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Last Updated: Sunday, 07-20-08 8:05 am PDT

Moore signed; 2 waived - (12/18)

The Patriots shook up the back end of their roster Tuesday, waiving defensive backs Rashad Baker and Eddie Jackson. The team also signed free-agent nose tackle Rashad Moore, who was with the team in training camp. Prior to the moves, the Patriots were deep with 11 defensive backs on the roster, but had just five defensive linemen. The addition of Moore, who is more of a pure nose tackle and projects to back up Vince Wilfork, adds help up front after the team lost backup nose Mike Wright to a season-ending foot injury last week. The 6-foot-3, 325-pound Moore was with the Patriots in training camp but has not hooked on with a team this season. Second-year player Le Kevin Smith was the Patriots' backup nose tackle in Sunday's win over the Jets, although the Patriots might be more comfortable with him at end in the 3-4 alignment, thus leading to the decision to bring in Moore. Baker, a reserve safety, played in eight games and made his primary contributions on special teams. A cornerback, Jackson opened the year on the physically unable to perform list as he was recovering from a torn ACL and returned to play in three games, mostly on special teams.

Patriots reaction - (12/18)

FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots held their annual Salvation Army Holiday Party tonight at Gillette Stadium, and players in attendance included safety Rodney Harrison, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, linebacker Tedy Bruschi, tight end David Thomas (injured reserve), and offensive linemen Wesley Britt and Russ Hochstein. One of the hot topics was the team's eight Pro Bowl selections. “The thing that I’m so proud about the guys that made it is that they are all guys that are number one about the team,” Harrison said. “They focus on the team, and what the team accomplishes, without worrying about individual accomplishments. You can have a bunch of Pro Bowlers, but if you don’t do anything with it, it’s all for naught.” Seymour was asked about Wilfork, his sidekick on the line. "It's long overdue, but I think good things come to those who wait," Seymour said. "He's definitely one of the elite defensive players in this league. He's having a great year."

Patriots send 8 to the Pro Bowl - (12/18)

The New England Patriots are sending 8 members of their team to the Pro Bowl this season. This is the most since 1985, when they also sent 8 players to the Pro Bowl. Last year, Patriots fans complained about the snubbing of Tom Brady and Asante Samuel, but should have nothing to complain about this season. The [...]

Revenge Bowl Fizzles - (12/18)

Brady named Sporting News Sportsman of the Year - (12/18)

The Sporting News has selected Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as its Sportsman of the Year, calling him the "perfect pick" for their annual award. From the press release: ?Tom Brady has given us one of the greatest seasons in NFL history,? said Sporting News Sr. Vice President/Editorial Director, John Rawlings. ?You can?t help but admire what he has accomplished ? even if much of the NFL world has suddenly turned anti-Patriots.? The Patriots wouldn?t be the Patriots ? and the NFL wouldn?t be the NFL ? without Tom Brady. The Sportsman of the Year issue hits newsstands on Dec. 24.

Pro Bowl announcement - (12/18)

Here is the official announcement from the Patriots regarding the Pro Bowl: Eight members of the New England Patriots have been selected to represent the Patriots and the AFC at the 2008 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on Feb. 10. QB Tom Brady, C Dan Koppen, T Matt Light, G Logan Mankins, WR Randy Moss, CB Asante Samuel, LB Mike Vrabel and DL Vince Wilfork have all earned All-Star honors. The Patriots will send eight players to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 1985, and the team’s eight Pro Bowlers tie the 1985 squad with the most Patriots Pro Bowl players since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Boston Patriots sent a team-record 11 players to the AFL All-Star Game on two occasions (1963 and 1966). Last season, two Patriots were named to the Pro Bowl (Light and DE Richard Seymour). Moss has earned his sixth career Pro Bowl nod, Brady will head to Hawaii for the fourth time in his career, and Light is an All-Star for the second time. Five players are first-time Pro Bowl selections: Koppen, Mankins, Samuel, Vrabel and Wilfork. Seven Patriots will be among the 22 starters on the AFC Pro Bowl squad: Brady, Light, Mankins, Moss, Samuel, Vrabel and Wilfork. Koppen, Light and Mankins comprise the first trio of Patriots offensive linemen to earn Pro Bowl honors in the same season since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The three All-Star offensive linemen tie a team record also achieved when Boston Patriots sent three offensive linemen to the 1966 AFL All-Star Game (C Jon Morris, T Tom Neville and G Len St. Jean). This season, New England has allowed just 17 sacks and is on pace to allow just 19 sacks this season. That would stand as the fewest number of sacks allowed in 30 years, dating back to a 17-sack performance in 1977. Additionally, the 2007 Patriots are averaging 4.0 yards per rush, a mark that has been achieved or exceeded by the club just once in the last 20 years (2004). Tom Brady’s four Pro Bowl selections are the most of any Patriots quarterback, topping the three All-Star selections of Drew Bledsoe (1994, 1996, 1997) and Vito “Babe” Parilli (1963, 1964, 1966). The two-time Super Bowl MVP also earned Pro Bowl nods in 2001, 2004 and 2005. With two games remaining this season, Brady has thrown 45 touchdown passes - the third highest single-season total in NFL history. He also leads the NFL in passing yards (a career-best 4,235), completion percentage (69.2) and passer rating (119.7). Brady has set NFL records this season for most games with three or more touchdown passes (11), most consecutive games with three or more touchdown passes (10) and most touchdown passes in a month (20 in October). Brady has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Month twice (September and October) and has earned AFC Player of the Week honors four times. Dan Koppen is the third center in Patriots history to earn All-Star honors, joining Damien Woody (2002) and Jon Morris (seven AFL All-Star Game appearances from 1964-70). The Boston College product is in his fifth season with the Patriots since being selected in the fifth round (164th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. He has started 13 games this season and has played in 70 games with 69 starts in his career. Matt Light is the only Patriots player who will return to Hawaii for the second consecutive season, having earned his first career Pro Bowl selection in 2006. Light is one of four Patriots offensive tackles to earn All-Star selections since the 1970 merger, joining Patriots Hall of Famer Bruce Armstrong, Leon Gray and Brian Holloway. The Purdue University product is in his seventh season with the Patriots since being selected in the second round (48th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft. He has started all 14 games this season and has played in 95 games with 93 starts in his career. Logan Mankins is the first Patriots guard to earn a Pro Bowl selection since 1985, when Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah went to his ninth career Pro Bowl. Mankins joins Hannah as the only Patriots guards to earn Pro Bowl bids since the 1970 merger. The Fresno State product is in his third season with the Patriots since being selected in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He has started all 14 games this season and has never missed an NFL game, starting all 46 games of his career. Randy Moss is the fourth Patriots wide receiver to earn a Pro Bowl selection since the 1970 merger, joining Stanley Morgan, Terry Glenn and Troy Brown. He will return to Hawaii for the sixth time, having also earned All-Star honors from 1998-2000 and from 2002-03. With two games remaining this season, Moss leads the NFL with 19 touchdown receptions, a total that ranks second in league history to Jerry Rice’s record 22 scoring catches in 1987. He leads the league in touchdown receptions (19) and receiving yards (1,343) and ranks fifth in the league with 87 receptions. Moss’s 114 points scored lead the NFL among non-kickers. His 1,343 receiving yards are the second highest total in Patriots history, trailing only Morgan’s franchise-record 1,491 receiving yards in 1986. He has set franchise single-season records for touchdown receptions (19) and overall touchdowns (19) and set the franchise’s single-game record for touchdown receptions (4 on Nov. 18). Moss was the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Month for November and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors on two occasions. Asante Samuel joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes, Ty Law and Raymond Clayborn as one of four Patriots cornerbacks to earn Pro Bowl honors since the 1970 merger. Samuel’s six interceptions this season lead the Patriots and are tied for fourth in the NFL. His 16 passes defensed lead the team and rank fifth in the league. Since the beginning of the 2006 season, Samuel leads the NFL with 16 interceptions (Champ Bailey, 13). In 2006, Samuel led the league with 10 interceptions and also topped the NFL with 24 passes defensed. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week following a two-interception performance against Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2007. Mike Vrabel is the seventh Patriots linebacker to earn a Pro Bowl nod since the merger and is the first New England linebacker to go to Hawaii since Tedy Bruschi earned the honor following the 2004 season. Vrabel is in his 11th year in the NFL and his seventh season with the Patriots. He leads the Patriots with 9.5 sacks this season, the second highest total among AFC linebackers (Shawne Merriman, 11.5). His 9.5 sacks tie his career high and tie the highest total by a Patriots player since Willie McGinest had 11.0 sacks in 1995. Vrabel leads the team with 14 quarterback hits this season and his four forced fumbles are twice as many as anyone else on the team. Vrabel was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week following a game against Washington on Oct. 28 in which he recorded three strip-sacks, forcing fumbles that were recovered by the Patriots each time. He also caught his second touchdown pass of the season in the game. Vince Wilfork joins Richard Seymour as the only Patriots defensive tackles to be selected to a Pro Bowl since the 1970 merger. Wilfork has started every game this season as part of a Patriots defense that ranks fourth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (289.9) and points allowed per game (16.6). The 289.9 yards per game allowed by the Patriots this season are the fewest for the franchise since allowing 270.2 yards per game in 1979. Wilfork is in his fourth season with the Patriots since being selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. The University of Miami product has played in 59 games with 49 starts in his career.

Eight Pats named to AFC Pro Bowl roster - (12/18)

Eight members of the undefeated New England Patriots were named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster today, the most for the team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Quarterback Tom Brady, center Dan Koppen, left tackle Matt Light, left guard Logan Mankins, receiver Randy Moss, cornerback Asante Samuel, linebacker Mike Vrabel and nose tackle Vince Wilfork are the honorees. Conspicuously absent from the list is defensive end Ty Warren. The Pats also had eight Pro Bowlers in 1985. Last year, only Light and Richard Seymour represented New England in Hawaii.

8 Pro Bowlers - (12/18)

Eight Patriots were selected to the Pro Bowl today: Tom Brady, Dan Koppen, Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Randy Moss, Asante Samuel, Mike Vrabel and Vince Wilfork. More to come.

Running game in focus - (12/18)

Do the Patriots have a productive running game? It's a question that has been debated this season, and opinions vary. While statistics don't always reflect success, here are a few numbers that some might point to when saying the team has been productive running the ball:

4.0 -- The number of yards per carry the Patriots are averaging this season, gaining a total of 1,609 rushing yards on 400 attempts. The total includes quarterback kneeldowns at the end of games.

1 -- The number of times in the last 20 years that the Patriots have averaged 4.0 yards per carry or better in a season (2004, 4.1).

47.5 -- The percentage of Patriots rushing attempts that have gained four or more yards this season, the highest total in the NFL.

4.21 -- The average number of yards per carry that Laurence Maroney has gained in his career (1378 yards on 327 attempts).

4.22 -- The Patriots’ individual franchise record for most yards per carry with the team, achieved by Corey Dillon (3180 yards on 753 carries from 2004-06) and Craig James (2469 yards on 585 carries from 1984-88).

4 -- The number of games this season in which the Patriots have had a 100-yard rusher.

3 -- The total number of games in which the Patriots had a 100-yard rusher over the previous two seasons combined (2005-06).

Projo PatsTalk with Shalise Manza Young - (12/18)

Shalise Manza Young and Mike McDermott discuss the Patriots' win over the Jets and look ahead to potential playoff foes. Click the play button below to listen and watch. Here are some excerpts from Shalise's comments: On the defensive line: "Having Seymour back at 100 percent means that Jarvis Green and he can keep switching back and forth, and they can stay fresh and theoretically they can be more effective that way. The only problem right now is, without Mike Wright, you're kind of thin at backup for Vince Wilfork at nose tackle. LeKevin Smith is technically the backup right now, but he's a little bit untested in that role, so we'll see what happens with that -- if they might have to switch to a 4-3 a little bit more often than they have in the past." On Laurence Maroney: "If you look at his numbers, for the 25 or 26 carries that he had on Sunday, there wasn't a single negative run. And I think that's the most important thing, because if you look back at his other games this year, he's had several runs for losses, whether it was one yard or two yards. And that's just not what the Patriots want. They want him to gain four yards, help keep the defense honest on the other side of the ball, so that they're not keying in on that receiving group all the time." On Kelley Washington: "I've talked to him about it [and] he's said it took him a little while to get adjusted to the idea that he wasn't going to be on the field with his offense. And I think if you look at his snaps, it's been maybe a dozen snaps all season that he really has been on the field with the offense. He was signed as a free agent in March, and they didn't bring Randy Moss in until the end of April, and that really changed things for [Washington], because without Randy he may have played a bigger role in the offense, and who knows what the result might have been. ... He's definitely made a contribution [on special teams], and like he told me, the fact that he's on the field is better than not being on the field at all, so he'll take the role that he has, and he obviously he's excelled at it. Toughest potential first-round playoff foe? "Jacksonville's a really tough team. I think they proved that Sunday, winning in Pittsburgh. ... I think if Jacksonville comes up here it will be a really big game. I don't really expect it to be a high-scoring game, and the Patriots really need to clamp down their run defense, and probably make David Garrard beat them with his arm, and see if you can get him to do that."

Defensive look - (12/18)

From time to time, we'll take a look at the snaps played by defensive players. The following was the breakdown from the Patriots' win over the Jets: S Rodney Harrison -- 65 of 65 snaps CB Ellis Hobbs -- 65 of 65 CB Asante Samuel -- 65 of 65 OLB Adalius Thomas -- 65 of 65 S Eugene Wilson -- 65 of 65 ILB Junior Seau -- 64 of 65 OLB Mike Vrabel -- 63 of 65 DE Ty Warren -- 48 of 65 DE Jarvis Green -- 43 of 65 NT Vince Wilfork -- 43 of 65 CB/S Randall Gay -- 42 of 65 DE Richard Seymour -- 42 of 65 ILB Tedy Bruschi -- 25 of 65 S Brandon Meriweather -- 10 of 65 DE Le Kevin Smith -- 7 of 65 ILB Eric Alexander -- 2 of 65 OLB Pierre Woods -- 1 of 65 WR/S Randy Moss -- 1 of 65 (When Randy Moss came onto the field at the end of the game to defend a potential Hail Mary pass, the TV camera angle did not show who was replaced. The assumption is that it was Mike Vrabel as he wasn't in the shot. Three plays in which penalties were called -- two holding calls against Anthony Clement and one pass interference against Eugene Wilson -- are included.) ANALYSIS: ILB Junior Seau's effort stands out. The only time we didn't spot him on the field was for one play on the Jets' third drive, on a second-and-7 situation in which the Patriots were in their nickel defense, with Tedy Bruschi staying on at LB. Overall, Seau played on early downs and stayed on in both the nickel and dime packages and had arguably his best game as a Patriot (9 tackles, 2 sacks). ... In the nickel, Bruschi would come off the field in place of Randall Gay as the extra defensive back. ... Brandon Meriweather was the dime back and all of his snaps came on the last two series. ... Pierre Woods' one play at OLB came when Mike Vrabel missed one snap at the end of the second quarter. ... Le Kevin Smith rotated in at left end for Ty Warren on two series. ... Eric Alexander was on for two plays on the second to last Jets drive.

Download today's Sports cover - (12/18)

Read how Patriots' defensive lineman Richard Seymour is returning to top form as the team closes in on an undefeated season with another Super Bowl win as the ultimate goal. Also, URI might be leaning towards one of its own as the school's new football coach; and Bill Reynolds weighs in on the Major League Baseball substance abuse problem. Download file

Positional groupings - (12/17)

A look at the positional groupings utilized by the Patriots' offense in Sunday's win over the Jets:

3 WR/1 TE/1 RB -- 32 of 64 snaps

4 WR/1 RB -- 18 of 64

1 WR/2 TE/1 FB/1 RB -- 11 of 64

3 TE/1 FB/1 RB -- 2 of 64

2 WR/2 TE/1 RB -- 1 of 64 (includes one play in which illegal defensive contact was called) ANALYSIS: This wasn't a game in which the Patriots were liberally shuffling different positional groupings on and off the field. The reason for this is likely that the Patriots identified a matchup they liked -- their spread packages against the Jets' nickel/dime defenses -- and decided it was the best approach. The Patriots were content to run against the Jets' less sturdy nickel/dime defenses in which New York was standing players up at the line of scrimmage. ... Tom Brady's interception came in the 4 WR/1 RB package, when the Jets got pressure on a corner blitz. ... The 4 WR/1 RB package struggled in this game, as it was on the field for Tom Brady's lone sack. Overall, the 4 WR/1 RB package was on the field for seven third-down situations that were not converted and killed drives. ... The team's lone offensive touchdown came in the power goal-line package that had had 3 TE/1 FB/1 RB.

Transcript: Bill Belichick's Monday press conference - (12/17)

[There?s] not really too much different from what I said yesterday after the game. It was good to win. [It?s] good to be 5-0 in the division. Hopefully we can be 6-0 in the division. We?ll get a chance to do that this week and that?s something that we haven?t done around here. I thought yesterday that the elements had a little bit of an impact on the game. I thought one of the things we did well was not putting the ball on the ground. Ball-security was pretty good on both the kicks and passes and handoffs and that kind of thing, the actual possession of the ball, so that was good. We had - We turned the ball over a couple times when they weren?t quite able to hang on to it, so those were big plays in the game. [The] blocked punts kind of evened out, but as usual, the kicking game plays a big factor at this time of year and that?s something that we need to work hard on, continue to work hard on and I?m sure it will be a factor in other games as we wind down here. So now we?re moving on to Miami. [That was a] good win for them yesterday. They?ve been in a lot of close games this year. I don?t think their team is in any way a reflection of their record. They?ve been in a lot of tight games. We played Baltimore a couple of weeks ago [and] we know what type of team they have, so we have a lot of respect for the Dolphins - always have. They really, especially in the second half down there, hurt us a lot running the ball. They have some good runners, good skill players, Jason Taylor and their guys on defense, and we have a lot of respect for them in that phase of the game as well. So we?re shuffling past the Jets here and getting ready to move in to Miami. What did you think of the way Richard Seymour played yesterday? Richard had a couple big plays for us. I thought defensively, overall the entire team did a good job. [They] were good on third down, good in the red area. Richard and the defensive line were a part of that - Ty [Warren], Vince [Wilfork] - and I thought they all did a good job. We got some good production from our linebackers as well. I thought it was a good defensive effort. Any time you can hold a team to three points in this league, defensively, you have to feel good about that. A couple of players were talking about being prepared for what they did offensively. Did you have the scout team work on the option quarterback and all that, and who in particular played the part of Brad Smith? Troy [Brown] did. Troy was Brad this week, as a receiver and as quarterback and he had the different roles that Brad played in, so that was Troy. Yeah, we worked on that. We didn?t play the first one very well on the pitch. They kind of split us on that. We just didn?t play it very well, but I thought overall we did a pretty good job on that. We had some trouble tackling Smith. It looked like there were a number of times we had him kind of hemmed in, it didn?t look like he was going to gain very much and he came out of there with four or five yards. But yeah, that was something that we had worked on. Whenever you play the Jets, you have to be ready for that. They put him in the backfield a lot, use him at quarterback and we?ve seen those kinds of things before from them. Considering the elements, how tough was that for Tom Brady? Were there specific things he couldn?t really do? No, I don?t really think there were too many things we took out of the game plan -- a couple of plays with some ball-handling. It?s just we didn?t feel like that was the best situation to run them in yesterday, but for the most part, everything we had - probably 95 percent of what we had in the game plan, we were prepared to run. I mean, you never run all of it, but the elements were? You were there. You saw them. It wasn?t terrible. It wasn?t a sunny day in September, but it wasn?t? We?ve all been in worse. It was the same for the Jets. Everybody dealt with the same things, so that?s? Look, we?re in Boston. It?s the middle of December. I don?t think any of us are surprised if it?s not clear, sunny and warm out there. You?ve secured home field advantage for the rest of the playoffs. How does that make you feel and how much of an advantage is that for you? It?s good. It?s good to have that, but right now that?s not really anything we?re going to dwell on. We?re just going to get ready for Miami and get ready to play the Dolphins. That?s what we?re going to do this week. I know you talked about it a little bit yesterday, but could you talk about Laurence Maroney and the job he did? He got a lot of carries. We ran the ball yesterday quite a bit, partially because of what the Jets were doing. They were playing - Sometimes they only had a couple defensive linemen in the game. We felt like we had some match-ups there and I thought our offensive line did a good job of sorting out some of those formations where they were moving people around and stemming guys in and out of the front late and dropping safeties down and pulling them out and things like that. I thought our line did a good job on that and Laurence got his hands on the ball. I thought he ran hard, ran well in short yardage and goal line, had some good runs on the perimeter in early down situations - I think he did a good job, like he usually does. He?s done a good job for us all year. He?s a versatile guy that can run inside, run outside, has got the speed and ability to make big plays like we saw in the passing game a couple of weeks ago. He?s got the toughness and power to pick up a tough yard on short yardage and goal line. He did a good job for us on blitz pickup, as did Kevin [Faulk]. I thought both of them played well. Tom Brady had a few carries, too, but it was hard to tell whether those were designed plays or if something went wrong and he had to tuck it and run. I think there was one play where we just missed - We had an audible on the line of scrimmage and we weren?t quite all on the same page on that one. [On] another one, he pulled the ball when he saw a safety blitzing off the edge. [He] would have handed it to Maroney. I think that was a very smart decision. I don?t know what would have happened, but [when] you have an unblocked guy running right at the line of scrimmage and he gets there about the same time as the handoff, it could be big trouble. The downside on him keeping the ball verses trying to exchange it into a blitzing safety? I think it was a smart decision on Tom?s part. Can you elaborate a little on Richard Seymour? He said the last couple of weeks he hasn?t been 100 percent, in terms of his knee. Is he where you would like to see him? From where he started - he missed the first six games of the season, or seven, whatever it was - Seven, I guess it was. So for any player to start playing then, without any training camp - Unlike, say, Rodney [Harrison], who had 30-some practices in training camp - that?s a lot of ground to make up and I don?t think you make it up in one or two weeks. It?s a gradual process. Richard?s worked hard. You all know what kind of player Richard is, and he?s gotten progressively more reps as the season?s gone on, from his first few weeks back. I think that accumulation of practice time and timing and game reps and conditioning and different situations playing against different types of players, different types of offenses and those kinds of things, that?s what rounds every player into really playing shape, is being able to handle all of the different things that come at that position, whatever the position is, over an extended amount of playing time in games. Practice is good, but it?s not the same as games. I think all of those reps, practice and games cumulatively have helped him, and that?s probably really the way it should be. With him being at Cleveland, I know it kind of changes your relationship, but is it nice to see Romeo Crennel doing so well? Sure. Yeah, sure. Yeah, that was a big game for them against Buffalo. Both teams [are] right in the fight there. I?ve talked to Romeo several times. As I said last year, I think he?s done a good job there. The record doesn?t always reflect the progress of the team, and I think that was probably the case last year. I know the fans and media don?t always want to hear that, but I think when you look at it objectively and really try to analyze a team that you can see that. When we played them earlier this year, I thought that that was a good football team. I said that at the time and they are. And he?s done a good job there. Kyle Brady went down and you obviously had to insert [Stephen] Spach, the new guy, in there and Wesley Britt. Were you pleased with the play at that position? We were scrambling a little bit at that position. We brought in Steve during the week and of course Ben [Watson] was inactive during the game, and Kyle I think probably missed the better part of three quarters. I thought that Steve and Wes did a good job filling in, with the amount of repetitions and practice time that they had, which wasn?t extensive this week. But we didn?t have any major breakdowns. There weren?t any catastrophes. There were certainly things that could have been better, but there were things that were good, so if that?s the situation we get into, that?s why you try to build that versatility in your roster all the way back in training camp, with having different guys plays different positions. You never know when those situations are going to come up, whether it?s Troy at corner or defensive players at goal line and short yardage and so forth and so on. We were able to manage the game that way. It wasn?t ideal; It?s not really what we?re looking for, but it was a way to manage the game and we were able to come out of it with a win. If we have to do something like that again, hopefully next time it will be a little bit better. A couple of times yesterday Randy Moss was in the backfield with his hand in the dirt. Was that to confuse the defense? He?s not a classic blocker. He never stayed there. He motioned out. The Jets are a match-up defensive team and we had a couple of formations where the match-ups probably would be a little bit new for them or different from what they?d seen. [We] just tried to keep them off-balance a little bit.

Patriots revenge served cold, and not on the scoreboard - (12/17)

Far be it from me to look too critically on another win for the Patriots, especially one that makes them just the second team in NFL history to go 14-0 (the other is the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and we all know what else that team is famous for), and that’s not what I’m trying to [...]

Locking in on Moss - (12/17)

When QB Tom Brady reviews Sunday's game against the Jets, he will likely determine that there were a few times he forced balls into WR Randy Moss when throwing to other receivers was a better option. In all, Brady threw in Moss's direction on 13 of his 28 pass attempts (includes a play in which illegal defensive contact was called). Moss finished with five catches for 79 yards, so the completion percentage was not ideal. The breakdown: First drive 2 of 3 passes to Moss 1 completion, 5 yards Second drive 6 of 7 passes to Moss 3 completions, 28 yards Third drive 0 of 3 passes to Moss Fourth drive 0 of 3 passes to Moss Fifth drive 1 of 1 passes to Moss Interception Sixth drive 0 of 2 passes to Moss Seventh drive 0 of 3 passes to Moss Includes an illegal contact penalty that doesn't count as a play Eighth drive 4 of 5 passes to Moss 1 completion, 46 yards Ninth drive 0 of 1 passes to Moss

Offensive participation - (12/17)

A look at the snaps played by offensive skill-position players in Sunday's win over the Jets: WR Randy Moss -- 62 of 64 snaps WR Wes Welker -- 51 of 64 WR Jabar Gaffney -- 50 of 64 RB Laurence Maroney -- 39 of 64 TE Stephen Spach -- 33 of 64 RB Kevin Faulk -- 24 of 64 WR Donte' Stallworth -- 18 of 64 TE Kyle Brady -- 15 of 64 FB/RB Heath Evans -- 14 of 64 (13 as FB, 1 as RB) OT/TE Wesley Britt -- 12 of 64 TE/LB Mike Vrabel -- 2 of 64 RB Kyle Eckel -- 0 of 64 FB/LB Junior Seau -- 0 of 64 WR Kelley Washington -- 0 of 64 (includes one illegal contact penalty against the Jets; does not include false-start penalties on the offense) ANALYSIS: The 39 snaps were a season high for Laurence Maroney, whose previous high point was a 34-snap effort against the Bills in Week 3. ... For the second week in a row, Jabar Gaffney was the No. 2 option at receiver over Donte' Stallworth. ... With TE Kyle Brady leaving the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury, and not returning, it created an unexpected heavy workload for TE Stephen Spach. Considering Spach was signed Wednesday, it was an impressive pinch-hitting performance as he was utilized mostly as an on-the-line blocker. ... OT/TE Wesley Britt played as a third tight end for the first time this season, although he had one false start not accounted for in the snaps. ... The goal-line package had a new wrinkle, as Heath Evans moved from RB to FB, and Maroney ran on the goal-line.

Download today's Sports cover - (12/17)

Today's Sports cover highlights Laurence Maroney's efforts to keep the Patriots on track for a perfect season when yesterday's wind-driven snow grounded quarterback Tom Brady in the team's 20-10 win over the visiting Jets. Download file

Ups & downs - (12/16)

A look at who's up and who's down from the Patriots' 20-10 win over the Jets: Up

Laurence Maroney -- In a game where the Patriots needed to find out if they could count on their 2006 first-round pick, Maroney delivers a stellar effort -- 104 rushing yards on 26 carries, with a touchdown.

Junior Seau -- Energetic linebacker finishes tied for the team-high with nine tackles and adds two sacks.

Richard Seymour -- Defensive lineman plows through the line and pressures Kellen Clemens into an ill-advised throw that results in Eugene Wilson's 5-yard interception return for a touchdown. Finishes with three quarterback hits and one pass deflected.

Stephen Spach -- Signed on Wednesday, tight end is thrust into unexpected action when Kyle Brady is injured. Playing mostly as an in-line blocker, he is on the field for about 50 percent of the plays, is not called for a penalty, and contributes to a strong rushing effort.

Adalius Thomas -- Looks as comfortable as he has all season at outside linebacker, finishing tied with a team-high nine tackles, while adding 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Kelley Washington -- Receiver comes up with one of the biggest plays of the game, a blocked punt in the second quarter that sets up the touchdown to give the Patriots a 17-7 lead. Down

Tom Brady -- Finishes 14 of 27 for 140 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception.

Chris Hanson -- Punter can't hold on to the snap and has a second-quarter attempt blocked and returned for a touchdown.

Logan Mankins -- Starting left guard is penalized for two false start infractions.

Donte' Stallworth -- Receiver plays in 18 snaps and finishes without a catch. MONDAY LOOK-AHEAD: We'll plan on looking at snaps played by offensive skill-position players in the morning. Also, Bill Belichick is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:45 a.m.

Jets chatter - (12/16)

Comments from the Jets locker room after the game: QB Chad Pennington (on what the Jets were able to exploit) " I think our guys did a great job in space and we were able to get our playmakers the ball in space and let those guys make plays. We weren’t quite as successful as we want to be, especially in crucial opportunities such as third-down and red zone [opportunities]. That’s the difference in the game and that’s what all these kind of games come down to. It’s one thing to be successful in first and second downs, but third down and the red zone are where you make your money, and we didn’t make enough." QB Kellen Clemens (on when he got hit by Richard Seymour) "We had a pass called with three wide receivers to the left. [I] dropped back, there was a little bit of pressure, a little bit of penetration, and instead of risking a sack I threw it away. The defender hit my right arm as I was throwing and then landed on me as when we went to the ground." S Kerry Rhodes (on reaction from the fans) "On the way here people in the neighborhoods, when we were coming to the stadium, they were doing the whole spy-the camera thing. Somebody threw a plastic rat on the field. So there were plenty of things going on." (on the plastic rat) "I thought it was real. Somebody said there was a rat and I thought it was real and I was like, 'that’s tough.' I didn’t see it. I just heard about it." (on what the defense did against Tom Brady) "I think we did a good job of moving around and making Brady’s checks harder for him. He didn’t [have] it simple; He had to go through a lot of possessions just to get into a good place. I think that would probably be the thing we did." LB Victor Hobson (On the hype of the game) "It kind of gets your attention, but at the same time we have learned not to even pay attention to what people say outside the locker room. If we have been going by what everyone outside the locker room has been saying all season, we probably would be a distraught and separated team right now, but that is not the case. I think we came and we fought hard and showed a lot of character. You just have to give them credit. As a defensive unit we were able to slow them down tremendously, but that is what good teams do, they just find ways to win. That is what they (Patriots) did today." LB David Bowens (On his blocked punt and touchdown) "Their protection slid over and I was able to beat the center one-on-one. The punter had a bad hold, so it forced him to hold it a little bit longer. I’m still not believing it. It was pretty exciting. Any time you can make a play like that in a game like this it is pretty exciting. I really didn’t know what to do [when I scored]. My role is to contribute any way I can. We didn’t get the win but as a team we showed a lot of people what we are capable of doing."

Postgame quotes from the Jets' locker room - (12/16)

Chris Baker, tight end (On fumble) I was trying to get some extra yardage and get the first down. He just came in and made a great play. It?s part of football. (On being satisfied that they played the Patriots close) No. Satisfaction is coming away with a victory. We play to win, not play close. (On missed opportunities) Our defense came out and shut down their offense and gave us the ball in scoring position and we just couldn?t do anything. We knew it was going to be a close game, we just came up short. D?Brickashaw Ferguson, tackle (On taking satisfaction from playing the Patriots close) That is not our mentally. We go out to play sixty minutes of hard football and we don?t come out with that victory, that?s disappointing to us. There?s some things we did nicely in the game that we can take away from the game, but the fact is we were not successful. (On whether the outcome was due to lack of execution or the Patriots defense making plays) I think it was a combination of us not doing things we needed to do. There?s a lot of things that go into winning a game and obviously we didn?t do it. (On Chad Pennington?s performance) He?s played in the league for a long time and he?s seen a lot of things. It?s unfortunate to see Kellen go down, but Chad stepped up like he always does. He?s a captain for a reason. He stepped in and he assumed the role of leading us. Justin McCareins, wide receiver (On the play in the back of end zone) I thought I had it, but it slid around in my hands a little bit and the referees made a decision and that was the bottom line. (On the game) It was just very frustrating to lose another game. It has been a frustrating season and we still have two more games. We just have to pull together and get another win Ben Graham, punter (On the effect of the weather) You cannot control the wind, and it is the same for both teams. We practiced in it all week. We new it was going to be windy, wet and cold. (On the blocked kick) I have not had a lot of time; I would like to look at it again. My job was to get the ball into my hands, and get the ball on the foot as quick as I can, and get it down field. It was not a great feeling. Mike DeVito, defensive end (On getting to play) It was great to be able to get some play time, especially up here in my hometown. I was disappointed with the outcome, but it was nice to get out there and move around. (On the game) It was a big week of preparation, but we approached it just like every week. Darrelle Revis, defensive back (On the defensive play) It was great for us and we are making a lot of strides on defense. We left a couple of plays out there and you can?t do that on a great offense. You have to make sure everything is right and be at the right place at the right time and be doing the right thing. We were aggressive and played great, but they got us with the field goals and a few other things. Victor Hobson, linebacker (On the hype of the game) It kind of gets your attention, but at the same time we have learned not to even pay attention to what people say outside the locker room. If we have been going by what everyone outside the locker room has been saying all season, we probably would be a distraught and separated team right now, but that is not the case. I think we came and we fought hard and showed a lot of character. You just have to give them credit. As a defensive unit we were able to slow them down tremendously, but that is what good teams do, they just find ways to win. That is what they (Patriots) did today. David Bowens, linebacker (On his blocked punt and touchdown) Their protection slid over and I was able to beat the center one-on-one. The punter had a bad hold, so it forced him to hold it a little bit longer. I?m still not believing it. It was pretty exciting. Any time you can make a play like that in a game like this it is pretty exciting. I really didn?t know what to do [when I scored]. My role is to contribute any way I can. We didn?t get the win but as a team we showed a lot of people what we are capable of doing. (On his last touchdown) It was in high school, it has been a long time. Victor Hobson, linebacker (On the Jet defense) We just played hard and executed the game plan. We played a great team with a lot of weapons. You have to stick to the fundamentals and make things happen and we were able to do that for the most part. (On the elements) It is part of playing football. If you can?t play in the elements, you shouldn?t be playing football. I like to step on the football field, whatever it is, snow or rain. I am just ready to play. Andre Dyson, cornerback (On the Jets? defense) I don?t think we shut them down, but we did a good job of containing them. We had a good game plan and we executed pretty well. We played harder and smarter and faster (than the last time they played). Sometimes you put in a game plan and don?t execute it. There is no such thing as a moral victory. We came here to win, gave it a good shot and fell a little short. They are a good team. There is a reason they have won as many as they have.

Transcript: Jets safety Kerry Rhodes' press conference - (12/16)

Coming in as such underdogs, do you feel like you guys proved a point today? We came out and fought hard. We kept the game close. We had a chance to make plays to make it even closer, but we couldn?t get closer than where we were. We had opportunities. How do you feel like your game plan worked? We played pretty well on defense. We had a good game plan coming into the game. We knew some of the things we could do to slow them down and it held, to a point, in the game, so we weren?t surprised. Do you take it personally when people say you?re going to lose by 50 or 60? If you have pride, you?re definitely not going to let them-or want them-to say that. People coming into the game were saying they were going to score 70, not 50. We just came out on defense, and we were excited, playing around, jumping and having fun. We pretty much held them in check. We pretty much had a good game. Did you hear anything interesting from the fans? On the way here people in the neighborhoods, when we were coming to the stadium, they were doing the whole spy-the camera thing. Somebody threw a plastic rat on the field. So there were plenty of things going on. Do you feel like this was a lost opportunity and that you left plays on the field? We definitely left plays on the field. I?m sure they probably feel the same way. We had opportunities. And at the end of the game we still had an opportunity to make it a lot closer than it was, so we definitely left plays on the field. What were the things you guys did consistently today? I think we did a good job of moving around and making [Tom] Brady?s checks harder for him. He didn?t [have] it simple; He had to go through a lot of possessions just to get into a good place. I think that would probably be the thing we did. To confirm, it was a plastic rat? Yeah it was plastic. I thought it was real. Somebody said there was a rat and I thought it was real and I was like, ?that?s tough.? I didn?t see it. I just heard about it. Do you feel like the team has Eric Mangini?s back? I would hope so. We came out and fought and that?s the mentality of this team and that?s the mentality of our head coach. We like to come in and fight and be aggressive, and he doesn?t really like to take anything from anybody, so that?s the way we play the game.

Transcript: Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens' postgame press conference - (12/16)

Can you talk about when you got hit? We had a pass called with three wide receivers to the left. [I] dropped back, there was a little bit of pressure, a little bit of penetration, and instead of risking a sack I threw it away. The defender hit my right arm as I was throwing and then landed on me as when we went to the ground. How painful was that? It wasn?t anything immediate -- really just some pain when I got back to sideline and I started visiting with doctors from there. Could you have come back into the game? It was the coach?s decision on whether or not I came back, so Coach made the decision that he was going to let Chad [Pennington] roll, and I respect that decision. Were you disappointed or upset? I was still in the locker room when Chad went in. I support Chad just as he has supported me. It?s unfortunate in the grander picture that with how close this game was we weren?t able to come away with a win. Did you come back to watch the game on the sideline? Yeah, I was on the sideline. I was on the sideline for most of the second quarter and the whole second half. Were you physically able to return? Coach made the decision that he was going to stick with Chad, and as I mentioned, we all respect that decision. I did my best to support Chad. What type of injury is it? It?s being called a rib injury. Can you talk about Pennington?s game? Chad Pennington is a professional. He works hard, he obviously has a lot of experience and he?s a good quarterback. You expect nothing less than from Chad than to be prepared, and then when a situation like this comes up for him to have the success that he did. How much pain are you in now? I can feel it. As you watched, do you feel like you guys let this one get away? I think we definitely had an opportunity to win the game. We were in it throughout. It?s frustrating to come in here and play a good football game against a good football team in some pretty difficult conditions. The guys played hard and gave great effort and it is frustrating.

Transcript: Jets coach Eric Mangini's postgame press conference - (12/16)

I just talked to the guys and talked about the opportunities that we had today and the opportunities that they created. We just weren?t able to capitalize on them. We were in the red zone four times and then couldn?t get the points that we needed to get. I thought, defensively, there was a lot of really good things today and not just in terms of the passing game, but the running game and the things that we are trying to do. I thought they did a nice job. This is a good football team that is obviously hard to beat and we had some opportunities to put ourselves in a very good position. We just couldn?t finish those. Can you talk about your third down efficiency in the first half? Yeah, it wasn?t very good. We weren?t able to do very much on third down until the fourth quarter, so the drives didn?t last very long and the defense was on the field quite a bit. It is hard to be effective without being good on third down. Kellen Clemens was listed as probable with a rib injury. Was he close to coming back? As we looked at it and we talked to the doctors, I thought it was best to continue on with Chad [Pennington]. And I think Chad did a nice job. It is another example of a guy who doesn?t get very many reps. When he was called on, he went in and I thought he did a very good job. What was your thinking in using Brad [Smith] at quarterback? It was obvious that he wasn?t going to be a threat to throw. We like that package and thought it was another way to get the ball to the perimeter and a chance to get the ball to one of three guys. So, either Brad, Leon [Washington] or Thomas [Jones]. You had an opportunity based on what they did with the front and thought that would be another way to attack the edge as well as have an inside presence with either Thomas or Leon. Was that package in place regardless of Clemens getting hurt? That is something that was not in reaction to Kellen?s injury. It was something that we had as part of the game plan. What are your emotions like after the buildup to this game? To me, it is a disappointment because of the opportunities that we did have today and because of how hard the players prepared and worked and, for the most part, executed. It is like the different games that we?ve talked about. When you get in those positions to score points or capitalize on a turnover or the need to protect the football-all of those things came into play today. We had some really good chances that we just weren?t able to finish up on. I meant your emotions as it related to the spying thing, etc? My emotions are related to the fact that the players prepared hard and fought a hard game and put themselves in the position to do some very good things. It is a very good football team that we were playing at home. We had an opportunity and weren?t able to quite finish. But, I am proud of the way the guys put themselves in that position and put us in that position. What did Bill Belichick say to you at the end of the game? I can?t remember. Good game or good luck or something like that. What did you say to him? Good game or good luck. It looked like your defense was trying to give a lot of different looks by moving a lot of guys around. Yes. We were trying to give as little information as possible. Tom [Brady] does an excellent job when he knows what you?re in and what he can expect, of beating the coverage or getting the offense into the right play. So, part of that is the ability to not give him too much information and to make it as difficult as possible for him to make those reads. Clemens was reported to have a rib injury. Is that accurate? Yes. I?ll know a lot more about it as we go. Was he medically able to return? It was a coach?s decision. What did you see on the play when you got your punt blocked? Initially it looks like it was a combination of a good move by their outside rusher, not very good leverage by us in terms of where we needed to be with the block point and our position, and also not being able to get the ball off quickly enough from the punter?s perspective. Did you feel that was the turning point? There was plenty of back and forth after that point and we had some good opportunities to score. We had the blocked punt; they had the blocked punt. So, we had some good chances after that. Was Chad Pennington having difficulty hearing during the game? He had some difficulties getting the signals from Brian [Daboll]. The coach-to-quarterback signals. But, we got it fixed and it was okay after that. How long did he have to deal with the glitch? I think it was a series or part of a series. Are there any suspicions on your part about that? No. That happens a lot where the helmets go in and out, different places. Is there a possibility that Pennington could start next week? I?ll have to look at everything and evaluate it. We have the injury. We don?t really have as much information now as we will later on and I?ll look at all of that stuff. What about Laveranues Coles? It looked like he tried to go but couldn?t. Yeah, he is tough. He did try and he?s been working to be able to play. He just wasn?t able to go as much as he would have liked. Was that also a product of the conditions? Sometimes that can happen when you get extreme weather or that element. But, I?m not sure if that?s exactly what it was or not, but that can happen. Did you hear anything derogatory from the fans? I think that there is a boatload of those comments, but that is what you get at every stadium.

Mangini's take - (12/16)

Comments from Jets coach Eric Mangini's post-game press conference: (Opening statement) "I just talked to the guys and talked about the opportunities that we had today and the opportunities that they created. We just weren’t able to capitalize on them. We were in the red zone four times and then couldn’t get the points that we needed to get. I thought, defensively, there was a lot of really good things today and not just in terms of the passing game, but the running game and the things that we are trying to do. I thought they did a nice job. This is a good football team that is obviously hard to beat and we had some opportunities to put ourselves in a very good position. We just couldn’t finish those." Can you talk about your third down efficiency in the first half? "Yeah, it wasn’t very good. We weren’t able to do very much on third down until the fourth quarter, so the drives didn’t last very long and the defense was on the field quite a bit. It is hard to be effective without being good on third down." Kellen Clemens was listed as probable with a rib injury. Was he close to coming back? "As we looked at it and we talked to the doctors, I thought it was best to continue on with Chad [Pennington]. And I think Chad did a nice job. It is another example of a guy who doesn’t get very many reps. When he was called on, he went in and I thought he did a very good job." What was your thinking in using Brad [Smith] at quarterback? It was obvious that he wasn’t going to be a threat to throw. "We like that package and thought it was another way to get the ball to the perimeter and a chance to get the ball to one of three guys. So, either Brad, Leon [Washington] or Thomas [Jones]. You had an opportunity based on what they did with the front and thought that would be another way to attack the edge as well as have an inside presence with either Thomas or Leon." Was that package in place regardless of Clemens getting hurt? "That is something that was not in reaction to Kellen’s injury. It was something that we had as part of the game plan." What are your emotions like after the buildup to this game? "To me, it is a disappointment because of the opportunities that we did have today and because of how hard the players prepared and worked and, for the most part, executed. It is like the different games that we’ve talked about. When you get in those positions to score points or capitalize on a turnover or the need to protect the football-all of those things came into play today. We had some really good chances that we just weren’t able to finish up on." I meant your emotions as it related to the spying thing, etc? "My emotions are related to the fact that the players prepared hard and fought a hard game and put themselves in the position to do some very good things. It is a very good football team that we were playing at home. We had an opportunity and weren’t able to quite finish. But, I am proud of the way the guys put themselves in that position and put us in that position." What did Bill Belichick say to you at the end of the game? "I can’t remember. Good game or good luck or something like that." What did you say to him? "Good game or good luck." It looked like your defense was trying to give a lot of different looks by moving a lot of guys around. "Yes. We were trying to give as little information as possible. Tom [Brady] does an excellent job when he knows what you’re in and what he can expect, of beating the coverage or getting the offense into the right play. So, part of that is the ability to not give him too much information and to make it as difficult as possible for him to make those reads." Clemens was reported to have a rib injury. Is that accurate? "Yes. I’ll know a lot more about it as we go." Was he medically able to return? "It was a coach’s decision." What did you see on the play when you got your punt blocked? "Initially it looks like it was a combination of a good move by their outside rusher, not very good leverage by us in terms of where we needed to be with the block point and our position, and also not being able to get the ball off quickly enough from the punter’s perspective." Did you feel that was the turning point? "There was plenty of back and forth after that point and we had some good opportunities to score. We had the blocked punt; they had the blocked punt. So, we had some good chances after that." Was Chad Pennington having difficulty hearing during the game? "He had some difficulties getting the signals from Brian [Daboll]. The coach-to-quarterback signals. But, we got it fixed and it was okay after that." How long did he have to deal with the glitch? "I think it was a series or part of a series." Are there any suspicions on your part about that? "No. That happens a lot where the helmets go in and out, different places." Is there a possibility that Pennington could start next week? "I’ll have to look at everything and evaluate it. We have the injury. We don’t really have as much information now as we will later on and I’ll look at all of that stuff." What about Laveranues Coles? It looked like he tried to go but couldn’t. "Yeah, he is tough. He did try and he’s been working to be able to play. He just wasn’t able to go as much as he would have liked." Was that also a product of the conditions? "Sometimes that can happen when you get extreme weather or that element. But, I’m not sure if that’s exactly what it was or not, but that can happen." Did you hear anything derogatory from the fans? "I think that there is a boatload of those comments, but that is what you get at every stadium."

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