Donte Stallworth Has Joined The Cleveland Browns

The New England Patriots are falling apart. First, Asante Samuel leaves the Patriots to join the Philadelphia Eagles, then they find out Randy Moss is looking elsewhere for deals, and now Donte' Stallworth, who played last season with the New England Patriots, agreed to terms on a contract with the Browns. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Patriots just dismantled their receiving core.

Stallworth caught 46 passes for 697 yards and three touchdowns as part of a receving corps that included Wes Welker and Pro Bowler Randy Moss. Stallworth's best overall season was in 2005 when he caught 70 passes for 945 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the New Orleans Saints.

Possibly 2 of the 3 receivers mentioned above may be leaving the Patriots.

What To Look Out For This NFL Offseason

Just like any other hardcore football fan, I too am depressed that the season is over. Sure, it ended with one of the greatest games ever, but it ended nonetheless. Nevertheless, this NFL offseason should prove to be interesting as teams work on filling gaps in their rosters and snap up rising talent. This is a short list of possible things that could happen this offseason in football teams' quest for continuous improvement.

1) Rise of the defensive line. As the New York Giants just showed, one of the most crucial components of a successful football team is a strong defensive line. Having four players who can pressure quarterbacks without blitz is key to shutting down even the best of offensives. Watch for other teams to realize this fact and adjust their defenses as necessary.

2) Watch the Patriots, again. Last year, the New England Patriots realized their biggest weakness-their receivers-and made an amazing fix with the pick up of Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Randy Moss. This season, the Patriots' weakness lies in their secondary. Cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Randall Gay are free to leave as free agents. Safety Rodney Harrison is considering retirement. So look for the Patriots to address these defensive holes through the draft and free agency. If these weaknesses are addressed, the Patriots could be once again striving for a perfect season next year.

3) The Bills with keep Losman. Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losmas was supposed to be the next Jim Kelly. That has not happened yet. Now with 2007 thrid-round pick Trent Edwards as starter, Losman wants out of Buffalo. However, he is under contract for one more year and the Bills will likely keep him for fear of Edwards being injured.

4) Midnight for McNabb? The Philadelphia Eagles could very well trade quarterback Donovan McNabb. They picked up Kevin Kolb during last year's draft and are looking to play him soon. McNabb has been less than spectacular lately and a new, fresh quarterback will certainly help this underrated team.

5) Watch the Rams. The St. Louis Rams did not deserve a 3-13 record this season. The major reason for this year's failure was injuries. This team suffered many major injuries throughout the season. Next season, the Rams will surely be a team to contend against with good first-round draft picks and the return of a healthy Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson. Expect a turnaround for this team.

The New England Patriots Advance In The Playoffs

This game was in a dead heat going into halftime. Then, I realized the New England Patriots would do what they always do. That is, keep the game relatively close to make the game exciting and keep viewers glued to their screens, but then blow it open in the end.

I want to know what happened to this amazing Jacksonville Jaguars defense I heard about? All of a sudden they decided to not show up? They could not stop the Patriots on any drive. The punter only came out once for the Patriots....and that was in the last minute of the game!

The Jaguars struck first. They answered after the Patriots responded with two touchdowns. However, the give-and-take with Tom Brady & Company finally took a toll on Jacksonville.

David Garrard did all he could to keep his team in the game, but his receivers dropped some key catches that might have possibly made a difference. As for the Jaguars' amazing running game, I'd rather not even mention how terrible it was.

David Garrard kept the Jaguars close, completing 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns through three quarters, including an 8-yard touchdown pass as his knee brushed the tips of the turf while in the grasp of linebacker Mike Vrabel. Garrard also hit Ernest Wilford for a 6-yard TD to make it 14-14 with 7:46 left in the half.

The Jaguars scored on a spectacular opening possession that gave them hope of ending New England's chances to top the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who won all 17 of their games. However, the Jaguars first touchdown was one of controversy.

Garrard found a wide-open Marcedes Lewis for 34 yards on a fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 43. Then, on third-and-goal from the 8, Vrabel wrapped up Garrard and was bringing him down when he flung the ball into the end zone and into the arms of Matt Jones.

Replays showed that Garrard's knee might have been down when he released the ball. But Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't quite as quick with his release of the red replay flag: He was running toward the field with his arm cocked, ready to throw it, when the ball was snapped for the extra point.

But Brady broke it open in the third with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker and a 9-yarder to Benjamin Watson -- his second scoring catch of the game.

Tom Brady completed his first 16 passes and was 23-of-24 for 194 yards and three touchdowns in the first three quarters Saturday night to help the New England Patriots open a 28-17 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in their AFC playoff game.

Laurence Maroney ran 15 times for 111 yards and a 1-yard touchdown as the Patriots tried to extend their perfect season with a 17th consecutive victory.

The New England Patriots will play the winner of Sunday's game between San Diego and Indianapolis for the AFC championship and a berth in the Super Bowl. If the Patriots make it to the Feb. 3 NFL title game, they'll have a chance to complete the league's first 19-0 season.

The Many Faces Of Donovan McNabb

First, Donovan McNabb complained that the reason sports fans and analysts were scrutinizing his poor performance was because he's a black quarterback. Now, he insists that the reason for the Eagles' poor performance is because of the lack of playmakers on the team.

Um, hello? You're not exactly the greatest playmaker either, Donovan McNabb. Ever since your first injured season, its a coin toss whether can remain healthy enough to play every year. Also, you hold onto the ball and fumble too much and you try to force plays that aren't there.

This raises an interesting debate. Its a very fine line between receivers and quarterbacks. Who is to blame when something goes wrong? And don't give me that line its a team sport and everyone is responsible. If mistakes happen too frequently by one player, most teams wouldn't hesitate to get rid of that one player holding them back.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb made his desires known with his blog posting on yardbarker.com.

McNabb

"Now that the season is over and we are concentrating on 2008, I hope we are able to secure some playmakers in all three phases of the game," McNabb wrote in his Monday posting. "Maybe some of those playmakers are already on the roster but have struggled with injuries, myself included, that have held us back a little."

Coach Andy Reid had pointed to the team's numerous injuries as one reason why the Eagles finished 8-8 this season. He also said that players should be careful in addressing personnel situations, because the person in the next locker might not take it the right way.

"I haven't heard Donovan talk about that, so I'm not answering it," Reid said during a wrapup news conference on New Year's Eve. "I know, as players, you have to be careful about saying that, because those are your teammates that are being replaced. Most players don't get into that, who really care about their teammates on the other side."

Nice way to handle it Andy Reid. You don't want to break up the team chemistry or create an imbalance in the locker room.

McNabb didn't mention any names of play-makers and difference-makers he'd like to have on his side, but he did direct attention to a certain undefeated team and how it went about its business.

"You can't argue with how the Patriots went outside their locker room and stocked up on playmakers last year. It certainly helped to have Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker and Adalius Thomas making plays for them all year," McNabb said in his blog posting.

"I'm surprised that anyone would have a problem with me, or anyone else in the organization, expressing a desire to bring in more quality players," he added. "We were 8-8. There is room for improvement. This is a competitive sport. It's about putting together the best players, the best team, and giving yourself the best chance to win.

Again, what McNabb just said goes back to my debate. Does the quarterback make the receivers or do the receivers make the quarterback? Nobody knew who Reggie Wayne was until Peyton Manning developed him into a skilled receiver. However, Tom Brady, who already won Super Bowls with average receivers, inherited already gifted receivers this year and it looks like nothing can stop them. Would Donovan McNabb be any better if he had a Randy Moss on his team, or would he continue to get injured, force interceptions, and fumble?

OH WAIT! McNabb already had one of the best receivers in the game on his team. Anyone remember Terrell Owens? And we all know how that worked out.

If, McNabb is unhappy on the Eagles, he would make excellent trade bait. Any team would love to scoop this guy up just because of the name he carries and they would probably trade generously for him.