Whatever Happened to the Patriot Way - A Madden NFL 25 New England Patriots CFM

[patriotway]

Media Reaction
Lavar Arrington @LArringtonEA: week 1 was all about Harry Douglas. #NFCPow
Susannah Collins @SCollinsEA: Matt Elam was a man on fire this week. #AFCPoW
Ross Tucker @RossTuckerEA: Every week somebody has to step up, Mark Anderson did that this week. #NFCPoW
Chris Mortensen @mortreportEA: This week ends with Jamaal Charles atop the #AFC. #PoW

[patriotway]

NFL Standings - Updated: Sep 8, 2014
NFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Philadelphia Eagles	1	0	0	37	14
New York Giants	1	0	0	29	7
Dallas Cowboys	0	1	0	14	37
Washington Redskins	0	1	0	10	29
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Minnesota Vikings	1	0	0	34	20
Green Bay Packers	1	0	0	20	19
Detroit Lions	0	1	0	19	20
Chicago Bears	0	1	0	13	20
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Atlanta Falcons	1	0	0	36	21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1	0	0	20	13
New Orleans Saints	0	1	0	24	31
Carolina Panthers	0	1	0	21	36
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Seattle Seahawks	1	0	0	24	0
San Francisco 49ers	0	1	0	0	24
Arizona Cardinals	0	1	0	20	34
St. Louis Rams	0	1	0	7	29
AFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
New England Patroits	1	0	0	31	10
New York Jets	1	0	0	6	3
Buffalo Bills	1	0	0	29	10
Miami Dolhins	0	1	0	10	31
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Baltimore Ravens	1	0	0	20	10
Cleveland Browns	1	0	0	7	0
Pittsburgh Steelers	0	1	0	27	34
Cincinnati Bengals	0	1	0	10	20
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Indianapolis Colts	1	0	0	34	27
Houston Texans	1	0	0	31	24
Jacksonville Jaguars	0	1	0	0	7
Tennessee Titans	0	1	0	3	6
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Kansas City Chiefs	1	0	0	24	14
Denver Broncos	1	0	0	14	12
Oakland Raiders	0	1	0	12	14
San Diego Chargers	0	1	0	14	24

[patriotway]

Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season got off to a hot start. With many of the teams playing within their division, that energized the games even more. Now that the dust has somewhat settled, we'll get to see how teams adjust to their circumstances and the opponent they'll face in week 2.

The Billy Perez era is underway in Philadelphia and the fans are already in a frenzy. A convincing week 1 win against the Dallas Cowboys has the fans eager for more wins. Perez is still a rookie and there is a lot more football to be played. Will this week be the week that Perez is bought back down to earth or will he and the city continue to ride high off another win?

The San Diego Chargers haven't had much hope in the last few seasons. The last time the team finished with a record better than .500 was in 2010. With an 0-1 start, fans in San Diego have to be on edge again. Things won't get easier for San Diego this week as the Minnesota Vikings and their sack happy defense are coming to town.

Week 2 Schedule

Thursday's Games

Tennessee Titans (0-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) l 8:20 PM

Sunday's Games

New England Patriots (1-0) @ Dallas Cowboys (0-1) l 1:00 PM

Cleveland Browns (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) l 1:00 PM

St. Louis Rams (0-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) l 1:00 PM

Chicago Bears (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0) l 1:00 PM

Houston Texans (1-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-0) l 1:00 PM

Atlanta Falcons (1-0) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) l 1:00 PM

Carolina Panthers (0-1) @ Detroit Lions (0-1) l 1:00 PM

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) @ New York Jets (1-0) l 1:00 PM

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) @ San Diego Chargers (0-1) l 4:05 PM

Denver Broncos (1-0) @ Miami Dolphins (0-1) l 4:05 PM

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) @ San Francisco 49ers (0-1) l 4:05 PM

New York Giants (1-0) @ Arizona Cardinals (0-1) l 4:05 PM

Buffalo Bills (1-0) @ Oakland Raiders (0-1) l 4:05 PM

Indianapolis Colts (1-0) @ New Orleans Saints (0-1) l 8:20 PM

Monday's Games

Seattle Seahawks (1-0) @ Washington Redskins (0-1) l 8:30

BYE WEEKS: NONE

[patriotway]

New England Patriots Scouting Report

Although it's only week 2 of the 2014 season, it's not to early to start looking at players for the 2015 season. At least for scouts it isn't. This week, the scouts have focused their attention on potential 2015 quarterback draft prospects. Tom Brady isn't getting any younger and Ryan Mallet and Rocco Harpole haven't proven themselves yet. Also worth noting is the fact that Mallet is in the last year of his deal.

Media Reaction
Ross Tucker @RossTuckerEA: Georgia? Please. I'm not buying them or this Stroman standout.
Ross Tucker @RossTuckerEA: If you're starting a d-line from scratch, Stacy Nicholas is a mound full of awesome as a starting point.
Ross Tucker @RossTuckerEA: Keep a close eye on Oregon's Keyon Bates. Mobile QB who has tons of upside.
Ross Tucker @RossTuckerEA: Players are maturing faster than ever these days. Remember Jadaveon Clowney? Malaki Paris is him on repeat.

[patriotway]

Being healthy during the season is key to keeping everything on schedule for NFL teams. This week the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles will have a better time staying on schedule when they get back Anthony Davis, Carl Nicks, and Evan Mathis. There's no doubt that having your offensive line healthy and ready to play can be beneficial to the success of the team. The Eagles especially need Mathis back with the number of injuries they have had along the offensive line so far this season.

Media Reaction
Ross Tucker @RossTuckerEA: It's always all hands on deck in the NFL so getting back Anthony Davis will help this week.
Skip Bayless @SkipBaylessEA: E. Mathis has been practicing all week so no reason to believe he won't pay this week.
Mark Schlereth @MarkSchlerethEA: In the locker room, you get a little boost seeing somebody like C. Nicks come back.

[patriotway]

Week 2 Power Rankings
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Next Game
1 (9)	Kansas City Chiefs	1-0	@ New York Jets
2 (14)	Atlanta Falcons	1-0	@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3 (21)	Baltimore Ravens	1-0	vs. Houston Texans
4 (5)	New England Patriots	1-0	@ Dallas Cowboys
5 (1)	Seattle Seahawks	1-0	@ Washington Redskins
6 (24)	Philadelphia Eagles	1-0	@ San Francisco 49ers
7 (10)	Indianapolis Colts	1-0	@ New Orleans Saints
8 (30)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-0	vs. Atlanta Falcons
9 (29)	New York Jets	1-0	vs. Kansas City Chiefs
10 (13)	Denver Broncos	1-0	@ Miami Dolphins
11 (7)	Minnesota Vikings	1-0	@ San Diego Chargers
12 (25)	Cleveland Browns	1-0	@ Cincinnati Bengals
13 (6)	Green Bay Packers	1-0	vs. Chicago Bears
14 (26)	New York Giants	1-0	@ Arizona Cardinals
15 (17)	Houston Texans	1-0	@ Baltimore Ravens
16 (19)	Buffalo Bills	1-0	@ Oakland Raiders
17 (22)	Detroit Lions	0-1	vs. Carolina Panthers
18 (2)	Pittsburgh Steelers	0-1	vs. St. Louis Rams
19 (3)	New Orleans Saints	0-1	vs. Indianapolis Colts
20 (4)	Dallas Cowboys	0-1	vs. New England Patriots
21 (8)	Carolina Panthers	0-1	@ Detroit Lions
22 (27)	Miami Dolphins	0-1	vs. Denver Broncos
23 (16)	San Francisco 49ers	0-1	vs. Philadelphia Eagles
24 (31)	Oakland Raiders	0-1	vs. Buffalo Bills
25 (11)	Cincinnati Bengals	0-1	vs. Cleveland Browns
26 (18)	Jacksonville Jaguars	0-1	vs. Tennessee Titans
27 (15)	Arizona Cardinals	0-1	vs. New York Giants
28 (23)	Chicago Bears	0-1	@ Green Bay Packers
29 (20)	San Diego Chargers	0-1	vs. Minnesota Vikings
30 (28)	Tennessee Titans	0-1	@ Jacksonville Jaguars
31 (32)	St. Louis Rams	0-1	@ Pittsburgh Steelers
32 (12)	Washington Redskins	0-1	vs. Seattle Seahawks

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* September 14, 2014
	@
New England Patriots (1-0, 1-0 Away)		Dallas Cowboys (0-1, 0-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 520 (1st) Total Offensive Yards 275 (22nd) 406 (1st) Passing Yards 154 (23rd) 114 (17th) Rushing Yards 121 (16th) 31 (Tied - 5th) Points Per Game 14 (Tied - 19th) 3 (Tied - 3rd) Passing TD 0 (Tied - 19th) 1 (T-ed - 2nd) Rushing TD 2 (Tied - 1st) 20 (9th) First Downs 7 (Tied - 30th) 5 (Tied - 2nd) Red Zone Attempts 1 (Tied - 23rd) 2-1 Red Zone TD-FG 1-0 60% (17th) Red Zone Percentage 100% (Tied - 1st) Defensive Stats Comparison 353 (19th) Total Yards Allowed 376 (22nd) 262 (23rd) Passing Yards Allowed 181 (14th) 91 (8th) Rushing Yards Allowed 195 (30th) 10 (Tied - 7th) Points Per Game 37 (32nd) 2 (Tied - 10th) Sacks 3 (Tied - 7th) 1 (Tied - 6th) Fumble Recoveries 0 (Tied - 7th) 2 (Tied - 2nd) Interceptions 0 (Tied - 17th) 2 (Tied - 11th) Red Zone Attempts 4 (Tied - 21st) 1-0 Red Zone TD-FG 2-2 50% (Tied - 10th) Red Zone Percentage 100% (Tied - 22nd) Injury Report D. Amendola/Broken Ribs (Out 2 Weeks) T. Crawford/Broken Toe (Out 5 Weeks) C. Jones/Dislocated Hip (Out 2 Weeks) K. Wilber/Foot Fracture (Out 4 Weeks) D. Nevis/Dislocated Ankle (Out 4 Weeks) T. Fredericks/Broken Wrist (Out 1 Week) Game Notes The New England Patriots will look to take advantage of how the Dallas Cowboys have stumbled out of the starting blocks. Also look for New England to take advantage of Dallas's depleted defensive line as well. Currently, Dallas has three players that won't be able to play. This puts a lot of pressure on the starters as they'll have to stay in for a longer period of time. With New England not generating much of a pass rush in the season opener, that may give Dallas the opportunity to strike with their passing attack.

[patriotway]

New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys
Sep 14, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New England Patriots (2-0)	10	7	7	17	41
Dallas Cowboys (0-2)	0	20	14	3	37

Team Stats Comparison
	NWE	DAL
Total Offense	358	394
Rushing Yards	114	91
Passing Yards	244	303
First Downs	19	14
Punt Return Yards	111	64
Kick Return Yards	218	100
Total Yards	687	559
Turnovers	3(-2)	1(+2)
3rd Down Converstion	3-14(21%)	4-15(25%)
4th Down Conversion	2-2(100%)	0-1(0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0(0%)	0-0(0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2/2	2/1
Penalties	7-45	6-50
Posession Time	32:59	27:01

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		NWE	DAL
10:38	(NWE) S. Gostkowski, 20 Yd FG	3	0
3:33	(NWE) J. Boyce 6 Yd pass from T. Brady (S. Gostkowski kick)	10	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		NWE	DAL
13:39	(DAL) D. Murray, 2 Yd run (D. Bailey kick)	10	7
10:02	(NWE) A. Dennard, returned interception 22 Yds (S. Gostkowski kick)	17	7
7:32	(DAL) D. Bailey, 44 Yd FG	17	10
1:56	(DAL) T. Williams 12 Yd pass from J. Cutler (D. Bailey kick)	17	17
0:46	(DAL) D. Bailey, 37 Yd FG	17	20
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		NWE	DAL
12:24	(DAL) T. Williams 83 Yd pass from J. Cutler (D. Bailey kick)	17	27
3:55	(NWE) R. Gronkowski 3 Yd pass from T. Brady (S. Gostkowski kick)	24	27
1:09	(DAL) M. Claiborne, returned interception 32 Yds (D. Bailey kick)	24	34
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		NWE	DAL
5:52	(NWE) S. Gostkowski, 26 Yd FG	27	34
4:15	(NWE) M. Sherels, returned punt 70 Yds (S. Gostkowski kick)	34	34
1:16	(DAL) D. Bailey, 42 Yd FG	34	37
1:04	(NWE) M. Sherels, returned kickoff 98 Yds (S. Gostkowski kick)	41	37

New England Patriots PASSING C/A YDS TD INT T. Brady (Rat: 72.4) 26/44(58%) 263 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD S. Ridley 19 69 3.6 0 S. Vereen 9 47 5.8 0 T. Brady 1 -2 -2.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J. Boyce 10 90 9.0 1 S. Vereen 5 14 2.8 0 R. Gronkowski 4 (Fum) 65 16.2 1 K. Thompkins 3 56 18.6 0 D. Dickerson 3 35 11.6 0 A. Dobson 1 3 3.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK D. Connolly 2 0 S. Vollmer 1 0 N. Solder 0 1 DEFENSE T-A SACK INT TD J. Mayo 8-1 0 0 0 R. Ninkovich 7-0 4 0 0 D. McCourty 6-0 0 0 0 L. Ryan 5-1 0.5 0 0 A. Dennard 4-0 0 1 1 S. Gregory 4-1 0 0 0 A. Talib 3-1 0.5 0 0 J. Collins 3-0 0 0 0 V. Wilfork 2-0 1 0 0 C. Jones 2-0 0 0 0 M. Sherels 2-0 0 0 0 D. Harmon 2-0 0 0 0 K. Arrington 1-0 0 0 0 A. Moats 1-0 0 0 0 J. Miles 0-1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG S. Gostkowski 2/2 5/5 11 27 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 R. Allen 4 180 45.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M. Sherels 7 218 31.1 1 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M. Sherels 5 111 22.2 1

Dallas Cowboys PASSING C/A YDS TD INT J. Cutler (Rat: 95.8) 23/38(60%) 335 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD D. Murray 13 45 3.4 1 L. Dunbar 6 34 5.6 0 J. Cutler 2 12 6.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J. Witten 7 123 17.5 0 T. Williams 6 132 22.0 2 D. Bryant 5 58 11.6 0 D. Murray 2 -4 -4.0 0 G. Escobar 1 5 5.0 0 J. Collins 1 5 5.0 0 J. Hanna 1 16 16.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK D. Free 0 4 M. Bernadeau 0 1 DEFENSE T-A SACK INT TD D. Stewart 9-0 0 0 0 B. Carr 6-0(FR) 0 0 0 B. Church 6-0(FF) 0 1 0 S. Lee 5-0 0 0 0 J. Durant 5-0 0 0 0 O. Scandrick 5-0 1 0 0 J. Heath 4-0 0 0 0 G. Nelson 4-0 0 0 0 B. Carter 4-0 0 0 0 B. Webb 4-0 0 0 0 J. Ratliff 3-0 1 0 0 M. Claiborne 3-0 0 1 1 D. Ware 2-0 1 0 0 R. Brantley 1-0 0 0 0 R. Hopkins 1-0 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG D. Bailey 3/3 4/4 13 44 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Kluwe 6 260 43.3 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD L. Dunbar 2 54 27.0 0 D. Harris 2 46 46.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D. Harris 4 64 16.0 0

The New England Patriots played their second straight game on the road this season when they traveled to Arlington, Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys. Beginning the year on the road isn't the best way for a team to start the season, but the Patriots wouldn't use that as an excuse. Would they? The way this game started, the Patriots didn't look like they were weary after getting an early 10 point lead. An interception returned for a touchdown by Alfonzo Dennard gave the team a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. After that, it looked as though the Patriots hit a brick wall.

Dallas was able to find the endzone early in the game on a two yard touchdown run by Demarco Murray. New England would also capatalize on their opportunities like this interception return for a touchdown by Alfonzo Dennard.

The Patriots weren't able to sustain a drive and turned the ball over multiple times. The third down offense that converted nearly 70% of it's chances against the Miami Dolphins was ineffective in Dallas. This led to the Cowboys scoring 20 straight points, giving them a 27-17 lead. The Patriots refused to back down and were able to bring the score within three on a two yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski. Despite the effort, the struggles on offense continued. On the Patriots next possession, Tom Brady threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Cowboys cornerback Morris Clairborne.

Morris Clairborne returns an interception 32 yards to give the Cowboys a 34-24 lead late in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter began with the Patriots facing a 34-24 deficit. The defense did it's part to help the team, forcing the Cowboys to punt on numerous occasions. Later in the quarter, the Patriots were able to kick a field goal and at that point it looked like the offense would pull together. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The miracle plays that the Patriots needed to get back into the game came from an unlikely source. Cornerback and return specialist Marcus Sherels provided the Patriots all they needed to get back into the game. Shererls's punt return tied the game for the Patriots. After the Cowboys regained the lead with a 42 yard field goal, Sherels made another big return. On the ensuing play, Sherels returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a 41-37 lead. The Patriots held onto that lead, beating the Cowboys.

Last week, some of the problems that occurred in the game were pointed out, even though the Patriots won in dominating fashion. In a game that they barely won, it's certain that there will be a lot to go over in the coming week. There's no doubt the team will want to be more focused and more efficient heading into their game against the New York Giants in week three.

Game Ball/Extra Reps

Game Ball
Marcus Sherels: Sherels scores the final two touchdowns of the game for the New England Patriots, a 70 yard punt return to end the game and a 98 yard kickoff return that put the team in the lead.

Rob Ninkovich: Ninkovich has his second career 4 sack game.

Josh Boyce: Boyce has another solid outing, hauling in 10 catches for the second straight game.

Extra Reps
Tom Brady: Brady is inaccurate and throws a costly interception in the third quarter.

Offensive Line: The o-line has to do a better job of opening holes for running back Stevan Ridley.

New England Patriots: For the second game in a row, the team has seven penalties.


Media Reaction
@AdamSchefterEA: Big day for Patriots' big D: record 6 sacks this week.