The NFL Network aired “Do Your Job: Bill Belichick and the 2014 New England Patriots” on Wednesday night, highlighting the legendary coach and his team as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks to win their fourth Super Bowl Championship. The highlight of the special – and the season – was undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler’s game-winning…
Inside The Pylon works tirelessly to deliver quality football articles to our readers. But writers around the internet produce high-level football writing every day, some of which you may have missed. This Week in Football Writing pulls together some of our favorite pieces and shares them with you to ensure our loyal readers have access to the great…
Mark Schofield begins his countdown of the five most important New England Patriots offensive plays of the year, with Tim Wright‘s catch against the Cincinnati Bengals. Click here for Play #1: The Pass, Play #2: Gronk’s Rumble, Play #3: Amendola’s Scramble, and Play #4: Edelman’s Dash. Top 5 Patriots’ Offensive Plays of 2014 – Play…
The casts have changed, but the blue horseshoe and flying Elvis logos remain the same. The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots meet Sunday for the 15th time since 2001, with postseason advancement at stake in one-third of those battles. John Vampatella takes us back in time to the notable clashes in Patriots vs Colts…
Cries of foul play follow the New England Patriots, and legendary coach Bill Belichick, as night follows day. The latest incident found Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh claiming the Patriots use of an unbalanced line and ineligible receivers was somehow “deceptive.” The NFL has deemed the plays “legal” and another media-driven controversy is underway. The…
The NFL Playoffs are down to the Elite Eight, and the New England Patriots get into action this weekend against their old friends the Baltimore Ravens, fresh off their Wild Card win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. To satisfy your in-depth Patriots vs Ravens coverage cravings, Inside The Pylon takes you inside every matchup with…
When the New England Patriots play action fake, the intent is to open up passing lanes while coaxing the defense to read run, react to it, and be fooled by the pass. When the running game is rolling off 5.5 yards per carry, play action should leave mismatches in the secondary. So it was shocking…
Patrick Chung returns to New England after a season with the Philadelphia Eagles and has surprisingly claimed the starting strong safety role for the Patriots. The former second-round pick had been written off by fans and media alike, but his strong play is one of the reasons for New England’s strong pass defense. When the…
A decade-plus of nearly unprecedented success. Wins in 72% of their games. Three Super Bowl victories. Five total Super Bowl appearances. Eight Conference Championship appearances. A share of every AFC East division title since 2000. And then in 2014, the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick stumbled out of the gate. The knives…
Bill Belichick, obsessed football nerd, is the son of a football scout and teacher. Never is this more apparent than when he is asked about football history. Belichick’s latest Master’s class came before the Patriots-Raiders game when he delivered a 10-minute lecture on the various uses of blockers in the running game and how his…
After their Week 1 loss at Miami, the New England Patriots rebounded with a solid 30-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. Running back Stevan Ridley tallied his first 100-yard game of the season, gaining 101 yards on 25 carries, just a touch above a 4 yard-per-carry average. As a team, the Patriots gained…
For the first time since 1991 the Patriots will take the field without Dante Scarnecchia on the sideline. With the exception of two seasons spent in Indianapolis (1989-90), Scarnecchia has been a constant for the Patriots coaching staff since 1982. Not only was he present for nearly thirty seasons, but he worked in every phase…