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Mike,
You have the patience of a saint dealing with all of these mouth breathers.
Denis - Get a life; h-back talk??
Neil - It's Mike's opinion, not necessarily what is going to happen
Wayne - Read the paper and the internet; how many picks have signed league-wide?
Richard - You are a buffoon.
KB - Get a life; Vrabe's is not coming back
Mauidan - Just end it.

"How can anybody trust or even be supportive of the terrible Patriots O-line? They couldn't protect Brady in the Super Bowl loss to the Giants, when he took a beating, and then they turn right around and allow Brady to take that serious knee injury in the first game of the following season. So now Brady's back, but how could Brady or anybody trust them?"

Certainly the Pats' OLine didn't look good in the Super Bowl loss, but there aren't many lines in the game that would have looked good against the Giants front seven that night as they put on a performance for the ages. As for the second part, the player who was responsible for blocking Pollard on the play that injured Brady wasn't wearing a number between 50 and 79, it was RB Sammy Morris. The Pats OLine obviously has room to improve, but they aren't the turnstiles some people want to make them out to be.

Mike, I love to read your columns everyday, thanks for all the great insight.
My question is how do you think Brady's mental return to the game will be, Knowing he has to plant his foot and take hits like the one that injured him, do you feel he can over come the mental set back as well as he has the physical? I know this will probably be answered next week in training camp, But how much real pressure will the team put on him in camp to really push his confidence?

He will be fine... Not the first person to come back from an acl or mhl injury.... He will be fine.. Has had plenty of time to heal and get ready for the game.. May be a little rusty, but it will pass.

"Sean"..

If everyone agreed with everyone, and everyone had the same level of football knowledge in all the same areas, then there would be No Reason for Reiss's Pieces to exist. This site would be boring. And Mike wouldn't have a Job..

Steve

BTW according to "Miguel's Unofficial Salary" site , If Aldeous Thomas is cut his 2009 salary cap hit would be 13.2M. They would, however, apparently save over 7.5M if he was traded.

There is no way they're getting rid of Thomas. We're essentially down to him and Bruschi and true vet linebackers. Mayo, obviously a stud, but this is his second season. If cap savings was an issue they never should have signed the guy. Consider this though; cutting Woods would save $1m in cap. Though not quite as much savings I think that's a realistic stat to consider simply because Woods has not made a contribution of note to date.

In response to Tom and his calling out of the O-line. Don't be so quick to blame the o line players. This was the same O line that played well for most of the season. Give credit to the Giants offensive coordinators for coming up with a defensive strategy that worked, but lay most of the blame on the Pats offensive coordinator who changed NOTHING in his offensive strategy until midway through the fourth quarter, and then it was too late.

The Pats led 7-3 in the second quarter and were handed a couple of great opportunities, with good field position to put the game away. McDaniels did nothing but continue the same offensive strategy that wasnt working, and played right into the Giants defensive coordinators hands.

In the third quarter, another opportunity was wasted when after reciving the kickoff, McDaniels, once again, was clearly outcoached, and his stubborness was the reason the Gaints were staying close.

Finally, after the Giants forged ahead 10-7, McDaniels got the message, and the Pats marched the length of the field and scored what looked like the winning TD.

A little too little, to late Joshy boy.

We all know what happened after that. But, if McDaniels had any sense of what to do, in the second quarter, and early third, the Pats would have locked the game away and the Ginat TD, late in the game, would have been meaningless. No, Tom, Dont lay it all on the O line. They were given a bad hand to play by the dealer, Josh McDaniels. Good Ridance Josh. Denver fans wont put up with your crap.

Mike A., although McDaniels was the playcaller, don't you think Belichick has any input into what the general offensive strategy is going to be and when to make adjustments? I think you're heaping the blame on the wrong guy.

Can we ever put this Superbowl 42 talk to rest? I mean everytime I start to forget it someone mentions it again and the great debate begins again along with all the painful memories of that night. Then comes the opener talk about Brady going down and it hurts even more. Time to heal...lets go 2009 season.

People need to stop hating on AD and need to understand that you can't put up numbers when you are on IR. Mike brought up a good point that he would of probably been the sack leader if he played the entire season.All you need to see is that sack he had against Brett Favre last season to know he still has a lot left in the tank.

Get over it already. The 2007 season was a magical season. It ended in a nightmare, but I for one am glad I was alive when it happend. Remeber the days when 8-8 was a sucsessful season? Sheez. Have we gotten so spoiled so fast?
And Sean you are intitled to an oppinion, but who in the heck do you think you are?

Right on Clark, I had so much fun in 2007, and will always remember it as magical. The Giants came in and executed amazingly on defense. I give that front 7 a ton of credit. The did enough to keep themselves in the game and make the fluky finish possible.