The gang's all here

THE ENCHANTED FOREST: Where the food tastes better.



















See you guys in two weeks. I doubt we'll be wearing shorts.

Why are we here?

WEEK 17
Patriots 38, Dolphins 7: Why am I here? That's what the Globe's Shaughnessy said I'd be asking myself as I stood with my friends in the parking lot of Gillette yesterday as a light rain fell on the top our tent.

A game that meant nothing in the standings for either team was deemed meaningless. So why not just stay home? The sun started breaking through the clouds as Shep took the chicken off the grill. The group next to us started up a roaring fire pit (somewhat uncomfortably close to their large propane tank) and rolled out a flatscreen TV on the back of their pickup. Someone was blasting Zeppelin in the distance.

WEEK 17: A happy home.

"Why are we here?" me, Shep, Matt, and Bergs all said laughing as we raised our drinks to what we hoped would be a great ending to a ridiculously fun regular season. There were so many reasons. The food, the drinks, the football talk, the scene, the friends ... oh, and the game. Why were we there? Easy. We're football fans and our team plays the game of football about as entertainingly as it can be played. As they did yesterday in the regular season finale to finish at 14-2, best in the AFC.

We got to our seats with cocktails in hand and quickly shed our rain layers. It was sweatshirt weather on January 2. A great treat considering a week ago the area was getting buried in almost two feet of snow. I put my jacket on my seat and thought that come the playoff game in two weeks I most likely would be adding layers instead of shedding them. At least I hoped so.

There was little doubt that many of the starters would play in the game. That's Belichick's way. But I was glad to hear Welker would not be one of them. In last year's final game -- also with nothing at stake -- he blew out his knee when he tried to avoid a tackle. It was a freak injury. One that he is still recovering from. Belichick wisely had him sit this one out (along with Branch and Hernandez). But Brady was playing.

I watched highlights of some of the meaningful games played yesterday and saw teams, that had to win, play some very sloppy, mediocre football. In contrast, the Pats, who could have taken the day off, came out looking as sharp as they had been all season. In the first five minutes players who have come up big all year combined to put the Pats up quickly. Rookie corner Devin McCourty -- Pro Bowler -- made a great pick at midfield and set Brady and the offense up. Woodhead took a direct snap and ran for 19 yards down to the Dolphin 21. Brady then hit Gronk -- another impact rookie -- for a 12-yard touchdown pass. The weather was great, the drinks were cold, and the Pats were on their game -- again. Why are we here?

Early in the second quarter -- with the Pats D on the field and the team ahead by two touchdowns -- Brady and his backup Brian Hoyer sat side-by-side on the bench going over some notes. Clearly Hoyer was coming in. "Brady's telling him he better not screw up," Matt said. "or Belichick will make him go back in." How right he was. Brady came off the field after a first-down play and Hoyer came in. Hoyer looked really bad on his first two passes and Brady put his helmet back on as the coach waved him back in. Belichick sent Hoyer -- and the whole team -- yet another message. Always be ready. Hoyer wasn't.

Brady went on to play the rest of the half and started the third quarter. When he came out of the game for good the Pats were ahead 31-0 and the soon-to-be league MVP finished the year with 36 touchdown passes and only four picks. Since the loss in Cleveland, Brady has played the best football of his career. It's fun to watch. BenJarvis broke 1,000 yards rushing. Julian Edelman made some big plays -- including a great punt return for a touchdown. Even Hoyer got a second chance and looked much better. It was a convincing way to head into the playoffs.

The victory completed the second straight 8-0 regular season at Gillette. We've been fortunate to enjoy some great seasons of tailgating since getting our tickets 17 years ago. But 2010 ranks at the top. Maybe that's because of the way the Pats were crushed at home in the playoffs last year. The team could have gone in either direction after that game. Even the most optimistic of people (me) didn't see it turning this far in the positive direction. But Belichick, Brady, and Wilfork (he's now as irreplaceable as the other two) led the way through great roads wins at Pittsburgh, Miami, San Diego, and Chicago and home wins against Minnesota, Baltimore, Indy, and the Jets. As we packed up the post-game tailgate, we started making plans for another home playoff game. Hopefully with a second one to follow.

"Why are we here?" we shouted as we got in our cars for the ride home.

Bowling team

The NFL named its AFC and NFC Pro Bowl teams this week. The Patriots had six players honored. The game -- usually played after the Super Bowl in Hawaii -- will be played on the Sunday between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl this year. Not sure why. Just another bad idea by Commissioner Goodell motivated by what he thinks the fans want. The players on the Super Bowl teams will not take part in the game. Here's hoping the Pats players named to the team don't get to see Diamond Head this year.

The obvious pick was Tom Brady. This is the first in what will be a long line of honors regardless of how the team does in the playoffs. He has had a historic year. It's as if he took that ranking in the NFL's 100 Greatest Players personally. I know I did.

Rookie Devin McCourty was a somewhat surprising pick -- not because he doesn't deserve it -- but because the Pro Bowl selections are often made on reputation and he doesn't have one yet. Well, now he does. The first-round pick out of Rutgers has played as well at the hardest position in football as I've seen in a long time. Third-year linebacker Jerod Mayo and safety Brandon Meriweather also made the team. Mayo is completely back from the injury that slowed him last year. He may not make the flashy plays like Bruschi did, but he's around the ball all the time. Meriweather is also around the ball all the time and he delivers some of the hardest hits in the game -- legal and not. Unfortunately he sometimes delivers those hits to teammates.

Offensive lineman and recluse Logan Mankins was one of those reputation selections. He was picked for the third time in his career even though he missed the first half of the season because he didn't like the new contract the Pats offered him. When this season is over, re-signing Mankins has to be priority #1.

During the last offseason, priority #1 was re-signing the Big Man. Vince Wilfork. The deal got done, making him one of the highest paid players in the league. It was the moment that set the tone for the success that has followed this year. Giving athletes their big pay day -- deserved or not -- often leads to the beginning of the end for that player. The history of sports is littered with guys who got the cash and hit the beach -- or the buffet. But not Big Vince. He has had his best season ever. Defensive linemen have been going down all around him and Wilfork hasn't missed a beat. He's still an immovable object in the middle but has switched more to play end this year than ever in his career. He is the foundation that this whole team rests on.

The team was in need of someone to take the "Patriot Way" leadership mantle from Tedy Bruschi.

The Big Man is that guy. This won't be his last Pro Bowl season.

Bringing it home

WEEK 16
The day after Christmas is usually one of relaxing, returning gifts, digesting the holiday meal, and -- in my case -- working. The newspaper comes out every day. You know. Newspapers. Remember?

WEEK 16: Finishing strong.

I knew I would be driving my way through a blizzard to and from work but that was OK because there would be lots of great sports radio to listen to because the Patriots had gone into usually snowy Buffalo and thumped the Bills 34-3 to wrap up the AFC East and homefield throughout the playoffs.

Each year Mark and I say there are three goals for the regular season: 1. Win your division. 2. Earn a first-round bye. 3. Get homefield advantage. Check. Check. Check. Rex Ryan always skips those goals and goes right to winning the Super Bowl. Which explains why the Jets are runners-up in the division yet again.

The Patriots jumped all over the Bills early, putting up 27 points in the first half. Brady threw three more TDs while BenJarvis broke 100 yards rushing. Woody came close too, putting up 93 yards. It was a solid offensive performance. But it was the defense that was the story, forcing seven turnovers. Since starting the season giving up points and yards in healthy doses, the youngest defense in the league has started to cut down on both. Since the first half of the Thanksgiving game in Detroit, the D has given up very few big plays and even fewer points. It's key to the team's playoff hopes. The offense will be able to make plays when the games get even tougher. The question all year has been will the defense be able to? As of the moment, the answer is looking like yes.

There's one more home game to go in the regular season -- the day after New Year's against Miami. It should be fun, although probably frigid. It will be good practice for the playoffs at Gillete, where the Patriots will play all their games for as long as they are alive.

Pack it up

WEEK 15
I took my first DNP of the year for last night's Pats' victory. A sore throat and a Christmas tree that needed decorating with my daughters kept me on the couch for what was expected to be an easy win against the Packers. Anyone who doesn't know by now just hasn't been paying attention... there are no easy wins in the NFL.

Matt Flynn (no relation, because apparently he can throw a spiral) played the role of a young Tom Brady against the real -- if a little older -- thing. And he almost pulled it out the win. But the Patriots rallied from nine down in the fourth quarter to claim a key victory that moves them one step closer to the AFC's top seed.

WEEK 15: Season's greetings.

Shep texted me as he entered the stadium "No traffic. Great tailgate. Great weather. Should be a great game." That seems to be the only kind the Patriots are playing this year.

The Packers -- without starting QB Aaron Rodgers -- were not being given a chance to give the Pats a game. But Green Bay is an NFC playoff contender with one of the best defenses in the league. It was going to be a battle. The Pack started with an onside kick and continued to put the pressure on the whole game. After a few blowouts, a battle was a good challenge for the Patriots. Once again, they met the challenge and won.

Brady continued his streak of great games, throwing two more touchdowns and making very few mistakes. Bennie and Woody averaged more than six yards a carry. The offensive line kept the QB alive against a fierce Packer pass rush. And the defense did just enough against Flynn. (One benefit of not going to the game was not having to sit with 60-plus thousand yelling "Flynn. You suck!") My namesake put up 250 yards but gave up a key interception that Kyle Arrington took back 36 yards for a touchdown. Arrington's pick was just another example of a Patriot stepping up and making a big play. It's the difference between this year's team and 2009.

Maybe the biggest big play of the year was made by one of the biggest men.

Flynn led the Pack on an impressive six-minute touchdown drive to take a 17-7 lead late in the first half. The Patriots needed someone to step up again. Right guard Dan Connolly turned out to be that guy -- by making a 71-yard kickoff return.  A kickoff return! All the way down to the Green Bay 4-yard line. It was the longest return by an offensive lineman in the history of the league. I'm guessing by quite a few yards, too.

The Pack's kicker squibbed the ball down the middle of the field and it bounced into the hands of the big blocker. As Connolly wrapped the ball in a bear hug and started to run, my daughter Amy and I started shouting "Go down! Go down!" for fear that he would fumble. Suddenly Connolly got near midfield and realized that everyone was waiting for him to go down -- including the Packers. So he tucked the ball under his right arm and started rumbling down the field. "Run! Run!" we started yelling. He stiff-armed a would-be tackler at the Pack 30 and then made a move -- that's right a move -- inside the 15 before being taken down just short of the goal line.

My phone buzzed with a text from Mark. "That has got to one of the ten best plays in the team's history. Right?" I replied yes. If he had scored it would be top five. Flynn tried to lead a game-winning drive and made it all the way down to the Pats 15, but it ended with Tully Banta-Cain knocking the ball loose and Big Vince recovering the fumble to put the Pack away.

As I flipped through the post-game highlights and "analysis," I came upon Felger asking Tweedledum and Tweedledum (Curren and Borges) if the loss was a reminder to all those who thought the Patriots were going to waltz their way to Dallas. Of course Borges couldn't wait to pounce on that, once again offering caution to all those kool-aid guzzling fans that the 11-2 Pats are very beatable. Problem is that I don't know of any fans who were under the delusion that the Pats had already earned a ticket to the Super Bowl. That's -- as usual -- total media hype. Have they looked good the last month? Hell ya. But there are lots of tough games still ahead.

Starting Sunday in the iceland that is Buffalo.

Feeling better

WEEK 6
Patriots 23, Ravens 20 OT (10/17/'10): Revenge is a dish best served cold. And with a Bloody Mary. Mark and I had been sick and on the injury report all week, but as he says: We play on Sundays. With the help of some curative vodka and V8.

We didn't have any Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco, but Shep and Matt had brought some spicy ketchup from Germany. So in went that. We didn't have any celery or olives but we did have salsa. The chunky kind. In went that. "Whatever it takes to make it work," Mark said as we raised our cups and toasted yet another beautiful fall day of tailgating.

DEION: Clutch as always.

Whatever it takes. That would apply to one of the best regular-season victories and tailgates in memory. It's days like yesterday that remind me why -- after 20 years -- I still love to get up at 7 a.m., pack up all the tailgate stuff, make several shopping stops, battle traffic, and pay $50 to park. It's just a lot of fun.

As we sat around before the game eating spinach and feta sausages (that's what the German ketchup was for), listening to music, and watching fathers and sons play catch, much of the talk was about last year's playoff beating at the hands of the Ravens. Had the Pats D improved enough to exact some revenge for getting embarrassed by Ray Rice? Was the offense -- without Moss -- capable of shutting up Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs? As a wobbly Ravens fan walked around the lot in a Lewis jersey taunting Pats fans like his hero, payback was on everyone's mind.

It seemed to be on the Pats' players minds too. Especially Brady. He was so fired up that many of his passes in the first three quarters were a little off. The offense -- without Moss (who coincidentally and poignantly was pictured on the game ticket) -- played hard against the league's best defense, but only had 10 points entering the fourth. Fortunately the defense was holding its own against Baltimore's offense. An offense that is actually better than the one that plowed over the Pats last January.

The key stat for the game was this one: Ray Rice -- 88 yards on 28 carries. In last season's playoff game he rushed for 159 yards on 22 carries. That was the biggest difference. The Pats D, flattened before, stood up to the Ravens time and time again. It wasn't always pretty (like the Ravens opening drive that seemed to last two hours), but if was effective. Vince Wilfork often shifted to the outside of the line with Gerard Warren or Brandon Deaderick taking the Big Man's spot in the middle. More importantly, rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes was right behind them, recording eight unassisted tackles. Mostly one-on-one battle with Rice. Battles Spikes won. That's a huge difference from last year. Jermaine Cunningham. Jerrod Mayo. Patrick Chung. The young players weren't perfect, but they made lots of plays and went hit-for-hit with one of the toughest teams in the league.

When Joe Flacco hit Anquan Boldin on a 25-yard TD pass -- one of the few big plays the D allowed all game -- the Ravens went up 17-7 with 10 minutes to go in the third. The teams then traded field goals and heavy hits, leaving Baltimore up by 10 (20-10) early in the fourth. What a fourth quarter it was.

The Gillette crowd -- which had been loud all day -- got the chance to really get into a big game for the first time in quite a while. It made for a fun atmosphere. A playoff atmosphere.

The Pats moved down the field on what will surely be one of the biggest drives of the season, paced by Wes Welker catches over the middle and a couple of great Danny Woodhead rushes. Brady faced a 3rd-and-2 from the five. A touchdown was needed. Brady looked left, looked left, then stepped up to the right and hit Deion Branch along the back of the end zone for a huge score. Brady to Branch. Touchdown. That won't be the last time we hear that.

Branch had an amazing game in his return to his old team. Nine catches for 98 yards. Most of those came in the fourth quarter and overtime. That's when Branch is at his best. When the pressure is on.

Brady and the Pats offense then went on a six minute, 13-play drive to set up the tying field goal. The highlight came when the Pats faced a 1st-and-25 at midfield. Brady dropped back as the blitz came right up the middle, Corey Redding nailing the QB in the chest just as he let the throw go. Rob Gronkowski made a great catch for a big 23-yard gain that kept the drive going. After the play Brady got in Suggs's face, the two barking at each other. The whole place was barking. Gostkowski finished it with a 25-yarder with just more than a minute left to send the game into overtime. And then things really got exciting.

Each team had two possessions that had tipped the field position deep into Pats territory. Zoltan Mesko -- the Romanian punter -- faced his biggest moment of the year so far with a kick from the shadow of his own goal line. Zoltan came through -- with a little luck -- and hit a 65-yard punt all the way to the Raven 18. Instead of getting the ball in Pats territory, Baltimore was now backed up deep. The defense came up big one more time, forcing the Ravens to punt. Brady got the ball at his own 38 and four passes later (two to Branch) the Pats were at the Baltimore 31. Ben Jarvis then ran it twice to set up Gostkowski for the winning field goal with just 64 seconds left in overtime.

Many in the crowd soaked in the moment, lingering until Branch came to the sideline. As he stood there in his new #84 waiting to be interviewed the fans gave him a huge ovation. Branch -- smiling as always -- raised his hand and acknowledged the cheers. It was a fitting ending to a day full of smiles. We headed back to our postgame tailgate meal of burgers and beer, high-fiving strangers all along the way. The effects of the Bloody Marys (and Don Julios) were wearing off at that point, but I was feeling much better about the Patriots.

During 20 years of tailgating, one of the surest measures of how good a home game was has always been the level of hoarseness in my voice the day after. My voice hasn't been this hoarse in two or three years. It feels good.

WATCH THE VIDEO OF BRANCH'S TD HERE

Open season

So let me get this straight. This may be the most wide-open season the NFL has ever seen and the Patriots decide to trade away one of the best wide receivers in the game? Because he told Tom Brady he looked like a girl since Gisele won't let him cut his hair? Nice.

BOLDIN & RICE: Raven mad.

There are no unbeaten teams left in the NFL and it's only Week 5. Indy saw to that with a not-so-impressive win over KC. The defending champ Saints lost to Arizona who were lead by some quarterback named Max Hall. Max Hall? The Giants went from toast to tied atop the division after putting a whuppin' on the red hot Texans. Mike Shanahan's Skins pulled out their second straight narrow victory, this time knocking off the Packers with an OT win. The Raiders upset the Chargers and are now tied with them. The entire AFC South is 3-2. There are only two teams without a win. And one of them is the Niners who could still win 7 or 8 games if they can get that first one.

There are 14 teams with three wins. That's almost half the league. It's the NFL's version of the Wild West. And the Pats decided to shoot one of their horses. Nice.

But I'm over it now.

Until Monday night when Randy Moss and the Vikings take on the Jets. How happy will I be if Moss scores three TDs to lead the Vikes past Mt. Ryan and his gang? Very. (And that's not even factoring in that Moss is on my fantasy team. My sister is mauling me so bad that if Moss puts up 30 points it won't help.)

There are no elite teams in the NFL in 2010. But win or lose on MNF, the Jets are clearly one of the NFL's best. But they may have been passed as the best. By the Baltimore Ravens. The Pats' next opponent.

The Ravens won their third straight, bucking the Broncos 31-17. Battering-ram running back Ray Rice returned from injury and rushed for 133 yards on 27 carries. The Ravens ran for an eye-catching 233 yards. Joe Flacco added 200 yards of controlled passing with no picks. Denver's Kyle Orton did put up over 300 yards in the air, but almost 100 of that came on two long passes to Brandon Lloyd. That's where Baltimore is vulnerable. On the long ball. Moss could have a big day ... oh, right. Nice.

This is the revenge game I've been waiting for since my Don Julio-less January afternoon. As big as that road win in Miami was last week, a win against the Ravens in any form will be much bigger. It will mean the Pats can go toe-to-toe with any team. But it won't be easy.

I would have major concerns about the game even if Moss wasn't traded. The defense showed some signs of improvement against Miami but after watching the tape of the game it was clear Chad Henne and the Dolphin offense were their own worst enemy. The defense made some plays. But surrendered many more.

Confidence level for the Pats D going up against Ray Rice, Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, and TJ Housh? Low.

The Pats offense actually only put up 13 "real" points against Miami. Their other touchdown came after a blocked punt gave them the ball on the Dolphin 15. I would almost put that TD in the special teams category. They are down to Ben Jarvis as their starting runner. And now they don't have Randy Moss. Brady has nine touchdowns and only two picks and the offensive line has looked very solid. Welker and Hernandez are still dangerous. But the Ravens D is the best in the league.

Confidence level for the Pats offense going up against Ray Lewis and the rest of that defense? Medium.

I still think Brady and Belichick will be so intent on atoning for last year's playoff disaster that the Pats will win a very tight game. But when you look at the two teams closely, it's very possible that the playoff blowout was not a fluke.

Deep thoughts

As a sports fan one of the keys to enjoyment is not taking the losses so seriously that one might think you actually played in the game. Throwing things. Walking around angry for days. (Note: None of this applies to Bruins' fans). Kicking the dog. That's pretty lame. Unless you are fourteen. When the loss is over -- or a player traded -- it's best to just look forward to the next game, next season, next favorite player. It's supposed to be about entertainment. Fun.

MOSS: Happy trails.

Some losses, however, do stick with you longer. Roughing the passer. Fisk. Too many men on the ice (both times). Orr. Mets win! Mets win! Clemens. Tyree makes the catch. Vinatieri. Fourth-and-two. Those are the losses that come up over beers from time to time, discussed with an air of "did that really happen?"

Did the Pats really dump Randy Moss in Week 5 of the season? They did. But I'm not quite ready to let it go.

The stories are coming out that Moss was becoming a big headache. Tedy Bruschi said players were getting sick of Moss's issues. He also said that the two years he played with Moss he was a great teammate. But since guys like Bruschi left the team there was no one to keep him in line. Well, that's a self-serving statement. Moss was good but guys like Bruschi made him grow up. That may be true. But how exactly was Moss acting like a spoiled child? His only real sin was that he wanted to stay with the Patriots so badly that he couldn't keep his mouth shut about it. He picked a bad time to express it, but since I was hoping he and Brady would play three more years together too it didn't really bother me.

I never heard Moss complain about how many catches he got. Never. And if he exploded at the half of the Miami game, well, the offense had scored six points and really did not get much better in the second half. I've got some issues with the offensive play-calling too. And he's not the first player to get in an exchange with the coach at the half. But for him to have been traded you have to think Belichick thought it was only going to get worse unless they gave him a contract and obviously they decided that wasn't part of their plans. I've got some issues with that too.

It's possible that, instead of Belichick dumping a guy he was tired of, that the coach/GM told Moss that the team wasn't going to give him the new contract that he wanted. Maybe Moss heard that and said if you can trade me to a good team then go ahead and do that. Maybe it was done in a good atmosphere. Why does it automatically have to be because Moss was acting like a jerk? Or that Belichick is an egomaniac. Ultimately it doesn't matter why.

Bruschi said that the trade was a sign that the Pats were going back to their old way of winning as a team. He said that the Pats used to win together, not with just one guy. That is correct. But in true Bruschi fashion (which I love about him), he thinks that the Pats invented team football. They didn't. Sorry Tedy. The '70s Steelers, with all their Hall of Famers, were a total team. Same with the Niners of the '80s and Cowboys of the '90s. They had star players -- including some of the best deep threats to play the game -- but they got something from every man on the roster. They had playmakers, role players, star players, young players, clutch guys, tough guys, smart guys. This Pats team is no different. They have stars -- Brady, Moss, Big Vince -- young, promising players -- Mayo, Tate, Chung -- role players -- Woodhead, Sanders, Arrington. The 2010 Pats are as much as team as the 2001 Pats. Just different.

Bruschi sees Monday's game as a total team victory. And it was. All three units did their job when it counted. But it was mostly a special teams victory. The Ravens, coming to Gillette for the next game, are hurting in the secondary and it looked like the best way to win that game was to test them deep. With Randy Moss. Now they'll have to find another way to do it.

They won before Moss got here. They'll win now that he is gone. But I've actually heard some people say the Pats offense will be better -- better -- without Moss. Better? The thinking is that somehow Moss being on the field was preventing Brady from throwing short passes (yet Welker keeps catching 100 balls) or #81s presence was stopping the running game from kicking it into gear. I guess Marvin Harrison was holding back the Colts offense. Lynn  Swann was holding back the Steelers offense. Michael Irvin was holding back the Cowboys offense. Wonder why they didn't dump those guys?

Why? Because there are lots of ways to win a football game. And in the course of a 16-game season the good teams rely on all those ways to get victories. The Pats beat the Dolphins with three huge special teams plays. That doesn't happen too often. If you can get a win or two with special teams scoring and a few wins with the defense scoring then that's the difference between 12 wins and eight or nine. Some games are won with a grind-it-out running game. Some with a short pass attack. And some,  as we have seen, are won by connecting on a few deep bombs. The Pats just removed one of their ways to win a game.

Nostalgia seems to have people believing the Pats won every game 9-7 when they were winning those Super Bowls. Here are some scores from Pats' victories in '01: 44-13. 29-26. 38-17. 34-17. 38-6. Ya. Grind-it-out defensive football. They also won games by scores of 12-9, 17-16, and 20-13. Good teams win games in many ways.

I was listening to DA on 98.5 on the drive home and he said he was actually more excited about watching the Pats now that Moss is gone because he wants to see how the young players on the offense perform. I get that. I'll be interested to see that too. The offense will probably be fine. But more excited? Watch the video below and tell me you are more excited that you won't get to see catches like these again.

50-50-1

PATS-JETS: Football holy war.

The Patriots and Jets have played 101 games against each other since the two original AFL franchises were formed in 1960. The record: Pats 50 wins, Jets 50 wins. 1 tie. Now that makes for a truly great rivalry.

This week adds another entertaining chapter as the Patriots go into the spankin' new Meadowlands to face Gang Green in what is a huge game even though it's only the second week of the season. The 2010 Super Bowl champs got off to a rough start on Monday night, committing an amazing number of penalties and mistakes in losing to the Ravens at home. The also-ran Pats got off to quite a different start, looking very sharp in all phases of the game in handily beating the Bengals.

Which trend will continue?

For the Jets it's a must-win situation. A loss would mean starting off the season 0-2 at home, 0-2 in the AFC, and 0-2 in backing up Rex Ryan's tough talk. Not many teams can drop their first two homes games and rebound to have a playoff caliber season. It would require that they go nearly perfect on the road -- and winning on the road in the NFL is not easy. Just ask the Pats.

They went 2-6 on the road last year with their only two wins coming against lowly Buffalo and Tampa Bay. Fortunately they went 8-0 at home but the team's inability to gut out a road win was indicative of their overall lack of guts. A win at New York -- no matter how ugly -- would be a clear sign that the 2010 Patriots are going to be a team to reckon with.

The most noticeable difference for the Patriots in last week's win against the Bengals -- as compared to last year -- was the game plan. The Pats' offense looked flat and predictable and the defense looked lost and beatable in many games last year. It was unusual to see from a Belichick coached team. But it was a coaching staff -- and team -- in transition. So far through preseason and one real game the team looks more prepared and the game plan seems more creative.

The theme for 2010 in the NFL is coming down to one thing. Coaching. Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden had an excellent season-opening article, focusing on the Patriots, about the difference in styles between teams and coaches like Ryan and Belichick. Loud vs. quiet. Bragging vs. thinking. I enjoy watching and listening to Mt. Ryan. It's great he's coaching the Jets. He's just not the kind of guy I want coaching my team. I don't want my coach mouthing off every 15 minutes. I don't want him telling me how great his team is. I want him thinking about the next game, the next quarter, the next play to prove it. That's Belichick. While other coaches are whooping and hollering, Belichick is thinking and planning. That's been a big edge for the Pats this past decade.

That edge had dulled since the 18-1 season. That's going to happen during any great coach's time. Happened to Shula. Landry. Johnson. Cowher. But you just knew the edge would return, at least for a little while, at some point. It looks like it might be back.

And it's going to take a great coaching job to beat New York. Brady looked very comfortable in the pocket against Cincy. That won't be the case come Sunday. The Jets will be firing at him on almost every down. Ryan is as aggressive as he is loud. Belichick had two extra days to prepare for Ryan's defense. Both coaches are on a mission. One has already proven he can finish the job The other one just talks like he has.

One other factor: In the first game against New York last year the offense only scored nine points. In the second game it scored 31. The difference? Wes Welker. He'll be playing this time.

It comes down to two simple questions. Are chances good the Pats will score 20 points? Yes. Are chances good the Jets will score 20 points? No.

Make it 51-50-1. Advantage Patriots.

Opening thoughts

I work Tuesday through Saturday, which means I miss a lot of good college football. But it also means that on Mondays after a Pats victory I get to enjoy a day of watching all the highlights, coaches' press conferences, post-game reviews, and analysis on the NFL Network, ESPN, and ESPN News. When the Pats lose I'm a little more productive on Mondays.

It was an entertaining first week (thanks mostly to Wes Welker). Pete Carroll was beyond pumped and jacked as his Seahawks stunned the Niners 31-6. I'll say one thing for Carroll, he doesn't change. He wears his enthusiasm on his sleeve whether he's in New England, Southern California, or the great Northwest. His jumping around is fun to watch. It's just not a smart use of a coach's time to be running around high-fiving players and fist-pumping. He should keep his focus on the game. San Fran's Mike Singletary never loses his focus. In classic Singletary fashion, in his Monday press conference he thanked Carroll and the Seahawks for the stomping. "Tell Pete Carroll thank you very much for kicking our ass," Singletary said. "It was good medicine, and we're going to take it."

FOSTER: 42.30 fantasy points.

Speaking of ass kickings, Peyton Manning and the Colts' luck finally ran out against the Houston Texans. The Colts have stolen a few wins away from Houston the past few years. But this time, behind running back Arian Foster, the Texans jumped all over Indy early and often. Foster ran for 231 yards and three touchdowns. (I started him over Shonn Greene on my fantasy team -- if I could only be that smart all the time). The Network's Mike Lombardi found a silver lining for Indianapolis. "The Colts will bounce back and now they don't have to worry about the perfect season anymore." A perfect season? It's only fhe first week. Why would they already be worrying about that? Oh, right. They are the Colts.

The Patriots were the other easy winner of the day. My favorite play of the game: Pats opening drive, the offense faces a 2nd-and-five from the Cincy 8-yard line. They line up with Faulk in the backfield and Moss alone on the right. On the left, Welker lines up a few yards from the sideline with Rob Gronkowski just to his left and Alge Crumpler a step in front of him. Brady took the snap and chucked a quick pass to Welker who tucked himself in behind the twin towers of Gronk and Alge. They slammed the two defenders easily out of the way allowing Welker to scoot almost untouched into the end zone. The three new tight ends didn't take long to show the kind of impact they can have.

A key part of the success of the play was Moss, all alone on the right side, attracting the attention of four of the seven defensive backs/linebackers. A good example of the value of Moss even when he's not the focus of the play.

The Steelers survived the first of four games without Big Ben. If they are 3-1 or better when he gets back then they are a serious contender. The Skins won their first game under coach Mike Shanahan thanks mostly to Cowboys coach Wade Phillips. The Cowboys called a pitch-out play with four seconds left in the half and the ball inside their own 30. A fumble later the Skins scored an easy TD that proved the difference in the game. I don't get Jerry Jones's devotion to Phillips but I kind of respect it.

The Jaguars, Giants, Titans, Pack, and Lions also posted big opening victories. What? The Lions didn't win? How's that possible? Right. They got robbed.

The silver and blue finally won a road game after 21 straight defeats when receiver Calvin Johnson caught what looked like a winning TD pass only to have the refs rule that he didn't maintain control of the ball. Check the video below. He catches the ball, takes two steps as he goes to the ground, rolls halfway over (still with control of the ball), and as he goes to get up he puts the ball on the ground and drops it there to go celebrate. If it looks like a touchdown and smells like a touchdown ...

But the NFL's czar of officiating, Mike Pereira. said that the rule was properly interpreted and the touchdown correctly disallowed.

The rule says: "If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

So Johnson caught the ball, went to the ground, maintained control of the ball after touching the ground, and only lost the ball as he was getting back up off the ground. Yet the play was called correctly.

Huh. I guess now not only do you have to catch the ball and land on the ground for it to be a touchdown -- you also have to get up, shower, get in your Mercedes, and drive home all while maintaining possession of the ball.

Detroit, a team that needs every win it can get, should be 1-0. Haven't Lions fans suffered enough?

Talk the talk

WEEK 1
Patriots 38, Bengals 24 (9/12/'10): Lots to talk about after a convincing victory over Cincy in the home opener. And lots of people talking (right, Randy?). Wes Welker capped off his amazing return from knee surgery with two touchdowns. The offensive line protected Brady in the first half and then opened up holes for Fred Taylor in the key fourth quarter drive that put the game away.The young defense set the tone early with a total team tackling performance. Special teams made big plays. The fans enjoyed a great late summer day of tailgating and were in good spirits all afternoon long. As Shep said, even the moaners and the groaners who sit behind us were happy.

WEEK 1: Thumbs up.

The Pats set the tone right from the opening kick-off. Gostkowski boomed the ball deep and the Bengal return man was met at the 19-yard line by Kyle Arrington and Tracy White. Belichick and his staff cut some key special teams players in Eric Alexander, Ross Ventrone, and Pierre Woods. Clearly he felt it was time for some new blood there. They special teams players were flying around all day.

The defense started the game by forcing Cincy to punt on both its first quarter possessions,. The D then topped that in the second quarter by getting a fumble (Rob Ninkovich), forcing another punt, and then picking off Carson Palmer and taking it in for a touchdown (Gary Guyton). While the defense was doing that, the offense scored two touchdowns (Brady to Welker, Brady to Welker again) and added a field goal. Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez caught a sideline pass and took it 45 yards on the opening scoring drive. Brady looked sharp. Guys were blocking downfield. The line was on its game, Mankins or no. The running game put up nearly 130 yards for the game. Running back by committee at its best.

Brandon Tate, building on his outstanding preseason, took the second half kick-off 67 yards for a touchdown. Pats 31, Bengals 3. What's on the grill for the post-game celebration? Uh oh. Spoke to soon. The Bengals offense got on track in the third quarter, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back 12 play drives. The defense did not look lost like it did in the preseason. The Bengals just finally started making some plays. The score was suddenly 31-17 and the Pats were in a position they were in several times last year. It was at this point that this year started to look very different from last year.

The Patriots got the ball with less than a minute to go in the third quarter and held the ball for a game-clinching 14-play, nearly eight minute drive. Last year the Pats would go three-and-out and the other team would take advantage of an exhausted defense. Not this time. Brady to Welker for 12 yards. To Moss (a great game) for 9. Then Fred Taylor took over. He would finish the game with 71 yards rushing. Brady would cap the 14-play drive with a beautiful throw and catch with Rob Gronkowski in the corner of the end zone. A game clincher.

Cincy would score another touchdown late in the fourth but the game was decided. The defense gave up too many yards in the second half, but for the most part the young players came through. Safety Pat Chung led the team with 16 tackles. Cornerbacks Butler and McCourty held their own against T.O. and Ochocinco when the two stars weren't in the locker room Tweeting. Ocho had 12 catches and a touchdown but it was too little too late. The defense only recorded one sack but was often in Carson Palmer's face. That's different from last year too.

The biggest difference from last year -- for one game at least -- was that the Pats looked in control of the game. They rarely confused their opponents last year on either side of the ball. The Bengals often looked off balance yesterday while the Pats played like a team with a plan. That's something to talk about.

The one doing the most talking was, of course, Randy Moss. I was hoping he would restrict his talking to the field. Guess not. He decided he needed to expand on his comments from the other day about his contract. OK, we get it Randy. You love playing for the Patriots and want to do it for several more years. Hopefully the Pats do too. Enough talking.

Except in the locker room. Tedy Bruschi started a post-game tradition of the "Oooooh yaaaaaa!" chant after a victory. For those who think Belichick's teams get no joy from their pursuit of victories, take a look at those post-game moments. From the video below, it looks like Randy has become the guy to carry on the tradition. This is the kind of talking I want to hear from him.

Your 2010 New England Patriots...

The Pats open another football season tomorrow at home against Cincy. Fall is here. My favorite time of year. If only every day could be 67 degrees with a few wispy clouds and a cool breeze. And with football. At least for the next several months there will be football.

The Patriots finished 10-6 last year. Then they got steamrolled by the Ravens in the playoffs.The question going into 2010 is a simple one. Are the Patriots better than last year -- or will they take a step back?

BELICHICK: On a mission.

Some years it's easy to answer that question. At the start of training camp it seemed like this was one of those years. The Pats would be better. How better would depend on how many of the young players would become reliable playmakers, especially on defense and special teams. Welker is back. Brady, Moss, and Taylor are all healthy and have the look of focus. The offensive line is a rock. Big Vince was signed and happy. The young players on D would benefit from the experience -- good and bad -- they gained last year. Finally, Belichick has a history of getting his team motivated by their failures. Like that playoff game last year.

But then things started to happen. Pro Bowl lineman Logan Mankins didn't come to camp and made it clear he would sit out the season if he didn't get more than the $35 million the team reportedly offered him. Linebacker Derrick Burgess also didn't come to camp, not because he didn't like his contract (he had just signed an extension) but because he was thinking of retiring. Then things really took a turn for the worse. Defensive stalwart Ty Warren was ruled out for the season with a hip injury. Shortly after that, starting cornerback Leigh Bodden went down for the year with a bad shoulder. Then Brandon McGowan -- one of the young hitters on the D -- was put on the IR with a chest injury. Combine all that with a couple of sloppy preseason losses and my optimism was taking a hit.

But even with all that I still get the sense that this team -- youth and all -- is on a mission. They were embarrassed at home by the Ravens. With that loss as motivation, Belichick will have Brady and the offense locked in. That's why he drafted monster tight ends Gronkowski and Hernandez. It's much like 2007. The year before the Pats had blown a large lead in the AFC title game against the Colts. Belichick went out and got Moss and Welker and Stallworth. Brady and the offense broke almost every single-season record imaginable. If the injury bug doesn't start hitting the offensive side of the ball then the Pats should have an even better offense.

The defense was not as big a problem last year as many seem to remember. It was actually the offense that made huge mistakes late in games against Miami, Denver, Indy, and Houston that were largely responsible for those games ending as losses. The defense had trouble getting off the field but the offense had chances to lock up games and failed. The defense had similar trouble getting off the field in the preseason. But if young, physical players like Mayo, Meriweather, Chung, and Spikes can continue to make strides then that should get better.

If the defense shows just marginal improvement over last year, Brady and that offense will turn many of those tough losses last year into big wins this one.

An opener against Cincy is a good test right out of the gate.

Crab cakes and football

This is the golden age of the NFL -- at least when it comes to being a fan. Maybe this isn't the best football the league has ever offered. I still think the '70s wins that honor. But it's close.

BREES: Winning feeling.

Just look at the season opener Thursday night. The defending champ New Orleans Saints against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. What a game. I can almost guarantee if you are looking forward to watching it you won't be disappointed. No matter who wins. I've said it before. That's what makes the NFL -- at this moment -- the greatest sporting experience ever. Almost every game has meaning and is entertaining to watch. If the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies were playing a Thursday night game to open the baseball season I would hardly notice. Not many people outside of Atlanta or Philly would. But a Saints-Vikings matchup attracts intense interest nationwide.

I have heard more people say "I can't wait for this season to start" than ever. And they aren't talking just about the Patriots. They are talking about the whole league. The NFL is Pixar, "Lost," reality television, 3-D movies, and concerts at Fenway all rolled into one. Just look at the Week 1 schedule.

Green Bay at Philly. Atlanta at Pittsburgh. Indy at Houston. Dallas at Washington. And then the Monday Night doubleheader of Baltimore at the 2011 Super Bowl champ NY Jets and San Diego at KC. All great games with great storylines. The McNabb-less Eagles against the powerful Pack. The Roethlisberger-less Steelers against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The veteran Colts against the up-and-coming Texans. The overconfident Cowboys taking on Washington with McNabb and Shanahan hoping to right the Redskin ship. Mount Ryan and the Jets against his old team and other AFC favorite Ravens. I'm going to watch as much of all those games as possible.

Luckily, I am on my furlough week at the newspaper (Thanks, NY Times) and plan to take advantage of my very free time by watching as much of the NFL Network as I can and getting ready for the home opener. I took inventory the other day and will need lots of the basic supplies replenished. But there are three unopened bottles of Grey Goose from last year. So we're good there. That's what happens when your team gets smashed in the first round of the playoffs. Lots of leftover booze.

The Pats start 2010 against Ochocinco, T.O. and the Bengals. It will be a good test of the D and possibly a very entertaining shootout. And the forecast is for 65 degrees and sunny. Sweet.

I'm going to blog a couple of times a week during the season (not every day, that's too much work) like I did last year. If you want the latest news on the team this isn't the place to go. But if you want a longtime fan's view from the tailgate to the fourth quarter, then follow along. Any year that Brady is the QB and Belichick is the coach the team has a chance to win it all.

I'll track the NFL in all its entertainment glory. From the NFL Network's life-changing Red Zone channel, to fantasy football, to the greatest story ever told (a.k.a the Brett Favre saga), pro football is like following a weekly drama. And, at least for now, the Patriots play a starring role.

I'll also look back at some of the best memories of my twenty-plus years of tailgating at Foxborough in the posts labeled "Tales from the Tailgate." The team has provided me and my friends with some really great memories. I think this year will be no different.

To get in the proper mood here's the football scene from "Wedding Crashers" (starting at about 4:20). It's a great look at both backyard football and eccentric, dysfunctional upper class families. Both are so much fun to watch. It's one of the best touch football scenes in movie history along with the one from "The Big Chill.'' One has Rachel McAdams, the other has Meg Tilly. That's a toss-up.

Crab cakes and football...

Feeling Randy

Flipping through the channels between "Seinfeld" and the NFL Network I came upon "Sports Tonight" on Comcast Sports Network with Tanguay and Felger. Like sports-talk radio, it's something I can only take in small doses hoping that some actual insight will come my way. It rarely does.

The show opened with a promo about Randy Moss mouthing off about not being wanted. Felger -- a well-known Moss basher -- was almost drooling. His take? Moss had once again shown that he is a selfish, spoiled diva like T.O. I can skip Felger and Mazz for the rest of the week because I know what they will be talking about.

The thing is... There was really nothing wrong with what Moss said. It was certainly not inflammatory. The flames will be fanned by the spouting heads, but not because of what he actually said. Which was this:

"When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted. I am taking that in stride and playing my final year out and whatever the future holds is what it holds, but it is kind of a bad feeling -- feeling not wanted. It is not like my production has gone down. I am speaking from an individual standpoint. I don't know about [Patriots quarterback] Tom or whoever else's contract. I am a little older and understand the nature of the business -- the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but I think I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills. That's the frustrating part when you put so much heart and desire into things and feel like you are not wanted."

MOSS AND BRADY: Best yet to come?

So what's wrong with that? Where's the whining in that? Where's the nastiness? Moss is on the last year of his contract. A contract in which he took a reduced rate to come to New England and play with Tom Brady. He was going to be paid nearly $20 million over the last two years of his deal with Oakland. Instead, he agreed to reduce that to about $3 million. Very selfish. So now he wants a new deal. He deserves one. Moss is still one of the best three or four wide receivers in the game. You don't agree? Here are his stats since coming to the Pats:

2007: 98 catches, 1,493 yards, 23 touchdowns. Moss and Brady had the single greatest passing season a QB and receiver ever had. It was amazing to watch. So amazing I changed my fantasy football team name from Mansfield Maulers to Moss Racing after he bought a racing team. I bought a Moss shirt. For the record, I was not in favor of the Pats getting Moss. It wasn't that I thought he was selfish or a prima donna. I just didn't think he had much left in the tank. I sure was wrong. And watching him from the stands week after week it became obvious how much he loved to play and how much guys loved playing with him.

2008: 69 catches, 1,008 yards, 11 touchdowns. On the first drive of the season Brady goes down. Moss looked like a guy whose dog just died. Or whose girl had dumped him. And he looked that way for quite a few weeks. Can you blame him? The whole point of his coming here was to play with Brady and that was ruined just a few plays into the season. The next week at the home opener Moss sat mostly off by himself instead of right next to the QB where he belonged. Instead of helping Matt Cassell adjust he was mourning Brady. It was annoying and I kept waiting for Rodney to smack him on the head. But Moss, like the team, pulled out of their funk and put together a solid season, just missing the playoffs.

2009: 83 receptions, 1,264 yards, 13 touchdowns. This is often referred to as an off year for Moss. Felger will show the lowlights of his game against Carolina where the only catch he had ended in a fumble. It was a lousy game. Every player has them. Even Brady. But Moss was accused of dogging it. Turns out he had a bad back most of the season and still caught 83 passes. Ya, he was dogging it.

So now we come to year four of Moss Racing. 2010. Last year of the three-year deal he signed after his amazing, record-breaking 2007 season. Moss has done everything that has been asked of him and more. Brady clearly loves playing with him. Belichick loves coaching him. The guy busts his ass. If you don't sit in the stands watching him you might not get that from the way he is depicted in the media. Does he take some plays off? Sure. He's not a youngster. He needs to know when to burn energy and when not. Not every play involves him. Some game plans he's not the focus of the offense. And he knows it. That's the "I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills" part of what he said.

He looks healthy and ready to go. If he stays healthy he -- and my fantasy team -- should have a great year. He wants a new contract. Just like Brady. Just like Mankins. Unlike Mankins, he hasn't accused Robert Kraft and the Patriots of lacking morals. The media hasn't made too much of Mankins's comments. They are depicted as being what you would expect from an angry player. I agree. The same applies to Moss's much more reasonable self expression.

I know, a guy whose fantasy football team is named Moss Racing is not the most objective voice in the Randy debate. When I heard he said he was feeling "not wanted" I thought he was complaining about not getting enough passes thrown his way. That would have bothered me. I do have one problem with his speaking out and that is the timing. But, being Moss, he's not stupid. Heading into the opener against Ochocinco and T.O. is a good time to say "Hey, I'm better than those guys combined. Why don't you want to wrap me up to three more years?" I think the Pats do want to do that and will sign him at some point. And I think the rest of Moss's statements this year will be made on the field. At least I hope so.

Quite an exhibition

GRONKOWSKI: He's got hand.

The exhibition season is over. Now the fun begins. Hopefully.

The Patriots closed out preseason action with a 20-17 loss at the new Meadowlands. The starters actually played a bit in this one, a rarity in the Belichick era. He clearly thought they needed to see some more game action before the season starts for real -- especially the defense. He was right.

The defense has some issues. The Giants started the game with the ball at their own 14-yard line after another excellent Gostkowski kick-off. That's exactly what the Pats want to start a game. Stop the Giants and Brady and the offense get good field position, giving them a chance to get off to a fast start. That was the formula for success (and blowouts) and '07. The key that year was that the defense could get off the field. This one -- so far -- can't. New York drove 76 yards in 9 plays for a touchdown. Against the starting defense. This came on the heels of the preseason game against the Rams in which St. Louis had several long, time-consuming drives. Not a confidence builder.

The Giants added a 10-play drive that ended in a field goal in the second quarter. That one was led by rookie Rhett Bomer out of Sam Houston State. Sam Houston State! The Pats D helped Sam Bradford win the starting job for the Rams last week and if the Giants didn't already have Eli Manning then Bomer would have done the same. No pass rush. Inability to seal the corners against the run. Those are problems that can lead to some long Sunday afternoons. Surely Belichick can see that too. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with to fix it.

The starting offense has had a strong preseason, scoring six touchdowns and two field goals on 14 possessions in the four games. Besides a lack of pass rush, the other problem that cost the Pats wins last year was offensive troubles in the red zone. There's no sign the pass rush problem is fixed. There are strong signs that the red zone issues are. That would be a huge help this year. Gronkowski caught four touchdowns alone. Maybe there is a role for a tight end in this offense after all.

The preseason is over. It was not a good one. Not because the team lost its last two and finished 2-2. Not because the defense has looked shaky. Not because the new scoreboards are not as huge as I had hoped. The reason it was not a good one was because of injuries. Ty Warren. Leigh Bodden. Brandon McGowan. All important parts of the defense. Warren and Bodden are done for the year. The most important part of the preseason -- staying healthy. The Pats did as poorly on that front as they did in tackling. Both better improve starting next week.

Pats lose, still 0-0

Bill Belichick is not a happy man this morning. Or is he? The Patriots played their third preseason game last night and made more mistakes against the lowly Rams than they did in their previous two against the Saints and the Falcons. The coach will have plenty of things he can use to remind his team that they still have a lot of work to do. That's when he's at his best.

BELICHICK: The D stinks.

The next two weeks leading up to the home opener against Cincy will probably not be a lot of fun around Gillette. I think Belichick prefers it that way. It wasn't a disaster of a game as far as preseason goes (no injuries that I saw), but it was bad enough to get the team's attention. Lots of penalties. Lots of players out of position. The offense put up 35 points, but the defense gave up 36. Lots of work to do.

The game started off on a great note as second-year wide receiver Brandon Tate took the opening kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown. He looks like he'll have a spot on the roster at a very competitive position. Then the defense took the field and it seemed like they never left.

Rookie QB Sam Bradford led the Rams on a 10 play, 72-yard drive to tie the game. The Rams would add scoring drives of 8 plays, 7 plays, 9 plays, 15 plays!, 11 plays, and 9 plays. The last one led to the game winning field goal as time expired. I'm not sure how Brady and the offense were able to score any points considering how long the Rams held the ball. The spotlight will shine brightly on the Pats' defense over the next two weeks. The last preseason game next week against the Giants might turn out to be than just a scrimmage for the defense. They have something to prove.

It's a defense that is sorely lacking a leader. Mayo. Meriweather. Wilfork. They are all solid players but not the Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi kind of guys. Meriweather spends too much time howling after making a tackle when his team is losing. Make the tackle. Get up. Get back to the huddle. Make another tackle. When the game is over and you've won you can howl. Rodney knew that. Tedy knew that. The young players on the defense have to learn it. Asante Samuel might have been able to teach them. Mike Vrabel definitely could.

The defense's inability to make stops on third down was a problem last year and could be again. A lot of that has to do with a lack of pass rush. That was a problem last year and almost certainly will be again unless the coaches can figure out schemes that will let some players loose. Last night Banta-Cain was that guy but he kept committing penalties. Carson Palmer, Ochocinco, and T.O. are going to put the D to the test right out of the gate. They better be ready.

The offense will be ready. Brady hit some big passes. Moss looks committed to having a big year. The tight ends are making plays all over the field. Gronkowski dragging a defender across the goal line was Ben Coates-like. Welker looked like vintage Wes last night. The running game didn't do much but that's par for the course with the Pats. One week they'll run the ball 30 times. The next week the running backs might as well stay home and watch on TV. Overall the offense looks fired up. They're going to have to be because they may need to score 30 points a game to win consistently.

Lots of work to do.

The shootout

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE

Pats 26, Vikings 20 OT (11/13/'94): The sad news that former Patriots fullback Kevin Turner has been diagnosed with ALS is a sobering reminder of the risks that NFL players take to earn a living while entertaining the masses. The toll of the violence is something that we mostly don't talk about while hanging out in the Gilette parking lot grilling and drinking. It sometimes makes an ugly appearance on the field when a collision results in an injury. But mostly it shows up later in the life of the players when people are no longer watching them. For Turner, just 41, it showed up much too soon.

Turner is a favorite of the longtime Pats fan. A fullback is often the heart and soul of an offense. Much like linebackers on defense. Turner was a big part of the Patriots' heart as they suddenly transformed into a playoff contender under Bill Parcells. On a beautiful November day (near 50 degrees) in 1994, Turner was an even bigger part of the game in which Parcells saw his leadership and work finally start to pay off. What a pay off it was.

Me, my brother Jim, Mark, and his friend Scottie enjoyed a great day of tailgating in T-shirts in the winter. Scottie was wearing his Broncos T-shirt being a long, long time Denver fan. It was just mine and Mark's first year as season ticket holders together, a purchase inspired by the hiring of the Tuna, and we were enjoying our Sundays very much. The fact that the team was 3-6 and had lost four straight did not dampen our spirits one bit that afternoon. We were just glad to be tailgating.

The game started out horribly. The Vikings, one of the best in the NFC that year, were full of veteran stars. Chris Carter. Henry Thomas. John Randle. Jack Del Rio. And of course Warren Moon. The Hall of Fame QB was 38-years-old and still one of the best gunslingers in the league. He came out firing at the old Foxboro Stadium, passing for 234 yards in the first half. The Vikings jumped all over the Patriots for a 20-3 lead. Our spirits were a little dampened at that point.

The Patriots had a young player they hoped would develop into their own gunslinger. Drew Bledsoe. In the second half that's just what he did. Bledsoe completed an amazing 37 of 54 passes for 354 yards ... in the second half. 54 passes in one half. It was an amazing sight. Bledsoe finished the game with 42 completions in 70 pass attempts. Both NFL records. And he didn't throw an interception.

Bledsoe started slinging the ball all over Foxboro Stadium on the opening drive of the third quarter, capping it with a 31-yard TD pass. The rest of the half was one rocket after another. Big Ben Coates caught 10 passes, Leroy Thompson 11, Michael Timpson 10, Vincent Brisby 5, Kevin Turner 4. Not exactly Stallworth and Swan that Bledsoe was working with. The Pats still trailed by 10 with just over five minutes left in the game when #11 really started to heat up. Third down after third down Bledsoe would keep the drive going. A rope to Timpson. First down. A scrambling completion to Coates. First down. Me, Mark, Jim, and Scott were loving it. The whole stadium was loving it.

Matt Bahr kicked a field goal with seconds left to send the game into overtime. Then Bledsoe really caught fire. Starting at their own 35-yard line, Parcells called five straight pass plays and Bledsoe completed them all moving the team down to the Vikes 25. The Pats then ran three times to set up a first down at the 14-yard line. Parcells was a pound-the-rock kind of coach. His Super Bowl champion Giants played that way. So this was the moment we expected the Pats to keep it on the ground and set up the winning field goal. But the coach had already come to the conclusion -- as everyone else did when the game was over -- that the Pats had a very powerful weapon in Bledsoe. He wasn't afraid to use it.

Bledsoe took the snap and dropped back to pass. From our view in Section 311 we could see Kevin Turner come out of the backfield right below us, heading towards the near corner of the end zone. Bledsoe lofted a beautiful pass that sailed from our right to left, landing in Turner's fingertips as the fullback touched his toes gently in bounds. Touchdown! Pats win! From 20-0 to 26-20! Turner leaped into the arms of his teammates. Jim and I leaped into each other's arms. It was one of the best sporting moments I've witnessed. The Pats left the field with a 4-6 record but with a new sense of confidence. They did not lose another game the rest of the regular season and made the playoffs. That's how much of an impact Bledsoe's passes and Turner's catch had.

Ask anyone who was at Foxboro Stadium that day what it was like and they all get a large smile on their face. The tape of this game is one of the most revisited among my video library of Pats games created over 20 years through the hard work of faithful VCRs. I've watched that ball fall into the hands of Kevin Turner time and time again. He gave 60,000 people one of their greatest sports memories that day. He deserves a better fate.

Raising expectations

Oh, sports-talk radio. You are nothing if not predictable. The Patriots won their second preseason game last night, easily beating the Falcons down in Atlanta 28-10.

The voices coming through my car radio were throwing around declarative sentences like "The Patriots are sending the league a message"; "The Patriots look much, much better than I thought they would"; "They look like they could be one of the best teams in the league again." All this after a preseason game.

The Patriots sure looked good. The starting offense has that feel like it could be very hard to stop. Brady has lots of weapons, especially with Wes Welker way ahead of schedule. Last night the play of the two new tight ends (Gronkowski and Hernandez) was very encouraging. Maybe, just maybe, the Pats will actually get some offensive production from that position. The running game looked strong and the offensive line, thinned by the holdout of Mankins and the injury to Kaczur, pinned its collective ears back and opened up some running room while protecting the quarterback. Fred Taylor got into the action and looked fresh. When the Pats signed the veteran as a free agent last year I couldn't wait to see him in action. He's been a favorite for a long time. A class act all the way. Just when it looked like he was rounding into form last season he went down with an injury. So once again this year I'm looking forward to seeing him play. I like Maroney (still) but I think Taylor can have a big year.

Of course I thought that about Tory Holt too and he's now out for the season. Kaczur could be the next to go with a back injury. Combine those injuries with the loss of Ty Warren and it hasn't actually been that wonderful of a preseason. Except the team is 2-0. In two more weeks the record will be reset to zero.

I can't wait for the start of this season. Even with the injuries I'm optimistic the team can have a great year. I'm just not going to base that optimism on a preseason game.

Ya. Right.

The greatest player in the history of the NFL (who happens to have thrown the most INTs in league history, too) reportedly decided today that he won't play a second season with the Minnesota Vikings, instead opting to retire from football.

Let's just say I can't wait till Brett Favre and the Vikings come to Foxborough on Halloween night.

Fav-r-a is looking to add most career retirements to his already long list of accomplishments. Like most career interceptions. He retired from the Packers for the first time a few years ago. There was the tear-filled press conference and all that. The greatest Packer of all time was ending his legendary career. And just a few months later there he was in a different green jersey. That of the Jets. One pretty good year with the Jets ended with Favre making a huge turnover with the team's season on the line. That was followed by his second retirement. Followed by his second return, this time in Viking purple. One great year with Minnesota ended with Favre making a huge turnover with the team's season on the line.

Favre had such a great season with the Vikings that most people thought he would come back for one more year. The Vikings are clearly one of the two or three best teams in the NFC with the old man behind center. He got through last season mostly healthy, which is key for a quarterback at 40. So why retire now?

To Favre it seems the question is why just come to camp and join the team and get ready for the season when you can skip camp, miss all the hot, grueling workouts, have the media (a.k.a. ESPN) spend weeks speculating on whether the Vikings can lure you back for one final try at a championship, hold a press conference (or ESPN special: The Decision 2.0) announcing you are coming back one last time, and then show up for practice like the returning hero on the eve of the opener.

I expect Favre to be wearing his Viking horns on Halloween night. I also expect him to lead his team to the division title and the playoffs -- where, with the team's season on the line -- he will make the huge turnover one more time.

The David who was a Goliath

The Ed Westfall of the New England Patriots retired today.

Wide receiver David Patten reduced the logjam at the position just a bit by deciding he had played his last game. That's good for a young WR like Matthew Slater. But it's a bit of a bummer for a fan. Patten has always been a clutch player. Hopefully Tory Holt will be 2010's David Patten. He's going to have to make some memorable plays to qualify. Patten was the quiet guy who always had a smile on his face and always made the big play. Like Easy Eddie Westfall, you could count on Patten to be there when it mattered.

Most fans will remember Patten's almost identical touchdown catches in both the AFC title game against the Steelers and the Super Bowl against the Rams in 2001. I'm not sure there is a bigger catch in Patriot history than either of those. The images of Patten leaving his feet and coming down with the ball in the corner of the end zone -- twice -- in the biggest games in team history are everlasting. But Patten had many other great moments.

He was everywhere in the Snow Bowl game against the Raiders, catching eight passes for just over 100 yards in conditions that made simply running difficult. I don't know what his yards-after-catch were, but it was probably more than 20 and that's amazing in that weather. Earlier that season he had a game like few other players in the history of the NFL.

The 2-3 Patriots went into Indy in October and put a 38-17 beating on them. It was the game that gave Brady and the team a look at just how good they could be. They lost only two games the rest of the season. In the rout of the Colts, Patten ran the ball in for a 29-yard touchdown, then caught a 91-yard touchdown pass from Brady, and then completed the trifecta by throwing -- throwing -- a 60-yard pass to Troy Brown on the option pass. He ran for a TD, caught a TD, and threw a TD. Few Patriots have had a greater single game.

The accomplishment Patten has that no other player in the history of the league has? Catching a ball while technically being unconscious. The 8-5 and suddenly playoff hopeful Patriots went into Buffalo in December needing to beat the woeful Bills. Instead the Pats found themselves in overtime tied 9-9. It was an ugly game. But David Patten probably doesn't remember it. Late in overtime, the Pats desperate for a score, Brady threw a deep sideline pass to Patten. He caught the ball just as he was hammered by a Bills defender. An unconscious Patten fell to the ground, the ball rolling off his body and onto the field where a Bills player recovered it. It looked like the Pats were going to get stuck with a tie at best. Maybe a loss. But the refs ruled that while the ball was still touching Patten, his unconscious head touched out of bounds, thus making it a dead ball (how appropriate). The Patriots kept the ball, kicked the winning field goal a few plays later, and went on to win the division and move into the playoffs where they won it all. It was one of those moments in that year where you realized the breaks that went against the Patriots for so long were starting to go their way.

Patten is one of the players that made the Patriots such an easy team to root for, such a fun team to root for. He was a true underdog. After a great college career he kicked around doing odds jobs before playing in the Arena Football League. He made enough plays in the AFL to attract attention from the NY Giants. He joined the Patriots in 2001 and made play after play in that improbable season, which was fitting because his was an improbable career. One that he always played with a smile on his face.