Sammy Morris Injury Update

"The Boston Herald reports that RB Sammy Morris will be back on the field in two weeks for New England. The veteran rusher hurt his knee in Week 6 and hasn't played since (Sportsline)."

Great news for the Patriots here. I kind of wondered if they would take a look at Edge with all the injuries they have been dealing with in the backfield. Maroney has 2 weeks to show that he can be a #1 back, but I doubt he will do much. Look for Morris to take a lot of carries away from him when he returns, since he is much better at running between the tackles, and I trust him a lot more in the redzone then I do Maroney.

Patriots 13 Bills 0

The game was in the toughest conditions you can play in, but the Patriots were able to weather the storm, and give themselves a chance to make the playoffs. The wind was so bad that they had to delay the game to level the goal posts, so there was a lot of going for it on 4th down. The difference in this game was the play calling. Buffalo had no clock management and really blew the game when they tried to throw on a 4th and 2.

Matt Cassel's stats don't show how well he played in this game. He was able to hit the passes he needed to, and even ran to convert some very important first downs. The Patriots ran Morris and Jordan a total of 44 times, and although they didn't have a lot of yards per carry, they battered the Bills around. The Patriots are now 11-5, but still have to hope either the Jets or Jaguars win. We will have more on this as the 4pm games come to a close. Go Pats!!!

-BMack

Patriots 49 Raiders 26

Man I knew the Raiders were bad, but wow. The Patriots dominated this game from kickoff. The great story coming out of this game was the play of Matt Cassel, who lost his dad this week. I know this story will not get any of the same air time that Favre got for doing basically the same thing, but you have to give props to a guy who preformed so well after such a tragic loss. Cassel threw for 4 TDs, but it was the running game that stole the show on offense, as Jordan and Morris combined for 214 yards and 2 TDs.

This game really had to do a lot more with how bad the Raiders are, then how good the Patriots plaid, but a win is a win, and the Patriots kept their playoff hopes alive. The good news is the Patriots now have the same record as the dolphins in the AFC, and since they have the same record in the AFC East, they are in god shape. The Dolphins and Jets are going to play each other the last week of the season, which could put the Patriots in a good spot, if they can win their last two games. I really do expect the Patriots to be in the playoffs, but we shall see how they do as they face Arizona next week.

Oh yea, and Moss TD celebrations were hilarious, because I hate the Raiders.

-BMack

Morris To Play?

There are reports coming out that Patriots running back Sammy Morris is on the field at Gillette, and looks like he might be able to play tonight. Morris has been out the last 3 games with a knee injury. The Patriots could certainly use the help, as the only real running backs on the roster right now are Kevin Faulk, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Here is the rest of the inactive:

DE Ty Warren
LB Eric Alexander
OL Wesley Britt
RB LaMont Jordan
CB Lewis Sanders
OLB Adalius Thomas
CB Terrence Wheatley
QB Matt Gutierrez

Kickoff is at 8:15 on the NFL Network.

-BMack

Patriots To Be Without Morris, Jordan Again

The Patriots once again will be without 2 of their running backs. Jordan (calf), and Morris (knee) will be out for the Patriots game vs the Colts. It is really too bad, because the Colts run defense is so bad that either one of these guys could have gone off. I liked what I saw from BenJarvus Green-Ellis last week, and Kevin Faulk has been great all year. Even without those 2 running backs I think the Patriots can still establish a solid running game, which hopefully will open things up for Cassel, who has been playing much better over the past couple of weeks.

-BMack

NFL Injury Updates

Sammy Morris - Will not play today with a knee injury.

LaMont Jordan - Will not play with an ankle injury, that leaves the Pats with Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Heath Evan in the backfield.

Steven Jackson - Will not play today, because of a thigh injury. Antonio Pittman will start in his place.

Tony Romo - Is still out with a broken finger, Johnson will get another start. Hopefully he never plays again.

Clinton Portis - Will play today. He is always banged up, but might be the best RB in the NFL so far.

Brian Westbrook - The bye week helped, and his ribs seems like they have healed up. The Eagles certainly need him.

Anquan Boldin - Will play today, but he will only play 30-35 plays. After that hit it's good to see him back on the field.

That's all I got for now.

-BMack

Patriots Running Out Of RBs

Well after I came out and said that I expected LaMont Jordan to play this Sunday, it is looking less and less likely like that is going to happen. The Patriots have announced that Morris, and Jordan are now doubtful for the game against the Rams. That leaves the Patriots will only 3 running backs left. Kevin Faulk, rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis (who was just picked up last week from the practice squad), and fullback Heath Evans. I love Kevin Faulk, but he is not a full time back, so the Patriots are going to have to use Evans for short yardage. I have a feeling there is going to be a lot on Matt Cassel's table. The good news is that the Rams defense is weak, and I really expect Cassel, Welker, and Moss to have another big week.

-BMack

Patriots Injury Updates

The good news is that Jarvis Green and Nick Kaczur were spotted practicing during the media part of the Patriots practice today. The bad news is that LaMont Jordan and Sammy Morris were not seen. Jordan was practicing earlier in the week, so I expect him to play, but I don't think we will see Morris this weekend. It will be good to have Green back out there, as it gives the Pat a lot more flexibility on the defensive line, and he can be a very affective pass rusher. Having Kaczur back can only help Cassel, who is coming of a week in which he won Offensive Player of The Week. The Pats play the Rams at Foxboro, and I really expect them to dominate.

-BMack

Patriots Injured RBs Update

The Patriots have some questions about what their running back situation is going to be like from the game vs. the Rams this week. Morris had a hell of a game against the Broncos, but left with a knee injury, and Jordan hasn't played in a couple games since hurting his calf. The good news is that Jordan is back at practice, and it looks like he will be able to go with week. Morris is another story. He didn't participate, and my gut feeling is that we will not see him this week. That leaves the Patriots with Faulk, and Jordan in the backfield. Which against any other team I would be worried about, but I don't think the Pats will have a heard time to get past a very bad Rams team.

-BMack

Sammy Morris Day-to-Day

Reports are coming out that Morris is day to day with a knee injury. Yet, they are not being very specific, which should not surprise anyone. Hopefully, he really is day to day and will be back at practice before the end of the week. The Pats running game really seemed to be on the rise, and if Morris is healthy I think they can keep it going. I will keep you all updated when I find out more.

-BMack

Patriots Beat 49ers 30-21

Well it wasn't pretty, but Pats improve to 3-1. It was not the most exciting game, but the Patriots did a lot of things well. For one, their pass defense looked good has they held J.T. O'Sullivan to only 130 yards passing, and he completed less then half of his passes. The 130 yards is the lowest total that O'Sullivan has had all year, and the Patriots were able to do that with a lot of players coming in and out of the game with injuries. New England also held Gore to 54 rushing yards, and other than the first coupe of series he was really quiet. So, overall you have to be really happy with the way the defense played. The offense was a bit of a different story.

The Patriots looked awful in the beginning of the game, other then the bomb to Moss for a TD. Cassel couldn't seem to find the open receiver, and the pass rush was all over him. Eventually Cassell was able to settle down and finish with a sold stat line (22/32 259 yards 1 TD 2 INTs). My worry with Cassel is that when the pass rush gets some pressure on him, he seems to stop looking down field, and frantically run around in circles. He needs to work on keeping him composure in the pocket. That being said, the offense line was not impressive today. They were very inconsistent, and just haven't seemed right since the Super Bowl.

My other worry is the running back situation. Kevin Faulk bailed them out today, but it is getting sad that he is becoming the goal line back. Morris had a solid game, and it is really looking like he should be the starting RB. I am giving up on Maroney. He is terrible, he refuses to take a hit, and he dances behind the offensive line way too much. He would be a great goal line back if he would just hit the whole, but he just doesn't seem to want to do that. So, I really think the Pats just need to rely on Morris, and use Faulk as they have for the past 10 years.

Overall, a win is a win, and the Pats did a lot of things right today. It was great to see them get the ball to Moss, as he had a huge day (111 yards and a TD). The Pats just need more consistent play from their offensive line, and Cassel needs to keep his eyes down field. Now they Patriots are going to be coming into some harder games as they face San Diego and Denver the next two weeks, but at least you have to be happy that the defense is looking much better.

-BMack

Patriots Beat Jets 19-10

Say it together now...game management. That is what you will be hearing from the Patiots the rest of the year. There will be no more fun and gun. There will be no one throwing 50 TDs, or blowing out an opponent by 30 points. The Patriots are back to basics my friends, and that was what this entire win was about. New England controlled the clock, and didn't let Favre take over the game. The Patriots were up 6-3 at halftime (maybe the most boring half I have ever watched). The 2nd half wasn't much different, as the Patriots wouldn't take the handcuffs off Cassell. The Patriots were able to score a TD on a 1 yard run by Morris (which is funny because he ended up with negative yards on the day) to go up 13-3. Maroney was unable to play most of the game with a shoulder injury, but he should be fine as he was back in during the 4th quarter. The game was basically sealed when Thomas sacked Favre for negative 13 yards, and the Jets had to punt the ball with about 5 mins left. The Patriots were able to get some first downs and seal the victory. It wasn't pretty, but the Patriots showed they can win without Brady, and are still at the top of the class in the AFC East.

-BMack