It’s rare that a player can change the course of a team’s season and franchise history without actually being on the team itself.  An example of this is Lawrence Taylor’s devastating hit on Joe Theismann years ago, a hit that changed Theismann and the Redskins.

So what are the chances of a player doing that not once, not twice, but three times against a single team? Despite the long odds, Bernard Pollard has become enemy number one for the New England Patriots.

It’s well known that Kansas City Chief Bernard Pollard ruined the 2008 Patriots’ season, the year they were coming off of a nearly flawless 18-1 4campaign, by tearing Tom Brady’s ACL (can be seen here). That year the Patriots were as always one of the league’s top contenders, and Pollard took them out of the running before the end of their first quarter.

That’s just one of Pollard’s coincidental roles with Patriot injuries. In 2009 the Patriots were 10-6 and the AFC East champions, giving them the No. 3 seed during the playoffs. In Week 17 the Patriots went to Houston to play the Texans, where history now shows Wes Welker blew out his knee trying to avoid a defender. Who was the defender he was trying to avoid? None other than Bernard Pollard.

The Patriots went on to lose their first playoff game to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14. The Patriots were clearly hampered by the absence of Welker, as Brady had one of his worst postseason games that day, throwing three interceptions.

Ironically, Pollard spent the 2011 season on the Baltimore Ravens, who once again faced the Patriots in the playoffs. Jokes were made around the media concerning Pollard going against his Boston foes again and whether another injury was on its way. Unfortunately for Patriots fans, this became a reality as Pollard laid a hit on New England star tight end Rob Gronkowski that led to a high ankle sprain.

In the Patriots’ loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, Gronkowski’s ankle was a major issue. He wasn’t explosive and even got out-leaped for an interception by Chase Blackburn. Gronkowski’s injury was a reason the Patriots’ season ended disappointingly without a championship.

It is not a stretch to say that Bernard Pollard has possibly cost New England multiple championships. In 2008 the Patriots were still capable of the offensive firepower they had during their near-perfect season. 2009 admittedly was not as good, but the Patriots still could have made a run in the playoffs with Welker. Finally, this past Super Bowl could have been won if Tom Brady had his best offensive weapon.

Pollard, like Lawrence Taylor mentioned before, has brought about changes in the NFL as a whole. Taylor made the blind side tackle a more looked at position, most noted in the movie and book The Blind Side. Bernard Pollard was the force behind the “Brady rule”, where a defensive player can not lunge at a quarterback form the ground like Pollard did against Brady in 2008.

While not a huge star, Pro Bowler, or Super Bowl champion, Pollard has had a huge effect on the NFL and playoffs recently. His hits on Gronkowski and Brady could be looked at as hits that cost the Patriots titles, and helped cripple (pun intended) their dynasty. For fans who don’t like the Patriots, he is loved. For Patriots fans, he’s infamous.

Note: None of this article is to take away from the New York Giants Super Bowl title. They played a fantastic game and had an incredible season. Congratulations to them and all their fans.

Tom Brady, arguably the greatest QB in NFL history, was limited to the role as a game manager in perhaps the most important game of his career—yes, that is the secret of the New England Patriots victory over the Giants.

I can already envision the outrage I will receive for saying such blasphemy from New England Patriot fans.

Beloved Patriot fans, if you want to see Tom hoisting that Lombardi trophy above his head for the fourth time, then you’re going to  need to see an offensive game plan where Tom Brady is handing that pigskin about 70 percent of the time into the bellies of his running backs or his twin Dikta-like tight ends.

This will be the only way the Patriots will beat The New York Giants. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick must do what opposing teams often attempt to do against them—control the clock and keep quarterback Eli manning of the New York Giants off the field.

Two reasons: First, the Patriot Defense won’t be able stop Eli Manning or the Giants running game, and secondly, and maybe more importantly, the Patriot running game is a seldom-seen commodity that, in this writer’s mind, is the poison to slay the Giants defense.

I have watched both teams all season. Given the reality that the New England Patriots have a below average defense, and the fact that the better teams in the league have adapted to the Patriot offensive scheme, a stout running game is the needed elixir to give the Pats the strategic advantage they will need against a team that is more well balanced then they are.

The Giants are licking their chops at the thought of Tom Brady standing back in the pocket for a typical day of 40 or more passes.

The Patriots’ brain trust, Coach Bill Belichick, would be wise not to grant this wish and do just the opposite. The vaunted Giant pass rush that stomped the Pats in their last Superbowl meeting will begin to slow down in the fourth quarter after a heavy dose of a run attack that was unexpected—then some of that Brady passing magic can be applied safely.

All year long the Patriots have tinkered with the run game like a kid trying to put together a model airplane. When things didn’t go right, like any youngster, you call on dad to put things together and  solve the problem.

Likewise, when in a need for a quick fix, Tom Brady would call on Bill Belichick to just let him stand back and sling the ball, and all would be well in  Patriot Nation.

The Patriot running game had success, but Coach Belichick gave up on it too quickly—after all, having Tom Brady is a hard addiction to break.

The fact is the New England Patriots have some dynamic runners, including bruising tight ends that can bring hell-on-turf. Coach  Belichick must kick the Brady habit and put some trust in his run game.

The genesis of my thinking is years in the making of watching The Patriot machine, but I only need to point out two games this year to make my point where no amount of directional help from mastermind Bill Belichick or Savior Tom Brady would work.

Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, masters in defense, employed what has been Tom Brady’s Kryptonite: press coverage.

A dose of the Steelers and Giants running game kept Brady and Belichick studying passing schemes and formations from which no answers came forth. The Patriots lost both games with hopes and prayers that they would never have to see those teams again.

Well, as its turned out, they got half their wish. The Pittsburgh Steelers were ousted by the Denver Broncos, but as things often go in life, God will provide some of the heavy lifting but you have to work for some of your miracles.

The New England Patriots can beat the New York Giants by carrying a work-like attitude to Super Bowl XLVI, running the football about 70 percent of the time. Sometimes you win by losing some of the obviousness that opposing teams expect from you.

The Giants have one of the best pass rushes in football. The Patriots, if they play their normal scheme, will play right into the strength of their rival. This is a game where Tom Brady has to be small—handing the ball to his runners often in order to win the game.

The New York Giants will plan their whole defensive scheme with the idea that Tom Brady is going to do what Tom Brady always does: throw and throw some more.

The New York Giants, the team who stole perfection and NFL God-hood from both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, are poised to again destroy another Superbowl dream from the dynamic duo of Brady and Belichik.

There is only one way to stop them—Tom Brady, you must become small—The New England Patriots must run the ball.

For the Baltimore Ravens, all was somber and dreary as they left Gillette Stadium defeated and weary.

As night blanketed the New England sky, Ray Lewis and company must have felt lost in a bad dream that bordered on the surreal.  Indeed, the game had unfolded nicely for the Ravens, laying a path for a fairytale ending that would have resulted in a trip to Indianapolis.  But in a bizarre play of events, the Ravens lost a game that, on paper, looked like a victory.

Consider this—the Ravens offense had more total net yards (398) than the Patriots offense (330). Stephen Gostkowski, not Rob Gronkowski, was the Pats biggest offensive weapon. And Tom Brady had more rushing touchdowns (1) than passing (0).

Finally, to top off the strangeness of the night, Joe Flacco and Tom Brady had identical completions and attempts (22 of 36), with Flacco coming out ahead (at least statistically) with two touchdown passes to Brady’s goose egg.

Yes, this was a game that the Ravens wanted, yet were unable to capture due to the return of an unwelcomed guest—the Patriot Way.

The Patriot Way is best described as all parts working toward a common goal. Through the synchronized movement of all of the pieces, the body Patriot can win in various ways.

Although the Patriot Way had been waylaid the past few years by misguided organizational ambitions, it surfaced in full regalia against the Ravens.

It was Brady diving over the line to score a touchdown.

It was Brandon Spikes making a crucial interception of a Flacco pass.

It was Vince Wilfork forcing the Ravens out of field goal range.  And it was Sterling Moore knocking the ball out of Lee Evans’ hands in the end zone.  Therefore, before the heavy beating of Billy Cundiff’s tell-tale heart foretold a shank, the return of the Patriot Way made victory possible.

So, as the Ravens walked slowly through the locker room door, the Patriot Way whispered into their ears: “You will play—Nevermore.”

A few months ago, the Carolina Panthers’ season was expected to be a long and drawn-out one. A 5-9 record didn’t seem out of the question, but if you were told that Cam Newton would break one of Peyton Manning’s records, would you ever believe it?

Well, Newton is set to do exactly that today when Carolina takes on the Buccaneers at home. The Bucs are on an eight-game losing streak and have one of the weakest secondaries in football. Three weeks ago, the Panthers’ quarterback led the team to a 38-19 win and a 106.1 passer rating on the road in Tampa Bay.

Newton will need only 18 yards today to break Peyton Manning’s rookie record of 3,739 passing yards. The young quarterback will also have a chance to pass the 4,000-yard mark on the season; he needs only 278 yards over his final two games to do so.

The record serves as a reminder to all that no player should ever be written off and told what his limits are. We’ve seen Tim Tebow play a huge role in turning the Denver Broncos around and Cam Newton has the Panthers in position to make a playoff run next season.

Nearly every analyst defined Newton as a pure scrambling quarterback who would never succeed as a passer in the NFL. Well, don’t look now, but he’s about to become the most prolific rookie passer in NFL history—not bad for an “overhyped, high-risk” first-round pick with “a glaring bust factor.”

Good luck to Mr. Newton today and here’s to allowing players to play before stating how poorly they will play at the next level.

Michael Vick signed an enormous $100 million contract earlier this season, but it looks like the same problems that scared fans last season are going to rear their ugly head until this contract is over.

For the second season in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback will most likely miss time with an injury to his ribs, crushing any remaining hope that the team could back its way into the playoffs.

While the fans will be furious to see Michael Vick sitting on the bench for the hundredth time this season, it will be the right move for the future of the team.  It looks like Michael Vick is probably not going to play on Sunday according to news from ESPN’s Adam Schefter about his status.  On top of that playing a team like the New York Giants who has a good pass rush with cracked ribs is probably not a good idea.

The Eagles are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, but it has become very obvious that the Eagles aren’t going anywhere this season, so the next natural step is to go into next-season mode.

Philadelphia needs to start protecting its star players and analyzing which players will be back next season and which ones will be hitting the road.

Andy Reid is a smart coach and he knows that what he was doing this season is not working. It will be Reid’s job to make sure that, with this much talent, the team is a success next season.

That starts by sitting Michael Vick on the bench until he is as close to 100 percent as a football player can be.

The team’s mindset has to be protecting its star quarterback that we just signed to a massive deal, and anything less would be irresponsible.

Putting aside the Baltimore game (because that was just a complete abomination), but looking at the OAK and NE games, there are three issues (offense/defense) that have plagued this team and have kept it from being 4-1 instead of 2-3.

1. While the Jets defense was one of the top units in ’09 and ’10, I remember it being more a bend-but-don’t break unit, then a complete shutdown group. And that worked. Instead of allowing touchdowns, the other team would get in the red zone and the Jets would generally hold them to a FG. I think the numbers would back me up on that.

This season…

Against Oakland: Three TOUCHDOWNS from the 23-yard line or closer.
Against NE: Three red-zone TOUCHDOWNS

Lose by 10 to OAK, lose by nine to NE. Change two of those TDs to FGs and you may have different results.

2. The safeties and LBs are just too slow. They cannot contain the edges and it’s not a matter of if Eric Smith gets burned each week but how badly. It’s a given. The Jets need to try Brodney Pool or someone else (is there anyone?) in that spot because Smith just isn’t working AT ALL.

3. Time to move to the offense. While there have been issues that you do hold the players accountable to, like Burress’ dropped balls and the O-line breakdowns, the overwhelming problem is Brian Schottenheimer. I just have no doubt about this. This is the sixth season of this nonsense and nothing has changed.

Maybe it’s because for more than a decade (outside of Al Groh, who wasn’t even the first choice) the Jets have had head coaches with defensive backgrounds. From Parcells to Edwards to Mangini to Ryan, it just seems like the offenses have been plagued by incredible conservatism.

In my lifetime of really watching the Jets (starting in ’98), Dan Henning has been the ONLY offensive coordinator that has given me any promise of spark or explosiveness in the Jets’ offense. Paul Hackett was the worst, Mike Heimerdinger didn’t work out and here we are with Schottenheimer, who is plagued by inconsistency and predictability.

I sometimes believe Schottenheimer has created a good game plan. The offense works well in the first half (as it did in Oakland and in spurts of this NE game), but then the other team’s defense adjusts and Schottenheimer misses that memo. Today for instance, he pounded the Ground and Pound into the ground so much so that it became ineffective.

The predictability of this offense is astounding. I’m not a coach but watching every Jets game it’s amazing how often I know what’s coming. I don’t watch game film but from what I see each week there seems to be fundamental issues in the design of routes.

I watch other teams who are able to hit 15-20 yard pass plays or (gasp) even longer ones. It appears these do not exist in the Jets’ playbook. They’re running six-yard curls on 3rd and 8. Seriously?

There’s just no imagination. I’m not asking for imagination as in reverses or RB passes or some kind of extravagant trickery. I just want some variety. The Jets rarely work the middle of the field and I don’t think they’ve even taken ONE shot down the field this season….ONE.  It’s curls, sideline outs and two-step drops that require perfect timing.

Yes, there are problems with pass blocking and the offensive line but something has to be done to open up the offense.

I know the Jets offense and Schottenheimer so well that I’m willing to put money on us running a play-action deep bomb to Santonio Holmes on our first offensive play next week. I’d go to Vegas and bet on it if it’s a proposition.

These problems are not impossible to fix. The Baltimore loss was a blowout but the Jets were in both of these last two games. They’re 2-3 and while there are problems, it’s not time for doom and gloom…yet. It will be if there are not steps taken to try and solve them.

According to ESPN and just about all major sports networks, Chad Henne will miss the rest of the 2011 season as he recovers from surgery after separating his non-throwing shoulder.

You are probably wondering what the difference between a shoulder separation and dislocation is. As About.com’s orthopedics section mentions, a dislocation is when the shoulder pops out of the joint. A separation involves an injury to the ligament that connects the shoulder blade and the collarbone.

Both are serious, but treatment for both is much different.

Henne was having a decent 2011 season. However, he was still plagued by some mistakes that made him a target of criticism in previous seasons.

The Dolphins will have to promote rookie undrafted free agent Pat Devlin to the active roster, unless they can find a suitable backup for new starter Matt Moore.

Miami has worked out quarterbacks Jake Delhomme, David Garrard, Brodie Croyle, Jim Sorgi and Trent Edwards. Delhomme and Garrard have rejected contract offers from the Dolphins.

Miami is 0-4, with a bye during Week 5. Matt Moore will make his first start of the season against the Dolphins’ division rivals, the New York Jets.

Moore did fairly well against San Diego, all things considered. He had a successful season as a Carolina Panther during 2009, but struggled during the Panthers’ 2010 season.

The Dolphins have a ton of areas that need work on. A new starting quarterback will surely create a challenge for a team that is just about dead in the water.

With issues on the offensive line, Matt Moore will have to rely on his mobility to create time out of the pocket.

The Dolphins play the Jets on Monday Night Football on October 17th against a New York team looking to get back on track.

The way the Falcons were ripped apart in the divisional round by the Packers at home was disappointing. Ending their season on that note was downright disheartening. Signs of a decline were apparent heading into 2011.

In so many games in 2010, the Falcons played just well enough to squeeze out wins. Wins that catapulted them to a higher level than they actually were at in a division that saw the Saints fade back a tad. The division had the woeful Panthers and the Tampa Bay Bucs, who were just too young to disrupt the South.

A year later and things have changed. If Mike Vick was not knocked out of the second game, this team would easily be 0-3.

Before delving into the issues they are currently facing, lets look back at the 2010 season. Matt Ryan was as heroic as they came last season, as the Falcons won six games by seven points or less, finding ways constantly to come up with game winning drives, including a monster fourth quarter against the Ravens in a prime time game.

As the year progressed, Ryan continued to anchor the quarterback position even better. Roddy White’s rise as a dominant receiver had a lot to do with Ryan’s breakout year. White caught a career high 115 balls, surpassing his average over the prior two years by nearly thirty.

Maybe this team has a hangover from the lockout or is just unbalanced.

Too begin to point fingers, you’d have to narrow it down to the running back situation. Michael Turner was over worked a few years ago. Deciding to spend their mega free agent dollars on Turner in 2008 was thought of as a wise move. He did not have many miles being the back behind LT for years.

Backs with size though have had trouble keeping a steady work load without varying results. Turner was the catalyst to the Falcons rise from a team without much expected from it.

After an injury riddled 2009 season, Turner shed some weight and burst back on the scene in 2010 with over 1300 yards. His stats look good to start off the 2011 season and he has been the beneficiary of a few big runs, including a monster fourth quarter one against the Eagles.

Subtract that and Turner has been sub-par. A team with Turner’s size in the backfield wants chunks of consistent yards, not being shut down with minimal runs series after series. The Falcons are suddenly shifting from the rushing mentality to airing the football out.

This is a league in which balance needs to be priority. Most teams have a couple of running backs to set the tone, and wear down defenses for four quarters. Atlanta may have a great tandem of receivers, but at the rate that Matt Ryan’s throwing the football, he may not stay healthy. It could mean more hits on his receivers and more bruises for Matt Ryan’s back. He has had a rough go, early on being sacked thirteen times with four fumbles.

Maybe the offensive line would like to run block a little bit more instead of pass protect. There’s only so much an offensive line can do to contain blitzes and speed rushers. Ryan’s thrown the football already 122 times, and is on pace for 650 for the year. Unless they figure out a way to develop a New England dink and dump quick route offense, there is no way the Falcons turn this season around.

Atlanta may want to give more carries to rookie Jacquizz Rodgers and get this offensive balance under control.

New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was wrongfully on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing from Tedy Bruschi this morning.

The Pats’ former three-time Super Bowl winning linebacker told the world, via WEEI Radio, what he thinks of Ochocinco and his tweet about Brady’s performance following their Monday night win over the Dolphins.

“Drop the awe factor, OK, Ocho, Chad, drop the awe factor. You’re not a fan, all right. You’re not someone who’s on another team or watching TV. You’re not an analyst. You’re a part of it. They want you to be a part of it. So get with the program because obviously you’re not getting it and you’re tweeting because you’re saying, ‘It’s amazing to see’?  It’s amazing to see because you don’t understand it. You still don’t understand it and it’s amazing to you because you can’t get it.”

Bruschi continued his rant by saying he needs to get off Twitter and spend more time with his playbook. He also said Ochocinco needs to get to the stadium and start watching film to become part of the offense instead of being in awe of it.

In anticipation of a response from Chad, Bruschi said:

“Close your mouth. Put your hand under your chin and close your jaw. Then open your eyes and watch some film. That’s what you need to do. If you’re still in awe that means you don’t get it because you don’t understand it.”

Tom Brady was on WEEI himself earlier and addressed Bruschi’s comments. He backed up his current teammate by saying:

“We’re going to need him. He does have my confidence. He has my trust. When he’s out there, I’m definitely looking for him. He’s going to be a big part of this offense, whether it plays out in Week 1, 3, or 5. Every player on the roster is going to be counted on at some point.”

Brady continued:

“We’re counting on him to be a huge contributor. And he expects that too. He expects to be out there making plays. When we’re in the huddle, he’s very excited about being out there, making catches, doing the right thing, being in the right spot. He’s definitely done that over the course of training camp. Anyone who has come to training camp knows that he’s been a part of what we’re trying to do since the day we got him.”

Having a vote of confidence from the face of the Patriots franchise should show the world that Bruschi is wrong in his attack on Ochocinco.

What Brady did out on the field on Monday night was simply amazing.

Just because Ochocinco took 10 seconds out of his day to share his sentiments on the performance does not mean he isn’t watching tape or working his butt off in the film room and on the practice field.

Bruschi is not part of the team any longer and has to stop making assumptions on Ochocinco’s work ethic, based on a single tweet. It is unfair and wrong of him to do so, and quite frankly, he is embarrassing himself.

Kudos to Tom Brady for having his teammate’s back.

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We have a legal system in this country for a reason, and Michael Vick went through that system and paid the consequences for his actions.  People are harping on the fact that Vick did not wake up one day walk into a police station and turn himself in for dog fighting, instead he waited until they had enough evidence to convict him to finally come clean.  If I am not mistaken that is normal human behavior, people don’t tend to confess until they feel they are going to get caught.  The fact is none of this matters anymore, the Philadelphia Eagles made an investment in Michael Vick based on his ability on the football field coming off of his near MVP season last year.

Even with all of that and the work Vick has done to speak out against dog fighting and volunteering his time with animal rights groups it’s still not enough.  These individuals who seem to lack the ability to realize people make mistakes are just showing their ignorance.  Leonard Little a star player for the St. Louis Rams a few years ago killed Susan Gutweiler when he was drunk and crashed into her car, and Little did not do any jail time while Michael Vick did almost two years!  All little received was four years’ probation and 1000 hours of community service for taking a human life, where was the outrage then?  The woman’s son even did an interview on television talking about how it wasn’t right that little was walking around with almost no punishment.  Once again no outrage over the incident, instead people want to hold a grudge against Michael Vick for harming animals.  I know there are dog lovers out there, but recklessly killing a woman and leaving her son without a mother is all the bit more tragic.

Now on the brink of the 2011-2012 season, Vick looks to be the protagonist in what many hope to be a storybook year for Philadelphia. With the Eagles inking him to a six-year, $100 million deal, with $40 million in guaranteed money.  Keeping Vick paid and happy was one of the many positive steps the Eagles’ organization took this offseason. With signings like CB Nnamdi Asomugha, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, DE Jason Babin, WR Steve Smith and QB Vince Young, it’s clear that the Eagles are entering this season with one goal in mind.  Super Bowl!

Like it or not football is a business, and teams are interested in winning games.  Fans who get caught up in a players character and personal life, and are unable to separate that from what they do on the field need to realize that coaches are paid to win games.  A good player with a criminal record will be valued over an average player with a spotless record just about every time.  The end game is winning football games, and coaches who fail to do that don’t keep their jobs for very long.  Vick has done everything asked of him on and off the field so far, and this contract actually saved the Eagles money where they can now try to sign star receiver Desean Jackson to a new contract that will make him happy.

For now, Eagles fans are blissfully ignorant. They love the guy. With the way he has re-energized the franchise, why shouldn’t they? Vick took a group of players with no future in sight and turned them into the most electrifying team in the league. Fans pay him back with massive amounts of support at home games, with tons of Super Bowl optimism and by making him the current No. 6 top-selling jersey in the NFL. With the way Vick runs, jumps and passes, it is quite hard to remember that he could do anything wrong, ever.  It’s a waste of time to hold grudges, and fans generally have short memories when it comes to these types of things.  The Vick contract is a wise investment for the Eagles and they will look even more intelligent if they win the Super Bowl this season.