Well it wasn’t as good as just a few short weeks ago when the San Francisco 49ers were so bad the New England Patriots owned the second overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. But even after the Niners went on a bit of a run the last four or five weeks of the season they still finished 5-11 and good for the 7th spot in the first round. It’s a pick that now belongs to New England courtesy of an earlier trade between the clubs.

Not counting any trades being made prior to the draft here is the draft order for the first ten picks.

1. Miami Dolphins
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Atlanta Falcons*
4. Oakland Raiders*
5. Kansas City Chiefs*
6. New York Jets
7. New England Patriots via San Francisco 49ers
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. New Orleans Saints

* – Atlanta, Oakland and Kansas City along with the New York Jets finished tied for 3rd. The Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders had the same strength-of-schedule, creating the three-way tie. Since Kansas City finished third in the AFC West and the Raiders fourth, the tie between them was broken on the basis of the Chiefs’ 3-11 record in common games while the Raiders were 2-12). That means that the Raiders will draft ahead of the Chiefs.

The Falcons and Raiders will flip a coin for the third position; if Atlanta wins, the Falcons will draft third, the Raiders fourth and the Chiefs fifth. If the Raiders win the coin flip, they will draft third, and the Falcons and Chiefs will flip a coin to determine the fourth and fifth positions.

The Jets had a tougher strength of schedule than the three other teams tied with 4-12 records and will pick sixth.

It was good to see the Patriots shake off the cobwebs they had in the opening period against Buffalo. For a while there it looked like the team was sleep walking. Something woke them up and then the Bills had no answers for what is turning into a devastating offense.

Does anyone ever recall the Patriots challenging two plays in game before, much less a half or within 11 seconds of each other? The Patriots lost both challenges and two time outs. I guess if you’re going to lose time outs it’s better to lose them in the first half rather than the second half of a close game. But on the other side he was out of challeges for the rest of the game. Maybe he knew it was a matter of time before they blew Buffalo out of the building.

Here’s Bill Belichick’s take on challenging a call:

“First of all, it needs to be what you consider to be an important play in the game,” he began. “Obviously the more important the play is, the more likely I’d be to throw it, regardless of how convincing the evidence was. “And second of all, how good you feel about what evidence you have to work with. I would say the more important the play, the less certain I would be about the evidence or view of the play.”

“Sometimes,” he continued, “You’re just hoping you get a good view of it. The more sure you are of the replay, the more sure you are of the evidence that will overturn the play, then, I would say, the less important the play would need to be. I think those things, for me, work in inverse proportions.”

The Pats have thrown the red flag three times this year and have lost all the three challenges. This season there have been 47 challenges league wide and 12 have been over turned for a 25.5% sucess rate. Last season the success rate of reversals was 45.1% as 107 of 237 challenges were over turned.

Head coach Bill Belichick’s Monday press conference can be found here.

While fans and the media appear ecstatic over the Patriots roaring start to the season, the big guy doesn’t necessarily see the same things. Belichick wants to see the team stop someone in the red zone.

“We haven’t stopped anybody yet, so it starts with me,” Belichick said. “We can’t let them in the end zone every time they cross the 20-yard line. It’s just ridiculous.”

“I don’t think right now is really a good time to evaluate where any team is,” Belichick said. “We need to get better at the things that we’re not doing as well on and, if we don’t, I think it will hurt us in the long run.”

Six times prior to his year the Patriots have started 3-0. Four times they failed to make the playoffs.

As was noted in the game recap Randy Moss gave a young fan in the front row the ball after his second TD the leaping, stretching grab of the 45-yard bomb from Tom Brady.

You can read a great story about Moss giving the ball up by checking this link out. I want to say it was fantastic work by the ProJo to get the story. Nice shot by the photographer Glenn Osmundson and nice leg work by the reporter Shalise Manza Young to get the story and a interview with the family of Patriots fans from Rye, NY.

It’s safe to say Randy Moss has a few new fans for life.

This Week

The New England Patriots host their AFC East rival Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Patriots are looking to start the season 3-0 for the 7th time in franchise history.

The Patriots are 1-0 at home this season, the Bills are 0-1 on the road.

Here are the rosters for the Bills and the Patriots.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo Sports is Patriots -16.5 points, the over/under is 41.

My prediction is Patriots 41, Bills, 7. Give the points, take the over. I am 2-0 against the spread and over/under for 2007.

Tickets

The game is reported as a sell out.

Tickets to game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here. Many times tickets are released in the last 48 hours prior to the game.

Getting To The Game

If you’re lucky enough to have tickets and you are going to the game make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from the American Weather Service.

Click for stadium directions, parking information, parking map, specific MBTA train times for this game and a Gillette Stadium seating chart.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS is televising the game, it is a regional broadcast. The play-by-play duties will be handled by Kevin Harlan with Rich Gannon doing game analysis. You can check here to see if you are getting the game from CBS and look for your local station.

Radio

The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBCN-FM 104.1 in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Capelleti does the color.

It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresch and the pregame show at 10 a.m. along the network.

The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.

Check this out for the low down on the Patriots Rock Radio Network and stations in your area.

If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live. You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.

The game will also be broadcast nationally by Sports USA Radio Network. Howard David will call the play-by-play and Tim Pernetti will handle the analyis of the game.

All NFL games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio. The Bills radio call is available on Channel 146, the Patriots radio call is available on Channel 122.

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The Result

The Patriots win the season opener in a romp at the Meadowlands beating the Jets 38-14.  The Patriots are 1-0, while the Jets are 0-1.

The Patriots looked really good in beating the Jets today.  They clicked well on offense, the defense stepped up in the absence of two of their big guys and the special teams keyed by a NFL record kick off return excelled as well. 

Tom Brady to Randy Moss has a chance to be something very special.  Neither has ever had a player of the others caliber around them and today it looked so easy.  Moss at 6’5″ has a huge advantage on most DB’s in the league and you saw today all Brady has to do is throw the ball up and Moss will get it.

Scoring Plays

Patriots first quarter Brady 11 yard TD pass to Welker – kick good 7-0 Patriots

Jets second quarter Pennington 7 yard TD pass to Coles – kick good 7-7

Patriots second quarter Brady 5 yard TD pass to Watson – kick good 14-7 Patriots

Patriots third quarter Hobbs 108 yard kick off return – kick good 21-7 Patriots

Patriots third quarter Brady 51 yard TD pass to Moss – kick good 28-7 Patriots

Jets third quarter Pennington 1 yard TD pass to Coles – kick good 28-14 Patriots

Patriots fourth quarter Gostkowski 22 yard field goal -31-14 Patriots

Patriots fourth quarter Evans 1 yard run – kick good 38-14 Patriots

Offensive Player of the Game

These two were linked all day so it’s only fair to that they share in this honor.

Randy Moss 9 catches 183 yards, 1 TD and Tom Brady 22 for 28, 297 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

Defensive Player of the Game

Patriots DL Jarvis Green 6 tackles and 2 sacks.  Very impressive along with Warren as the line stepped it up in the absence of Richard Seymour.

Turning Points of the Game

On 3rd and short in the second quarter the Patriots decide to go no huddle and quick snap the ball not allowing the Jets to make substitutions and after looking pass Tom Brady easily runs for the first down.  He then goes back-to-back to Randy Moss for a 30 yard completion and a 27 yard completion to get to the Jets 6.  This would eventually turn into points when Brady hit Ben Watson in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead with just a minute left to play in the half.

Ellis Hobbs returning the opening kick off of the second half for a NFL record 108 yard touchdown.

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This Week

The New York Jets host the New England Patriots at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands of East Rutherford NJ on Sunday afternoon.  It is the season opener for both teams.  Game time is 1 p.m.  It marks the start of the 48th season of Patriots football. 

Here are the rosters for the Patriots and the Jets.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo Sports is Patriots – 6.5 pts.  The over/under is 41. 

My prediction is Patriots 31, Jets, 21.  Give the points, take the over.

Tickets

The game is reported as a sell out.

Tickets to game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here.  Many times tickets are released in the last 48 hours prior to the game.

Getting To The Game

If you’re lucky enough to have tickets and you are going to the game make sure you check out the links.

Due to construction on a new Meadowlands Stadium, unless you have a premium parking pass there is no parking available at the Meadowlands facilities.  You must park in the satellite lots and take the shuttles to the game. 

There is NO TAILGATING IN THE SATELLITE LOTS.

Here is all the parking info you will need for the game, this link includes directions to Giants Stadium as well as prohibited items and anything else you need to know about the stadium.  Here is a Giants Stadium seating chart.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS is televising the game and we get the top announce team.  The play-by-play duties will be handled by Jim Nantz, with Phil Simms doing game analysis.   See if you will receive this game on the CBS network.

Radio

The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBCN-FM 104.1 in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Capelleti does the color.

It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresch and the pregame show at 10 a.m. along the network.

The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.

For the low down on the Patriots Rock Radio Network and stations in your area.

If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live.  You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.

This game will also be broadcast nationally on the Westwood One Radio Network.  Bill Rosinski and Dan Reeves will call the game.  Click on the link to find a station near you.

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The New England Patriots cheerleaders are hitting the road this season and it’s not for football games. The Patriots cheerleaders will be out and about throughout New England during the football season spreading the word about Patriots football, bringing joy to small children and smiles to faces of men everywhere.

In order to keep this post neat and efficient I am going to list the Connecticut events and anything else I consider worthy of a mention. I will also provide you with this link where you can see the entire Patriots cheerleader appearance schedule.

One of the cool things is that Bob’s Discount Furniture is the official furniture store of the Patriots and the cheerleaders are making regular appearances at Bob’s Discount Furniture Store’s throughout New England this fall.

I never realized a team needed an “official furniture store” but hey if it puts me that much closer to a Patriots cheerleader or two I am all for it.

The schedule kicks off this Friday September 7^th. Pats cheerleaders will be in four Massachusetts towns Franklin, Boston, South Yarmouth and Springfield. The Boston event is a charity auction while the other three are Grand Opening’s for new stores of various types.

Sunday they will be in Portland ME and Providence RI to help kick off the season.

Then on Monday September 17^th, Monday October 15^th and Monday December 10^th the cheerleaders will be at various Bob’s Furniture stores throughout New England from 7p-9p. The CT stores they will appear at on those dates are:

Newington CT, Manchester CT, Orange CT, Bridgeport CT, Southington CT, and Niantic CT.

Hopefully through the three appearances they will send different girls each time so the fans have a chance to meet more of the squad.

The following Patriots cheerleaders hail from the Constitution State:

Cortney Bennett, Kelly Looke and Jessica Wanzie. While they’re great make sure you check out the entire 2007 squad here.

They also have a 2008 swimsuit calendar coming out so it might be cool to get one and have them sign it at some of the appearances.

 

Former New England Patriots punter Danny Baugher was arrested just hours after being released by the team for assaulting his father.  Baugher and his father, Erle, were in a fast food restaurant parking lot at 4 a.m. when police were called for two men fighting.

Police say Baugher, 23, was drunk at the time of his arrest for assault.   

According to the police report, a spat between father and son inside a vehicle escalated to the point where Danny Baugher punched Erle in the face. Erle Baugher, 54, declined medical treatment.

The police report described Baugher as “very evasive with his answers” and, when ordered out of the car, unable to keep his balance “due to high level of intoxication.”

According to the Boston Herald, Baugher pleaded not guilty on Thursday in Hingham MA District Court.  He was released on his own recognizance. 
 

New England Patriots WR Randy Moss practiced in pads Monday with the team for the first time in more than a month. Moss missed all of the preseason with an apparent hamstring injury. He is hoping to play Sunday against the Jets but as of yet there is no official word on that.

Newly signed S Asante Samuel also appears on track to be on the field for Sunday in the Meadowlands.

With the sight of Moss practicing with his teammates word came out that the Patriots cut fellow WR Reche Caldwell. Caldwell was the Patriots leading receiver last season and was one of six receivers listed on the 53-man roster submitted to the league on Saturday.

Last season Caldwell caught 61 passes, including 4 TD’s. But it may have been what he didn’t catch in the AFC Championship game in Indianapolis that led head coach Bill Belichick and Player Personnel guru Scott Pioli to drastically overhaul the receiving corps.

In addition to Moss the Pats added Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth and Kelly Washington in the off season.

The move leaves the Patriots with a roster spot.

Besides Moss and Samuel practicing, DB Eugene Wilson, TE Kyle Brady and TE David Thomas all were on the practice field as well.

From the Pats Blog on the projo.com website via the Patriots media department here is the transcript of the Tom Brady interview with the media on Monday.

The Minnesota Vikings claimed former Patriot TE Garrett Mills off of waivers but it wasn’t until after Vikings head coach Brad Childress was called by Bill Belichick to try to persuade him to allow Mills to slide so they could put him on the practice squad. Belichick told Childress he would claim one of his guys he wanted for his practice squad if Childress claimed Mills.

Childress didn’t flinch and claimed Mills and placed him on the active roster. Belichick went and claimed LB David Herron from Minnesota and placed him on the roster.

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We all know the big news out of Foxboro was the four game suspension of safety Rodney Harrison for admitting he bought HGH online through an Internet pharmaceutical ring out of New York State.

There was more bad news for the Patriots defense this weekend. Pro-Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. This means that Seymour can not play at all for the six weeks of the season.

Seymour, who had off season keen surgery, was bothered by knee problems all through training camp will be eligible to return to the team anytime between Week 7 and 9. Until that point he can not practice with the team but can attend rehab and meetings. After Week 7 they have three weeks to either activate him or place him on injured reserve for the season.

The Patriots also cut 21 players including veteran quarterback Vinnie Testaverde, linebacker Chad Brown, tight end Marcellus Rivers and cornerback Dante Wesley to get down to the league mandated 53 by 4 p.m. on September 1^st (Saturday). Testaverde and Wesley were just signed within the last few weeks as insurance policies. The Patriots also released wide receiver Bam Childress who had a pretty good preseason but with the numbers at wide out he ended up being left out.

Quarterback Matt Gutierrez, an undrafted free agent competing in his first training camp, was the biggest surprise. The Patriot brass felt that if they kept Testaverde they would lose Gutierrez, who played very well earning himself the roster spot, to another team. Another factor into keeping Gutierrez over Testaverde is the obvious strides that Tom Brady’s backup Matt Cassel has made. This is Cassel’s third year and he showed that he knows the offense and has grown in his knowledge of the Patriots system. Feeling confident in Cassel’s ability made going with the rookie Gutierrez over the 21-year vet Testaverde an easier decision.

That’s not saying that this had to be an easy decision because Testaverde has long been a favorite of head coach Bill Belichick. This was evident as the two kept in touch all off-season leading to Testaverde signing a one-year deal just a short time ago. It is believed that Testaverde may be re-added to the roster later in the season as he was last year to add an extra quarterback for the stretch run and playoffs.

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 Being a New England Patriots football fan the last 7 seasons have been good for the many long suffering fans of the team. And really this started prior to the last seven seasons it goes back to the Kraft family’s purchase of the team and the hiring of former coach Bill Parcells. It took a little dip in the Pete Carroll era but came back strong when the Patriots hired Bill Belichick as head coach 8 seasons ago and teamed him with Scott Pioli.

With the a cohesive front office, better talent, improved on field play, a new stadium and of course the 3 Super Bowl Titles the demand for tickets to see the team has soared to all-time heights. It is now very difficult to get tickets to see the Patriots play. As a New England sports fan we love our teams but over the last few years it has been increasingly difficult to see the Pats or the Red Sox at face value.

Red Sox fans, frozen out of sold out Fenway Park, have taken to the road to see the club play. Many Patriots fans have done the same.

The Patriots offer 4 price points for seats at Gillette Stadium. The prices are: $59, $75, $89 and $125. Lower Level seating is $89 and $125, Mezzanine seating is $89 and Upper Level seating is $59 and $75.

The Patriots also offer a limited amount of Standing Room Only tickets for each home game at $49 each.

Doing a quick check of Ticket Master in search of Patriots tickets for the 2007 season I put in for 2 tickets at any price and best location in Gillette Stadium or any of the road games and this is the results I got as of August 31, 2007.

All of the Patriots home games are SOLD OUT for both regular seating in all levels and for Standing Room tickets. These are the tickets that are available through Ticket Master. I’m sure you can find tickets through an agency, broker or private third party.

As for seeing the Patriots on the road every game except one is SOLD OUT. The only game with available tickets at this point is against the Dolphins in Miami. Once again those are through Ticket Master. As I said earlier, if you’re willing to spend the money you can find tickets through an agency or a broker service.

Also a lot of times tickets are released within 48 hours or game time. These are tickets that were generally held for the opposition, the league, sponsors, groups, etc that haven’t been sold and are returned to the team. So it’s best to try Ticket Master again in the final 48 hours prior to kickoff.

Happy searching.