Patriots 28, Falcons 10

It's preseason. That needs to be repeated every time you feel any emotion while watching one of these exhibition games. Any thrill at seeing Fred Taylor break a big run, any disappointment at a 14 yard gain yielded by the defense, needs to be tempered.

The Patriots tested two things in this game: Wes Welker and the running game. Brady threw at Welker three straight times, putting him in tough positions, and eventually getting him hit pretty hard. It was Welker's first appearance in preseason, and you can tell that the Pats want to appraise him before they rely on him.

The Pats ran the ball. A lot. And it caught the Falcons off guard. So the two rushing touchdowns, Taylor's 54 yards, and Morris' 52 yards shouldn't be taken at face value. Then again, Atlanta allowed the 10th fewest rushing yards, and 8th fewest yards per carry in the 2009 season.

This team doesn't need the ground attack to win games for them. But they do need other teams to respect it. They need it for short yardage, 3rd down, and red-zone/goal-line situations. They need it for play-action pass. They need it to slow down and wear out opposing pass rushes.

The biggest concern I have with the runningbacks is their age. Sure, Taylor, Morris, and Faulk looked great. But they played half the game. Half a game in August. Will they still be this good in November and December?

One very positive thing from this game was the play of Aaron Hernandez. He's not really a tight-end. I think he can be a challenging guy for opponents to cover, though. The Patriots haven't had a reliable pass-catching tight-end since Fauria. And Hernandez can present some real matchup problems for opposing defenses.

How will the defense be this year? Probably inconsistent. Matt Ryan was finding holes in the zone just before he was pulled. Give skilled coaches, QBs, and WRs 4 quarters to figure the Pats' defense out, and things will get difficult. I like Chung at safety. But I didn't like how the unit looked against a no-huddle offense.

So while a 28-10 win with rookie tight-ends catching touchdowns, and runningbacks amassing 120 yards on the ground is very pleasant, there are still some concerns that might not manifest themselves until snow starts falling.

-The Commodore

Fred Taylor Speaks About Injury/Future

It has been 10 weeks since Fred Taylor last played, and all of the work he's done from then until now focused on returning for one game. The Patriots play the Jaguars this week, and Taylor wants to be on the field to face his old teammates. In a wide-ranging conversation with Michael C. Wright of the Florida Times-Union, though, Taylor said his status remains undecided for Sunday.

"I really couldn't say, honestly. I've been doing some good things in practice. I had a pretty significant injury, man. But I'm grateful that coach [Bill] Belichick didn't put me on IR, considering how banged up we've been throughout the season. He's been patient. We have a stable of running backs that can more than get the job done. But for whatever reason, he decided not to put me on IR and I'm thankful. I don't know what's gonna happen this week. I'm questionable. That's 50-50, right [laughing]?"

True. So, again, are you playing?

"[Laughing] I work for the CIA and the Patriots, man."


Taylor addressed many other topics, including his future. He has said that he wants to pass Jim Brown on the all-time rushing list, an aim he currently stands 840 yards shy of. Wright asked Taylor, in his 12th season, how long he sees himself playing.

"Not much longer, man. At the most, I think I've got two years. I've got a couple of kids I've got to raise. I love the game of football and I'll be around it in some capacity, I'm sure. Society isn't getting any friendlier toward these kids in this day and age. So I've got to make sure I try to raise them the right way and be in their lives because football can take a lot away from your family."

Taylor also hinted that he may eventually return to the team he spent his first 13 years with. "I'm not a Jaguar now," he said. "But I will be again, someday. But right now, I'm not (Boston.com)."

I am getting the feeling that Taylor will be back this week to face his old team. He has been practicing for over 2 weeks now, and this could be the Patriots last meaningful game before the playoffs. I would love to see him out there again, because if he can help Maroney get the running game going (which has been a lot better), the Patriots could be much more balanced on offense going into the playoffs.

Fred Taylor Back At Patriots Practice

"Colleague Monique Walker just passed on word to me that tailback Fred Taylor, out since the Baltimore game in Week 4, returned to Patriots practice today, which is being held in shells on the club's upper practice field. Bret Lockett was the only player missing from the workout (Boston.com)."

I guarantee that Taylor will not play this week vs. the Dolphins, but this could mean he'll be back next week. The Patriots could sure use him (if he is 100%), as they never know what they are going to get from Maroney (plus it seems like he fumbles once a game). I hope he does come back. I was really interested to see what he could do in the Patriots offense in the beginning of the season. I suspect that the Patriots will go back to the "runningbacks by committee" even with Taylor back, with Morris, Faulk, Maroney, and Taylor all sharing carries.

Fred Taylor Injury Update

"Patriots running back Fred Taylor underwent surgery today to repair severe ligament damage in his right ankle and could miss the rest of the season, according to a league source.

The 33-year-old Taylor, who is the team's leading rusher this season through four games with 201 yards on 45 carries and two touchdowns, is facing the likelihood of being done for the year, according to the source. But there is a small chance that Taylor could return during the final month of the regular season depending on how his recovery progresses (Boston.com)."

This sucks. I really like Fred Taylor, but in the end even if he is out for the season I don't see it affecting the Patriots too much. Maroney and Morris have done it before and you add those to guys with Faulk and the Patriots still have a solid RB group.

The Patriots are so fucking annoying with these injury coverups. We really didn't even know Taylor was hurt bad until he already had surgery. It will be interesting to see if Taylor returns this season and if he doesn't you have to wonder if he will retire.

Fred Taylor Out For Year? (UPDATE)

There are reports coming from WEEI that Fred Taylor is set to have surgery on his injured ankle. We will have more on this tomorrow when there is more information...

***UPDATE***

"Patriots running back Fred Taylor needs surgery on his right ankle but isn't expected to miss the rest of the season, according to a report by ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss this afternoon (Boston.com)."

Fred Taylor Interview as Patriot

Fred Taylor Injures Wrist

"Patriots running back Fred Taylor, who has a history of nagging injuries, recently suffered a sprained left wrist while he was exercising, according to medical sources. Taylor hurt the wrist when he fell on his outstretched left hand. It appears the injury occurred while he was working out on his own in South Florida and not at Gillette Stadium under the team's supervision (Boston.com)."

Doesn't sounds like this is going to be anything to hold Fred Taylor back. He will most likely rest it for a couple days, and then restart his workout program. All the reports I have read say that Taylor showed up in great shape (other then the wrist), and I think he could have a very solid year for the Patriots. Taylor signed a 2 year $5 million deal with the Patriots with the hope that he could win a Supert Bowl...

Fred Taylor Signs With Patriots

Adam Scefter of the NFL Network is reporting that Fred Taylor will sign with the New England Patriots at some point today. New England has had problems at the running back position over the past couple of season, but the with addition of Taylor the Patriots have a much better looking backfield of Faulk, Morris, Taylor, as the three main guys. Not sure how much Taylor has in the tank, but he will get every opportunity to succeed as most team will not be able to stack the line since the Patriots have one of the better passing attacks in the league. New England should be very active during the free agency period, as they need to move Cassel, and revamp an aging defense.

Patriots Meet With Fred Taylor

"Free agent running back Fred Taylor met with the Buffalo Bills yesterday morning and told reporters he was headed for New England to visit with the Patriots. It wasn’t clear if the Pats hosted Taylor yesterday or if there is a meeting on tap today (Boston Herald).

From what I have been reading the Patriots and Bills are the only 2 teams to contact Taylor so far. The Patriots obviously need an upgrade at running back, and Taylor could be an interesting guy to add with the likes of Morris and Faulk. I always liked Taylor, even though he has a tendency to get injured. Like everything else i think signing Taylor could all hang on what happens to Cassel, as most of the Patriots money is tied up with him right now. Once he is moved, then the Patriots can be more active in signing free agents.

Fred Taylor Cut

I feel bad for Fred, but it is funny that he made it this far with the Jaguars. He has pulled down a couple injury free years, but there is a reason his nickname is "Fragile Fred." It will be weird seeing him play for another team, but a rumor is he will be back. They need to bring him back because he is a perfect compliment to MJD.

Fred Taylor Arrested

Another day, another NFL player gets arrested. This time it is running back Fred Taylor of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fred Taylor was arrested at a Miami Beach nightclub Saturday and charged with disorderly conduct. The funny thing is only a couple hours later Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver (Jimmy Smith) was arrested for a DUI and possession of marijuana. Taylor will most likely be suspended 1-3 games by the NFL, since that seems to be their normal way of dealing with these problems. The loss of Taylor could really hurt the Jaguars, since I don't believe that Maurice Jones-Drew can handle the full time duties at running back.

-BMack