Patriots' Brandon Spikes doing a bang-up job

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INDIANAPOLIS - The Patriots' game against the Giants this season turned out to be memorable for linebacker Brandon Spikes, for the wrong reason.

After a slow start to the season, Spikes, New England's second-round draft choice in 2010, was settling nicely into a leading role when the Pats and Giants met on Nov. 6. But defending a pass along with Kyle Arrington, the two collided. Spikes suffered a sprained MCL. It was the first time he had ever been injured on a playing field, and he was sidelined for seven weeks.

Spikes returned in the regular-season finale against Buffalo, but did not begin playing full time again until the divisional playoff game against Denver. Against the Broncos he had six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

In the victory over Baltimore in the AFC title game, he showed off his athleticism with a leaping interception that was one of the game's key plays.

Now Spikes is fully healthy and ready to go for the Super Bowl, ready to show the Giants what he can do.

The University of Florida product is viewed by many as a potential star. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Spikes has the strength to stuff the run and his instincts help make up for a lack of speed when he defends in the passing game.

Greg Cosell, an analyst for NFL Films, has labeled him "arguably the most physical and violent inside linebacker" in the league.

No less an expert than Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke recently about how Spikes reminds him of Pepper Johnson, the former Giants star who is now New England's defensive line coach.

"You don't see a lot of inside linebackers with that kind of height," Belichick said of Spikes. "Most guys are a little more compact than that. He's a pretty powerful guy for being that tall like Pepper was, but a lot of those explosive hitters are 6-feet, 6-foot-1 -- that type of guy.

"I think (Spikes' height) is a problem for the quarterback in terms of the passing game. They get their hands on a lot of balls, but again, kind of like Pepper, Brandon has power. He'll go up and he strikes with a good thump, whether it's tackling or taking on blockers, that kind of thing."

The problem for Spikes has been harnessing everything. He's had off-the-field issues.

There was an eye-gouging incident against an opponent in college. There was an Internet sex tape. He failed a drug test that forced him to sit out the last four games of last season -- a problem that occurred, he said, because of a drug he took for attention-deficit disorder.

On the field, Spikes sometimes has played with too much emotion, getting into confrontations with opponents and hitting not only to the whistle, but occasionally after it.

Spikes does not apologize for his style.

"I haven't changed my game one bit," he said as he sat in the tent that is serving as the Patriots' meeting area with the media at Super Bowl XLVI. "I approach the game every time like -- just play hard, like every snap is my last.

"I just feel like I'm caged up right now, pacing back and forth and waiting. It's hard to explain. Like I said, I'm enjoying all this. It's fun. It's a great experience."

Spikes talks about how tough his childhood was, growing up in North Carolina and how so many people he knew ended up having problems with the law.

"When it comes to football, I'm a very passionate guy. Football has done everything for me," he said. "It brought a whole new life for me. It changed my life, you could say. It saved my life from the street."

Patriots linebacker coach Patrick Graham said that Spikes is just beginning to tap his potential.

"He has good instincts. He's physical. He's smart. Those are the things you're looking for. He's able to play the pass. He can do all of that," Graham said.

Graham is not trying to change Spikes' style.

"He has aggressiveness. He's had it through his whole career, from high school to college to here," Graham added. "He's learned how to channel that. That's what you have to do if you are going to be a good player. You have to learn how to channel it."

Graham said his dealings with Spikes have been nothing but positive.

"I love him. He's a good kid," he said. "He's fun to be around and smart. You can talk to him about anything. I like him."

Johnson, the player Spikes has been compared to, helped win two Super Bowls during his playing career with the Giants. He said he is not sure about how similar he and Spikes are. All he knows is that Spikes can be a complete player.

"He takes away from that stereotype of that big inside linebacker who can't play on third down," pointed out Johnson. "He plays on third down."

Johnson also said he enjoys working with Spikes.

"He's got enough people around him now to help him out," Johnson said. "He'll be fine."

On Sunday, the Patriots want Spikes to be more than fine. They need him to come up big if New England is to take home the title.

(Contact Paul Kenyon at pkenyon(at)providencejournal.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com.)

Must credit The Providence Journal