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Replay: Patriots Unfiltered Wed Nov 20 - 02:00 PM | Thu Nov 21 - 11:55 AM

Ask PFW: So long Patriots Nation

After three years and 42 Ask PFW's this is my last one before I leave to take another job. But before I go, I answer a few more questions regarding the Patriots and the upcoming season.

jackson_run_4152.jpg

Patriots wide receiver Chad Jackson.

I am a Chad Jackson fan and I was wondering what his role foe the Patriots this year will be. I think he can put up the same numbers Dante Stallworth had last year because of his speed. Also, do you think Ty Warren will continue to elevate his play like he has?Jaime O

First of all, I definitely think Ty Warren's solid play will continue. Warren is a talented, consistent player who brings his game every single week. I don't expect that to change anytime soon.

Jackson is the wild card this season. If he doesn't progress, the Patriots will still have an explosive offense. If he does, however, this offense will be downright scary, maybe even better than it was a year ago. Jackson has all the physical tools. If you were going to make a receiver from scratch, you would build him to look like Jackson. I think he will have a huge opportunity to succeed this year and if I was a betting mean, and I am, I would bet over 50 receptions for Jackson this season. Just a hunch.
-Tom Casale

How many total wins as a head coach does Bill Belichick have? This includes other teams that he has coached.Mario Gallo

Bill Belichick's career record, including the postseason, now stands at an impressive142-85. That includes a stellar playoff mark of 15-4. Belichick's record with New England is 105-40 but he was just 37-45 as a head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
-Tom Casale

Hey, I was just wondering which current Patriots do you see being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame once their careers are over?
Ryan McNickle

If we are talking just about players on the current Patriots roster, Belichick, Tom Brady and Randy Moss are first-ballot locks in my opinion. I thought Moss was a Hall of Famer before last season but now he's a first-ballot guy in my eyes. Junior Seau isn't currently a member of the Patriots but if he comes back, he would certainly qualify as well. I love Rodney Harrison and I would vote for him personally because I think he's one of the best ever at his position but my gut tells me he won't get in.
-Tom Casale

Ok after reviewing the Pats schedule I have come to the conclusion that if they play good they can go undefeated again. Really their only challenging game is against Indy. Indy may have home field but that didn't stop the Pats last year. So do you guys at PFW think that the Pats can finally pull off the 19-0? (Either way they should at least get past the first round of the playoffs).John Winalski

Well John, the Patriots are going to win the division and make the playoffs that I can guarantee. However, the odds of them running the table again in the regular season are astronomical. Besides, I think it puts too much pressure on a team. A lot of the players admitted last season that they were mentally drained by the end of the year. In case you forgot, the Patriots didn't win the Super Bowl. Instead of worrying about going 19-0 and how many records the team is going to set, let's get back to worrying about winning Super Bowls. There was a time when that's all that mattered in New England. I guess that was back when the Colts were setting offensive records without winning anything, huh? Super Bowl or bust. As we learned last year, going 18-1 and setting a bunch of records means nothing if you don't hoist that Lombardi Trophy in the end.
-Tom Casale

In case Brady gets injured, shouldn't the Patriots get a better second QB because Matt Cassel has not proven to have that much talent behind center through these years and New England's primary weapon is the passing game?
Thiago Lanes

Here is the thing Thiago: If Brady gets injured the season is over. It's the same thing with the Colts and Manning and the Cowboys with Tony Romo. When you have a player as good as Brady, it's impossible to replace him. We can talk about the backup quarterback until we're blue in the face but does it really matter in the long run? If it were me, I would have a veteran backing up Brady in case he was out for a month, maybe the veteran could come in and right the ship until his return. But if anything major ever happened to No. 12, you can start looking ahead to baseball season.
-Tom Casale

My friend and I have had a bet that heath Evans lined up on defense this year, I told my friend that he saw that tackle on a special teams play and he insists that he made a tackle on defense. We can't find a stat like that so could you please help and let me know what happened.
Josh Mierly

Josh, from everything I have been able to find, you are right. Nothing I can find credits Evans with a tackle on defense and I don't remember anything like that happening personally. That's one of those weird things that when it happens, reporters write about it in a notebook and after the game you will always hear someone ask a colleague, "Did you see Evans make that tackle?" Or depending on the reporter, they will refer to him as "Heath," like they are best friends. Trust me, there is nothing more annoying than that. But nothing I can find suggests that Evans made a tackle on defense in 2007.
-Tom Casale

What, if any, changes have you noticed in the way the Patriots DB's are practicing (coverage schemes, technique, etc.) that might be attributable to Dom Capers' role as secondary coach? Also, sort of related, with the force-out rule gone, do you expect DB's generally to be playing more to knock receivers OB rather than going for picks on sideline/endzone routes this season?
Steve Warren

Well Steve, if I were a defensive back, I would certainly be trying to knock players out of bounds. Why not? I mean the speed of the game is so fast that it isn't something that can be pre-determined but if the opportunity arises, I would certainly try to knock a receiver out of bounds and put the onus on the ref to make the call.

I think with Capers in the mix, the secondary is going to be much more physical and aggressive. Ellis Hobbs jams a receiver about twice a year. I expect to see the corners playing more press coverage and being much more physical with receivers overall. I think Capers brings a lot to the table but that's the one thing that will be noticeable right off the bat.
-Tom Casale

Do you think Tank Williams will get cut? And if he doesn't will he become the next Rodney Harrison? Also will he get any playing time?
John Rice

Well John, that's a pretty big leap you are making here. You are going from not making the team to being the next Harrison, who is one of the best safeties to ever play the game. Let's go somewhere in the middle. I do think Williams will make the team but he will never be Harrison. Belichick appears to love his position flexibility, that's why we've already seen him take snaps at linebacker. I don't expect Williams to start but if he stays healthy, I think he could be a big part of the Patriots defense this year, especially on passing downs.
Tom Casale

Mike, which game will the silver jerseys be worn this year?Shuane Reardon

Who is Mike? We have a Tom, Andy, Paul and Erik, but no Mike. Could it be you meant to send this to Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe? If so, that's pretty funny. I have to tell you, if Mike wanted to return to PFW, he would have to take a heck of a paycut. Also, the Pats no longer wear those ugly silver jerseys.
-Tom Casale

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