Necessary Roughness with Kisha » Buffalo Bills

Yeah, I know. The Patriots aren’t THAT good

Kisha — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:27:12 +0000

That game sucked didn’t it?

I usually have my thoughts and ideas all mapped out on a list. You know, what I liked, what I didn’t like, what blew my mind..etc.

This past Sunday’s New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills game as a whole, blew my mind.

Not because of the fact that both the Bills and Patriots were both UNDEFEATED going into the game but just how straight up ugly the game got.

Look, I’m as big of a Patriots fan as anyone but I’l be the first to admit that our defense sucks. And the fact that Tom Brady has less than a stellar showing exposed it rather quickly.

Brady was 30 for 45 passes for 387 yards. Impressive. Four touchdowns? Also impressive. Four interceptions?! Not so impressive. Brady through the same amount of interceptions in one game as he did in the entirety of the 2010-2011 season.

Not only did Brady look “squirrely” as my good friend @MellyHocking called it, but the defense looked so lost. Other than Kyle Arrington’s two picks, everything else seemed blah.

Second year corner back Devin McCourty seems to be going through the sophomore slump. He looked sluggish and what he considered “coverage” was giving receivers about 10 yards to play around with.

Let’s play, “Where’s the coverage?” -_-

Devin McCourty, a cornerback mind you, is leading the teams in tackles. He’s ranked above Jerod Mayo. Does that seem right to you? Vince Wilfork has more interceptions than McCouty. You see what I’m getting at here?

I’m not trying to take away from how the Bills played. I’m a massive Fred Jackson fan and I think he is going to have one hell of a season with the Bills. But he has something that I’ve yet to see from the Patriots this season: An explosive rushing attack.

The most exciting run I’ve seen this season has been from the rookie running back Stevan Ridley. The Patriots have 102.7 total yards in the first three games. I love me some Law Firm and Woody (hehee) but c’mom man! Let’s focus on getting the run established before we have Danny Woodhead playing wide receiver (an overthrown pass caused one of Brady’s INT).

And here I’ll say it, Chad Ochocinco is irrelevant. Dropping catches and misreading routes is not acceptable. The guy is barely getting any passes thrown to him and the ones that matter and the ones that do go his way, he can’t seem to hold on to.

I’m done with him.

I don’t think it’s fair to expect the Patriots offense to be flawless but the have the defense be nothing more than 32nd in the league. (Thanks @ErikFrenz for that little tidbit).

It’s a new week and the Patriots are facing the Raiders. I’ve voiced my concerns and I know many people share them..so here’s to a better week in Oakland.

To help you get through the week, I present to you: Panda Dogs!

Por que DVR?! And other Patriots questions

Kisha — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:54:06 +0000

I was ready.

I was in pajamas, just finished some United BBQ and had my laptop open and ready to blog my little heart out about part 2 of A Football Life: Bill Belichick.

..and then I check my DVR realized that it didn’t record. I think Family Guy, Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Office took up 95% of the space. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed.

Marc Sessler of NFL.com did a a great job of highlighting the best of the second part. Check out his article here.

I really wanted to spend my Friday evening raving about it but I guess it’ll have to wait until my DVR clears up. Sorry!

Ok so here are some questions that I’ve been pondering leading up to Sunday’s match up against the randomly awesome Buffalo Bills (Come on, don’t act like you aren’t surprised that they’re 2-0)

#1 Is Ryan Fitzpatrick for real?
From the sounds of it, he seems to be. Given that the two games he won were against subpar teams..but it was the come from behind win against the Raiders. At one point, they were down 20-3.The final score? 38-25.

#2 Is this no huddle offense for real?
Mike Reiss pointed out an interesting response from Bill Belichick about the no-huddle.

“I think we all see, the way the game is now, there are different breaks in the game at all points in time. You can have the momentum, and positive things going in your favor, and we stop and review a play, review a score, or a play gets challenged, or a player gets injured, a beach ball rolls on to the field. It could be a dog runs out there. It could be anything. Streakers, you could have that.”

He makes a good point. With all these new changes to the rules of the game, something like a no-huddle (when done well) could be just as dangerous as having Tom Brady as your quarterback. In the case for the Patriots, they have Tom Brady AND a blossoming no-huddle.

Not to say that Brady is a pro at the no huddle just yet but it has been something else that defenses have had to deal with.

So the simple answer to this question? Yes, it’s getting pretty real.

#3 Who will be the “Other” tight end?
It seems like the family reunion is over for the brothers Gronkowski. The Patriots announced today that Dan Gronkowski has been released.

An awesome photo of all the Gronkowski brothers (from www.thenflchick)

I guess that’s the end of Zoom for the Patriots.

Here’s the big question, with Aaron Hernandez questionable with a knee injury, who’s left?!

Rob Gronkowski…and um, yeah. Just Rob.

So those are the questions of the weekend. Hope everyone else has a lovely weekend.

Here’s something that put a smile on your face.

Patriots Have Bills, Bills, Bills

Kisha — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:58:52 +0000

When I think about the upcoming Patriots and Bills game, its hard not look at it as an automatic win. But to be honest, after the terrible display against the Jets, I don’t know exactly what the Patriots are going to be like this season. The game brought up a lot of questions in regards to the team’s true weaknesses and strengths.

Here’s my breakdown and opinions on the Patriots next game at home.

Some points:

- Quarterback? Wait, who is it for this game?

- Serious Threats: C.J. Spiller, Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and Lee Evans

I have some close friends of mine who are die-hard Bills fans and to be honest, I commend them. It’s not easy being so dedicated to a team who struggle against every opponent every week. Let’s not forget that I am also a Houston Texans, Rockets and Astros fan, I know all about losing.

From the outside looking in, you may ask: Why are the Bills so bad? Is it the coaching that has prevented a real team from legitimately forming? Is it the quarterback musical chairs that might be adding to the struggles? Quite possibly. The Bills have had changed quarterbacks five times within the season in the last six years and this season is no different. Sunday, the Buffalo Bills and first year coach Chan Gailey selected Harvard alum Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback against the New England Patriots in Foxboro. Trent Edwards was originally named the starter at the beginning of the season, but with the Bills struggling at 0-2, the change seemed to be a necessity.

Who is Ryan Fitzpatrick?

Everyone, meet Ryan Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick is entering his fifth year in the NFL and has been a part of the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals and is now in his first year with the Buffalo Bills. Fitzpatrick was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams in 2005.

Statically, Fitzpatrick is average. Throughout his career, Fitzpatrick has never reached a quarterback rating higher than 70.

Fitzpatrick has completed 424 of 734 passes for 4,104 yards in his five year career. The new Bills starter has shown more poise in the pocket and has a powerful arm able to launch deep passes to the likes of standout wide receiver Lee Evans.

Fitzpatrick was known for possibly having scored a “perfect score” on the Wonderlic.

Fear the Bills?

Marshawn Lynch is ready...

The Bills may not be competing for the top spot in the division, but that’s not to say that they don’t have anything that the Patriots should be concerned with. What linebacker Tully Banta-Cain recently referred to as the “Three Headed Monster” is one of the Bills’ greatest threats.

Who makes up this “monster”? Running backs Marshawn Lynch, C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson. As we saw during the Jets game, the Patriots are severely do not have a solid run defense and it tends to deflate quickly as the game progresses.

With the ground attack set, the Bills also have wide receiver Lee Evans as a viable target in the open field. With Fitzpatrick’s strong arm, look for more passes thrown in Evan’s direction, more than the four meager receptions he’s had in the first two games.

How It’ll Turn Out..

As discussed earlier this week, the Patriots lost a vital safety blanket in their third down conversions with the ACL injury of running back Kevin Faulk. Sunday’s game will be a chance for the Patriots to utilize all the new tools that they have added to Tom Brady’s arsenal. The usage of two tight end set with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez could be a dominating presence in the open field. The return of Julian Edelman from his minor foot injury could add some spark in the slot position in addition to Wes Welker.

The Patriots defense will be the biggest strength and weakness in the match up against the Bills. Cornerback Darius Butler cannot commit the same amount of penalties as he did against the Jets and the rest of the defense must raise their overall level of play. Against the Bengals, the defense looked young and explosive but against the Jets, they looked worn out and out of breath.

If the defense decided not to show up on Sunday then the Bills can just sit back and watch as the Patriots defeat themselves.

KISHA’S GAME PREDICTION

With all things considered, the Patriots are obviously the better team and they need to use this game to prepare for Miami next week.

Patriots 27 Bills 10

Getting “jipped” by the NFL according to my brother, Favre and Away, Get ya Popcorn!

Kisha — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:49:36 +0000

Somewhere between the NFL Draft and Manny Pacquiao knocking out a guy from Manchester, I realized that I will be done with college life in less than 2 weeks. There are a few things that I have put on hold during this crazy transition period: writing and sleep. As of May 23rd, I will no longer be a student at Johnson & Wales University. It’s been a wild and crazy ride, now it’s time to get this writing career on track! Expect more updates and articles after graduation..it’s definitely go time!

::::NOW FOR THE SPORTS NEWS::::

First things first, my little brother texted me today saying that I got “jipped” by nfl.com. He said that they copied my headline. See if you agree:

I appreciate my brother feeling a little cheated, but Niko, I don’t think there are regulations for headlines…I still think mine is better though.

If we go back to a few Brett Favre posts, it seems that we have already discussed his POSSIBLE return. Now, I know he’s retired about 56 times within the last 3 years and to be honest, I really think this is the last time. Although I do think that Minnesota could use someone like him, especially is Tavaris Jackson is only ridiculously good on Madden, but I really don’t think he’s worth the investment. Plus, that means John David Booty would have to give up his number..not that he had to use it too often.

GET YOUR POPCORN, GET YOUR QUARTERBACK!, GET OUT OF HERE.

Terrell Owens is coming to a television near you..on VH1. What in the world does VH1 know about sports? Besides New York tackling Pumkin on the first “Flavor of Love” reunion special, I just don’ t see who would watch this show. People, if you are a Terrell Owens fans, that does not automatically make you a football fan. I’ll say this, TO is why everybody thinks that wide receivers are the biggest babies in the NFL. This is not to say that there are people who play this position who aren’t good guys, Wes Welker is a good one, of course. 10 touchdowns, 69 receptions and 1,052 yards in 2008? Coming from a season with 15 touchdowns and 1355 yards. I’m a not impressed with the show that Terrell Owens keeps telling us to bring the popcorn to. When he got traded, I admit, I was a little surprised but I won’t deny the fact it made me like the Dallas Cowboys just a little bit more.

If you want to watch a sports show that’s WORTH your time, check out 4th and Long with Michael Irvin or Pros Vs. Joes.. both equally AWESOME.

Here are my predictions for TO in Buffalo:
- Marshawn Lynch will never let him live down the crying press conference.
- The Buffalo fans will know what The Eagles, The Cowboys and The 49er’s went through with buying a TO jersey, and then trying to figure out what to do with it when he gets traded in under 3 seasons.
- He’ll get cold, really cold.
- He’ll start this season, do well, give people faith, act like he’s in love with Trent Edwards, then drop passes, then cry, drop more passes, then wonder why nobody wants to play football with him.

Yeah, I think that’s pretty accurate.

Draft Update 09′, Dos on the Madden Cover?, Fenway First, TO = Buffalo Bust?

Kisha — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:39:02 +0000

******

NEW ARTICLE ON PATRIOTSINSIDER.COM

Cassel’s Built on Solid Ground

******

My best friend Erica can be somewhat considered a savior, a hero even. She confirmed with me a few days ago that she will be able to attend the 2009 NFL Draft with me. Let’s get this right:

1. I get to see some of the most potentially explosive players of the NFL future get picked.
2. I get to spend a full day sitting in Radio City Music Hall with a bunch of crazy football fans who won’t question why I’m there, but rather who I think will go first.
3. AND I get to do this with one my best friends who is from New Jersey but doesn’t like the Giants?!

This could quite possibly be the best news I’ve heard in awhile, besides of course finding out that Tom Brady is going to be ready for the 2009 season. She isn’t even that big of a sports fan (we spent Monday nights at McFaddens so that I could tutor her on football terms/rules). Folks, this is what true friendship is about. It’s those times when you sit thorugh events even if you could care less. It’s sitting at an auto shop for a few hours to keep your best friend company while her car gets fixed. It’s bringing her coffee in class because she woke up late/couldn’t find parking.

I’m looking forward to this. If you’re going to the draft, look out for me in my Doug Flutie Pats jersey and Erica in some form of a Jets jersey. Why a Flutie jersey? Because although there are people that hate the Patriots, NOBODY hates Doug Flutie.

There's no 'I' in TEAM

DOS ON THE MADDEN COVER?

Is this a rumor? Or is it the truth? People have been telling me that for the upcoming Madden ’10, they are considering putting two people on the cover. Can someone please confirm this for me? Furthermore, everyone knows about the Madden Curse and that’s not even my concern. First of all, if it is Larry Fitz on the cover, no curse can stop him…unless of course that curse is the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, then that might be a problem (too soon?). I just don’t think it would be a good idea marketing wise. I don’t know about you all, but being the sole person to grace a video game cover is a pretty epic thing to have. It’s like that 1997 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover with Tyra Banks and Valeria Mazza (guys, you know exactly which one I’m talking about) Although it was good, it was nowhere comparable to the following year’s where it was just Tyra. All I’m saying, like I learned in my Media Relations class, it is much easier to market a single person than it is to market a group or pair. So make your choice EA Games, pairs are not always the way to go.

FENWAY FIRST

Thanks Jon for the awesome pic

I did it. FINALLY. On April 8, 2009 I made my way to Fenway Park for my first EVER Red Sox game. I can’t even describe this experience. Be sure to check out the new photo album with all the awesome pics and all of course, all of the ridiculous food I scarfed down. Note that I represented with my Pats scarf (it’s never too early to wear Pats gear). I just want to say thanks to Jonathan (my web developer) for getting the tickets and making sure that I had the perfect experience.

I know they lost 7-2 and although that’s always unfortunate, I had a pretty awesome time at the park.

Also, I want to say thank you to that sweet gentleman that bought me a large hot hazelnut Dunkin Donuts coffee just because it was my first time at Fenway. He really made the experience better and it also helped keep my hands warm. Thanks!

Here’s the one of the more interesting things to happen in the NFL.

TO = BUFFALO BUST?

The Buffalo Bills picked up the recently dumped wide receiver Terrell Owens and people are going nuts. Well, the people in Buffalo at least. We’ve all seen this story before. TO gets dropped by a team because he brews up more drama in a single press conference than they do in an entire season of Gossip Girl. Then, the new team that acquires him has TO-A-Thon, which is what I call the marketing blitz that his new team goes through to try to show the rest of the football community that they aren’t completely out of their mind for picking up the receiver. It usually works, until the season starts and then TO starts dropping more passes then Lindell misses kicks on quasi-windy days.

I’m not saying that he is going to be a complete bust. In fact, I think it may be what the offense needs to get better. Let’s not forget though that good QB’s make receivers NOT the other way around. Buffalo still needs to find a better QB and TO needs to start investing in North Face sweaters. With Marshawn Lynch suspended for 3 games, its going to be interesting to see what TO is going to do in the spotlight again. I think Buffalo might be able to teach TO a lesson. Dallas was full of big name stars who didn’t know how to win. Buffalo just wants to win. PERIOD. No celebrities, no drama. Terrell Owens, put up or shut up.

Hope everyone has a good Easter. Eat lots of Cadbury eggs and Peeps. These are seasonal delicacies and just aren’t as delicious when consumed after Easter.