Pretty interesting game coming up for the Patriots, don’t you think? If the Pats can beat the Chargers on national television Sunday night, they will come home with two wins on their West Coast trip and sport a 4-1 record on the year. That’s pretty good for a team that lost the best player in the league eight minutes into the season. They will have every right to feel good about themselves. But with a loss, it’s right back to the vast middle of the NFL and the doubts will creep in.

It’s just a perception thing, of course. But I still get the sense the way we feel about this team and this quarterback will vary dramatically based on Sunday’s result. John Madden on Matt Cassel. It should be a lot of fun – or incredibly annoying.

Speaking of which, what happened to all my hate mail? Maybe I need to make a few more obvious, truthful statements that reflect just a hint of negativity on the local teams (JD Drew is soft, the backup quarterback is important, Randy Moss bears watching, etc.) and I’ll get back on your bad side. As it is, the niceties are killing me.

That said, we feature a good range of topics this week, from Cassel’s feet, to Logan Mankins’ head to Laurence Maroney’s female genitalia. I also impart some knowledge on one of the greatest MILFs of our time while defending a well-known ESPN tush. Wildhog, indeed. Oh yeah, we discuss the Red Sox, too. Talk to you next week.

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Subj: Bledsoe-esque?

Hey Mike,

Is it just me or does Cassel look like old #11 once he feels a rush and those ``happy feet’’ start going? I mean a win's a win, but it's starting to look a lot like 1998 all over again.

Phil

A: There’s no doubt that awareness and composure in the pocket is the No. 1 issue for Cassel right now. My question is whether it's something you're born with, or is it something you can develop? Bledsoe, of course, never did, even though he played quarterback nearly every autumn weekend of his life up until he retired from the NFL. In other words, Bledsoe had more than enough time to calibrate that internal clock that all great quarterbacks must have in the pocket, and he was never able to do it. Conversely, Tom Brady was able to improve this aspect of his game through the years. He was sacked 41 times his first season in 2001 and was able to immediately cut that number to 31 times in 2002 and 32 in 2003. Since then, he's been in the 20's (26 sacks each season from 2004-2006 and 21 sacks in 2007). Brady's movement within the pocket is now so good and he seems to sense pressure so well that it looks effortless, but I know he worked very hard at it. Too bad it failed him against Bernard Pollard. Anyway, to expect Cassel to be as good as Brady in this regard is foolish. But he has to be better than Bledsoe was. Finally, to refresh, the 1998 Pats went 9-7, making the playoffs but losing in the first round at Jacksonville behind Scott Zolak. I think if this year's team went 9-7 and lost in the first round the season would be a disappointment, regardless of the QB situation.  Bill Belichick's program should be better than that -- and I believe it is. I think, barring any more devastating injuries, the baseline expectation should be an appearance in the divisional round.

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Mike,

MORONey really showed his vulva-ness on what I believe was the first play of the second half in San Francisco. He came out of the backfield and ran right by the blitzer without even chipping him, which resulted in a sack. This guy is useless and seems to have the ``over-30-just-signed-a-huge-contract’’ disease already at his age….On to the MILF/Cougar update - I was waiting in line at the grocery store behind some behemoth who had $200 worth of ass-widening food taking forever to check out. I thumbed through the latest TV Guide (which doesn't make you look as gay as looking at US Weekly or People) and they had a picture of Kyra Sedgwick in there.  Her chest has swelled up like two ticks on a hunting dog! Where did she get those things??

Steve G

Whitinsville

A: Vulva-ness. Hey now. I went back and watched the play, Steve, and Maroney definitely had a chance to chip defensive end Ray McDonald as he rushed around the outside shoulder of Matt Light, but Maroney passed. I'm not sure what his responsibility was on the play, so it's hard to pin that sack on him (Cassel could have been dropped by any one of three Niners; Isaac Sopoaga, who beat Billy Yates, got to him first. Also, the Pats should have been flagged for illegal motion on the play, as Ben Watson was moving forward at the snap. The refs missed it). Either way, Maroney has a very deserving target on his back right now. That was a bad game. Meanwhile, if reading US Weekly or People makes you gay, then I'm flaming. I love that stuff. If it weren’t for those magazines, I wouldn’t know who any of the famous people are. And if there's anything better to have on an airplane, I'd like to know what it is. By the way, I don't share your fascination with Kyra Sedgwick, although I appreciate the effort she's apparently made. Sedgwick is 43. In my opinion, the gold-standard MILF at that age is Téa Leoni, 42. One of the most beautiful women in the world as far as I'm concerned. But I digress, back to Maroney and his vulva….

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Mike,

On Maroney, what the hell is up with this guy? You are taught from Pop Friggin Warner that when you play RB you put your shoulders down and fight for that extra yard. I couldn't believe my eyes when he just ran out of bounds one yard short of a first down. I'm shocked that they even let him back into the game. What is this guy’s deal? All this dancing around before hitting the hole, what is going on with him? Is he hurt?

Thanks,

Ettore Santarelli

A: He'd better be. And I agree on the benching thing: I thought that dip-out would have been it for him. As it was, he only got one more touch, which resulted in yet another half-step for no gain. Big picture, Maroney's play the last few years only reinforces what I’ve long felt about the running back position: It's a waste to devote big money or high draft picks to it. The times that Belichick has done it (Corey Dillon's $25 million extension after his first year in New England; Maroney's selection at No. 21 overall), it hasn't worked out. A mid-level free agent like Sammy Morris, when healthy, is giving him more. It’s a situation that is not atypical across the league.

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Hey Felger,

Good grades this week. I think your right on for the most part. I would have given Maroney an F-minus, though. How big a disappointment is this guy? When I was watching him in ‘06 he looked like a sure thing. The coaches MUST be on him to hit the hole, I just don't understand how he doesn't improve on this. Also, how can an NFL team be caught off guard by that direct snap to Faulk? I can understand the average fan, but it's these guys’ JOB to recognize this stuff. I mean they've been running it for 8 years and they've done it on some pretty big stages. The Super Bowl against Carolina and the ‘06 Playoffs against San Diego. Could you imagine a Belichick team not being prepared to defend a play like that in that situation?

Dave

Woburn

A: Can I imagine a Belichick-coached team not being prepared to defend a direct snap to a running back? Um, let's see….

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Mike,

Huge fan -- but what's the deal with not calling out Deltha O'Neal on not only his worst play of the game, but arguably the dumbest thing the team has done all year: 4th-and-16, under 3 minutes remaining and O'Neal intercepts a ball he just should have knocked down, costing the Pats 22 yards in field position. This is the type of incredibly stupid play that the 2001-04 teams NEVER did. This team is not as tough, and not nearly as smart, as those teams.

Richard

A: I got quite a few emails on this play, and I have to say I didn't think it was that bad. The Pats were up two possessions at the time (30-21) and there was just 2:55 left on the clock. This was garbage time, folks. So the Pats got the ball on their own 38 instead of the Niners' 40. Either way, they were going to call three running plays and then kick if they didn't pick up the first down. Even if O’Neal let the ball go and Gostkowski nailed another long field goal, the Niners still would have needed two touchdowns to go ahead. As it was, after a Chris Hanson punt (another awful one, by the way), San Fran got the ball back at their own 28 with 2:15 left and no timeouts at their disposal. At that point, they needed a touchdown, a two-point conversion, a recovered on-side kick and a field goal to tie. It's hard to see how O'Neal put the Pats in jeopardy. Finally, if you're going to blame O'Neal, you also have to blame Rodney Harrison, who tried to intercept the ball as well, only it slipped through his hands into O'Neal's. Harrison didn’t go for the bat-down, either.

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Felger,

It does seem that every time all the “experts” want to start to bury BB he shows once again that he is playing chess while the rest of the league is playing checkers. Case in point: Has anyone made a point that San Diego had a week to prepare for what they knew Miami was coming with? It seemed like they hadn’t even watched the film from the Patriots game!

JJK

A: It's true. The Dolphins went ``wildhog'' on the Chargers even more than they did against the Pats, and still they had success. That's surprising. Like most people, I've always been of the mind that college stuff like that doesn't work at this level. Not consistently anyway. The players are too fast. But maybe we're all wrong about that. Maybe NFL coaches are just too conservative, too in-the-box. Maybe all it takes is for a staff to show a little imagination. I don't know. Let's see how it plays out. This is what I do know: For the Niners to try it only once against the Pats, and pickup seven yards and a first down at that, is crazy. Don't you have to see the Pats stop it, which they have yet to do, at least once before you go away from it? I'd be stunned if Tomlinson didn't go wildhog early on Sunday night.

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Dear DB,

I loved your media day appearance at the Bruins for Comcast Sportsnet. I was laughing at the Tuukka Rask question. Keep pissing the Bruins organization off. It is so funny to see how much mismanagement that crew really has. I mean sad, but really funny. Anyway, on the Pats: I totally agree with you on the pass rush, this past week you saw Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel getting constant pressure on the quarterback. That is when the pats are at their best. Forget dropping Thomas and Vrabel into coverage. That scheme only gives the quarterback more time. I like the secondary this past week because you see the speed (thank god) with nickel and dime packages. I know they gave up plays, but you could also see speed and playmaking, which was encouraging. Got to keep up that pass rush. Felger, keep pissing off the masses.

Pete Pepler

Providence

A: Nothing like good Tuukka talk, Pete. As for the Pats, I think Mike Martz' penchant for abandoning the run played perfectly into the Pats' hands, especially after the scoreboard turned at the end of the first half and the Niners had to play catch-up. When you know a team is going to put the ball up, and probably put it up down the field as Martz likes to do, you can get exotic. You can play just one down lineman (Jarvis Green). You can turn your pass-rushing linebackers loose. You can mix coverages in the secondary. And so Belichick did. You saw none of that against the balanced attack of the Dolphins, as the Pats had to defend the run, the pass and the `hog. All that being said, Sunday was encouraging because I still feel the secondary is the area where the Pats need to see the most improvement if they are going to be a deep playoff team. And for the most part, they did the job against a team that had put up some big numbers so far this year. Other emailers have wondered where such exotic schemes have been the past couple of years, and I would agree that we've seen fewer of them as time has gone on. Is it because assistants like Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini have moved on? Is it because the Pats were seemingly leading every game last year by 21 points? Have too many of their smart guys on defense retired? I don't know the answer. As far as I'm concerned, though, whatever they have to do to pressure the quarterback is what they should do.

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Mike,

I am listening to the comments of so called experts about the Patriots defense. The easy answer I keep hearing is the Pats defense looks old. I personally think these experts are not watching the games. What I see is a defense that is in transition to a mix of old and new. The defensive line is still young and active. The linebackers have experience, but now have been added by youth. Jerrod Mayo and Gary Guyton have given speed to the overall core. The mix is the same for the defensive backs. We are seeing more youngsters being given a chance in sub packages. This group is a work in progress, but the fact they are letting more young players play shows me hope for the future. You have been preaching that the Pats on defense needed to get younger and faster. I think they are in the process of doing just that. I am more encouraged so far than discouraged. Would you agree with this thought?

Thanks

Russ from Walpole

A: You know what? I do agree. As I said, Sunday wasn't too bad. Not perfect, but overall a step in the right direction. The Niners had scored in the 30's twice this year (albeit against Seattle and Detroit) and had it not been for a late, long interference call against Brandon Meriweather, the Pats could have held them to 14. The second and third quarters (no San Fran first downs) were outstanding. It's just something to build on, that's all. As for the youth angle, I think you're dead-on. It's long been my opinion that how far those young guys come this year and how much they contribute will determine how far this team goes.

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Hey Felger,

What is the deal with Logan Mankins?  He seems to be having a lot more problems than he has in previous years. Starting with the Super Bowl he has looked less and less like a Pro Bowl guard. On pass protection it seems as if his reaction time has slowed and he's not as decisive, and on run blocking he has been getting pushed around more often than in the past. Is this something that you have noticed also?  Do you think that confidence plays a big role in O-line play? Maybe since the Super Bowl his ego has taken a hit.

Bob

Boston

A: I disagree with you on the run blocking; I think Mankins is still effective more often than not there. But you're right on the pass blocking: It’s been a disaster. I've seen mediocre players get under Logan's pads and bull rush him into the quarterback. I've seen him whiff at the line of scrimmage. I've seen him grab and hold and still not stop the guy opposite him. I don't know what the story is. Maybe the Super Bowl did get to him. I know that while nearly all of his teammates on the line went out of their way this offseason to downplay the game and say it was behind them, Logan wore the disappointment on his sleeve. He told me on the radio he'd do anything to get that night back. I always thought Logan was a gentle, thoughtful guy off the field who had a really helpful nasty streak on it. We haven’t seen that this year. Maybe it’s time for Logan to get mad.

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Felger

Check out John Lackey's remarks in the LA Times on Tuesday (Oct. 9).

Body to Soul

A: Most of you have seen these by now, but let’s refresh before we answer. Here’s the Angels’ No. 1 pitcher after the Sox clinched on Monday night: ``We lost to a team that's not better than us.…We are a better team than they are….(Sunday) night they scored three runs on a pop fly that was called a hit, which was a joke….(Monday) night they scored on a broken-bat ground ball and a fly ball that anywhere else in America is an out, and he (Dustin Pedroia) is fist-pumping on second base like he did something great….I want to throw somebody through a wall.’’ There are so many things to say here that you hardly know where to start. Let’s give one of our all-star emailers first crack…..

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Felger You DB!

Is it me or is John Lackey a combination of Barney from the Simpson's and Sloth from the Goonies? HDTV is not your friend John. And apparently, neither are reporters' microphones. The ``best team'' didn't win? You've been hanging with Kordell Stewart haven't you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but was that the ``best team'' making miscue after miscue all series, culminating with Aybar's Fubar on the squeeze play? Did the ``best team's'' ace get out-pitched by a guy the Sox had slotted as their fourth/fifth starter going into this season?  Did the ``best team's'' manager get too caught up with playing ``head, shoulders, knees and toes'' on every pitch and ended up getting out-managed by Tito? Sure looks that way. Sorry but the best team did win. The Angels got a nice snazzy looking record the same way Kimbo Slice got famous, facing consistently inferior competition. In the worlds of LJ, ``How's that working out for 'ya?'' In addition, John, or any other Halo, commenting negatively on Pedroia's fist pump is like Andy Reid giving parental advice. When you are on a team with K-Rod, a guy who's ROUTINE save celebrations make you wonder if he's related to the Gramatica family, you forfeit any and all rights to complain. John Lackey, tell me how no class tastes…

Mike

Attleboro

A: I'm new to modern slang, so I had to look up Fubar. Glad I did. Otherwise, I think these teams were pretty even, talent-wise. It’s just that the way the Angels play puts them at a disadvantage. The Sox are patient and steady. The Angels ``put pressure on the opponent,’’ whatever the hell that means. Oh, I know. They get runners thrown out going first-to-third in the middle of late-inning rallies. They attempt two bunts in the ninth inning of a clinching game, the second of which gets the lead runner tagged out between third and home with less than two outs. Brilliant! I always thought Scioscia was a little overrated. But after that failed squeeze I now think he’s a flat-out idiot. Earth to Mike: GOOD TEAMS DON’T NEED TO PLAY SMALL BALL! Standing in the on-deck circle when Aybar missed the bunt was leadoff hitter Chone Figgins, who was 2-for-4 on the night and who batted .333 on the series. Was Scioscia worried about the light-hitting Aybar making an out swinging away? Sure. But here’s an idea: How about keeping the lead run at third and giving the top of your lineup a crack at driving him in? Of course, Scioscia couldn’t help himself, just as the Sox knew he wouldn’t be able to. Manny Delcarmen, who had given up a squeeze bunt to the Angels earlier in the year, even talked to catcher Jason Varitek about it before the at bat. They knew it was coming, Mike! Delcarmen threw two pitches out of the zone and even after he got down, 2-0, he knew he had to be careful and not give Aybar an easy pitch to bunt. He didn’t, and Varitek’s tag put an end to the foolishness. Two bunts in the ninth inning with a chance to win the game. Good God. What is this, girls’ softball?

Hi Mike,

If you know (the Sox rotation for the ALCS), tell me or call Dale & Holley to explain the choices. I think it's Josh, John and Dice in that order. Any reply is okay.

Thank you,

Daniel Morrissey

A: I tried to get through to Mike and Dale but they wouldn't pick up. I was a little surprised with the order announced on Wednesday (Daisuke, Beckett, Lester, Wakefield) because I think you want to front-load your best pitchers in any seven-game series, primarily so you can make sure your best guys pitch twice while leaving yourself with the most flexibility in terms of bringing them back on short rest later in the series. Of course, the Sox don’t do that (pitch guys on short rest), and the more I think about it, the more sense this order makes. For one, the Sox will have the option of going with Lester in Game 6 on full rest if they feel that’s the best play. If not, they can keep him in their back pocket for a Game 7 and go with Beckett. It’s a good spot either way. In general, the rotation is totally in keeping with the Sox’ philosophy of saving arms and giving pitchers extra rest. Providing there are no rainouts in Boston and the Sox keep the same order through a seven-game series, here is how many days of rest each starter will have between their scheduled ALCS start and their last appearance. Game 1, Daisuke (six days); Game 2, Beckett (five days); Game 3, Lester (six days); Game 4, Wakefield (15 days); Game 5, Daisuke (five days); Game 6 Beckett (six days); Game 7, Lester (five days). In other words, every guy will be going on extra rest every game. Pretty interesting.

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Subj: Will you please…

…Now shut your pie-hole about JD Drew? I used to enjoy listening to your views years ago. Now I wish your wife was still working and you were collecting unemployment! Please stop playing to the impatient, know-nothing-care nothing 20 somethings that ESPN caters to. Or go work there please. Boston pro sports has always been a release for me since 1966 when I delivered (and read), all 3 Boston papers at that time. I believe others my age can form their own opinions of poor performances without you driving it home every time you open your mouth. The young kids you cater your shows to don't even watch! So lighten up, Mike. Bring up criticism, but don't hammer it constantly. If you do change your style Mike, I promise I will call the whiner line praising you, knowing full well I risk the wrath of "O" and Pete coming to my house to piss on the flowers!

Pete Lundberg

Holyoke

A: I got this one and a few more like it in the wee hours after JD’s game-winning home run in Game 2 last Friday night. People seem to think Drew proved me wrong with the blast. Au contraire. My point all along was that he was sitting out when he was probably healthy enough to play. Friday’s homer only proved it. He’s fine.

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Subj: Man on the way up

Mike,

I am alive and well and will never forget how you treated me when you where on the other station. You were so rude to me I wanted to talk sports and I have every right to promote myself just like you. Ordway and Andy make me out to be a real loser, which I am not. Good luck at WEEI

June Noon

A: Now I have to deal with this nut job?

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Subj: Moss vs. T.O.

Felger,

I agree with you. Given the choice between Moss and Owens I would take Troy Brown, too. The Pats won 3 Super Bowls with Troy and the Moss/TO combo have ZERO. Troy will do anything his team asks AND do it well. I’m seeing signs that maybe the Bad Randy is getting ready to show and I hope I am wrong.

Paul in Whitman

A: This from a debate on Comcast. When I used to say this on 890, producer boy Ross Carey would get so upset he’d actually wish he was working with Sean McDonough again. But I stand by it (and to clarify: I’m talking about Troy Brown in his prime; not now). As for Randy, he seemed much more involved against the Niners than he had in past weeks. Not coincidently, the Pats repeatedly tried to go deep to him early in the game and Cassel was able to uncork that 66-yard beauty for a score. So Randy got to take his shots, and he was there for the team for 60 minutes as a result. If that’s all it takes to keep Randy in it, then that seems like a fair tradeoff to me.

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Felgy,

Where are you on this one?  I know from your history that you like to critique women sportscasters on ESPN.  What the hell happened to Michelle Bonner. She is very cute, but she obviously hasn't missed many meals.  The girl keeps getting bigger. Any thoughts?  Also what’s your favorite Dead tune?

Mike in Shroomsbury

A: I think that’s Shrewsbury. On Bonner, I’ve asked my ESPN sources about her tuchus and have been told it’s not as bad as you would think. Remember, the camera adds pounds. And so do chocolate éclairs. This sounds like a job for barstoolsports.com and ``guess that ass.’’ (I got Nicolette Sheridan this week, by the way). As for my favorite Dead tune, do you really want to go there? Quickly: If the boys got back together and the big fella returned from the grave and I had the choice of hearing just one song, I guess I’d go with Terrapin.

UPDATE: Typical me. ESPN sources (okay, it was one guy) informed me Thursday morning that Bonner is pregnant, not fat. I'm a douche. But hey, it could have been worse. I could have made the opposite mistake. Actually, it's something that happened to me once -- but never again. I asked the waitress when she was expecting and the next time she came back to the table she was crying. It was an honest mistake on my part, but I learned my lesson. I don't care how pregnant a girl is. I don't care if she's being wheeled into the delivery room. The word ``pregnant'' or ``expecting'' doesn't cross my lips unless she introduces the information first.

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Subj: Show me some love…

...for continuing the fight against dried ass! http://blogs.weei.com/andymassaua/2008/09/30/sos-save-our-studios/

Andy

A: This from Big Show producer Andy and his Big Blog. Solid work here. To get to the bottom of "the ghost of a thousand asses’’ would be a life’s achievement.

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Hey Felger,

Thanks for standing up to that wing nut Callahan this morning….Does he realize that most of his listeners DON'T make over $250,000 a year? That he is in the top 1/2 of 1% of wage earners? We don't care (except for the fact that it ticks him off) that he is going to pay more taxes .You guys ought to bring back that left-wing loony Mustard for a cameo visit so that he can debate Callahan on the various issues. Might be good radio.   

Paul Cahill

A: Then again, it might not. As for ``standing up’’ to Gerry, I’m not so sure about that. My liberal friends wanted to disown me after that appearance, but I don’t know what they were expecting. Am I required to like Joe Biden?

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Hi Mike,

What do you think about Brady not being on the sidelines during games to support Matt Cassel and his teammates?  Is his injury keeping from being on the sidelines? I thought he was a team man. I see other players on other teams that hang out on the sidelines during games. Just wanted to know what you think about that.

Thanks,

Tony

Providence

A: I think it is a total and utter non-factor. And I disagree with your belief that we see guys with torn ACLs standing on their sidelines after their injuries. After a few months, maybe. But you never see those guys hanging around immediately. Rodney Harrison, for example, rejoined the team at the end of the 2005 season, but for the first couple of months after his ACL he was out of sight and out of mind. I wouldn’t expect to see Brady until after Thanksgiving, if we see him at all.

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Mike,

Coach B would never admit it, but at this point of the season, where do you come down on this: Was the genius a fool to not have Gostkowski attempt the 49 yard field goal in the Super Bowl, instead of going for it on 4th and 13? Great mailbag, by the way.  First time I read content on WEEI.com. Your stuff is great, and Sean Casey has a few hidden gems. But the layout is brutal. It's like you have the Art Shell of web designers. There's like 40 different fonts. The home page is incredibly crowded.

Best,

Mike

Boston

A: Rob Bradford originally tried to hire Lane Kiffin, but he was unavailable. So he went with Shell. And, yes, as I wrote in the report card, I don’t think Belichick is going to pass up Gostkowski any time soon. That was one of many coaching mistakes in last year’s Super Bowl.

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Hey Michael,

I have an anal question. The NFL, by all accounts, is extremely conscious of its image.  I've heard of players being fined for having shirttails untucked. If this is true, why do they allow those ridiculous, Manny Ramirez-type haircuts? Troy Polamalu was the first that I remember and now almost every team has at least one player with hair so long that it obscures the name on the back of the uniform. This seems to be inconsistent with the NFL's stance on their image. Any idea why?

Phil

Westboro

A: I used to feel the way you do, Phil. I was especially curious why Belichick allowed it given his button-down style. Then it occurred to me: Who gives a rat’s ass how long someone’s hair is? Give Belichick credit. He doesn’t get caught up in that because he knows it’s not important. Same with tattoos, jewelry, etc. The things that matter to him are toughness, smarts and accountability. Those things have nothing to do with whether you have dreadlocks or a buzz cut. Maroney’s problem, for example, isn’t his hair. It’s his head. As for a league directive, I can’t imagine they could get away with it. I think it would come across as being too overtly racial.

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Hi Mike,

I was shocked a couple of weeks ago when you guys on Comcast Sportsnet announced that Greg Dickerson became a father? WOW, what a shock. Everyone I talk to thought he was GAY.

R.J. Levesque

Columbia, SC

A: You and me both, R.J.

Mike Felger can be seen nightly on Mohegan Sun’s Sports Tonight on Comcast Sportsnet. Reach him at mfelger@weei.com.