anyone else mind-boggled by the linebackers the Pats come out with in the 3-4? The lineup card reads: Rosevelt Colvin, Junior Seau, Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel. How often do we see a foursome this talented? These guys are all running up terrific careers and are bejeweled with eight Super Bowl rings plus a ninth in Seau's jewelry from the 1995 AFC championship. And in case you think Seau is washed up at 37, check out his 68 tackles for the year, including a ridiculous 15 against the New York Jets two Sundays ago.

Want more? The Patriots' 26 sacks put them ninth in the league, ahead of the acknowledged monster defenses of the Cowboys, Jaguars, Broncos and even the Bears. At 207 yards allowed per game, the Pats are middle-of-the-herd in this category, exactly one yard per game behind the mighty Chargers, and stingier than Pittsburgh, Denver, Minnesota, plus half the NFL.

Defensively, the Pats' Achilles' becomes apparent against the pass; however, this area shows improvement over recent years, despite the loss of name players such as Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy. Currently ranked at 15th in terms of yardage allowed, this actually shows an upswing since 2003. In the Super Bowl runs of '03 and '04, New England finished 17th against the pass. Last season, seemingly ill-equipped after Law's departure, the Beaneaters were a dismal 31st. And, as stated, New England is No. 1 in passing TDs this year, a level the team hasn't reached since its dominant 14-2 run in 2003.

(Subjectively speaking, the improvement is evident without stats. Asante Samuel no longer so painfully resembles a boy among men as he did in, say, the brutal 40-21 loss against the Indianapolis Colts last year. Or against Trent Green's Kansas City Chiefs. Or in the playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. Or...you get the idea. He looks better.)

Vote Bruschi and the boys in 2006!

As for the game of the week, this writer's Super Bowl XLI preview, and a game Chicagoans have doubtlessly been waiting for all year, I'll go with Patriots 14, Bears 10. Should be a great one. As Al Michaels says in Madden, "This is a great game for those who like defensive struggles, 'cause we've got two of the best in the league out here today."

Keep up with those low-flying New England Patriots at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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