Tag: Rob Ninkovich

Rob Ninkovich details why the Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl in 2007

If it wasn’t for this, Tom Brady could potentially have seven rings to show off.

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Everyone who watched football thought the New England Patriots would win the Super Bowl in 2007.

Tom Brady was in his prime and the addition of Randy Moss helped cultivate one of the most potent offenses in NFL history. Brady had the regular season record 50 touchdowns and Moss broke the regular season record for receivers with 23 touchdowns. The defense was unreal and everything clicked, except in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

There was too much pressure to have the perfect season and the Patriots couldn’t pull it off. After defeating the Baltimore Ravens this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are heading down the same path. Pittsburgh is 11-0 and they have three formidable teams ahead on the schedule.

According to former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich, the Steelers should lose a game to alleviate pressure in the playoffs.

“I felt that pressure relieve,” Ninkovich said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Because a perfect season doesn’t mean anything unless you win the Super Bowl.

“That 2007 Patriot team, I feel, If they would have lost maybe one game in the regular season and didn’t have that pressure of being perfect going into the playoffs, I think they would have won the Super Bowl.”

That pressure could be daunting for players.

“But they’re starting to creep up into that high-pressure, undefeated season status and at 11-0 it’s gonna start coming on real hard and fast right now.”

With the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills ahead, it’s hard to imagine a 16-0 finish for Pittsburgh.

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Former Patriots speak in depth about the light-hearted, fun side of Bill Belichick

“Coach is absolutely fantastic – every year during the holidays, he sends us gifts and baskets and really nice chocolates.”

Bill Belichick is infamously known for his monotone voice and harsh demeanor. He’s not the most friendly of coaches when it comes to time with the media and he doesn’t necessarily wear his emotions on his sleeve.

There’s a side to him that the public doesn’t always see and it’s refreshing to know he’s human also. Belichick grew up with a military mentality and it has led to six Super Bowl wins as a head coach and more success than any other coach in NFL history.

NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran released a new podcast episode titled, ‘The Bill Belichick You Don’t Know’ on Thursday. It features a slew of former Patriots and their own respective stories about Belichick.

These stories were transcribed by Boston.com’s Deyscha Smith.

Rodney Harrison:

“Coach is absolutely fantastic – every year during the holidays, he sends us gifts and baskets and really nice chocolates. He’s an easy-going guy; conversations are always light; he doesn’t really take himself too serious, as much as other people think that he’s this really serious guy; he’s caring; he’s just an open relaxed guy. I got a great relationship with him.”

Charlie Weiss:

“He’s actually very very funny, that would shock the people of New England. He’s got a good sense of humor. It’s just that that’s not him the football coach. That’s him the person, and he’s always been able to divide church and state. I mean this is the same guy that’s close friends with Bon Jovi, he’s the same guy that me and him were at a charity event for my charity and we’re singing background to ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive.’  So, I mean it’s the same guy — there’s him the football coach and there’s him when he’s not the football coach.

“I think that in the world we live in unfortunately, with cell phones and everyone videoing everything you do, you really got to be on your guard to live a more quiet, anonymous type of lifestyle when you’re away from football.”

Rob Ninkovich:

“I think it was 2009, it was my first year there and you have a general idea of Bill as a young guy coming onto the team. There’s a little bit of fear of, ‘You don’t want to get him angry or do you anything [because] you could get cut easily,’ he’s got the power to do all.

The year we played Tennessee … I’m walking out after the game, walking to my truck and all of a sudden, a snowball comes flying in, and I’m like, ‘Who the heck is throwing snowballs?’ And it was Bill throwing snowballs at guys. It was just kind of funny, Bill Belichick throwing snowballs at people. I’m sure he was super pumped because we had won by a lot and it was snowing.

It was just kind of a fun moment where you were like, ‘He’s not so bad…he’s not so bad.’ I threw a snowball back — but it was one of those moments where it was like, make sure you don’t hit him.”

Martellus Bennett:

“For me, Bill [and I] are very cool. It was different, we had a very talkative relationship, I talked to him about a lot of things. There were moments when I was going through something and I needed some advice, and Bill is a guy that I would turn [to] and ask what he thought.

“Bill is a really great, straightforward guy, and that’s what I like about him the most. And he’s really funny. [He’s like] Larry David, like “Curb Your Enthusiasm”…that’s how Bill is. You can’t really explain the humor, you have to be in the room when it happens.”

Matt Cassell:

“I remember one time we’re sitting in the meeting room, and he was critiquing Asante Samuel and he said, ‘Okay!’ That’s it Asante, hit him with a pillow. Let’s throw marshmallows at him sometime.’ There’s that sarcastic, funny humor that a lot of people are scared to death to even smile during those meetings because you’re like, ‘I could be the next one up on that film study.’

“Sometimes you’ll even see him crack a grin after he says something like that.”

Shane Vereen:

“He has such a dry sense of humor and it’s hilarious, he’ll compare plays to funny situations that have nothing to do with football.

“Before we go on long breaks, before we go for summer vacation or after season, he likes to pull up news reports of other NFL players who made poor decisions in the offseason, just a little reminder [and] bug in our ear of what we should not be doing.

“He would go over the reports and he’d have us guess as to what time of the day these things happened, what do [we] think these guys are in the news for, and then he’ll always leave us with, ‘Stay off the [blank], bottom line. Stay off the ticker, the ESPN ticker, that bottom line that goes across your screen.’”

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Rob Ninokovich thinks Cam Newton could start Patriots season as third-string QB

“You have to come out here and earn the trust of everybody in the locker room.”

The assumption for Cam Newton and the New England Patriots is that he immediately takes the starting role.

Newton, 31, is a former MVP and adamantly stated this offseason that he wants play for a team where he’ll be the starter. These factors alone put him above second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer on the depth chart. The combination of experience, leadership and raw talent on the field put him leaps and bounds in front of the next two options, especially with the attempt of replacing Tom Brady.

With the way Bill Belichick runs things in New England, the starter won’t be announced until the season is right around the corner. Predictions and assumptions will be the only way to size the situation up until then.

Former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich gave his opinion on ESPN’s NFL Live.

“He’s got to earn the starting position before he can win more games than Tom Brady,” Ninkovich said, transcribed by 24/7 Sports. “Look, the Patriots aren’t going to just make him the starting quarterback instantly. His contract that he signed is basically coming in, ‘hey look. Earn it.’ … He might be the third-string quarterback when he comes in. He might be behind Stidham and Brian Hoyer.”

“Look, they’re going to test him physically and mentally. They’re going to say, ‘come in here. You’re new to this system. You’re new to this building. You have to come out here and earn the trust of everybody in the locker room.’ Earn the trust of your teammates, and see how he reacts to that. Put him in at third string and he’s pouting around and doesn’t take hold of the reins and grab leadership roles. You don’t know how people are going to react. The Patriots are going to put people through tests.”

“They’re going to test you physically, mentally. How do you respond to certain situations? Cam has never been in a spot where he had to fight for a starting role. Now he’s going to go into a competition. Competition brings out the best in every player on that roster. He is not a first-round pick anymore. He’s not a highly-guaranteed money player anymore. He’s coming in to compete, and we’ll see what happens. He first has to earn the starting job.”

After spending eight seasons in New England, Ninkovich knows better than most people. His theory makes complete sense and there’s no doubt the Patriots will test Newton in every way possible.

But, it’s difficult to believe the former MVP and very capable player in Newton won’t grab the starting role with ease.

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Ex-Patriot says Joe Judge, Patrick Graham won’t be outworked

Former New England Patriots LB Rob Ninkovich says the New York Giants have a pair of hard-working coaches in Joe Judge and Patrick Graham.

When the New York Giants hired Joe Judge to be their head coach and Patrick Graham was chosen as defensive coordinator, the team brought in a pair of coaches who are going to work extremely hard to right the ship.

And that was confirmed by former New England Patriots linebacker and special teamer, Rob Ninkovich, who raved about Judge and Graham’s “tremendous work ethic” while appearing on the “Giants Huddle Podcast.”

Ninkovich spent eight seasons with the Patriots and played under both Graham, who held multiple roles on the Pats’ defensive coaching staff from 2009-2015, and Judge, who was a special teams assistant and then coordinator and wide receivers coach during his tenure from 2012-2019.

“Well, I think they have a tremendous work ethic,” Ninkovich said. “I was with Pat a long time. Me and Pat are very close and good friends. He helped me a lot in my career because he was so thorough in everything that he did in preparation. Same with Joe Judge. Joe Judge is going to be a guy that’s first in, last guy out. He’ll probably sleep there four or five nights a week. I know that sounds crazy, but he’s that into it. Same with Pat. Those guys, they’re not going to leave any stone unturned when it comes to preparation.”

The Giants have been lacking discipline ever since the departure of Tom Coughlin, but that shouldn’t be an issue in the Judge and Graham era, as Ninkovich points out the coaches will certainly hold players accountable.

“Coach Graham and Joe Judge are going to hold guys accountable, which is very much so needed in the NFL. You have to be accountable. You have to be expected to play at a high level week in and week out,” he said.

Accountability is important for any team, but even more so for a younger group like the Giants have now.

Thanks to Judge and Graham, the Giants are primed to have a team that focuses on work ethic, discipline and accountability — and that’s music to the ears of Big Blue’s fans.

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Rob Ninkovich debunks suggestion Patriots will be better without Tom Brady

“I don’t think the Patriots are in a better place without Tom Brady.”

There has been significant discussion about how the New England Patriots offense might look without Tom Brady. And though Brady is the greatest quarterback ever, he is also 42 years old and appeared to show signs of decline, even with the offense centered around his strengths.

Brady has made a habit of elevating the play of those around him, but he couldn’t seem to do that in 2019. The question in New England is whether the Patriots may throw out the idea that their quarterback can pull everything together. Instead, they’ll let that quarterback — likely Jarrett Stidham — facilitate an offense that highlights other players.

But that offense will not be better than one which includes Brady, according to former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich.

” … Look, you had a Hall of Fame quarterback for a very long time and in the quarterback position — if you have a great quarterback — their job is to make everybody better,” Ninkovich said on ESPN”s “Get Up.” “Their job is to check the offense into the best possible play against the defense. You talk about throwaways, that just means nobody was open and the quarterback was doing the smart thing and throwing the ball away. You get into a situation with a young quarterback, he might try to force the situation. The No. 1 way to lose in the NFL is turnovers. So if you don’t take care of the football, you don’t throw the ball away in situations you’re supposed to throw the ball away, you create turnovers. That’s how you lose. That’s losing football.

“It’s hard for me to think the Patriots are going to be better without Tom Brady. You talk about running the football. Yeah, if you’re not playing from ahead and you don’t have the lead, you can’t just run the football over and over and over again. You have to play from ahead to run the football. I don’t think the Patriots are in a better place without Tom Brady.”

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Let’s not discount Brian Hoyer from the Patriots’ QB battle

Is Jarrett Stidham ready?

It seems everyone is crowning Jarrett Stidham as the next quarterback for the New England Patriots. (I, too, am guilty of this assumption.) And on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Mike Giardi affirmed what seems to be common knowledge: the Patriots want Stidham to win the job.

Stidham will be in competition with Brian Hoyer and undrafted rookies J’Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke after the departure of Tom Brady for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. But with a shortened offseason, the Patriots may be more interested in someone with experience, not just in terms of games played but also in time spent in New England’s offense.

“I think Brian Hoyer will be the starter Week 1 and I say that because the quarterback position is one of the most important for reps under center, seeing defensive looks, looking at coverage, understanding the offense,” former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich said Friday on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “…Look, they’re not practicing right now. There’s no minicamp, there’s no offseason, there’s no training camp. We don’t know when that’s going to happen.

“So if you have a veteran quarterback who has been in the system, understands what to expect what an NFL season is like, you’re gonna want to go with a guy who has the veteran leadership (and) also what it takes to be in that building. Look, when you’re a second-year player, you really don’t realize what a season’s like as a starter. You don’t understand what it’s going to take, and not having an offseason does not help. So, Brian Hoyer will be the starter Week 1.”

New England will make Stidham’s path to the starting quarterback job difficult. They’re going to put every obstacle in his way. And if the coronavirus pandemic creates too many obstacles, the Patriots may turn to Hoyer to open the season, if only because they’ll consider him a more reliable option, at least at first.

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Rob Ninkovich believes Brian Hoyer will be Patriots’ Week 1 starter

Rob Ninkovich shuts down widely-assumed idea that Jarrett Stidham will start Week 1 for New England.

Joining the New England Patriots for the third time in Brian Hoyer’s career wasn’t just to play a backup role. The 10-year veteran took less money for an opportunity to start.

Although Bill Belichick hasn’t publicly announced the team’s starter for 2020 — it’s widely assumed that Jarrett Stidham is a lock. Former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich had a different perspective on ESPN’s “Get Up” that aired on Friday.

“I think Brian Hoyer will be the starter Week 1 and I say that because the quarterback position is one of the most important for reps under center, seeing defensive looks, looking at coverage, understanding the offense,” Ninkovich said, transcribed by NESN.

“…Look, they’re not practicing right now. There’s no minicamp, there’s no offseason, there’s no training camp. We don’t know when that’s going to happen. “So if you have a veteran quarterback who has been in the system, understands what to expect what an NFL season is like, you’re gonna want to go with a guy who has the veteran leadership (and) also what it takes to be in that building. Look, when you’re a second-year player, you really don’t realize what a season’s like as a starter. You don’t understand what it’s going to take, and not having an offseason does not help. So, Brian Hoyer will be the starter Week 1.”

Ninkovich makes a great point, and Hoyer’s extensive knowledge of the Patriots’ offense gives him a tremendous advantage. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to social gatherings — making it extremely difficult for Stidham to get reps with his teammates.

Tom Brady’s departure from the team came in bad timing and Bill Belichick has to make a tough decision at quarterback now. Two of the team’s most difficult matchups come in the first four weeks with Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.

Hoyer would be the safer option, but Stidham appears to be the team’s successor to Brady at the moment. The Patriots play the Miami Dolphins Week 1 — hopefully with four preseason games to make a decision.

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Rob Ninkovich speculates about ripple effect if Tom Brady leaves Patriots

“It’s going to be difficult to try and bring everybody back.”

Rob Ninkovich presented a bleak forecast for the New England Patriots’ 2020 offseason. Not only is the former Patriots defensive end leaning away from Tom Brady returning to the team, but Ninkovich is also worried about a negative ripple effect on New England’s 2020 free agent class.

“My gut is telling me Tom is motivated to prove a lot of people wrong,” Ninkovich told the Boston Herald in a recent interview. “Looking at his Instagram posts, and all the things, ‘Keep talking bad about me. Bet against me,’ all that stuff, says he’s motivated. So it wouldn’t surprise me if he puts up the deuces to everybody, and tries to motivate himself to prove people wrong.”

Brady’s contract expires in March, when he can begin negotiations with the other 31 NFL teams. Prior to March 16, the Patriots have exclusive negotiating rights with Brady, and both parties seem open to an extension, even if they reportedly haven’t sit down to talk numbers. But if they’re far apart — or if the Patriots can’t promise an improved supporting offensive cast — then perhaps Brady will see what’s available in free agency.

If he leaves, then the Patriots could have issues with their typical game plan in free agency. Historically, Bill Belichick has asked players to take less money, because New England tends to be in play for a Super Bowl. Without Brady, Belichick’s Super Bowl pitch might lose momentum.

“It’s going to be difficult to try and bring everybody back. I would think if Tom comes back, one of those other players (McCourty, Van Noy, Collins) comes back,” Ninkovich told the Herald. “But if Tom doesn’t come back, I don’t know if those guys are going to want to stick around. Because what’s the outlook for the team? Is it a rebuilding phase? What happens moving forward?”

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