It's no surprise to this blogger that the Dolphins are doing so well.  In fact, during our pre-season "Around the AFC East" exchanges, I predicted the 'Fins would go .500.  Why?  It was part observation of what was going on, part listening to our SBNation cohorts at The Phinsider, and some gut feel thrown in for good measure.  If y'all remember, Bill Parcells rode into town in '93 and sparked the emergence of the New England franchise as a legit player on the NFL gridiron.  Much of the praise should be directed at owner Robert Kraft for having the vision to bring in one of the hottest coaches in the NFL at the time.  After a very successful stint as NYG's head coach, Bill was a hot commodity.  Always in tow, was his #1 protege, Hoodie.

Parcells is the main reason I've been big on the Dolphins.  He promptly fired CamCam and pulled Tony Sparano from Dallas to take the HC spot.  Parcells also shored up many areas in need of fixing and jetisoned distractions like Jason Taylor.  In a very interesting move that seems to be working, Chad Pennington, bumped for His Favre-ness, made the trek from Joisey to warmer weather.  There can be no writing off of The Tuna.

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Well, apparently I ruffled a few feathers today.  If you know me, that was certainly not my intent.  The offending comment:

'Fins Fans - All of a sudden, it's cool to like the Dolphins.  Where was the pride and support when they were a laughing stock?  True fans wear their jersey no matter what and take their lumps.  True fans know, everything turns around at some point.

I didn't mean to say that ALL 'Fins Fans are on the bandwagon now that they are experiencing some success, but I did want to imply that some are riding the gravy train.  Sure, every team has them.  The rabid blogging faithful are certainly not part of that crowd.  I'm pretty sure most of us will be buried in our jersey (mine's #83, btw.  I believe he wore the same number in Miami) and can respect that, no matter WHAT the laundry is.

And yes, I did follow NE in the lean years, prior to Parcells.  Anyone remember sitting in Sullivan Stadium on those metal bleacher seats in December?  Mosi's endzone was my spot.  That was when attending a game was taking your life in your hands, either from fights or frostbite, take your pick.  While tailgating, we actually put a Coors Lite can in a Hibachi and waited for it to explode.  Good times...  I'm wiser (older, that is), but no less rabid.

So, let's talk football.  I still don't think it's right to attend a football game in November in shorts and a T shirt, but I'm willing to let that pass.  You guys have Disney World and the Keys.  We have Quincy Market and Duck Boats.  Go figure.

The 2008 NFL season is a disaster, a mess of ginormous propotions.  It's "seventy in November" wrong.  It's "Tina Fey could really be VP and noone would've been the wiser" wrong.  It's "ketchup on Fenway Franks" wrong; no sauerkraut, or chili either.  Only mustard and onions belong on a hot dog, thank you.  It's "Miracle Whip in a tuna fish sandwich" wrong, but I digress.

I've appended "Part I" to this title because sometimes I get inspired.  However rare, I may be motivated to create a, I don't know, Part II or something.  I could even go to Part XCIX  (you're gonna look that up, aren't you?).  At any rate, there are many things wrong with this season and one of them is the Dolphins.  They are seriously messing with the karma of the AFC by, like, winning and stuff.  Not only winning, but beating conference and division opponents.  That's key for wildcard berths.  The list of rules is insane, but simply put: it's good to beat teams in your backyard.

Ok, onto my reasons to beat the 'Fins:

• 'Fins Fans - All of a sudden, it's cool to like the Dolphins.  Where was the pride and support when they were a laughing stock?  True fans wear their jersey no matter what and take their lumps.  True fans know, everything turns around at some point.
• Bill Parcells - Ever since Belichick jumped ship from New York green to New England red, white, and blue, Tuna has been hating on him.  It may have waned a bit, but it was ugly early on.  I'd like nothing more than to see Belichick school Parcells' newest protege.
• Chad Pennington - I just don't like his name.  Saying that name makes me feel like I should be eating finger sandwiches and sipping mimosas during a game instead of getting yelled at for dripping hot wing sauce on the rug.
• Joey Porter - Trust me, there WILL be more to come with this character.  You see, he never ceases to amaze with the endless amount of drivel he can vomit out of his pie hole.  One minute, he's in his son's opposing football coach's face for "running up the score" and the next he's complaining about "respect" and NE "beating" on the Dolphins in 2007.  I'm sure he explained to his son that that opposing coach was a big fat poopy head.  Yeah, that fits.  But complaining about a 2007 trouncing by NE?  Did you forget Week 3 in Foxboro...Joey?  I don't think you heard NE fans or players complaining.  In fact, it was more to the tune of, "We better get our act together."  Man up and forget all of that "respect" nonsense or the tiniest slight, the smallest perceived injustice will turn you into yet another street thug.  You're having a great year.  Stop using it as an excuse to speak.  Because you can't.  The next Mercury Morris you ain't.

All for now.  Don't even tell me you like ketchup on hot dogs.  And XCIX is 99.

So last week, I was in Fort Lauderdale. I know, no one's feeling sorry for me, right?  I was meeting with my new boss, so it wasn't all fun and games.  But, it WAS all wrong.  I'd look at the date on my cell phone, see an 11 where the month was, and walk out into high 70's temperatures.  That's not right.  I mean, this is football season and it's supposed to be cold, right?  Today, a Florida-based co-worker told me it was freezing and he had a coat on in his house; outside temps had hit (are you ready for this?) the mid 60's.  THE HORROR!!  I cut & pasted the weather report from my zip code - 37 degrees.  No more whining.

In 2007, the 1-15 Dolphins were the laughing stock of the AFC East and most of the league.  The CamCam feel good era (why don't you sit this practice out if you're not in your happy place) had turned the team sideways and did a crapload of damage to a once storied franchise.  I'm sure Don Shula had a contract out.  Then "The Tuna" rolls into town.

Now, we all know what Bill's about.  He doesn't coddle and he doesn't give a rat's a$$ about your feelings.  As head coach of the New England Patriots starting in 1993, he took us to 2 playoffs, including a Super Bowl.  Riding into Miami, he promply fired CamCam and his loser staff and threw away their meditation beads while driving over the Japanese sand gardens with a bulldozer.  My way or the highway.  You wanna dance with the stars Mr. Jason Taylor?  Take a hike.  He's quietly and without much fanfare, reshaped a team that is absolutely wreaking havoc on the AFC and it's not because they're a juggernaut, mind you.  They're simply winning games against AFC rivals, 5 to be exact.  In the world of playoffs and wildcard spots, besting conference opponents is king.

This is why the Patriots need to go deep sea fishing.  They need to Squish the Fish and be rather deliberate about it.  After an embarrassing loss in game 3, it's time to seek revenge.  Forget about our Patriots looking like the orthopedic ward.  It's time to get us some fish and do it in front of a packed Miami house, just like they did to us (I was at Game 3 and have been told by Marima and JHR I can never go again). 

Joey Porter?  Hey, great sack record and all, but Matt's no longer got that deer in the headlights look, K?  I think Matt, Randy, and the boys have a few things to say and they come in sevens.  Welcome to Hoodie-ville.

Prompted by cia's fanpost, here's an open thread for Sunday's games.  My apologies for not opening this up sooner and props to cia for reminding me.

globe.com

There are many times, when trying to be an objective blogger, that I lean in the direction of a sportswriter and only report facts.  Wanting to be fair and balanced so ALL can read what I have to say and get something out of it, I go out of my way to write with a level head.  This is not one of those times.

The Patriots, led by Hoodie, will adopt a "make do with what we have" attitude and trudge on.  The players, taking their tone from Coach, will do the same.  Blame our troubles on injuries?  Not a chance.  Make do with what we have.  Replace a struggling backup quarterback in the beginning of the season because we were embarrassed in our outing against the Dolphins?  Nope.  #16 received unconditional support from his coaches and teammates.  And he's now leading his team to victories or, if we lose, scaring the daylights out of them.

The team will not blame their troubles on injuries and nor will I.  I will, however, stand proud.  I'm proud of this team for all they've overcome and for what we're finding out about those players normally standing on the sidelines.  It takes talent to be a starter and it takes perseverance to hang on to that position.  However, as a "backup" player, it takes mental toughness to stand on the sidelines, game after game, always ready for "the call".  I think the backup's job is harder than the starter's.  The constant state of preparedness, coupled with the thought of never playing a down, must be mentally grueling.  Many of these "always at the ready" players are finding out a lot about themselves this season.

Remove from the picture, 3 starting running backs.  Suddenly, a UFA with one of the longest names in football, has a chance to shine and shine he has.    Take away onfield DB coach Rodney Harrison?  The secondary is struggling, but hanging on.  Double team Welker and Moss?  I would like to introduce you to Ben Watson, Jabar Gaffney, and Sam Aiken.

And then there's Matt Cassel.  Many people, this blogger included, were calling for Cassel's head on cut day, but Bill and the coaching staff recognized something this fan didn't see.  I'm now embarrassed to admit that.  Cassel has progressively and methodically "fixed" things that were issues at the beginning of the season.  Plagued by jittery-ness in the pocket, Matt now has a much better pocket presence and knows when to throw it into the third row or run for the first down (he was the leading Patriots rusher against the Jets, by the way).  Saddled with an inability to convert in the red zone, the Patriots went 3 for 4 this past Thursday night.  Oh, and they were passing TDs.  Finally, for those lamenting he's had no connection with Moss, Matt rolls out to the right under pressure and tosses a ball only Moss can catch, all the while being mugged by Ty Law.

Tell me what you want about rankings and DVOA - that's past performance and not always a good predictor of the future.  Bring up the easy schedule and I will tell you that was day one of the season - we're not in Kansas anymore.  Finally, complain that this team is a shell of its former self, relying on second, third and fourth stringers and I will tell you that means depth - this "shell" of a team was very close to ending Indy's playoff chances and an OT coin toss away from owning the East.

This team has its troubles, but they're showing true talent, grit, and depth.  They're adjusting, adapting, and certainly not out for the count.  I'm prouder than ever of my team.  You should be, too.

I don't like losing.  In fact, I hate losing games that easily should've been won.  This game was not one of those.  Coming back from a 24-6 deficit to drive this game into overtime was incredible; inspiring, if you will.  Forget all the pundits who say this team is a shell of its former self.  They are damn good and, as the list of injured or IR'd players grows, they STILL continue to scare the living daylights out of any team that underestimates them.

But the awesome effort of last night just wasn't enough to overcome the smoking start the Jets got off to in the first half.  Aside from any team affiliation and homerism you may have, this was an exciting game to watch.  Tons of yardage, huge plays on both offense and defense, and overtime made for a great night of football.  Unfortunately, the toss of a coin during overtime determined who got the ball and, as is often the case, possession is 9/10 of the law in OT.  Score first, you walk off the field a winner.  There's no chance for the opponent.  NFL OT sucks.  But, that's the rule and every team has benefitted or been bitten by it.

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Here is your open game thread, folks.  Our 6-3 Patriots take on the 6-3 Jets from Joisey.  Can the grizzled old vet best the backup QB from NE?  Can a banged up Patriots show just how deep they really are?  Can we answer the question, "How much do you hate Thursday night games?"  Onto the battle for dominance in the East...

Hey gang,

as is getting common with New York bloggers, they routinely get in touch with me to do Q&A exchanges.  Below is the first of one such exchange with Madison Square Garden's Game On.  Enjoy.

It's fairly obvious to me that Bill Belichick is a genius, as if he was Professor X wearing a hoodie. Can you give us some insight as to how he's pulling off a playoff run this year?

"Patriots All Access" is a show put on by one of our local TV stations and they do a segment called "The Belestrator". Belichick runs through some plays and, about halfway through, it starts sounding like martian to me. ;-)

The real masterminds behind this team are both Belichick and VP of player personnel, Scott Pioli. Combined, they are very savvy at structuring a football team to win AND, most importantly, finding guys who will fit into the system, young or old. Take, for example, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. An undrafted free agent, he was assigned to the practice squad where we thought he would wallow in obscurity. Whoodah thunk we'd lose our top 3 running backs Maroney, Morris, and Jordan. Aarrgghh!! Suddenly, he's starting and doing well.

The key to Belichick's success is finding guys that many other teams overlook. Wes Welker anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Is it safe to call Matt Cassell a poor man's Chad Pennington? I do not mean this as an insult, as I like Chad's play a lot. He seems to be well equipped to "manage" games despite having the same amount of picks as he has TD throws. What should we expect to see out of Cassell on Thursday?

The mistake many make is comparing the 2008 Cassel to the 2007 Brady. That standard is WAY too high and unachieveble by all but a handful of QBs in the league. Look at Brady's 2001 numbers after he was elevated from clipboard to under center with Drew Bledsoe's injury. Very, very similar.

Sure, he's not throwing a lot of TDs. I've been concerned for a while he doesn't have the long ball with Moss, such a deadly weapon, but I did see flashes of it in the Colts' game (Jabar Gaffney drop) and with the Bills (Wes Welker, believe it or not!), but the key is playing to Matt's strengths. Most assuredly, you can sense the coaching staff guiding him and giving more control as he's gotten more comfortable. 6-3-1 is the sack count for the last 3 games. That shows 2 things: the O line is stepping up and, more importantly, Matt's more comfortable in the pocket.

You will see a lot of slants and options to Wes Welker and RB Kevin Faulk to move the chains. You will see gobs of running from RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis. You will see Moss turned inside. And, you may see a long ball to Moss or Gaffney.

New England seems to be challenging the Giants for the lead league in most running backs used in a single game. How as the running back-by-committee style of play gone for you? What are the styles of each runner? Any glaring weaknesses?

Prior to all of the injuries, I was stoked. Starter Laurence Maroney is a bit tentative at the line, but warms up as the season progresses. Sammy Morris is decisive, for good or for worse, and slices through. LaMont Jordan, at 5-10 230 lbs, is a power back best utilized in the second half when defenses are tired. He blasts through holes and will make a DB pay for hitting him. Kevin Faulk is our perennial "everything man" and is one of the most dangerous third down backs in the league. And then... Maroney was IR'd with a shoulder injury and Morris and Jordan have been out for the past 3 or so games. In comes rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis along with an expanded role for Faulk.

Thank goodness these guys have turned out to be a strong unit because it's given Cassel some time to develop a relationship with his receivers. Chastised in 2007 for having no running game, I'm glad the Patriots have such depth in this area because it's proven to be a godsend given all of the injuries.

With a bunch of injuries, you'd expect the defense to be a little more like the Raiders and a little less like the Titans. But the Pats have one of the better defenses in the AFC. What's happened to keep that side of the ball so good?

I won't lie - having one of the easiest schedules in the NFL has helped. But, the team is certainly structured for success. Anchoring our 3-4, you have a pro bowl defensive line in Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Richard Seymour. OLBs Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel have been awesome at creating pressure and shutting down the corners. That is, until Thomas was IR'd with broken arm. ILBs Tedy Bruschi and rookie Jerod Mayo are doing well holding down the middle with some team leading numbers from Mayo.

It's the DBs that worry me. I hate to say it, but I miss Asante Samuel (FA, gone to the Eagles in 2008). The CBs have been very inconsistent, in my mind. And with the loss of IR'd vet SS Rodney Harrison, our safety situation is weakened as well. We've been doing ok, as evidenced by the Bills' game, but I'd like to see us have a strong DB presence in addition to the pressure we're generating in the backfield.

Do you enjoy rooting for evil? Why or why not?

Rooting for evil...ahh, the NY vs. NE think comes out, ehh? Born and raised in NE, I've lived here all of my life. The thought of rooting for anyone other than the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins is about as foreign to me as Manhattan Clam Chowder (btw: tomatoes in clam chowder is the true definition of evil).

2007 was a great year and a difficult one for us Patriots fans. A historic season (well, except for that one game) with lots of controversy, they'll be plenty of homers who will dismiss Spygate and support their team with blinders on. I'm somewhat in that category (hey, I'm a fan!), but I do recognize how rival fans could rally around these issues and use them to fuel their hatred.

So, to answer your question about rooting for evil, that's a perception. It's hard to root for something that's not there.