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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) Adalius Thomas is out

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

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

I was invited to be their Patriots analyst this week. 
 

Listen in on the Stream
WMA format

Here’s the PODCAST
(116 MB Mp3)

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

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

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

A few words for the New England Patriots faithful,

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

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

JETS HEAD COACH ERIC MANGINI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Patriots – Bills: What To Watch

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

Patriots Offensive Line setting The Tone

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

Marshawn Lynch vs The Patriots Front Seven

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

Patriots receivers vs Bills Secondary

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

Patriots Runners vs Buffalo Front Seven

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

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

Here is a bit from the Patriots press release.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday Night Football Tonight

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

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

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

Why bring this up?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What to Watch

Patriots Running Game vs Colts Front Seven

New England will be without Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan for this game and will need to rely on just Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans and rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis to carry the load.  The Colts have one of the worst run defenses in the league (26th) giving up 144.1 yards per game.  If the Patriots can piggyback on their success last week against the Rams, then it will help to offset the pressure on Matt Cassel.  Indianapolis certainly is aware of the situation and will do what’s necessary to make the Patriots one-dimensional, especially with a first year starter at quarterback.   Note: the Colts were able to limit the Undefeated Tennessee Titans to just 88 yards on the ground last week.  Tennessee entered the game with the 4th best rushing attack with 145 yards per game heading in.  New England has the 6th best rushing attack averaging 130.4 yards per game on average.

Patriots Offensive Line vs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis

This has been an issue for the Patriots even when they had Tom Brady under center.  With Brady’s ability to make adjustments and sidestep pressure, he mitigated the damage Freeney and Mathis could do.   If New England is to have a chance in the passing game against a Colts defense ranked 2nd overall against the pass, they will have to find a way to neutralize both defenders from crushing Matt Cassel like a fresh taco.

Qiuck Hits

A quick review of what has happened this week, which directly impacts this match-up between the 5-2 New England Patriots and the 3-4 Indianapolis Colts.

Vince Wilfork

You’ve probably heard all about the meeting Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork had with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to review Wilfork’s hit on Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler’s head. What you may not realize is that the commissioner’s decision NOT to suspend the Patriots defender has a direct impact on the outcome of today’s game. 

Without Wilfork in the middle of the defense, the Patriots were shredded by the Colts in the AFC Championship game two seasons ago. Wilfork, along with a group of Patriots players were trying to rebound from a case of the flu.  He was sidelined for chunks of time late in the game when pressure up the middle could have changed the outcome.  Mike Wright and LeKevin Smith are Wilfork’s primary backups, and neither has the capability to replace the big man in the middle

According to the Boston Herald, Wilfork was pleased with the outcome. 
http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/patriots/index.php/2008/10/31/wilfork-reacts-to-fine/

”I’m happy it turned out without a suspension,” Wilfork said. “Like I said a couple days ago, I think that it was a good meeting. It was very productive. Both sides gave good points. … It could have been a lot worse than that. Now I can concentrate on playing football now.”

Halfway there, almost nothing is clear.

Sure, one club is spotless, the Tennessee Titans at 7-0 with a four-game lead in the AFC South.  Right behind them are the 6-1 New York Giants – but with only a half-game lead in the NFC East.  Two divisions – the AFC East and NFC North – are tied at the top.  And one game separates the top two clubs in two other divisions – the AFC North and NFC South.

As the NFL reaches the midpoint of its season this week, much is bubbling.  Houston has won three in a row.  Cleveland has won three of its last four, as have the New York Jets.  Carolina at 6-2 is one game within matching its victory total of last year.  Miami (3-4) has tripled its win total of last season.

“Now is the push where teams begin to define themselves halfway through the season,” says head coach JIM ZORN of the Washington Redskins, who are a half game behind the Giants.

As the weather turns colder, the “pushing” will only get rougher.  “There’s going to be, I’m sure, a lot of tight games down the road,” says New England Patriots quarterback MATT CASSEL.      

Like this week.  Some of the Week 9 NFL games that will contain, for sure, “tricks and treats” on Halloween Weekend: