New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was named the National Football League’s 2007 Coach-of-the-Year yesterday. It made sense. His team was the first-ever to finish an NFL regular season at 16-0. But I think the award should have gone to someone else for one simple reason. Coach Belichick was caught cheating. It’s really as simple as that. He broke the rules of the NFL. He was fined and his team was punished. Then he’s rewarded with the Coach-of-the-Year honor? It doesn’t make any sense.

In the strategic sense, Coach Belichick is the best coach in the NFL. I admire his week-by-week approach and one-game-at-a-time philosophy. He’s a football genius. You won’t find a more prepared, more brilliant, more devoted coach in the NFL. What he did this season in leading the Pats to a 16-0 record is remarkable and may not ever be matched again. But he broke the rules in that first game of the 2007 season (aka Spygate), so I don’t think he should win this award. Did his cheat factor into the outcome of that game against the Jets? No. Be serious. But that doesn’t matter. He still cheated. It’s not a matter of opinion. It’s an admitted fact. He was fined $500,000. His team was fined an additional $250,000. A first-round Draft pick was taken away. He apologized. Case closed and let’s move on, but I wouldn’t reward the guy with this honor based on that fact.

There are plenty of other coaches who played within the rules (as far as we know). The award should belong to someone else.

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Bill Belichick Named Coach-of-the-Year

The time is here. The New England Patriots have rolled up 15 wins with no losses. And they will lay it on the line tonight as they go for a perfect 16-0 regular season against the N.Y. Giants in what is anticipated to be one of the most-watched National Football League games in recent memory. It almost has a Super Bowl feel to it with the week-long hype and pregame festivities.

I was just staring at that number next to the Patriots’ listing in the AFC East. 15-0. It’s just an unbelievable accomplishment when you stop to think about it. It’s an unbelievable accomplishment no matter how long you think about it, but when you piece together the weeks — when you go back to the beginning, back to training camp — and see how hard this road must have been, it puts into perspective the difficulty of this achievement. I knew this team would be good. Anyone who knows anything about football knew this team would be good. But 16-0? That was unfathomable.

Still, the ultimate goal is not defined by a win tonight. The Pats have home field throughout the AFC playoffs regardless of whether they beat the Giants. Under any other circumstance, if even with one loss, New England head coach Bill Belichick is resting his first-teamers. Probably for the entire game. But with history about to be made, it’s “business as usual” for New England, as though it were the first game of the season instead of the 16th. And no matter what they say, you know they want this game. Bad. Still, linebacker Tedy Bruschi downplayed the importance:

“We’re not looking at the playoffs right now and we’re not really thinking about being undefeated. There’s a simple way how we got here, and that’s focusing on the opponent that we happen to have in front of us. This week we’ve got a formidable one in the New York Giants.”

Many people have called the Patriots boring because of comments like these, but the players are just echoing the sentiments of their head coach. As “boring” as it may be, it works. And if boring means 16-0 plus a Super Bowl victory, so be it. I’ll take boring.

(Note: You can watch the game pretty much everywhere. It’s like a “State-of-the-Union” address.)

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New England Patriots’ Pursuit of Perfection Under National Spotlight Tonight in New York

Four Baltimore Ravens players have been fined for violating league rules prohibiting the abuse of game officials, the NFL announced today. Linebacker Bart Scott was fined $25,000 for verbally abusing game officials and throwing an official’s flag into the stands during last Monday night’s Baltimore-New England game. Cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister, and wide receiver Derrick Mason were fined $15,000 each for publicly questioning the integrity of the officiating in last Monday night’s game against the New England Patriots. The Ravens lost the game 27-24. NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson said:

“This is about the importance of sportsmanship and respecting the integrity of our game. We do not tolerate inappropriate conduct between teams and game officials. This includes reminding game officials that they are to conduct themselves at all times as professionals in their dealings with players, coaches, and other club personnel. Last Monday night’s game was well officiated and it is the obligation of both players and coaches to maintain proper respect for game officials at all times.”

Ray Anderson went to Baltimore this week to speak directly with Bart and Samari before issuing the fines today. And I think he was right in his decision to issue these fines. I understand the players are passionate about their profession and they want very badly to win. That’s a good thing. But if the NFL doesn’t put their foot down firmly on situations like these, more outbursts would occur and the next thing you know, you’ve got a league-wide outbreak of chaotic, complaining crybabies.

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Four Baltimore Ravens Fined For Improper Conduct Relating To Game Officials

The excitement is building for Football Night in America on Sunday evening at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY as the Buffalo Bills host the unbeaten New England Patriots. And if there was any question as to who the Bills would be starting at quarterback, they were answered in a statement released today by Bills head coach Dick Jauron. Despite struggling in a 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins two days ago (12 of 23 for 157 yards, no TDs and one INT), J.P. Losman will retain his starting role. The statement was to-the-point:

“We will continue with J.P. Losman as our starting quarterback for our game with New England this Sunday.”

This doesn’t surprise me although it couldn’t have been a slam dunk for Coach Jauron. J.P.’s experience and ability (although not always consistent ability) to put points on the board had to factor into the decision. I believe the Bills will need to put at least 30 points on the Pats to have any shot at winning and J.P. gives them their best chance to accomplish that right now. He’ll need to play near-perfect football, but that can be said for any QB playing New England this season.

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J.P. Losman to Get Start Against Patriots

I knew the ratings were going to be good. This past Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts was viewed by 33.8 million fans, ranking as the most-watched regular-season game on an NFL Sunday since at least 1987 (Nielsen Media Research viewership numbers unavailable prior to that date). The New England/Indy game topped the week’s second-most watched show by 12.4 million viewers (”Dancing with the Stars” had 21.4 million viewers) and is the most-watched show on TV since the Academy Awards on February 25, 2007 (40.4 million viewers).

If you think the NFL’s massive popularity begins and ends there, think again. Four of the top five most watched shows on TV from September 6 to November 4 were NFL games. Plus, NFL games topped the local ratings in 28 of 30 NFL markets last week (Oct. 29-Nov. 4). In the 26 non-NFL markets metered by Nielsen Media Research, the Patriots/Colts game was the top-rated program in 19 (73%) of those markets.

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Record Breaking Audience for Patriots, Colts

If you were making plans to watch Super Bowl XLII on February 3, you should adjust your schedule because the game has been moved to one week from today, November 4, when Peyton Manning and the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (31-7 over Carolina today) host Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots (52-7 over Washington). I’ll go on and on about this game all week, but this is the Super Bowl, my friends. There will be no game bigger or better than this one — unless, of course, these two teams should meet again in the AFC playoffs in a couple months. That’s a distinct possibility, but why look ahead when this game has all the makings of an instant classic.

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NFL’s Elite Set the Stage: Colts vs. Pats Countdown Begins as Both Teams Roll

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick issued a one-paragraph statement yesterday apologizing to his team and confirming that he has spoken to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about an “interpretation” of league rules that bans videotaping of the opposing sideline:

“Earlier this week I spoke with Commissioner Goodell about a videotaping procedure during last Sunday’s game and my interpretation of the rules. At this point, we have not been notified of the league’s ruling. Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league’s decision, I will have further comment.”

I’m still not really sure what he was apologizing for, but I don’t see how anyone could misinterpret the rule. Page 105 of the Game Operations manual says: “No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches’ booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game.” It later says: “All video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead.” And, in a memo from Ray Anderson, NFL head of football operations, to head coaches and GMs on Sept. 6, 2006: “Video taping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent’s offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches’ booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game.”

As I said yesterday, no official ruling has been determined yet.

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Maybe Bill Belichick ‘Missed the Memo’

I thought I had heard it all until this report came in. I was absolutely floored to learn that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules this past Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets’ coaches. NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets’ defensive signals. The visual evidence confirmed the suspicion. Commissioner Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots multiple draft picks. I wasn’t aware of this, but I guess the Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents. The Patriots will be allowed an opportunity to present their case by Friday, most likely via telephone. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said today that no official decision has been made.

When I first heard this story, it sounded so ridiculous I had to laugh it off. But with the possibility that this kind of behavior has been going on for some time, it makes you stop and think about how the world is going to look at this team’s past and present successes. It’s an unfair competitive advantage and it’s unfathomable to me that the Patriots would do this. I thought they were a classy organization.

I really look at this as almost being the same situation as a steroid scandal. Once caught, you wonder how long the crime/advantage has been going on. I need to wait for the official ruling, but it definitely points toward tainting any previous success this team has had.

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Patriots Violated Rules in Win Over Jets

Ok, I won’t say “I told you so” — I know, it’s only one game, the first game of the season on this 2007 NFL Kickoff Weekend — but I picked the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl 42 and they’re off to a great start, dominating the way I thought they would in beating the New York Jets 38-14.

Cornerback Ellis Hobbs returned the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown –- tying the NFL record for the longest play ever. And Randy Moss is still alive! After disappearing into the black hole that is Oakland (he only had 42 catches last season) and keeping very quiet this preseason, Randy appeared in his best form catching nine passes for 183 yards and a TD. There is no way the Patriots are as good now as they will be mid-season. And that’s a scary thought for the rest of the NFL. Yes, even the Colts.

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Randy Moss is Back, Patriots Beat Jets

One of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, New England Patriots DB Asante Samuel, returned to his team yesterday, ending a month-long holdout. The Patriots applied the franchise tag to Asante in February, guaranteeing him a one-year, $7.79 million contract. But it prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. He missed much of training camp when he and the Pats failed to agree on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline. After that date, he could only re-sign with the Patriots for one year. And while the ink is not dry on this contract yet, Asante was at Pats headquarters getting a physical yesterday and is expected to be at practice today. I guess Asante sucked it up and realized nearly $8 million to play for the Pats this year wasn’t so bad, even if there was no guarantee on his football future beyond 2007. His agent, Alonzo Shavers, declined to say whether the Patriots had gotten Asante to report by promising they would not apply the franchise tag to him again next year.

Asante’s return bolsters an already potent New England D. The Patriots’ starting defense has been sharp in the preseason. For example, last Friday, despite missing starting defensive ends Richard Seymour and Ty Warren, New England limited the Carolina Panther’s offensive starters to three-and-outs on three of the their first four possessions. Cornerback Randall Gay had replaced Asante in the starting lineup alongside Ellis Hobbs. And veteran free agent Tory James and rookie first-round draft pick Brandon Meriweather were the top reserves. The Patriots’ defensive backfield is now fully loaded and I continue to name the Pats as my Super Bowl favorite.

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Asante Samuel Reports to Patriots