Reading material

I work Saturdays. I have Mondays off. It's ideal during football season. (Not so much in the summer). Between the many, many chores I accomplish each and every Monday, I take a little time to watch the NFL Network's day-long recap of all the Sunday games, catch the replay of ESPN's NFL Primetime, watch the Monday Night preview shows, and surf the tubes to check out what fans and columnists are saying about their teams in other towns. That last part is always entertaining. People say -- and write -- the darnedest things.

So as a public service, I'll link to a few stories every Wednesday for your reading pleasure.

• The Chiefs were supposed to become the Patriots West. Scott Pioli, second only to Belichick in importance in building a dynasty where one never even seemed imaginable, took over Kansas City with the goal of returning the franchise to the top of the NFL. It hasn't worked out so far.
• One of the main themes of the 2011 season has been back-up quarterbacks. From the Colts waking up Kerry Collins from his couch to replace Manning, to Houston losing Schaub and Leinert for the season in back-to-back weeks, the topic of quality back-up quarterbacks -- or the lack thereof -- has come up in town after town. One of the latest is in Chicago.
• Speaking of back-up QBS, Tim Tebow won again. Tebow also failed to complete ten passes -- again. Touchdown Jesus ("I just want to thank my Lord and Savior." Apparently God's not into passing) is the story of the NFL right now. The Broncos are surprisingly in the playoff race. Suddenly I can't wait till the Pats travel to Denver in a few weeks.
• The Jets beat the Bills in the battle for second place in the AFC East. It's yet another game the Jets could have/should have lost. To their credit, the Jets players were quoted after the win acknowledging they aren't playing nearly well enough. But it was the antics of Bills' wide receiver Steve Johnson that was the focus in Buffalo.
• Finally, there's the Philadelphia Eagles. Their nightmare season continued with the 38-20 beating at the hands of the Pats. Eagles fans were chanting for coach Andy Reid's job. If there's one city where losing takes on an extra level of disappointment, it's Philly.

Oh, and don't forget to check out the comment boards at the end of each story. Fan really is short for fanatic.

Winning ways

WEEK 12
Teams have to learn to win in all ways.

A team that wins every game easily isn't prepared when faced with a nasty playoff battle. A team that knows how to win a 16-13 war but can't put 30 points on the board is going to have a problem against the best offenses. A team that falls behind and can't battle back has to play perfect football to win. The best teams -- in any sport, really -- can play any style you want and beat you at each.

The 2011 New England Patriots are winning in all ways. They have dominated teams from start to finish. They have held off late comeback attempts. They have stolen last-minute victories. They have won some beautiful games. They have won some ugly games. Yesterday, they added another style of victory. They fell behind early but came roaring back for a dominating come-from-behind decision.

Patriots 38, Eagles 20. It was worse than that. Philly scored a meaningless TD in the final minute to break the defense's string of games holding the opponent below 20 points. The defense -- despite injuries to key starters -- is making plays and gaining confidence. The offense continues to run like a machine. There will be more bumps along the way, but if the D gets Chung and Spikes back and the team stays healthy elsewhere there will be more playoff action at Gillette. Yes, the Pats are due for a home playoff win. But it's way too early for that blog post.

The Eagles jumped all over the Pats in the first seven minutes, building a 10-0 lead and threatening to expose the fact that the Patriots don't really have an NFL secondary at the moment. But then two things happened. The Patriots responded, outscoring Philly 38-3. Philly responded, outscoring the Patriots 50 embarrassing mistakes to zero. It was a good thing Santa was not in the stands.

Like last week's win against KC, there's not a whole lot to be be gained breaking this one down. Same holds true for the next two games against the winless Colts and the hapless Skins. If New England is to earn a first-round bye, these are games that they not only should win, they must win. There can be no letdowns or trap games. Yesterday had the appearance of a trap game early. Then Brady, Welker, Branch, Gronk, Bennie, and a lot of guys on defense with much less familiar names decided they weren't losing.

A team that never gives up. That never stops playing no matter what the score. Or as the coach would say "Sixty minutes! Do you hear me?! Sixty minutes!" That's the most important way to know how to win.

Returning home

WEEK 11
Patriots 34, Chiefs 3 (11/21/'11): My brother Jim and I rolled into Gillette a few minutes into the first quarter. We were a little late because I had to work -- not because Jim had returned home from Morocco less than 48 hours earlier.

The Patriots were also returning home after their huge win against the Jets. The Pats lost their last home game a few weeks ago to the other New York team, snapping their 20-game winning streak at Gillette. Last night, in the cold, it was time to start a new one. Since they were playing the Chiefs a victory seemed certain.

But as Jim and I settled into our seats and buttoned up our jackets, the zeros on the scoreboard made it clear the Pats were continuing their trend of slow starts. It's a trend that has to stop. But, for the second week in a row, it's a trend that did not prevent them from winning going away.

The Pats scored two quick touchdowns in the final five minutes of the second quarter to turn an ugly 3-0 deficit into an entertaining 14-3 halftime lead. The fun continued in the second half. The stars of the game were Gronk -- again -- on offense and Andre Carter -- again -- on defense. Brady, after a slow start, had a solid game and Julian Edelman (or Lt. Jim Dangle as we now call him at the tailgate) returned a punt for a touchdown. Kyle Arrington added another two picks to his league leading total of seven. All-in-all it was an entertaining night of football against an inferior team.

It's not a game worth spending too much time analyzing. Beating the Chiefs easily at home is just one of the things a team has to do if it wants to win its division. The win moves the Pats to 7-3, now two games ahead of both the Jets and Bills. It looks like the Pats' domination of the AFC East will continue. Sorry Rex.

Other positives were the running game (157 yards) and the D holding the Chiefs to just three points. That should help lower the all-important points-allowed-per-game stat. The defense has held the other team below 20 points the last two weeks. Granted, neither the Jets nor the Chiefs have much of an offense right now. But it's still a good trend, especially when considering how shorthanded the D has been during that time. Both the offense and special teams made big plays when needed. There was a lot to like.

The thing I liked the most about the night? It was the first game this year where it was cold enough to see your breath. It really is football season now.

The color of purple

I had only seen one NFL game at a stadium outside of the boundaries of Foxborough.

Now make that two. I spent the weekend in Ravenstown. That's Baltimore to you and me. I was there for a newspaper union meeting and some of us decided to take in the Ravens-Bengals game at M&T Bank Stadium after the conference was over. What a great time. It was near 70 degrees and the NFC North battle came down to the last play. I was rooting for Cincy (quietly) because the Ravens are a big challenge to the Pats for the #1 playoff seed. Unfortunately the Ravens edged the upstart Bengals 34-27 in a very entertaining back-and-forth game.

One of the best things about being at a game that doesn't involve the Pats? It doesn't really matter who wins so there's no chance of disappointment at the final gun. It's just a chance to enjoy some quality football in person. Something I'll get another chance to do tonight at Gillette. Two NFL games in two days? Yes please.

It was also a chance to see if the much-heralded Ravens fans are louder than their much-maligned counterparts in New England. It was pretty loud when the Baltimore defense took the field to start the game. The Ravens -- with Ray Lewis (who didn't play due to a sore toe) -- have been known for their defense since winning the Super Bowl a decade or so ago. In Ravenstown it's all about the D. The fans love Suggs, Reed, and their leader Ray Ray who was shown on the Jumbotron so much you would have thought he was playing. When the defense stopped Cincy on a three-and-out the stadium, which doesn't have an open-end like Gillette's lighthouse, was rocking. It was impressive.

Then Joe Flacco and the offense took the field. It got loud in the stadium again. Real loud. Only not with cheers and roars. With boos. Lots of boos. And when the offense couldn't move the ball the boos echoed all the way across the parking lot to Camden Yards. The residents of Ravenstown were not too happy with their offense. Cries of "Run it!" "Give it to Rice!" "Flacco you suck!" followed every incomplete pass. The mood soon changed after Flacco connected on a couple of touchdowns and the Ravens opened up what looked like a comfortable lead. Suddenly there was lots of love for the offense. Fans are the same everywhere.

I took advantage of the big lead (which quickly got smaller) to stroll around the stadium to see what Ravenstown had that Patstown didn't -- besides lots of people wearing purple. Prince would love it there.

Turns out they don't have powdered cinnamon to go on their fried dough. They don't have Don Julio margaritas. And most importantly, they don't have bathrooms big enough to prevent a line from snaking out into the concourse. I haven't waited in a bathroom line for ten years. Thank you Mr. Kraft.

What Ravenstown does have is very friendly people working there. Like the young guy who did my security pat-down. "Nice hoodie," he said as he checked my pockets for weapons. "Enjoy the game." Or the transit employee who made sure the drunk purple people didn't wander on the train tracks. "Stay behind the yellow line everyone. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt." Then she added as people stumbled aboard the train "Have a nice, safe night." Finally there was the Baltimore police officer who led the fans in a "Let's go Ravens" chant as he did crowd control. Not the kind of things you see around Gillette.

Ravenstown has one more thing that Foxborough doesn't. Lots of people of color. I would estimate the number in the stadium to be more than 30 percent. At Gillette you'd be lucky to see 30 black fans total. In Baltimore, fans of different races enjoy rooting for their team together, exchanging high fives and hugs. It made me realize that although we've come a long way as far as football goes in Patstown, we really haven't made much progress when it comes to creating a more diverse crowd.

That's so offensive

I heard a voice on sports radio as I was driving home Thursday night say he thought the Jets-Broncos game would set offense in the NFL back 20 years. He was only off by about 90 years. The forward pass was made legal in 1906. If they could have looked into the future and watched last night's game they might have had second thoughts.

The passing performances of Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez were sick. As in nausea inducing. It was that bad. Sanchez threw his second pick-six in five days. The one against the Pats helped seal defeat. The one last night helped give away a win. He gave Denver a touchdown when the Broncos offense couldn't even get a first down. Sanchez missed open receiver after open receiver. Tebow missed everything. It was ugly.

As ugly as the 5-5 Jets' playoff prospects. Mt. Ryan said "Our playoffs start next week." That's a problem because his offense is not ready for the playoffs. It's not even ready for preseason. In a matter of five days the Jets made a season's worth of mistakes, both physical and mental. A loss to the Bills and the Foot Doctor can start making his Super Bowl predictions for next year.

The Broncos are also 5-5 but they are a lot happier about being .500. It's all a matter of expectations. The hero of the game was rookie Tebow -- known for his ability to pass on the word of the Lord and his inability to pass anything else. Tebow was coming off a game in which he completed just two passes. Two! But one of those two was for a long touchdown to win the game. And he can run. Actually, running -- at this moment -- is pretty much all he can do. He won the game with a 20-yard touchdown scamper through the vaunted Jets D. It was a heck of a play by Tebow. And a heck of a collapse by the Jets

I added Tebow to my fantasy football team to replace Michael Vick who has been a huge bust in both the real and fantasy worlds. I didn't do it because I thought Tebow would score me a ton of points. He won't. I did it because after drafting a dog killing jerk I thought it might be a good idea to replace him with a man of God. I felt a need for atonement.

Hurts so good

WEEK 10
The Pats were bruised and battered.

Coming off two tough losses, with the Blabosphere howling at their door, with some of their key defenders on the sideline, in the aftermath of Phat Albert's release, and against the big talking team from New York at their stadium on a Sunday night ... the Patriots were faced with as big a regular season challenge as they've had in years. They responded by playing one of the gutsiest (is that really a word?) games I've seen in a while. Question their talent. Question their depth. Question the GM. (I have). But don't question this team's toughness and fight. And don't question the coaching staff. The Pats were hurting. They responded by doing the hurting.

The look on Mt. Ryan's face in his post-game press conference said it all. Big Rex's stated goal before the season -- other than the Jets winning their third Super Bowl in a row fir him -- was to knock the Pats off the top of the AFC East hill. With an improbable 37-16 win, the Pats had sent the Jets tumbling down again. The Patriots are once again in control of the division and the Jets are once again looking at a second half of the season spent scratching for a wild card spot. The last two years they managed to claw their way in (or in the case of '09 have the Colts let them in) but the Foot Doctor knows you can't pull that off every year. And they have to fly to Denver for a tough game Thursday night. It's a must win road game.

The schedule for the Pats, on the other hand, now sets up perfectly. The only winning team they face is the Bills at the end of the season and the Bills are toast. Every game is tough in the NFL (just ask Baltimore), but beating the Jets is such a monumental shift in the fortunes of the two teams that Ryan couldn't hide how crushed he was. Asked if the Jets could still win the East, he shrugged his shoulders and said "It sure doesn't look too good."

Rex wasn't alone at being stunned. Not many people in New York saw this coming. The Pats fans I knew were optimistic, if not confident. The Pats lost two tough games but had battled the whole way. They have come up big a lot the last two years. None bigger than last night.

The first half was stressful to watch. Brady couldn't get in a groove and both teams wasted opportunities to take control. The Jets opened the game by driving, quickly and easily, to the Pats 9-yard line in just four plays. The D was missing Spikes and Chung. A defense that was already pretty shallow in the depth department was just about empty and the Jets were taking advantage of it, throwing the ball easily. It didn''t look good. But the drive stalled thanks to two Sanchez incompletions and kicker Nick Folk missed a very short field goal. Big mistake #1.

Brady and the Pats drove to the Jets 32 but were stopped and Gostkowski came out and nailed a 50-yarder for the 3-0 lead. A few minutes later the Jets faced a 3rd-and-8 on their own 42 when what would become the story of the game emerged. A pass rush. That's right. A pass rush. By the Pats D. Andre Carter bulled his way through the tight end's block and recorded his first of a team record 4..5 sacks in the game. A pass rush. Wow. The Pats offense drove deep into Jets territory but had to settle for a field goal and a mere 6-0 lead. That was the pattern for much of the first half. The Pats D pressuring Sanchez and the Pats offense moving the ball but coming up short.

The Pats got the ball at their own eight with about five minutes to go and still up 6-0. An incomplete pass and botched shotgun snap brought up a 3rd-and-long from their own five. The Jets D trapped Brady and he had to dump the ball off to avoid the sack. Safety. 6-2. A score that perfectly captured the frustrating nature of the play. That's when the game really started.

Sanchez -- as he has often done in his two-plus years in the league -- shook off a slow start and led his team on a big scoring drive to take the lead. The biggest play of the drive was not a play at all -- it was a timeout called by Sanchez. After completing a second-and-goal pass down to the two, Sanchez called a timeout with 1:24 to play in the half instead of letting the clock wind down or forcing the Pats to burn a timeout. Big mistake #2. Mt. Ryan reportedly called it "the stupidest thing in NFL history." (I think that honor goes to yesterday's Falcons 4th-and-inches call in OT). The Jets scored on the next play to take their first lead but the timeout left the Pats offense with 1:20 to respond. Respond they did.

Brady -- who, even including losing causes, has led at least a dozen huge drives so far this season -- methodically moved the team 80 yards in seven plays, capping it off with an 18-yard TD pass to Gronk. It was a great catch by Gronk who had a monster game. Brady and Belichick used the clock and their timeouts perfectly. The Pats defiantly walked off the field with 13-9 lead. It was an ugly, frustrating half of football. The second half would be easier to watch.

Both offenses opened with three-and-outs as the defenses continued to dominate. The Pats punted away on their second possession, but returner Joe McKnight took his eye off the ball (big mistake #3), and the ball bounced off his chest, eluded the grasp off three Jets, and was recovered by the Pats. The offense added a field goal to push the score to 16-9.

Then the Jets marched inside the Pats 40 but on first down Sanchez's pass skipped through the fingers of running back Shonn Greene, off the hands of Mayo, and right into Ninko's lap. The linebacker returned the ball to the Pats 43. Big mistake #4. There would be no field goals this time. The offense went no huddle and the Jets D actually didn't seem prepared for it. Hernandez, Branch, Woodhead, and Faulk all made plays as if to prove the offense is so much more than Welker and Gronk. Which it is. Then Gronk proved he is the most important part, making another great touchdown catch. Pats 23-9.

Sanchez -- who seems to play better in the playoffs than the regular season -- answered with a 10-play touchdown drive to get the Jets and Fireman Ed right back into the game. There was a whole quarter to go. It was the Pats best quarter of the season -- so far.

The offense got the ball at their own 16 and -- using the hurry up again -- put together a 16-play drive that chewed up almost seven minutes of clock. Once again the ball got spread around. Welker. Woody. Hernandez. Gronk. Faulk. And finally Branch who took a quick out pass from Brady, put a move on the DB, and skipped into the endzone. The Blabosphere has been obsessing on how other than Welker and Gronk the Pats have no weapons. Sometimes I'm just not sure what games they are watching.

Three plays after Branch's TD came big mistake #5. Sanchez tried to hit LT over the middle at the Jet 10 but Ninko -- looking a lot like that other #50, or even old #54 -- stepped in front of the soon-to-be-retired running back and took it in for a pick six. Pats 37-16.

How did the undermanned, bruised, and battered Pats beat on the Jets so convincingly? By doing the one thing that really matters in football... protect the ball. I've said it time and time again. Turnovers is the only stat that doesn't lie. Two of the Pats three losses are completely because of turnovers. All of the six wins are because of lack of turnovers. The score may have been 37-16. Just as important was another score: Jets big mistakes 5, Pats big mistakes 0.

Another number of note. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick set the record (117) for most wins by a QB-coach tandem last night. What a way to set the record.

Half 'n half

Every team in the NFL (including the Pats) has now played at least eight games. It's the half-way point of the season. What a first half it has been. There was a lot of talk in the first few weeks about the trend towards 45-40 games. A lot of wasted talk. The defenses -- as they always do -- are starting to assert themselves. The scores are dropping along with the temperatures.

The defending champs are the last unbeaten team and look to be helmet and shoulder pads above the rest of the field. Other than that the league is a free-for-all. Eleven of the 16 teams in the AFC are .500 or better. The AFC North alone has three teams with six wins. The NFC has nine teams at .500 or better. Take away the NFC West (please) and the quality of play throughout the league is as competitive as it's ever been. The football has been highly entertaining. The playoff races should come down to the wire in several divisions. The NFL Redzone is going to get a workout.

The league's top team is an easy one. After that it's a battle for We're No. 2!

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0): The Pack has outscored its opponents by almost 100 points. Aaron Rodgers is having what could be the first of several MVP years. Brett Favre will soon be a distant memory for Green Bay fans. Interestingly, the Pack's pass defense is second-to-last in the league. Maybe pass D isn't that important after all. I thought the Pack was a decent team that got hot at the right time last year to win their title. I was wrong. They were a great team that finally started putting it all together. A Pats-Pack rematch in the Super Bowl would be great.

2a. San Francisco 49ers (7-1): The Niners have only allowed 118 points. By far the lowest in the league. That's how you turn an underachieving team into a division champ. The rest of the NFC West has combined for just five wins. Two less than San Fran. Pete Carroll won't be sneaking into the playoffs this year. The Niners could wrap the division up by the time we all sit down for our turkey dinner. That really isn't a good thing for anyone, including the Niners.

2b. Baltimore Ravens (6-2): The Ravens accomplished their main goal for the regular season. Sweep the Steelers. But the Bengals were on the other side waiting for them. Now the Ravens will have a chance to sweep the Bengals and take the brutal AFC North. I think they will. Anquan Boldin has started to look like he did in Arizona. That makes Baltimore very dangerous.

2c. New England Patriots (5-3): They may have lost their last two games and their offense may be "struggling," but the Pats are still a top five team in the league. Hopefully they will prove me right Sunday night. The Pats had an off game in Pittsburgh coming out of their bye but losing at Heinz is no disgrace. Neither is losing to the Giants in a tight battle. The Pats -- as they often do -- got away from the run in the two losses. They need to get back to it. And -- stop me if you've heard this before -- they need more of a pass rush.

2d. New York Giants (6-2): Eli Bleeping Manning. Who would have thought that little Manning would ultimately become more of a pain in Belichick's side than his big brother? He pulled out another clutch win last week and has Tom Coughlin's G-Men back on top in the NFC East. They have maybe the best pass rush in the game and some young, explosive receivers to go along with a pounding running game. This is a very good team. They will be tough in the playoffs.

2e. New York Jets (5-3): How good are the Jets? They sure looked bad in their three-game losing streak. And they really haven't looked all that great in their current three-game winning streak. But the defense is starting to play like a Rex Ryan D and the running game is starting to show signs of life. And the big guy on the sideline is still doing a good job coaching. They play the Pats Sunday night and then have to fly out to Denver for a Thursday night game. Two games in five nights that could decide their playoff fate.

2f. New Orleans Saints (6-3): The Saints biggest problem so far has been winning on the road. Brees and the offense are averaging a league best 445 yards a game. That will win just about anywhere. The Saints are averaging about 320 yards passing and 125 yards rushing. That's balance. Darren Sproles was by far the best free agent pickup this year. He can do it all. The Saints D is even improved, averaging in the middle of the pack in most categories.

2g. Detroit Lions (6-2): The Lions were the hot story of the early season but have stumbled just a bit. Just a bit. Their red-hot offense has cooled down due to no running game. That has put more pressure on Stafford and he has looked more like a young QB lately. But the defense is still fierce. Surprisingly, Detroit is unbeaten on the road but only 2-2 in Motown. The Lions biggest problem is they are in the Pack's division so their only path to the playoffs is the wild card. Not an easy path in the NFC.

2h. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): The Steelers got stomped at home on opening day by Baltimore. They looked old. Since then they have gone 5-2. Steelers! Geez. They just keep winning. They have had a a habit the last decade of following up a great year (AFC champs) with a bad year. I was betting on that again. It doesn't look like a good bet. Big Ben keeps getting it done. Mike Wallace has taken over for Hines Ward very nicely. The defense continues to play solid, ranking third in the league in yards per game and fifth in points. Guess they aren't so old after all.

2i. Houston Texans (6-3): The team that is flying under the radar in the AFC. Houston usually has succumbed to the Colts by this point of the season. Freed from that shadow, the Texans are steadily heading towards their first division title (and playoff spot) in franchise history. The defense is leading the way. Houston is first in yards allowed, second against the pass, and fourth against the run. Mario Williams was worth the pick. The fact that they are winning without Andre Johnson says a lot.

2j. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2): They haven't played the Steelers or the Ravens yet. Actually, they've barely played anyone. But they are 6-2 and their defense is playing great. Of all the teams at the top of their division, the Bengals are the biggest question. As in... Who the hell plays for the Bengals? Rookie Andy Dalton from Texas Christian is playing solid rookie quarterback. Not making too many mistakes. First-round pick A.J. Green is playing outstanding rookie wideout. But it's the D that is the story. The Bengals are second against the rush and only allowing 17 points a game. If they keep that up they should make the playoffs.

2k. Atlanta Falcons (5-3): Another team flying below the radar. The Falcons had the best record in the NFC last season only to get bounced at home in their first playoff game. Like the Pats. Unlike the Pats, they have a defense that can stop people. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner give the Falcons balance on offense. Julio Jones is another rookie wideout who would have looked good in a Pats uniform. The Falcons are better on the road this year which should help them come playoff time.

Dishonorable mention: I said at the start of the year this could be a rough one for Indianapolis Colts fans. I had no idea how rough. 0-8. Wow. I guess Manning really was the reason that team won all those games. GM Bill Polian should be embarrassed. He apparently thought Manning would stay healthy and play another ten years. Because it's clear there was no Plan B. Sorry, Colts fans. You'll have lots of free time on Sundays come January. I know that's not very appealing since you live in Indianapolis.

General concerns

It hasn't been a good year for the Pats' general manager.

Yesterday the team dumped Albert Haynesworth. This on the heels of the waiving of veteran DB Leigh Bodden two weeks ago. Which came on the heels of the surrender on younger guys like Meriweather, McGowan, and Tate. Can the end of the Ocho be far behind? (Since he only has nine catches, who cares?)

The Pats are still in position to have a very good season. And as everyone was reminded the last two years, it doesn't always matter how great a regular season you have as long as you make the playoffs. That's when the wins really matter. Last year's team had an outstanding regular season. Winning big game after big game. It was a lot of fun. But a quick playoff exit took the lustre off all those wins. Still, it was a great year. A big step back in the right direction. But the '11 Patriots are not building on what the '10 Patriots started. Especially on D.

As many have written and said, GM Belichick has not done coach Belichick too many favors lately. The team made two very good off-season acquisitions. Offensive lineman Brian Waters has been a rock. Even though the line has had its hands full the last few weeks -- as they will Sunday night against the Jets -- they still have been one of the strengths. On the other side of the ball, free agent defensive end Andre Carter has been one of the few bright spots. He leads the team in sacks.

Two very good pick-ups. First-round pick Nate Solder looks to be a solid member of the O line for years to come. A 14-2 team that adds three more good starters should only be better. But when you subtract as many guys (Ty Warren, Meriweather, McGowan, Banta-Cain, coach Crump, Sanders, to name a few) as the Pats did then you have to add more than just three to replace them.  Not that the names on that list were star players. They weren't. But they were experienced guys that are missed. Especially on D. Someone had to replace them.

Haynesworth. Ellis. Ocho. Ras-I. Vereen. Price. Ihedigbo. A group of players that have added almost nothing in their first -- and in Haynesworth's case last -- season with the team. Nothing. Throw in second-year player -- and now, incredibly, almost starting safety -- Sergio Brown and you have less than nothing. Suddenly a deep 14-2 team doesn't look so deep.

The GM has done an impressive job moving the team from its dynasty years into its next incarnation. Ten years after the first Lombardi the Pats are still battling at the top of the league. Welker. Mayo. Vollmer. Chung. McCourty (maybe). Spikes. BenJarvis. Woody. Hernandez. Branch. Gronk. Ninko. Gostkowski. That's a lot of strong talent added over the past four or five seasons. The Sports Blabosphere seems to take for granted that the Pats are still one of the best teams in the NFL. They shouldn't.

Look at the Manning-less Colts right now. 0-9. When Brady went down in '08 the Pats went 11-5. That's because of depth. Belichick's Pats -- more often than not -- have had someone ready to step in when someone else goes down. Dan Connolly filling in for center Dan Koppen this season is just the latest example. The Pats rarely miss a beat.

This year that hasn't applied to the secondary. When the GM dumped Meriweather, Sanders, McGowan, Wilhite, and Butler before the season started it left a very shallow talent pool. Other than Pat Chung, McCourty, and Bodden there wasn't much to choose from. Ras-I Dowling? Josh Barrett? Sergio Brown? James Ihedigbo?The defensive backfield was Concern #1 coming out of camp. Eight games later the situation is beyond concern. Veteran Bodden has been cut. Barrett and Dowling are out for the year. James Ihedigbo is now your starting strong safety. That's bad planning by the GM. If Chung -- who throws his body around so much that he seems to drag himself back to the huddle at least once a game -- ever goes down you'll have Brown and Ihedigbo covering the middle of the field. You think the pass defense is bad now?

The Pats made eleven roster moves since Sunday's last-second loss to the Giants. Eleven. Belichick is starting to run the Pats like I run my fantasy team. "Let's try this guy. No. How about this guy. OK, let's bring back Ross Ventrone." It's a bad way to run a fantasy team. It's a really bad way to run an NFL team.

Not a good year for the GM. So far.

Time warp

WEEKS 8 & 9
I went to Morocco, a land that often felt as if it has not changed much at all since being constructed centuries ago. I real journey back in time. It was a great adventure.

I came home just in time to watch the Patriots host the Giants and found myself back in time again. Back to February of '08. The Giants D was crushing Brady play after play. Each possession was a struggle. Eli Manning was doing just enough against a solid defensive effort to have his team ahead. Then the Pats drove down to take the lead with just more than a minute left. A great comeback win! Only to see little Manning lead his team on an impressive scoring drive to steal the game with just seconds left.

But this wasn't the Super Bowl in Arizona. It was Week 9 at Gillette .. and it was today.

Since I've been gone the Pats have had their all-important bye week and then surprisingly followed that up with tough back-to-back losses. Belichick's teams have been pretty strong coming out of their byes. But not this year. The once 5-1 Pats are now 5-3 and tied with both Buffalo and New York for first in the East. This is the proverbial bump in the road. A big one. But after watching the Giants game -- and the Steelers game on tape -- I still think this team goes into the new Meadowlands and takes home a huge road win.

The Pats haven't lost because they've been flat or sloppy or out-coached or out-worked. They've lost because they've made more mistakes than the other team. The Pats are averaging about three turnovers in their three losses while only average one in their five wins. Turnovers is the one stat that does not lie. It doesn't matter if some of the picks are fluky deflections as several of Brady's have been this year. Too many turnovers equals too many losses.

Cut out the mistakes and the Pats will be fine. Watching the effort and intensity in the two losses, I see a team that is still focused and motivated. That usually results in a great effort for a Belichick-Brady team. I expect that Sunday night in what should be a great game.

As was today's classic against the Giants. The defense came unglued in the end (it looked a little too much like '09 for comfort) but had played a very strong game to that point. The young defensive backfield is going to make mistakes. They got torched by Big Ben and the Steelers a week ago. But in two of the last three games the D has shown improvement. They were one play away from winning both those games. They've made more of those plays than not the last two years.

The offense has seen Dallas, Pittsburgh, and the Giants take away the 10-yard passing lanes and it has caused problems. But in all three games the offense has put together clutch late-game drives. That too is a good sign. The key for the Pats will be to get off to a strong start as they did in the first month of the season. Slow starts have hurt them lately.

That first drive for Brady and the offense Sunday night against Mt. Ryan and the Jets D will be huge. I can't wait.