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All Of A Sudden The Patriots Historic Defense Has To Many Question Marks

The so_ called historic Patriots defense is all of a  sudden questionable as the Patriots _host the Tennessee Titans next week. Instead of achieving a first_  round bye the team faces the pesky Titans. After a disappointing 27-20 loss to Miami, the team faces the Titans this weekend.In this post, we will analyze three areas why the Patriots defense is all of a sudden questionable.                         All Of A Sudden The Patriots Historic Defense Has To Many Question Marks                                                                                                                                                             

Fitzpatrick Picked The Secondary Apart  Considering the Patriots secondary had 25 interceptions, you would never know it yesterday. Well traveled quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for a total of 320 yards.                                                                                                                                                                                                Wideout  Devante Parker enjoyed afield day snarring 8 receptions for 137 yards. Also contributing were Isaiah Ford and Mike Gesicki. Gesicki had the game_ winning touchdown with 24 seconds left.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      If the Patriots hope to survive the well _ coached Titans the secondary needs to make adjustments and tighten up.  Since the second half of the season, the Patriots front seven has had difficulty stopping the run.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Team Inconsistent As A Whole    At the beginning of the season the Patriots were virtually unstoppable. As of late, the Patriots have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball. The offense has been good some weeks and flat other weeks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Defensively the team has been struggling. Both  the pass coverage and stopping the run have been subpar. For a team that had 25 interceptions, the secondary has been getting lit up. Overall, the front seven has a total of 47 sacks. Sunday the defense sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick three times but coud not stop the run.                                                                                                                                               Coaching Needs To Improve  Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick needs to make adjustments if the club expects to beat the Titans. Running back Derrick Henry is the leagues best. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill ranks at the top as the games number one signal _caller.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Team Needs To Regroup If the Patriots expect to attain their tenth AFC crown then they need to regroup and refocus. Offensively the Patriots need be creative and run the ball effectively.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Defensively the team needs to stop Derrick Henry. The Titans have won 5out of their last 7 games. Ryan Tannehill is having a career year. Head coach Mike Vrabel knows the Patriots playbook well.  Last season, the Patriots traveled to Nashville and were crushed by the Titans. Playing sixty minutes  and smart is a good way to begin a playoff run.

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Unity Best Describes 2019/20 Boston Celtics

What a difference a year makes. A year ago at this time, the Celtics were struggling to find their identity. Now, a year later the Celtics are competing with Philadelphia for first place in the  NBA East. In this post, we will identify three reasons why the Celtics are different this year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Unity Best Describes 2019/20 Boston Celtics                                                                    Depth   The first reason the Celtics are so exciting this year is their bench. Head coach, Brad Stevens has been  going to his bench early in games and resting the starting five.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Bill Wannamaker, Carson Edwards, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye, and Robert Edwards spark the bench. Offensively Kemba walker,Jaylen Brown,and Jayson Tatum lead the team in scoring. Injury _riddled Gordon Hayward has returned from a hand injury and has contributed. Guard Marcus Smart continues to play stellar defense and has improved from three_ point land.                                                                                                                                                                                                          Chemistry  Unlike last year, the chemistry of the team has changed dramatically. Kyrie Irving departing for the Nets has benefited the Celtics. The locker room is tranquil and Marcus Smart provides the leadership.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Head coach Brad Stevens does not have Kyrie Irving to deal with every night. Last season the team was in disarray and controlled by controversy. The current roster is a team that play’s like Celtics and not prima donnas.

Second _year center Robert Edwards continues to grow as a player in each game. Rookie Carson Edwards has shown flashes of brilliance off the bench. Edwards has been impressive from the three_ point area plus his defense excellent.

Strong Defensively   One area that the club has shined in is defense. Overall. the club ranks 4th out of 30  in the defensive department. The Celtics have been closing out games much better this year than last season. Veteran Marcus Smart continues to be the best shut down guards in the NBA.                                                                                                                                                                                                 The starting five has been one of the best defensive units in the first half of the season. This year the bench is much more effective than the previous Brad Stens team. Newly acquired Kemba Walker has contributed significantly to his defensive style of play.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The Season Ahead  So far this season the Celtics have been one of the surprises in the NBA. The addition of Kemba Walker and the maturation of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum the team continues to get better. If Gordon Hayward can stay healthy, then this team has a legitimate chance to contend in the East

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Quiet Bruins OffSeason Resulting In Little Improvement

The Boston Bruins are enjoying a quiet offseason, after claiming their third Eastern Conference championship banner in nine years. Thus far the only Bruins signings have been forward, Brett Ritchie from Dallas, Danton Heinen, and Steven Kampfer. General manager Don Sweeney still has a lot of work to due this summer. The Bruins need to come to terms with Defenseman Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo. In this post, we will review three reasons why the Bruins have not improved from last season.

Overpaying For Danton Heinen  Mistake, number one was overpaying for Danton Heinen. Heinen, the third_ year wingers production dipped considerably in 2018.

In 2011 Heinen’s 11 goals and 13 assists and a plus_ minus ratio of 11 one more than the previous season. In  2017  he netted 16 goals and 31 assists. This past summer the organization awarded him a 2.8 million dollar salary which ends in 2023.

Granted, Heinen is a gritty third__line player, he is not worthy of 2,000,000,  per season. With only three years of service time, he adds a strong physical presence on the team’s third line. Only time will tell if he is worthy of the contract.                          

  No Major Free Agent Signing’s  The good news is the Bruins are well under the NHL cap space this summer. The bad news is they have to come to terms with  Tory Krug, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo. The team cannot sign all three

Torey Krug had one his most productive seasons as a Bruin. Krug is a valuable member of the power play and sparkled in the playoffs. Krug has one more year left on a four_ year  $21,000,000 deal. Expect Krug to average 9 or 10 million per year on the open market. Signing him will be a major hurdle losing him will be worse.

Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo are the nuts and bolts of the defensive corp. McAvoy is at the end of his rookie contract. Carlo had his best season as a Bruin. When Zdeno Chara retires, Carlo will be the club’s number one or two defenseman.

Signing Brett Richie  The only major splash this summer has been Brett Ritchie. The team lost free agent  Marcus Johansen and center Noel Acciari. Ritchie has 33 goals and 21 assists n five_year’s as A DallasStar.  He is not the skilled player that Johansen is, but fits the Bruins style of play.

The Bruins have major decisions to make on McAvoy and Carlo. Krug could be the odd man out. Mc Avoy and Carlo are the future of the Bruins Compared to last season the team has not gotten any better and will struggle to reach the finals.

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Why The Patriots Still Have Enough Offense To Win The Super Bowl In 2019

The Patriots suffered their second loss of the season to Houston 28-22. Overall, the Patriots rank 5th in the NFL offensively Defensively, fans saw cracks in a unit that was virtually unstoppable the first eight weeks of the season. In this post, we will discuss three areas why the Patriots offense is still good enough to win the 2019 Super Bowl.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Why The Patriots Offense Is Still  Have Enough Offense To Win The Super Bowl

Healthy Running Game  Despite the inconsistent play of the offensive line,the running game is healthy. RexBurkhead, James White, and Sony Michel are the crux of the Patriots offensMichel thus far has totaled 600 yards and has been their most consistent performer. When healthy, Rex Burkhead gives the Patriots a solid one _two punch.  The third back James White is one of Brady’s most trusted receivers in recent memory.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Enough Receivers  Even with Rob Gronkowski not coming back, the club still has adequate receivers. Phillip Dorsett, Mohamed Sanu, Julian Edelman and    Jakobi Meyers. Considering typical rookie mistakes, Meyers has shown signs of improvement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 After twelve games, Meyers has 22 receptions for 299 yards and zero touchdowns. Aside from Meyers, Julian Edelman continues to be Mr. Clutch.  Newcomer Mohamed Sanu seems to be learning the offense as the season progresses. Veteran Phillip Dorsett has recovered from a concussion. Also, the organization resigned receiver DemaryiusThomas.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A Healthy Isaiah Wynn  Number one draft pick Isaiah Wynn continues to improve since returning from an early_ season injury.  Wynn provides solid protection along with Joe Thuney for Tom Brady.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Overall, the line provided significant protection for Tom Brady Sunday. After the game,the team announced that center Ted Karras suffered an ankle sprain.                                                                                                                                                           The Season Ahead With four games left, the Patriots are in a dogfight with Baltimore for home _field advantage. One more loss and the club will have to play on the road. For the first time in the Belichick era, the team has to be concerned about the 9-3 Buffalo Bills.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  New England struggled in an early _season win against the Bills. The two teams meet in December.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            After Sunday’s loss, the team released kicker Kei Forbath and activated injured Nick Folk. Folk suffered from an appendectomy two weeks ago. Also, the club claimed defensive tackle, Albert Huggins from the Eagles