This Patriots season is being anticipated with doom and gloom not seen in these parts since the end of the Pete Carroll era.

Here’s a sampling of opinions I’ve heard on the Patriots from the media and fans in recent weeks:

(And for the record, I’m not suggesting that all these are inaccurate.)

The defense already can’t get a pass rush, now with Ty Warren out, they’re going to have trouble stopping the run. Depth on the defensive line is an issue. With Leigh Bodden out, the secondary is too young and inexperienced. They’ve got no depth at outside linebacker. Their inside linebackers aren’t playmakers. Their Pro Bowl safety is not worthy of the honor, and is in fact so immature that the team has to keep turning back to James Sanders, who actually knows the defense. They’re going to get torched by the better offenses in the NFL. The Packers and Colts are going hang 40 on the Patriots defense – easily.

On the offensive side, they don’t have a lead running back. They don’t have their best offensive lineman, who is holding out and has demanded a trade. They’re trying to break in two rookie tight ends, and this offense has NEVER made the tight end a big part of the offense. They’ve got a quarterback who doesn’t have a new contract, and isn’t as devoted to the game as he’s been in the past. Randy Moss wants a new contract, and his quest might become a distraction if he doesn’t get the catches he feels he needs to get the biggest deal possible. Wes Welker won’t be the same player he’s been in the past. The other receivers are young and inexperienced.

On special teams, they’ve got a rookie punter who was inconsistent in camp. The return game was horrible last season, and rests hope on a second year receiver who missed almost his entire rookie season with a devastating knee injury.

The coaching staff is too small, and too inexperienced. Bill Belichick has spread himself too thin with no offensive or defensive coordinators. His ego has gotten out of control and he thinks he can take on way too much. The QB coach, who has been the primary playcaller, isn’t always on the same page as Tom Brady.

The owner is more concerned about saving money, and about his power within the NFL than he is with paying his star players and keeping a championship team. His son, the heir to the team is too concerned with building a shopping complex around the stadium and will use the money that should go to the players to add a new Bed, Bath and Beyond to the mall.

The schedule is way too tough. It’s the toughest schedule they’ve faced in years, especially within the division with the new powerhouse of the NFL, the New York Jets getting ready to embark on a historical campaign. The Miami Dolphins are going to be tough, like Bill Parcells-built teams always are. Third place is a likely scenario for the Patriots. Outside of the division, powerhouses such as Indianapolis, Baltimore, Green Bay, Minnesota and Pittsburgh lay in wait, just licking their chops and itching for the opportunity to stick it to the “team of the decade.”

OK, so what did I miss?

If you listen to the above, a 5-11 season sounds downright optimistic.

Good thing the games aren’t played based on opinions.

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Lets Just Get It All Out There
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The Patriots wrap up their preseason schedule tonight at 7:00PM with their annual matchup with the New York Giants. This game will be held in the brand-new Meadowlands Stadium.

The game can be seen on the Patriots 2010 Preseason Television Network and also to a national audience on the NFL Network.

Veteran CBS broadcaster Don Criqui provides play-by-play and is joined by three-time NFL Pro Bowler and CBS analyst Randy Cross. Steve Burton will serve as the sideline reporter, while former Patriots QB Scott Zolak will serve as an on-field analyst.

If you miss tonight’s telecast, it appears that it will only be rebroadcast once – Sunday morning (September 5th) at 7:00AM on the NFL Network.

Game To Be Shown In 3D To Verizon FiOS Customers With 3D Sets

Verizon’s local FiOS TV customers will be able to watch the game between the Patriots and Giants in 3D, provided that they have a 3D TV. It will be the first NFL game broadcast in 3D. “This is the next major step in our development of 3D experiences for our FiOS TV customers,” said Terry Denson, vice president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. “Broadcasting the first 3D NFL game delivers on our promise to FiOS customers to provide superior TV offering, including 3D, HD and VOD programming, as well as interactivity that cable can’t match.” Since only a small number of customers own 3D TV sets, Verizon is setting up events for fans to watch the game on a 3D TV.

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Patriots Wrap Up Preseason With Giants in 3D
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Preseason games should be fun to watch, because we get to check out our favorite team with no real concern for the result. That said, last Thursday’s 36-35 loss to the Rams was about as enjoyable as sliding down a saguaro cactus.

We’ll move on to this week, the Battle of the Backups, with hopes for at least a pleasant diversion before watching games that count. As the venerable Mike Reiss has said, this tilt at the Giants home field allows New England to scout the brand-spanking New Meadowlands Stadium That Is Still In A Swamp, or whatever it’s called. Hey, every little bit against the Jets would help.

So, no big concerns for Thursday’s game by itself, but lots to watch heading into 2010…

Neither Bodden Nor The Patriots Were Smiling Tuesday

Secondary A Primary Thought: Tuesday night’s cuts saw erstwhile starter Leigh Bodden get placed on season-ending injured reserve. We hoped that rookie Devin McCourty and second-year player Darius Butler could step up at cornerback. Now, trial by fire becomes trial by inferno.

Mega Hurts: We got the lousy news on Bodden, but what’s up with Ron Brace? Or Jermaine Cunningham, Julian Edelman, or Aaron Hernandez? (Note Tuesday’s PFW injury report here.) These and several other players won’t play on Thursday – and that’s fine by us – but what is their status for Game One?

Better Take A Tom Out: Actually, we only assume that Tom Brady will sit out this game. And by “assume,” we mean “hope like hell.” You know as well as anyone, Coach Bill Belichick, that it only takes a few seconds to get hurt. Give backups Brian Hoyer and Zac Robinson some field time. All of it, even.

Searching High And LoMo: Okay, so far no starts from running back Laurence Maroney. Does that seem strange to anyone else? Did we have to see veteran Sammy Morris in action to know that he can run the ball (he’s only been in the league since Noah felt a raindrop)? Is Maroney ready to play? Is he mentally there? A strong night vs. New York backups might help ease some fears.

Having Trouble With Our Lines: Games get won in the trenches, so we’re wondering about this offensive line’s ability to grind out first downs. While Brady had a solid game with the starters, the O-line looks about as deep as a bottlecap, and the holdout of Logan Mankins ain’t helping. On the other side of the ball, can the Patriots stop the run and pressure opposing quarterbacks (I’m looking at you, Derrick Burgess)? And can they do it without smacking someone in the head for a 15-yard penalty? Seriously, last week’s game featured more slaps than a telenovela.

Who Gives A Darnell? About 22 players out of 75, that’s who. Thursday’s the night that the bottom of the roster gets figured out, when guys like receiver Darnell Jenkins, linebacker Thomas Williams and running back Thomas Clayton either make the final 53 or get cut. The coaches have some tough decisions to make, especially considering the aforementioned injuries and the age of the backfield. Look for those names and some new ones to pop up on the eight-man practice squad after the league-wide slashing.

Email Chris Warner at chris.warner@patriotsdaily.com

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Worry Wart – Preseason Game Four At Giants
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This week will see the roster cut down twice, on Tuesday to 75 and Saturday to the 53-man roster. You’ll see a few moves after that before opening day (I believe that both the Richard Seymour and Lawyer Milloy moves actually both came after the 53 man rosters were originally set.) By next Sunday, players will be eligible for the eight-man practice squad.

Working off of the excellent work done by ESPN Boston Student Assistant Mike Rodak, we came up with the following squad.

Zac Robinson

The list will not be 100% accurate, as you can be pretty sure that they will grab a few players that are released from rosters around the league, perhaps seeking an developmental outside linebacker or defensive lineman that might fall by the wayside. Keep in mind also that players released by the Patriots could also be grabbed up by other teams, either to the active roster, or to that team’s practice squad.

• QB Zac Robinson – The seventh round pick seems an obvious candidate, but could also be grabbed by another team.

• RB Thomas Clayton – It would seem logical that the team would want to keep another running back around as well.

• TE Rob Myers – With just the three tight ends on the active roster, keeping another stashed away makes sense.

• OL George Bussey – The second year lineman has been hurt this camp. He was an offseason award winner, so he might get to stick around if not placed on IR.

• OL Ted Larsen - Could make the team, but seems more likely to be a PS candidate.

• DL Kyle Love – A defensive line project.

• LB Dane Fletcher – Inside linebacker project.

• S Sergio Brown – The safety from Notre Dame has had his moments in camp. He’s a long shot to make the team, but if cut, I think the Patriots will look to retain him.

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Practice Squad Predictions
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Patriots Daily, along with thousands of other websites (including PatriotsLinks.com) all hosted by the same company were recently the target of an automated attack by hackers. So no, this was not an attack originated by jealous Jets fans or anything like that (though the attack did originate from a site in New Jersey – hmmm).

The site is now clean, though you will likely continue to receive the warning until Google has a chance to re-scan the site and declare it to be safe. In the meantime, added security measures have been implemented in an attempt to keep the site safe from future attacks.

If you believe your computer may have been infected, please visit MalwareBytes.org and run their free scanning and removal tool. They’re the best.  (Its probably a good idea to do this occasionally anyway.)

Thank you for visiting Patriots Daily.

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Malware Warnings on PatriotsDaily
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Spikes Lost His Man For This TD

Alrighty then. What in the name of Dean Pees was that all about?

That was ugly. You almost hope this was a product of not taking the Rams seriously, and getting a little cocky after the press clippings of their first two performances. That can be corrected. If not, we might be seeing 36-35 scores in the regular season as well. Some of the youngsters, after looking so good in the first two games, came down to earth a bit last night, especially first round pick Devin McCourty, who seemingly hadn’t made a mistake the entire preseason, suddenly looked like an exposed rookie on the field at times. Brandon Spikes was okay in run coverage, but got beat when he had to drop into coverage, one of the few concerns that people had about him.

Things were so bad that Bill Belichick left the first team defense in the game for a whole lot longer than he wanted to, I’m sure, just to see if they could get themselves straightened out. It didn’t happen. The Rams’ second, and then third string offensive players had much the same success as the first string did. Have we mentioned yet that the first string was led by a rookie quarterback getting his first extended action of the preseason?

To make matters worse, two of the players who could be labeled bright spots last night, much-maligned defensive lineman Ron Brace and fighting-for-his-roster-spot Terrence Wheatley both had to leave the game with injuries. Both had made some decent plays last night, especially Brace, who showed good power at the line, and ended up with a sack  as well.

The unit as a whole has a lot of work to do before the season opener with the pass-happy Bengals.

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Take A Lap – Defense
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Dated Pictures, We Know.

Tonight’s third preseason game will be broadcast on the Patriots Preseason Television Network, meaning we get another dose of the dynamic duo of Don Criqui and Randy Cross. Aren’t you excited?

OK, maybe we’re excited by the game, but not with the announcers. Since the Krafts put a lot of pride into their operation, I’m hoping that they can consider bringing in some new announcers for next preseason. Watching a lot of the preseason games from around the league on the NFL Network, I see that other teams lure some of the bigger names to call their preseason games, and I’m hoping that the Patriots can do better. On the CBS NFL broadcasting depth chart, Criqui is on the seventh broadcast team (out of eight) and Cross is on the eighth team.

Scott Zolak will again be the sideline reporter.

If you miss the game tonight, or are living outside of the coverage area of the Patriots Preseason Network, you’ll have three chances to watch the game on the NFL Network, the first one being tonight at 11:00PM.

Thursday, August 26

11:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots (HD)

Friday, August 27

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots (HD)

Monday, August 30

8:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots (HD)

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Watching Patriots/Rams Tonight at 7:30PM
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Preseason games usually lack much significance, but 2010’s friendly contests mean more than before. With two dozen draft picks over the past two years and countless new players (and by countless, I mean like six), fans are watching these games with the attentiveness of an overcaffeinated Where’s Waldo? addict.

Last Thursday’s outscoring of Atlanta kept our tempered optimism moving. Going into Scrimmage Three (Thursday vs. the Rams), or what has traditionally been the last sighting of starters during the preseason, the Patriots still have a few things to get straight before the games count.

Can Maroney Flash Heisman Form?

Pay Full Price, Get Halfback: After BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Fred Taylor started at running back against the Saints and Falcons, respectively, Laurence Maroney expects to step onto the dance floor (so to speak). While Maroney has had his chances – what other Patriot gets five years to reach his potential? – let’s give him one more: if he carries the ball 10 times and gains 40 yards over the Rams, we promise to leave him alone. At least until week two of the regular season.

Why The Hurry? There’s No Rush: Though the score didn’t indicate it, the Falcons gobbled up yards like Jets coach Rex Ryan eats M&Ms (Seriously, if you enjoy watching runaway trains, check out “Hard Knocks.” You’re telling me Charlie Weis needed a gastric bypass and Ryan doesn’t?). Give QB Matt Ryan (noooo relation) credit, but New England needs a pass rush. Will Tully Banta-Cain play this week, or will Marques Murrell step up? How close is rookie Jermaine Cunningham to returning? And when will Derrick Burgess actually show this “improvement” we’ve all been reading about?

Swing Logan, Sweet Chariot: Left guard Dan Connolly has performed well in place of Logan Mankins, but with Nick Kaczur out for a long time – the man had back surgery, for the love of St. Pete! – this line looks about as healthy as Rex Ryan (sorry, had to). As the Patriots continue to play smaller defenses with four-man fronts, it becomes harder to predict how the big guys up front will execute against the apartment-sized defenders in the AFC East. If the Rams stop New England’s running game, then yikes.

Get More For Wes? We hope not. Although it made us happy to see Wes Welker back on the field, every time a defender got near him it felt like my innards were hosting a gymnastics meet. Maybe one series vs. St. Louis, maybe one catch or two, but save Welker for Week One. Let’s check out more of what receivers like Taylor Price and Brandon Tate can do. A repeat of Tate’s Pardon-Me-I-Have-A-First-Down-To-Make move where he shook four defensive backs wouldn’t hurt.

All Aboard The D-Line: Okay, Vince Wilfork mans the middle and Gerard Warren has taken Ty Warren’s spot at left end. Mike Wright has started at right end, giving up too much yardage on the ground. Last week second-year player/conditioning phobe Ron Brace did solid work on the D-line, albeit against Atlanta’s B team. Time to see if the heftier Brace, Damione Lewis and rookie Brandon Deaderick can take reps against the starters.

I Get No Kick From Sham Games: No, these preseason scrimmages don’t count, but it still frays one’s nerves when Stephen Gostkowski misses a field goal attempt. This shank got overlooked due to a roughing-the-kicker penalty against Atlanta that featured less contact than my first date, but it still warranted concern. We’ll look for the Ghostkicker to have more success at Foxboro this week.

Email Chris Warner at chris.warner@patriotsdaily.com

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Worry Wart – Preseason Game Three vs. Rams
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These are two guys whose situations couldn’t be more different, but both have been on my mind quite a bit this week.

First, lets talk for a minute about Logan Mankins.

Neither Mankins nor his agent are doing themselves any favors these days. After rejecting the Patriots offer earlier this summer, one that is reported to have been a seven year, $45.5 million deal ($6.5 million average). Mankins considered that a slap in the face compared to what Jahri Evans got from the Saints – a seven-year, $56.7 million deal ($8.1 million average). More than that, Mankins expressed outrage at what he felt was a betrayal and that he had been lied to by the team and ownership.

The Patriots have wisely been silent on the matter, but Mankins’ agent and friends have spoken up several times, such as to Ian Rapoport in today’s Herald.

The latest ploy appears to be Don’t think Logan needs money! He doesn’t spend money! He’s got every dime he made in his career! He has a fully paid for, sustainable farm! (How’d he do that without spending money?) He’ll sit out the season without hesitation! He’s got the money!

Yet, I thought this wasn’t about money. How about these huge offenses that the Patriots have allegedly committed against Mankins? Will they ever come out? All Rapoport alludes to is a supposed promise to pay Mankins more than Evans. But it’s not about the money! He doesn’t need the money!

Whatever. Mankins can sit out the season and hope that the new CBA makes him a free agent, but I don’t think that is likely to happen. He’s only damaging his own earning power with this stance.

**************************

Tyrone McKenzie

Tyrone McKenzie is a guy you want to succeed. His story is well-documented by this point, you’re aware of his college career at three schools, and working nights to care for his sick mom, and the knee injury that wiped out his rookie season. We’re big fans of McKenzie because he gave Patriots Daily an exclusive interview – before he talked to the mainstream press this offseason.

McKenzie has been healthy this preseason, and has played in the two preseason games thus far, but in the eyes of many reporters covering the team, he is on the roster bubble. Most seem to be basing this on when McKenzie has come into the two games. He’s been among the latter linebackers to enter the game, even behind the immortal Eric Alexander this past week.

When making their assessments, reporters are placing a lot of emphasis on the special teams ability of players like Alexander and the versatility of a player like Thomas Williams, who has lined up at fullback a few times in camp.

I’m not fully on board with those assessments. In the Bill Belichick era, finding young players who can play inside linebacker has been a constant challenge. In the first part of the decade, it wasn’t so much an issue with Tedy Bruschi, Ted Johnson and Roman Phifer here. We knew in the back of our heads that those players were getting along in years and that replacements would be needed, but none could be found until Jerod Mayo was drafted in 2008. The media spouted the thought for several years that “Bill Belichick doesn’t drafted linebackers early” – until of course, he did. Some free agents were tried out (Monty Beisel, anyone?) and failed.

Clearly, finding talent at inside linebacker is a challenge. McKenzie appears to have talent. He also seems like a pretty smart player. I can’t swear to it, but I believe he’s been seen wearing the green dot on his helmet, indicating that he is the one receiving the defensive calls when he is in the game. I really, really don’t think that the Patriots are going to discard a player with potential at such a key position on their defense simply because some other guys can play special teams or line up at fullback.

As for why he’s coming into the games so late, I think it is a combination of things – he is still coming back from a severe knee injury, he’s being eased back into game action after not having played a real game in nearly two years, the team clearly wants to give Brandon Spikes as much playing time as feasible in the preseason to get him ramped up to be the starter on opening day, and the green dot – I think they want to have him learn the play calls, but putting him in at the end of the game perhaps makes it a bit easier to get some practice in with doing it.

I still think the Patriots will find a way to keep McKenzie on the team.

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On Mankins, McKenzie
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Some call it running back by committee, or RRBC. Some see it as proof that no one really sticks out. With a recent Sports Illustrated cover story on the fast decline of feature backs (not exactly news – remember Marion Butts’ time in Foxboro?) it seems that the Patriots have found a temporary solution to an ongoing problem.

Though effective this preseason, the RBBC approach has done little to allay concerns about New England’s backfield for the long haul. For clues as to what Coach Bill Belichick is thinking (or maybe more confusion), let’s review previous preseason games to see how the carries were divvied up.

Kevin Faulk’s rushing numbers are not included here (the man has a better-defined role than Sylvester Stallone). Also excluded are fourth preseason games due to projected starters resting. The running back with the first carry of each scrimmage is noted thusly.*

PRESEASON 2010

Bill Belichick seems to be making a concerted effort this year to highlight the performances of certain backs in each game. If this trend continues, expect Laurence Maroney to get the nod vs. the Rams this week.

Saints (box score): Chris Taylor 8-39; *BenJarvus Green-Ellis 11-34; Maroney 8-30; Thomas Clayton 4-13.

Despite averaging just over three yards per carry, Green-Ellis helped the Pats establish their running game vs. the Super Bowl champs.

Falcons (box score): *Fred Taylor 11-54; Sammy Morris 6-52;  Green-Ellis 7-12; Clayton 4-(-5).

Taylor started and showed flashes of THE Fred Taylor. Morris continued that trend, albeit against a team with about as much tackle in it as an empty fishing boat. (On a side note, speaking as the self-appointed driver of the Thomas Clayton Preseason Bandwagon, my boy TC got screwed.) Look for the rushing emphasis to continue Thursday against yet another faster, lighter NFC defense.

PRESEASON 2009

You know, when this article began, I assumed that Maroney had started all of last year’s preseason games. Some research proved me wrong. (I know, I know: hard to believe.)

Eagles (box score): Morris 12-45; Green-Ellis 4-31; *Maroney 6-14.

Last year the Pats’ starters could not run against the Eagles’ D, making Maroney’s preseason debut a rough one. Green-Ellis’ stats made matters worse for LoMo.

Bengals (box score): Green-Ellis 10-44; *Fred Taylor 7-26; Maroney 3-6.

Taylor’s consistency and Green-Ellis’ 4.4-yard average only added fuel to the Maroney-hating fire, though no one on New England’s offense could have been proud of a 7-6 loss to Chad Ochocinco’s extra-point kick.

Redskins (box score): Green-Ellis 6-49; Chris Taylor 4-25; *Fred Taylor 7-20; Maroney 7-16.

Though Fred Taylor started against the Redskins, he had only one carry in the first offensive series (gaining one yard) before Maroney took over on the ensuing possession. In that series, Maroney caught one pass for nine yards and carried twice for two yards, recovering his own fumble on the second carry. Disappointing, but only in the way the maiden voyage of the Titanic was disappointing.

To recap the 2009 scrimmages, Maroney had 16 rushes for 36 yards (2.25 ypc). In his defense (and as an indictment of last year’s running game), Taylor had 14 runs for 46 yards for about 3.3 ypc.

PRESEASON 2008

Two years ago, New England took a more traditional approach to playing time, starting and sticking with Maroney in the first three games. Below each stat line is the optimistic point of view at the time.

Ravens (box score): Lamont Jordan 19-76; Green-Ellis 1-8; *Maroney 6-6.

One yard per carry for Maroney. Even I can do that math. But that’s alright: it’s the first friendly, and the Ravens always have a stout defense.

Bucs (box score): *Maroney 7-15; Morris 5-10; Green-Ellis 2-8.

An absolute clusterhump of a game (Pats lose, 27-10). But really, it’s okay, the Bucs are going to be a solid defensive team for a long time. Right?

Eagles (box score): Morris 5-24; *Maroney 5-18; Green-Ellis 5-6.

It’s okay. It’s a passing offense. Tom Brady will get them to the playoffs, unless he gets hurt in the first quarter of the first gameohdamnitalltohell.

THE (POSSIBLY CRAZY) THEORY

In the wake of the 2007 offense, the Patriots looked to rely on Brady’s arm again. This failure to emphasize the running game came to a head last season, when New England couldn’t get yardage it needed to run out the clock or to score in the red zone. Coupled with a deteriorating defense, 2009 ended quickly and badly.

Sure, this month Belichick wants to get a different look at different backs, and wants to give each starter several carries to establish a rhythm. But there’s another theory, one that hinges on Maroney’s status with the team. In August 2008, Maroney carried the ball 18 times for 39 yards, or 2.17 ypc. In 2009, he tallied an almost equally abysmal 2.25-yard average. Based on these numbers – and on public reaction – Belichick decided to protect Maroney from preseason failure.

That’s not the primary reason for RRBC, of course; the coaches really do want to see how each player performs against a starting defense. And few coaches care less about what the public thinks than Belichick. But let’s consider: which Patriots running back is most self-aware of his image? Which one has seemed most willing to comment on the “haters” and how he is perceived?

Correct or no, fair or no, Maroney’s preseason performances have made him the target of trade speculation (and, for many fans, trade hopes). Having him score a TD on his first carry against New Orleans obviously got the guy excited. A strong performance vs. the Rams on Thursday (number 29 in total defense last year) can only boost the former first-rounder’s confidence going into the season.

We can speculate all we want about who’s going to start this year, but we all know that – barring a trade – Maroney will figure prominently in this offense’s plans. RRBC? Great. Maroney looking to contribute without feeling the pressure? Even better.

Email Chris Warner at chris.warner@patriotsdaily.com

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The Running Back Issue
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