12/05/2008

Seattle’s Holmgren offers no excuses for Seahawks’ woes
Seattle’s coaching stalwart offers no excuses for his team’s woes as the Seahawks get set for the Patriots on Sunday.

Junior Seau could take timeout from surfing to re-join Patriots
FOXBORO –– The Return of the Linebackers continues, as last night Sports Illustrated and the Boston Globe reported that Junior Seau is in New England for a workout with the Patriots.

12/04/2008

Colvin returns to the Pats
With their linebacking corps depleted, the Pats re-sign Rosevelt Colvin, who was let go in February.

Patriots’ Welker brushes off wallop by Clark as ‘football play’
FOXBORO — Wes Welker didn’t return to the New England Patriots’ game against Pittsburgh after absorbing a vicious hit from safety Ryan Clark, but he was back on the field yesterday with his teammates as they began preparations from Sunday’s game in Seattle.

Deion Branch excited to face old team on Sunday
FOXBORO -- Sunday will mark the first on-field reunion between the Patriots and receiver Deion Branch, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX who was traded to Seattle before the 2006 season.

12/03/2008

Patriots failure to stop teams on third downs proves costly
There’s no denying that the New England Patriots’ defense is struggling to get off the field on third down.

Patriots coaches respond to Seymour’s gripe
On Monday, Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour expressed his disagreement with the decision of the New England coaching staff not to have him on the field for every third-down play.

Patriots place Jason Webster on IR; work out Rosevelt Colvin
FOXBORO -- The Patriots’ secondary took another hit yesterday as the team placed cornerback Jason Webster on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury.

12/02/2008

The writing is on the wall: Patriots can ill afford any more losses
It would appear New England must win its final four games to have a solid chance to reach the NFL postseason.

Welker displays toughness amid back-to-back big hits
FOXBORO — While it was never announced during the game on Sunday that New England’s Wes Welker had suffered a concussion from the vicious — and questionable — hit the Steelers’ Ryan Clark laid on him at the end of the third quarter, it seems safe to say that the receiver did have one from the way he walked off the field.

Seymour unhappy with reduced playing time
FOXBORO -- One of New England’s big problems against Pittsburgh — on both sides of the ball — was on third down.

Patriots will play Buccaneers in London next October
The NFL chooses New England and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to face off in the annual overseas game next October.

11/30/2008

Steelers 33, Patriots 10 -- Bumbling Pats filled with regret after a lost day
FOXBORO -- Logan Mankins summed it up best: "You can't beat Pop Warner teams doing that."

Jim Donaldson -- Schedule is the Patriots' best friend the rest of the way
FOXBORO -- On a day of doom and gloom, I bring you sweetness and light.

Drops by Moss cost Patriots in first half
FOXBORO – Randy Moss knows full well that he is a superstar, and that superstars live with certain expectations. Superstar receivers aren’t supposed to drop balls in the end zone, or let long bombs slip through their fingers in the middle of the field.

Patriots' special teams had an awful day
FOXBORO -- Special teams gets a lot of attention in New England, but after Sunday's performance against Pittsburgh, the unit is getting attention for all the wrong reasons.

Head injuries sideline Welker, Woods
FOXBORO -- Both Wes Welker and Pierre Woods had to leave Sunday's game in the second half with head injuries.

Fearsome Steelers defense dominates the day
FOXBORO -- Pittsburgh's defense saw all of the numbers that Matt Cassel had put up over his previous two outings: a combined 815 passing yards and seven touchdowns (6 passing, 1 rushing).

Cassel takes responsibility for subpar results against Steelers
FOXBORO -- Nobody expected Matt Cassel to follow up two of the best passing days in Patriots history with a third straight 400-yard game, especially against a fierce Pittsburgh defense.

Patriots-Steelers postgame analysis
New England couldn't get much going all day in the cold and wet weather and against the NFL's No. 1 ranked defense.

Meriweather’s play coming in handy for Patriots
FOXBORO — Some days, as he pads around the meeting rooms and facilities at Gillette Stadium, Brandon Meriweather wears a certain pair of sandals.

Jim Donaldson -- As good as he’s been, Cassel is no Brady
FOXBORO — As should be obvious to anyone who has paid any attention to the Patriots this season, Matt Cassel clearly is better than Tom Brady.

His father’s work ethic wasn’t lost on Ventrone
FOXBORO — To look at Ray Ventrone is to see anything but the prototypical NFL player. He’s a little short, at 5-foot-10, has a baby face that makes him look more like your kid brother than a hard-hitting, special-teams ace, and then there’s his football pedigree: Ventrone went to I-AA Villanova and came to New England as the longest of longshots, the undrafted rookie.

11/29/2008

Pats looking to get physical against Steelers
Lacking a dominant power rusher, Pittsburgh may have to rely on QB Ben Roethlisberger to confront the Pats’ defense.

Seymour apparently ready to play against Steelers
FOXBORO — The Patriots should have Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour and his seven sacks on the field tomorrow, a boon for a defense that may load up against the run and force Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to beat them.

11/27/2008

Wilfork vows the Patriots will improve on defense
FOXBORO -- Looking at the stats, the New England defense certainly has some strengths, but it has some weaknesses as well, especially on third down and in the red zone.

Seymour misses practice again
FOXBORO -- The Patriots held an abbreviated practice and preparation session on Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday, and there was no media access.

Steelers stick with tried and true on defense
FOXBORO — As he and trusted adviser Ernie Adams began talking about Pittsburgh in recent days, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Adams inevitably spoke of the Steelers’ defense. It has been a strength of the club for years, and for years it has used the same 3-4 scheme.

Patriots’ Light fined $15,000, but isn’t suspended
FOXBORO –– The powers that be in the National Football League informed the New England Patriots yesterday that left tackle Matt Light would not be suspended for his on-field fight with Miami linebacker Channing Crowder during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s victory.

11/26/2008

Belichick sees no margin for error against Steelers
FOXBORO — When the Patriots take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, it will be your proverbial case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

11/25/2008

Patriots’ defense needs to click on third down, and in red zone
The New England Patriots needed to win against the Miami Dolphins, and just like so many other times when they were in a crucial situation, they found a way to get the job done.

Bill Reynolds -- Cassel’s success proves how little we really know
He has become the frog who dreamed of being a king and then became one.

Patriots expect another physical game against Steelers
FOXBORO — Most NFL teams are banged up this time of year. After Sunday’s bruising contest against the Miami Dolphins — and the fistfights, shoving matches and cheap hits that were seen at the end — the Patriots could more accurately describe themselves as “beat up.”

Gostkowski safeguarded kicking leg during fight
FOXBORO — Sunday’s fight between Patriots tackle Matt Light and Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder is going to be reviewed by the league office to determine if disciplinary action is necessary, but Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski won’t be worth interviewing. Even though he was next to the fight, he was only concerned about one thing: making sure neither man crushed his kicking leg.

11/23/2008

Patriots make their statement with 48-28 rout of Dolphins
New England gets its revenge for early season loss to Miami and remains in the middle of the AFC playoff picture

Jim Donaldson -- Cassel's finding his comfort zone . . . and the record books
The Pats' quarterback continues his week-by-week improvement with his second straight 400-yard performance

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Light could face suspension for fight with Crowder

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Moss proves to be double trouble for Miami
Pats' wide receiver feels 'disrespected' by Dolphins' single coverage, and he makes them pay with 8 catches for 125 yards and 3 touchdowns

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Welker takes a licking and keeps on ticking
Pats' diminutive wide receiver absorbs a bone-rattling hit from Channing Crowder, but returns and puts together an 8-catch, 120-yard performance

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: In attempting to stay out of trouble, Wilfork stays out of melee

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Gaffney remains productive despite Moss' monster day

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Game analysis

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Porter says Pats 'cheated' him out of two championships
Dolphins linebacker blasts Bill Belichick and the Pats over Spygate

Patriots 48, Dolphins 28: Notes and tidbits

Pats are putting it all on the line
Let’s put it this way: it’s been a while.

After comeback from injuries, family-man Webster with Pats
FOXBORO — It’s probably safe to say that the last couple of seasons haven’t turned out exactly the way Jason Webster planned. In 2007, the former second-round draft pick signed a free-agent contract with Buffalo — and in the regular-season opener he broke his arm, and his year was over before it really began.

Patriots-Dolphins analysis
Over the years, the Patriots and Dolphins have always had a competitive rivalry, regardless of each team’s place in the standings. After being on opposite sides of the spectrum last year with New England posting a 16-0 regular season and Miami needing overtime to avoid an 0-16 mark, they’re both pretty similar this year, though for different reasons. Bill Parcells was brought on by the Dolphins to remake the club and has seen immediate results; the Pats, without Tom Brady, have struggled for consistency and have lost two games in which they had a clear edge.

11/22/2008

Patriots are gearing up for a supreme effort against Dolphins
Vince Wilfork and Ellis Hobbs say the team is ready for the rematch with Miami and is pointing toward the playoffs.

Pats must slow Pennington to hamper Dolphins’ offense
FOXBORO — Chad Pennington has been a very efficient quarterback for the Miami Dolphins so far this season.

11/21/2008

From backup to starring role, Cassel inspires others
USC’s pro-style offense helped prepare Matt Cassel for the NFL, even though he never started a game.

Dolphins have a chance to make a statement vs. Patriots
FOXBORO — Neither the Patriots nor the Dolphins is willing to say that Sunday’s game will have a playoff-type atmosphere, but there’s no denying its importance. Not only will it likely go a long way toward furthering — or ending — the postseason chances of the teams, but for the Dolphins there’s a bit more to gain.

11/20/2008

Welker is warming up for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins
Wes Welker is looking forward to facing his former team, the Dolphins, in warm weather on Sunday.

Belichick sheds no light on Adalius Thomas’ injury
FOXBORO — When it comes to offering injury information, Bill Belichick sets the standard for being tight-lipped.

11/19/2008

Jim Donaldson: Another loss to Dolphins could end Patriots’ playoff hopes
The Patriots are a more-than-respectable — especially considering all of the injuries they’ve had — 6-4, but, if the playoffs were starting this weekend, they would be on the outside looking in.

Patriots’ Pioli refuses to consider GM possibilities elsewhere
FOXBORO –– Scott Pioli’s name has come up numerous times over the last several years whenever a team has a general manager vacancy, and since the Detroit Lions fired Matt Millen earlier this season, Pioli is mentioned most often as the best candidate for the job.

11/18/2008

Patriots prepare plan to tame Dolphins’ Wildcat offensive formation
New England coach Bill Belichick must find a way to contain Miami’s offensive formation, which perplexed the Patriots’ defense in September.

Dolphins' Joey Porter calls out the Patriots again
Since it worked out for him last time, Joey Porter is talking smack again in advance of Sunday's Dolphins-Patriots game.

11/16/2008

Patriots have long been going to the ’dogs — underdogs, that is
New England coach Bill Belichick has always had an affinity for undrafted players, or classic underdogs, as a look at his roster will quickly reveal.

11/15/2008

Cassel proves his mettle as QB against Jets
In the last minute of regulation, Matt Cassel led New England on a 62-yard drive that culminated with a Randy Moss touchdown catch that tied the score and forced overtime.

11/14/2008

Jets take command of AFC East with 34-31 overtime victory
FOXBORO -- When the New England Patriots locker room opened just before midnight, it was pin-drop quiet.

Jim Donaldson -- In the end, the Patriots were once again defenseless
FOXBORO — How many times have we seen this?

Cassel achieves an NFL first with his passing and scrambling
FOXBORO -- When last he faced the New York Jets, he was called a game manager -- not really expected to win the game, and certainly not expected to lose it.

Favre impressed by Cassel, Patriots' comeback
FOXBORO -- Brett Favre was as impressed with Matt Cassel and Randy Moss as he was with his own teammates after the Jets moved into first place in the AFC East by beating the Patriots in overtime, 34-31, Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

Moss catches them when it counts
FOXBORO -- Randy Moss, double-covered most of the time, didn't have a catch in the first half against the Jets, and, with only seconds remaining in the second half, had just two receptions for a mere 10 yards.

Ty Law says Jets are looking like the team to beat in the East
FOXBORO -- Former Patriots defensive back Ty Law, who signed with the Jets on Tuesday, made three tackles against his former team last night in New York's 34-31 overtime victory.

Jets get the win they've long been waiting for
FOXBORO -- That wasn't just a big win for the Jets. It was a huge win.

Late penalties cost Patriots the chance to make a fourth-quarter stand
FOXBORO -- The Patriots' defense had been very good at not being called for penalties prior to last night's game against the Jets.

Mangini says Jets did not let up in second half
FOXBORO -- If you thought that the Jets pulled back after they built their 24-6 first-half lead, think again.

Patriots-Jets postgame analysis
Matt Cassel had a career night last night, throwing his first 400-yard game of his career.

Ty Warren joins list of ailing Patriots
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots went into last night’s game knowing they’d be without linebacker Adalius Thomas, but then they discovered they would be without another key player: Ty Warren.

It’s Patriots’ time to give back to Troy Brown
FOXBORO — Troy Brown was many things in his 15-year NFL career.

11/13/2008

Patriots, Jets aren’t the same teams they were in week two
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots have been kings of the AFC East for five straight seasons.

11/12/2008

Jim Donaldson –– Troy Brown, the ultimate Patriot, will get his due tomorrow in Foxboro
Tomorrow night is Troy Brown Night at Gillette Stadium.

Tom Brady back in town, rehabbing knee in Foxboro
FOXBORO -- According to his teammates, Tom Brady is back at Gillette Stadium rehabbing his surgically repaired knee, and everyone is glad to see him.

Former Patriot Ty Law takes his first practice with the Jets
FOXBORO — Ty Law took part in his first practice with the Jets yesterday, and told reporters at the team’s Florham Park, N.J. facility that he was “pretty close” to returning to New England before opting to sign with New York.

Jets’ Jenkins is both an irresistible force, immovable mass
New York’s nose tackle, the center of the team’s 3-4 defense, has all the tools to be one of the league’s best.

11/11/2008

His shoulder isn’t the only thing hurting Pats’ Maroney
Patriots running back Laurence Maroney, out for the season with a shoulder injury, is bothered that some people seem to think he’s not giving his all.

Jets sign old friend Ty Law for Thursday night’s showdown with the Patriots
FOXBORO — Just when you thought the Patriots-Jets border war had perhaps died a quiet death, it comes roaring back to life, like a beloved soap opera character who’s been killed off but is brought back when ratings start to sag.

Another big hit: Linebacker Adalius Thomas is latest Patriot lost for season
FOXBORO — One wonders if there is a tipping point.

11/10/2008

NFL rescinds Moss' fine
The league won't say it why it has decided not to fine the Pats' wide receiver $20,000 for comments he made about the officials after New England's loss at Indianapolis

ESPN reports Thomas may be out for season
Linebacker reportedly has broken left forearm

11/09/2008

Pats beat Bills, and gear up for Thursday showdown with Jets
BenJarvus Green-Ellis' first 100-yard rushing game paces the Pats' attack

Jim Donaldson -- Likeable Green-Ellis succeeds by keeping it simple
FOXBORO - Nice young man, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Pleasant. Polite. Responds to anything people ask him by saying "Sir," or "M'am."

'Awesome' 19-play drive helps close out the victory for Patriots
FOXBORO - There have been several memorable, game-winning drives that the Patriots have engineered in their franchise history, including what was perhaps their most famous drive: the 53-yard march powered by Super Bowl XXXVI MVP Tom Brady that led to a 20-17 victory over St. Louis.

Welker sets a new NFL receiving record, and gives credit to Cassel
FOXBORO -- Wes Welker knew before Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills that he had an opportunity to set an NFL record for consecutive games with six or more catches.

Cassel does damage with his arm and his legs
FOXBORO — Matt Cassel isn't going to be confused with Minnesota star Adrian Peterson anytime soon, but Cassel has shown that he's pretty adept at running with the football.

Status of Adalius Thomas unknown after arm injury
FOXBORO -- New England may be dealing with another injury to a key player as linebacker Adalius Thomas left Sunday's game in the second quarter with an arm injury and did not return.

Officials helped Patriots take an early lead
FOXBORO -- Who knows how it might have changed the game, but the Buffalo staff could not have been too happy with referee Walt Coleman's crew early on.

Patriots' defense confused Buffalo quarterback Edwards
FOXBORO -- After throwing two interceptions, Bills quarterback Trent Edwards also tossed a few compliments in the direction of the New England defense.

Moss fined $20,000 for criticizing officials after loss in Indianapolis
The NFL has confirmed that the Patriots' Randy Moss was hit with a $20,000 fine this week for his comments after New England's loss to the Colts last Sunday.

Patriots-Bills postgame analysis
Matt Cassel had another solid day, completing 23-of-34 passes for 234 yards. He also rushed nine times for 22 yards and a touchdown.

Patriots cornerback Hobbs stands tall on gridiron
FOXBORO — Whatever it is that Ellis Hobbs has — that way of walking that shows everyone around that he is it, whether you agree so or not — is a marvel to behold.

Jim Donaldson -- This year, Pats could be cooked by Thanksgiving
No less an authority than Tom Brady has said: “The real season begins after Thanksgiving.”

Up Close With Adalius Thomas -- Move to outside linebacker was a natural fit
FOXBORO - When he was signed as an unrestricted free agent last year, one of the highest-profile acquisitions the Patriots had made to that time, there was a lot expected of Adalius Thomas.

11/08/2008

Banged-up Bills lose Youboty; 5 players now out for season
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bills cornerback Ashton Youboty was placed on season-ending injured reserve yesterday because of a foot injury, further depleting Buffalo’s already banged-up defense.

Minus Brady, Pats just one of bunch in AFC East race
Raise your hand if back in training camp you thought every AFC East team would still have a realistic shot of winning the division at the season’s midway point.

11/07/2008

The biggest and the best from the challenging first half of this Patriots season
FOXBORO — Eight games down, eight to go.

Buffalo’s big offensive line to be tough test for Pats’ defense
FOXBORO — Over the course of a 16-game regular season, NFL teams go through a lot of adjustments.

Bills coach Jauron impressed by play of Cassel
FOXBORO — Matt Cassel will be making only his eighth NFL start on Sunday against Buffalo, but the Bills are not taking him lightly.

11/06/2008