Fall Back

It appears that summer is over. The temps are dropping in the evenings, the mornings take just a little longer to warm up, and baseball's regular season is coming down the home stretch. Also heralded by the seasonal change is the coming of football. Man, I am so very excited for it. I have waited 367 days and counting for the return of the Mr. Handsome himself, Tom Brady. I have waited for over a year to see whether he'll come back the quarterback he once was, or as a shell of his former self. Many questions abound. Will he still have the juice he did in 2007, when he set the NFL record for touchdown passes? Will the Patriots be able to protect him and his bionic knee? Will Peter King spontaneously combust at the sight of Brady's first downfield toss to Randy Moss?

Before we get there, let's go back to baseball. The Red Sox are a mere two games up today, after they absolutely drubbed a woeful Orioles club, and the Rangers swept a doubleheader against the Indians. Clay Buchholz looked like the pitcher who threw a no-hitter against these same O's in 2007, dealing all four pitches with verve and vivacity. He didn't allow a hit until the 11th batter, and retired giving up just three hits total. Dustin Pedroia did it for the Shire in a huge way, leading a homerun barrage with two dingers himself. Papi, JD Drew and his posse, Youk and even Gonzo all got in on the big-hit action, blasting shots to all fields last night. I realize this is the Orioles we're talking about, a team that is about to finish under .500 yet again. But, in September, hitting the ball counts just as much as pitching solidly.

Tonight the Byrdman faces the Birds, and I'm hoping for a solid outing from Paul. The Sox really need all of their starters to pitch well over the coming days, to right the ship as it were. Jon Lester has been pretty decent, but Josh Beckett still needs some refinement on that arsenal of his. While giving up just three runs (and zero homeruns) his last time out, he still suffered the loss, and looked like a hollow version of the once-dominant pitcher we've come to know and love. He hasn't been the mean, spit-in-your-eye Beckett lately, and I'd really like to see that guy back on the mound before the playoffs start. There are just 24 games left in the regular season. The Sox have a favorable schedule, played mostly in the friendly confines. Aside from a 10-game road trip that ends in new Yankee Stadium, they face a mediocre bunch of clubs. And, if they keep pitching well, and the balls keep flying out of the yard, the Sox should have no trouble maintaining the Wild Card lead, and entering the post-season. As wary as I am of the Rangers, even with their two-game sweep yesterday, they looked ripe for a fall.

Back to football. While the Pats have looked pretty good this preseason, I am more than a little hesitant to call them favorites. I mean, yes, they still have Brady, and Belichick, and the one-two punch of Welker and Moss. But they have lost some significant players this off-season, even as recently as Sunday. Mike Vrabel is gone. Tedy Bruschi retired. Now Richard Seymour seems poised to don the silver-and-black out in Oakland. Am I worried? I wouldn't go that far, but I'll say I am slightly concerned. Curious even, to see if, without the presence of these All-Pros, the Patriots can prop up what was a fairly weak defense last season. They still have Adalius Thomas and Jerod Mayo who, under Bruschi's tutelage, has become a leader as well as an intense defender. They still have battle-tested guys like Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and Jarvis Green. And, of course, if Brady can lead the offense back to being one of the premiere point-scoring schemes in the NFL, the defense might not have to work quite as hard on every down.

It's Wednesday. Four more excruciating days of waiting. While an O-Sox game and a parental visit will provide some minor distraction, my mind is firmly set on 7:00PM, Monday night. As I gorge myself on homemade chili and mac n cheese, and drink a few tasty cold beers, my eyes will be affixed to the screen, eagerly awaiting the start of what promises to be a very exciting (and hopefully, fulfilling) Patriots season-opener. And, with any luck, my next post will be celebrating a righteous Pats victory...

Go Sox, and go Pats!

Comments

[Erik]

I appreciate your optimism. But I have a bold prediction.
You possibly lose tonight, and with the Rangers already having won... the lead in the WC drops to a measly 1 game. The Sox and the Rangers go back and forth 1 game lead here and there until the Yankees series, where we put the foot on your throats and crush your playoff jugular.

Call it a bold prediction... Call it what you will. BUt it's my prediction and I'm sticking to it. =] At least that way you chowdheads can focus FULLY on the Patriots, and less on the Yankees pursuit of 27. It would be easier. Then again a good ol' fashioned Yanks Sox matchup in the ALCS would be dope. Especially with home field advantage.

I will say that I am slightly nervous about the 5 game series though,as anything can happen in those series(which I believe should be changed to 7 game series), especially when facing... say a Verlander.

[Kris]

That, my friend, is in no way a bold prediction. I would expect nothing less from you, than to imply I am in any way focused on the Yankees' pursuit of anything, save for improving their golf scores once they are booted from the playoffs. That said, the playoffs would be so much less fulfilling were the Yanks and Sox not to play each other...

Here is my bold prediction: We win tonight, then take two of three apiece from the Rays and Angels, while the Rangers flounder against the M's, A's and Angels. When we face you in Yankee Stadium, we split the first two, which leads to an knock-down, drag-out Sunday afternoon game in which we ultimately prevail...

[Mr. Watney]

"I mean, yes, they still have Brady, and Belichick, and the one-two punch of Welker and Moss. But"
whoa whoa, you can stop right there, g.

here's my baseball prediction; sawks get the wild card but make me absolutely miserable over and over again before doing so.

[Derek Hixon]

Sox lead in WC is still measly 2 game with 23 to go. I agree with Kris here, the schedules down the stretch greatly favor the Sox so am not too worried about not getting in, think your 3-game jugular crushing is more wishful thinking :)