Ward's low hit is the exact type of hit that offensive players have complained and worried about. Those type of hits might become more prevalent with the emphasis on taking high hits out of the game.
For a “legal” hit, it looked pretty cheap to me. Of course, as long as it was not a concussion, the NFL is pleased.
Awww…look at the little Red Sox players. Aren’t they so cute with their little beards and their championship trophies?
I’ll believe it when Gronk is actually out on the field during a game.
> There isn’t a sports fan in New England today who isn’t walking around with a smile on their face.
Nailed it.
With everything that happen last night in the Red Sox game, I almost forget how amazing Brady’s comeback was. What a day for Boston sports fans.
James Walker, writing for ESPN:
However, the AFC East is tied for the most wins (six) by division in the NFL. The AFC West also has six victories. In fact, the only two AFC East losses by the Bills and Jets have been against the Patriots within the division. Miami, Buffalo and New York are a combined 4-0 against teams outside its division. That includes victories over the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers.
The AFC East was blasted because of how poor the Patriots looked in their first two games. If you look at the records, however, it might just be because teams like the Bills and/or the Jets are not as bad as people thought they would be.1
Of course, that might mean it will be much harder for the Patriots to win the division than people thought before the season. ↩
I figure a Patriots win is a good way to test my new Editorial posting workflow.
As you might expect, Aaron Hernandez was a topic:
> **TOM BRADY**: … I have moved on. I’m focusing on the great teammates I have who are committed to helping us win games. The only thing I care about is winning. Nothing is going to ever get in the way of that goal. I’m just excited to report to camp and see what we can accomplish as a team. The fate of our season will be determined by the players in our locker room—nothing else.
Pretty much what you would expect Brady to say. [^fn1]
[^fn1]: As a side note, I like this new little feature of Peter King’s [newly launched website](themmqb.com).
> Wednesday morning, Aaron Hernandez wore a poker face as police escorted him to a cruiser and as he was arraigned for murder and five gun charges. It was the New England Patriots who wore their guilt on a sleeve. Based on their reaction, Kraft and Belichick looked like the disgraced and petrified New Englanders who were no longer getting away with murder.
I can respect Whitlock for picking an angle on this story and writing a well-crafted column about it. I completely disagree with him, however.
> AAaron Hernandez could turn on the charm. There were times he would walk through the New England Patriots’ locker room, flash a wide smile and extend a sincere hello to a visitor before striking up a conversation. Friendly guy, it seemed.
> He really turned it on last August, after the Patriots had signed him to a five-year contract extension worth about $40 million, saying it was one of the best days of his life and how being with the Patriots had changed him. Sincere guy, it seemed.”
I still cannot wrap my head around this. The prosecution is saying he executed someone by shooting the person five times. The only word I feel I can use to describe this is “unbelievable.”
It did not take long for [the Patriots to release him](http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/60610/patriots-release-aaron-hernandez) either.
As both a Clemson fan and a Patriots fan, I would love to see DeAndre Hopkins get drafted by New England.
The positive to being a Patriots fan is that they are Super Bowl contenders every year. The negative is that you sometimes see guys like Welker leave the team. It is going to be tough to see him play for Denver.
This is going to make the end of the season “interesting.” I, obviously, hope he’s back for the playoffs.
What a horrible game. The Patriots look just terrible on defense.
*See also,* [Bill Barnwell’s Weekly Write-Up](http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8536374/the-patriots-flawed-other-week-7-news) (if, as a Patriots fan, you really want to be depressed).
The NY Jets are a disgrace. Of course, that is going to make it even more painful when they beat the Patriots in a few hours.
If this is true, he will get a major fine. What a disaster these replacement officials are becoming.
> After being unwilling to commit to a 31-year-old Welker during this past offseason, it would be a surprise if the Patriots showed a willingness to do so next offseason. Bedard suggests that between a reduced role on offense, and the emergence of Edelman, Welker could be traded before the October 30 trade deadline, a scenario repeated by Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com. A trade could be considered even more of a possibility now that the Patriots have re-signed Deion Branch and added tight end Kellen Winslow to the roster, but would team would consider trading for Welker?
I cannot imagine Welker leaving the Patriots, but he seems to want the kind of deal that he simply will not get from the Pats.