Merry ChristChristmas

I really hate it when people take Christ out of Christmas by saying Xmas. You may not be religious. You may not believe in Jesus Christ. But as a Christian I find it offensive when you purposely eliminate the name of my Savior when referring to a day that many consider one of the holiest of the year.

Yes, I am aware of the history of using the letter 'X' to replace the word "Christ". However, I am referring to people using the letter 'X' to purposely exclude Christ.

The world is always trying to remove Jesus from our lives. They'd rather have kids believe in Santa than in Jesus. They'd rather us spend money on gifts than donate to churches and charities. They'd rather say Happy Holidays than Merry Christmas.

Like I said before, you may not believe in Jesus Christ. But without Christ, you wouldn't even have the Christmas holiday to celebrate.

So to all of those people who keep trying to take Christ out of Christmas, I'm putting Him back...twice. Merry ChristChristmas everyone!

A Very Merry Christmas

I woke up Christmas morning to the smell of baked goodies. Daniel was still curled up next to me. Tary woke up before us and had baked some cinnamon buns and blueberry muffins for breakfast.

Around 10 AM, most of Tary's family had arrived. It was almost time to open presents!

Before we did, I gathered everyone together and read out loud the real Christmas story, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ as told in Luke, Chapter 2. It was important to me that we reflect on why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Pastor had suggested that we read the Christmas story before opening presents as a family tradition. It's definitely a keeper.

We started opening [Daniel's] gifts. It seems that everyone in the family had the same idea...to completely spoil Daniel. Wooden blocks. Sports-related plush toys. Cars that tumble in a motorized spinner. A walker with detachable entertainment tray. An awesome indoor/outdoor house set. The only problem with all of these great gifts is what will we get him for his 1st birthday?

Speaking of Daniel's gifts, I was really bummed that the one gift that I picked out by myself just for him was broken. The toy's packaging purposely exposed a roller that when spun would play music and cause plastic faces to rise and fall like whack-a-moles. Before we had a chance to wrap it, Daniel loved spinning that roller so much that we let him open it a few weeks early. I think Tary's brother broke it by forcibly pushing down on the faces when he came to visit with the cousins a few days earlier. I know Daniel is too young to notice but I still can't help but feel depressed about it.

I received some really nice gifts this year as well. Notable gifts included the soundtrack to the musical Wicked, nice clothes, Inception and Toy Story 3 on Blu-ray, and basketball-related gear (basketballs, sneakers, and shorts).

Daniel made us a gift with the help of his teachers at daycare. He gave us an ornament with a pair of adorable photos of him wearing a Santa hat inside it. We sure love our little boy!

After everyone who was there opened their gifts, we hung around for a bit. I assembled a few Daniel's toys and we enjoyed watching play with his gifts. I really enjoyed spending time with the family, especially my extended family.

In the afternoon, we all went to Tary's parents' house for food. More gifts were exchanged there for those who couldn't come to our house earlier in the day. After watching the Celtics game, I played some video games with Tary's cousin, P. Even though I hate the whole Call of Duty franchise based on principle, it was nice for the two of us to spend time together.

We returned to our house in the evening because there are more fun things to do here for the young adults and cousins. It was fun challenging each other to dance battles on Dance Central with the Kinect. We tried to watch a movie but some people have a harder time keeping quiet than others.

It was a very good Christmas surrounded by the people I love the most. I hope they all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we went to the Burlington Mall so that Tary could pick out a gift for her BFF. We then went on a little mini-adventure trying to find the ice cream store to pick up the cake I ordered for Tary's birthday. I knew we should have turned right. ;)

We drove home and I watched Daniel while Tary went grocery shopping. Daniel has been very, very, very particular about only being with Mommy so it was a good opportunity for Daniel and me to spend quality time together. Daniel will eventually learn that when Mommy isn't around, Daddy isn't a bad 2nd option.

After Tary returned, she watched Daniel as I wrapped the remaining presents. We then picked up around the house and relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon.

Then we went to the Christmas Eve service at church. I have fond memories of these services as a kid and my hope is our growing family will make new memories together.

We pulled into the church parking lot about 20 minutes early and I thought we were late because the parking lot was completely full of cars. When we got inside the sanctuary, there were only 2 other people there so far. I was annoyed that we had to walk across the length of the slippery, ice-covered parking lot while holding Daniel in his car seat because some inconsiderate people were hosting a party nearby and were using the church as their extended driveway.

I was rightfully reminded that no one would have their cars towed, least of all on Christmas Eve. It would not reflect the loving and forgiving nature that Christians ought to show.

In the message, Pastor took us on a journey through time and highlighted key people and events in and around Bethlehem leading up to the birth of Jesus. First we recounted Rachel's death during labor to Benjamin just outside of Bethlehem. We then read how Ruth remained loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi and returned to Bethlehem. Ruth would then marry Boaz and become the great-grandmother of King David.

We sang Christmas hymns between Bible passages. There was a touching moment toward the end of the service when we stood up and each held a lit candle as we sang. Pastor explained that Jesus was sent to be the light of the world and the world extinguished it. Pastor then shut off the lights and said that though the world may be dark, the light of Jesus still shines in each Christian. I am so glad we attended this service.

After the service we picked up Tary's BFF and had dinner at the New Jumbo Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown, Boston. Our friends and family were already there waiting for us. We squeezed into a large table at the back of the restaurant and somehow managed to all fit. The food was delicious as always. Even though it was a bit of a hike to get there, I'm glad we got to celebrate Tary's birthday together at one of her favorite restaurants.

Happy early birthday Jesus. Happy early birthday Tary.

3rd Annual Trinh Family Yankee Swap

On the Saturday before Christmas, we threw the 3rd Annual Trinh Family Yankee Swap/Pot Luck Party. Every year it seems to get louder and rowdier which adds to our party's charm. About 50 people came which is actually a down year in terms of attendance. But like previous years, it was still a fun time.

As alluded to earlier, our party is unique in a number of ways. Here are some of them:

The Crowd Is Fickle

Very fickle. Just about anything negative will get you booed. Party foul? Boo. Crappy gift? Boo! Camp Rock DVD? Boo!!! The host magically draws #1. BOOOO!!! (Actually that was last year.)

The first year we held the event, since it was a potluck we ended up with about 20 desserts and no entrees. Every year since, we explicitly asked that people NOT bring desserts. Several people mistakenly showed up with a dessert and were soundly booed for it.

Previous Transgressions Will Be Revisited

If you do something to be teased one year, you probably will be reminded of it again the following year. Repeatedly. Ad nauseam. For example, one of our friends brought the most delicious-looking cupcakes one year and we were so eager to try them. A few of us each grabbed one and took a bite. The cupcakes crumbled like dirt in our mouths and we rushed to spit out the rest. So if you ever hear the words "dirt cake", you'll know what we mean.

Participants Routinely Bend Break Rules

The spending limit on gifts is set at $25. However, some participants purposely spend WAY over that amount to ensure that they bought the "best" gifts. There are definitely some bragging rights to bringing a gift that everyone wants to swap for.

What You See Isn't Always What You Get

Last year had the funniest unintentional moment in Yankee Swap history. On her turn, a girl picked a gift and began to unwrap it. She was thrilled to find a ceramic heater! She railed about looking forward to using it because her house was cold. Toward the end of the night, she opened the box to look at her new heater and was surprised by what she saw. Instead of a new ceramic heater, she found a liquor bottle instead. Someone quipped, "At least that will also keep you warm."

After last year's accidental bait-and-switch, it was funny seeing how many people attempted to purposefully attempt to do the same this year. To make things interesting, no one opened their gifts completely until everyone had a gift in their hands. During the Yankee Swap, many "real" gifts were traded away because people thought they were fake.

After the Yankee Swap, a group of people played Dance Central (and Kinect Adventures) with the Kinect, the new controller-less peripheral for the Xbox 360. It was so much fun seeing the guys get up and dance to girly songs like "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga. It was also great seeing Tary's cousins open up a bit and have fun along with our friends.

All in all, I think it was a successful party. It seemed like the people who came all had fun. Though I'm not sure if we'll do this again next year. It was a lot of work for us this year with all of the planning, buying food, cooking the food, cleaning up the house before and after the party, and trying to watch Daniel. Interest may also be waning so we'll see how we feel at this time next year.

If we end up hosting a party next year, here are some lessons learned from this year:

1. We bought food and supplies a few hours before the party and cooked everything just before guests arrived and that proved to be way too hectic for us. We need to be more organized and plan our meals and buy supplies well in advance.
2. This year we held our party the Saturday before Christmas. People are busiest the closer it gets to Christmas and they may still have last-minute shopping to do or other events to go to. That may explain our lower turnout. We need to host the party on an earlier date, perhaps the 2nd Saturday in December.
3. We love the people who look forward to our events and always come and have fun. However, there are some people (mostly Tary's old "friends") who never come no matter how many times we invite them. Instead of trying to invite everyone, we should be happy that the people who do come care about us and actually want to be there.
4. These events are hard on Daniel. All of the noise interferes with his schedule and it messes things up for him and for us the next day. We need to start the party earlier and/or get a babysitter.

Thoughts after Week 15, Packers vs. Patriots

I'm not very superstitious but I can't deny the recent success of the Patriots when I do certain things.

Watch the game at home. Check.
Wear my Patriots sweatshirt. Check.
Eat a meal before, not during the game. Check.

Even with everything in place, the outcome was certainly anything but automatic. The journey was rough but the Patriots ultimately prevailed in a nail-biter. This 31-27 victory reaffirmed my superstitions theory.

Offense
Brady looked uncomfortable for most of the night. The pass protection broke down a few times and allowed Brady to be sacked 3 times, especially on stunts. Brady was outplayed for most of the game by Matt Flynn, a 3rd-year backup QB making his first NFL start for the injured Aaron Rodgers. Brady finished 15-24 passing for only 163 yards but added 2 TDs and 0 INTs. Brady's streak of most-passes-without-an-INT almost nearly ended on two separate occasions but the Packers could not hang on.

Generally speaking the offense struggled to sustain drives to help bail out the depleted defense which was gassed. The Pats offense put up only 24 points, with 7 of those set up by a 71-yard return by 313-lbs OL Dan Connolly on a squib kick.

On a good note, the Pats running backs both played pretty well in limited opportunities. BJGE capped their first drive with a long TD run. Branch had a great downfield block knocking over a DB on that play. Woodhead also added some tough yards to keep the chains moving.

Hernandez also had a good game after battling the flu all week. He finished with a pair of TDs, one while scrambling along the goal-line, and the other on an out-pattern.

Edelman once again dropped another pass near the end-zone. He was only targeted once and that number will continue to decrease with that kind of effort each Sunday. When Welker was hurt and everyone rushed to compare Edelman to Welker, the main difference between the two players is Welker is fearless in traffic while Edelman gets alligator-arms when he hears footsteps.

Defense
The defense played horribly. They couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass. They couldn't get off of the field on 3rd down. They stunk.

The lack of healthy bodies on the defensive line really hurt the team this week and they allowed 143 rushing yards. I don't know what it is about big RBs but no one wanted a piece of FB John Kuhn, especially when he was catching out of the backfield.

The defense allowed Matt Flynn to throw for 251 yards, 3 TDs (1 INT) and amass a 100.2 passer rating in his first NFL start! The Patriots were lucky to come away with a victory thanks in part to Flynn's lack of experience with managing the clock on their final drive.

The Pats continue to struggle on 3rd downs and had trouble getting off of the field. The time of possession was heavily skewed in the Packers favor, 41 minutes to only 19 minutes.

Banta-Cain has seen limited playing time lately and he is clearly the 3rd OLB on the depth chart. He failed to set the edge several times which resulted in long runs.  However, he got a timely sack on Flynn which caused a fumble to end the game.

Another player with a reduced role has been S Meriweather. He didn't help himself by taking a horrible angle on a 66-yard TD to James Jones and knocked his own teammate McCourty down in the process.

Despite how poorly the unit played, two player's performances stood out to me. Arrington returned an INT 32-yards for a TD after breaking several tackles. Wilfork had to play extended minutes due to injuries on the defensive line and continued to be a disruptive force in the middle.

Special Teams
The Pats displayed horrible situational awareness by allowing the Packers to recover an onside kick to start the game. This is the second time this has happened this year and they need to be more prepared for that.

OL Dan Connolly made the play of the game returning a squib kick 71-yards all the way to the Packer's 4-yard line late in the first half. After catching the ball, Connolly started running while shielding the ball with both arms. Then he picked up a few blocks and saw some daylight so he started racing down the left sideline while holding the ball in a headlock. He stiff-armed a defender and even tried a cut-back move. It was probably one of the funniest plays I have ever seen.

Other Thoughts
The officiating by Ed Hochuli and crew was notably bad in this game. I felt they bailed out the Packers a few times which extended a few scoring drives. Wilfork was flagged for a horrible facemask penalty but the refs missed that Wilfork was held on the play. McCourty was penalized for a bogus helmet-to-helmet hit though he actually hit the receiver's chest with his arm and shoulder before their helmets made contact. Also, the refs did not initially throw the flag as the play happened but only threw the flag after delaying the game to huddle up and watch the replays on the Jumbotron. Late in the game, Banta-Cain was flagged for illegal-hands-to-the-face which negated the game-sealing INT. Again the refs missed the OL also holding Banta-Cain's facemask.

Thoughts after Week 14, Patriots vs. Bears

For the second straight week, the Pats have embarrassed another 9-win team in their 36-7 victory over the Bears. The Pats have shown that they can handle any kind of weather conditions and the snow did little to slow them down. This game was even more enjoyable because Tary has family in Chicago and it was fun teasing one of her cousins each time the score changed.

Offense
The Brady-led offense put on a clinic with nearly 500 yards of total offense. Brady finished with 369 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs. Brady had some accuracy issues and had some passes deflected, but I think some of that was due to the snow.

The skill position players handled the elements pretty well. Everyone held onto the ball and had 0 turnovers. Hernandez almost lost a fumble as he was hit as he was trying to catch a pass.

Branch and Welker are both playing at such a high level. They each finished with 8 catches and over 100 yards receiving. Welker claims to be almost 100% back from his devastating knee injury last year. If he continues to get stronger as his knee recovers, this is going to be one scary team during the playoffs.

Gronkowski is starting to really learn how to use his body to take advantage of his size. On one play in particular, he sealed off the defender with his body and caught a short TD in the 1st quarter.

I absolutely loved the cut-throat mentality of the Pats at the end of the 1st half. The coaches were yelling to take a knee as the Pats were at their own 41-yard line with a comfortable 27-0 lead. It looked like the Pats were content to let the clock run out but instead, Brady called a play and chucked the ball down hitting Branch in stride on a hitch-and-go pattern for a TD. I couldn't believe what happened but that was one of my favorite plays of the year.

Defense
The defense played great in this game allowing only 7 points. They limited the Bears to only 33 net yards in the first half and the Bears finished with only 185 yards total. The Pats' DBs were able to handle the snow pretty well and were able to knock several balls away from their intended receivers.

McCourty made a great individual play by ripping the ball out after a short reception early in the 2nd quarter. The loose ball was picked up by Guyton and returned for a TD.

Speaking of Guyton, he had a great game replacing Spikes who was suspended for violating the league's PED policy. In addition to the fumble recovery for a TD, Guyton also added another INT late in the 3rd quarter.

Newcomer Eric Moore who was playing for the UFL earlier in the year chipped in with a forced fumble as he sacked Cutler. The ball was recovered by Mayo and led to another FG.

Meriweather made a solid INT in the end-zone when Cutler reverted to his usual form when the Bears were down big and were forced to throw the ball.

Special Teams
Edelman is so much fun to watch on punt returns. He had an awesome 42-yard return which he almost took to the house but a teammate got in the way. He had another 71-yard punt return for a TD negated by a holding penalty on the play.

The Pats struggled a bit in kickoff coverage. After the unit gave up a long return to Hester, the Bears would go onto score their lone TD of the game.

Shayne Graham was perfect on 3 FGs but missed another extra point. I always feel nervous watching games and it's not a good feeling having to worry about whether your kicker can convert on something as routine as an extra point.

Other Thoughts
The only real concern is the status of McCourty's rib injury. I'm not sure how serious the injury is but it would be a tough blow to the defense if he is out for any extend period of time.

After the Jets were exposed last week, they lost again 10-6 at home to the Dolphins. Sanchez again showed why he shouldn't be trusted to handle the ball; he fumbled 4 times, completed only 17 passes out of 44 attempts, and threw 0 TDs and 1 INT. To add to the embarrassment, the Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi stuck out his knee and tripped a Miami player running along the sideline. Alosi has since been suspended indefinitely and has been fined for this incident. It's so easy to hate the Jets.

Don't Believe Everything You Read

...especially anything started on Facebook.

Recently an Internet meme was making the rounds on Facebook where people would change their profile picture to a cartoon character from their childhood to raise awareness against child abuse. Like most Internet memes, I balked at the idea and didn't participate because I don't believe they raise awareness for anything. In fact, all it seemed to do was raise awareness for how cool these old cartoons were.

This reminded me of meme started last year where ladies would post status updates with the words "I like it on" followed by where they placed their purses to raise awareness for breast cancer.

"I like it on the couch."

"I like it on the floor."

"I like it on the table."

It just sounds like sexual innuendo. I fail to see how it raises awareness to breast cancer. Sure it gets people curious at first when they inquire what these status updates mean but the original point is missed.

Instead of thinking, "Let's raise some money to discover a cure.", most of the people were thinking, "Meow. She's pretty kinky."

A few days after the cartoon-picture-meme was making the rounds, news outlets were reporting that the meme was actually a hoax started by a group of pedophiles because young children were more likely to accept friend requests from strangers with profile pictures of cartoon characters. So en masse, people rushed to change their profile pictures back to normal.

Then a few days later, the reports about the meme being started by a group of pedophiles were actually false. It just proves that you can't believe everything you read on the Internet.

So let's stop hiding behind these memes and actually make a difference. If you want to raise awareness for a cause, be an adult about it and post a real Facebook status like, "I'm raising awareness for ." Blog about it. Go volunteer somewhere. Donate some money or your time. Invite others to join.

Thoughts after Week 13, Jets vs. Patriots

It was suppose to be the game of the year. It still was for me. The Pats completely dominated and humiliated the loud-mouth, trash-talking, haven't-done-a-single-thing-yet Jets to a 45-3 beat-down. No one hates Rex Ryan and the Jets more than I do so it was so satisfying watching them lay an egg in front of a national audience. After the game, I stayed up and watched all of the postgame press conferences just to revel in this victory.

What does this game mean? The Pats have a game lead over the Jets and share the top record in the league. The Pats have the inside track to the #1 seed in the AFC which means if they win their remaining games, they would have a bye week followed by two home games to reach the Super Bowl.

Offense

As well as Brady played last week against the Lions where he amassed a perfect passer rating, he played even better this week against one of the best defenses in the league. Brady threw for 326 yards, 4 TDs to 4 different receivers (Branch, Welker, Tate, and Hernandez), and most importantly, no INTs again.

The running game did a good enough job to make play-action work. After a pass interference against the Jets on a pass intended for Gronkowski which set the Pats up at the 1 yard line, I loved that the Pats decided to punch it in with BJGE instead of passing the ball in that situation.

Woodhead was explosive coming out of the backfield. The Jets didn't have any answers for him because he would sometimes stay in the block. Sometimes he would chip on a block and release out to catch a pass. At other times, he would line up outside and force the Jets to try to match up.

The Pats play-calling was great in this game. It felt like everything worked because they put up 45 points! They did a great job of mixing up formations and personnel and the Jets were guessing all night long. It was hilarious watching Revis and Cromartie try to figure where their assignments were going on any given play.

Defense

The defense simply played great allowing only 3 points! They seemed to have a good week of preparation and were ready for plays that Sanchez likes to run such as bootleg throws to the right side. Once the Pats got up big and the Jets had to throw to catch up, the Pats dropped more guys into coverage and came away with 3 INTs.

McCourty made another great play staying along Braylon Edwards' hip and then turning at the right moment to grab the first INT. You can't get more textbook than that.

Spikes came up with the 2nd INT just in front of the goal-line. That was a poor decision by Sanchez to force that throw. That kind of decision-making highlights the difference between just an average QB like Sanchez and a great one like Brady.

And Sanders came away with the last INT on an underthrown ball. I'm not sure what the Jets were thinking keeping Sanchez in that late in the game but it doesn't bode well for them if they get down early in games and are forced to throw to try to catch up.

The only negative things I noticed was that the defense did not do a great job defending the run. However, the pass defense played well enough to make the Jets one-dimensional.

Special Teams

It seemed like everything went wrong for the Jets and that included their special teams. Folk missed an early FG which would have tied the game. Conversely, Graham was successful on his lone attempt of the game.

The Jets' punter shanked a couple of punts which gave the Pats great field position.

The Pats did a great job containing the dangerous kickoff returner Brad Smith.

Other Thoughts

Ryan was clearly outcoached by Belichick in this game. He had a panic moment challenging the spot of a QB rush early on their first drive. It cost him because he couldn't afford to challenge a questionable TD reception by Tate along the sideline.

As for Belichick, how much more genius-like does he look now? He trades away Randy Moss and the offense actually gets better! He trots out the youngest defense in the league and somehow coaches them up to an opportunistic, play-making unit. Then in the midst of a blowout, he huddles the team together along the sideline and delivers a speech about playing hard for 60 minutes and that he doesn't give an [expletive] what the score is!

Regarding LT, how did one of the most likeable and marketable guys in the NFL become one of the most hated? Go ahead and ask him; he'll tell you how much of a classy guy he is. He is clearly embracing his new role as a villain. I haven't seen this kind of 180 degree turnaround since Hulk Hogan became a bad guy and joined the nWo. Anyways, I started to hate LT as his time ran out in SD. I hate him more now that he's a member of the Jets. And I hate him even more because every single time he rushes for a decent gain, we have to watch him pop up bobbing his head, yapping his mouth, and pounding his chest. Yeah, real class act...

NY Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a speech shown on Hard Knocks that he wanted to eat a [GD] snack. How did that slice of humble pie taste?

Trendy Names

Many of our friends and their friends are having babies now. Maybe there's something in the water. Anyways, a disturbing pattern that is emerging is most of these babies were given a "trendy" name such as:

• Ethan
• Aiden
• Caiden, Kaiden
• Jaden, Jaiden, Jayden
• Rylan
• Raiden

The formula is simple...pick some random letters and then add "an" or "en" at the end. Voila, you have a name.

It's one thing to try to give your child a somewhat unique name. It's another when every parent has the same idea with using the same trendy names.

I can picture Daniel at school in a few years and when the teacher checks the attendance, there will be 4 Caidens, 2 Rylans, 3 Ethans, and only 1 Daniel.

Thoughts after Week 12, Patriots vs. Lions

This game was a lot closer than the final score indicated. The Pats could not get a stop for nearly 3 quarters and were down by as many as 11 points in the 2nd quarter. Fortunately the Pats were able to pull away in the 4th quarter to a 45-24 victory over the Lions.

Offense
Brady played perfectly as his 158.3 perfect passer rating would attest. He surgically passed for 341 yards, 4 2nd-half TDs with no picks. The OL was shaky early on and Brady took some nasty shots. But Brady stayed cool and continued to deliver accurate strikes while the OL made adjustments. Brady for MVP? Definite possibility.

Welker finally looks like he is back to his pre-injury form. He looks explosive again and he finished with 2 TDs.

Branch also looks explosive again too. His hamstring must be feeling a lot better because he also caught 2 TDs. Probably the play of the year was on an awesome "fake-in, go" route which badly fooled CB Alphonso Smith. Brady threw a perfect strike to Branch streaking down the left sideline. Branch then got Smith turned around several times before racing into the end-zone.

The running game was pretty good adding 2 rushing TDs as well. One notable play was when BJGE plowed over this game's whipping-boy, Alphonso Smith, on his way to a score.

Defense
The defense played pretty poorly for 3 full quarters. They couldn't stop the run and they couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs. It felt like the Lions were able to just methodically march up and down the field for most of this game and score almost at will until...

...rookie CB Devin McCourty made a great play going underneath to pick off a pass intended for the much taller WR Calvin Johnson. This was the stop the Pats were desperately searching for all game and you could feel the momentum finally swing in New England's favor. McCourty added another INT later in the game on an overthrow.

After the Pats' offense started pouring on the points after repeatedly abusing Alphonso Smith, it was great seeing the intensity continue from the defense. They delivered some punishing hits and I love this smash-mouth style of football.

Special Teams
The only noticeable negative from this unit was that the Lions used directional kickoffs to pin Tate deep in the corner and limit his return yardage. It's a minor concern in the grand scheme of things but something that other teams may start to emulate.

Other Thoughts
The offense is carrying this team while the young defense continues to learn on the fly. It was great seeing the Pats make 2nd-half adjustments which the Pats during the dynasty era were known for and outscore the Lions 35-7 in the 2nd half.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving came and went and it was a joyous time spent stuffing our faces and watching football with family and friends. I'm glad we were able to talk things over (well, I had to yell a little bit but I'll save this story for another day) and get past some old drama and have Tary's parents join us.

Tary did most of the cooking this year with some help from her cousins. I didn't want to botch up an awesome looking turkey so I watched a how-to-carve-a-turkey video on YouTube the night before. With the electric carver, I masterfully sliced the turkey into perfectly-portioned pieces. Despite having a few family members away this year, we were able to easily finish off the turkey and most of the food.

Then most of us gathered in the den to watch the Pats/Lions game. That Lions gave the Pats all they could handle for 3 quarters. Thankfully the Pats were able to pull away in the 4th.

After the game, some of the family went home while our friends started to arrive. One of our friends brought a turducken to share with the group. For those who don't know, a turducken is a boneless chicken stuffed inside a boneless duck which is then stuffed inside a semi-boneless turkey.
We had a 2nd turducken in our fridge so we cooked it the next day and had our friends over again.  I'm sure PETA is protesting somewhere but it was good.

At this time of year, it's good to reflect on things that we're thankful for. I'm thankful for my salvation and knowing that the debt of my sins was paid in full at Calvary. Thank you Jesus.

I am especially thankful for our son. Even though I don't have as much time to do all of the things I used to enjoy, my life feels more complete. Nothing compares to being a father and he fills our lives with joy each day. Thank you Daniel.

I am thankful for my loving wife. She is my best friend and I'm thankful for all that she does and for the person she is inside. I love you. Thank you Tary.

I am thankful for my family and extended family for always being a presence in our lives. Not all families get to spend time together and I enjoy our weekly visits. It's a wonderful thing that Daniel can grow up knowing his cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and even his great-grandparents. Thank you family.

Last but not least, I am thankful for my friends. You are always there for us and we consider you extensions of our family. Thank you friends.

Thoughts after Week 11, Colts vs. Patriots

The Patriots continue to find ways to win against quality AFC opponents (Chargers, Ravens, Steelers) and hang on to win 31-28 in another nail-biter against the Colts.

Offense
Brady was quietly efficient in this game and finished with about 180 yards passing and 2 TDs. He was accurate on most of his throws and continued to make good decisions other than the near INT at the end of the game. He continues to play near mistake-free football and the Pats will remain tough to beat as long as they don't beat themselves.

The rushing game was great for most of this game with 168 yards and a pair of TDs. The Pats offense had a good rhythm and balance to it. The Pats did a reasonably good job of controlling the clock early on to limit Manning's touches.

Speaking of the running game, I can't say enough good things about Danny Woodhead. His 36-yard TD scamper along the right sideline was one of the most exciting plays of the year. It was made possible by great downfield blocking by Branch and then Welker. This play definitely wouldn't have happened if Moss was still here.

The offense did a great for 3 quarters but failed to do much in the 4th quarter to close out the game. The play-calling was predictable so the results were not surprising. 1st down, run for no gain. 2nd down, run again for no gain. 3rd and long, short dump-off. Punt. I wish the Pats would just continue doing what got them the big 4th quarter lead in the first place instead of trying not to lose the game.

On one notable play, Edelman must have heard footsteps as he let a perfect pass zip through his hands in the end-zone. The Pats had to settle for a FG there and those 4 points could have been costly.

And for the 2nd straight week, Hernandez was the 3rd TE in the game-plan. Well, at least he made the most of limited opportunities catching and running in for a TD.

Defense
The Pats played great run defense for most of the game. It forced Manning to have to throw more often and they were able to capitalize when he made mistakes.

Even though the defense gave up 4 TDs and nearly 400 yards through the air, they were able to come down with 3 INTs. The first INT was an overthrow which fell into Meriweather's hands. McCourty came down with an INT along the sideline on a disguised Cover-4 scheme. And finally, Sanders made a great leaping play to grab the last INT to seal the game as Manning's throw was altered.

The lack of a pass rush continues to really hurt this team though. Manning was not sacked all game and he was able to pick apart the defense for most of the game. It felt like deja vu watching the game slip away. Good thing Manning got greedy at the end and threw that costly INT.

Special Teams
It was a solid effort across the board with no negative plays standing out.

Other Thoughts
I almost had an ulcer watching this game but I'm glad the Pats came out on top. Peyton Manning is an amazing player and he is basically his own offensive coordinator. He is the ONLY player in the league that makes me feel like no lead is safe. I've watched him on too many occasions march his team down the field in seconds and score TDs to win the game. He makes you do the craziest things like going for it on 4th-and-2 from your own 20!

Tary: Mother, Wife, Mom-bie?

I always struggle to come up with interesting topics to blog about so my loving wife reminded me recently that the boys (cats) and Daniel have had various posts written about them but I've yet to write one about just her. Though I've written a few things about Tary in a prior post about married life, I wanted to share a little more insight on my wife that extends beyond her obvious exterior beauty.

Though Tary and I have different personalities where she's more reserved and I'm more outgoing, I love that Tary and I are similarly-minded people. We're both old-fashioned and try to live by traditional "family values". She doesn't mind doing more of the household tasks while I handle the more labor-intensive duties. I respect her decisions and that she's also willing to defer on the final say.

It's hard for couples to work if the people are financially different. I'm so glad that Tary is also a "Saver". We both work very hard for our money and it's such a relief to never worry about Tary racking up ridiculous credit card bills or gambling our savings away.

I love that Tary is protective of our family and our values. She gets upset when people swear around Daniel. She gets annoyed when people don't have manners or are inconsiderate. She really dislikes it when people say things like, "Wait until Daniel turns 2-years-old. Then you'll really be in trouble." Tary takes great pride in being the best mother that she can be and that she would never let Daniel or any of our future children to be able to control us.

Tary loves to read. Whenever she's got a spare minute, she's reading some new fan fiction online or a book on her e-reader. Tary does not have many hobbies but I'm glad she's passionate about reading. Sometimes when she's not looking, I watch her read because it makes me happy seeing her do something that makes her happy. She's a huge fan of the Harry Potter series and I enjoy watching the movies with her. It's her "thing" and I'm glad I can experience part of it with her.

One of the things I love most about Tary is that she is selfless. She tirelessly cares for Daniel. She spends hours every day pumping and cleaning parts and bottles. She's fully committed to giving Daniel every advantage that she can provide. So when I hear Daniel look for her and call for "Momma", it's obvious why.

Another thing about Tary is that she spoils Daniel and me with love. She loves buying toys and playing silly games with him just to hear him laugh. One of Daniel's favorite games is I hold him and run around the house while Tary chases us like a zombie. I refer to her as the "Mom-bie".

Daniel and I are both very blessed to have Tary in our lives. We both love her so much...even when she's trying to eat our brains!

Thoughts after Week 10, Patriots vs. Steelers

As poorly as the Pats played in their loss to the Browns last week, they looked equally impressive in their 39-26 win over the Steelers this week. It's not every day that you see a team out-physical the Steelers but the Patriots did just that. Some of the hits may not be textbook legal but it was good for the Pats to show that they would not be intimidated.

Offense
Brady played great in this game. He threw for over 300 yards, 3 TDs, no INTs, and rushed for another TD on a QB sneak. His throws were accurate and on-time.

It was so good to finally see some long passes. Hopefully other teams will start to respect Tate a little bit more down the field. And it was good to see Welker get out on deeper routes. I've felt that opposing defenses have started to jam him more at the line and cheat up on the short stuff so he may continue to have success on some deeper patterns.

No one said that rushing the ball would be easy against the Steelers but the Pats rushed the ball effectively and ran often enough to open up play-action plays. It seems like the Steelers are always rushing toward the line to stuff the run and it leaves them very vulnerable on play-action.

The pass protection was great in not allowing a single sack. The hardest shot that Brady took all game was when BJGE accidentally ran into him on a botched hand-off.

Gronkowski rebounded from his worst game with a stellar effort this week. He was the featured TE in this game and he finished with 3 TD grabs. He made a great athletic catch on the first TD on a skinny post up the right seam.

Speaking of TEs, where was Aaron Hernandez? Let's hope he just not part of the overall game-plan and not sitting in Belichick's dog house.

Defense
The defense played aggressively all night and it showed! I don't remember the last time I've seen the Pats blitz this often but I was glad to see the team bring the heat. They rushed defenders from all angles with inside stunts and LB and CB blitzes. It definitely tested the make-shift offensive line of the Steelers and the Pats were able to sack Roethlisberger 5 times. The Pats would have gotten at least a half-dozen more sacks but the Steelers got away with holding all night long! There is such a double-standard with the refs.

The game got a little ugly toward the end as the Pats went into their prevent defense. Roethlisberger padded his stats by passing mostly to speedy WR, Mike Wallace and ended up passing for 3 TDs in the 4th quarter. In addition to soft coverage, the Pats also didn't help their cause with poor tackling late in the game. They allowed 23 4th quarter points and need to do a better job of closing out games.

Another thing I wanted to mention was it was a great play by Chung to tip a pass and Sanders to gather the INT and return it for a TD. However, the group celebration afterward was stupid and resulted in a penalty on the following kickoff. This allowed Pittsburgh to start with great field position and they quickly drove down the field to score a TD of their own.

Special Teams
As I foreshadowed last week, long snapper Jake Ingram was replaced by Matt Katula. Hopefully he continues to go unnoticed.

The same can't completely be said of Gostkowski's replacement, Shayne Graham. He missed an extra point which forced the Pats to go for 2 late in the game to make up for it. In the end, the Pats could have put up 41 points against the Steelers. Graham was perfect on his 2 FG attempts but his 2nd attempt knuckle-balled its way through the uprights. Graham did okay on kickoffs but did not get any touchbacks.

Other Thoughts
I find it ironic that WR Hines Ward, one of the dirtiest players on a team full of head-hunters and cheap-shot artists, had to be taken out with a concussion.

Another observation was the Pats seemed to have Polamalu guessing all night. He would rush to one side of the line as the ball was snapped just to either overrun the play or watch it go to the opposite direction. He is a tremendous instinctive player but you can see how his freelancing sometimes leaves a huge hole in their pass coverage.

Daniel's 6-month Checkup

Tary and I brought Daniel for his 6-month checkup earlier this week. He measured in at a healthy 18 lbs 8 oz, 27 1/4 inches long!

It has been a while since I last wrote about Daniel. He has learned how to do so many new things in that time.

The biggest accomplishment is that he can say "Momma" now. He has said other words or at least made sounds that resembled words in the past but "Momma" is definitely his first official word. He only says it when Tary's around or when he's upset. Last night, Daniel stared right at Tary and clearly said, "Mom!" As cute as it would have been to hear him say "Daddy", we're just relieved he didn't say someone else's name first.

Daniel is becoming more mobile. He can roll over from his back onto his tummy and vice versa. He sometimes rolls over multiple times in a row and ends up several feet away from where you placed him down.

If you sit Daniel on the floor, he can sit and play with nearby toys. He really enjoys sitting next to a container full of little toys that he can reach in and pull out.

We've incorporated more solid foods into Daniel's feeding schedule. He still is learning how to chew and swallow his food as opposed to sucking from a bottle. He especially likes eating melt-able snacks that dissolve in his mouth.

Daniel still likes playing peek-a-boo but now he laughs a lot more when you're playing with him. He loves jumping up and down in your arms and we bought him an ExerSaucer jumper to play in.

Daniel Playing in his ExerSaucer

He really loves music and musical toys. He likes watching music videos on YouTube on Daddy and Mommy's phones. I think he enjoys the singing at church as well.

I'm so proud of my little Daniel. Before I know it, he'll be crawling around the house and getting his hands on everything. I love him so much. I especially love the Daddy/Daniel time that we spend together like giving him baths, getting him dressed/ready in the mornings, and bringing him to daycare. I know that nothing compares to the bond that Mommy/Daniel share but the Daddy/Daniel bond is pretty special too.

Thoughts after Week 9, Patriots vs. Browns

This game had "let-down" written all over and "let-down" is definitely what I felt after an embarrassing 34-14 defeat by the Browns. What was interesting was Adam Schefter, an NFL insider and writer for ESPN, predicted on the Friday before the game that the Browns would upset the Pats on his weekly appearance on the Dennis and Callahan show on WEEI sports radio. Fans killed him for it but the man sure knows his football. Anyways, onto my thoughts...

Offense

Brady was awful in this game. His trademark accuracy has been MIA for several weeks and he was wildly inaccurate. With all of these balls landing at the feet of his receivers, Brady has looked more like McNabb than he has himself.

This post-Moss offense has looked horrible. There is no explosiveness. Not only are there no big plays, the Pats don't even try to throw it deep anymore to at least keep the other team's defense honest. Without Moss bringing an extra defender down the field with him, there has been noticeable less operating space for the other WRs. Welker's production has taken the biggest hit.

The Pats could not establish any kind of running game either. BJGE was ineffective with only 14 rushing yards. I wonder if Fred Taylor can ever stay healthy.

Last but not least, Gronkowski had a horrible game and looked like...well, a rookie. On a short kickoff to open the game, he signaled for a fair catch but ducked out of the way at the last second. The Browns were able to recover the loose ball and resulted in great field position for them. When the Pats finally got the ball back, Gronkowski had at least 3 drops. It felt like Brady kept trying to force the ball back to him to get him back mentally but only resulted in more bad things happening. Just when the Pats looked like they were finally able to move the ball at the end of the first half, Gronkowski fumbled along the goal-line while fighting for extra yards. It was a forgettable performance.

Defense

As bad as the offense played, things looked even worse on defense. The Pats wanted nothing to do with RB Peyton Hillis and seemed afraid to tackle him. He scored 2 TDs while racking up a ridiculous total of 184 yards rushing and 36 yards receiving.

Rookie QB Colt McCoy outplayed Brady. That's right, a rookie! The pass-rush was non-existent and McCoy was never touched.

Once again, the Pats showed why they are last in the league in 3rd-down defense. They could not get any stops to get off of the field. If the Pats play this poorly against a rookie-led offense, how can they stop QBs like Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers?

Special Teams

Gronkowski's miscommunication which led to fumbling the opening kickoff set the tone for the day.

Ingram skipped another snap at the feet of punter Zoltan Mesko. It's not a good thing when a long snapper gets noticed and his job may be in jeopardy. Speaking of punts, another punt was almost blocked this week as well.

And when it rains, it pours and Gostkowski's leg injury was just icing on the cake. Let's hope it's not something more serious. Losing him would be devastating on kickoffs and field position. Also, the coverage of Gostkowski's injury was horrible and I only found out about it while catching up on Twitter.

Other Thoughts

The Pats were out-played, out-coached, and were dominated in all 3 phases of the game. The Pats hold a share of the best record in the league but it doesn't feel that way. I know we can't get too high after a win or too low after a loss but this loss was embarrassing. Things don't get any easier next week with a road game against the Steelers.

Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired

Since Daniel has been in daycare, he has literally come home each week with some new life-draining mutation that gets him sick. Then it's only a matter of time before Tary and I succumb to its chilling vice grip and get sick ourselves. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Daniel had the flu two weeks ago. I thought it was way too early for flu season. However, little did I know that it’s never too early for the flu when your kid is in daycare. Our poor baby had nearly a 101 degree fever.

While taking care of Daniel, Tary started showing signs of being ill. On Friday, Tary came down with a 103 degree fever. She then developed a nasty cough. After coughing up some blood, Tary had to go to the ER (#5 if you're still counting). She was diagnosed with bronchitis and was prescribed some antibiotics.

By Sunday, the flu had gotten the best of me and I came down with a 102 degree fever. What's kind of ironic was that I normally would get a flu shot by this time of year but I was too sick (from daycare) on the day they were giving flu shots at work. Anyways, the next few days were brutal. Tary and I were both sick and we both had to miss a few days of work. It was hard taking care of Daniel and getting an adequate amount of rest.

On Tuesday afternoon we received a phone call from daycare. They needed us to come and pick up Daniel because he had conjunctivitis in his right eye. When we got there, he had a mucous-like discharge coming from his right eye. We rushed him to the pediatrician's office. The doctor confirmed the diagnosis and also informed us that Daniel had bronchiolitis and possibly an ear infection. Daniel was prescribed some ointment for his eyes.

The next day we were saddened to see that Daniel's conjunctivitis had spread to his other eye. We brought him back to the pediatrician for a second look. The doctor confirmed Daniel had an ear infection and was prescribed some antibiotics and a nebulizer to help with his cough.

Fast forward to today and the Trinh family is doing much better. Daniel's conjunctivitis has cleared up. His ear infection is improving. His chest sounds clear enough to stop using the nebulizer. Tary and I have pretty much recovered from our bouts with the flu but we both have coughs to show for it.

Daycare is killing us. I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons for sending Daniel to daycare but I can't think of any positives right now. Maybe when we're ready for Baby #2, we'll strongly consider having Tary stay at home with the kids. Hopefully we can survive until then.

Thoughts after Week 8, Vikings vs. Patriots

After a solid 28-18 win over the Vikings, the Patriots now hold the best record in the NFL. It may not always be pretty but I'll keep taking wins like this.

Offense
First off, I do not like the post-Moss offense at all. It's incredibly ugly and there are no big plays. 3-and-outs happen way too often which puts a lot of pressure on the young defense. It would be better if the Pats could at least move the chains a bit to change field position if they had to punt on 4th down.

In the first half, the Pats had difficulty rushing against the Vikings' front. The Williams pair is always difficult to move. However, BJGE was able to bounce back in the 2nd half and finished with 112 yards on the ground and a pair of TDs thanks to some great blocking by Crumpler.

As I mentioned before, the offense was ugly for most of the game. Tate had a long TD but it was the result of staying alive in a scramble drill and Brady finding him streaking down the left sideline.

The offensive line played pretty well in this game and did not allow a sack.

Defense
The defense is still a work in progress but they seem to be holding to the bend-but-don't-break philosophy. They gave up a ton of yards but at the end of the day, they only allowed 18 points.

Peterson is a beast and he was picking up 8 and 9 yards at a time. However, the Pats defense tightened up in the red zone when it mattered most. Mayo had a great stop on a leaping Peterson at the goal line but the refs upheld the TD call. There was another great goal-line stand at the end of the first half when Childress gambled on 4th down instead of kicking the short FG.

Speaking of Mayo, I may have been quick to judge him in the past. He's been playing solid football and he added 14 more tackles.

It kills me to say this but Favre actually played pretty well. He took what was available on the short throws and made pretty good decisions before getting hit under the chin. His lone INT came when McCourty made a great play to rip the ball away from Harvin.

Special Teams
Gostkowski and Mesko struggled on this windy day. Gostkowski also sent a kickoff out of bounds.

Other Thoughts
The Pats did a good job of containing Randy Moss with pressure at the line and having a safety over the top. He was limited to only 1 catch for 8 yards. Perhaps Moss regrets leaving NE now because he still isn't getting the ball enough in a contract year and now he's playing for a losing team. To add to the drama, he held another strange postgame press conference. Oh Randy...

Thoughts after Week 7, Patriots vs. Chargers

The Pats capitalized on some early blunders by the Chargers to get out in front for most of this game. However, lack some situational awareness and a soft defense allowed the Chargers to climb their way back into this game and make it a nail-biter. In the end, the Pats did just enough and hung on to win, 23-20.

Offense
Tom Brady did not look sharp for the 2nd straight week and had accuracy issues. Part of that may have resulted from poor pass protection and not being able to step into his throws. There were a few occasions where his throws landed at the feet of his receivers.

The left side of the offensive line appeared to struggle in this game. Light once again got victimized by speedy edge rushers. Brady seemed to be pressured all game long and did not have much time make his reads.

In addition to not being to pass block very well, the offensive line also struggled in creating holes in the run game. The Pats only rushed for about 50 yards.

Considering the lack of success running the ball all game, it was horrible execution on the 4th and 1 attempt at the end of the game. That play had no chance. I respect Belichick's aggressiveness in certain situations and I understand that a conversion there would essentially end the game. But at some point, you're going to have to punt the ball one day and trust that your young defense can come up with a stop.

Defense
After the Pats failed to convert on 4th down, the Chargers were left with a short field to get into FG range. However, the young defense was up to the task and did just enough to force the Chargers to try a 45-yard FG. Thankfully, a false start penalty pushed them back another 5 yards and the rest is history.

The defense was very opportunistic in this game. Early in the game, they forced a fumble and gathered two additional fumbles from mental lapses by the Chargers. It was a heads-up play by Sanders to dive on the ball left behind by an untouched WR.

The Pats also did a good job of containing Gates for most of the game. He was pretty much a non-factor until the coverage started to soften up late in the game. I hate seeing soft zone coverages late in games but I know it's designed to prevent giving up long plays.

Speaking of containing, the Pats did a good job in limiting the Chargers to only 38 rush yards. It forced the Chargers to be one dimensional. However, Rivers made the most of his opportunities and threw for a ton of yards. He was able to drive his team down the field way too easily, especially late in the game. The Pats need to tighten up their defense and not allow as many 4th quarter points (17).

McCourty continues to impress in his rookie year and came down with a textbook interception. He had great position on his man, turned back at the right time to locate the ball, and made an athletic play to snatch the ball at its highest point. What a great pick in this year's draft! Dez, who?

Special Teams
Gostkowski had another good game on a very windy day. He was perfect on his 3 FG tries and he added another touchback.

It's a bad thing when long snappers get noticed and this was no exception. Jake Ingram had several low snaps which could have been disastrous. It was a good thing that Mesko was able to handle them and still get his punts off.

The Pats had a huge mental lapse allowing the Chargers to recover an onside-kick late in the game. The lack of situational awareness was not typical for a Belichick-coached team. Hopefully these young guys will learn from this and not repeat these types of mistakes in future games.

Other Thoughts
Overall, it was an ugly game but I'll take the W. The offense struggled badly for most of this game but they did enough to score against a very stingy defense. The defense was opportunistic and made the required plays on the Chargers' miscues.

The Chargers must be one of the dumbest teams in the league. They are routinely beating themselves with unforced fumbles and untimely penalties. They definitely deserve their 2-5 record.

Thoughts after Week 6, Ravens vs. Patriots

Once again the Patriots continued to play well late in games and showed us a lot of determination by coming back from a 10-point 4th quarter deficit to pull out a 23-20 win in OT against the Ravens.

Offense
Overall, I think the play-calling this week was a little more creative than we've seen in several years. It was good to seeing end-arounds to offset the aggressiveness of the Ravens' defense.

Brady's performance was a little uneven. He seemed to struggle at first with the Ravens dropping more players into coverage. His first INT came as a result of an overthrow into this added coverage. He also seemed to be struggling a bit with his mechanics as he short-hopped a few throws.

However, Brady is a winner and he was at his best when it mattered most. He surgically marched his team down the field to score 10 points to tie the game in the 4th quarter. Then he orchestrated the final drive to get into FG range to win the game.

Admittedly, I was not initially sold on having an older, often-injured former WR back with the Pats. But I stand corrected and it was great seeing the legendary "chemistry" that Brady and Branch seem to have. Branch had a great game and he looked very smooth coming in and out of his breaks. He fought hard to hang onto certain catches which I'm sure Moss wouldn't have done.

Woodhead continues to produce in his role as a 3rd-down back. The Ravens seemed to have difficulty locating him on several occasions and he was able to squirt forward for chunks of yardage late in the game. His lack of size concerns me in pass protection but he is so much more dynamic than Faulk.

The only real negative from this game was there were a lot of drops. In particular, Hernandez had two horrible drops in OT which could have cost the Patriots the game. I'm really hoping that he bounces back from this and learns to keep his nerves in check.

Defense
The defense appears to be getting better at game-planning and making adjustments. In particular, the Pats loaded 8 or 9 guys in the box to stuff the run and dare Flacco to beat them. Ray Rice had to fight hard for every yard he gained.
However, Flacco looked pretty good for most of the game taking what was given to him. He was able to move the ball rather easily with short dump-offs and intermediate throws.

The Pats did a good job of stuffing runs on early downs and putting the Ravens into long 3rd down situations. However, the Pats continued to struggle in getting off of the field for most of the game.

I think toward the end of the game though, the Ravens got conservative and continued to try to run against the loaded front. I guess they still don't trust Flacco late in games. The Pats were able to close on RBs coming out of the backfield and force the Ravens to punt. As a result, the Ravens struggled to score late in the game.

I really enjoyed the increased physicality of the Patriots players and I think it rivals teams like the Ravens and Steelers. However, Meriweather needs to be smarter because these illegal hits will not only get flagged, but someone could get seriously hurt.

Special Teams
The Patriots' special teams were solid all-around in this game. Gostkowski hit on all 3 FG attempts which included the game-winner in OT. He was also got good distance on kickoffs and got a fair share of touchbacks.

Mesko was a beast! The Patriots had to punt from deep within their own territory and it was all but assumed that the Ravens would get the ball back in great field position. Then out of nowhere, Mesko kicks a monster 65-yard punt which flipped the field and took the Ravens all the way back to their own 19-yard line. The Patriots were able to force a punt after that and the rest is history.

Other Thoughts
This game shows how much difference a great QB can have on the outcome of a game. Flacco was badly stuffed on a QB sneak because he tried to sneak it right into the teeth of the defense. Flacco was not trusted to throw the ball late in the game so they ran the ball a lot. In contrast, Brady was able to calmly lead his team from 10 points down to tie the game and eventually win it in OT.

Randy Moss Trade

The Patriots have just completed two trades involving WRs during this past bye week which has caused quite a stir in Patriots Nation. The timing of the Randy Moss trade seems fishy. Here are my thoughts:

On its surface, I really hate this trade. The Pats are significantly less dangerous without Moss because his mere presence stretched opposing defenses. Without Moss, opposing safeties no longer have to respect the deep ball and cheat up against the run and underneath throws.

It was unlikely for the Pats to extend Moss during the regular season. Moss was in a contract year and he typically produces in contract years (e.g., 2007). It was likely Moss would walk after this year and the Pats would have been awarded a 3rd round compensatory pick in the NFL 2012 draft.

So why trade your best downfield receiver? Why would you significantly downgrade your team in the short-term for an unknown return in the long-term? Why would you trade a highly productive player who was motivated to earn his last big pay day for only a 3rd round pick in the NFL 2011 draft when you could have used his services for the rest of the season and received a 3rd round pick anyways?

The Pats got a 3rd round pick in next year's draft as opposed to 2 years from now. It's a year sooner but that's not a good enough reason...

The only logical reason is the Pats had to. Moss demanded a trade after the first game of the season. This makes sense considering the odd timing of his press conference. Moss was unhappy and he was becoming a distraction. He had to put up numbers to get a lucrative deal after this season and he knew he wouldn't get those numbers in this system. He was unhappy being a decoy. He was unhappy that the offense did not revolve around him.

Reports came out that Moss got into an argument with the offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien, and that there were tense moments on the flight back from Miami. There may have been other incidents but the Pats rarely let things like that out.

So the Pats had no choice but to move him and to do it quickly. The Pats only got a 3rd round pick in return so I think either there weren't many teams interested in Moss or the Pats needed to just get the deal done quickly before Moss drove down his trade value with more diva antics. It was the bye week so the Pats were also probably motivated to get more practices in to adjust to life without Randy.

Moss is officially gone now. I won't miss him alligator-arming passes over the middle and his pathetic attempts at run-blocking. Even though he's lost a step and no longer gets separation from defenders, he still has the unique ability to catch deep balls and make them look routine. Oh Randy...we could have been great together.

S and J's Wedding

Congratulations to S.I. and J.W. for a wonderful wedding this past Saturday. I have known S.I. since high school and it was a privilege and an honor to serve as one of the groomsmen (there were 7 total!). I wish you two a lifetime of happiness and I hope you guys have children soon that Daniel can play with. I love you guys!

I woke up early, took a shower, and put on the tux. After picking up our friend S.Y. who was also a groomsman, we drove to S's parents' house where the groom-to-be was already waiting with some of the other groomsmen. Tary dropped us off and brought the car back home.

After about a half hour, the remaining groomsmen arrived. The Hummer limo came shortly after that. To my surprise the limo driver, Matt was the same limo driver for my wedding last year.

The limo brought us to S and J's house where the bride-to-be and her bridesmaids were waiting plotting. In Chinese tradition, before the groom can come into the house and collect his bride, the bridesmaids play Chinese door games where they have the groom and his groomsmen perform silly and often humiliating tasks to help ease the stresses of weddings. We had to do some pretty embarrassing things so let's just move on...

After losing about 100 ego points, the girls finally let us into the house. There was a brief tea ceremony where the bride and groom served tea to their parents and relatives. In return, they are presented with various gifts such as money and jewelry. Most of the bridal party took advantage of the quiet time to snack on some dumplings sitting on the kitchen island.

After some family photos, the entire wedding party gathered into the limo. After driving around the block for good luck, we headed to the hotel in Boston. On the ride there, I got to know some of the bridesmaids a little better. In particular, Ly and Shirley were very approachable and funny.

The function hall for the ceremony was simply but elegantly decorated. Things were delayed briefly as we waited on some late-arriving relatives. I definitely had the best seat in the house standing there with the other groomsmen. I welled up as J tearfully recited her vows. Despite a "minor" mishap where one of the best men accidentally knocked over a flower vase full of water, the ceremony was beautiful and went really well.

After the ceremony, we took some pictures outside of the hall and spent some time chatting with friends and family. Then a second Hummer limo arrived and drove the wedding party to the Boston Common to take more pictures. It was a beautiful and sunny Fall day and there were several other wedding parties there as well.

The limo dropped us off at the site of the dinner reception. We helped finish setting up tables and hung some banners. Guests started to arrive so we greeted them, asked that they sign either a photograph of the couple or a decorative cloth, helped them find their place-cards, led them to have their picture taken with the newlyweds, and then escorted them to their tables. There were about 350+ guests so we were pretty exhausted afterward.

The rest of the reception went pretty smoothly. There was lots of food and dancing. The guests all appeared to have a great time. One of the more memorable moments came when one of the best men gave his speech. He shared how he always considered S.I. to be the brother he never had. It was one of those genuine moments that brought everyone within earshot to tears. Hehe, I'm such a sap...

Thoughts after Week 4, Patriots vs. Dolphins

It was great to see the Patriots put up some points in the 2nd half of a game. It was even better seeing them win a meaningful road game. Finally, it was great to see them embarrass a division rival on national TV, 41-14. It was a crazy game and it goes to show how much of an impact special teams can have on a game. Everybody Patrick Chung tonight!

Offense
Overall, I think the offense was efficient. Brady spread the ball well. I don't think he had to force any throws during the game. He only finished with about 150 passing yards but that was all the team needed.

The offensive line struggled a bit with Miami's pass rushers. I get a little jealous when what a great pass rusher can do for a team. The offensive line allowed a few sacks so they'll need to get that resolved quickly.

Once again, Moss was not the focal point of the offense and he was held catchless. He seemed to get consistently double-teamed so that opened up things underneath for the other receivers. I'm sure he's not happy being just a decoy and occasionally run-blocking. In fact, he whiffed badly on his defender on a screen pass on his side.

Welker still doesn't look as explosive as he was prior to his injury. However, he was elusive enough to get open and move the chains.

Woodhead scored his second TD in as many weeks. So far, he's impressed me as a replacement for some of what Faulk did. He seems to use his lack of size well to hide behind blockers and then burst through holes when they appear.

Defense

I have mixed feelings about the defense. Miami finished with over 400 yards of offense and Henne had over 300 yards passing. There didn't appear to be much of a pass rush. Time after time, the Patriots gave up long 3rd down conversions and seemed like they could not get off of the field. After Miami drove down the field easily on their first drive to score a TD, all I could think about was, "Oh no! Here it goes again!" But it seemed that after the first drive, the Patriots made some adjustments and limited the Dolphins to only 7 more points the rest of the way.

This game reminded me of the old, bend-but-don't-break defense of the dynasty years. It's kind of maddening to watch as other teams dink-and-dunk their way down the field but it is designed to prevent the long ball and quick scores. Since offenses have to run more plays to score TDs, it gives the defense more opportunities to make a big play such as an INT.

Speaking of INTs, the defense came away with 4 INTs with 2 of them coming from OLB Rob Ninkovich. Chung returned another one for a TD.

Mayo finished with 16 tackles so he seems to be returning to pre-injury form. However, most of the tackles seemed to come after long gains so that's something to keep an eye on. I'd like for him to diagnose the play sooner and aggressively go after the ball.

Special Teams
The special teams were just that, special. Gostkowski had a very solid game. He hit both of his early FG attempts. He also got great distance on his kickoffs and 5 out of 7 of them were touchbacks. This is huge because the opposing team can't score on kickoffs if they don't even have the opportunity to bring it out of the endzone.

Speaking of kickoffs, Tate scored another kickoff TD which is his second of the year. He's been close on a number of attempts and it was fun watching him break another one. It's great knowing that on any kickoff, he has the potential of instantly turning the tide of the game.

Last but not least, Patrick Chung was a beast! He blocked a punt which resulted in a TD. He later blocked a long FG attempt which was picked up by Arrington and returned for a TD. To round out his night, he also returned an INT for another TD.

Other Thoughts
The Patriots are now tied in the division with a 3-1 record heading into the bye. The Jets still hold the tie-breaker but the season is still young. The season only gets tougher from here on out so hopefully the defense can build off this win and continue to improve.

Thoughts after Week 3, Bills vs. Patriots

First off, I'm glad the Patriots won this game, 38-30. However, I was disappointed that the defense once again played awful and made one of the worst offenses look like offensive juggernauts. I understand we have one of the youngest defensive units in the league but I'm starting to question how much of a "defensive genius" Belichick really is with the lack of production he is getting out of that side of the ball for the past several years. Anyways, on to my analysis...

Offense
Losing Faulk to injury last week was a blow to this team but I honestly think the team is more dynamic without him. Faulk is a solid 3rd-down back and he is skilled at keeping the chains moving. However, he is not explosive and cannot get large chunks of yardage and make those game-changing plays. So without him in the game, Brady had to utilize his other weapons and I thought he did a good job of mixing things up. Hernandez appeared to benefit the most with Faulk's absence. Once again, he had a pretty solid outing. If he can stay clean off of the field, he would be the biggest steal in the 2010 NFL draft.

The running game was very good with over 200 yards of rushing. It was probably the quietest 200 yards I have ever seen. It was effective and blended well with the passing game. BJGE definitely made the most of his opportunities and reminded us why Maroney was replaceable. Fred Taylor saw very limited action as it appears his toe injury was continuing to bother him. This situation is definitely something to be concerned about.

The passing attack was also very good. The ball was spread around more and it looked like vintage Brady hitting open receivers. When it comes to Moss, less is definitely more. He was only targeted a few times and still finished with 2 TDs. Welker had a relatively quiet game and I wonder if he is still trying to recover some of his quickness to get more separation.

Once again the offensive line did its job with keeping Brady relatively untouched. Brady seemed to have plenty of time in the pocket to make his reads and when given time, he can absolutely shred a defense. It was masterful the way he drove his team down the field to kick a FG with only with 40 seconds left in the first half.

Defense
There's no other way to describe the defense other than they absolutely stink right now. For the second week in a row, they have made a below average QB and make them look like Pro Bowlers. Fitzpatrick had all day to throw and there was very little pressure on the passer. There was no containment and when plays broke down, he was able to tuck the ball and easily rush up the middle.

The Patriots played too soft and gave up way too many yards on first down. They couldn't stop the short throws underneath. When they got into their sub packages, they couldn't stop the run. When they were in position to make plays, horrible tackling allowed for additional yards.

Darius Butler took my advice about tweeting less but apparently missed the part about watching more film. He lost his starting spot to Arrington who performed adequately in his place. Butler finally saw the field later in the game. He promptly gave up a reception, took a bad angle on a run to his side which allowed for a long gain, and was immediately benched again. Not a good sign for the youngster.

Speaking of benchings, Banta-Cain and Meriweather also did not start. I think Banta-Cain has been cheating too much on snap counts and has been too eager to get after the QBs and forgetting to set the edge in the run game. And I think Meriweather's problem is he thinks he's better than he really is. He can be a dynamic player but he is overly aggressive sometimes and freelances a bit too much. He ran underneath a block instead of staying to the outside which allowed for a really easy TD.

The INTs late in the game were gifts for Chung and Meriweather. But to their credit, they made the most of their opportunities and held onto the ball.

Special Teams
Mesko struggled badly in this game. He shanked most of his punts and he left a relatively short field for the other team. He has such a powerful leg so I hope he can just boom it next week.

The special teams also played poorly by allowing a 97-yard kickoff TD. Once again, Meriweather took a bad angle on Spiller and basically took out his own man.

Other Thoughts
Overall I give the offense and A and the defense a F. The game was way closer than it needed to be. Belichick-coached teams tend to get better as the year goes on so hopefully he can make the appropriate adjustments on defense. Otherwise, it looks like we're in for a long season.