"In order to get where you need to be… the division runs through the Patriots"
~ Dolphins head coach Tony Soprarano

Sometimes the best way to disarm an opponent is to kill them with compliments.  Loudmouth linebacker Joey Porter was having none of that this week, but head Coach Tony Sparano was.  Here are some select quotes from this week’s conference call courtesy the Patriots media relations. 

Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano

Q: Can you talk about how different it is preparing for this game against the Patriots compared to when you first faced them in week three? You were pretty emotional after getting that first win. How different is it now that you guys have established yourselves as contenders?

TS: I don’t know if we have done anything like that. I just think we are playing a little bit better right now. One thing is when you come in as a new coach, and any coach that has done this for the first time will say the same thing ‘in order to validate what it is that you have done, you need to win some games.’ That just happened to be the first time we won a game so that gave us a little bit of validation to the things that we were trying to get done here within our change of culture.

Q: The New York Jets are on top of the AFC East but in a way do you still measure yourself against the Patriots when it comes to this division?

The New England Patriots dropped a key game against a division rival last week, succumbing 34-31 in overtime to the New York Jets.  Although the loss drops the Patriots back into third place in the division (tied with Miami), the season is not lost.  Here are some things we learned.

With Thomas Out, Pats Still Have Players at LB

We said that losing Adalius Thomas would have, or at least could have, a huge impact on what New England can do with their linebacker unit.  With the Patriots relying more on a quicker defense to stop the Jets, it became obvious late in the game that no pressure on Bett Favre allowed him to scramble long enough to find the open man.  Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Pierre Woods all contributed for New England’s linebacker unit, but none have the size and speed Thomas used to bull his way past blockers. 

In Thomas’ role, Woods finished with 10 tackles (6 solo) and 2 tackles for a loss, a quarterback hurry and a sack. Not a bad showing for his first serious action of the season. In the middle, Jerod Mayo was a monster. Mayo had a game high 20 tackles (16 solo), two tackles for a loss and a pass defended.  Bruschi saw a bit more action, recording 10 tackles, while Vrabel and Guyton were on the field, but didn’t show up well in the stats column.

The New England Patriots turned in an impressive outing against the New York Jets last night at Gillette Stadium.  Had the Pats not put themselves in a hole early, New England — not New York — would sit alone atop the AFC East standings.

One very clear lesson was learned by New England last night.  Never giving up means that the Patriots - even without Tom Brady — can come back late in a game against a good opponent to compete to the very end.  Plenty will be written about this contest, but the top story is Matt Cassel can play.  He had the game of his life last night, but even that wasn’t enough to secure a victory in overtime as New England fell 31 to 34 when Jets kicker Jay Feely booted the game winner in OT.

Here are some notes on the game from the team’s media relations department:

PATRIOTS HAVE MOST TOTAL NET YARDS IN A GAME SINCE 1979
The Patriots gained 511 total net yards against the Jets (386 passing, 125 rushing), marking the franchise’s highest offensive output since gaining a franchise-record 597 total net yards on Sept. 9, 1979 against the Jets. New England’s 511 total net yards stand as the fourth-highest single-game total in team history. Last season, the Patriots’ season high was 510 total net yards at Buffalo on Nov. 18, 2007.

CASSEL IS FIRST PLAYER SINCE 1970 AFL-NFL MERGER TO TOTAL AT LEAST 400 PASSING YARDS AND AT LEAST 60 RUSHING YARDS IN A GAME

Sure, tonight’s game against the New York Jets is full of pomp and circumstance, but does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Here’s why it doesn’t, at least in this writer’s eyes. I was asked to predict the outcome of tonight’s game by a New York media outlet catering to Jets fans.  Then I was asked again to predict the outcome of the game on a Connecticut radio station heavily influenced by the New York pull.  Then I had to make my pick for a Patriots fan website.  Then I made my picks for Comcast’s Pick’em contest.

After all that, each time I struggled with the question; who do I pick?

5 pick’ems including the one for Comcast, and each time I had to struggle with the Patriots pick.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the pick of who will win, it’s by how much.  That’s when I realized it doesn’t really matter. Whomever wins will controll the AFC East, and that’s all that really matters now.

Pick’ems are good for the betters and  they’re good for Vegas, but the only thing that really matters is who actually wins the game.

So with that being said, here are some things that got me to make up my mind.

1) Adalius Thomas is out

The impact of losing Thomas is huge in the Patriots locker room. Richardd Seymour, Ty Warren, even Pierre Woods talked about how big of a loss Thomas was to the defense.  One thing that gave me encouragement that the Patriots could still deal with his absence was the reaction from those players.

For those of you into podcasts, or even a good stream from both a Patriots Insider and a Jets Insider, I encourage you to take a listen to the latest installment of Jets Confidential Radio on PrimeSportsNetwork.com.  Dan Leberfeld (Sirius NFL Radio, Scout.com, Jets Confidential Magazine) was on with WBCN recently, and actually has has his own show on Prime Sports Network.

I was invited to be their Patriots analyst this week. 
 

Listen in on the Stream
WMA format

Here’s the PODCAST
(116 MB Mp3)

the Patriots section is about a half hour into the show.

Patriots legendary wide receiver Troy Brown will be honored by the New England Patriots tonight before their game against the New York Jets.  Brown, one of New England’s best know faces, retired this year after a long and storied career with New England.  Brown has come to appreciate the fanatic loyalty Patriots fans have bestowed upon him for his decision to play for just one team.

Brown released the following statement which is also in tonight’s Gameday Magazine for those attending the game:

A few words for the New England Patriots faithful,

Week 11 pits the 6-3 New York Jets traveling to Foxboro to play the 6-3 New England Patriots.  The winner of Thursday Night’ s game will take over sole possession of the AFC East division.  New England has already beaten the Jets once this season, and a win will go a long way to getting into the playoffs.

Here are a pair of Q&A’s  with Jets head coach Eric Mangini and defensive lineman Kris Jenkins:

JETS HEAD COACH ERIC MANGINI

Q: How do you think the two teams have changed since week two?

EM: I think the one thing that stayed consistent with both teams is that you see the same game plan specific approach game in and game out. The things that New England has shown against other teams are not necessarily going to be what we get. It is going to be what we get, it is going to be what’s given the best chance to win on that Sunday and we try to take that same approach here. I think that we have made some progress both offensively and defensively and I think New England has done the same thing. I really like the way that Matt [Cassel] is playing right now. You can see how comfortable he is in that role. One thing that hasn’t changed is the explosive playmakers they have, all their skill guys being able to generate things offensively, defensively how stout their front seven is and [how] disciplined they are and then you add in really, really good special teams - it is a challenge just like it was a challenge that week.

The New England Patriots will be without the services of another one of their top defenders, likely for the rest of the season. Linebacker Adalius Thomas suffered a broken arm in Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills and is scheduled to have surgery this week to repair the injury.  Though no details were released on the injury, it is expected Thomas will miss the rest of the season.

The news didn’t go over well with Thomas’ teammates who have already seen their fair share of injuries to a number of high-impact players on the roster. But they understand injuries happen and the team must move on.

“We can’t do anything about it,” defensive lineman Jarvis Green said. “It is a tough loss. Losing Adalius, he is a key to this defense but we have to move on and get ready for the Jets.”

When a team loses a playmaker, the next guy has to step up to fill in the spot. Green compared losing Thomas to the job Matt Cassel has done filling in for the injured Tom Brady. 

“When you lose a great guy… look at [Matt] Cassel. He is performing and getting better each week after losing Tom Brady,” Green said. ”It is the same thing on defense. If we lose a guy, we have to put another guy in his place. He has to be prepared and ready.”

The New England Patriots used the balanced attack of two first-year NFL starters, Matt Cassel and BenJarvus Green-Ellis, to knock off the Buffalo Bills Sunday in Foxboro. New England won the AFC East battle 20-10 to improve to 6-3 on the season and retain a share of the division lead with the New York Jets who also won on Sunday. 

Here are some notes from the game courtesy Patriots media relations:

WELKER SETS NFL RECORD WITH NINTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH 6+ CATCHES TO BEGIN SEASON
On a 12-yard reception in the third quarter - his sixth catch of the day - Wes Welker became the first player in NFL history to have six or more receptions in each of the first nine games of a season. Welker topped the previous league record of eight games, achieved by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001. Dating back to last season (and including the playoffs), Welker has had six or more receptions in 13 straight games. The NFL record for most consecutive games with six or more receptions is 16, achieved by Marvin Harrison of the Colts from 2002-03.

Patriots – Bills: What To Watch

Here are some things to keep an eye on for today’s game.

Patriots Offensive Line setting The Tone

With Aaron Schobel out, and the Bills’ linebackers hurting, the Patriots offensive line needs to find a way to establish the run.  They have to set the tone with an aggressive run-blocking attitude to put the Buffalo Bills on notice that New England isn’t going to just go after the banged up Buffalo secondary. With Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan out for another week, New England will need to open holes for the remaining backs.

Marshawn Lynch vs The Patriots Front Seven

If the Bills can establish the run, they’ll be able to take a lot of pressure off their struggling quarterback Trent Edwards. With Brad Butler and Demetrius Bell out for Buffalo, the remaining offensive linemen have struggled to get anything going, even unable to get Lynch – one of the best backs in the league – on track.

Patriots receivers vs Bills Secondary

This is probably the biggest part of the game.  Buffalo has scrambled to find healthy bodies to field in the secondary.  Ashton Youboty was placed on IR this week.  Terrence McGee was hurting earlier in the season, and claims to be healthy now, though that’s debatable.  Safety Donte Whitner is out for the game

Patriots Runners vs Buffalo Front Seven

Certain things strike a chord with me as a sportswriter, as a fan and as a person.  Some of them are human interest stories, others are when people do the right thing.  That’s what the Kraft family has opted to do this weekend in honor of Veteran’s day.  I felt this needed to be shared with our readers, and I trust you can appreciate the following.

We must applaud what the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and the corporate sponsors involved are doing for Sunday’s game.  Although it may be just a small gesture, it is an important one. The organizations will recognize two veterans of the Iraq war, along with those who have served this country in other conflicts before the game on Sunday in honor of veterans’ day.

Here is a bit from the Patriots press release.

Before the nation pauses to remember the service of veterans everywhere on Tuesday, November 11, the New England Patriots will honor America’s soldiers past and present with a salute to the military before Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. The Kraft family has selected two war veterans, Pfc. Sean Bannon from Winthrop, Mass. and Sgt. James Hackemer from Gowanda, N.Y., to serve as honorary captains for the game. Both soldiers were critically injured while serving their country in Iraq and continue to receive treatment at Spaulding Rehabilitation in Boston. The soldiers will be introduced to nearly 70,000 Patriots fans prior to the game and will join the Patriots and Buffalo Bills team captains at midfield for the opening coin toss.

Are the Patriots interested in free agent cornerback DeAngelo Hall?  That’s the word on the street.

Former Raiders defensive back DeAngelo Hall was released by the Oakland Raiders this week, and cleared waivers on Thursday.  Teams are now free to pursue his services.

Hall was one of the prized free agent acquisitions by the Raiders this off-season, signing a 7-year $70 million deal. After underperforming for the now 2-6 Raiders, owner Al Davis opted to cut ties with veteran before paying him another cent on that contract.  Hall will keep the guaranteed $8 signing bonus and the $1 million in salary he’s earned, but the Raiders are off the hook for another $16 million injury-related guarantees.

According to Hall’s Agent Joel Segal, the free agent cornerback is considering his options, and will field inquiries from postseason contenders.

“Right now we’re meeting with DeAngelo, going over some scenarios, taking it a day at a time,” Segal told the Boston Herald last night. “We’re looking for a situation where he can help a team for the playoff drive.”

NFL.com reported last night that the Patriots were among the half dozen teams thought to  be pursuing Hall.

The New York Giants, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers are also in the mix according to the report.

Exhibit A:

November 15, 2002—Paul Pierce shoots 4 for 20 from the field and scores only nine points in a 97-86 loss to the Mavericks.

Exhibit B:

April 1, 2002—Pedro Martinez lasts only three innings and gives up nine runs to the Blue Jays in a 12-11 Red Sox loss.

Exhibit C:

September 7, 2003—Tom Brady throws for 123 yards, four interceptions and zero touchdowns in a 31-0 loss to Buffalo.

Exhibit D:

November 2, 2008—Rich Levine embarrasses his employers, family and self by going 2-12 on his NFL picks. 

I haven’t been able to look in the mirror all week. Instead, I’ve been scouring the web and watching more NFL Network than I did the Spice Channel in seventh grade. The time is now. On to the picks:

(All picks are made against the spread)

New Orleans at Atlanta (-1)

Atlanta comes into this game at a surprising 5-3, although three of those five wins came against the lowly Chiefs, Raiders and Lions. When asked to comment, Falcons coach Mike Smith said, "Hey, Shhhhh." Pick: Falcons

St. Louis at NY Jets (-9)

Jim Haslett said on Wednesday that Brett Favre might be the best player to ever play the game. After reading the quote, John Madden slipped the newspaper under his pillow, sighed contently and said, "Well, looks like someone’s spank bank’s full for the next couple months. Pick: Jets

Tennessee (-3) at Chicago

Thursday Night Football Tonight

The Cleveland Browns play the Denver Broncos
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland Ohio

So I know a couple of Browns fans that think that the move to Brady Quinn will save the franchise.  Here’s one reason why they’re not alone.

The Browns are at 3-5, and have a severely underperformed based upon preseason predictions (mine included).  They lost in horrible fashion against their most hated rivals (The Baltimore Carpetbaggers), and they had no hope headed into the second half of the season.

Why bring this up?

If you would have asked Patriots fans if they wanted to trade places with Browns fans after Tom Brady went down with an injury and the Miami Dolphins blew them out of the water in week 3, I bet you would have had a lot of takers.  Panic had set in with Pats fans, because Brady’s replacement, Matt Cassel, was hardly looking like he could survive the season, let alone thrive in it.

Browns fans entered the season coming off a 10-6 record, they had a Pro Bowl quarterback, an amazingly talented wide receiver, an all-world tight end a top tier offensive line and a running back with the power of a Mack truck. Yet, they continued to see horrible meltdowns like the one on Sunday.  

The New England Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to take on the struggling Cotls on Sunday night.  After fighting throuhg a tough game, to tie things up at 15 all, New England succumbed to a late Adam Vinatieri field goal which lifted the Colts to the win.

Here are some notes from the game courtesy Patriots Media Relations:

PATRIOTS OWN BEST 100-GAME STRETCH IN NFL HISTORY
Entering tonight’s game, the Patriots had won 82 of their last 100 games (including playoffs). New England’s 81-18 record in those 100 games was the best record by any team over any 100-game stretch in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Three teams (Green Bay, Pittsburgh and San Francisco) are tied for the second best 100-game stretch, with each having gone 79-21 over various 100-game spans. The Patriots’ most recent 100-game stretch leading into tonight’s game began with a 31-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 14, 2003.

WELKER TIES RECORD FOR MOST GAMES WITH SIX OR MORE CATCHES TO OPEN SEASON
On a 10-yard reception in the fourth quarter - his sixth catch of the game - Wes Welker tied the NFL record for most games with six or more receptions to begin a season. Welker has had six or more receptions in each of the Patriots’ eight games this season and ties the NFL record established by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001.