SZ615

BY JIM DAWSON
DECEMBER 15, 2015
SANITY RESTORED – TEXANS GORED, PATS #1 SEED AGAIN
After the good news of losses by Cincinnati (who are in big trouble after losing QB Andy
Dalton to a thumb fracture) and Denver (thank you, Raiders, and the Broncos receivers who
dropped balls), the Patriots were primed to return to the best AFC record.
The return of Gronk was as huge as he is (4 catches on 4 targets, 87 yards and a TD). Gronk
(per Mike Reiss) played 42 snaps out of 67 (19 1st half, 22 2nd half - I know the math doesn't
work). Without Gronk, they might not have won this game. Amendola has helped too,
stabilizing the receiver core (6 catches on 8 targets).
However the real stories behind the win are the protection from the O Line (and opening rush
lanes), and the dominance of the Defense. Even without Dont'a Hightower, the Pats did a good
job stopping the run - 87 yards (8 TFLs – tackles for loss) and Texan receivers DeAndre
Hopkins (Ryan and safety help) and Nate Washington (Butler gave up only 1 catch on 4
targets).
The Pats D seemed to be in the Texans' backfield all night. They sacked QB Brian Hoyer 6
times and hit him 10 times, knocking him out of the game with a concussion. The D held
Houston to 3 for 14 on 3rd down and 0 for 2 on 4th.
And the O line was much better at protecting The Franchise. Marcus Cannon did well at RT
against JJ Watt who was hampered by that broken left hand. Cannon had help. When Watt was
switched to the right side, Vollmer held his own. TE's Michael Williams and Asante Cleveland
helped blocking. Watt was barely visible on the stat sheet. Gamebook has him with 2 tackles, 1
assist, 1 tackle for a loss and a roughing the passer penalty. Brady was sacked 3 times
(Clowney 2 and Mercilus 1), but only hit 3 times. The Pats had allowed Brady to be hit 13
times in each of their last 3 games.
The O Line started with left to right: Vollmer, Mason (R), Stork, Jackson (R) and Cannon.
Mike Reiss notes that David Andrews helped out Bryan Stork who was out for 6 plays with an
'equipment' issue. Other than that, those O line guys played all 67 offensive snaps. It was good
to see Josh McDaniels stay with the run (which also protects Brady) even after LeGarrette
Blount went out at 8:14 of the 2nd quarter with 53 yards, Brandon Bolden picked up the slack
getting 51 yards on 16 carries (22 yards on 5 carries 1st half).
A well-deserved win with a complete team effort. On to the Tennessee game.

ERRATA
It was pointed out to me that last issue, I had it as Daniel LaFell and not Brandon LaFell. Well
the Pats did have a Daniel Fells. Mea culpa, mea culpa...

POINTS AFTER
Jabaal Sheard #93 wreaked havoc all night. He had 2 sacks and forced 2 fumbles (1 recovered
by Malcom Brown). He was in on 5 tackles, 1 for a loss and 3 QB hits.
Jerod Mayo seems to be healthier as he had his speed back. Mayo had 7 tackles and 1 assist (8).
Jamie Collins led the team with 5 tackles and 4 assists (9).
Akiem Nicks (from NO in a trade for Hoomy) had 5/1 (6) numbers and 2 sacks.
Vince Wilfork had no tackles and 2 assisted tackles.
Scott Chandler was never targeted in the game. Mike Reiss notes that Chandler came in
questionable with a knee injury and was in for just 1 play.
On the injury front, Devin McCourty was reported to have a high ankle sprain, so he'll be out
until the playoffs. Nothing on the left hip injury of LeGarrette Blount, who would be sorely
missed if all done. Hope for no tears. There were injuries to Easley (thigh - ok) Chung (foot
injury but he played 51 of 54 D snaps), and Freeny (dislocated thumb and part of his wrist).
The D is rounding into shape, so the Pats don't need injuries there.
Mike Reiss had this stat: Gronk caught his 10th TD. He joined only two other NFL
players with 10 TDs in 5 of their first 6 seasons: Randy Moss and Bob Hayes.
In another amazing example of the Patriots' staff picking up players that can help: CB
Leonard Johnson just signed was in for 42 of 54 defensive snaps (per Reiss) and had 2
pass breakups. Johnson was signed to a two year deal.
I thought James White's catch along the sideline was good. He dug his toe in before his
heel went out. It was a hell of a play, and portends good things from Mr. White.

BULLETS
• Roger Goodell may have an undiagnosed concussion. That can only explain his recent
behavior, including having his head so far up his butt, that he can't see. Someone needs
to get him into a concussion protocol or to see a proctologist.
• In the AFC, the Jets, KC and Pitt, all at 8-5, are in best position for a wild card. The
Jets have Dallas, NE, Buff. KC has Ravens, Browns, Raiders. Pitt has Denver, Ravens.
Browns. At least one of those at 8-5 won't make the playoffs. My hunch – the Jets.

THANKS TO STEVE LENZ, SPORTZINE IS ALSO AT JIMDAWSONSPORTS.COM

• In the NFC, Minnesota and Seattle at 8-5 are best bets for a wild card.
• Sunday, the Bills lost a tough one to the Eagles. The Bills had 15 penalties (101 yds.)
• Cleveland sacked SF QB Blaine Gabbert 9 times.
• Derek Carr of Oak missed 17 passes (12 of 29). Brock Osweiler of Denver missed 16
(35 for 51) but the Raiders won the game.
• The Boston Globe's Ben Volin (12/13) revealed that a company called Quanterix has
developed a pin prick test that checks the blood for proteins that result after a player has
suffered a concussion. The NFL has invested $800,000 in Quanterix. The results would
take 20 minutes, and the player would be out until the test results came in.
• If you have watched the career trajectory of Rajon Rondo, you can only be happy that
Danny Ainge traded him to the Mavs (for Jae Crowder, 2 guys who are gone, a
conditional 1st rounder in 2015 and a 2nd in 2016 plus a $12.9 Mill trade exception).
Rondo then fought with Mavs' coach Rick Carlyle and got benched (in the playoffs!).
Now with the Sacramento Kings, Rondo has been suspended for making a derogatory
remark (possibly a gay-slur) to a ref. Rondo is his own worst enemy.

POINT OF VIEW
HBO has had a string of successful series. One of the best is The Wire, which was on for 5
seasons (2002-08). If you haven't seen it, you are missing one of the best written and hardest
hitting series ever shown on TV. The series is about the inner city Baltimore drug scene and
was created by an ex-Baltimore Sun reporter, David Simon, and an ex-Baltimore Police
Detective Ed Burns. Each season covers a different topic but all set against the drug scene.
The series has many memorable characters including Omar Little (Michael K Williams –
Chalky in Boardwalk Empire), 'Stringer' Bell (Idris Elba), and Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris)
to name a few. When I saw it, I did not realize that two of the principal actors, Idris Elba and
Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty) are British. You would never know by their accents.
RI's Peter Gerety has a recurring role as a judge. Each season's opening has the song Way
Down In The Hole (written by Tom Waits), but with different artists singing it in different
versions (including personal favorite Steve Earle). IMDb rated it a 9.3, which is high praise.

E-MAIL
Jim:
Thanks for all you do in keeping me connected with the inside scoop and first hand reporting
on New England sports throughout the year!
Andrew "left coast" Wright
You're quite welcome, Andrew. Thanks for reading and responding. - Z

THE HOT CLUB
Jimmy Chelo was on the premises. He and his brothers have had great success with their
restaurants. I wondered if he got the idea to have roast beef sandwiches from Pawtucket's own
Beef Hearth. Jimmy said no, that the first Chelo's opened in Cumberland around 1955 while the
Beef Hearth started in 1962.
Contraire visited the HC and did his best to provoke anyone who would talk to him. The
Celtics were playing the undefeated Warriors. Contraire knew that Boston was a 6 point
underdog. I said that I thought Boston could beat them. Contraire had bet on the Celts and said
he only cared if they covered. I pointed out that's the difference between me as a fan and him as
a gambler.
Katie asked where the Golden State Warriors came from. I recalled that they once were the San
Francisco Warriors, but FootJoy reminded me that they originally were the Philadelphia
Warriors.
And I met an Allison who chatted with me and told me that she was a witch. I stated that I
thought she was a white witch.
Beau admitted that he is an opera fan, though he said he likes upbeat ones as others are sleep
inducing. Beau's brother Broc was around so I asked him if he were an opera fan too. Broc
started singing “Figaro....”.
I was talking with Shaun, Wiz's friend. He saw my mention of Gary Glitter's Rock N Roll Part
2 being played at Gillette. He noted that Jon Bon Jovi's This Is Our House is now used.
Look for a new alternative newspaper called Virgin Underground to debut around December
22. Kirk Feather will have a music column, undoubtedly jazz oriented.

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So who was the '70's one hit wonder that had a song covered by many other artists but which
some rate as one of the worst ever? Answer (no one had it): Morris Albert with Feelings. The
Brazilian Albert (née Mauricio Alberto Kaisermann) had a gold record with the song but was
sued for plagiarism by Louis Gasté (of his song Pour Toi). A judge ruled in Gasté's favor.
Albert had to pay him $500,000 and 88% of the royalties from the song.

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
What is the world's longest surviving rock band that is still playing?

SZ614

BY JIM DAWSON
DECEMBER 8, 2015
DROPS, DROPKICKS AND DROPS IN IQ
When you are leading 14-0 and controlling the game, you should not try a trick play such as a dropkick
(by #43 Nate Ebner). It got the Eagles' dander up and they proceeded to go down the short field for
their first touchdown (and the only one that the offense would score until the 4th quarter). The first
dropkick was perceived by some Eagles as 'dissing' them. It was a coaching blunder. And it was
repeated after Gostkowski had a successful onside kick followed by the coaches going back to the
dropkick after the Pats scored a TD. To repeat the mistake was evidence of a major IQ drop. Go with
Gostkowski who has had some success with onside kicks.
That drop in IQ was also evidenced by QB Tom Brady who made an uncharacteristic unforced error by
throwing to Amendola at the goal line when he was guarded by two men. The resulting 99 yard return
by Malcolm Jenkins for a TD was a huge momentum swing. The Pats had just had the ball first and
goal at the 1 when they tried a quick snap. Jenkins nailed White for a 4 yard loss. Where was Blount?
The loss forced the Pats to pass with disastrous results. 1st and 1, the ball should be in Blount's hands.
The one guy on the Eagles that could hurt you is Darren Sproles. Yet he was wide open at times and ran
well getting around the corner when the Pats failed to seal it. Poor job of taking away the Eagles' best
offensive player. On his 83-yard punt return, both Nate Ebner and Matthew Slater came in too fast and
ran by Sproles. It was an especially bad day for Ebner. He had the failed dropkicks. And if you watch
the video, Ebner vacated the spot that the Eagles player (Chris Maragos) ran in untouched to block
Allen's punt resulting in the return for a TD which tied the game with 8 seconds left in the half. The
punt might never have happened if time management (and luck) had been better. After a 1st down at
their 33 with 50 seconds left in the half, the Patriots took a timeout. Brady was then sacked at his 30.
Then Philly called an injury time out at 40 seconds. While the Pats ran on 2nd down, they passed on
3rd with 19 seconds left. Had they run, they probably would have left the half up 14-7 because the
clock would have run out with the Eagles unlikely to call a timeout. After Brady was sacked, the Pats
should have taken a knee.
Ah yes, and the drops – multiple drops by players: Scott Chandler (a disappointment so far – he never
missed any when he was killing the Pats with the Bills); Daniel LaFell who went back to his dropsy
days and looked to have stopped running on Brady's 2nd interception (which Brady alibied for him),
and Keshawn Martin, who has shown promise, but needs to work on those hands. We'll give him a pass
on the 4th and 10 at the end (the Pats were called for holding anyway). Even Amendola had a drop. The
ProJo's Mark Daniels (12/8) had Pats receivers with 9 drops.
This was a horrible loss that should never have happened. Hubris was involved. Underestimating your
opponent played a role. Bad play calling and quarterbacking helped humble the Patriots.
We'll see how they do in Houston with a tough defense but a QB (Brian Hoyer) that they know. A lot of
pundits gave up on the Pats last year when they lost to KC. This loss was so tough because it was self-
inflicted. Two special teams touchdowns. An interception for a touchdown. Will lessons be learned?

POINTS AFTER
The Patriots seemed to go away from the run in the 2nd half. I was surprised to see the halftime stats:
the Pats had more rushing yards (80 on 17 carries) than the Eagles (70 on 15 rushes), but the Eagles (91
yards), had better passing yardage than NE (77). That's because Brady was 9 of 16 for 94 yards but the
two sacks by Connor Barwin reduced his yardage total.
So the Pats had 17 carries in the 1st half but only 8 rushes in the 2nd half. In the 1st half, Blount was 10
for 43 yards (4.3) and Bolden 3 for 22 (7.3). Sproles had 7 1st half carries for 44 yards (6.3). The Pats
were behind by 14 at 4:18 of the 3rd quarter, so you would expect them to go to the pass more then.
The Eagles had 2 more sacks in the 2nd half (Brandon Graham) and a total of 13 QB hits. Brady again
took a beating. The Pats had 1 sack (Jerod Mayo) and just 3 QB hits. Mayo missed an easy interception
on a ball that hit him in the chest.
When Josh Kline went down, he had been having a bad day protecting Brady. Rookie Shaq Mason took
over at RG.
If there was a sliver of a silver lining, it was the emergence of RB James White. He had 10 catches on
13 targets (115 yards), many in the 2nd half. Amendola had 13 targets and 7 catches. Chandler was 7/4,
LaFell (9/4), Martin (8/3) and Bolden (who may have gotten hurt) 5/1. Sproles was 6/4 for 34 yards.

BULLETS
• As a BoSox fan, I am impressed with new GM Dave Dombrowski. He got a great closer in Kimbrel, a
starting ace in Price and moved Wade Miley (4.46 ERA) to Seattle for set up RHP Carson Smith (13
saves, 2.31 ERA and 92 K's in 70 innings!) and LHP Roenis Elias who may help as a starter/reliever.
Jonathan Aro, who didn't do much when called up (6.97 ERA/6 games), went with Miley.
• The NFL concussion issue and the findings by Bennet Omalu re CTE (chronic traumatic
encephalopathy) in retired players may deliver a big blow to an otherwise impregnable NFL. See
League of Denial and you'll understand better. Goodell and Tagliabue are exposed as only concerned
with protecting their money making machine. If parents stop letting their kids play football, it will
eventually dry up the one resource that the NFL can't do without - fresh football bodies for fodder.
• Peyton Manning is practicing with a partially torn plantar fascia in his left (plant) foot. He should not
play again this year. The Cleveland Browns have nothing to lose by playing QB Johnny Manziel.
• Per the NY Times (AP-12/8), 20 BC students (8 b-ballers) got sick after eating at a Chipotle's.

VIEWPOINT
A good way to find movies and TV series is through your local library. Get a card and create an
account. You can request films and shows on line and when they come in to your library, you get an e-
mail message. Movies can be taken out for 7 days and TV series for 3 weeks. If you run over those
times, the fines are small and you're helping your library in a small way. Victoria clued me in.
Many new movies are available much quicker than in years past. And some libraries even have Blu-
Ray versions. I usually prepare some lists of popular movies, including those up for various film
awards. Then I check them out at the IMDb web site and see what they are rated. Anything 7 and over
is worthy of watching, and IMDb seems to be accurate most of the time (except for horror, one of my
passions, which traditionally score lower). In the future, I'll suggest some titles that we've liked a lot.

THE HOT CLUB
Charlie Clancy and DD's Ron and I were discussing the Civil War. Ron pointed out that the North was
not faring well until McClellan and Burnside were replaced. With Grant, Sheridan and Sherman, the
North had better generals than the South. I agreed and noted it was especially so after Stonewall
Jackson was shot (by his own men) and died.
So Ron and I chuckled about our local general Ambrose Burnside for whom sideburns are named.
When I googled Rhode Islander Burnside, I learned that he was the first president of the NRA. Figures.
So I told them about my friend Chris who visited Atlanta's Cyclorama & Civil War Museum. He was
looking at a Civil War exhibit when a Southern gentleman said to him: “We would have won the war if
we had repeating rifles.” Chris responded “Who told you to start a war without repeating rifles?”
Wikipedia notes that the Spencer repeating rifle (7 shots) was used by the Union cavalry and mounted
infantry. While Confederate soldiers captured some Spencers, they lacked the copper for cartridges.
Foot Joy had a good point about the David Price signing by the BoSox. Because Price was traded (by
Detroit to Toronto) during the year, the Red Sox do not lose a #1 draft pick for signing him.
In talking to Mike Module and his friend Scott, I mentioned that last week's Sports Illustrated cover
showed Brock Osweiler back to pass. In the background the Broncos' lineman can be seen holding the
Patriots #99 Dominique Easley. Naturally no penalty was called. A gentleman named Ed brought his
smart phone over and showed us the SI cover.
Kevin, the Module's brother, asked me if I had seen ESPN's 30 on 30 show about Marvin Barnes. I
have not. Kevin noted that Barnes was signed by the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis, and that the young
radio voice of the Spirits then was Bob Costas (Ed. for KMOX).

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So who was that band member of a popular group that sold over 75 million records, wrote some songs
for them and one for Linda Ronstadt, then recorded a one hit wonder with his new band? Only Buffalo
Steve got part of it – He knew it was (Robert) Michael Nesmith, but not the hit, Joanne, which Nesmith
had with First National Band. Contrary to public opinion, Nesmith could play guitar before joining the
Monkees (Peter Tork too). Gretsch created a one-off 12-string electric guitar for Nesmith, which he
played with the Monkees. Nesmith wrote Different Drum for Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys. Nesmith's
financial woes ended in 1980 when he inherited money from his mom who created Liquid Paper which
she sold to Gillette for $48 million in 1979. Nesmith and the Monkees wrested control of their music
after getting producer Don Kirshner, their original music supervisor, fired. (Source - Wikipedia)

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
This one hit wonder had a massive winner in the '70's performing a song that was then covered by
many vocalists from the jazz, pop and R&B world. Even easy listening band leaders played it. In some
circles, it was considered one of the worst songs ever. Name the artist and his one hit wonder.

THANKS TO STEVE LENZ, SPORTZINE IS ALSO AT JIMDAWSONSPORTS.COM

SZ613

BY JIM DAWSON
DECEMBER 1, 2015
UNBEATEN NO MORE BUT BEATEN UP SOME MORE
The Patriots seemed to have a comfortable lead when Brandon Bolden went 63 yards
with a swing pass and put NE up by 2 TDs. But young Brock Osweiler, his running
attack, crucial catches and defense brought the Broncos back to win in overtime.
The Patriots' run defense had improved greatly until this game. Losing Dont'a
Hightower, one of their best run stoppers near the end of the 2nd quarter (3:40 left),
didn't help. It came on the Denver drive that resulted in a TD and made it 14-7 Pats.
A check of Gamebook shows that in the 2nd half, the Patriots had 8 possessions. The 1st
(6 plays) ended with a long incomplete to LaFell on 3rd and 10. The 2nd (3 plays) ended
with a run stop. The 3rd (5 plays) ended with a deep incomplete to Chandler on 3rd and
8. The 4th possession only lasted 3 plays but resulted in the 63 yard TD pass to Bolden.
The Pats held but then Chris Harper fumbled setting up Denver at NE's 36. The Broncos
scored to make it 21-14. The 5th possession (5 plays) included a 51 yard pass to Martin
which was negated by a Tre Jackson hold. A Denver FG followed. The 6th possession (4
plays) had a Gronk catch for a 1st which was removed when Gronk was called for a
push off (questionable). On the 7th possession (5 plays), Gronk got hurt (2:53 left in the
game). On the ensuing drive, Osweiler hit Demaryius Thomas for 36 yards (Thomas'
only catch despite being targeted 13 times). Osweiler then hit Emmanuel Sanders for 39
yards, and a TD pass to Caldwell followed. NE's 8th drive produced the tying 47 yd. FG.
So the Patriots' offense put their defense on the field way too often in the 2nd half and
the D men got worn down. Denver had 179 yards rushing for the game, 74 in the 1st
half. So the D gave up over 100 yards rushing in the 2nd half. The run attack helped
Denver control the time of possession, keeping the ball for about 10 1⁄2 minutes more
than the Pats (36:31 to 25:57). The Pats D versus the run (yardage) is now #11.
The other element I found disconcerting was the Pats decision to throw long many
times. In wet, snowy conditions, you would have expected Josh McDaniels to go with
the short passing game. NE's inability to run (39 yards) also hurt. Credit Denver's D.
A tough loss made tougher by the knee injuries suffered by Gronk and Hightower. Early
reports hold out hope that both may be back shortly. Certainly the loss of Gronk would
severely dampen any Super Bowl hopes. The two indispensable Pats' players are Brady
and Gronk.
SO CAN THEY MAKE THE SUPER BOWL?
No more injuries to major players!
Get Gronk back and one of two between Amendola and Edelman!
Straighten out that O Line so it protects Tom Brady!
The return to #2 in rushing defense!
Get those sacks!
SUPER BOWL!

POINTS AFTER
The Pats were 2 for 13 on 3rd down. That has to be one of their worst performances.
Kudos to Denver's D which was tough, even without DeMarcus Ware.
Brady was sacked 3 times and suffered 13 QB hits. He and Osweiler were both 23 of 42
with Osweiler having an INT by Chandler Jones.
WR Emmanuel Sanders (9 targets 6 catches), TE Owen Daniels (6/5) and RB CJ
Anderson (4/4) all hurt the Pats at critical times. Even so, Denver was 4 of 16 on 3rd.
RB James White (5 targets, 2 catches), WRs Keshawn Martin (1/1), Chris Harper (1/0)
and TE Cleveland (1/1) did little to help Brady in the passing game.
NE had 3 sacks (Nink, Brown and Freeny) but lost an important sack on Denver's last
drive in regulation. On 2nd and goal from the NE 7, Alan Branch nailed Osweiler for an
8 yard loss. The Broncos would have had 3rd and goal from the 15. Chung was called
for holding on the play and Caldwell's TD reception followed.
The Pats only had 5 penalties but those on Jackson, Gronk and Chung all hurt badly.
Not sure what that offense will look like next Sunday night against the Eagles but
hopefully it's good enough to get them a win.
The Broncos have two losses but should they end up with the same record as NE, they
now have the tiebreaker. The Patriots would have to go to Denver in a playoff game.
Denver has games left with SD, Oak, at Pitts, Cinn (at home) and SD.

BULLETS
• The Celtics are a young rising team to watch. They've been able to win a couple
without Marcus Smart. Stevens is a masterful coach. Fun times ahead.
• The Bruins still need to prop up their D but are watchable at last. They just have to find
a way to beat the Canadiens who decisively lead the division and have won without
Carey Price.
• PC fans have a glory of riches. The hockey team is undefeated (9-0-3). The basketball
team just took out #11 Arizona and showed they could play with #3 Michigan State. As
long as they remain healthy, this PC Friars basketball team is going to open some eyes.
• Well, ex-PawSox VP/GM Lou Schwechheimer hasn't stayed idle since his departure.
The NY Times did a front page story (11/29) on Schwechheimer and his work with the
Caribbean Baseball Initiative that wants to bring a AAA team to Havana, Cuba. The
piece by Dan Barry notes that Schwechheimer has the exclusive rights (MILB) to
returning minor league baseball to Havana. Here's hoping that he's successful.
• In the same story, it mentions that Schwechheimer and the Caribbean Baseball
Initiative own controlling interests in the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA-Miami) and the
Charlotte Stone Crabs (A-Tampa). And a minority interest in Scranton Wilkes-Barre
(AAA - NY).
• It's time to make NFL officials full-timers. The number of mind-numbing bad calls and
missed calls (it helps to know the NFL rulebook) have me and other fans cranky. Fix it.
• The Celtics lead the NBA in forcing turnovers (9.5/game). ProJo/Bill Fay (11/30).
• Mike Reiss (ESPNBoston.com) pre-Pats vs. Broncos had this: Denver leads the NFL in
sacks (34) and the Pats are tied for 2nd (32). Both teams had 3 sacks Sunday.
• More Reiss – QBs in their 1st or 2nd career starts vs. the Pats were 1-8. Only Mark
Sanchez and now Brock Osweiler have won. NE has used 25 O Line combos, most in
the NFL. 12 players have taken a snap on the O Line.
• Per Karen Guregian (Globe – 11/29) Brock Osweiler's nickname is 'Brock Star'.
• Soccer – Jamie Vardy (Leicester) scored a goal in 11 straight Premier League games, a
record. Tiago Mendes (Atletico Madrid) fractured his right leg after kicking Marco
Asencio (Espanyol) in the back (Boston Globe Sports Log - 11/29).
• At the Bills-Pats game, a sign said:11 Bills can't beat our (picture of Bill Belichick)

THE HOT CLUB
The Hot Club was graced by the presence on Thanksgiving Eve of Sandy Dolan (and
husband Mike) as well as Patti Quimby. The two former HC bartenders will always be
remembered fondly by patrons of the bar.
Spoke with Sarah Bates who told me that Hot Club renovations are on hold until
probably March. A delay by one of the groups doing work forced the postponement.
Mike Module told me to check out a web site called yourteamcheats.com When he told
me, Count Bass-y asked “Is that a Patriots' site?” If you go to that site, you'll find that all
32 NFL teams are listed as having cheated at some point in time. I looked at the ones
listed for the Patriots and Giants. The comments are clear and factual (supported by
verifiable links). It is interesting that Roger Goodell was once a Jets public relations
intern. The site notes re 'SpyGate' that videotaping the other team's signals is not illegal.
The NFL mandated that it had to be done from a certain location (not the sidelines).
Belichick thumbed his nose at Goodell and was fined. Also in the Snowplow Game
(when Mark Henderson cleared a path for a FG try by John Smith), the officials offered
Dolphins coach Don Shula the chance to have the snow plow used to clear a spot for his
FG kicker, but he turned them down. Thanks to Mike Module.
There was a tee shirt: 'Moon's Out, Goons Out'.

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So who was the one hit wonder who had his anthemic song played at sports venues, but
because of heinous acts, many places stopped using it? Why Gary Glitter (Paul Gadd)
with Rock 'N Roll Part 2. Gadd was jailed in England for having sex with under age
girls. After his release from jail, he went to Vietnam and did the same thing and went to
jail. He's back in England and in jail. When they played it at Gillette, I use to tell Driller
Killer “And Paul Gadd is still in jail.” Dennis Doyon and my brother Brad had it.

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
This singer was part of a well-known group that had a lot of hits (many not written by
the band). Yet the group sold over 75 million records. He wrote a song for Linda
Ronstadt and some songs that were recorded by his famous group. Later he started his
own band and had a one hit wonder. Name the singer and his one hit wonder.

THANKS TO STEVE LENZ, SPORTZINE IS AT JIMDAWSONSPORTS.COM

SZ612

BY JIM DAWSON
NOVEMBER 17, 2015
PATRIOTS STEAL ONE FROM GIANTS 27-26
The Patriots turned the tables on the Giants of New Jersey with a total team effort.
It was Tom Brady, playing behind an offensive line that is duct taped together, who led
the last drive and this game there was no time left for the Giants to come back.
And the defense which is starting to gel, came up with crucial stops down by 10 (20-10)
in the 3rd quarter, to allow the offense to do its job. Gamebook shows that the Pats D
then forced NY to punt 3 times, including after Brady fumbled on his 31 (Nink had a big
sack). The Giants had FGs on the other two possessions, but could have had more but
for Butler's strip of Beckham and Malcom Brown's sack of Manning before the last FG.
That the Giants played so well is a testament to the great job that Tom Coughlin and his
coaches do in games against the Patriots. After all, this is a team (the New York
'Football' Giants) that scored 7 TDs against New Orleans and still found a way to lose.
Maybe Pierre-Paul's return has sparked that defensive line because they harassed Brady
all night, held LeGarrette Blount in check (66 yards on 19 carries - 3.47 yards a carry)
and tackled quickly (except that Gronk TD) limiting YAC (yards after catch). Brady was
sacked 3 times and hit 5 times. Interestingly, Pierre Paul did not show up on the stat
sheet in the paper, but Gamebook had him with a QB hit and a deflected pass.
The key to the game for the Patriots was holding Odell Beckham Jr in check. And after
that first pass to him beat Malcolm Butler (and Devin McCourty) and went for an 87
yard TD, it looked like a long night for Butler. But he bounced back and held Beckham
to 4 catches on 12 targets. So after that first catch, Beckham only had 3 catches on 11
targets and for only 17 yards. Butler's strip of Beckham in the end zone saved the game.
Shades of Sterling Moore.
To win a Super Bowl, you have to be good and to be lucky. The Pats and Tom Brady
were lucky that Landon Collins didn't hold onto an intercepted ball.
You also have to be lucky in avoiding injuries to key players. The Patriots have not
been
lucky in that area having lost Deon Lewis and now Julian Edelman as well as most of
the offensive line except for center David Andrews and Shaq Mason. They win anyway.
POINTS AFTER
Gamebook showed that Amendola was the man after Edelman's injury. Amendola was
targeted 11 times and had 10 catches (for 79 yards). Gronk had 5 catches on 7 targets
and LaFell just 2 on 6 targets. Dobson (soon to be replaced when Keshawn Martin
returns) had 1 catch on 4 targets and Chandler just one (but for a TD) on 3 targets.
Defensively, Chung led the way with 4 tackles and 6 assists (10 combined) while Dont'a
had 8/1 (9) totals. Freeny 4/4 (8) and rookie Malcom Brown 4/3 (7) have been coming
on strong. Jonathan Casillas, who was with the Pats last year, had 7 solo tackles for NY.
The Pats had 3 sacks - Chandler Jones (with a strip sack fumble NE recovered), Nink
and Brown. Of their 4 QB hits, Nate Ebner had one to force Manning to throw it away.
Cameron Fleming played LT for the first time in his life and Bryan Stork was at RT for
his first ever, too. Mike Reiss had them playing all 73 offensive snaps as did the other O
linemen – Andrews, Kline and Mason. G Chris Barker, just off the practice squad, was
in for 4 snaps when Mason went to FB. Reiss noted that the Pats used 3 TEs to help
block on 13 snaps. Gronk 72 snaps, Williams 41 and Chandler 22 helped.
Because of the lack of success running the ball, Blount was in for 38 snaps, James White
28 (10 of which were on the last drive per Reiss) and Bolden 10.
Reiss said there were 75 defensive snaps and CBs Butler and Ryan had 74. Reiss noted
that in the 2nd half, the Pats went away from using Justin Coleman (24 snaps) and
turned to Rashaan Melvin (36).
McCourty (75) and Chung (74) were the mainstays at safety though NE used 3 at times
with Harmon getting 25 snaps.
With DE Jabaal Sheard back (24 snaps), he was able to spell Nink (69) and Jones (67).
DT had Easley (33), Brown (33), Branch (23), new guy Hicks (22) and Siliga (20).
With Jaime Collins out, Dont'a was in for 75 snaps, Freeny 37, Mayo 30 and Bostic 8.
James White did a good job on blitz pickup.
Bryan Stork recovered one of Brady's two fumbles.

BULLETS
• The Celtics Kiddie Korps are playing well. The Bruins, so-so, especially at home. The
return of Seidenberg should help the D which has squandered 3rd period leads.
• Troy Brown has a book out (Patriot Pride: My life in the New England Dynasty). It
was co-written by Mike Reiss (Source – Boston Herald/Karen Guregian – 11/15)
• If you missed it, PC tied BU in hockey home and away over the weekend. Go PC!
• The Pats have now scored in 35 straight quarters (Source – Boston Globe/Jim McBride
– 11/15). That's an NFL record. One more quarter and that's 9 'games' in a row.

E-MAIL
Sad note....Allen Toussaint (77) passes away after giving a concert in Madrid, Spain.
RIP Allen.......you left for that studio in the sky, after making people happy with your
music at a live show.
Brad Dawson

Allen Toussaint was a remarkable man. The joy that he provided for people over
decades is so admirable. To be performing at 77 and a few hours before passing is an
inspirational life. RIP Allen.
Dave Knudson
Yes, Brad and Dave, so much music from this great New Orleans legend. We (Team 5)
were fortunate to see him live in 2012 at the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.
The singer/writer/producer/arranger penned Mother-in-Law, Working in the Coal Mine,
I Like It Like That and Southern Nights among others. He produced Dr. John's Right
Place, Wrong Time. A musician that will be missed,. But we have the gift of his music.-Z

Hi Jim,
Wanted to find out how you felt about this recent trade. I think at one point,you
may have mentioned that Margot might be one of the prospects that would be
part of a trade (you were spot on!). I realize Guerra is (was) also a prized prospect,but
with Xander being as young as he is, that position(SS) should be fine for awhile.
Kimbrel seems to be the real deal, with great stats over the last four years. Most
importantly, the Sox did not give up players named Betts or Bradley, Jr.
Darb Noswad
Darb, Margot will probably be a star and the other 3 have a good chance but to get
Kimbrel, who is 27 (28 in May), has had great stats and who is signed thru 2017 with an
affordable club option year in 2018, WOW! They kept all the guys we wanted to stay (so
far). The Sox will try to sign a free agent starter. I'll take Price (age 30) or Greinke (32).
Good chance the BoSox will free up some money by trading Hanley and/or Sandoval
though they'll have to eat some of those contracts (send $ in the deal). - Z

THE HOT CLUB
Fleet Feet Pete was talking about sneakers, a subject he knows well. He said that when
he worked for Reebok, which had the contract with players such as Kevin McHale, each
player had a new pair of sneakers for every game. Kevin McHale was one of the players
who then donated his used sneakers to charity.
Mr. Bass Man told a tale of his beloved who bought a Jeep but wanted a sunroof. The
dealership did the work which was totally unacceptable. So Bass Man and Beloved
sought out help from someone who installed sunroofs. When they went to him, he
inquired what dealership had messed up the sunroof. When told, he said that he had
installed sunroofs for that dealership for 40 years until they recently let him go. Trying
to save a buck, I imagine. Penny wise and pound foolish.
Peter of the Professors told us that his mother had a Ford Fairlane station wagon. The
driver's side window wouldn't go up, so he took it in. When they removed the door
panel, they found a lunch bag. Later on, the back window wouldn't come back up. He
brought it in and when they took it apart, they found two bags of lunch.
And yes, FootJoy, I even missed you while you were away.

ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ
So who were those two women who were one hit wonders and died way too soon? Only
AF buddy Mike Curtis had even half the answer – Nicolette Larson (7/17/52-12/16/97),
who had a hit with the Neal Young penned Lotta Love. Nicolette sang back up with
Linda Ronstadt on Young's American Stars n Bars and can be heard on Emmylou Harris'
Hello Stranger (Luxury Liner). Larson died of cerebral edema caused by liver failure.
Wikipedia suggests it may have been caused by chronic use of valium and Tylenol PM.
And the other woman? Why Minnie Riperton-Rudolph whose daughter is SNL's Maya
Rudolph. Riperton (11/8/47-7/12/79) had a hit with Lovin' You off her gold record
Perfect Angel. Riperton, who sang with Rotary Connection (listen to Aladdin), died of
breast cancer which had metastasized.

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
This one hit wonder had a song so anthemic that it was played at sports venues. It was
played whenever the Patriots scored a TD. However when he committed some heinous
acts, many teams, including the Pats, stopped using the song. Name the song and singer.

SZ611

BY JIM DAWSON
OCTOBER 20, 2015
PATRIOTS SADDLE COLTS WITH 34-27 LOSS
Well, it wasn't the blowout that Patriots fans expected and wanted, but it's a Win. The
Colts and QB Andrew Luck (who had his best game against the Pats with 3 TD passes)
proved a lot more formidable than expected. The Pats were only so so on 3rd down
defense as Indy was 7 of 16, and the run defense still needs work as Frank Gore rumbled
for 78 yards (Luck added 35 on 4 carries). In fact the Colts had more 1st downs (24)
than the Pats (22). Some things to work on. The only stat that mattered was the score.
It helped that the Pats recovered an onside kick (Gronk) and benefited from a strange
fake punt call at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Colts moved their whole team to the
right except for receiver Griff Whalen who snapped the ball to Colt Anderson (who
plays safety). The Pats' Brandon Bolden immediately nailed Anderson when the ball was
snapped and Logan Ryan finished him off. The stupid call gave NE the ball on the Indy
35 and led to Blount's 1st ever TD catch. Considering that the Pats only won by 7, it was
the kind of error that gets coaches fired. Thank you, 'Chuckle-head' Pagano.

EXTRA POINTS
The ProJo had an AP story (Arnie Stapleton-10/20) which explained what the Colts
might have been trying to do with the fake punt. It was 4th and 3. The Colts were hoping
that when they showed the play, the Pats would send in the D and they'd hike the ball
getting a too many men on the field call. If only one Patriot covered the snap, they'd
have run for the 1st down. Bolden, Ryan and Bostic covered the snap. Best of all was
finding out that the University of Maine had run a similar play and succeeded. The
Mainers put a clip on the Colts twitter account with “Hey @Colts, this is how it's done.”
While he only had one tackle and four assists, LB Jaime Collins made a sensational play
to block Adam Vinatieri's extra point which kept the Colts behind by 7 (34-27). Collins
hurtled the center in order to block the ball. The NFL will probably outlaw the play.
Pats fans did not want to see Marcus Cannon hurt. Cannon, playing LT, was injured
early. It resulted in last year's 4th rounder OL Cameron Fleming (just activated off the
practice squad), coming in. Wisely the Pats shifted RT 'Seabass' Vollmer to left tackle to
protect Brady's blind side and inserted Fleming at RT. So the offensive line had rookies
(OG Shaq Mason and C David Andrews with Tre' Jackson rotating in at OG), a 2nd year
man (Fleming) and a 3rd year man (Josh Kline, right OG). The Pats will have more
depth when Ryan Wendell and Bryan Stork return, but look for more OL help.
WR Aaron Dobson was a healthy scratch for the 2nd game in a row. His replacement is
WR/KR Keshawn Martin (from Houston for a 5th pick and the Texans gave NE a 6th in
2016). Dobson is close to being cut. He may be gone when Brandon LaFell returns.
Tom Brady matched Andrew Luck with 3 TD passes of his own. Brady had his first
interception of the year, but that was on usually sure-handed Julian Edelman who
bobbled the ball right to safety Mike Adams who scored on the play.
Chandler Jones who has been off to a slow start, revved up with 21⁄2 sacks (Easley had
the other half sack). And each had 4 QB hits with Ninkovich adding 2 more.
LB Jonathan Freeny, who played in the absence of Dont'a Hightower, had a good game
with 3 tackles and 4 assists. Only McCourty (7-2), Ryan (6-3) and Butler (7-1) had
better numbers.
Both teams had 65 yards rushing in the 1st half and coincidentally, Frank Gore had 53
yards and LeGarrette Blount had 53.
Gronk was only targeted once in the 1st half (no reception), but made his 3 catches in 5
targets count as one went for a 1st down and another a 25 yard TD. Amendola (9 targets
7 catches, 105 yards) and Edelman (10 targets, 6 catches, 1 TD) were the workhorses as
the Pats didn't throw to Dion Lewis as much as they have (6 targets, 3 catches).
Peyton Manning of the 6-0 Broncos has 10 interceptions and 7 TD passes. He has had
one interception in all 6 games that Denver has played (pro-football-reference.com).
The NFL Network showed highlights of Denver's win in Cleveland. The camera showed
a young boy with a sign that said 'Peyton: Adopt me. My parents are Browns fans'.

E-MAIL
Peyton is gonna change his commercials from Nationwide Insurance and Papa John's
Pizza to Geritol.
Denver's defense is the best in the NFL right now; they have to stay healthy and keep
with ol' Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme and their fleet of fleet feet in the secondary.
The second coming of the "Orange Crush".
'Big White' Bill LaPlante (Ed.: Bill lives in Colorado)

THE HOT CLUB
Charlie Clancy met the hockey coach of the BU Terriers who lost the championship to
the PC Friars this year. Charlie had on his usual PC Friars cap and told the BU coach
“We were due.” BU's coach replied “No you weren't.” I asked Charlie if he asked BU's
coach about his goalie. Charlie spared him that.
Bianca was tending bar and told a patron that lately she's been doing a lot of 'Donald
Ducking'. I asked what that meant. Bianca said it's when you are wearing only a shirt.
Jimmy Chelo said that he recently had his annual medical checkup. After it was over,
Jimmy asked his doctor: “How do I stand?” The doctor replied: “That puzzles me, too.”
Kirk the Elder gave me a scoop: he has been asked to write a jazz column for a new
alternative newspaper which will be called 'Virgin Underground'.
We welcome back Mike Solomon to the Hot Club. He was sorely missed by many,
including this writer.
Fleet Feet Pete used to work for Reebok. One of their sneaker customers was Shaquille
O'Neal. Peter said Shaq had the biggest size feet - 22 inches. Foot Joy noted that Bob
Lanier also had 22 inch feet.

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
The question: This singer/songwriter produced albums by Badfinger, The Band, Meat
Loaf and XTC among others. He has sons named Rex, Rebop and Randy. Name him.
A few people had the answer: my brother Brad, Tom Robinson and Barry Spadea, all of
whom knew it was Todd Rundgren. Look up the bio on Rundgren and you'll find some
interesting info including that for years he treated Liv Tyler as his daughter after
girlfriend Bebe Buell had a brief fling with Stephen Tyler (who is the real father of Liv).
Rundgren's early song writing influence was Laura Nyro. And current wife Michele was
a dancer with the Tubes. Rundgren plays the Wilbur Theatre in Boston 5/3.

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
A two-fer: these two women were one hit wonders, who both died too young. Hint: One
has a well-known daughter who was on Saturday Night Live. The other worked with
Hoyt Axton, Neil Young and Emmylou Harris. Name the duo and their one hit wonders.

SZ610

BY JIM DAWSON
SEPTEMBER 29, 2015
PATRIOTS PUT JAGUARS ON ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST 51-17
Most Pats fans knew that the only thing up in the air about this game was the final score.
With the Pats up 13-3 just before the half (2:00 left), the Jags were in Pats territory (the
45) when QB Blake Bortles was picked off by Devin McCourty. In the blink of an eye,
Tom Brady hit Danny Amendola for a TD (TB's 400th) and instead of a possible 13-6
score at half, it was 20-3 and the Jaguars were caged even with another half to go.
The first thing that seasoned fans noticed was the difference in the secondary. There was
2nd round pick Jordon Richards in at safety. Justin Coleman (picked off the Seahawks
practice squad) came in at cornerback. No Bradley Fletcher (inactive) nor Tarell Brown
(active but no plays). Bill Belichick will praise to the high heavens opposing teams but
his actions speak louder than his words. This was a game in which he could test some of
the new kids since the Jaguars had as much chance of winning as Donald Trump does of
getting the Republican nomination for President.
And the new guys in town acquitted themselves well with Richards breaking up a pass
along the sidelines to the Jags best receiver Allen Robinson, forcing him out of bounds
before he could get control of the pass. Coleman contributed 2 tackles and an assist.
On the offensive side, fans got to see WR Keshawn Martin (obtained from Houston in a
trade) for the first time. Martin broke off a route with Brady under pressure and caught a
13 yard TD. Martin had 3 catches on 3 targets. Meanwhile Aaron Dobson had 1 catch on
3 targets. Dobson had better keep making plays. And RB James White played in the 2nd
half and showed that he too can catch passes out of the backfield (4 targets, 4 catches).
For those Patriots fans wanting to see more running, they got double barreled action
with Dion Lewis getting 8 carries in the 1st half (37 yards) and LeGarrette Blount
(delivering blunt trauma on his runs) all the carries in the 2nd half (18 for 78 yards for
the game). It was the first game that the Pats had over 100 yards rushing. NE had 19 first
downs by the pass and 12 by the run. And 4 firsts by penalty made the total 35 first
downs, which tied a franchise record (2012).

BULLETS
• In memory of Yankees' great Lawrence 'Yogi' Berra who died last week at age 90 (a
couple you might not have heard): “We made too many wrong mistakes.” “Even
Napoleon had his Watergate.” “It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody
was talking too much.” (Source – Laurie Kulikowski/thestreet.com – 9/25)
• In talking to friend Chuck K, who is a New York 'Football' Giants fan, he suggested
that the Patriots had a chance to go undefeated. I agreed and noted that they play the
NFC East this year which is weak. Dallas lost Romo, Washington isn't very good, the
Eagles have been in a funk and the Giants have given away 2 games already. Chuck said
that if the Pats are undefeated when they play the Giants (11/15), he thinks the Giants
will win. This is music to the ears of Giants' fans Jim Dwyer and Al Vallese. And as luck
would have it, my daughter Cara will be at that game (which will be in NJ). Go Pats!
• Kudos to Sportzine reader Andrew 'Left Coast' Wright who recently compared RB
Dion Lewis to Kevin Faulk. Today's ProJo quotes Pats' running back coach Ivan Fears as
making that same comparison. Both Lewis and Faulk are 5'8”.

E-MAIL
Hi Jim, your mention of Roethlisberger and his alma mater Miami of Ohio brought me
back to a trivia question Shaughnessy printed in a recent column. You may have seen it,
but I thought it was a great question combining several disciplines.
Four colleges have produced an American president and a Super Bowl winning
quarterback. Name the 4 schools, the QBs and the presidents.
We know Brady went to Michigan as did Gerald Ford.
Roger Staubach went to Navy as did Jimmy Carter.
John Elway and Jim Plunkett went to Stanford as did Herbert Hoover.
Ben Roethlisberger went to Miami of Ohio as did Benjamin Harrison.
Peter Goodwin
Peter, I either saw it or someone at the HC asked me. I had no clue except for Brady and
Plunkett but wasn't sure about the Prez. - Z
Good post-Deflategate observation on teams that are 0-2: Colts- karma has kicked in.
Early season observations: With apologies to the immortal Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
in Act III’s assassination scene – (to the Indy Colts) “0-2, Brute`?”
Boud
Boud, I would beware of those Colts. Luck is a good QB and they have RB Frank Gore.
The season is still early and their AFC South is weak. You can bet that when the two
teams play this year that the Patriots will run up the score if they can. - Z

THE HOT CLUB
Was talking to Peter and the Professors' Mike and Jesse. I asked about Aussie phenom
Tommy Emmanuel whom Victoria and I were to see at the Vets Sunday. I asked if he
played 6 or 12 string. Peter said, “He could play your shoe string.” Emmanuel was great.
Pal Al and I were talking about the 38 Studios debacle. Al said, “Too bad they didn't
spend half the money for people with half a mind.”
Dr. John, a Temple grad, goes to all the Brown University home games and roots for
them. So I asked him how Bryant University could beat them. He praised the play of
Bryant and said Brown looked like the University of Rochester. So then I compared it to
Temple beating Penn State in football as Fleet Feet Pete, a Penn State alum, grimaced.
Mike Module told me he went to the Boston Bruins exhibition game against the
Philadelphia Flyers. Mike said that there were several fights during the game. When
they had the post game handshakes, a couple more guys almost went at it. The players
were forced to disperse before finishing the handshakes. And this in an exhibition game!
Fleet Feet Pete clued us in to a new book coming out that reveals that many of the
current songs written for big name artists were all written by a group of Scandinavians,
including many Swedes. The book is called The Song Machine. Looks like the author(s)
missed out on the title which could have been Syndicate of Sound (Little Girl).
For those wondering why the street outside the HC had cones blocking any parking, chef
Mikey told me that a movie was being filmed. The newest installment of The Purge.

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
What was the song included on a Greatest Hits CD that had never been released before
and went to #14? Why Mary Jane's Last Dance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
This singer/songwriter produced albums by Badfinger, The Band, Meat Loaf and
XTC among others. He has sons named Rex, Rebop and Randy. Name him.

THANKS TO STEVE LENZ, SPORTZINE IS AT JIMDAWSONSPORTS.COM

SZ609

BY JIM DAWSON
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015
A WALK IN THE PARK (ORCHARD) - PATRIOTS 40 - BILLS 32
After the Patriots strolled through the Buffalo Bills for three quarters and ended the 3rd quarter up by 24 points (37-13), the Buffaloes stampeded for 3 touchdowns and made a game of it. Tom Brady, who I thought might come out (good thing he didn't), led one final charge that netted the Patriots a field goal and shackled the Bills with an 8 point deficit. Pats fans could then let out a sigh of relief when Tyrod Taylor threw an INT.
Be sure that Bill Belichick will use this as a teaching tool and quiet some of those that
wonder why Belichick's teams keep the pedal to the metal. It is a credit to Buffalo's
players who never quit even down 24 with one quarter to play. However unless these
Bills learn that you can't take stupid penalties (14 for 140 yards and 3 automatic first
downs), they will continue to be Buffalo stew.
Belichick can't be happy with his team getting 11 penalties for 119 yards and an
automatic first down. The young offensive line had a few of those which can be partially
attributed to that scary defensive line of Buffalo's. The Pats had center David Andrews,
an undrafted free agent from Georgia (in on all 86 offensive plays) and 2 drafted rookies
Shaq Mason (57 plays) and Tre' Jackson (27 plays) at right guard after Josh Kline (all 86
plays), a third year player started at LG. The only sacks allowed (2) were one due to
coverage (Brady ran) and the other veteran Nate Solder allowed.
Brady helped by getting rid of the ball quickly, but was well protected on some medium
and even long throws. For Rex Ryan to say he didn't know the name of RB Dion Lewis
shows ignorance and why he'll never be as good a coach as Bill Belichick. At one point,
I wrote in my notes that Ryan knows Lewis' name now (40 yards rushing including a 6
yard TD run; plus 9 catches for 98 yards). And then Ryan does a post game press
conference and says he still doesn't know Lewis' name. It's Dion Lewis, Buffalo Head.
And let's give the defense some props here. After Buffalo used the run and pass to waltz
to an opening touchdown, the D shut off the outside to the Bills runners and put pressure
on Tyrod Taylor on 3rd and longs. 8 sacks: Jones 3, Collins 21⁄2, Nink and Branch 1 each
and Hightower with a 1⁄2 sack. The D also had 10 QB hits and 3 INTs.
After the Bills scored a TD on their opening game drive (58 yards rushing), they had
only 26 more rushing yards in the first half. During this time, NE went up 24-13.
A team win against a worthy opponent. Buffalo is now tougher with Tyrod Taylor.

EXTRA POINTS
Pre-game, my questions and concerns were: Would the Bills be able to run without Fred
Jackson and CJ Spiller?. LeSean McCoy had 89 yards and 2nd leading rusher Tyrod
Taylor had 43. As a team they rushed for 160 yards. The Pats need to do better vs the run
If the Pats got ahead, especially with defensive turnovers, could the young QB bring
them back. Tyrod Taylor was in a 37-13 hole and damn near brought the Bills back.
The Patriots O line had to protect Brady and run the ball. Well they did protect Brady,
but he passed 59 times versus 15 rushes (12 actually since 3 of those were Brady 'runs').
Of the 11 penalties on the Pats, Kline had 2 (holding, false start) and Andrews had 2
(holding and false start). The penalty that hurt the most was on Dobson (offensive
interference) which negated an Edelman catch to the Buff 23 with 10:08 left. The team
didn't make it on 4th and 1 and the Bills went on to score a TD to make it 37-25.
Buffalo's worst penalties were both committed by CB Ronald Darby. Darby had a
defensive hold on the last Pat drive before half. It negated a 3rd down stop and the Pats
went on to record a FG. In the 3rd quarter after a 2nd down stop, Darby had another
hold. The Pats scored a TD on the drive to go up 34-13.
CBS messed up by listing Ryan Wendell (inactive) as starting at RG. Later they missed
Malcolm Butler's beautiful diving INT, but had it after the fact with another view.
Edelman was targeted 19 times and had 11 catches (97 yds. 2 TDs)! Gronk was the
target 13 times with 7 catches (113 yds, 1 TD). Dobson (Pats fan Wild Bill calls him
'Dropson') caught 7 of 8 passes with 1 drop.
Defensively Hightower (8 tkls, 4 asts) and Collins (8/3) led the way. Jones (5/1),
McCourty (5/1) and Butler (4/2) all had 6 combos.
The Pats split TEs Gronk and Chandler wide a couple times in the red zone, but the one
time they scored (Gronk) both were lined up on the left.
The Pats were up 34-13 near the end of the 3rd qtr. On the next 3 Bills' plays, Taylor was
sacked by Branch and fumbled (and recovered). Collins sacked him and he fumbled
(recovered) and then Chandler Jones sacked Taylor. Can't remember a Pats D doing that.

BULLETS
• Bill Belichick had his team go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 48, leading 21-7. They
failed and Buffalo scored a TD. Belichick likes to test his team in situations. A risk taker.
• Someone tell NESN that when they run ads and include a Red Sox graphic in the left
vertical column, the front part is chopped off. Where's Tom Werner?
• You can't believe my elation when I read Sunday's ProJo and the front page: 'PawSox
deal is no-go'. I didn't want them to go to the proposed Providence site and taxpayer $
used. Now we need Lucchino to keep them in Pawtucket. Where's Janet Marie Smith?
• A Boston Globe Bozo suggested a couple weeks back that the Red Sox trade Zander
Bogaerts for Matt Harvey. An every day player (who may hit 25-30 homers) and impacts
a game on a daily basis versus a starter who goes every 4 days. The Circus is calling.
E-MAIL
Kevin Faulk is back!!
Andrew 'Left Coast' Wright
Kevin Faulk? - Z
It meant that Dion Lewis looked a lot like Faulk catching passes out of the backfield and
running hard. I like him.
Andrew Wright
jimmy, are u talking about thunderclap newman and Jimmy McCulloch (who played in
wings)? i thought pete townsend produced their album "American Dream". which i
owned and was one of my favorite albums back then.
Bobby Sisto
Yes it was Pete Townshend not Eric Clapton that produced the song. And Townshend
played bass on the record as 'Bijou Drains'. - Z
Here's some true and not-so-true stuff about Tyrod Taylor you might enjoy.
At the age of 7, Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor accidentally
swallowed a quarter (true story), then pooped it out - making him the
youngest "passing quarterback" in football history. He grew up playing
football with his cousins Radyator, Transmyshun, and Braykelyte Taylor.
After his recent defeat of Andrew Luck and the Colts, It'll be interesting to see
what Tyrod can do against the Patriots this Sunday. REX REX REX REX REX!
Buffalo Steve
Love your take on Tyrod Taylor (and kin). Funny but every year the other teams in
the AFC East seem to have rookie or retread QBs. Tough to win that way even with
a good defense like the Bills'. Belichick teams seldom lose to rookie QBs, though
they have had some problems with running QBs like Taylor. We'll see. - Z
THE HOT CLUB
Black Mass, the movie about James 'Whitey' Bulger just came out. I told Fleet Feet Pete
and Mike Module that I would have made a better 'Whitey' Bulger. Mike said, “Yeah,
you look more like him.” I replied “Yes, but I'm better looking (and much younger)”.
Dr. John said that good sailors don't have any good stories.
High Wire Bill asked me where Dion Lewis went to school – University of Pittsburgh.
And Pete asked about Roethlisberger. I knew it was a small college – Miami of Ohio.
Charlie Clancy asked me what Aaron Dobson and Troy Brown have in common. I didn't
know – they both went to Marshall (the Thundering Herd).
We were talking movies and I mentioned one of my favorite comedies – Weekend at
Bernie's. Rare Earth, who has lived in NY, told me that you don't need a boat or ferry (as
they do in the movie) to get to the Hamptons. Only if you're going to Fire Island.
Hot Club renovations begin Thursday, Oct. 1. Sounds like one side will remain open.
The Marksman told me that he bought a special Narragansett IPA in Newport and the
tallboy had 'Free TB' near the bottom. He was told it was a collector's item. I said to
drink the beer and save the can. I had a Pittsburgh Steelers Iron City beer can once.

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ
So who was the band with a one hit wonder produced by Eric Clapton (actually Pete
Townshend, brain cramp) who played on some songs and a member of the band later
joined McCartney's Wings. It's Thunderclap Newman. The hit - Something in the Air.
Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch joined Wings.
THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ

This song had never been released before it was included on a Greatest Hits album. It
was a good choice as it rose to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Song? Artist?

THANKS TO STEVE LENZ, SPORTZINE IS AT JIMDAWSONSPORTS.COM