The State of Wever's Teams: New England Patriots (NFL)

This season has been a mixed bag for a Patriot fan. They have looked very solid on defense, then at times not very good. Their offense has looked like the same old Patriots offense, then has struggled to get things going. I believe we are heading in the right direction but are not quiet there.

Defensively the Patriots have looked good and bad. Against the Titans the defense looked like it was already miles ahead of where they were even during the playoffs last season. But loses to Arizona and Baltimore make me think they still have a lot of work to do. There are definitely bright spots. Dont'a Hightower seems to be developing nicely. Chandler Jones looks like he is going to be a difference maker on this defense for years to come. Up front defensively I think the Pats are very solid, they are currently ranks 8th in the NFL against the run.

I am still very concerned with the Pats defensive back field. It seems like they can't cover anybody. Against the Ravens they could not seem to come up with the big play when they needed it the most. They allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick to throw four touchdowns in yesterday's game. They did however manage to intercept his passes four times. I just feel like if the defense gives up a big third down conversion or a passing touchdown it is because the defensive back field blew an assignment. The Pats are currently ranked 25th in the NFL against the pass.

Offensively the Patriots have looked good and bad (see a pattern?). Against the Titans they looked pretty good, with the normal first game of the season hiccups. However, when Aaron Hernandez was lost to an injury the passing game became very flat. They still had targets such as Welker and Gronk, but Hernandez gave them that extra dimension. The two dynamic tight ends seem impossible to deal with, but take one of them away and Gronk has been easier to deal with. With Hernandez in the lineup, I believe the Ravens game would have had a much different outcome.

One bright spot through most of the regular season thus far has been the Patriots run game. Stevan Ridley has matured nicely in his second season and looks to be a very reliable resource out of the back field. Then the addition of Brandon Bolden yesterday against the Bills saw a running back tandem that seemed very hard to deal with. This seems like the best back field the Patriots have had in some time.

Final Thoughts: I believe with the return of Hernandez the Patriots offense will be very hard to match up against. If the running game continues to prove they are a reliable option then that just makes Brady and the passing game that much more dangerous. The Patriots season depends on, like it has for the last few years, on the defense. It looks like we are starting to figure things out up front. However the defensive back field still gives me a great deal of worries.

Top 5 Running Backs of All Time: LaDainian Tomlinson!?

So went to the Kansas City Chiefs game today. Had a good time with good friends, Chiefs on the other hand did not. They played the San Diego Chargers and played solid defensively but their offense needs a lot of work. Their turnovers reached a number I am not comfortable counting to most times, six I believe.

Something interesting that stuck with me on the way home from Kansas City, one of my friends that I was attending the game with, Justin, leaned over to me and told me he believed LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the top 5 NFL running backs of all time. That to me is a pretty bold statement. I thought about it all the way home and even now, obviously as I am writing about it. So I dug a little into L.T.'s career stats. Here they are:

(Courtesy of NFL.com)

Rushing: 3,174 carries, 13,684 yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 145 touchdowns

Receiving: 624 catches, 4,772 yards, 7.6 yards per catch, 17 touchdowns

L.T. also set the single season touchdown record with 31 in 2006.

Now those are some very impressive stats, but I still am not sold on L.T. being one of the top 5 running backs of all time. Chalk it up to the fact that I and not a Charger fan, the fact that I am a Patriot fan, and L.T. was a bit of a cry baby a couple times when playing the Pats in important games if I remember correctly, whatever it may be I am not sold.

Now I did a little search of the interwebs, and found NFL.com's top 10 list of running backs. I figured NFL.com was as good a site to submit a list as any right? So here it is:

1. Jim Brown
2. Barry Sanders
3. Walter Payton
4. Gale Sayers
5. O.J. Simpson

     9. LaDainian Tomlinson

Now I am not saying, in any way, that L.T. was not a good running back. I was not even a fan of the Chargers, and I enjoyed watching him play throughout his career. This is just simply a ranking. So here it goes, my top 5 list of NFL running backs:

1. Barry Sanders Lions.   The man was simply electrifying to watch. 1,400 yards away from breaking the all-time rushing record and walked away from the game. 
2. Jim Brown Browns. Brown was like a bulldozer. Had the combination of strength and speed. Owns the record for yards per carry with 5.2
3. Walter Payton Bears.  Again Payton was electrifying. When he called it quits he was the all time leading rusher in NFL history.
4. O.J. Simpson Bills. Say what you want about Simpson now, but the man could play football. Simpson was the first running back to even record 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a single season.
5. Emmitt Smith. Some say that Smith stayed a little too long. But I believe that the current all time leading rushing in NFL history belongs in the top 5 list of running backs. 

There it is, my list. Those are my thoughts. Now tell me what you think. Did I miss somebody? Does somebody not belong on this list? Be sure to follow my blog and tell me your thoughts. I love lists like these. Be sure and tell me your top 5 as well!!

The State of Wever's Teams: St Louis Cardinals (MLB)

Standing: The Cardinals are currently 84-72 overall with six games left to go in the regular season. They also have a three game lead for the second Wild Card spot in the National League, this is a welcome new addition this year by Major League Baseball. Without the second Wild Card there would not be much excitement left this season as it comes to a close, and my Cards would be close to being eliminated from playoff contention already. 

Hot Streak: The Cardinals are peaking at the exact right time, just like last year. Thank worked well if we remember :). They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and like previously stated, have stretched their lead to 3 games in the Wild Card. Coming out of their last series with the Los Angles Dodgers I was admittedly worried about my Cards. They only had a one game lead over them and their line up is stacked. Fortunately we took the last game of that series and have not looked back. We have had the schedule smiling at us, with the Astros and the Cubs in the last 9 games. We finish up the season with a six game home stand, three games with Washington and three games with the hated Reds. 

Rotation: Their rotation is coming together nicely at exactly the right time. This makes me very excited. If they make it into the playoffs opposing teams will have to deal with this:

Lance Lynn: 17-7 3.69 ERA

Kyle Lohse: 16-3 2.77 ERA

Adam Wainwright: 13-13 4.02 ERA (First season back from Tommy John, Big game pitcher though!)

Jake Westbrook: 13-11 3.97 ERA

Chris Carpenter: Made first start of the season this week! Would have been the ace of this impressive staff!

Jason Motte: 40 saves 

My Thoughts: I believe that we are sitting pretty! If we do get into the playoffs it could be another magical year for the Cards. That pitching staff is going to be tough to deal with in a short playoff series. I did not even mention the Cards lineup that I think has what it takes to compete for another National League Title and perhaps more. Very exciting time for Cardinals fans! 

Check back soon for a look at the New England Patriots and Liverpool Football Club!