Where Willie Andrews Pulled His Piece

Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was busted on Sunday for allegedly pointing a gun to his girlfriend's head. The police showed up at his Connors Avenue apartment in Mansfield, MA, and he was arrested soon after.

Checking out Google Maps(double true!), it looks like there's only one set of apartments on Connors Ave. in Mansfield, MA. It would be The Village at Cedar Heights, and according to ForRent.com they range from $1320 to $1620 per month. Though, with this latest charge Andrews might be getting some new accomodations with bars on the doors.

Not So Fast Arlen

Senator Arlen Specter has been pretty vocal about the NFL's investigation into spying by the New England Patriots. Though, since he's a senator from Pennsylvania it's understandable because the Eagles lost in the Super Bowl, and the Steelers were defeated by the Pats in two AFC Championship games. He's sticking up for the home teams, and covering all the bases. However, maybe he should have been a little bit more lowkey regarding possible lawsuits.

Goodell has also met with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who asked pointed questions about taping of both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots beat the Eagles in the 2005 Super Bowl and the Steelers in two AFC championship games.

"As commissioner Goodell has repeatedly emphasized, `Nobody wants to hear from Matt Walsh more than the National Football League,' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday night.

In addition to the negotiations over Walsh's testimony, Willie Gary, who played in that game for the Rams, filed suit in New Orleans last month accusing the Patriots of fraud, unfair trade practices and engaging in a "pattern of racketeering." Three fans joined in the suit.

Specter subsequently said that his interest might be covered by that suit.

"I think now that the lawsuits have been started, that I got the ball rolling, and the plaintiffs' lawyers are picking it up," he said.

Oh, they are Arlen?

Lawyers for a former St. Louis Rams player and three fans plan to withdraw a lawsuit that accuses the New England Patriots of cheating in the 2002 Super Bowl.

In court papers filed Monday, the plaintiffs' attorneys say they sued last month in an attempt to secure sworn testimony from former Patriots employee Matt Walsh, who allegedly taped a walkthrough practice by the Rams before New England's Super Bowl win.

But the lawyers for former Rams player Willie Gary call it an "exercise in futility" because they suspect Walsh would exercise his constitutional right against self-incrimination if he is ordered to submit to a deposition.

On Monday, they asked a federal judge in New Orleans to dismiss the case. The case was filed in New Orleans because the Louisiana Superdome hosted the 2002 Super Bowl, which the Patriots won 20-17.

They do reserve the right to refile it if they wish to do so, but at this time it appears that their lawsuit is going to make much headway. Though, I don't think that many people other than Senator Specter thought that it would. However, I do give him kudos for playing the politician role perfectly.

When You Lose The Super Bowl You Gotta Relieve The Stress Baby!

This past season had to be stressful for the New England Patriots. Every week they had to hear about how it was amazing they were undefeated. How their opponent that week would knock them off. How they got that way because of Spygate. Then they made it to the Super Bowl, and everything looked like it was going to line up for them.

Well, we all know how that ended.

The Pats lost the Super Bowl, and a season's worth of work vanished by way of an improbable throw by Eli Manning and a spectacular catch by David Tyree. After all of that, who can blame the Pats if they want to blow off some steam? Unfortunately, it's more like inhale some smoke because two of them have been busted for marijuana possession. The most recent incident involved Kevin Faulk, a captain of this past season's team.

New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk was issued a misdemeanor summons last Friday for possession of marijuana. Capt. John Babin of the Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force confirmed the summons on Tuesday.

Faulk, a Louisiana native and former LSU star, was on his way to a suite in the Lafayette Cajundome to watch a performance by rapper Lil Wayne, when a routine search by a sheriff's deputy turned up four marijuana cigarettes, Babin said.

Everyone heading to the suites was searched, Babin said.

Faulk was not arrested or required to post bond.

"He was cited for simple possession, which is a misdemeanor," Babin said. "It's based on an amount possessed for personal use."

The thing that I find interesting is that apparently heading into the performance was searched. Now Faulk had to have seen that this was happening, and he probably had a chance to step out of line and head to the bathroom or outside where he could ditch his joints. However, he chose to keep them in his possession. So that means either he thought security wouldn't catch them, or that they would let him slide because he's an NFL player. Both of those are risky choices, and probably not the best ways to deal with that situation. Oh well, he did better than his teammate Willie Andrews that got busted about three weeks ago with a half-pound of marijuana.

The Five Words That I Did Not Want To Hear

Over the weekend, I discussed Zach Thomas's release with some of my friends who are also Miami Dolphins fans. For the most part, we all agreed that Thomas had been a phenomenal player, and that the Dolphins were fortunate enough to have held onto him for as long as they did. However, the defense isn't getting any younger, and cutting some veterans to make way for new talent is just part of the sport. Then I read the one thing that my friends and I feared the most:

Zach Thomas Meets With Patriots

Ugh. As if seeing Wes Welker morph into one of the best receivers in the league last year wasn't hard enough, now we might have to deal with the same thing on the other side of the ball. I understand that releasing Thomas was the business aspect of pro football, and that the Patriots have a need for him and are great at bringing in players and seemlessly intergrating them into their team. However, I'm not sure that I can take another season of watching a former Dolphin flourish with a hated rival while he helps beat the Dolphins twice during the regular season. I would like to see Thomas win a Super Bowl before he retires, just not with the Pats.

You Can't Play "Gutless" Against The Patriots

As we were watching the Patriots eek out an ugly victory against the Chargers yesterday, a friend and I couldn't help but think that some of the Pats victories have come because their opponent played timid at a crucial point. As of now, we've termed it "gutless" football because instead of going all out against arguably the best team in NFL history(ugh, it really pains me to type that), they play it safe, hoping to minimize the damage at that point in the game.

Exactly what am I talking about?

Think back to the Jacksonville/New England game last week. Heading into the fourth quarter the Patriots held an 11 point lead. On their first possession of the final quarter the Jaguars drove 86 yards, used up 5:16 of the clock and settled for a 25-yard field goal. At that point, the momentum had shifted over to New England, as they had outscored the Jags 14-3 in the third quarter. Instead of going for it on 4th and goal from the 7-yard line and cutting the lead to 4, possibly 3 with a successful 2-pt conversion, they played it safe. The Pats responded with a field goal of their own, and won the game by 11.

Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but the Jags had to be ready to score a touchdown on every possession, especially that late in the game down by 11. However, they chose to play it safe, and ultimately lost the game.

The same thing could be said about San Diego yesterday. With about 12 minutes left in the game, and New England leading 21-12, the Chargers faced a 4th and 10 from New England's 36-yard line. At that point on the field, they were looking at about a 54 yard field goal. A distance that Kaeding had made one out of two attempts over the course of the season. Sure there was a lot of time on the clock, but the Chargers had to know that they had a very limited amount of possessions left. They had to make the most of them, especially because they were down two scores. However, instead of going for the first down, or kicking the field goal, they chose to punt the ball down to the Patriots' 13-yard line. New England responded with a 15 play drive that killed the remaining 9:13 on the clock. The Chargers never had a chance to get one more score, let alone the two they needed to win the game.

Like I said, it's easy to be critical of a team's playcalling after the game is over. However, this New England team is capable of scoring a touchdown on every possession, and teams have to be aware of that. They can't be scared of giving up good field position, or putting their defense in a bad spot. Last I checked, those don't explicitly determine the winner of the game, though the amount of points scored does. Teams have to be willing to take some risks in order to keep pace on the scoreboard with the Patriots. Hopefully the Giants learned that from their first meeting with New England, and they'll follow that course of action during the Super Bowl. Otherwise, they'll just end up as win number 19 for the Pats.

Why The Jaguars Will Beat The Patriots

Ok, so the "in" thing to do this week is to predict a Jacksonville win over New England. The reasons are really two-fold. One, a number of people have come to hate New England so predicting them to lose is a popular choice. Two, if you pick Jacksonville to win and they do, then you look like a genius of sorts. If they lose, no one remembers, and they really never bother you about making a stupid pick.

Sounds good to me!

Actually, since it looked like Jacksonville was going to make the playoffs I've wanted them to get matched up with New England as early as possible. The only thing I wish I could change is that it would be the Sunday game instead of the Saturday one. That way the Patriots would know exactly who they were playing if they won, and there might have been the added aspect of them looking ahead a bit. Alas, Commissioner Goodell didn't ask for my input so it's Jax at New England on Saturday night. Now onto some questions and stats!

Jacksonville Went 0-2 Against The Colts This Season So How Can They Beat The Patriots?

Good question! To start, let me say that I think it's different when you're playing a division rival than when you're playing an opponent for the first time in a season. Jacksonville and Indy know what to expect from each other. New England and Jacksonville haven't faced teams quite like each other this season, so it's a different feel for both of them. It's true that in their first meeting the Jags were destroyed by Indy. In Jacksonville no less. However, that game saw Quinn Gray stepping in for an injured David Garrard, and subsequently throwing two interceptions. Without Garrard in the lineup the Colts were able to stack the box and concentrate on shutting down Taylor and Jones-Drew. The second Jags/Colts matchup was much closer, and showed that the Jags are capable of hanging with the elite NFL teams. However, we're talking about them beating one. So just how are they going to do it?

With their returns and running game.

Everyone knows about how dangerous Jones-Drew can be on kickoff returns. Most of us saw it first-hand on that 96 yard return against Pittsburgh last weekend. However, one player that has been overlooked a bit is Dennis Northcutt. He's never been an outstanding receiver, but this year he's been a decent punt returner for the Jaguars. Jacksonville is going to have to make the most out of every possession, and if Northcutt can set them up with good field position, then they increase their chances of pulling off the win. Besides, if Jones-Drew is returning a lot of kicks, then that probably means that New England is scoring. And Jacksonville can't survive a shootout with the Patriots. The only problem is that New England does a pretty good job at covering punts and kicks, so hopefully the Jags have worked some wrinkles into their return game. Though, they've only had 14 punts returned them this entire season(lowest in the NFL), and that bit of inexperience could lend itself to some mistakes.

The other tool that Jacksonville will use to beat New England is their rushing attack. We've seen what a good rushing game combined with a good defense can do against the Patriots. The Colts and Ravens both have good defenses, both rushed for 100+ yards against the Patriots and both almost beat New England. Philly and the Giants also almost defeated New England, but that was more because of defense and quarterback play. The thing is, none of those four teams have a running back tandem like Taylor and Jones-Drew. Addai and Keith are pretty good, but not quite on the same level as the Jags' backfield duo. Taylor grinds it out on first and second downs, but also still has the speed to go the distance like he did against Carolina. Jones-Drew moves the chains on third down, but can also churn out yards on first and second down and is a threat take it to the house whenever he has the ball. He's also a great receiver out of the backfield, and can wreak havoc when covered by a linebacker. New England's rush defense is pretty strong, but I still think that Jacksonville can get Jones-Drew matched up one-on-one at times with their linebackers and that he can exploit that match-up. Jacksonville's strong rushing attack should also limit New England's scoring opportunities, though they do have an explosive offense that can score from anywhere on the field.

Yes, Jacksonville does have a good defense, but they have to do more than just defend New England well. The Jaguars have to control the game. They can control field position with their returns, and control the clock/tempo with their run game. Both of those are crucial if they want to win, and I believe that they'll utilize both to knock off the Patriots.

Can The G-Men Beat The Pats?

Tomorrow night we may witness an amazing feat. Something that I personally thought would probably never happen again. An NFL team may finish the regular season undefeated. If the Pats pull it off they'll be the first team to do it in 35 years. Many people probably aren't giving the Giants much of a chance to win because they already have their playoff spot locked up, and New England has already beat better overall teams. However, I think the Giants have a great shot at winning, and I'll tell you why.

First, Tom Coughlin has always struck me as kind of a dick. Seriously, watching him coach in Jacksonville I always got the sense that he was a hardass coach who enjoyed nothing more than whooping someone's ass. Player, opponent, it didn't matter. He always seemed to be motivated by showing everyone around that he was in charge, and that he could beat you every time. Knocking off the Pats and Bill Belichick seems like the perfect situation for him to draw maximum motivation from and use it to challenge his team. Plus, he has to know that this team isn't exactly Super Bowl caliber. Ending the Pats perfect run is much more memorable than a first round playoff loss.

Second, pressure. In the two closest games of the season the Patriots timing was hindered by defensive pressure. Both the Colts and the Ravens brought blitzes throughout the game, and forced Tom Brady into making very quick reads. He is more than capable of completing the quick throw, but over the course of the game it can throw off the timing just enough so that the passes aren't as crisp and the receivers drop balls. Against Baltimore, Brady was able to complete just 47% of his passes which was way below his season average of 68%. The Giants defense has limited quarterbacks to a completion percentage of just 57%. They've also racked up the most sacks, 52, in the NFL, and allow just under 200 passing yards per game. They have a number of defensive linemen that can bring constant pressure, as well as linebackers that are speedy enough to come on blitzes and cover short pass routes.

Third, overall defense and a strong rushing attack. The Giants aren't going to win if this game turns into a shootout. They just don't have the offensive weapons to keep up with the Patriots. However, they do have the number #4 ranked rushing offense that averages 137 yards per game. In their two closest games the Pats gave up 119 yards and 166 yards rushing. If the Giants can slow down the game and play it at a pace that they're comfortable with they have a good shot at grabbing the win. On the season, the Patriots have been held under 28 points just three times. Two of those times were the Colts and Ravens games. The Giants defense allows an average of just 20.9 points per game, and if they can keep the Pats in that 20-24 range they'll improve their chances of winning.

So there you have it. Just a few reasons why I think the Giants have a good shot at ending the Patriots' perfect season. Of course, cases could be made for the other 15 teams that New England beat, and being a Dolphins' fan I'm sure that some of it is wishful thinking. However, the Giants defense is good enough to slow down New England a bit and give them the opportunity to win.

Anthony Smith's Mouth Has To Be Overdrawn

What's the old saying? "Don't let your mouth write checks that your ass can't cash"? If that's the case, then Anthony Smith's mouth has to be deep in the red.

You might not have known who Anthony Smith was before last week, but after his guarantee of a Pittsburgh victory over the Patriots everyone knew who he was. Yes, he guaranteed a victory, and yes the Steelers got blasted by New England. Ultimately losing by three touchdowns.

For the most part, I don't really have a problem with guarantees. I do think they're rather irresponsible because it gives your opponent something to tack up on their locker room billboard. However, the one thing that I do hate about guarantees is that it's oftentimes done by players that probably aren't going to affect the outcome of the game too much. Think about it, Anthony Smith is a backup safety. He's not the starting quarterback, running back or a defensive leader. His guarantee just puts more pressure on his teammates to play a perfect game. And for God's sake man, if you're going to guarantee something don't get burnt to a crisp on two pass plays.

For those of you that were hoping that Smith's televised embarrassment would quiet him a bit(i.e.-Steelers' fans), I have some bad news. Smith has "guaranteed" that the Steelers will face the Pats again this season.

Still, Smith wasn't reluctant afterward to discuss his much-publicized remarks, which led some of the remaining fans in Gillette Stadium to chant "guar-an-tee, guar-an-tee" as the game wound down.

Smith's take: the Steelers didn't play well, but there's always next month.

"We will see them again," Smith said.

I'm all for a player having the utmost confidence in his abilities and his team. You have to have that if you want to succeed in just about anything. However, after getting torched so bad just a day before the last thing Anthony Smith should be doing is discussing possible playoff matchups. He should be preparing to face Reggie Williams, Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Because I can guarantee you that the Jags will play the Steelers as tough as anyone as they try to secure a wildcard spot. And the Steelers can't afford a lose with the Browns just one game behind them in the AFC North.

Cris Collinsworth And His Rabid Support Of The Patriots

For some reason, I've come to dislike Cris Collinsworth. I'm not exactly how it happened, but I do know that everything he says seems to agitate me. Which is a bit weird since he's a former Gator. Last night, however was probably one of the most difficult things I've had to sit through regarding Collinsworth and his assinine assertions.

"This New England Patriots team is the best I've ever seen" is pretty close to what Collinsworth said last night. Yes, this year's Pats team has started out quite well, but consider this, Collinsworth is 48 years old. That means he's seen a lot of football teams. Including the undefeated '72 Dolphins, the '85 Bears(which scored the 2nd most points that season and allowed the fewest), the '96 Packers(#1 ranked offense and defense in terms of points) and there are a lot more that I could add to the list.

Collinsworth also got all hot and bothered over the point totals from New England's first six games. For the record, they are 38, 38, 38, 34, 34, 48(average 38.3 pts). If those numbers excite Collinsworth, then maybe he should watch a replay of the Vikings from 1998 when they scored 31, 38, 29, 31, 37 and 41(average 34.5 pts) en route to setting the league record of 556 points scored. And if he really wants some stimulation, then he should check out the Rams' 2000 season when they scored 41, 37, 41, 41, 57 and 45(average 43.6 pts) through their first six games. Though, he might want to lay down some plastic for that if he thinks New England's offense is prolific.

Like I stated, I have no problem giving the Patriots credit for their fast start and their 6-0 record. Yes, Dallas was supposed to be New England's first big test, but having the 24th ranked pass defense wasn't going to provide much of test. Especially against a strong New England passing attack. The Dolphins in week 7 provide a stronger pass defense than that. No, their biggest test will probably be against Pittsburgh in week 14 when they face a defense currently ranked 2nd against the run and 4th against the pass. Indy in week 9 should put up a good fight because they can score points, but their 13th ranked rush defense could be a liability.

Should New England fail to score 30+ points, and/or lose a few games it will be interesting to hear what Collinsworth says. Before he gets too hyped about this year's Pats he might want to remember what happened to those '98 Vikings and '00 Rams.

The Lure Of The Ring Is Just Too Strong For Seau

A little less than one year after he announced his "retirement", Junior Seau has signed up to play one more year of football for the New England Patriots.

Last August, Seau announced that he was retiring after 16 seasons. Four days later he changed his mind and signed with the Patriots. He played in 11 games for New England last year before his season was cut short by a broken arm.

In his 17 seasons Seau has played in one Super Bowl, a 23 point loss to the 49'ers in Super Bowl XXIX, and you have to wonder whether he would have resigned with New England if it weren't for all of their offseason acquisitions. Right now, New England is one of the favorites("on paper"), and it would appear that playing for them one more time gives Seau that last shot at a ring.

Hopefully, all that piggyback training in the offseason will pay off for him this year, though by the end of the season he might be using it to take Randy Moss on and off the bench.