Lack of Playmakers Costs Pats

To say the New England Patriots 2012 season was a disappointment would be a testament to how spoiled and accustomed Patriots fans have become since beating the Rams 11 years ago. The Patriots lost in the AFC Championship yesterday, 28-13, to the Baltimore Ravens - a team led by a much maligned quarterback and a hall of fame linebacker. The loss - in Foxborough nonetheless - was a complete and utter shock.

On the heels of averaging more than 34 points per game and becoming one of the most efficient offenses of all time, the Patriots were able to score multiple ways, often in dominating fashion. Rob Gronkowski's injury in Week 11 was a bit of a hiccup, yet the team persevered for the most part, exhibiting a hurry up offense that simply overwhelmed most teams.

Yet, with the season on the line and facing a Baltimore squad not intimidated by playing the Patriots in Foxborough, no one in the blue and silver could make a game-changing play.

This Baltimore squad reminds me a bit of some of those old New England teams. Bernard Pollard shares many of the same qualities that Rodney Harrison had - punishing hitter (questionably dirty at times) who always has a nose for the ball. Ed Reed is in the Ty Law mold - a veteran who may stay quiet for the majority of a game, but make a game-changing pick in the fourth quarter.  Ray Lewis is the ultimate camera hog, but his ability to lead, communicate, and get the best out of teammates is much like Teddy Bruschi was in his playing days. Tom Brady was never maligned the way Joe Flacco has been, yet, there was a time when Brady was unfairly criticized for being a system a quarterback; someone lucky to have a great coach and defense.

The Ravens have yet to win a super bowl with this squad, so equal comparison to those truly dominating '03-'04 teams would be asinine. Perhaps the key to attaining success lies in the true character of a player, and fans credited Brady a bit too much, when it was the great supporting cast around him that made the plays when they mattered most.

The Ravens earned last nights victory (although, the Gronkowski and Talib injuries didn't help). No one stepped up on either side of the ball for the Patriots, and the Ravens were eager to smack the Patriots in the mouth. Much like the way the New York Jets beat the New England a few years ago, they were able to bunch up the line of scrimmage, funnel everything to the middle, and unload on anyone who had possession of the pigskin. Brandon Lloyd, brought in to be the teams deep threat, was no such thing this season, and so the team had no one who could stretch the defense.

Considering the NFL's insistence on protecting quarterbacks, receivers, and creating a 7-on-7 environment, it is interesting that the two representatives this year sport punishing defenses, eager to make opposing receivers sprout alligator arms and think twice about catching that next pass over the middle of the field.

Sort of like the way the Patriots used to play.

Three Teams Up/Three Teams Down After Three Weeks

Three Up

Atlanta Falcons: Now, if only they could stay off the police blotter. The Falcons are putting up dominating numbers through three games this season (including two wins on the road). Head Coach Mike Smith has abandoned his more conservative approach in prior years to take advantage of perhaps the best offensive trio of pass catchers in the league (Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez). Quarterback Matt Ryan is finally realizing his vast potential, throwing eight touchdowns to one interception thus far. The fourth ranked defense also leads the league with seven interceptions. Normally considered a team only successful inside the Georgia Dome, Atlanta’s 27-3 win over San Diego was conducted in a dominant manner.

Arizona Cardinals: The unequivocal choice for biggest surprise thus far, the Cardinals defense is suffocating opponents to the tune of 13 points per game. After shocking the world and going into New England and dominating the Patriots for most of that game, the Cardinals kept the ball rolling, physically pounding an overmatched Eagles team. Kevin Kolb continued his conservative yet effective play (four TDs and 0 INTs in 59 pass attempts), and Arizona was able to force Philly into three likely turnovers. Arizona is one of those teams that plays great when ahead. They can lock down opposing receivers without having to blitz, and can control the time of possession on offense.

Chicago Bears: Perhaps the most maddeningly inconsistent team in football, perhaps taking on the stigma attached to their star quarterback. The Bears defense throttled Sam Bradford for six total sacks and two interceptions (including one pick-six). The division is there’s for the taking, as the Vikings aren’t for real and the Packers can’t run the ball. For the Bears to succeed, Jay Cutler needs to play within himself and not turn the ball over. Chicago’s defense certainly has the linebackers (Urlacher, Briggs, Peppers), and Tim Jennings is turning into a ball hawk with four interceptions. 

Three Down

New York Jets: If not for two Dan Carpenter missed field goals, the Jets would be 1-2. Either way, the team’s best player is out for the year with a torn ACL. Not only is Darrelle Revis the heart and soul of the team, his shutdown coverage of half of the field allows Rex Ryan to blitz at will. The Jets don’t have depth either, so don’t expect Kyle Wilson to come in and fill in a similar fashion as Revis. They also can’t do anything of significance on offense, and the Tim Tebow mess is only going to get worse.

New Orleans Saints: How bad do they miss Sean Payton right now? They sure wouldn’t be in a position to be potentially 0-4 (next week they travel to equally desperate Green Bay). After going up 24-6 against the winless Kansas City Chiefs at the Superdome, the Saints simply imploded. The defense allowed more than 500 yards and the Saints couldn’t run the ball. Drew Brees doesn’t look right and the team could soon be headed for an implosion.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Not only did they drop a game to a poor Oakland squad, the injuries to Troy Polamalu and James Harrison have to be disconcerting. The defense isn’t getting any younger, and without those two in the lineup, Darren McFadden was able to carve up the Steelers defense. They have failed to run the ball effectively in the absence of Rashard Mendenhall, however, Ben Roethlisberger is playing at a high level. The Ravens are the class of the AFC North right now, but there is still time for Pittsburgh to turn things around. 

Week Two: Where the Broncos and Falcons are Still Playing

Week Two ramblings while trying not to expound on the replacement refs and the fact that they let last night’s Broncos-Falcons game drag on for 3 1/2 hours. It was 10:30 EST by the time halftime mercifully rolled around.

- Speaking of last night’s game, Peyton Manning really took the sails out of his own team. The three interceptions he threw in the first eight minutes against Atlanta set his team back 20-0 on the road. Despite the fact that the Broncos rallied back to lose by six, no team can expect to turn the ball over that frequently and come out victorious.

- What an awful week for the class of elite quarterbacks – Brady, Brees, Manning, and Rodgers. They combined for one win and five touchdowns between the four of them. Fantasy owners everywhere weep.

- Sundays like these make me yearn for the Direct TV package. Not only were the Patriots saddled with being on Fox, there was no other one o’clock game to mirror them; it’s not like Baltimore and Philly were slugging it out on CBS or anything.

- New England played one of its worst games in recent memory, and despite the Cardinals best efforts in trying to hand the game over by running a toss sweep on third down with a rookie running back, the Patriots did not deserve to escape victorious. The Cardinals lived in the Patriots backfield all day, sacking Brady four times, and making the cement-footed quarterback fear for his life. The Patriots biggest concern – offensive line – reared its ugly head, with the right guard position being the main culprit. The best defense against Brady is to get to him, and Arizona did a great job of blowing up the offensive line and collapsing the pocket.  

- If Kevin Kolb can be a competent quarterback this season, the Arizona defense could lead this team to 10 wins. They’re scary on the line with Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett, Daryl Washington brings pain when he hits someone, Adrian Wilson is still underappreciated, and Patrick Peterson is already one of the league’s top cornerbacks in his second season. 

- If there is one positive in this loss for the Patriots, it’s the defense. They limited the Cardinals to 245 total yards. The linebacker core of Hightower, Mayo, and Spikes is already punishing anyone that gets in their way. Spikes pulled off an impressive spin move, nearly sacking Kolb, and his hit on Ryan Williams caused the fumble that nearly brought the team to victory. Devin McCourty also did a great job limiting Larry Fitzgerald to one catch for four yards. Every year the team experiences one of those required humbling losses that young players need. Two years ago it was Cleveland and last year it was Buffalo. Rarely do those losses come at Gillette Stadium.

- The tea and crumpets must not have been up to standard Sunday afternoon, because the Gillette crowd was just plain embarrassing. Not only were they quiet the whole game, besides the booing that could be heard after the first quarter, throngs of “pink-hatters” were spotted leaving early when the Patriots still had a shot to get the ball back. Anyone who leaves early in a situation like that is not a true fan.

- Don’t understand why the Jets didn’t at least insert Tebow in at the end of the game. Jets receivers did little to help out Mark Sanchez, but he just looked plain awful out there, sailing throws and hitting receivers in the back. The Jets mustered 219 total yards of offense, and while Tebow’s style may not be pretty, he has shown signs of being able move a team down the field in some capacity. Good sign for the Steelers being without Polamalu and Harrison, and still reducing the Jets offense to such futility.

- The Saints have a breather next week when they travel home to face the other 0-2 team in the Kansas City Chiefs, but I don’t see their situation improving much this season. Not only are they without their head coach until after Week Six, the defense is like swiss cheese (full of holes), they’re relying on Brees’ arm too much (he’s thrown more than 100 times in two games), and the schedule is daunting (at Green Bay, home versus the 49ers to name a few). Bounty gate has cast a season long shadow over a franchise that won the Super Bowl three seasons ago.

- The 2-0 Eagles could easily be 0-2 after another one-point victory, this time against an elite Baltimore squad. Mike Vick turned the ball over three times, and it could have been more. His offensive line is still a sore spot, and Vick is taking a beating physically. If Vick can stay healthy and the Eagles can limit turnovers they can be a dangerous team. Those two “ifs” remain quite large.

- The Idiot of the Week Award goes to Josh Morgan who legitimately cost his team a chance to win the game after committing a ghastly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the end of Washington’s 31-28 loss against St. Louis. It doesn’t matter that Cortland Finnegan is known as an instigator (his shove was minimal), Morgan’s actions after the play were just plain childish. The Redskins were forced to attempt a 62-yard field goal that predictably sailed wide. Jay Cutler deserves honorable mention for his quotes inciting the Packers defense.

NFL Week One Thoughts

- Can Roger Goodell and the NFL please pay the real referees to come back? Just like the difference between the speed of a Division III Liberty League game and a Giants-Cowboys tilt is evident, the difference in the quality of NFL refs and replacement refs is too. The NFL is worth billions upon billions of dollars. If they truly cared about player safety, the better referees would be working games at this point.

- No games were cost at this point by a referees decision, but there were a few close calls in Week One, namely between the Seahawks and Cardinals when Seattle was wrongly awarded a fourth timeout. The outcry will be loud and clear the next time a replacement ref makes a game costing decision.

- Despite the referee conundrum, the NFL remains a winner every year. The primetime game between Denver and Pittsburgh set new regular season records, and the league somehow seems to keep getting more popular. The Sunday for the first regular season games should be a national holiday.

- The Giants looked like, well, the Giants. They sleepwalked through Wednesday’s opener against Dallas like they did much of last season. The secondary needs to heal up fast and the running back tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson can’t cough up the football. Turnovers are a death sentence in the NFL.

- The Eagles-Browns game was one of the worst games in a long time. Brandon Weeden had a QB Rating of 5.1, and the Browns somehow should have won the game still. Cleveland dropped a game ending interception, and new coach Pat Shurmur inexplicably had his team kick an extra point when going for two was the obvious choice. Andy Reid tried giving this game away, phasing out LeSean McCoy and having Mike Vick throw 56 times.

- Out of the five rookie quarterbacks starting last Sunday, only Robert Griffin III was victorious. With an impressive 73 Percent completion percentage, 320 passing yards, and two touchdown passes, Griffin III looked poised in what is normally hostile territory (New Orleans’ Superdome). Redskins fans have reason for hope, while the absence of Head Coach Sean Payton may be a doomsday for Saints fans.

- The Patriots using Wes Welker for 64 Percent of its offensive snaps is not surprising (at least as a Patriots fan). The reason Welker has been relied on so heavily since coming to New England is because he has often been one of the only reliable receivers (particularly last season). With Josh McDaniels heavy tight end approach and x-receiver Brandon Lloyd (x-receivers line up on the line of scrimmage and are generally more physical outside receivers) being deployed liberally, Welker’s usage is bound to decline a bit. The Patriots are also trying to become more balanced, evidenced in the success of Stevan Ridley during the team’s 34-13 win in Tennessee. Julian Edelman has also earned more playing time. The team becomes that much scarier offensively using the approach seen on Sunday. The balanced attack also helps the defense out, not being on the field as often.

- Speaking of defenses that needed help on Sunday, I think Buffalo fans were collectively given a cold shower after witnessing the New York Jets drop 48 points, this after failing to score an offensive touchdown the entire preseason. Mario Williams is an incredibly talented player, but his success comes in accumulating sacks. As a defensive end Williams is not an interior player. Meaning he can be taken out of games; not something that a franchise player should have happen to him. Do you think Bills ownership is kicking themselves on Ryan Fitzpatrick? He’s clearly not a franchise quarterback, and should never have been given a big contract after putting up good numbers for all of a half of a season.

- I may have overestimated the Colts this season. There is a real lack of talent there, and Andrew Luck may have a hard time staying on his feet with such a porous offensive line. Perhaps the two most talented members of its defense (Dwight Freeney and Vontae Davis) each suffered setbacks Sunday. Freeney suffered an ankle injury and did not return, while Davis was physically abused by Bears wideout Brandon Marshall (the two were teammates last season in Miami, in which it is safe to say they did not get along).

- The 49ers may have been the biggest winners Sunday, dismantling the Packers in Lambeau Field, 30-22 (the game wasn’t actually that close). Randy Moss made his triumphant return to the NFL, hauling in an easy red zone touchdown, and the San Francisco defense looked like the most physically imposing unit in the league. The Packers reliance on Aaron Rodgers will ultimately be its downfall if they can’t establish some sort of running attack. Other than Cedric Benson’s nine carries for 18 yards, Rodgers was the team’s only other rusher. There is a stark difference between the Patriots and Packers, whereas the Packers have yet to change from the previous season, the Patriots are offering more balance to make Tom Brady that much better.

- It was good to see Peyton Manning make his triumphant return to football (albeit a little weird that it was in Bronco’s orange). While he certainly looked great, the Steelers defense barely laid a finger on him. Denver’s success Sunday night came when running the no-huddle offense that Manning ran in Indy.

- If Baltimore continues to run the vertical game that we saw Monday night against Cincinnati, the team will be very dangerous. Flacco is difficult to game plan against when he is airing it out instead of trying to run some sort of West Coast offense. Torey Smith is turning into a legitimate No. 1 option, and the tight end duo of Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta is surprisingly dangerous. The defense will always be stout, but it will be noteworthy to monitor the health of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis this season; their combined age is 71.      

Like Fans Everywhere, Pats Ready for Upcoming Season

It would be a repetitive action to say that the New England Patriots enter the 2012 NFL Season with the highest of aspirations, considering that that has been the case in Foxboro for the past decade. Anyone with a pair of eye balls could have spotted that the defense was the main weakness of the team, more specifically a secondary that gave up huge chunks of yards at a continued rate.

With the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick back again for year No.13, and new addition Brandon Lloyd in the mix, New England expects to be amongst the leaders in offensive efficiency yet again.

With Friday August 31 the final deadline for teams around the NFL to make the annual brain hemorrhaging decision of trimming rosters down from 80 to 53, general managers around the league will have to decide what is best for their squads going forward.

The Patriots have already made a number of significant cuts, including two free agents – Jonathan Fanene and Jabar Gaffney – who were thought to be contributors this season.

Here are three players making their way up the depth chart:

QB Ryan Mallett: A first round talent with late round baggage, Mallett was nabbed by the Patriots in last year’s draft as a value pick, and as someone who could potentially become a starter down the road. Mallett has looked increasingly better this preseason than previous, and is capable of making cannon sized throws on par with other starting quarterbacks in the league. Mallett looked good against Tampa Bay August 24, firing two touchdowns on seven completions. More importantly for the former Razorback, it appears Mallett may have unseated incumbent Brady backup, Brian Hoyer, as the team’s new No.2 signal caller.

OL Dan Connolly: With injuries (Mankins, Vollmer), inconsistent play (Koppen, Solder), and one looming absence (Waters), Connolly has stepped in as one of the Patriots most important offensive lineman. His ability to play both center and guard allows for some flexibility once Brian Waters hopefully returns from his hiatus. Additionally, Dan Koppen has struggled to regain his form as a pro bowl caliber center after being sidelined nearly all of last season. Koppen lacks the flexibility to switch from his natural center position to guard.

DE Chandler Jones: To say that Jones has given the defense a jolt would be a mass understatement. The pass rushing freak out of Syracuse has immediately affirmed his position as the top defensive end, alongside Rob Ninkovich, in the Patriots new 4-3 base scheme. Already drawing unfair comparisons to the Giants Jason Pierre-Paul, Jones has looked impressive this preseason harassing opposing quarterbacks. Jones is certainly far from a finished product (this season and in his career), but his strength and tenacity will help usher in a new era and aid the loss of last year’s sack leader, Andre Carter.  

Here are three players trending down the depth chart:

Brandon Lloyd: OK, Lloyd isn’t exactly sliding down officially from his No.2 position at receiver, but his play with Brady also hasn’t left us in awe the way Randy Moss did back in 2007. The new No.85 has unfortunately played a bit like last year’s No.85, not in his ability to understand the playbook, but rather with his lack of rapport with Brady. Lloyd has only produced one catch in two preseason games, and appears a step or two off with Brady. Lloyd’s position on this team as someone who can stretch the field and make difficult plays in traffic is ultra-important for the Patriots success. With Rob Gronkowski hurt in last season’s super bowl the Giants decided to give supposed deep threat, Chad Ocho Cinco, single coverage. Brady didn’t even glance in Ocho’s direction. That trust between Lloyd and Brady has to be present this year.    

2^nd Cornerback: It’s hard to decipher preseason statistics in any sort of manner, but it has become clear that the second cornerback spot alongside the underrated Kyle Arrington, may yet again become a sore spot for this team. Ras-I Dowling, a second round pick last year with high potential and an injury case waiting to happen, missed most of last season and is struggling somewhat to stay on the field thus far. In contrast,  Devin McCourty is still trying to regain the form he had two seasons ago, in which he distinguished himself as one of the premier young corners. Last season, however, McCourty gladly escorted opposing receivers down the field, letting up huge play after huge play. Belichick hopes McCourty will take the reins beside Arrington (the team briefly flirted with the idea of McCourty at safety last season) and show Patriots fans what they saw during his rookie campaign.

OL Marcus Cannon: A bit of a surprise last season dressing in seven games, the TCU product was inserted into the preseason lineup at right tackle, as a replacement for the injured Sebastian Vollmer. Cannon’s lack of athleticism has been exposed at tackle, going up against more quick and agile defensive ends, as opposed to the beefier defensive tackles. Cannon has also been overpowered at times, a surprising occurrence considering that was supposed to be one of his strengths coming out of college. New England has to hope that Vollmer and his tender back come back to full strength and solidify the right tackle position. Cannon’s spot on the 53 man roster should be safe, providing some depth on the offensive line.   

Fantasy Stars of 2012

Top Five Fantasy Players of 2012

Tom Brady: ‘The rich get richer’.  After throwing 39 touchdowns (17 to uber-stud/meathead Rob Gronkowski), Bill Belichick brought back offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.  McDaniels was the coordinator behind 2007’s record setting offense.  To go along with McDaniels, Brandon Lloyd enters the fray as someone who can stretch the field and provide another option to go with Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, and Gronkowski.  Jabar Gaffney and Donte’ Stallworth will compete with Brady favorite - Deion Branch - for the final wide receiver spots. 

New England should be fine going with a running back committee of Ridley/Vereen/Woodhead, throwing in Olympic sprinter/Florida Gator Jeff Demps to spice things up.  While some of Brady’s options – namely, Welker and Gronkowski – may see a dip in production, expect Brady to be the fantasy leader by season’s end.

Aaron Rodgers: 2011’s fantasy point’s leader, Rodgers returns to the Gold and Green healthy and with the same cast as last season.  For leagues that take away points for interceptions, Rodgers six picks to 45 touchdowns last season, was pure gravy.  Cedric Benson should be a healthy upgrade over Ryan Grant, but it’s the trio of Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, and Jermichael Finley that continue to terrorize defensive coordinators in their sleep.

The Packers 35 points per game led the NFL, and with a relatively easy schedule (they match up with the NFC West and AFC South), expect Rodgers’ ascension into the hearts of Cheese Heads to continue.

Drew Brees: A testament to the level of play and the way the game has changed, Brees slides in as the No.3 ranked player, but could easily be chosen first.  Often overlooked after Brady and Rodgers, as well as the turmoil that has surrounded the Saints, Brees’ 5,476 passing yards last season was an NFL record.  New Orleans remains a balanced attack, however.

The Saints ranked sixth in rush yards per game (133), behind teams like the Broncos, Panthers, and Eagles, which sported running quarterbacks.  Robert Meachem’s departure allows Brees favorite, Lance Moore, to step into a more consistent role.  The diminutive thunder bug, Darren Sproles, returns as the all around threat that accumulated a league leading 2,696 all-purpose yards last season.  Athletic freak Jimmy Graham enters just his third season.

Arian Foster: When Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson both went down last season, Houston switched identities, going from a pass happy offense to a ground and pound defensive team.  Leading the way rushing, despite missing three games, were Foster and his 1,841 combined rushing and receiving yards.  Some may point to the emergence of Ben Tate as a red-flag. 

Keep in mind that outside of Johnson (who hasn’t played in a full season since 2009) the Texans lack skilled receivers.  Schaub also hasn’t been a staple of good health, and has consistently looked average as a starting quarterback.  Entering his fourth year in the league (third as a starter), Foster is in line for an elite-level year as the premier running back.

Matthew Stafford: Stafford somehow fell under the radar in 2011 despite throwing for 41 touchdowns and more than 5,000 yards.  Detroit failed to produce much of a running attack last year, and with Jahvid Best likely on the PUP list, and oft-injured Kevin Smith penciled in as the starter, expect Stafford to air the pigskin out a lot.  Stafford’s 663 pass attempts last season are third on the all-time single season record list.  With all of those attempts coming, someone has to catch them for Detroit to succeed.

Enter “Megatron”.  Finishing first among receivers and 11^th overall in fantasy points, Calvin Johnson’s 6’5 frame provides the ultimate security blanket.  Detroit also plays inside comfy confines of a dome. 

Sleeper

Matt Ryan: The 10^th ranked fantasy player from 2011 remains under the radar this season, and it’s somewhat easy to recognize why.  The Falcons, expected to take a step forward, went 10-6.  Ryan, anticipated to compete as a top tier quarterback, produced similar numbers to the previous season. 

With Roddy White and Julio Jones poised to become one of the top receiving tandem in the league, Tony Gonzalez still as one of the top tight ends in the league, and Harry Douglas and Jacquizz Rodgers expected to take on bigger roles this season, the Falcons may have one of the leagues sneaky best offenses.  Perhaps Ryan’s performance in Atlanta’s playoff game against the Giants has him ranked as the 11^th best fantasy quarterback.  Consider “Matty Ice” to be a great value pick.

Fearless Predictions for a Frightening Season

The 2012 Boston Red Sox season has been tumultuous to say the least, and according to numerous baseball sources, the clubhouse could erupt into disarray at any moment.  If we haven’t witnessed “disarray” yet during one of the most agonizing seasons in recent memory, one has to wonder how these next few months will play out. 

A mishap between Manager Bobby Valentine and third baseman Will Middlebrooks recently surfaced to the media.  Valentine made a comment to Middlebrooks earlier in the season after the rookie committed a couple of errors; essentially teasing Middlebrooks in a playful manner.  Someone or someone’s went behind Valentine’s back to upper management, voicing their displeasure about the much maligned manager. 

To say that Valentine has zero control over the team is like saying ESPN Analyst Buster Olney and Valentine have a rocky relationship; it’s extremely evident.  From comments about Mike Aviles, to Kevin Youkilis, to Carl Crawford, Valentine has routinely set himself apart from his players this season.  No wonder the team is treading water at 53-53, and despite being just four games back from a wild card spot, the team’s collective malaise offers little hope for postseason play at Fenway this season.

Here are a few fearless predictions going forward:

- Bobby Valentine fails to last the rest of the season

This season reminds a bit of the disastrous 2001 season and a roster filled with overpaid stiffs (Jose Offerman, Mike Lansing, Bret Saberhagen), and a middling manager (Jimy Williams).  The difference being that the 2012 team is far and away more talented than that squad, and there is clear disdain between everyone and Valentine, whereas the main turmoil involving Williams was solely between him and ownership.

Valentine has done his best job of getting fired, showing an outright arrogance during press conferences, and recently shouting, “I’m not trying to get fired”, behind Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy as he was doing pregame television work.  The comments uttered seemed to extract opposite feelings.  What manager of a major league baseball team says that to the national media (in Boston, nonetheless) without the thought, ‘Heck, I may be out the door soon; Might as well make this fun’.  There’s no chance Valentine makes it to next season, so what’s stopping Red Sox ownership from pulling the plug on the Bobby V. experiment?

- Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford get put on waivers; neither gets picked up

To say that Josh Beckett has turned into public enemy No.1 in Boston this season is highly remarkable considering who is manager is.  Beckett has accomplished this feat, distancing himself from the fans and media, all the while growing a third and fourth chin.  At 32, owed more than $30 million over the next two years, and showing awful durability issues, no other team is going to pick up his contract.

The Crawford case is one of the more frustrating one’s for the Red Sox.  He spent the previous decade terrorizing the Red Sox as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.  Now, he’s doing the same as a member of the Red Sox.  Count me as one of the few remaining members of the Carl Crawford Fan Club.  I was ecstatic over the prospects that he could bring to this team and pairing his skills with Jacoby Ellsbury’s.  His speed, defense, and high contact rate with Tampa should have translated into success in Boston.  Instead, his speed has gone to little use, his defense has been above average at best (his elbow will probably need Tommy John Surgery), and his on-base percentage continues to hover below .300.  One team I could see making the plunge and obtaining Crawford’s services would be the Miami Marlins.  They already overpaid for a trio of free agents this offseason, and is a team continually looking to make a splash (no pun intended).  Their production out of left field has been minimal, and the new stadium caters more to Crawford’s gap-hitting game.

- Ryan Lavarnway steals starts at catcher

Whether Lavarnway takes time away from Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Kelly Shoppach remains to be seen, but it is clear that the Red Sox think something of the 24 year old prospect.  “Salty” is arbitration eligible for next season, and can become a free agent in 2014.  At 27, he should be hitting the peak of his catching career.  While twenty homeruns through 83 games thus far is a good sign, his strikeout to walk ratio is atrocious, as well as his on base percentage.  Shoppach remains an insurance policy, and a solid back up for any team.  One has to wonder why the Red Sox didn’t part with him at the trade deadline.  Lavarnway at least presents the team with some flexibility going forward as a catcher/DH.

- Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Lester make some fans forget about their disappointing seasons

Let me preface this by saying that Lester and Gonzalez are upper echelon players when healthy and right.  This season, however, they have not.  Lester, still just 28 and left-handed, has shown decreased velocity and less control this season than in years past.  He still has the ability to be an even better pitcher than he was before this season.  He’s only thrown more than 200 innings three times in his career, and while his velocity is down a bit, his game should not be predicated on how fast he throws.  Even when his fastball topped out at 95MPH, it was his location and willingness to use a full arsenal and both sides of the plate that helped him succeed.  Final Pitching Line Prediction: 11-11 4.50ERA.

If you look at Gonzalez’s numbers as a whole this season, they don’t look too bad: .302BA 10HR 62RBI through 104 games.  The alarming statistic – 10 homeruns – indicates that even though he’s playing in a ballpark catered to his swing, his power numbers are his worst since he became a full time player in 2006.  What’s even more astounding is that he used to do his work in cavernous Petco Park in San Diego.  Fearless prediction the rest of the way: .310BA 20HR 102RBI.