It’s very easy to think of the New England Patriots as a pass-first team, and they certainly are. Although the air attack isn’t quite once it was when Randy Moss was at his prime, the Patriots still became the first NFL team to reach six wins largely without him, and he wasn’t all that productive in 2010 while he was in Foxboro. (Or Foxborough, or Foxborro, depending on your spelling preferences).
Yes, Tom Brady to Wes Welker is what makes this offense truly go, but the Pats are 15th in the NFL in rushing at 107.1 yards per game. BenJarvis Green-Ellis has two AWESOME nicknames: “Law Firm” because that’s exactly what his four names sound like and “Boston Legal,” a corollary of his original nickname. He may have the coolest moniker in New England since former Red Sox pitcher Oil Can Boyd. And we need these nicknames more than ever these days, because too many athletes (A-Rod, I-Rod, D-Will, T-Will, T-Mac) are stricken with thoughtless abbreviations in place of legitimate nicknames.
By Paul M. Banks
If you’re into NFL football betting you probably wouldn’t have expected that the Pats would find their ground game production from the sources they have.
Law Firm leads the way with 94 carries for 385 yards and 6 TDs. Although Danny Woodhead, a scrap heap signing from the juggernaut that is Chadron State has run for 232 yards on an impressive 5.1 yards per carry, about a yard higher than Boston Legal’s output.
Woodhead is sort of like Welker, small and Caucasian, so if you get the two players mixed up when you see them streaking across the television screen, it’s understandable. You’re not the only one who confuses the two skill position guys. Woodhead, who hails from North Platte Nebraska is one of the best bargain basement signings in the league this year.
Of course this NFL season has been all about the unexpected, and the experts as well those who bet on football haven’t been able to predict what’s happened.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank