The New England Patriots' last preseason game against...drumroll please...their arch nemesis, the New York Giants.  The team that snatched victory from the hands of our boys from Foxboro...please.  It's a time for Belichick and the coaching staff to make some determinations about the roster, to test a few more theories and to get some final reps in before it matters.

As much as we've harped on the poor showing of our guys on the field, I've come to believe only the coaching staff truly knows why they played that way.  Ellis Hobbs playing soft for the past 2 games?  He may have been told to do so in order to prevent injury (he is recently off of the PUP, ya know).  Matt Cassel getting hammered?  Some folks have already pointed out he's played against first stringers vs. the 2nd and 3rd stringers Gutierrez and O'Connell have come up against.  And, as I've stated before, there's the mad scientist, Bill Belichick, cooking up who knows what and hiding large portions of the playbook.

Quarterbacks - We shouldn't read too much into this, but Tom Brady is in the projected starting lineup.  However many (or few) reps he takes doesn't matter; it'll be good to see him in a game situation, albeit preseason.  What happens to numbers 2, 3, and 4 is anyone's guess and I'm more confused than ever.  I will say if Belichick needs an open roster spot, he may look at one of these 3.

Running Backs - I am 90% that this gang of 5 (Maroney, Morris, Faulk, Jordan, Evans) is protected.  I firmly believe Belichick thinks teams are scheming against the aerial assault of the '07 season, so he's switching gears and emphasizing the run.  I haven't seen Jordan's hands, but we have Faulk for that; I believe Jordan's our redzone back.

Wide Receivers - Randy is Randy; he'll always have a starting spot.  Monday, the other WR spot in the projected starting lineup was empty, but now contains Jabar Gaffney.  This is interesting for a couple of reasons: 1) Wes is not there and may be recovering from his rib injury (I will bring him chicken soup and tea with honey and magazines...STOP THAT!) and 2) Jabar is the guy, not Chad.  Chad's play has improved through the preseason, but only the coaches know if he can move forward.  Even though CJ Jones made some plays in the last outing, he has not impressed me in the preseason; I think he's at risk.

Offensive Line - Matt Light returned to practice on the 25th, but is not seen in the projected starting lineup for thursday night.  It still adds a needed boost just to know Matty's back.  I won't go into each player in detail, but overall, possibly reading too much into it, Belichick is a little more confident in the O line as he's put Brady back there.  Again, Brady taking reps could change in a heartbeat, but that's my take.

Linebackers - Bruschi (obviously) and Mayo at ILB.  Not Victor Hobson, the veteran from NYJ, but Jerod.  Victor has struggled to transition from OLB to ILB and has, in my mind, been beat out by Mayo.  Victor is on the bubble.  At OLB we find Mike Vrabel and Pierre Woods.  This may mean Woods got the job over Crable, but it's still tough to tell.  I hope Crable isn't on the chopping block; I like him.

Cornerbacks -  We find Ellis Hobbs and Fernando Bryant and I think #3 will be Terrence Wheatley.  At one time, we were carrying no less than 10 cornerbacks and we're now down to 8 with the most recent roster cut being Jason Webster.  I believe this to be the most vulnerable group of all (we only carried 4 in 2007).

Safeties - For months I've been saying Rodney Harrison and Brandon Meriweather own these roles, but just realized they both play the SAME position - strong safety.  We may see both of them on the field at the same time, but not always.  Your free safety will, most likely, be John Lynch.  John will also assume the nickel role on passing situations and either James Sanders or Antwain Spann will jump in at free safety.  The Patriots have been placing a lot of emphasis on nickel packages so I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Special Teams - in the depth charts, CJ Jones, Wes Welker and Chad Jackson are listed as punt returners, while Chad Jackson and Matthew Slater take kickoff returns.  This could be a saving grace for guys like Jackson and Slater who may be on the bubble in other positions, but can contribute here.

Whew, if you made it through that, gold star.  My fingers are tired of typing and my brain hurts.  The older I get, the less I can cram in there and something, inevitably, has to leak out first.  Fire away with your predictions on who stays or just cut this story to shreds.  It's all good.

The Chad pulls one down, patriots.com

0-3. That's right, New England Patriots fans, we are 0-3 in the preseason.  Asante's reunion turned out to be a defeat for our boys in blue and silver.  Should we worry?  There are certainly a few areas that need improvement.  There are individual plays which certainly appeared to be worrisome (John Lynch getting beat, for example), but overall, it was a better showing than Tampa Bay.  I'm still concerned about the fact that in all 3 games, our opponents managed to march down the field and score during their opening drives.  And THAT, my friends, we cannot blame on Matt Cassel.  More on that to come.

There is still a wildcard, in my mind.  That wildcard doesn't address poor individual play, but it may account for overall team dynamics.  That wildcard is Bill Belichick.  We all know he's a crafty dude and has a history of showing very little in the preseason.  I still hold on to the possibility that he's not showing all his cards just yet.  He is constantly rotating players in and out and giving lots of snaps to some of our newer players like Wheatley.  Granted, this is a fairly subjective viewpoint with little to no supporting information.  I simply believe Belichick uses preseason games for what they should be used for: evaluation of players in a "live" situation.  That being said, I'm not so worried that I would blow a gasket.  We still haven't seen wonderboy take a snap and we've, more than likely, only seen a fraction of the playbook.

Matt Gutierrez - 14 of 20 for 217 yards, Matty G was a bright spot in the QB battle of the backups.  Touchdown passes to both CJ Jones and Chad Jackson gave both WRs some needed positives given the trouble they've had in the past few games.

Matt Cassel - 8 of 14 for 60 yards, Matty C failed to impress.  I've said this is his gig to lose and he's losing it.  When #3 has a day like he had, #2 better equal or better those stats, especially considering the sinking row boat I think he's currently standing in.

C.J. Jones - With some questionable in the first 2 games, CJ Jones got it done Friday night.  With 3 receptions for 70 yards and a TD, he's making a case for himself.  Nice job, CJ.

Running Backs - I'm not feeling good.  24 yards in 5 attempts for Morris is not bad, but Matt Cassel had 22 yards in 1 attempt!  next on the list was Maroney with a whopping 18 yards in 5 attempts.  Kevin Faulk piped in with negative yards.

Defense -  Swiss Cheese is what comes to mind.  The linebacker corps are not plugging the gaps at all and CBs and safeties are just not there, allowing 390 total yards.

Special Teams - Allowed a 76 yard punt return for a TD by DeSean Jackson.  I would not want to be Larry Izzo right now.

What I am most concerned about is inconsistency.  Different people keep emerging as bright spots in these games, but noone is consistently knocking me dead every game.  What happened to LaMont Jordan?  Where's he been?  Laurence, you're the premiere guy, but you're not playing like it.  And Wes left with a rib injury.  Hopefully, it's not serious.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, it's preseason game #3.  The Pats host the Iggles at Gillette Stadium and one of the questions on my mind will be, "Will we see Asante Samuel on the field?"  The answer is...a qualified yes.  Injuring his hamstring in the first day of training camp, the rumor and worry mill started cranking out OMG!! OMG!!  bullcrap everywhere.  At any rate, even though he's wearing green, I still thank him for all he's done for the Patriots.  And no, I don't think that ball in the Superbowl was catchable by Samuel.  Just one man's opinion.

As usual, our resident Pig Pile Prognosticator is running down the O-line with the skill of a katana wielding swordsman (his hakama is a little metro, though).  I will, however, speak in generalties about our 300 pounders.  Coach Belichick?  Please do not, under any circumstance, put #12 behind the line as of yet.  They need to spend time, you know, joking and snapping towels at each other before I feel warm and fuzzy that they can protect wonderboy.  Send Matty * 2 and Kevin "Mohawk" O'Connell into the fray.  Lambs to the slaughter.  Like the first guys in line, marching into battle, it's all for a good cause.

I'll be watching a few things:

Quarterbacks - #2 spot is Cassel's job to lose, plain and simple.  With Wes and Randy to pitch to this past Sunday, there can be little excuse.  Granted, he did fair better statistically, coming up with 6 of 10 receptions for 57 yards, but he failed to march the team down the field like we'd expect a quality backup to do.  O'Connell went 6 of 15 for 61 yards, neither hurting nor sealing his chances.  Cassel has to mount and sustain a drive to be a valid choice when Brady is out.  Is asking for another #12 too much!?

Running Backs - Horrid at TB with a whopping 56 yards to their credit, what happened?  I was all over this group of guys in the preseason as the dudes that would save it all.  The second coming after the aerial assault of 2007 was going to be the running game and I was let down.  Much of their lackluster performance could be due to a fragmented O-line, too.  Laurence and the boys need to step it up a bit.

Defensive Backs - Uhhm...Was this the "I'm in Jello" mime game?  Both Ellis Hobbs and Fernando Bryant were playing so soft I thought I was watching a Charmin commercial.  And the safeties weren't much better.  Granted, John Lynch was practically suiting up on the plane ride from Mile High Stadium, but let's show 'em school is in session with teacher's Harrison and Lynch presiding over the lecture.

Linebackers - After a good showing against Baltimore, our LBs all but fell apart.  Mayo and Crable failed to impress and made some rookie errors.  Ok, I'll relax because Bruschi and Vrabel didn't fair so well, either.  C'mon guys!  Go get some.

Tom Brady - Grab a bowl of popcorn, a perfectly chilled beverage, and your favorite section of couch in front of your 400 foot ginormous TV and chuckle at how secure your job is.  Stay at home and relax.  Think about how lucky you are that you're not experiencing the same woes as your counterpart in the midwest (props to JHR).

From Reiss's Pieces:

Jabar Gaffney over Chad Jackson. In 11-on-11 work, the top receiving trio for quarterback Tom Brady was Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney. Chad Jackson, who struggled at times in the preseason opener, did not got any work with Brady when the team had three receivers on the field in the drill. Jackson came on with backup quarterback Matt Cassel.

Uh oh.  "The Chad", heir apparent to the Donte Stallworth crown, is not getting reps with Brady.  If I read too much into this, Chad's in a world of hurt regarding his spot at Donte's position.  If I relax and take a deep breath, Belichick is trying to spread the wealth, giving "Brady time" to all.

In the spring, it appeared that Hobson was a good bet to help the Patriots this year, but he’s yet to break through in training camp (most recently working next to Bo Ruud & Eric Alexander), and could be in jeopardy of not making the club if a player like Gary Guyton (rookie free agent) continues to excel on special teams.

Victor is moving from OLB in the Jets' 3-4 to ILB in the Pats' 3-4 and appears to be having a tough time of it.  Brian Basset from The Jets Blog, in Around the AFC East, Week 1, had his doubts about Hobson's effectiveness:

I think that Hobson is well suited to play inside, but at a minimum, the Patriots should be looking to start their young guys by the end of the season in Hobson's place.

Mike Vrabel and Ellis Hobbs join the first string. Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel and cornerback Ellis Hobbs seemed to have their workload increase.

It's good to see these vets back in the rotation after recently coming off of the PUP.  Interestingly enough, Hobbs is lining up opposite Fernando Bryant which, at this point, projects to be the 2 starters at cornerback.

The possibility of keeping 5 running backs on the final roster. With Belichick asked several questions about RB LaMont Jordan, the topic of possibly keeping five running backs came up (the Patriots kept 4 out of camp last year). The five would presumably be Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans and Jordan. "We'll keep the best football players, the players that will help our football team the most," Belichick said, pointing out that if the team would keep four quarterbacks (like it did in 2000) it would also consider keeping five running backs.

That's Bill being his usual cagey self.  Heck, I don't blame him.  You don't want to let the cat out of the bag too early.  But, can you imagine that lineup in the backfield?  Depth like a Roman Phalanx, mad skills, physicality and youth.  I could see Belichick hanging on to 5 running backs just to stuff it to all the pundits who claimed we didn't have a running game last year.

Jerod Mayo -- not a repeat offender. One aspect that the coaching staff and veteran players often stress is that mistakes will happen with young players, but the key is to not let the same mistake happen twice. Belichick noted that first-round draft choice Jerod Mayo has been solid in that regard, as he isn't a repeat offender.

Yup, great draft choice.  Time will tell, but I'm feeling better and better about Jerod Mayo.  Young, smart and big, he appears to be coming along nicely.  We're rooting for you, Jerod.  Keep up the good work.

The addition of another running back was, to me, a surprise move.  But, then again, Belichick and crew can come up with some interesting stuff.  Who on earth would've thought Moss would come here and thrive as much as he did?  I mean, honestly, when we first made that transaction, I was on the fence.  Granted, the dude had talent, but it seems Belichick is a master at identifying disenfranchised talent as well as creating an environment where players WANT to do well and fit into the system.  Randy "Problem Child" Moss comes on board and has a monster 2007.  Say what you will about him dogging it when the ball's not going his way, he is a massive threat when on the field, no question about it.

But this story isn't about Randy.  It's about another Raiders castoff, LaMont Jordan (guaranteed I'm going to forget to capitalize that M in LaMont 1 out of every 3 times this season).  I did not see this coming.  I was totally blindsided by this move.  With Maroney and Morris healthy, I thought we had all we needed to mount an impressive running attack.  Heck, Maroney had 4 100 yard games in the last 6 games of the season and he really kicked it up a notch (sorry Emeril).  Sammy didn't do too bad, either.  While stepping in for the injured Maroney in weeks 4 & 5, Morris logged 100+ yard games as well.  Not too shabby for a running attack that's constantly berated as sub-par.

Then LaMont pretty much rolls off the couch and into a Patriots uniform, after passing the required running tests.  Here it is.  We suddenly have serious depth in the RB position.  Not only depth, but a back that can do many things well.  He's fast and physical; at 5-10 230 lbs, I wouldn't want to be in the way of THAT freight train.  He's also got very good hands like another RB favorite of mine, Kevin Faulk; can you imagine the damage he could do to a tiny little cornerback during an option situation?  It reminds me of Bill Cosby's "Buck Buck" routine when Fat Albert was building up speed to jump on the buck buck pile, "Buildings losing pieces of brick, mothers taking their kids off the streets.  He turned the corner and the guys said What is that?  We give, we're not lettin' him jump on us!"  Except he's not fat.  He's more like a Tasmanian Devil, if you ask me.  LaMont "Taz" Jordan - has a nice ring to it, don't you think?  I'll have to call him up and suggest it.

I digress.  LaMont adds many new dimensions to the backfield.  He can act as an FB due to his size, adding depth with Evans and Eckel.  He can jump in on third down or option situations like a Kevin Faulk.  And, last but not least, he can run it down a defense's throat as a pure running back like Maroney and Morris.  As Ogor said in his most excellent comment:

I see us using him as an alternative to a blocking TE/FB. He can block, can run, and can catch passes. I think if we line him up as a FB/TE, it will create even more fits for the defense. Just imagine this line-up and try to figure out a defense: Moss, Welker, Watson, Jordan, Maroney out of the Strong-I.

Cover-2, Tampa-2, 3-4, 4-3... it won't matter.  That just puts too many weapons on the field at one time.  The only thing Brady will have to figure out is which weapon to use.  They'll all be fully loaded.

As we progress through Training Camp, I will attempt to summarize the interesting points from the various news sources out there.  For more detailed information, I will always include links to the full stories at the bottom of these entries.

Nick Kaczur is practicing.  As you may recall, he appeared on the PUP at the beginning of TC.  OL was a thin position this summer with injuries, so it's encouraging to see some of the guys coming back.  You may recall, Nick was involved in the illegal use of Oxycontin and subsequently complied with a sting of the dealer.  Kaczur has plea bargained down to a speeding charge and must comply with any drug treatment programs the Patriots decide are necessary.  Think what you will - star athletes getting star treatment.  He's back.  We need him.

5 out of 6 TC practices have been full pads.  There's no easing into preparation for the gang; Belichick is making them earn every break they get and is pushing them from the start.  It's a fine line, though.  Coaches worry about wearing out their players or the injuries associated with full pad practices vs. getting them ready for the long hall of an NFL season.  That's why Belichick's the coach; I think he's got it down by now.

WR Robert Ortiz was released to make room for FA RB LaMont Jordan.  In my story Training Camp Shootout: Wide Reciever, I predicted this would happen given his limited roles with previous teams and mostly NFL Europa experience.  I'm a bit confused by the move to pickup LaMont given we already have 5 running backs (Morris, Faulk, Maroney, Evans, Green-Ellis) and 4 are vets.  It could indicate Belichick intends to strengthen the running game significantly and feels the need to have more RBs to rotate in and out.  At 5-10 230 lbs, LaMont is a bull, so he could also see action as a blocking back or in third down situations, similar to a Kevin Faulk role.

Here's an interesting tidbit from Reiss's blog regarding filling gaps by the defense:

This practice was especially physical for the front seven of the defense, specifically in how gaps are filled in the running game. Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour comprised the 3-man line, with Adalius Thomas and Pierre Woods at outside linebacker and Tedy Bruschi and Tank Williams at inside linebacker.

Hmm... I thought Tank was a safety.  I guess you never know with BB.  At 6-2 223 lbs, he's big, but not what I'd call a classic ILB size-wise.  Maybe it's an attempt to teach Tank all facets of the Patriots' defense.  Maybe Tank is a multi-faceted player and will be used all over the field.  I'm keeping an eye on this guy.  I was happy when they brought him on board and I'm liking the move more and more.

And, one final thought related to running backs: our OL was dominated in the SB, where it mattered most.  5 sacks and 9 hits on Brady had a significant impact on the outcome of that game.  The Giants correctly assumed we'd try an aerial assault and loaded up on pass rushers.  This year, however, I believe Belichick plans to run the ball down opponent's throats.  As soon as he sees defensive run stoppers replaced with pass rushers, the RB freight train will begin.  Yet another weapon in the arsenal - try to defend the run?  Loft it to Moss, Welker, or Gaffney.  Try to defend the pass - Morris, Faulk, Maroney, Jordan, Evans.  Make defenses worry about too many things and they're spread to thin.

Laurence Maroney gets all the attention. And why not? He's the "starter". Even though, in my humble opinion, starter is a term that has lost some, if not most, of its luster with many postions.  It's more about snaps.  How many has a player taken.  The Patriots, like many smart teams, invest in players who fit the system vs. 1 or 2 stars, constantly relied on and playing a ridiculous number of snaps.  Laurence and Sammy may not have the Top 5 numbers of some of the other guys, but they're gonna be dangerous this year; wait and see.

When Maroney was out of commission for weeks 4-6, Sammy Morris was averaging 4.6 yards a carry.  A season ending injury put him out and Laurence stepped in to put up 4.9 yards per carry in the last 6 games of the season.  That was a, "Where the heck's he been?" moment.  Many other classless dudes would have complained bitterly if they were essentially an afterthought for most of the season.  Not Maroney, the team player.  He worked hard, stayed healthy and stayed ready.  How could you not rely so heavily on the passing attack?  When the aerial assault started to faulter a bit, there he was - ready to rock & roll.

Laurence Maroney - Mr. Team Player.  Like I outlined above, 4.9 yards in the last 6 games.  Called on to provide an alternate set of weapons when Brady and the WR gang came up against film, Laurence stepped in to put up 100 yarders in 4 out of 6 of the last games.  Which, just so happens, makes him the league leader in postseason rushing.  Kiss my what? ;-)

Sammy Morris - Considered the "second back", Morris put up a respectable 4.6 yards per carry when he stepped in for an injured Maroney.  I like Sammy.  He seems to commit more than Laurence, for better or for worse.  He doesn't seem to bounce off of the line as much, preferring to blast through.  He may get nailed in the process, but at least he's committed.

Kevin Faulk - Averaging a decent 4.3 yards per carry, this doesn't tell the whole story.  Oh, did I mention he can catch like a mofo?  With 8.1 yards per reception for 2007 and a career 8.7, he's a serious threat when Brady decides to use him for the option.  Or, better yet, when the Patriots need some more meat in the slot than Wes can provide, Kevin is the dude.  A serious 3rd down back, he's a major secret weapon.  It boggles my mind defenses forget about him.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis - A UFA, BenJarvus is an investment in youth.  Granted, Laurence is in his early 20's with tons of gas left, it still never hurts to have more youth.  In Marima's most excellent profile on BenJarvus, we see that he's had back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons with a 94 yard per game average.  Not too shabby, BenJarvus.  If he can step it up to an NFL level, this will be an awesome running attack with a lot of depth.