New England Patriots News & Notes

[jaypaw]

Colvin latest defensive loss
17 Sep 03 / by Andy Hart, Patriots Football Weekly

Week one the loss was Lawyer Milloy. Week two it was Ted Johnson. Another week and another key loss has hit the New England defense. Outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin injured a hip in last Sunday's win over the Eagles and will miss an undetermined amount of time, although he will definitely not play this weekend in the Patriots home opener against the Jets, with an injury that is still being evaluated by the New England medical staff.

“There isn't really too much to add on the Rosevelt Colvin situation,” Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick said in the opening remarks of his Wednesday morning press conference at Gillette Stadium. “He's still undergoing some tests and trying to get a little more information exactly what is the best thing for him to do and what's the best way to handle his situation. As you know he had some pain in his upper leg after he recovered the fumble in the Philadelphia game. It looks like it is in the hip area, but what the exact time table on it is I just don't know, except he will not play this week. He's out.”

From a player's perspective, the loss of Colvin once again means other players will have to step up and fill the void, much as guys have done with the loss of Johnson and Milloy in previous weeks. Willie McGinest had a solid game (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery) filling in for Colvin against the Eagles, but replacing the star free agent acquisition on a more regular bases will probably be more than a one man job.

When asked if the linebacking corps was beginning to get stretched a little thing, veteran Roman Phifer answered rather honestly considering the loss of two starters in two weeks.

“It appears to be that way,” Phifer said. “But we are going to make due.”

Safety Rodney Harrison believes that linebacker is the one position on the Patriots defense that even has a shot at overcoming such significant injuries.

“Basically for us linebacker is probably the position that we have the most depth at,” Harrison said. “And I think that was pretty obvious because you brought Rosevelt in, you had [Mike] Vrabel and all those guys have started at one point in time. You have Willie McGinest who's had a long, great career. So if you are going to have any injuries, which I don't even like to say this, but at least we had depth at linebacker.”

And Harrison knows that with the injuries up front, the Jets are likely to come in and try to move the ball on the ground despite the team's early-season rushing struggles.

“I'm sure the Jets are going to try to come in and run the ball,” Harrison said. “You can't just come out and pass the ball. I think the Jets are going to establish the run. They are a pretty conservative offense, but they have a lot of talented players. With Curtis Martin, everyone is screaming that he lost a step and he's old, but this guy can play. We are not going to sit here and buy into that crap that the media is trying to feed us. This guy can play and we are going to be ready.”

The only difference is that some new faces this week, including McGinest and possibly fellow outside linebacker Matt Chatham, will be the ones getting ready for the challenge of stopping a division rival. Considering New England already has a loss in the AFC East, Sunday marks a chance to pull back to a .500 record in the early stages of what will likely be a tight divisional race.

Notes

Aside from Colvin the New England injury report consisted of Ted Johnson (foot), who is listed as out, as well as Je'Rod Cherry (leg), Mike Compton (foot), David Givens (leg), Fred McCrary (knee) and Asante Samuel (shoulder) who are all listed as questionable for Sunday's game. … The Jets listed cornerback Donnie Abraham (shoulder) and quarterback Chad Pennington (wrist) as out on Wednesday's injury list. The team also listed wide receiver Wayne Chrebet (knee), linebacker Jason Glenn (ankle) and running back LaMont Jordan (ankle) as probable. … Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for last week's performance against the Eagles. Bruschi had a career-high five passes defensed in the New England 31-10 win, including an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown to cap off the victory. He also tallied four tackles and one sack of Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb. … The Patriots announced the signing of 5-11, 195-pound wide receiver Jamin Elliott to the practice squad on Wednesday. Elliot is a former 2002 sixth-round selection of the Chicago Bears out of the University of Delaware. He played in two games as a rookie for the Bears in 2002, but was released this Aug. 25th as part of the team's 65-man roster cuts. The team had an open spot on the practice squad after guard Russ Hochstein was signed to the active roster for last Sunday's game in Philadelphia.

 

[jaypaw]

Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi named AFC Player of the Week


New England's Bruschi had a career-high five passes defensed, including an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown to cap a 31-10 victory at Philadelphia. The eight-year veteran from Arizona also registered four tackles, including one sack to help the Patriots even their record at 1-1 (.500).

"Being a captain is one thing but I think we have 50 some-odd captains," says Bruschi. "Everyone stepped it up and that's what happens. You bounce back, you get back on track."

Bruschi and his teammates stymied the Eagles, limiting them to 18-of-46 passing (39.1 pct.) and 268 total yards. The Patriots recovered four Philadelphia fumbles and posted two interceptions.

This is Bruschi's first-career AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.

 

[jaypaw]

Q: Divisional game, the home opener, you thoughts on what is coming up on Sunday.

TB: I think it is a very important game. We have been on the road four of the last five weeks, so it is good to be back home in front of the home crowd. Obviously, the Jets, a hated rival, so it should be exciting.

Q: When you look at the Jets, what do they pose defensively for you?

TB: It is a solid defense. They have a lot of experienced guys, and they kicked our butt last year in the second game. I'm sure they are going to try to do more of the same. We are going to try to go out and come back.

Q: Can you explain why they have won five in a row here at Foxborough?

TB: That is a great question. I'm sure all of the guys in the locker room ask the same question. We have won a couple down there in a row. It doesn't usually work like that. It shows you that they are going to come up ready to play. They are not overly intimidated by this stadium. We are going to go out and try to end that streak.

Q: The Jets are 0-2. Has the phrase “trap game” come up for this game?

TB: Not really, because they are our rival. We have had situations where we have played teams when we haven't been playing as well and we came out and played the type of game we wanted to play. Just because they are 0-2, doesn't mean a whole lot. It is still really early in the year. This is the type of game that they are really going to want to change the momentum of their season.

Q: In what areas is this team better?

TB: From our standpoint?

Q: Yes.

TB: I would like to think we are all a year older and a year more experienced and have been together for a year longer. We are just going to continue to try to do the things that we have been doing all offseason and into training camp … throwing the ball with efficiency and getting the running game going and putting some heat on those guys. If you get one-dimensional with a team like this, who plays a solid all around game, that is not what we are trying to do. It would be a long day for us.

Q: We have seen two different Patriots teams in the first two games. How long does it take to see a team true and true?

TB: It is long season. It really is a long season. Over the course of 16 weeks it is not the easiest to figure out. A lot of times it comes down to the wire. I think the thing that we took out of last week was the previous week didn't mean anything going into last week. Just like the previous week this week doesn't mean anything going in to the Jets game. Whether we are 1-1, 0-2 or 2-0, it is all the same, especially this early in the year when you still are trying to find an indentity and still trying to find what your team can do to go out and win football games

Q: You got the passing game going last week. With the running game, would you like to see a little more progress with in that area?

TB: Yeah. We are trying to do it and it is just something that we have to stay after. We have very capable runners and a very capable offensive line and we have done it in the past. There is no reason for me to think that we can't go out there and run the ball for a couple hundred yards. We have to go out there are try to establish some consistency there too.

Q: Because these teams know each other so well, is there a tendency to try to throw a new look or favor in the offense here and there?

TB: I think you just attack it like … the coaches break down the film and they put together the game plan. When we get the game plan we try to see what the coaches saw when they put it together. They try to view us a view of what we are going to try to do this week. The same plays that weren't successful last year, you are not going to try to run those. You are going to go out there and try to put together some new things, some things that you are good at, so you can go out and execute

Q: You and Christian (Fauria) have developed a nice little combination. Is there a chemistry to that?

TB: I think Christian just does a great job. I think he and I have hit it off since he has been here. He does a great job of getting open. He is very dependable. You always know where he is going to be and he gets open. Quarterbacks love guys like that.

Q: Do you look for him more in the end zone? It doesn't seem like you use him as much outside of the red zone. Is that the case?

TB: A lot of times in red zone coverages, the guys that get tangled up are the tight ends and the running backs. A lot of teams play these specific coverages. Everyone plays it. Our team plays it, Buffalo played it, the Eagles played it where they try to take away the outside guys. So who comes into play but the tight end and the running backs. Christian when he gets those one-on one match-ups, he does a great job of getting open. He always catches the ball. Those catches that he makes are not easy and a lot of times I make it tough for him. He goes out and grabs it and takes a hit and gets up and does that spike between his legs. I don't like that very much.

Q: Does he need to work on his choreography?

TB: Yeah, I think they should spend some time during the week trying to work on that touchdown dance and choreography because whatever they are doing is not getting it done in the end zone dance department.

Q: Do you feel the hatred for this team … the Gang Green type of thing?

TB: I think there is hatred on both sides. We don't care ever to see the Jets win games, and they don't care to see us win games. When we come together, something has to give. Hopefully it is their side

 

[jaypaw]

17 Sep 03 / by New England Patriots
BB: Well it is Jets week. This is a great rivalry between these two teams. We have split the last couple of years in the four games. One thing that I know about the Jets is in the last three years they have come up here and beat us and before that as well but particularly in the last three years. It is something that we certainly want to change. We have a lot of respect for the Jets as a football team. They are a good football team. I think they have played well defensively especially in the second half of both of their games. Offensively, I have a lot of respect for their key players Vinny [Testaverde], Wayne [Chrebet], Curtis [Martin], and Santana Moss who has given them a lot of big plays, [Kevin] Mawae and their offensive line, in fact the whole group, and special teams. They continue to be one of the strongest special teams units in the league. They have had big plays on their returns. They are a good coverage team. [Mike] Westhoff does a good job coaching them so they are pretty solid. That is really a challenge for us this week. The Jets won the division last year. They mainly won it because they beat us up here at the end of the season. That was the margin of difference really in the end. We need to play better than we played in that game in all three phases. We just didn't play well enough in any area of the game and we are going to have to find a way to play better. I am sure that the Jets will play well. I am not really worried about what has happened to them the last couple of weeks or before that. We played them last year after they had a couple of losses and they came up and beat us pretty good. I don't think it is important what happened last week or the week before that. It is a lot more important what is going to happen this week and the preparations that lead up games. That is where we are at there. Everybody has the injury report. There isn't really too much to add on the Rosevelt Colvin situation. He is still undergoing some test and trying to get a little more information on exactly what the best thing for him to do and what the best way to handle his situation is. As you know, he had some pain in his upper leg after he recovered the fumble in the Philadelphia game and it looks like it is more in the hip area. What the exact timetable on it is? I just don't know except he will not play this week. He is out.

Q: Do the doctors not tell you? They don't tell you how long he might be out?


BB: I don't know exactly how long he will be out. He will not play this week.


Q: They don't give you a timetable? Like if you go to your family doctor, they give you a scenario, it might be this or it might that.


BB: What do you want me to tell you? It could be six weeks. It could be 12 weeks. It could be three weeks. It could be eight weeks. Take whichever one you want. That is why they are doing more test. He won't play this week. I could make something up for you if you want me to and then we will change it around next week.


Q: He is one of your key players and you just seem very vague about what is wrong with him.


BB: If I had a definitive answer, I would tell you. With some injuries, there are different options on how you want to handle them. If a guy breaks a bone, then you cast it and it heals like most bones do. It takes a certain amount of time. Other injuries, there are other options. You can let it heal. You can do surgery. You can try to rehab it in different ways. Depending on what you decide to do, then you have a better idea and that decision hasn't been made yet.


Q: Do they know if it is a dislocation, a pulled tendon or a hip flexor?


BB: Those are all good questions but I don't know the answer to any of those.


Q: So the don't tell you what the specific injury is? Like whether it is a dislocation, a pulled tendon or a hip flexor?


BB: It doesn't really make any difference to me. I don't know a hip flexor from a tendon from a dislocation from a separation or anything else. I am not a doctor. I don't know what any of that stuff means. You tell me how long the guy is going to be out or what we can do with him and that is what we will do.


Q: Do they tell you that?


BB: That he is not playing this week? I just told you that.


Q: Okay, but…


BB: But what? He is still being examined by the doctors.


Q: I don't know if they say he is not playing this week. He won't be in there for three weeks or six weeks?


BB: I don't know what to tell you. You can be as belligerent as you want about it. I can't give you any more information than what I have which is the injury and the treatment has not been fully decided on yet. That is a fact and he is not playing this week. Write whatever you want to write. Make it however long you want to make it. I can't verify it one way or the other.


Q: Moving on to the Jets. Vinny Testaverde is moving closer to 40 years old now. What do you see in him now that he is approaching 40 years old that may be is smarter at?


BB: I think you see a lot of the same things. Vinny is really a gym rat. He is always in the weight room. He is always working out. I don't think his weight has fluctuated by more than a couple of pounds since I really became associated with him in 1993. He is always in good condition. He is just kind of timeless. Some people are fortunate like that but he works hard at it. I don't think it is any big accident. He gets in there and he plays this year and he looks like Vinny. He has got a great arm. He throws the ball down the field and he doesn't struggle to make any throws. He threw for 300-yards or whatever it was against Miami. He puts the ball on the money and is a big guy in the pocket that shrugs people off when they get a shot in and rush him. He is strong in there and can make all of the throws. Vinny looks like Vinny. You tell me he is 40 and I know he is 40 but you can put on the film from four or five years ago when he was 35 and he looks like he does the same thing.


Q: The Jets were saying they were going to tweak the offense to suit Vinny when Chad Pennington went out. From what you have seen on film, has there been a drastic change in what they are doing? Are there less west coast tendencies?


BB: I think the Jets offense is what it is. It has a broad base and when Pennington came in last year, again, a lot of the plays and a lot of the things they do are the same. I am sure that there is a little bit of fine-tuning, now how much of that is game plan and how much of it is directed at the quarterback and so forth, I don't know. I know this, Vinny can make every throw that he needs to make. He has got a touch. He can throw the short balls. He can throw the long balls. He can put air on it. He can throw it on a string. I think he is capable of doing whatever it is that they want him to do. Whatever that is we'll find out on Sunday, but I don't think that there are any shortcomings in terms of ability of him being able to do it.


Q: The Jets shortcomings seem to be coming in the running game. Curtis Martin hasn't shown the full skills that he has. Is it something about their offensive line? What is the problem?


BB: Certainly last week's game against Miami, they were down 21-3 and it is tough to call a lot of runs when you are in that situation. We have been there before. I think that, again, it is pretty early and in a couple of games it is hard to really say definitively that this is the way it is going to be all year or not going to be all year, good or bad. I think that is still a team that has Curtis Martin who is a good back and they have [Jerald] Sowell back. They have got good perimeter people in there with them, full backs and tight ends. Their offensive line is solid, the tackles, the center and guard are experienced. They ran the ball well on us last year, fairly well on us. That is really all I care about is what happened in our game. Basically we are playing against a lot of the same people and we need to play them better. They did it against us. That is really all that matters.


Q: I know you got good efforts from Willie McGinest and Roman Phifer last week in replacing Rosevelt Colvin and Ted Johnson but how much stress does their absences put on the defense as a whole and your depth there?


BB: Well that is part of trying to manage a team is having depth. You never know where an injury is going to hit or how many of them are going to hit so you try to get the best depth that you can on your team. When guys go down, which we all hate to see and unfortunately it is something that pretty much happens every year. That provides opportunities for other people to step up and for the other people who normally play, sometimes their contributions become a little bit different when you take somebody out. I think it is a combination of those things, guys stepping up and guys taking advantage of their opportunity for people who aren't in there and at the same time the other people who are in there sometimes their roles get redistributed just a little bit.


Q: How different a player is Willie than the player that you coached in 1996?


BB: Well I would say the two obvious things. He has got a little more wear on him but he is also more experienced and he has been through a lot of things that he hadn't been through in '96. In 1996, it was the first year that he played defensive line in the NFL. He had played linebacker the year before and played some defensive line positions at USC where they moved him around quite a bit. He played pretty much everywhere there. He played linebacker in 1995 and then in 1996 he played defensive end for us. Now he is kind of a hybrid where he plays a little bit of both. Willie is a pro and he knows the game. He knows how to play his role. I think he has, probably with his experience, gained an appreciation kind of doing his job and not trying to make every play and not trying to play way out of the scheme but trying to play within the context of what his responsibilities are. I think earlier in his career, he was such a great athlete coming into the league and still is a top athlete but a lot of times those guys have a tendency to just try to do things, and they make some plays, sometimes too much and then they maybe end up maybe taking themselves out of play that they might other wise make. I think that is a maturity level that he has gained. A lot of times you can do your job, defensively, and somebody else makes the play and it looks like you are not productive but the fact is that you turned the play into somebody else and he made it. Eventually somebody else is going to turn the play into you and you are going to make it and you just have to be patient at times and work through that.


Q: Was that an easy thing? I know you didn't coach him all of those years obviously. You just started coaching him again in 2000. Was that something that you or other coaches had to make him consciously aware of that he couldn't do as much as he did as a younger player and he needed to play more in the scheme or is that something that he just sort of picked up on his own?


BB: I think every player has to go through that phase. I have coached a lot of players and I have seen a lot of guys go through that. There is a point in their career where they feel like they can make every play and they try to make them and they make some but then there are some that just put somebody else in a bad position by gambling. There is a point where you wan to be aggressive and take a chance and there is another point where you just have to take care of your responsibilities so you don't open up a problem somewhere else. I think that comes through maturity and discipline. Obviously Willie has the ability to make a lot of plays, I am not saying that. I am just saying that the discipline on his game is better than what it was earlier in his career but I think that is fairly common.


Q: Is he a guy that has a large gap in between his strengths and his weaknesses?


BB: Willie is about as athletic of a player as you could find. He is a guy who is big. He can run. He has got explosion and strength. He is light on his feet. He is not 290 and he never will be. But guys that are 290 there are not too many of them that can do the things that he can do at 265 or whatever he is, 260, whatever he weighs. There are probably guys at 220 and 230 that can do some things that he can do. They don't weigh 260 and they don't have the kind of power and explosion that he has at that size. I think for what he is, he has quite a bit of ability for his body make up, his size, his strength, his quickness, his athleticism, his power. He is a good athlete. The guy was picked, what, fifth in the draft or whatever it was. That is reflective of the type of skill that he has.


Q: When you have talked about Willie in the past a couple of times you have referred to 'football is important to him.' Obviously, that is what you look for in any player. How much of a factor is his devotion to football in his longevity?


BB: I think it is a big factor. Willie works hard. Honestly, there are a lot of players that try to do the things that he does and they have a hard time keeping up with him. Sometimes when he works with the younger guys, they can't keep up with him. His commitment to football is certainly played a big part in his longevity. I don't think there is any question about that.


Q: With Rosevelt out of the game, who is going to step in and fill his void?


BB: What we did last week was Willie and Mike Vrabel took most of those snaps. They have kind of been on a rotation type system all the way through camp similar to what we did at the inside linebacker with Ted [Johnson], Tedy Burschi and Roman Phifer. When Ted got hurt it was Roman and Tedy. With Rosie this week, it is Willie and Mike and I am sure that they will take the majority of it as they did in the Philadelphia game.


Q: Will schemes remain the same though?


BB: We game plan for the Jets differently than we would game plan for the Eagles that is for sure. In terms of our game plan, I wouldn't say that there has been a point at any time this year where Romeo [Crennel] has said or that Romeo and I have talked and said, 'Okay, well when this guy is in the game, we don't want to call that,' or, 'When this guy is in the game, we need to call something else.' Whoever is in there, is in there and can play it whether it is Mike or Rosie or Willie or Roman or Tedy or Ted Johnson. Whoever was in there, whatever the combination was, whatever the call was, I think Romeo felt confident making the call with whoever was in there playing it and not worrying about it. We feel like there is flexibility and depth there. That is part of managing a team, is having some depth at positions so that if something happens, you have people who you do feel like can continue to maintain and run your system the way you have been doing it. It is hard when you lose one guy then to ask 10 guys, 'Okay fellas, what we have been doing these last few weeks, forget about that. We have to do something totally different.' That puts a lot of strain on everybody when you have to make that move. Sometimes you have to do it, but it is not one you ever look forward to.


Q: When do you think you will be able to make a long-term decision on Rosevelt?


BB: Whenever I know.


Q: Is it possible it could be this week?


BB: Sure that is possible. Yes.


Q: Is Damien Woody good to go? He is not even on the injury report.


BB: He will be out there and practicing today


Q: After seeing the game film, can you assess Dan Koppen's play?


BB: Some things were better than others. First of all, Philadelphia has three good interior players in Hollis Thomas, [Paul] Grasmanis and, of course, [Corey] Simon who I think is one of the best defensive tackles in the league. I would put him up there against anybody. There were times where they made some plays and we didn't get them blocked well. There were other times when we did and hung on. There were some things that were good. It was good competition. Hopefully it will be better. It held up all right. I am not saying it was great but it was all right. But they are also good players.


Q: Do you feel comfortable going with him if you had to for an extended period?


BB: Well, I think if he has to play, he has shown that he can play. He showed that in preseason that we could put him in there.


Q: Has Tedy Bruschi's role changed over the last couple of weeks with Johnson and now Colvin out? What is it from here on out?


BB: I think from here on out is probably not the way I would look at it. I would look at it more from what is it on a week-to-week basis. What we tried to do a couple of weeks ago with the depth that we had in those positions was to try to utilize everybody whether it be in different packages or on a rotational basis, however we decided to split it up. I think now, it will just probably be a little bit less of that and the guys who are playing, are playing. We probably won't have the same type of rotation that we had when Ted Johnson and Rosevelt Colvin were in there.


Q: Has Rosevelt ever had a hip injury before that you are know of?


BB: Not that I am aware of, no.


Q: I wanted to ask you about Dewayne Robertson and Ty Warren. How far has Robertson come along viewing the film on the Jets so far?


BB: Robertson, first of all, he plays a different position than Ty does. Ty primarily has played outside more on the tackle. Robertson plays more on the guard and the center area. He plays a lot of three technique and then sometimes on their fronts he ends up tighter than that. It is a little bit of apples and oranges there. Robertson has some quickness. He has got some explosion. They kind of have a little defensive tackle rotation there between [Jason] Ferguson, Robertson and Chester McGlockton. All of those guys play. They are all in there at one point or another, sometimes situationally and sometimes it looks like they just rotate them through. All three guys play in there. They are pretty good inside. They have three good players there and they all contribute all a little bit different style of play.


Q: Is there one thing that surprises you about Ty Warren besides everything else? I am sure that he has good plays and bad plays, etc. But is there one thing that has really impressed you up to this point?


BB: I think the biggest thing I would say about Ty is he has worked hard. He has been out there everyday and hasn't missed one thing since he has been here and therefore he has been able to get better on a consistent basis. He hasn't gone and made progress and then missed time and then had to start all over again. He has made progress and has been able to build on that each day and each week. I am not saying that is unexpected but it is just the way it has been and that is good for any rookie player. Frankly most of our rookies fall under that category and that has probably contributed to why they have moved along, for the most part, in a fairly positive direction.

 

[jaypaw]

The Patriots (1-1) will welcome the New York Jets (0-2) to Gillette Stadium this Sunday, opening their 2003 home schedule. New England is coming off of an impressive 31-10 win in Philadelphia that evened their record on the young season and proved their mettle as they rebounded from a season-opening loss. The Patriots have won five of their last seven home openers and are 9-3 (.750) all-time at Gillette Stadium.

New England will try to prove that its Week Two win showed fans what they can expect to see on a regular basis this season. The Patriots will try to keep up the momentum generated in Philadelphia by grabbing their first division victory and putting on a show for the home crowd. Despite recent success against AFC East teams (a division-best 10-5 since 2001) and their strong play at home, the Patriots will face a formidable challenge in the Jets, who have won in New England each of the past two seasons. Having split their season series with the Jets in each of the past two seasons, the Week Three battle in the Patriots home opener promises to be a hard-fought contest between divisional rivals.

TELEVISION: This week's game will be televised by CBS. The game can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston. Dick Enberg will handle the play-by-play duties and Dan Dierdorf will provide analysis. Bonnie Bernstein will deliver reports from the sidelines throughout the game. Immediately following the game, the Fifth Quarter postgame show can be seen on WSBK-TV Channel 38 in Boston.

RADIO: WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for the Patriots Rock Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 27th season as the voice of the Patriots, and calls the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. In 2003, Santos and Cappelletti celebrate their 20th season as a broadcast tandem.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Patriots will play their home opener at Gillette Stadium against the Jets this week. Since moving into the state-of-the-art facility in 2002, the Patriots have compiled a 9-3 record, including preseason games. Dating back to the 2001 season, the Patriots have won 13 of their last 16 games at home, including preseason and postseason contests.

PATRIOTS VS. AFC EAST
The Patriots are 9-3 in their last 12 games against AFC East opponents, dating back to the 2001 season. In 2002, the Patriots finished the season with a 4-2 record against their divisional rivals. Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, New England has compiled an overall record of 131-132-0 (.498) against divisional opponents. The Patriots are 32-24 (.571) against the AFC East since the beginning of the 1996 season. The Patriots own the best record against AFC East foes since 2001 with a 10-5 mark. The Jets have the second best mark, going 9-6 against the division since 2001.

SWAT TEAM
The Patriots defense recorded 16 pass breakups last weekend in Philadelphia, the most since they batted away 16 passes on Nov. 11, 1984 in a 38-10 win over Buffalo and quarterback Joe Ferguson. Last weekend, Patriots defenders were consistently in position to break up Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb's pass attempts, holding him to a career-low 39.1 percent completion rate (18-46). Tedy Bruschi led the swat team with five passes defensed, including an interception that he returned 18 yards for a touchdown.

SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots and Jets will meet for the 87th time since the series between the AFC East rivals began in 1960. The Patriots have won two of the last three games between the teams, with both victories coming at the Meadowlands. The Jets hold an overall edge in the series, but the two teams have each won nine games against each other since Robert Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994. The teams have split the season series each of the past two years, with all games being won by the visiting team in both 2001 and 2002. Last season, the teams split their two games, with the Patriots taking a 44-7 win away from the Meadowlands on Sept. 14 and the Jets posting a 30-17 victory at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 22. The teams also split their series in 2001, as the Jets won 10-3 at Foxboro Stadium and the Patriots were victorious at the Meadowlands, 17-16. The Patriots' longest winning streak against the Jets came when they won six straight games from 1994-97.

Date Result +/-
1960 Patriots 28, at Jets 24 +4
at Patriots 38, Jets 21 +17
1961 Jets 21, at Patriots 20 -1
at Jets 37, Patriots 30 -7
1962 Patriots 43, at Jets 14 +29
at Patriots 24, Jets 17 +7
1963 at Patriots 38, Jets 14 +24
at Jets 31, Patriots 24 -7
1964 at Patriots 26, Jets 10 +16
at Jets 35, Patriots 14 -21
1965 Jets 30, at Patriots 20 -10
Patriots 27, at Jets 23 +4
1966 at Patriots 24, Jets 24 tie
at Jets 38, Patriots 28 -10
1967 at Jets 30, Patriots 23 -7
Jets 29, at Patriots 24 -5
1968 at Jets 47, Patriots 31 -16
at Jets 48, Patriots 14 -34
1969 Jets 23, at Patriots 14 -9
at Jets 23, Patriots 17 -6
1970 Jets 31, at Patriots 21 -10
at Jets 17, Patriots 3 -14
1971 at Patriots 20, Jets 0 +20
at Jets 13, Patriots 6 -7
1972 Jets 41, at Patriots 13 -28
at Jets 34, Patriots 10 -24
1973 Jets 9, at Patriots 7 -2
at Jets 33, Patriots 13 -20
1974 Patriots 24, at Jets 0 +24
Jets 21, at Patriots 16 -5
1975 at Jets 36, Patriots 7 -29
Jets 30, at Patriots 28 -2
1976 at Patriots 41, Jets 7 +34
Patriots 38, at Jets 24 +14
1977 at Jets 30, Patriots 27 -3
at Patriots 24, Jets 13 +11
1978 at Patriots 55, Jets 21 +34
Patriots 19, at Jets 17 +2
1979 at Patriots 56, Jets 3 +53
at Jets 27, Patriots 26 -1
1980 Patriots 21, at Jets 11 +10
at Patriots 34, Jets 21 +13
1981 at Jets 28, Patriots 24 -4
Jets 17, at Patriots 6 -11
1982 Jets 31, at Patriots 7 -24
1983 at Patriots 23, Jets 13 +10
at Jets 26, Patriots 3 -23
1984 Patriots 28, at Jets 21 +7
at Patriots 30, Jets 20 +10
1985 at Patriots 20, Jets 13 +7
at Jets 16, Patriots 13 ot -3
1986 Patriots 20, at Jets 6 +14
Jets 31, at Patriots 24 -7
1987 at Jets 43, Patriots 24 -19
at Patriots 42, Jets 20 +22
1988 at Patriots 28, Jets 3 +25
Patriots 14, at Jets 13 +1
1989 Patriots 27, at Jets 24 +3
Jets 27, at Patriots 26 -1
1990 Jets 37, at Patriots 13 -24
at Jets 42, Patriots 7 -35
1991 Jets 28, at Patriots 21 -7
Patriots 6, at Jets 3 +3
1992 at Jets 30, Patriots 21 -9
at Patriots 24, Jets 3 +21
1993 at Jets 45, Patriots 7 -38
Jets 6, at Patriots 0 -6
1994 at Jets 24, Patriots 17 -7
at Patriots 24, Jets 13 +11
1995 Patriots 20, at Jets 7 +13
at Patriots 31, Jets 28 +3
1996 Patriots 31, at Jets 27 +4
at Patriots 34, Jets 10 +24
1997 at Patriots 27, Jets 24 ot +3
at Jets 24, Patriots 19 -5
1998 Jets 24, at Patriots 14 -10
at Jets 31, Patriots 10 -21
1999 Patriots 30, at Jets 28 +2
Jets 24, at Patriots 17 -7
2000 at Jets 20, Patriots 19 -1
Jets 34, at Patriots 17 -17
2001 Jets 10, at Patriots 3 -7
Patriots 17, at Jets 16 +1
2002 Patriots 44, at Jets 7 +37
Jets 30, at Patriots 17 -13
1985 Patriots 26, at Jets 14* +12
*-AFC playoff game


SERIES TRENDS
Overall Record in Series 38 wins, 47 losses - 1 tie
Total Points Jets 1,919, Patriots 1,891
Record in playoffs 1 win, 0 losses
Record in New England 20 wins, 21 losses - 1 tie
Record in New York 18 wins, 25 losses
Neutral Sites 0 wins, 1 loss
Longest winning streak 6 games (12/4/94 - 9/14/97)
Longest losing streak 9 games (12/17/66 - 11/22/70)
Seasonal Sweeps Jets 14 (most recent '00), Patriots 9 ('96)


TALE OF THE TAPE
2003 Regular Season New England New York
Record 1-1 0-2
Divisional Standings T-2nd 4th
Total Yards Gained 548 545
Total Offense (Rank) 274.0 (25) 272.5 (26)
Rush Offense 83.5 (23) 39.0 (32)
Pass Offense 190.5 (T-19) 233.5 (10)
Points Per Game 15.5 11.5
Total Yards Allowed 587 703
Total Defense 293.5 (13) 351.5 (23)
Rush Defense 101.5 (20) 173.5 (30)
Pass Defense 192.0 (13) 178.0 (9)
Points Allowed/Game 20.5 18.5
Possession Avg. 31:22 24:44
Sacks Allowed/Yards Lost 4/28 2/11
Sacks Made/Yards 9/57 5/19
Interceptions By 3 1
Penalties Against/Yards 20/205 8/57
Punts/Avg. 15/39.8 10/35.5
Takeaway/Giveaway Ratio +4 +2


CONNECTIONS
- Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was the Jets' Assistant Head Coach/Secondary for three seasons (1997-99).
- As head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Belichick hired Mike Tannenbaum as a personnel intern. He is now the Jets' Assistant G.M./Director of Player Personnel.
- Defensive Coordinator Romeo Crennel was the defensive line coach for the Jets from 1997-99.
- Inside Linebackers coach Pepper Johnson played for two seasons with the Jets, before retiring in 1999. In his first season with the Jets, he was voted captain before the start of the regular season.
- Defensive Backs coach Eric Mangini served as the Jets Defensive Assistant/Quality Control coach from 1997-99.
- Special Teams coach Brad Seely held the same position with the Jets in 1994.
- Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis coached for three seasons with the Jets (1997-Wide Receivers, 1998-Offensive Coordinator/WRs, 1999-Offensive Coordinator/FBs).
- Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli was the Director of Pro Personnel for the Jets from 1997-1999.
- Patriots Guard Joe Andruzzi is from Staten Island, N.Y., where he was an offensive and defensive tackle at Tottenville High School.
- Patriots Tight End Fred Baxter was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft (115th overall) by the Jets, for whom he played for eight seasons.
- Patriots Linebacker Don Davis originally signed with the Jets as a rookie free agent in the spring of 1995.
- Patriots Running Back Kevin Faulk set a career-high with a 95-yard kickoff return vs. the Jets (11/15/99). It was the eighth longest return – and the longest non-scoring return – in franchise history.
- Patriots defensive end Bobby Hamilton was signed by the Jets as a free agent and participated on their practice squad for the first season before being activated and staying with the organization for another four years.
- Patriots quarterback Damon Huard made his NFL debut against the Jets, while he was playing for the Dolphins, and connected on two-of-three passes for 21 yards.
- Patriots cornerback Ty Law scored his first touchdown, a 38-yard interception return against the Jets (12/8/96), as well as his first career fumble recovery (9/14/97).
- Patriots defensive lineman Rick Lyle signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in March of 1997, where he remained for five seasons.
- Patriots linebacker Roman Phifer signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent on March 5, 1999, and stayed with the organization for two seasons.
- Patriots defensive end Anthony Pleasant played for the Jets for two seasons, during which time he recorded 31 starts out of his 32 appearances, 97 tackles, and 8.0 sacks for 63 yards.
- While playing for the Carolina Panthers, Patriots cornerback Tyrone Poole snagged his first career interception in the franchise's first win, 26-15 over the Jets (10/15/95).
- Jets Assistant Head Coach/Senior Offensive Assistant Jimmy Raye was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots in 1990.
- Jets defensive back Jamie Henderson was drafted in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2001 draft in a selection from the Patriots as part of the compensation package for Head Coach Bill Belichick.
- Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde started 31 games at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns from 1993-95, when Bill Belichick was the team's head coach.
- Jets running back Curtis Martin was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round (74th overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft; in his three seasons with New England, Martin appeared in 45 games with 43 starts.

PATRIOTS – JETS QUICK HITS
- The Patriots have five former Jets on their roster (Rick Lyle, Anthony Pleasant, Roman Phifer, Bobby Hamilton and Fred Baxter).
- Five Patriots coaches have also coached for the Jets (Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, Brad Seely, Eric Mangini).
- The teams have each won nine games in the series since Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994.
- Bill Belichick is 3-5 all-time against the Jets, including a record of 2-4 as head coach of the Patriots.
- Herman Edwards is 2-2 in his career against the Patriots.
- Tom Brady is 2-1 as a starter against the Jets.
- Vinny Testaverde is 5-7 against the Patriots in the regular season and 1-0 in the playoffs.
- The Patriots have a 10-5 record against the AFC East since the beginning of the 2001 season. It's the best record among AFC East teams over that span.
- The Jets have the second best record against the AFC East since 2001, compiling a 9-6 mark

 

[jaypaw]

Out call from Belichick: Colvin will miss the Jets
By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff, 9/18/2003

FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots complied with the NFL minimum requirement for revealing injuries beginning on Wednesday of each week, listing Rosevelt Colvin as out of Sunday's game against the New York Jets with a hip injury. Looking for answers beyond that? Coach Bill Belichick wasn't ready to give any yesterday.

"There isn't really too much to add on the Rosevelt Colvin situation," explained Belichick. "He is still undergoing some tests and trying to get a little more information on exactly what the best thing for him to do and what the best way to handle his situation is. As you know, he had some pain in his upper leg after he recovered the fumble in the Philadelphia game and it looks like it is more in the hip area. What the exact timetable on it is? I just don't know except he will not play this week. He is out."

Two sources, one a team official and the other a person familiar with Colvin's condition, have told the Globe that the linebacker suffered a temporary dislocation of the left hip that popped out and popped back into place shortly after he injured the hip in the first quarter of last Sunday's 31-10 win over the Eagles.

What Colvin hopes to learn through subsequent MRIs is whether he has a fracture of the hip bone or whether he has pulled or torn muscles or ligaments.

"If a guy breaks a bone, then you cast it and it heals like most bones do," said Belichick. "It takes a certain amount of time. Other injuries, there are other options. You can let it heal. You can do surgery. You can try to rehab it in different ways. Depending on what you decide to do, then you have a better idea and that decision hasn't been made yet."

Belichick received tough questioning on the secrecy of Colvin's condition from the Worcester Telegram's Ken Powers, who after listening to Belichick's answer on Colvin responded, "Do the doctors not tell you? They don't tell you how long he might be out?"

"I don't know exactly how long he will be out," said Belichick. "He will not play this week."

Powers persisted, "They don't give you a timetable? Like if you go to your family doctor, they give you a scenario, it might be this or that . . ."

"What do you want me to tell you?" shot back Belichick. "It could be six weeks. It could be 12 weeks. It could be three weeks. It could be eight weeks. Take whichever one you want. That is why they are doing more tests. He won't play this week. I could make something up for you if you want me to and then we will change it around next week."

Asked whether it was a pulled tendon or a dislocation or a hip flexor, Belichick responded, "Those are all good questions but I don't know the answer to any of those."

The coach finally said, "I don't know what to tell you. You can be as belligerent as you want about it. I can't give you any more information than what I have, which is the injury and the treatment has not been fully decided on yet. That is a fact and he is not playing this week. Write whatever you want to write. Make it however long you want to make it. I can't verify it one way or the other."

The Patriots will use Roman Phifer at inside linebacker while Willie McGinest and Matt Chatham will handle some of the load outside in Colvin's absence along with Mike Vrabel.

Safety Rodney Harrison said he hates to see Colvin out, but "if there's one area where we're strong it's linebacker."

Minor bump on road

One omission on the Patriots' injury list was quarterback Tom Brady, who suffered a right elbow injury against the Eagles. X-rays were negative, but even yesterday Brady reported having soreness, but reasoned that most players had some bruises and bumps and he would be out there Sunday . . . The Patriots also list Ted Johnson out with a broken foot, receiver David Givens questionable (leg), guard Mike Compton questionable (foot), cornerback Asante Samuel questionable (shoulder), safety Je'Rod Cherry questionable (leg), and fullback Fred McCrary questionable (knee) . . . Jets starting cornerback Donnie Abraham will miss 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury.

 

[jaypaw]

No secret he has to protect
Patriots' Light must keep Abraham at bay
By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff, 9/18/2003

FOXBOROUGH -- There's the dreaded Jason Taylor in Miami and the up-and-coming Aaron Schobel in Buffalo. And up next is the monstrous John Abraham, who predicted a couple of weeks back that his New York Jets defense could produce a 64-sack season.

At this rate, Patriots left tackle Matt Light will never catch a break.

Abraham, a two-time Pro Bowler who had 13 sacks in 2001 and 10 sacks last season, gives everyone in the league fits, and Light lies awake at night memorizing every little move and every little trick he's seen from Abraham the last two years. After all, Abraham had a pretty good day in that 30-17 win over the Patriots in Game 15 last season, when he recorded 1 1/2 sacks and six tackles.

Speed rushers gave Light problems the first two years, though he's held Abraham in check in some games. Abraham has drawn some criticism from his coaching staff for perhaps being too sack-happy and not playing within the defensive scheme, but his effectiveness is key for the Jets. Nobody knows that more than Light.

It's all part of a maturation process for Light, now in his third season in the league. His battles against Taylor, Abraham, and Schobel are resembling the many years when Bruce Armstrong and Bruce Smith battled twice a season in those Patriots-Bills games.

If the Jets have anything going for them at 0-2 and heading into a crucial game at Gillette Stadium, it's their solid defensive line, featuring fast and strong ends in Shaun Ellis and Abraham, and rookie Dewayne Robertson, Jason Ferguson, and Chester McGlockton, who rotate in the middle. It will be a major test for the Patriots' offensive line, which will get center Damien Woody back Sunday after he missed his first career NFL game with a sore sternum. Veteran guard Mike Compton was listed as questionable on the Patriots' injury report with a sore toe.

Light, who has added a beard and lost some weight, feels he's slowly but surely gaining confidence and getting into a comfort zone with the Patriots' scheme. He's been able to protect Brady pretty well over the past two-plus seasons, but he also knows what he's up against -- perhaps the best pass rushers in the game.

"Obviously there's a lot less mystery being in a system for a while, knowing the coaches and being comfortable where you're at," Light said. "You can be the greatest athlete, have the best hands as a receiver, the most powerful get-off on the defensive line, but unless you know what the system is and what the coaches expect of you, you're not going to be in tune with things."

What he's learned is that the big pass rushers can be neutralized with a balanced attack. If you can run, it takes away from Abraham's pass rushing, putting him in fewer pass-rushing situations and disrupting his timing.

Light knows Abraham has studied him as well. He studies Light's every move over and over, and he'll show him something that perhaps Light has never seen.

"You're never gonna see the same thing you saw the time before," explained Light. "There are definite things you can tag John with. He's fast, a lot of quickness, if you don't get off the ball he'll beat you. He has good hands and good presence on the field. He can create plays everywhere on the field. He's also very strong."

In comparing Abraham with Taylor, Light said, "Taylor is in a league of his own. His physical size -- big, tall, lanky, big arms, legs with all the leverage he has, he can present a lot of problems. He's got a little more speed than Abraham. With both those guys you can help yourself out by not having to throw on every down. Every situation is a little different, whether you're down or have success early. If we put points on the board and get up then we can play our style instead of playing their style. Running the ball isn't always going to completely shut him down, but running it will put you in a better situation."

As for the division's other big pass rusher, Schobel, "He has an unbelievable motor. I saw him before the game against Buffalo and it looked like he'd lost some weight. He's trying to get in to more beating you with speed and outside moves. He's worked on his game and done as much as anybody out there."

Light said Abraham isn't always lining up against him, and he's likely to see Ellis quite a bit as well. "They have big playmakers," said Light. "They put a lot of money into Dewayne Robertson, a very good player. Ellis is having his best year, from what I understand. Abraham likes to be on the weak side of the formation. A lot of time on first or second down, he's gonna be on the other side of the ball."

Light said Ellis brings more of a physical game than Abraham, especially when, "He sees he's not gonna beat you with speed, he'll put two hands on your chest and try to bowl you back into the quarterback."

Light understands if he can be effective run-blocking for Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith, he can avoid the dreaded pass rush. Light has to drive Abraham outside and give Brady enough time to make his reads.

All week, last year's dreaded loss to the Jets has been pounded in to the players' heads by coach Bill Belichick. Nobody understands the message more than Light.

 

[jaypaw]

Patriots not yet a known quantity
By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist, 9/17/2003

FOXBOROUGH -- In Week 1, your world champions once removed were forgettable and regrettable and you're-out-of-the-will-able.

In Week 2, your world champions once removed were a championship-style prodigal son returned.

Does this mean Week 1 was an aberration? Does this mean Week 2 was an aberration? Does anyone, and that would include the head coach himself, know exactly what it all means?

"I don't know," he says in a rare moment of press conference humanity. "That is kind of like the story about the guy who has one foot in a bucket of boiling water and the other foot in a bucket of ice water and you feel like he should be perfectly comfortable."

Whoa. Wait a minute. Has our poker-faced mentor just pulled a Tuna on us? Bill Parcells had a story, metaphor, analogy, or parable for every occasion. As a rule, speaking in any kind of code is not Bill Belichick's style. But since he actually has smiled once or twice already, this is clearly a very (temporarily) happy guy. At least now he knows his team has a pulse. I'm sure he wanted to make them all hitchhike home from Buffalo.

What it means, of course, is "Welcome to the 2003 NFL." There are no super teams anymore, but there are a lot of middlin' teams with a chance to be good that need to bring that elusive "it" every time they suit up or else face the very real chance of having their butts kicked.

"I think each week is its own entity," he continues. "I don't think last week necessarily affected us against Philadelphia and I am not sure that our performance against Philadelphia is going to have anything to do with how we play against the Jets."

So is this William Goldman's famed "Nobody Knows Anything" Hollywood theory, as applied to the National Football League? Is he saying that you, the coach, run through your standard checklist of preparational things as best you can without ever really knowing that your team is readier to bring an A game, or at least a B-plus game, than it was any other week? Or is it just too soon in the season to make definitive judgments about anything?

"I can't answer that question," he says. "We have all seen teams win X number of games in a row and then come out and lay an egg, or lose X games in a row and then come out and win big. What I do feel about this team is we have a strong veteran presence on the team. It's a physically and mentally tough team, and I have a lot of respect for the way they prepare and the way they work."

One problem in assessing the current state of the Patriots is the sobering knowledge that the team they just defeated so handily is, to be as polite as possible, a startling abomination. Two regular-season games have been played in the new $517 million Lincoln Financial Field, and in those two games the Eagles have been outscored, 48-10. Their franchise quarterback has a rating of 41.4, a number that would have represented a good year for Wilt Chamberlain in the early '60s but places Donovan McNabb last and very much least among starting NFL signal callers.

The Eagles lost three defensive starters in their opening-night loss to Tampa Bay, and the two defensive backs they lost -- Brian Dawkins and Bobby Taylor -- were among the top three defensive players they have. Dawkins is, by all accounts, the best. So this happened to be a very propitious time to find the Iggles on your schedule. It's entirely possible the Patriots have just had their easiest game of the season.

But the mentor is not looking back. In his mind, what he saw on Sunday was "a tough game on the road against a good football team," and in that game "I thought the players did a really good job of executing the game plan by playing a tough, physical game. They made a lot of big plays when they had an opportunity to make them. As usual, that was a good formula."

My guess is the mentor really does have an opinion, but it is not for public consumption. He knows far better than any of us the difference in quality between Dawkins and Taylor and the inexperienced players who replaced them. He won't come out and say, "Of course, we were going to zero in on Lito Sheppard and Clinton Hart." No coach in that scripted NFL world will say a thing like that out loud. That's the job of the panting media.

I mean, duh.

All three touchdown passes were play-action calls that wound up looking like a Friday walk-through. Draw your own conclusion.

Whatever. Philly is in the books. It's time to start thinking about the New York Jets, another 0-2 team with angry fans and a snarling media on its tail.

And this really will be a nasty game. The Jets had pretensions, and if they go 0-3, well, whaddya think? To borrow a hockey phrase, the Jets will be playing "desperate" football. Fortunately for Coach Belichick, his prime motivational tactic is very graphic. He's not planning on showing his team the tape of the 44-7 New England victory in Giants Stadium last September. No, no, no. He's planning on showing them the gruesome tape of a 30-17 loss in Week 15.

"That is really the game, from our standpoint, that made them the division champions," Belichick recalls. "Just look at the game. Just look at the score. Just look at what happened. I think that is all we need to see."

You'd think so, anyway, but who knows which Patriots team will make its home debut Sunday at 1 p.m.? Until that time, the mentor still has one foot in the boiling water and one foot in the bucket of ice. Perhaps he'd feel better if someone would play him a good Bon Jovi song. Maybe something from "Bounce."

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is ryan@globe.com.

 

[jaypaw]

Patriots' Colvin out for season
By Associated Press, 9/19/2003 15:49

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin will miss the rest of the season after surgery Friday on his broken left hip, further depleting New England's defense.

Colvin was hurt early in the second quarter of last Sunday's 31-10 win at Philadelphia when he recovered a fumble by Donovan McNabb. Colvin was replaced by Willie McGinest, who had two sacks.

Colvin, an important offseason acquisition, led the Chicago Bears with 10½ sacks each of the last two seasons.

He is the third key defender lost to the Patriots this season. Safety Lawyer Milloy was released before the first game, and linebacker Ted Johnson missed the second game with a broken foot that is expected to sideline him several weeks.

 

[jaypaw]

The funny thing about this is that in the press conference this dickhead reported insisted that belechick give him an estimated return time - I'll have to check the transcripts but I doubt belechick gave in -

I'm gonna laugh so hard if this dickhead reporter just posted this to piss belechick off...

 

[jaypaw]

my mistake - I should have read the damn article before I blabbed:

"team spokesman Stacey James said Friday"

funny nonetheless

 

[Railbird]

Patriots head scout Larry Cook is a piece of garbage. Look for pats to go 5-11

 

[DENIRO]

hey jaypaw

why doesnt the pats get a stud runningback these past years

they got a nice team but need a running back

thats their only missing puzzle

 

[jaypaw]

I think that they have other pieces missing but I agree - antoine smith seems to be the kinda guy that probably coulda but for whatever reason wasnt and isnt...

They are missing a hitter in the middle of their secondary, they are missing one of their key offseason acquisitions (colvin), and they are missing size at receiver, as well as a good chunk of their offensive line - that wasnt really "all madden" to begin with.

Slowly but surely they have peddled off many of the key players on the team - or lost them to injury.

Their strength is certainly at the corners with a good balance of youth (wilson, samuel) and experience (law, poole) and - if they can keep this brady-fauria thing going then that may help make up for their lack of size at receiver - plus if bethel johnson can get his head to catch up to his ass he may be the sleeper between brown and patten with all that speed... not to mention "the blob" at D nose.

 

[jaypaw]

by the way - they had a stud at RB... but parcells took him.

 

[1cheater]

Jaypaw, Thanks for the info and your time

 

[jaypaw]

sure man - I hope it helps.

Are you gonna fix your pic soon?

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

 

[jaypaw]

Patriots DT Washington out indefinitely with broken leg


September 22, 2003
FOXBORO, Massachusetts (Ticker) - New England Patriots veteran nose tackle Ted Washington suffered a fractured left leg in Sunday's 23-16 win over the New York Jets and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed the injury on Monday and said that Washington "will be out for a while."

The 35-year-old Washington broke the same leg and also tore a foot ligament last September when he played for the Chicago Bears in a Week Two game at Atlanta and missed the remainder of the season.

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The Bears cut Washington in training camp, but the Patriots, who were desperately seeking to shore up a poor run defense, signed the 6-4, 375-pound veteran.

Washington quickly moved in as the starter in the Patriots' 3-4 defense, but was injured early in the first quarter of Sunday's game.

Rick Lyle, an eight-year veteran, replaced Washington and will likely start in next Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins.

Washington was selected to three Pro Bowls in six years with the Buffalo Bills before signing as a free agent with Chicago in 2000. He again made the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Bears.

The Patriots on Monday officially placed outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and guard Mike Compton on injured reserve, ending their season.

New England brought back reserve running back Patrick Pass, who was cut in training camp, and claimed offensive lineman Wilbert Brown off waivers from the Redskins to replace Colvin and Compton on the roster.

Colvin, the team's top offseason free agent signing, underwent surgery last Friday to repair a fractured left hip. Compton suffered a foot injury in the September 14 win over Philadelphia.

A seventh-round pick of the Patriots in 2000, Pass played in 36 games, including two starts, with New England. He rushed for 92 yards on 23 carries and caught 10 passes for 83 yards. The past two years, Pass returned 17 kicks for 345 yards.

 

[jaypaw]

Patriots defend home opener, 23-16
21 Sep 03 / by Fred Kirsch



Two gritty teams met on the football field today with the difference being one team able to run the ball and the other having to rely on the pass.

Of late, that description would have New England in the latter category but on this day, it was the Patriots able to run when they chose to and the Jets taking it to the air.

Between Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith, New England had 134 yards on the ground, 148 total throwing in a couple runs by Larry Centers and Troy Brown. That's a good thing because early on, Brady was harassed when trying to pass (he was sacked five times and fumbled once).

Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody said the offense always knew it had the ability to run, but it was also good to put together a solid rushing effort on the field.

“We knew we were capable, but it's just the fact of going out there and doing it,” Woody said. “Anybody can talk a big game, but to go out there and back it up it is a whole different story and I think today we did a pretty good job of moving the line of scrimmage. The backs ran hard and everybody did a good job collectively in the running game of making it happen. Was it perfect? No, but that's the type of progress we need for the rest of the season.”




On the other side of the ball, it was the Patriots pass defense getting the better of Vinny Testeverde and his troops with Asante Samuel turning in his first career interception score and Tedy Bruschi having another solid game (9 tackles, forced fumble). When the Jets did try and run, New England gave them few holes, limiting Curtis Martin to 53 yards on 15 attempts.

Despite early season struggles, the New England defense came into the gaming with a great deal of respect for the future Hall of Famer and his abilities.

“Curtis always runs hard and I think Curtis has multiple years left in him,” Bruschi said. “Whether he is struggling or not, I have tremendous respect for that running back and I always will. Number one goal going into every week, whether it is Curtis Martin or Trung Canidate, we have to stop the run to be successful. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. Today we did.”

The Jets opened the game with a 19-yard pass to Curtis Conway and then benefited by a late hit on Martin by Richard Seymour, tacking on 15 yards to a 6-yard run, bringing the ball to the Patriots 32. But the Patriots defense held from there forcing a 41-yard field goal for a 3-0 Jets early lead.

New England bounced back with three points of its own on a 5:47 drive. They pounded the ball on the ground for six straight plays, beginning at their own 30 and winding up on the Jets 35 where Brady, with excellent protection, found Daniel Graham for 31 yards. The second-year tight end did a good job of picking up yards after the catch, cutting it up the middle of the field down to the Jets 4. But from there, a Centers run gained only 1 and then on third down, Brady was sacked by Shaun Ellis for a loss of 3 and Vinatieri came on for a 24-yard field goal to tie the game.

New England fell short yet again on its second drive of the game. While coming up with three points on a 22-yard field goal, the Patriots had first and 10 on the Jets 10 but another sack of Brady, this one by Bryan Thomas, helped thwart the opportunity. Still, at third and 4 from the 4, Brady had a chance to hit Troy Brown who was open on his pattern across the end zone but the ball was overthrown, bringing on Vinatieri.

The Jets were determined to break the pattern of field goals when they lined up for their own on the next drive. But instead of a 34-yard attempt, holder Doug Stryzinski picked up the ball and threw to center Kevin Mawae who rumbled out of his lineman's position towards the left sideline. The ball bounced off the leaping lineman's hands and the Patriots maintained their 3-point lead.

Despite doing a good job against the run – even without Ted Washington who left the game after the first series with a leg injury – the Patriots defense was having trouble defensing the vertical pass while also committing some key personal foul penalties.

On the Jets fourth drive of the first half, Rodney Harrison was flagged for roughing which gave the Jets good field position at the Patriots 26. Martin was dumped for a 4-yard loss, however, and after coming up short with a pass to Wayne Chrebet, the Jets tied the game at 6 with a 39-yard field goal by Brien.

After another sack of Brady on the Patriots next possession forced New England to turn the ball over after three plays with a punt. On the Jets subsequent drive, the Patriots had both a little good and bad luck. The good came when Wayne Chrebet beat his man along the right sideline for an apparent touchdown. But just prior to making the catch on first and 10 from the Patriots 32, he tapped the sideline with his foot, making him ineligible to be the first person to touch the ball. The penalty was illegal touching and the Jets were knocked back five yards.

By this point, New York was working exclusively through the air and on third and 12, Testeverde was forced to backpedal as he looked downfield. He clearly threw the ball away to avoid a sack but the referee ruled he was outside the tackles, allowing him to do so legally. Replay showed that was not the case but that type of play is not reviewable.

The following punt pinned the Patriots on their own 4-yard line and Brady losing the grip of the ball on a pass attempt that he recovered, kept them there.

As the half closed out the Jets had a chance to break the tie with a last drive but New England was on top of every pass Testeverde tried.

The first half ended at 6-6 but injuries continued to mount for New England. In addition to Washington leaving the field, Ty Law hurt his ankle as the half ended and David Patten limped off the field earlier in the game.




The field goal parade continued as the second half opened with New England regaining the lead on a 47-yard Vinatieri boot. On the drive, Antowain Smith ran for 22 net yards on 5 attempts.

The Patriots averted disaster when Brady was sacked for the fifth time and fumbled on the Patriots second possession of the second quarter. The Jets Chester McGlockton came from behind and got a piece of the ball before Brady's arm started forward. James Reed recovered the ball and returned it 16 yards to the Patriots 13. But New England's defense stifled the Jets and three points was all the Jets came away with.

New England finally broke the string of field goals with the game's first touchdown with a little over two minutes left in the third quarter. Christian Fauria started things out with two catches of 28 and 12 yards. Brady hit Branch for 9 yards and a huge pass interference call on Ray Mickens as he angled off Troy Brown from an end zone pass put the ball on the 1-yard line goal to go. Brady dropped back to pass on the next play, found no one, and took the ball in himself. With the extra point the score was 16-9, Patriots.

With Ted Washington and Ty Law out of the game, the New England defense was performing nonetheless. And when Samuel intercepted Testeverde to begin the fourth quarter, it was a huge exclamation point on the day's effort. Samuel took the pick 55 yards for his first pro touchdown and suddenly the game broke open for the Patriots at 23-9.

Not for long, however.

After all that hard work by the Patriots defense, it was as if it took a break on the Jets next drive. New York only took four plays to get its first touchdown, a 29-yard pass to Chrebet down the middle of the field, to close within a touchdown at 23-16.

Momentum continued to swing the Jets way after holding New England to three and out. On the Jets next possession they got as far as the New England 24 but Brien missed on a 42-yard field goal attempt and the Patriots maintained their 7-point lead.

With 7:10 left in the game, a sustained drive for New England would have gone a long way towards a win. Instead, the Patriots elected to throw three straight times gaining zero yards, despite running the ball as well as they had in a long time.

The three and out was just one of a number of areas that New England will come away from the game needing to improve, but in the end the team came away with a victory in the tough AFC Eeast. Those in the Patriots locker room know that walking away with a win is always a positive, but there is plenty to work on in the coming weeks.

“We'll see what happened, but we are going to have to take this win, put it behind us, correct our mistakes and we have another big one coming up this week,” Joe Andruzzi said. “We'll get out there and do our best in practice so we can accomplish another win for next week.”

Fortunately for New England, while they could run but chose not to, the Jets had no choice but to throw due to their lack of consistent running. As a result, they too went three and out as both Law, back in the game from his injury, and Bruschi, made fine plays on Testeverde passes.

That was essentially the ball game as it ended with Brady taking a couple knees.

On the day, Brady was 15 of 25 for 181 while his Jets counterpart was 25 of 43 for 264 with a touchdown and an interception.

The injury news continues to sour wins for the Patriots. While Law returned and played well, Washington did not and Belichick revealed after the game he had fractured his leg. No word on Patten's injury was available at this time.

 

[jaypaw]

I'll be interested to see how the skins did injury wise this week. If they had only a few key guys hurt this weekend then they are a few steps ahead of the pats:

the list of injured:
Washignton (Broken Leg)
Law (twisted ankle)
Colvin (hip surgery)
Vrabel (arm)
Ted Johnson (Broken foot)
David Patten (leg?)
Fred Mcrary (knee)
Brady (elbow)

Pats are now a 2.5 point dog. I don't see how they can beat anyone with all these guys either out or ailing...

The one ray of hope is that if Huard sucks bad enough then Rohan Davey can step in and is really fun to watch - and Dan Klecko will now get the chance he wanted to play the whole game.

Also their rookie corners are quite impressive but it may not be enough.

I hate to bet against the home team but unless someone can convince me otherwise I dont see them being able to play for 4 quarters against anyone.