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Time for rant mode. The Patriots just lost 20-17 to the Denver Broncos in overtime. The Broncos won the coin toss, and the ball down to field goal territory and kicked a nice field goal. Impressive. I’m not denying that. One problem. Then the game was over. WHAT?! Obviously, I was not actually confused, I know the NFL overtime rule (unlike Donovan McNabb), but I was pissed. The Patriots didn’t even get a shot to win that game. Our offense didn’t touch the ball in overtime because we lost the coin toss. The coin toss!!! How can u lose a game in OT if u didn't get the ball because you lost a coin toss. The NFL is respected as a manly man’s league with the toughest of the tough, yet our overtime games are being decided by a coin and a kicker. Is this what the NFL is reduced to, a coin and a foot. Football is a game of inches, but the NFL overtime is a game of luck. Not completely luck, but more often than not a team that wins a coin toss will go down field and kick a field goal, sometimes running out the downs after getting in field goal range and kicking the field goal rather than even trying for a touchdown, and the team that lost that coin toss won’t even be allowed to put their offense on the field. My proposal is to do what most other leagues do, including the NFL’s rivals, the MLB, and the NBA. Put a specific amount of time and at the end of that specific amount of time, whoever has more points wins. If it is still tied repeat. The MLB does it with extra innings, the NBA with their 5 minute overtime periods. The NFL needs to do that too, allowing at least 7 minutes of overtime guaranteed, because with 5, there isn’t much difference between that and the current rule. I would prefer 10 minutes, but I could live with 7.

I woke up today to the news that my favorite member of the Pats’ defense, Richard Seymour, was now a member of the Oakland Raiders. In a surprise deal, Bill Belicheck agreed to send well rounded defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Raiders for a 2011 first round pick. This is the 2nd deal between Bill Belicheck and the Raiders’ senile owner Al Davis this offseason, the first coming when Davis sent aged defensive end Derrick Burgess to the Pats for 2 mid round picks. Seymour is in his contract year, as is Pro-Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork. Odds were that the Pats would not be able to retain both of their superstar defensive linemen, so they made the decision early and got what, assuming the Raiders don’t turn it around any time soon, should be a top 10 pick in 2011. However, this really hurts the Pats this year. I believed that it would be Wilfork they would get rid of because they drafted a nose tackle in Ron Brace in the 2009 draft. They do not have a successor for Seymour at 3-4 end, which hurts, unless…

            …The rumors about the Pats switching back to a 4-3 are true. If they played 4-3, 3-4 defensive end Ty Warren could move inside and play under tackle next to Wilfork, with Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess moving up to play 4-3 defensive end. That would fix their problems on the line, and eliminate their weakness at 4-3 middle linebacker, which was created by the sudden retirement of Tedy Bruski. Mayo could remain at middle linebacker and the only places they would be weak at would be the outside linebacker position, which is one of the least important positions on a defense. They would still have a fairly solid defense and they would not have to worry about losing Seymour for nothing. This gives them financial security to resign Wilfork and give Tom Brady an extension this offseason. And they get what’s likely a future top 10 pick, which, if history is any indication, Bill Belicheck will try to turn into 5 2nd round picks, succeed in doing so, and then about 3 of those 5 players will become future stars in the NFL. Or he could just keep it and take a young franchise cornerstone.

            As for the Raiders, I just don’t get this. They get an aged veteran, however good, who they have little shot at resigning this offseason. And they give up which could have been a future cornerstone…I mean, future track star wide receiver that can’t catch, in return. The Raiders are at a point where they should want good young players that they can have under contract for a longtime to build for the future. Seymour is the opposite of that. I don’t get it…of course you could say the same thing about half of what the Raiders do. How’s Darrius Heyward Bey working out? How ‘bout that Russell guy? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

            Bottom line, it hurts to see Seymour go and have to endure a losing season in Oakland, but I trust Bill Belicheck’s trading ability and I have even more confidence in the move seeing as its Al Davis on the other end.