The Giants have already won (new window)

fatalvenom: The Giants have already won (new window)

Dear NFL gods: please let the last real play a game-deciding pick six. For the lulz. And the sweet, sweet franchise QB tears...

No room for Kid AND Play, eh?

Move makes sense. BB wants an extra DL. Domes get hot. Even hotter for a super bowl. The last big game the Pats played in a dome was the AFC championship in Indy a few years back. Half the D-line cramped up by mid 3rd quarter and were completely gassed. He still gets a ring and it's not like he has to go home.

simplicimus: So, no ring for him if the team wins?

He gets a ring. I doubt they even sent him home.

gunsmack: basemetal: He'll still get a ring if they win and player pay for the game (amount same as other players depending on win or loss). Just heard it on NFL countdown.

Still, it's a bit of a d-bag move.

/hope he didn't get too many tickets for friends and family to come see him play.

For maybe three snaps. Like I said I doubt they even sent him home.

And the Giants haven't signed this guy yet? You know Belicheck would do it if it was the other way around

Underwood is being very humble about it seems on Twitter. Or he is the one athlete who realizes that Twitter is public...

iron_city_ap: And the Giants haven't signed this guy yet? You know Belicheck would do it if it was the other way around

BB waited until after the deadline for signing a player. The new guy was on the practice squad.

iron_city_ap: And the Giants haven't signed this guy yet? You know Belicheck would do it if it was the other way around

As per NFL rules, they can't claim him until Monday.

So if the Pats win today, the Bengals career leading receiver joins the Bengals career leading rusher (Corey Dillon) by being on another team to get a SuperBowl(tm) ring. Awesome.

/Ken Anderson lurking around Pats sidelines

Captain Steroid: Based on Underwood's hairstyle, I'm thinking cocaine was a deciding factor in this decision. :-(

Hope he wasn't found lighting up in the bathtub like Stanley Wilson 20 years ago.

Waxing_Chewbacca: Move makes sense. BB wants an extra DL. Domes get hot. Even hotter for a super bowl. The last big game the Pats played in a dome was the AFC championship in Indy a few years back. Half the D-line cramped up by mid 3rd quarter and were completely gassed. He still gets a ring and it's not like he has to go home.

All of this was just as true two weeks ago as it was yesterday. If having an 8th DL was so damn important why didn't they make the move then, instead of dragging this kid to Indy for a week and a half and letting him think that he'd at least potentially get to experience the Super Bowl in uniform, on the sidelines, even if he didn't get in the game.

Mecha Edwin: As per NFL rules, they can't claim him until Monday.

If I were the Giants, I think I'd call this kid up and offer him $5 million for the job of "football operations consultant". Sure it's a dirty trick and the NFL might frown on it, but the Giants could probably just go to Goodell and say "It's Belicheck", and they'd let them off with a small fine.

gunsmack: basemetal: He'll still get a ring if they win and player pay for the game (amount same as other players depending on win or loss). Just heard it on NFL countdown.

Still, it's a bit of a d-bag move.

/hope he didn't get too many tickets for friends and family to come see him play.

How is this a d-bag move? They need to do this to prevent the off chance of the Giants claiming him (you go right to free agent status in the offseason) and trying to suck their offensive gameplan out of his brain.

Belichek wanted to move a guy from the practice squad to the active roster (the DE who worked all season just like Underwood) and had to move someone to the practice squad. In the post season this is the process for that.

jayhawk88: All of this was just as true two weeks ago as it was yesterday. If having an 8th DL was so damn important why didn't they make the move then, instead of dragging this kid to Indy for a week and a half and letting him think that he'd at least potentially get to experience the Super Bowl in uniform, on the sidelines, even if he didn't get in the game.

How do you know they let the kid think he'd get to play in the Super Bowl? He's been sent down to the practice squad twice before. I'd guess it is pretty clear he knows he is on the bottom of the 53 man active roster and if anyone had to come up, he went down. He'd have been dragged to Indy on the practice squad as well. This is just a reflection of what the Super Bowl practices have shown the coaches they need. For all we know they let him know earlier in the week this would happen but just held off filing the paperwork so it wouldn't clear before the Superbowl. Considering he only had three catches all year, the only way his life changes is he wears street clothes instead of pads tonight. He still gets the ring and paid as if he was playing.

/also there is a rumor going around the Pats have a sick defensive lineman
//Belichek never comments on health status though, so can't confirm nor deny
/it sucks for him, but this is still a business

jayhawk88: Waxing_Chewbacca: Move makes sense. BB wants an extra DL. Domes get hot. Even hotter for a super bowl. The last big game the Pats played in a dome was the AFC championship in Indy a few years back. Half the D-line cramped up by mid 3rd quarter and were completely gassed. He still gets a ring and it's not like he has to go home.

All of this was just as true two weeks ago as it was yesterday. If having an 8th DL was so damn important why didn't they make the move then, instead of dragging this kid to Indy for a week and a half and letting him think that he'd at least potentially get to experience the Super Bowl in uniform, on the sidelines, even if he didn't get in the game.

Mecha Edwin: As per NFL rules, they can't claim him until Monday.

If I were the Giants, I think I'd call this kid up and offer him $5 million for the job of "football operations consultant". Sure it's a dirty trick and the NFL might frown on it, but the Giants could probably just go to Goodell and say "It's Belicheck", and they'd let them off with a small fine.

Why wait? A. No one was certain Gronk could play. B. they didn't want the Giants signing him.

You obviously hate Belichick though so this is just wasted typing.

ha-ha-guy: jayhawk88: All of this was just as true two weeks ago as it was yesterday. If having an 8th DL was so damn important why didn't they make the move then, instead of dragging this kid to Indy for a week and a half and letting him think that he'd at least potentially get to experience the Super Bowl in uniform, on the sidelines, even if he didn't get in the game.

How do you know they let the kid think he'd get to play in the Super Bowl? He's been sent down to the practice squad twice before. I'd guess it is pretty clear he knows he is on the bottom of the 53 man active roster and if anyone had to come up, he went down. He'd have been dragged to Indy on the practice squad as well. This is just a reflection of what the Super Bowl practices have shown the coaches they need. For all we know they let him know earlier in the week this would happen but just held off filing the paperwork so it wouldn't clear before the Superbowl. Considering he only had three catches all year, the only way his life changes is he wears street clothes instead of pads tonight. He still gets the ring and paid as if he was playing.

/also there is a rumor going around the Pats have a sick defensive lineman
//Belichek never comments on health status though, so can't confirm nor deny
/it sucks for him, but this is still a business

Who?

Mecha Edwin: iron_city_ap: And the Giants haven't signed this guy yet? You know Belicheck would do it if it was the other way around

As per NFL rules, they can't claim him until Monday.

A guy can dream, can't he?

iron_city_ap: Mecha Edwin: iron_city_ap: And the Giants haven't signed this guy yet? You know Belicheck would do it if it was the other way around

As per NFL rules, they can't claim him until Monday.

A guy can dream, can't he?

If I were the coach, I'd cut the receiver, pay him several thousand under the table, and then have him lie and lie to the Giants. "They plan on doing a whole bunch of reverse handoffs. Brady's got the clap. There will be a flea flicker. And an onside kick. And they plan on blitzing 90% of the time."

The guy can't be THAT disappointed, according to the CBA he gets a full cut whether the Pats win or lose and a ring in the former case.

So this means Gronk's status is less of a concern than a random D-lineman. I wonder if this moved the line at all last night.

/ESPN showed the guys twitter message last night, he was super classy about it

neuroflare: The guy can't be THAT disappointed, according to the CBA he gets a full cut whether the Pats win or lose and a ring in the former case.

He gets something around 50K if they lose, 100K if they win (can't find the exact number on an Internet search + laziness)

Nice chunk of change, but something tells me playing one snap is the SB is worth far more than 100K.

FriarReb98: Translation: If there's such a thing as a non-favored receiver in the Patriots receiving corps, he's it.

Exactly. Brady looked bad on national TV and Underwood was the fall guy. I'd be willing to bet that Brady demanded this happen

skinink: Why did they have to cut him, when Ocho Cinco's spot is available?
I'd really like to see Chad win a SB even though he hasn't contributed much on the field (although everyone on the team says he's a model teammate). Also just to see Albert Haynesworth react to the question "How do you feel about not winning a SB with the Patriots because you got yourself cut from the team?"

I wouldn't put it past BB to have told Ocho to sandbag all season, only to fully unleash the power of a fully operational aerial assault today. Let's face it, he isn't above a diabolical plan...

Representative of the unwashed masses: skinink: Why did they have to cut him, when Ocho Cinco's spot is available?
I'd really like to see Chad win a SB even though he hasn't contributed much on the field (although everyone on the team says he's a model teammate). Also just to see Albert Haynesworth react to the question "How do you feel about not winning a SB with the Patriots because you got yourself cut from the team?"

I wouldn't put it past BB to have told Ocho to sandbag all season, only to fully unleash the power of a fully operational aerial assault today. Let's face it, he isn't above a diabolical plan...

That would work if they had good deep threat receivers. As it is, they have a group of possession WRs and TEs.

Representative of the unwashed masses: skinink: Why did they have to cut him, when Ocho Cinco's spot is available?
I'd really like to see Chad win a SB even though he hasn't contributed much on the field (although everyone on the team says he's a model teammate). Also just to see Albert Haynesworth react to the question "How do you feel about not winning a SB with the Patriots because you got yourself cut from the team?"

I wouldn't put it past BB to have told Ocho to sandbag all season, only to fully unleash the power of a fully operational aerial assault today. Let's face it, he isn't above a diabolical plan...

I don't think CJ has been bad this season, or at least as bad as Patriot fans have made him out to be. 95% of the throws I've seen towards him(and I've seen maybe 6 or 7 Patriot games, fwiw) have been significantly overthrown or underthrown. I don't know if it's they're making different reads on option routes or what, but the throws just haven't been close. It's not like he's pulling a TO and giving up on the play before it even starts

bhcompy: I'd be willing to bet that Brady demanded this happen

Would gladly accept that bet.

/Haters gonna hate

bhcompy: Representative of the unwashed masses: skinink: Why did they have to cut him, when Ocho Cinco's spot is available?
I'd really like to see Chad win a SB even though he hasn't contributed much on the field (although everyone on the team says he's a model teammate). Also just to see Albert Haynesworth react to the question "How do you feel about not winning a SB with the Patriots because you got yourself cut from the team?"

I wouldn't put it past BB to have told Ocho to sandbag all season, only to fully unleash the power of a fully operational aerial assault today. Let's face it, he isn't above a diabolical plan...

I don't think CJ has been bad this season, or at least as bad as Patriot fans have made him out to be. 95% of the throws I've seen towards him(and I've seen maybe 6 or 7 Patriot games, fwiw) have been significantly overthrown or underthrown. I don't know if it's they're making different reads on option routes or what, but the throws just haven't been close. It's not like he's pulling a TO and giving up on the play before it even starts

I think the problem has been that he's not where he's supposed to be, which is why the ball is over/under thrown. It's been reported that he's had real difficulty learning the Patriots' complicated offense. Ocho has worked hard, and he's generally well liked by the fans (at least the one's i've talked to), but his difficulties with the playbook and his declining skills have made him a forgotten man in the offense. I'd be thrilled to see him make a contribution today, but i'm not holding my breath.