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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for New England Patriots</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:54:55 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:54:55 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Jets-Patriots Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been the talk of
the NFL this week following his controversial fourth-down call
that led to a gut-wrenching loss.

His critics around Foxborough may be willing to forgive him
quickly if his Patriots achieve a different kind of redemption
Sunday.

After their offense sputtered in a loss to the rival New York
Jets two months ago, the Patriots will have a chance to all but
bury the struggling Jets in the AFC East if they can improve to
6-0 at home.

Belichick took plenty of heat following last Sunday night's wild
35-34 loss to Indianapolis, stemming from his decision to go for
it on fourth-and-2 from the Patriots' own 28-yard line with just
over 2 minutes to go and his team leading 34-28.

Tom Brady's pass to Kevin Faulk came up short and the Colts
cruised in for the winning touchdown.

"I thought it was our best chance to win," Belichick said. "I
thought we needed to make that one play and then we could
basically run out the clock. We weren't able to make it."

The move also prompted questions about the coach's confidence
level in his young defense. New England opponents are averaging
16.7 points - third-lowest in the NFL - but the team has been
using an inexperienced group as it tries to replace several
departed veterans.

"We would play well for a series, play real well, and then the
next series (with) similar calls and we just maybe didn't play
them quite as well," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said.
"We're a little bit inconsistent at this point in time, and
that's across the board basically with the young guys, and no
particular guy."

The defeat ended New England's three-game winning streak and put
a dent in its chances of gaining a first-round playoff bye, but
the Patriots (6-3) still hold a two-game lead on New York in the
East as they try to reclaim the division they won five straight
times from 2003-07.

Miami moved into sole possession of second place in the division
with a 24-17 win over Carolina on Thursday night.

A victory over the Jets (4-5) would give New England a
three-game advantage and the tiebreaker over New York. The
Patriots will be especially hungry after a 16-9 loss at Giants
Stadium on Sept. 20, when they were held below 10 points for the
first time since 2006.

That was Brady's second regular-season game following his return
from major knee surgery, and the 2007 NFL MVP seems to have
regained his swagger. He's passed for more than 300 yards in
four straight games, throwing 13 touchdowns and four
interceptions.

Randy Moss has been the biggest beneficiary lately, racking up
524 receiving yards and six touchdowns in the four contests.

Moss was held to four catches for 24 yards by the Jets and
standout cornerback Darrelle Revis earlier this season, and New
York consistently applied pressure to Brady.

"We're going to see how well we prepare and how much better we
understand what they're doing," Brady said. "It's a good scheme,
and it's been proven for a lot of years that it's a good scheme,
and the players of the Jets have really seemed to adapt to it."

New York's defense hasn't been as dominant since an impressive
3-0 start under new coach Rex Ryan, the longtime Baltimore
Ravens defensive coordinator. While the Jets still rank second
in the NFL in total defense, they struggled to slow down
Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew in a 24-22 loss last Sunday.

The Jets' last six opponents have averaged 126.0 yards on the
ground, with the team going 1-5.

"We're humbled, of course," linebacker Bart Scott said. "Nobody
expects anything out of us. We've just got to go about our
business."

The unit hasn't been getting much help from the NFL's
27th-ranked pass offense, and even New York's top-ranked rushing
attack has been held under 4.0 yards per carry the last two
weeks.

Rookie Mark Sanchez ranks 27th in the NFL with a 66.5 passer
rating, but Ryan continues to loudly profess his confidence in
his team.

"At the end of the day, I always say somebody is going to have
egg on their face," Ryan said Monday. "So far, it looks like me.
But, I'm betting on me. I'm betting on our football team.

"Trust me, I'm going to work to the best of my ability to find
answers. Whatever it is, I believe we'll find them. I know our
task is hard, but it's not impossible."

No visiting team has been able to win at Gillette Stadium this
season, but the Jets have won two of their last three in
Foxborough. They beat a Brady-less team 34-31 last Nov. 13.

New York is trying to win three straight overall against the
Patriots for the first time since a four-game run from
1999-2001.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135089-Jets-Patriots-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135089-Jets-Patriots-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:51:17 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pats-Jets rematch has different look than 1st game]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- The New England Patriots are determined
to bounce back from their big loss.

No, not that one.

While Sunday night's 35-34 shocker against the Indianapolis
Colts held the spotlight for days because of coach Bill
Belichick's ill-fated fourth-down decision, the Patriots want to
even the score with another major rival, the New York Jets, on
Sunday.

In the second game of the season, New York ended New England's
streak of 36 games with at least one offensive touchdown and
forced Tom Brady into his worst game of the season.

"We can't play much worse than we played," Brady said.

A lot has changed since that 16-9 loss at the Meadowlands in a
division game that left the Jets at 2-0 and the Patriots facing
questions whether Brady was back to his old self after his
season-ending knee injury in last year's opener.

Jets coach Rex Ryan has gone from talking boldly to shedding
tears - "I'm an emotional guy," he said after crying in front of
his players Monday. Nose tackle Kris Jenkins and running
back-kick returner Leon Washington are sidelined for the season,
quarterback Mark Sanchez has struggled, and New York (4-5) has
lost five of its last six games.

The perception of Patriots coach Bill Belichick as a mastermind
who makes the right calls has been blurred after he went for it
on fourth-and-2 at his 28-yard line with a six-point lead and
just over two minutes left.

But Brady has thrown for more than 300 yards in his last four
games; Randy Moss has more than 100 yards receiving in four of
the seven games since being shut down by the Jets; Wes Welker is
back after missing the first meeting with a knee injury; and the
AFC East-leading Patriots (6-3) have won five of their last
seven.

"We're definitely better than we were in Week 2, but so is
everybody else," Belichick said. "It's not about improvement,
it's about the rate of improvement."

For the Jets, that rate may not be as low as their record
indicates. They lost last Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars
24-22 on a field goal on the final play, their fourth loss by
five points or fewer. A loss to New England would be their
fourth in the division, a huge blow to their chances of winning
the AFC East.

"We've found (different) ways to lose," Ryan said. "We've
basically been beat on the last play of the game in four games.
So, if people think we're going to be pushovers, they have
another think coming."

The Jets blitzed the Patriots often on Sept. 20 and allowed just
83 yards rushing with Jenkins clogging the middle. His absence
should open up things, but the Jets still have cornerback
Darrelle Revis, the main reason Moss had only four catches for
24 yards in that game.

Moss attributed that to double coverage, a notion Revis
disputed.

"I was in man-to-man coverage," he said. "One thing I know is
I'm giving him respect. He's one of their best and it's great
competition between me and him. I love it, and I'm sure he loves
it, too."

Patriots tight end Chris Baker, who played for the Jets the past
seven years, called Revis "the best corner in the league." Ryan
called Moss "the best vertical receiver in football."

Now the Jets also must contend with Welker. Despite missing two
games, he's second in the NFL with 64 receptions. Rookie Julian
Edelman, similar in size to Welker, made eight catches in the
first meeting.

"Whenever he's not playing, you have to make up for it in other
ways," said Brady, who completed a season-low 48.9 percent of
his passes in that game, "but there's only one Wes Welker."

Having Welker didn't help last Sunday night when Belichick went
for the first down instead of punting. Brady threw to Kevin
Faulk, who bobbled the ball before catching it and missing the
first down.

Tedy Bruschi, an ESPN analyst after spending the last 14 seasons
as a Patriots linebacker, said Belichick's decision "would be
enough to make my blood boil for weeks" and showed a lack of
confidence in the defense.

"I have the ultimate respect for Tedy," Patriots inside
linebacker Jerod Mayo said, "but he's not in this locker room at
this point in time so he doesn't know the feeling that's in this
defense or that this team has. We still have our confidence. We
still have our swagger."

The Jets also have their critics,

"There are not a lot (of people) that believe in us outside of
this locker room, but that really doesn't matter," said wide
receiver Braylon Edwards, who was with the Cleveland Browns when
the Jets and Patriots first met. "As long as we continue to
believe in ourselves I think we can put something together and
come out of it this week."

Maybe then Ryan will be smiling instead of crying.

"We had the better team in Week 2," he said. "Obviously, over
the last month and a half, they've played much better than we
have. But we're going to find out who has the better team on
Sunday."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135480-Pats-Jets-rematch-has-different-look-than-1st-game</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135480-Pats-Jets-rematch-has-different-look-than-1st-game</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:34:52 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Mass. panel OKs $9 million for Patriots footbridge]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[BOSTON(AP) -- A Massachusetts panel has given approval to use $9
million in federal stimulus funds for a pedestrian bridge sought
by the owner of the New England Patriots.

The span over the north-south highway U.S. Route 1 would help
pedestrians cross parking lots outside Gillette Stadium and
connect the Patriot Place mall with an office park being
proposed by team owner Robert Kraft.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization approved it Thursday by a
13-1 vote.

Critics have questioned giving the money to a billionaire and
using funds intended for shovel-ready projects on an office park
that won't be built immediately.

Kraft and his wife have recently stepped up their political
donations to Gov. Deval Patrick, who says the state is
supporting the footbridge because it will help create jobs.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135403-Mass-panel-OKs-9-million-for-Patriots-footbridge</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135403-Mass-panel-OKs-9-million-for-Patriots-footbridge</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:03:47 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Patriots return to practice after big loss at Indy]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- Bill Belichick has heard enough about his
fourth-down decision that failed. So has Tom Brady.

The Patriots returned Wednesday for their first practice since
Sunday night's 35-34 loss in which their coach went for it on
fourth-and-2 from the New England 28-yard line instead of
punting with a six-point lead. They fell a yard short and the
Indianapolis Colts scored a touchdown and extra point for the
victory.

"Today is Wednesday," Belichick said. "We talk about Wednesday."

His players delivered the same message: The Colts are in the
past, it's time to prepare for Sunday's game against the New
York Jets.

On the fourth-down play, Kevin Faulk appeared to be beyond the
first-down marker when he bobbled Brady's pass, which wasn't
perfectly accurate. He quickly gained control, but the ball was
spotted just short of the marker and the Colts took over.

The quarterback wouldn't address whether he could have put the
ball in a better place.

"I'm worried about the Jets," Brady said. "I think I'd talked a
lot about the Colts game and I think we've all got to move
forward and understand that we're playing a great opponent one
that really gave our offense a lot of problems the last time we
played them and that has a lot of good players.

"It's already Wednesday, that game was last Sunday and really
that game can't help us at all moving forward, so it doesn't
really do us a lot of good to waste energy thinking about it or
talking about it. We've got to just go worry about the Jets."

Not as much, though, as they might have earlier in the season.

Brady had his worst game of the year in the second week, a 16-9
loss at New York. But the Jets (4-5) have lost their last three
games and trail the Patriots (6-3) in the AFC East race.

New England usually bounces back well from big losses - and
Sunday night's against its top AFC rival was huge.

"It's tough," Brady said. "You lose those games and emotionally
you're pretty drained and it's disappointing for everybody, but
the reality is there's a lot of games left for us and we all
understand that."

The last time the Patriots lost two straight, they were beaten
at home by the Colts and Jets in the eighth and ninth games of
2006. Their previous two-game losing streak came in the 14th and
15th games in 2002 - against the Tennessee Titans and the Jets.

The Patriots know New York can do it again as they try to
rebound from the emotional loss at Indianapolis.

"It takes a lot out of you," cornerback Jonathan Wilhite said,
"but I think just the respect (we have) for the Jets and how
good of a team they are, I think we need to focus more on them
instead of dwelling on the past."

Safety Brandon McGowan said he got over the loss "right after it
happened. Like Coach said, 'the past is the past.' "

Reggie Wayne caught a 1-yard scoring pass from Peyton Manning
with 13 seconds left Sunday night despite being guarded closely
by Wilhite. Still, the second-year cornerback had a decent game
against one of the NFL's best receivers.

"There are some things that happen in every game that pretty
much a player did what he could do and there's not always the
optimal result on that," Belichick said. "And then there are
other times when players didn't do what they were expected to do
(and) that's something that you can correct."

Belichick did the unexpected when he went for the first down.

When the decision backfired, the critics piled on. Former
Patriots Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi and former Colts coach
Tony Dungy all said the Patriots should have punted.

"When you lose, people place the blame in certain areas," Brady
said. "We all know in here there's not one thing to blame. We
all could do things better. Its unfair in a group of 53 players
and however many coaches we have that one person gets the
blame."

Clearly, Brady wanted to move on despite the media's focus on
the decision.

"I don't turn the TV on. I don't read the paper," he said. "When
you win, you watch 'SportsCenter,' you watch 'Monday Night
Football.' When you lose, you don't turn any of it on. You watch
the Jets and that's about all you do."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135125-Patriots-return-to-practice-after-big-loss-at-Indy</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135125-Patriots-return-to-practice-after-big-loss-at-Indy</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:39:48 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Pats' assistant says boss unaffected by critics]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- When defensive coordinator Dean Pees
returned to work after New England's stunning loss to the
Indianapolis Colts, Bill Belichick was preparing for the
Patriots' next opponent.

The coach was seemingly unaffected by the wave of criticism
stemming from his fourth-down gamble.

"As far as I can see right now, it's business as usual," Pees
said Tuesday.

Belichick went for it on fourth-and-2 with the Patriots in front
and just over two minutes left Sunday night, but his team fell a
yard short, leaving the Colts just 29 yards from the end zone.
Four plays later, Peyton Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass
to Reggie Wayne and Matt Stover's extra point gave Indianapolis
a 35-34 win.

On Monday, it was time to move on.

"I haven't seen Bill in any different light," Pees said. "I'm in
here yesterday and did our job that we normally do on Monday.
And I'm in here on Tuesday talking to him about game-planning
things and Bill's Bill, and there hasn't been any change."

Safety Rodney Harrison and linebacker Tedy Bruschi, now
television analysts after retiring from the Patriots before the
season, criticized the decision. So did former Colts coach Tony
Dungy.

But Charlie Weis, Belichick's offensive coordinator with the
Patriots from 2000 to 2004 and now coach at Notre Dame, said he
was sure the decision was well thought out.

"I've been in those meetings before and I can promise you here's
what happened: That situation was discussed before the game.
That didn't happen just then," Weis said in South Bend, Ind. "It
was discussed with the team. It was discussed with the coaching
staff. You know, at each game Bill is so meticulous in what he
does, I'm sure it was discussed with his coaching staff: 'If
this situation presents itself, this is what we're going to do.'

"He doesn't do things on a whim. When he did it, I'm sure it was
with everyone's knowledge and everyone's agreement and it just
didn't work out," Weis added. "But I've been on that headset
plenty of times and the call did not surprise me in the least."

Weis went to bed after the Patriots built a big lead and was
surprised when he found the next morning that they lost.

Would he do the same thing in a similar situation?

"I wasn't in that situation, so I can't say that," Weis said,
"but I can promise you in a critical situation in New England,
the head coach is going to make the call and we're going to be
ready to go with whatever he says to do."

Closer to home, two other coaches sided with Belichick.

"You read your team and if you like your team, you take risks,"
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "but you don't get
do-overs in coaching and that's the difference. Everything else,
you get to sit around and talk about it after the fact. In
coaching, you make your decision and you don't apologize for
it."

Harvard football coach Tim Murphy said it was the right call and
Belichick was courageous to do what he thought was best without
concern for being second-guessed.

"It was the epitome of confidence and leadership, not arrogance
and stupidity," said Murphy, who was preparing for Saturday's
traditional season finale against Yale. "Most coaches are living
by, 'Am I going to look like an idiot if this doesn't go?' He
doesn't care what The New York Times is going to say about it
the next day."

Bruschi and others said the decision showed a lack of faith in
the Patriots defense. Murphy acknowledged it would be difficult
to smooth things over with the defense, but "that's what
leadership is."

---

AP Sports Writers Tom Coyne in South Bend, Ind., and Jimmy Golen
in Boston contributed to this report.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134834-Pats-assistant-says-boss-unaffected-by-critics</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134834-Pats-assistant-says-boss-unaffected-by-critics</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:32:38 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Patriots defense lacks consistency despite record]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- The New England Patriots' young defense
kept Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts under control for
three quarters.

The Patriots forced seven punts, made one interception and led
24-14 with 15 minutes left. But they couldn't finish the job as
Manning rallied the Colts to a 35-34 win Sunday night.

"We would play well for a series, play real well, and then the
next series (with) similar calls and we just maybe didn't play
them quite as well," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said
Tuesday. "We're a little bit inconsistent at this point in time,
and that's across the board basically with the young guys, and
no particular guy."

It could have been worse after the departure of five veteran
starters.

The Patriots traded linebacker Mike Vrabel to Kansas City in
February and cornerback Ellis Hobbs to Philadelphia in April.
Then came the retirements of safety Rodney Harrison in June and
linebacker Tedy Bruschi in August. The biggest shocker came
Sept. 6, eight days before the Patriots' opener, when they
traded five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour to
Oakland.

Suddenly, the kids had to grow up fast.

"Rookies are not rookies anymore," Pees said. "We've played nine
games, four preseason games - that's 13. ... That's more than a
college season."

Three rookie draft choices have played well on a regular basis -
safety Pat Chung, cornerback Darius Butler and lineman Myron
Pryor. Starting inside linebackers Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton
and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite are in their second seasons.
Safety Brandon Meriweather has become the leader of the
secondary in his third.

They've helped the Patriots hold five of their nine opponents
under 280 yards. New England was allowing an average of 14.4
points through the first eight games. Even after giving up 35
points Sunday, the Patriots are still third in the league in
scoring defense and their three losses came by a combined margin
of 11 points.

Still, they faltered late in the game at Indianapolis.

In the first three quarters, Manning completed 19 of 33 passes
for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. In the
fourth, he was 9-for-11 for 119 yards, two touchdowns and an
interception and led three touchdown drives.

The Patriots are home Sunday against Mark Sanchez and the New
York Jets, which appears to be a less formidable task. They lost
16-9 to the Jets in the second game of the season, but New York
is 2-5 since, while New England is 5-2. The Patriots (6-3) lead
the Jets and Miami Dolphins (both 4-5) in the AFC East.

"They have added some things offensively (and) defensively,"
coach Bill Belichick said. "They got us the last time and we
need to win the division."

Pees denied that fatigue among defenders contributed to
Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 at the New
England 28-yard line leading 34-28 with just over two minutes
left Sunday. With starters Ty Warren and Jarvis Green out with
injuries, the Patriots had just four defensive linemen.

"I don't really think that was a factor," Pees said. "Everybody
thinks about either the last drive or the last play, but there's
always plays in the game that could have changed the outcome. We
had two interference calls that were costly penalties. Both of
them led to scores, which, if they don't lead to scores, maybe
we get off the field."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134820-Patriots-defense-lacks-consistency-despite-record</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134820-Patriots-defense-lacks-consistency-despite-record</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:37:59 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Belichick stands by decision to try for first down]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) --  Bill Belichick defended his decision to
go for it on fourth down as criticism mounted Monday of the call
that led to the New England Patriots stunning loss.

The coach hailed as one of the NFL's best was a target of
columnists, talk radio callers and two of his former players.
Why, they all wondered, did he gamble with a six-point lead and
just over two minutes to go against the Indianapolis Colts?

The gamble failed and the Patriots lost 35-34 after leading by
17 points in the fourth quarter Sunday night.

"The same thing I said after the game," Belichick said at his
regular Monday news conference. "I thought it was our best
chance to win. I thought we needed to make that one play and
then we could basically run out the clock. We weren't able to
make it."

An average punt would have left Peyton Manning about 60 to 70
yards from the end zone, a long distance but one Manning has
traveled before with little time left.

But when the Patriots gained 1 yard on fourth-and-2, his task
became much easier. Manning got the ball at the New England
29-yard line and four plays later he threw a 1-yard touchdown
pass to Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left. Matt Stover's extra
point was the winning margin.

Belichick was noncommittal Monday when asked if he would make
the same decision again.

"You only get one chance," he said.

When that chance ended, the second guessing started.

NBC analyst Rodney Harrison, a safety for Belichick for six
years who retired before this season, called it "the worst
coaching decision I've ever seen Bill Belichick make."

ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi, who retired this year after 14
seasons as a Patriots linebacker, said, "The decision to go for
it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks. ... I would
look at this decision as a lack of confidence in our ability as
a defensive unit to come up with a big play to win the game."

The loss dropped the Patriots to 6-3, three games behind the
unbeaten Colts, and hurt their hopes for home-field advantage in
the AFC playoffs and for avoiding a game in the first round.
They're home against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Belichick has made plenty of aggressive calls that worked. He's
led the Patriots to three Super Bowl wins this decade. Might it
be unfair for critics to pounce when one gutsy call doesn't pan
out?

"Everybody's entitled to their opinion out there," he said. "I
respect that."

Not everyone piled on.

Colts coach Jim Caldwell, the beneficiary of Belichick's
decision, held off.

"I just think that every situation is different," Caldwell said,
"There are things that you have to weigh, you have to take into
account, and things that are not readily available to the
public, so I'm not going to question anybody's decision,
especially someone who has won more Super Bowl championships
than most people dream about."

It was hardly a spur of the moment decision. Belichick said he
"pretty much" decided before the third-and-2 play that he would
go for it on fourth down.

But when Tom Brady threw an incompletion toward Wes Welker on
third down, some members of the punt team went on the field,
some offensive players walked off, and the Patriots called their
final timeout.

"We had a little miscommunication on that as to whether we were
going to go (for the first down) or punt it," Belichick said.
"That wasn't cleanly handled. Again, I'll take responsibility
for that."

The Patriots had used their other two timeouts in the second
half to sort things out.

Welker called the first with 12:46 left in the third quarter
when he spotted the team in the wrong formation, a decision
Belichick agreed with. The second came with 2:23 left in the
game after a Colts kickoff because "we were heading into a
series there and we just wanted to make sure that everything was
right," Belichick said.

So with no timeouts left, he couldn't challenge the spotting of
the ball a yard short of the first down when Kevin Faulk was
tackled after bobbling, then catching, Brady's fourth-down pass.

"I think he had the first down when the ball hit his hands,"
Belichick said, "and then where it was finally marked and all
was a little bit short."

But, he said, "it doesn't really matter" if he disagreed with
the spot.

Then the defenders returned to the field, defenders who may feel
their coach lacks confidence in them.

"I tell the team, and I think they believe, that I do what I
feel like is best for our football team to win every game," he
said. "I put the team first and I put those decisions first. I
would hope everybody understands that."

What will Belichick's message to them be when they return to
practice Wednesday?

"We'll start getting ready for the Jets," he said. "That's what
we do every week, start turning the page and we move on."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134486-Belichick-stands-by-decision-to-try-for-first-down</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134486-Belichick-stands-by-decision-to-try-for-first-down</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:04:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Colts take advantage of Pats' gamble for 35-34 win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- Bill Belichick risked everything on one play
Sunday night.

It cost him a victory, and it may wind up costing him a trip
back to Indianapolis for a rematch with Peyton Manning later
this season.

After the New England coach failed on a stunning gamble deep in
his own territory, Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to
Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left that rallied the unbeaten
Colts to a 35-34 win over the Patriots.

"It's a bummer," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said.

Needing a first down to seal the game, Belichick decided to go
for it on fourth-and-2 from his own 28 with 2:08 to go. The
Patriots called their second timeout of the drive, leaving them
with none, to set up the play: A short pass from Brady to Kevin
Faulk, something the 2007 NFL MVP had repeatedly used to burn
Indy's young, depleted pass defense all night.

Not this time.

Faulk made a juggling catch but safety Melvin Bullitt, who
replaced Bob Sanders in the lineup, came straight up the field
and drove the Patriots running back into the ground a half-yard
short of the marker.

"We tried to win the game on that play," Belichick explained. "I
thought we could make the yard. We had a good play, we completed
it. I don't know how we couldn't get a yard."

It was the most improbable victory for the Colts (9-0) in their
18-game regular-season winning streak, which is now tied for the
second-longest in league history with, of all teams, New
England.

The Colts trailed by 17 points early in the fourth quarter. This
marked the first time Belichick's Patriots had lost when leading
by at least 13 in the final period.

"When you see them going for it on fourth down, you get a little
nervous, but our defense blitzed them, pressured them and got
the stop," Manning said. "It certainly changed our philosophy.
In practice, we're going 60 or 70 yards. So we figure we're
going to have to go five, six, seven plays. In the huddle, I
said, 'Obviously, we need a touchdown, but let's not be in a
hurry."

The Patriots didn't dare second-guess their coach, though
everybody else did.

"That fourth-down play, that's one of your best plays, and you
go to one of your best guys," Brady said. "We've got our offense
on the field. We have over 450 yards of offense at the time.
We've got a lot of great players on our offense. They stopped
us."

The miss gave Manning 1 minute, 57 seconds and all three
timeouts - an eternity for the three-time MVP - and he went
right to work.

Manning hooked up with Wayne for 14 yards. He let Joseph Addai
carry the ball for 13 yards, down to the Patriots 1. He sent
Addai inside again on first-and-goal, the same play Addai scored
on to win the 2006 AFC Championship game, but he got nothing. So
Manning went back to Wayne in the end for the win.

Manning's deft play-calling left New England with only one
option: A 9-yard pass to Wes Welker that ran out the clock.

It wasn't the first time Belichick tried it this season. At
Atlanta, he went for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 24. But
that was in the third quarter - not with a seemingly secure
victory in serious jeopardy.

Indy is now 9-0 for the third time in five years and only plays
one team with a record better than 5-4 the rest of the way,
Denver at 6-3.

New coach Jim Caldwell still has not lost, and Manning, who was
28 of 44 for 327 yards with four touchdowns and two
interceptions, now has eight 300-yard games this season. The
NFL's single-season record is 10 and he passed Fran Tarkenton
for fourth on the career victories list with one that he will
always remember.

New England (6-3) has lost five of the last six in this series,
one that has often had long-term implications. Since 2003, the
regular-season winner has claimed the AFC title four times and
become the Super Bowl champion three times.

And the Pats now trail Indy by three full games, and a tiebreak,
with seven games remaining, meaning they'll likely have to
return to Indy if there is a rematch.

"Give the Colts credit," Belichick said. "That's why the Colts
are the Colts. They're a good football team. That's about as
close as it gets."

Brady was 29 of 42 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and one
interception. Randy Moss finished with nine catches for a
season-high 179 yards and two TDs, while Welker had nine
receptions for 94 yards.

Manning made sure that wasn't quite enough.

Wayne caught 10 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

The difference in this classic was that Brady dominated early,
Manning when it mattered most.

After trading jabs in the first quarter, Brady took control in
the second. He led the Pats to a tie-breaking field goal, hooked
up with Moss on a 63-yard TD pass that floated perfectly over
the hands of safety Antoine Bethea and then threw a 9-yard TD
pass to Julian Edelman to give New England a 24-7 lead with 7:19
left in the half.

That was more points than Indy had allowed in any game this
season.

"That man (Brady) will make you pay dearly if you don't get to
him," Colts defensive end Robert Mathis said. "Even when we're
behind, we know the game is not over."

Manning proved the theory still holds.

He answered with a 20-yard TD pass to Wayne, making it 24-14 at
the half and after Brady connected with Moss for a 5-yard TD
early in the fourth, Manning worked his magic again.

He took the Colts 79 yards in five plays, finding Pierre Garcon
for a 29-yard score to get within 10. After Stephen Gostkowski
booted a 36-yard field goal, Manning gave the ball to Addai for
a 4-yard TD run with 2:23 to go. That made it 34-28.

Indy then elected to kick the ball deep instead of trying an
onside kick, prompting Belichick to make his unusual decision -
and Manning made him pay.

"Reggie called the last play," Manning said. "I threw a fade to
him earlier in the game. He wanted the slant. He just kept
fighting through and made an extended catch. Maybe not his best
catch ever, but it sure was timely."

Notes: Colts DE Dwight Freeney did not record a sack, breaking
his streak at nine straight games. ... The game was delayed
briefly in the first quarter when fireworks hit the field. ...
Indy punted six times in the first half, matching their season
high for an entire game this season. ... The Patriots lost Tully
Banta-Cain with a rib injury in the first half.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134386-Colts-take-advantage-of-Pats-gamble-for-35-34-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134386-Colts-take-advantage-of-Pats-gamble-for-35-34-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:32:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Patriots lead Colts 24-14 at end of 3rd quarter]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- Tom Brady had 315 yards passing and two
touchdown passes, and the New England Patriots lead the
Indianapolis Colts 24-14 at the end of the third quarter on
Sunday night.

Randy Moss had six catches for 162 yards and a touchdown for New
England, and Reggie Wayne had eight catches for 110 yards for
the Colts through three quarters.

Brady had a huge first half, but he finally made a mistake early
in the second half. He tried to find Moss in the end zone again,
but Antoine Bethea stepped in front of Moss for the
interception.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning gave the ball right back when
he underthrew Pierre Garcon and Leigh Bodden intercepted.

New England led 24-14 and could have gained firm control, but
Philip Wheeler caused Laurence Maroney to fumble into the end
zone, and Indianapolis' Gary Brackett recovered. New England had
taken nearly eight minutes off the clock on the drive. The Colts
failed to score on the next possession.

Brady's scoring tosses of 63 yards to Moss and 9 yards to Julian
Edelman in the second quarter put the Patriots up 24-7. The
Colts responded when Manning completed a 20-yard scoring pass to
Wayne to cut New England's lead to 24-14.

Both teams went three-and-out on their opening possessions, then
scored on their second.

Manning's 15-yard TD pass on a dump-off to Joseph Addai finished
an 8-play, 90-yard drive to put the Colts (8-0) ahead 7-0. A key
play was a 23-yard catch by Wayne on the sideline against double
coverage. The Patriots challenged the ruling that the pass was
complete, but the original call was upheld, costing New England
a challenge and a timeout.

The Patriots (6-2) responded with a 73-yard drive. Brady found
Moss deep down the middle for 55 yards to put New England at the
Indianapolis 6-yard line. Maroney scored on a 1-yard run two
plays later, and New England tied the score at 7-all.

Addai left the game with an injured finger on his right hand,
but he eventually returned.

Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal early in the second
quarter put the Patriots up 10-7.

After the Patriots' defense stopped the Colts again, Brady
connected with Moss for the 63-yard touchdown, to increase New
England's lead to 17-7.

Brady struck again minutes later. He shrugged off Robert Mathis
before delivering the 9-yard touchdown pass to Edelman that gave
the Patriots a 24-7 lead.

Manning responded this time, finding Wayne in the middle of the
end zone with 4:17 left in the second quarter to cut New
England's lead to 24-14.

The matchups between the teams in recent years often have had
long-term implications. Four times since 2003, the winner of
this regular-season game also became the AFC champion. Three
times, the winner won the Super Bowl.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134364-Patriots-lead-Colts-24-14-at-end-of-3rd-quarter</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134364-Patriots-lead-Colts-24-14-at-end-of-3rd-quarter</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:08:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Patriots deactivate 4 starters, 2 RBs vs. Colts]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- New England has deactivated three starters and
running backs Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor for Sunday night's
game at Indianapolis.

The Patriots will be without defensive ends Ty Warren and Jarvis
Green, left tackle Matt Light, and cornerback Shawn Springs.
Also inactive are linebacker Eric Alexander and offensive
linemen Rich Ohrnberger.

Center Dan Koppen will start.

Offensive linemen Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollak were healthy
scratches for Indy.

The Colts' other inactives are: kicker Adam Vinatieri, receiver
Anthony Gonzalez, cornerback Kelvin Hayden, defensive back Aaron
Francisco and tight end Tom Santi.

Rookie Curtis Painter will back up Peyton Manning after Jim
Sorgi hurt his throwing shoulder in practice. Sorgi is the No. 3
quarterback.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134332-Patriots-deactivate-4-starters-2-RBs-vs-Colts</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134332-Patriots-deactivate-4-starters-2-RBs-vs-Colts</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:52:44 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Colts-Patriots rivalry renewal has familiar look]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- Things are back to normal among the NFL's
elite.

Peyton Manning is healthy, Tom Brady is throwing touchdown
passes, the Indianapolis Colts are unbeaten and the New England
Patriots lead the AFC East.

It's the perfect stage for the next chapter in the decade's best
rivalry, Sunday night in Indianapolis.

"It's a fun game to play and, obviously, you have playoff
implications and playoff hype," Colts linebacker Gary Brackett
said.

The annual November showdown has become more than a midseason
feature attraction; it's a barometer for what to expect. Four
times since 2003, the winner of this regular-season game also
became the AFC champion. Three times, the winner brought home
the Lombardi Trophy.

And it's not just a road map to championships, either.

When these teams last met 54 weeks ago, Brady was recuperating
from knee surgery and Manning was just rounding into MVP form
with the Colts an uncharacteristic 3-4.

Indy won 18-15, a victory that started a nine-game winning
streak and sent it back to the playoffs. The Colts (8-0) haven't
lost a regular-season game since, 17 straight, leaving them one
short of the second-longest winning streak in league history.

The Patriots? Well, after losing last season in Indy, they went
6-2, missed the playoffs and opened this season 3-2. Three
straight wins give New England a 6-2 mark, though it still
trails the Colts by two games in the chase for the conference's
top seed.

"With them being 8-0 right now, it makes it tough if we get
behind them with a loss here," Brady said. "There are obviously
a lot of things that can happen, and the playoffs are a long
ways away, but anytime you play the teams that you know are
going to be playoff contenders ... you know, that was our
problem last year, why we didn't get into the playoffs. We
finished 11-5, but we didn't beat any of the playoff teams."

As much as the rivalry has been about the teams, it's also been
about the headliners: Peyton vs. Tom Terrific.

The debates never seem to end about which player a team would
rather have, Brady with his three Super Bowl titles and one MVP
award, or Manning with his three MVP awards and one Super Bowl
title.

The two have gone head to head eight times since the Colts left
for the AFC South in 2002 with Brady winning five times, and
Manning winning three times - plus last year's game when Brady
was out. Manning broke Dan Marino's single-season TD record in
2004 with 49, only to see that mark fall to Brady when he threw
50 in 2007.

Who's better?

"Peyton Manning is the best pure quarterback in the National
Football League, but Tom Brady is my quarterback with a minute
left and we're down four points and we need a touchdown because
he's done it," former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney
Harrison said this week.

The comparisons go far beyond numbers.

A year ago, Manning came into the game answering questions about
his left knee. It took two surgeries to clean up an infected
bursa sac, procedures Manning later acknowledged led to a slow
start before he won his third MVP trophy.

This year, Brady is answering questions about his left knee -
more than a year after having surgery to repair torn ligaments.
He, too, needed additional treatment to fight an infection and
like Manning in 2008, wasn't himself early.

"We did talk a little bit when he was dealing with the
infection," Manning said. "There were some similarities there,
but not quite as much similarity as you'd think. What he's been
able to do coming back this year, we've seen film of the
Patriots playing other defenses, and you can't tell that he
missed last year with major knee surgery."

So fans will get to see two premier quarterbacks at the top of
their game Sunday.

Brady has thrown 10 TD passes in the last three games, while
Manning has thrown for 2,545 yards and remains on pace to break
Marino's single-season record for yards passing (5,084).

Injuries could impact the Patriots plans, though.

Yes, the Colts are missing three starters in the secondary -
safety Bob Sanders and cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin
Jackson - and will start two rookies at cornerback, Jerraud
Powers and Jacob Lacey.

But New England may be without left tackle Matt Light, who
missed last week's game and practice early this week because of
a knee injury. Center Dan Koppen left last week's game in the
second quarter after hurting his knee and also missed practice
time. If they can't play, the Colts' Pro Bowl defensive ends,
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, could pressure Brady into a
short game.

"Every game it seems like they are in there in the backfield,"
Brady said. "Any time you're playing them you don't have as much
time to throw so you've got to make those decisions quicker."

Which is precisely what the Colts intended to do when new coach
Jim Caldwell revamped the defense. So far, it's worked
perfectly.

Caldwell is the first rookie coach since 1931 to open with eight
straight wins, and the Colts have allowed the fewest points in
the NFL, 108. Now he'll match wits with three-time Super Bowl
winner Bill Belichick and a New England defense that has allowed
the second-fewest points in the NFL with 115.

Does it get better than this? Only if it comes with another
January rematch.

"There have been some classic games between these two teams, we
can't discount that," Caldwell said. "There have been some
memorable ones, and they have been hard-fought. Typically, there
were games that had a lot riding on them.

"But this is Week 9 and not the end of the year. It's not the
playoffs. It's not the Super Bowl."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133711-Colts-Patriots-rivalry-renewal-has-familiar-look</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133711-Colts-Patriots-rivalry-renewal-has-familiar-look</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:01:34 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Koppen questionable for Patriots]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- Starting center Dan Koppen is one of 10
New England Patriots listed as questionable for Sunday's game
against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

Koppen hurt his knee during last Sunday's win over Miami.

There was some good news for the Patriots on Friday. Tackle Matt
Light, running back Sammy Morris and rookie wide receiver Julian
Edelman all practiced for the first time in weeks. Light and
Morris are recovering from knee injuries and Edelman from a
broken arm.

Light is listed as doubtful for the Colts game, while Morris and
Edelman are questionable.

Coach Bill Belichick says several players could be game-time
decisions.

Listed as out for Sunday are defensive end Jarvis Green, running
back Fred Taylor and rookie wide receiver Brandon Tate.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133532-Koppen-questionable-for-Patriots</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133532-Koppen-questionable-for-Patriots</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:53:27 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Mass. gov.: No quid pro quo in Kraft donations]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GLEN JOHNSON
AP Political Writer

BOSTON(AP) -- The governor of Massachusetts said Friday there is
no connection between big donations to him and the Democratic
Party from the family that owns the New England Patriots and the
state's support for development across the road from Gillette
Stadium.

Gov. Deval Patrick said Patriots owner Robert Kraft had asked
him about using $9 million in federal stimulus money on a
footbridge to an industrial site he owns across Route 1 from the
stadium. Patrick said the state supports it because the
infrastructure will spur development and job creation.

Patrick says he has not requested a donation in return.

"I have not had to ask him about a campaign contribution because
he's been very supportive of us, which has been great," the
Democratic governor said.

State records show Kraft and his wife, Myra, each gave the
maximum $500 campaign contribution to Patrick and Lt. Gov.
Timothy Murray last month. The Krafts each also gave the state
Democratic Party the maximum $5,000 donation.

Last year, Robert Kraft gave similar donations to Patrick and
the party as the state was designating his property a special
growth district. The donations were Kraft's first to the
governor and first in four years to the party.

At the time, Patrick denied a quid pro quo. He did so again
Friday.

"There's no 'there' there," the governor said. "We're making
these decisions on the merits. ... There are others who have
asked for investment of Recovery Act dollars or federal bonding
dollars who have contributed to us and we've said no because
those projects did not stand on their own."

A spokesman for the Krafts did not return a request for comment.

The Krafts are proposing to use the 500-acre site for an office
park. The planned bridge will connect parking lots on either
side of the busy highway and allow patrons of the office site to
reach not only the stadium, but also the Krafts' Patriot Place
entertainment plazas.

On Oct. 29, the Metropolitan Planning Organization gave initial
approval to the plan. The board, which decides how to spend
federal transportation money, is expected to give final approval
next week.

State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, who is challenging Patrick for
re-election, and other government officials have questioned
giving state and federal assistance to Kraft because he is tied
for number 468 on Forbes magazine's list of the world's
billionaires.

Patrick said the development project would create 4,500
permanent jobs and 4,000 construction jobs. He also billed it as
"the largest shovel-ready commercial space in the commonwealth."

The governor said the state is already working to lure some
specific tenants to the site, so "this investment makes a lot of
sense."

A government watchdog group would not comment on the specifics
of the Kraft donations but said the issue underscores the need
for public financing of political campaigns. Under such a
scheme, individuals making a tax-return checkoff, or a state
making a general appropriation, would finance campaigns with
strict spending limits.

"There'd clearly be no strings attached, no questions asked,
because it's not from people with interests before the state,"
said Pam Wilmot, director of Common Cause Massachusetts.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133480-Mass-gov-No-quid-pro-quo-in-Kraft-donations</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133480-Mass-gov-No-quid-pro-quo-in-Kraft-donations</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:34:33 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Patriots-Colts Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Tom Brady has returned from major knee surgery and Peyton
Manning has moved on without his longtime head coach, but when
it comes to their teams' places in the standings, little has
changed for the NFL's last two MVPs.

The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts again look like
Super Bowl contenders, and the Patriots will try to derail the
Colts' 17-game regular-season winning streak as they renew their
star-studded rivalry Sunday night.

New England and Indianapolis are the only franchises to win more
than 70 percent of their games since the start of the 2001
season, and they have combined to win half of the eight Super
Bowls in that stretch.

Personnel changes haven't slowed either team this year. While
the Patriots (6-2) have relied on a patchwork defense to help
them to a commanding lead in the AFC East, the Colts (8-0) have
a two-game lead on the rest of the conference under first-year
coach Jim Caldwell.

"It will be a little different looking across the sideline not
seeing (retired coach) Tony (Dungy)," Patriots coach Bill
Belichick said. "(But they're) 8-0, leading the league in
defense in points allowed. ... They're a team offensively that
can pretty much do whatever they want to do or need to do. I
don't think they are limited in any way. They never have been
and they certainly don't look like it now."

Indianapolis, though, has looked somewhat vulnerable in its last
two games, the most recent a 20-17 home win over Houston on
Sunday that would have gone to overtime had the Texans made a
field goal as time expired.

With his team still unbeaten, Manning could be the frontrunner
for his second straight MVP. Favorite targets Reggie Wayne and
Dallas Clark are having prolific years and newcomers Pierre
Garcon and Austin Collie are contributing, helping Manning to
throw for more than 300 yards in seven of his eight starts.

"He's just the ultimate quarterback," said New England
cornerback Leigh Bodden, a newcomer to the rivalry. "There's a
route and a run to beat every coverage or defensive front. So he
looks at it, he surveys it and he checks out of whatever play
he's in to go to a better play and he has a lot of weapons and
he can put the ball on the money in tight coverage."

Brady, of course, belongs in the same conversation after
throwing an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes and winning the
league MVP award in 2007, when the Patriots went 16-0 in the
regular season.

After missing almost all of last year due to a major knee
injury, Brady has regained his form recently, throwing for 1,020
yards and 10 touchdowns during a three-game winning streak. He
found Randy Moss for a 71-yard score in a 27-17 win over Miami
on Sunday.

New England's offense could present a difficult test for a young
Indianapolis secondary that is without safety Bob Sanders and
cornerback Marlin Jackson for the rest of the season.

"They've been on a roll lately, just watching them on Sunday
games," Colts cornerback Jerraud Powers said of the Patriots.
"Tom looked like he was back to his old self. They look like
they're clicking on all cylinders. I'm pretty sure this will be
a fun one."

While the high-powered passing games may get most of the
attention, defense could be the key to the matchup.

The Patriots' revamped unit has dealt with retirements (Rodney
Harrison and Tedy Bruschi) and departures (Mike Vrabel and
Richard Seymour), but anchored by linebacker Jerod Mayo and
lineman Vince Wilfork, the team ranks second in scoring defense
at 14.4 points per game.

The Colts lead the NFL in that category, with opponents managing
13.5 points. Their defense, which features rookie starters at
cornerback in Powers and Jacob Lacey, has allowed four passing
touchdowns this season.

"I wouldn't consider them rookies any longer," Caldwell said.
"We also don't look at them that way. We don't allow them to
make excuses because of experience."

The Patriots will have extra incentive as they try to stop the
Colts from joining them as the only teams to finish a 16-game
regular season undefeated. Indianapolis also needs four
victories to match New England's 21-game run in the regular
season from 2006-08 - an NFL record.

Although half the season remains, the Patriots may need to win
Sunday to have a chance at home-field advantage in the playoffs.
They have yet to win a true road game, with their only victory
away from Gillette Stadium coming over Tampa Bay in London.

This won't be the first time the clubs have gotten in each
other's way. The Patriots and Colts have met once each regular
season since the start of 2003, splitting the six meetings.

They've also faced off three times in the playoffs in that
stretch, with New England winning twice but Indianapolis
claiming the most recent matchup in the AFC title game Jan. 21,
2007.

With the exception of last year's 18-15 Colts home win, the
constants throughout the recent meetings have been Brady and
Manning.

"I'm always keeping up on Peyton. We talk from time to time,"
Brady said. "I have a lot of respect for him."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133041-Patriots-Colts-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133041-Patriots-Colts-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:14:43 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Brady-Moss combo keeps clicking for Patriots]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- Tom Brady lofted a perfect pass down the
right sideline. Randy Moss reached up and made a remarkable
one-handed catch at the 1-yard line.

Just four offensive plays earlier, that same New England
connection failed when Brady threw deep down the middle and
Miami's Vontae Davis intercepted - Davis would be burned by
Moss's acrobatic 36-yard reception just short of the goal line.

"Most of the time in a situation like that quarterbacks say,
`You know what? I'm not throwing that ball again because I
already threw an interception,"' former Patriots safety Rodney
Harrison said, "but Tom and Randy, they have such a good
relationship, a trust within one another.

"Brady throws it up again and Randy comes down with a one-hand
grab," Harrison added.

One-hand or two, short pass or long, Moss and Brady have become
one of the NFL's most productive combinations in only their
second full season together.

After being traded by the Oakland Raiders, Moss caught an
NFL-record 23 touchdown passes in 2007, all from Brady. In their
first game this season after Brady missed all but part of the
opener in 2008 with an injury, they teamed up for 12
completions.

Brady set an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes in 2007 - his
last a 65-yarder to Moss - breaking the mark of 49 in 2004 by
Peyton Manning of Indianapolis.

"Obviously, what Moss had done before he got to New England was
awfully impressive," Manning said, "and I think everybody knew
once New England signed him that the two of them were going to
make for a tough combination, and that's certainly proven to be
true."

Moss's catch against Davis - right arm outstretched against
tight coverage - set up Laurence Maroney's 1-yard touchdown run
midway through the first quarter of last Sunday's 27-17 win over
the Dolphins.

It was one of six Moss made for 147 yards. One of those plays
covered 71 yards, a touchdown on which he ran the final 60.

"We know each other pretty well. We have a great relationship on
the field, off the field. He's a very smart football player and
I think we give him a lot of opportunities to do the things that
he does well," Brady said. "A lot of quarterbacks can throw him
the ball and he makes everybody look good. Plays like the one
last week, with the long touchdown, a pretty simple play for a
quarterback."

The admiration is mutual. After Brady threw two touchdown passes
to Benjamin Watson in the final 2:06 to beat the Buffalo Bills
25-24 in the opener, Moss praised his leadership.

"When you have a guy like that leading you down the field," Moss
said, "you can't do nothing but try to run through a brick wall
for him."

They're still far behind the NFL's most prolific scoring
combinations, a list topped by the 112 touchdown passes from
Manning to Marvin Harrison from 1998-2008. Jim Kelly and Andre
Reed hooked up for 65 touchdowns with Buffalo from 1986-96,
fourth in NFL history.

"There are different things you can do when you start feeling
comfortable with each other. You can give that little nod that
tells him what to do," Kelly said. "Brady and Moss both had
their good years already so when you have a great receiver and a
great quarterback teaming up, they know what it takes."

In just 25 regular-season games together, they've connected on
28 touchdowns heading into Sunday night's game at the Colts.

Rodney Harrison was Brady's teammate for six seasons in which he
also tried to break up Manning's passes.

"I don't think you can even compare Tom Brady and Randy Moss" to
the Indianapolis duo, Harrison said. "Maybe in the sense that,
yes, they both set records, but what Marvin Harrison and Peyton
have done over a decade ... it was just something that I've
never really seen before."

But Marvin Harrison is out of football while Brady and Moss,
both 32, are still rolling.

They wasted no time showing what two of the NFL's best players
at their positions could do together. In their first game, Moss
caught nine passes for 183 yards and a 51-yard touchdown in the
2007 opener of a 16-0 regular season.

Then came the injury midway through the first quarter of the
first game in 2008 against Kansas City. Brady was hit by
defensive back Bernard Pollard but managed to throw a 28-yard
completion to Moss, who lost the ball on a fumble.

Brady had accuracy problems early this season and has missed a
wide-open Moss at times, most notably on an overthrown pass in
the end zone in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. But
Moss has 49 catches for 712 yards and five touchdowns and Brady
is sixth in the league with 2,364 yards passing and tied for
third with 16 touchdown passes.

Coach Bill Belichick wasn't surprised to see them work so well
together again.

"We had almost 50 practices in preseason. That's not counting
all the spring," he said. "Those guys work hard. They are very
talented players."

Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain missed the Brady-Moss debut
season when he signed with San Francisco after four years with
New England. He returned after being released in February.

With the 49ers, he heard a lot about two other combinations -
Steve Young to Jerry Rice (second with 85 touchdowns) and Joe
Montana to Rice (tied for ninth with 55).

"Everybody there is still kind of living in that era. That was a
high standard that those guys set," Banta-Cain said, but "you
say Tom Brady and Randy Moss in the same sentence, you're
expecting good things to happen and that's been the case."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133292-Brady-Moss-combo-keeps-clicking-for-Patriots</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133292-Brady-Moss-combo-keeps-clicking-for-Patriots</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:32:38 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Colts-Patriots rivalry renewal has familiar look]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- Things are back to normal among the NFL's
elite.

Peyton Manning is healthy, Tom Brady is throwing touchdown
passes, the Indianapolis Colts are unbeaten and the New England
Patriots lead the AFC East.

It's the perfect stage for the next chapter in the decade's best
rivalry, Sunday night in Indianapolis.

"It's a fun game to play and, obviously, you have playoff
implications and playoff hype," Colts linebacker Gary Brackett
said.

The annual November showdown has become more than a midseason
feature attraction; it's a barometer for what to expect. Four
times since 2003, the winner of this regular-season game also
became the AFC champion. Three times, the winner brought home
the Lombardi Trophy.

And it's not just a road map to championships, either.

When these teams last met 54 weeks ago, Brady was recuperating
from knee surgery and Manning was just rounding into MVP form
with the Colts an uncharacteristic 3-4.

Indy won 18-15, a victory that started a nine-game winning
streak and sent it back to the playoffs. The Colts (8-0) haven't
lost a regular-season game since, 17 straight, leaving them one
short of the second-longest winning streak in league history.

The Patriots? Well, after losing last season in Indy, they went
6-2, missed the playoffs and opened this season 3-2. Three
straight wins give New England a 6-2 mark, though it still
trails the Colts by two games in the chase for the conference's
top seed.

"With them being 8-0 right now, it makes it tough if we get
behind them with a loss here," Brady said. "There are obviously
a lot of things that can happen, and the playoffs are a long
ways away, but anytime you play the teams that you know are
going to be playoff contenders ... you know, that was our
problem last year, why we didn't get into the playoffs. We
finished 11-5, but we didn't beat any of the playoff teams."

As much as the rivalry has been about the teams, it's also been
about the headliners: Peyton vs. Tom Terrific.

The debates never seem to end about which player a team would
rather have, Brady with his three Super Bowl titles and one MVP
award, or Manning with his three MVP awards and one Super Bowl
title.

The two have gone head to head eight times since the Colts left
for the AFC South in 2002 with Brady winning five times, and
Manning winning three times - plus last year's game when Brady
was out. Manning broke Dan Marino's single-season TD record in
2004 with 49, only to see that mark fall to Brady when he threw
50 in 2007.

Who's better?

"Peyton Manning is the best pure quarterback in the National
Football League, but Tom Brady is my quarterback with a minute
left and we're down four points and we need a touchdown because
he's done it," former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney
Harrison said this week.

The comparisons go far beyond numbers.

A year ago, Manning came into the game answering questions about
his left knee. It took two surgeries to clean up an infected
bursa sac, procedures Manning later acknowledged led to a slow
start before he won his third MVP trophy.

This year, Brady is answering questions about his left knee -
more than a year after having surgery to repair torn ligaments.
He, too, needed additional treatment to fight an infection and
like Manning in 2008, wasn't himself early.

"We did talk a little bit when he was dealing with the
infection," Manning said. "There were some similarities there,
but not quite as much similarity as you'd think. What he's been
able to do coming back this year, we've seen film of the
Patriots playing other defenses, and you can't tell that he
missed last year with major knee surgery."

So fans will get to see two premier quarterbacks at the top of
their game Sunday.

Brady has thrown 10 TD passes in the last three games, while
Manning has thrown for 2,545 yards and remains on pace to break
Marino's single-season record for yards passing (5,084).

Injuries could impact the Patriots plans, though.

Yes, the Colts are missing three starters in the secondary -
safety Bob Sanders and cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin
Jackson - and will start two rookies at cornerback, Jerraud
Powers and Jacob Lacey.

But New England may be without left tackle Matt Light, who
missed last week's game and practice early this week because of
a knee injury. Center Dan Koppen left last week's game in the
second quarter after hurting his knee and also missed practice
time. If they can't play, the Colts' Pro Bowl defensive ends,
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, could pressure Brady into a
short game.

"Every game it seems like they are in there in the backfield,"
Brady said. "Any time you're playing them you don't have as much
time to throw so you've got to make those decisions quicker."

Which is precisely what the Colts intended to do when new coach
Jim Caldwell revamped the defense. So far, it's worked
perfectly.

Caldwell is the first rookie coach since 1931 to open with eight
straight wins, and the Colts have allowed the fewest points in
the NFL, 108. Now he'll match wits with three-time Super Bowl
winner Bill Belichick and a New England defense that has allowed
the second-fewest points in the NFL with 115.

Does it get better than this? Only if it comes with another
January rematch.

"There have been some classic games between these two teams, we
can't discount that," Caldwell said. "There have been some
memorable ones, and they have been hard-fought. Typically, there
were games that had a lot riding on them.

"But this is Week 9 and not the end of the year. It's not the
playoffs. It's not the Super Bowl."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133270-Colts-Patriots-rivalry-renewal-has-familiar-look</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133270-Colts-Patriots-rivalry-renewal-has-familiar-look</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:48:22 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[McGowan set for tough test against Dallas Clark]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- Brandon McGowan helped shut down two of
the NFL's top tight ends for the New England Patriots. On Sunday
night, he'll try to stop another.

Controlling Dallas Clark, the AFC's leading receiver, seems to
be a major challenge for a player who made the league as a
rookie free agent in 2005 out of Maine and missed all but two
games last season with an ankle injury.

Yet McGowan has played quite well against top tight ends in his
first year with New England.

He arrived as a free agent after four seasons with the Chicago
Bears and took the starting job at free safety from James
Sanders, who held it the past two years but started only the
opener this year. In the Patriots' third game, tight end Tony
Gonzalez caught just one pass for 16 yards in New England's
26-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. In their seventh game,
McGowan was solid again as Kellen Winslow had two receptions for
nine yards in a 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"He's done a lot of good things and he did them for the Bears,"
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. "He runs well,
tackles well. He's physical. He's a very instinctive player,
knows where the ball is - the reasons why we were interested in
the offseason and signed him.

"He's been a versatile and productive guy for us."

McGowan played eight games as a rookie but only one the next
year when he had an Achilles' tendon injury. He was healthy in
2007 and started nine of his 14 games. He started the opener
last season - a win against the Colts - then hurt his ankle in
the second game and was placed on injured reserve.

In that Indianapolis game, Clark caught one pass before leaving
with a knee injury that also kept him out of the next game.

"He's a good tight end," McGowan said. "I see Peyton likes him
and he likes the other receivers. The defensive backs are going
to have our hands full this week."

Clark had 14 catches last Sunday, one less than the NFL record
for tight ends, in a 20-17 win over the Houston Texans. His 60
receptions lead the AFC.

Rodney Harrison, who retired early this year after six seasons
as a Patriots safety, is impressed with McGowan.

"I watched him play well against Tony Gonzalez," Harrison said.
"He's a guy that's a smart kid. He's always in the right place.

"Peyton's going to go to all his (receivers) so you always have
to cover all his guys. You have to pay attention to the run game
as well. ... They choose to pass the ball because now a 5-yard
pass play to Dallas Clark is like a 5-yard run and they're very
content with having second-down-and-4 against any team."

McGowan is one of several new starters on a defense that became
younger with the retirements of Harrison and linebacker Tedy
Bruschi and trades of defensive end Richard Seymour, linebacker
Mike Vrabel and cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Yet the Patriots have
allowed the second-fewest points (only the Colts have been
better) and the seventh-fewest yards in the NFL.

Cornerback Leigh Bodden signed as a free agent after playing
five years with the Cleveland Browns and last year with the
Detroit Lions when they went 0-16. A game against the Colts
(8-0) is one reason he chose the Patriots (6-2).

McGowan didn't focus on the rivalry between the AFC powers when
he signed.

"I never thought of it like that," he said, but "it's a pretty
cool game."

McGowan goes into Sunday with three forced fumbles and one
fumble recovery this season. His 46 tackles are second on the
team to strong safety Brandon Meriweather, who also is having a
strong season.

But they haven't faced a player like Clark, who runs well after
making a catch.

"The quarterback gets him the ball with the chance to run with
it, but he's very good," Belichick said. "He's fast and he's got
good balance. He's strong. Tight ends are hard to match up
against. The (defensive backs) don't have the size and the
linebackers usually can't match their speed and quickness."

McGowan expects the coverage plan to be similar to that for
other tight ends.

"It's not really much different," he said. "You've just got to
watch tape, get in there and try to find out his weaknesses."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133055-McGowan-set-for-tough-test-against-Dallas-Clark</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133055-McGowan-set-for-tough-test-against-Dallas-Clark</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:40 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Patriots sign LB Williams to practice squad]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- The New England Patriots have signed
linebacker Thomas Williams to the practice squad.

The club says in a statement released Tuesday that Williams
joins the eight-man practice squad after cornerback Kyle
Arrington was promoted to the 53-man roster over the weekend.

The 6-foot-1, 237 pounds Williams was originally a fifth-round
draft pick by Jacksonville out of USC in 2008. He appeared in
six games for the Jaguars as a rookie.

Williams was waived by Jacksonville before the start of the
season and spent time on the Seattle and Houston practice
squads.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132843-Patriots-sign-LB-Williams-to-practice-squad</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132843-Patriots-sign-LB-Williams-to-practice-squad</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:34:15 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Patriots move on to difficult part of schedule]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- The pushovers are in the past. Now the
New England Patriots must prepare for the powers of the NFL.

They'll visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and the New
Orleans Saints two weeks later. Both are 8-0 with outstanding
quarterbacks and a chance to match New England's regular-season
record of 16-0 in 2007.

The Patriots are on a roll themselves with three straight
victories. But the first two were against winless teams, 59-0
over the Tennessee Titans and 35-7 over the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers. Sunday's 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins was much
closer to the competitive level of upcoming opponents.

"It's always good competition every week," cornerback Leigh
Bodden said Monday. "This is the NFL, no matter what guys'
record is. Tampa Bay just won. Any Sunday is going to be tough,
but to play a tough team (Miami) is always good in just
preparing you for this week. We've got a lot of tough games
coming up."

After facing Indianapolis, the Patriots will host the New York
Jets, who beat them 16-9 in the second game of the season.

Bodden has good reason to call winless teams competitive. He
played for the Detroit Lions last season when they were tied
21-all with the Colts before Indianapolis scored 10 points in
the fourth quarter for a 31-21 win. That was Detroit's 14th loss
in an 0-16 season. It also was Indianapolis's seventh straight
win in a regular-season streak that reached 17 with Sunday's
20-17 win over Houston.

The gap between Indianapolis and New England appears small. Four
of the Colts wins were by four points or less. The Patriots
losses were by seven and three points.

"I think it's going to be competitive every week," safety
Brandon McGowan said.

New England's first five games were close, starting with a 25-24
win over the Buffalo Bills in which Tom Brady threw two scoring
passes in the last 2 minutes, 6 seconds. Only one of the other
four was decided by more than seven points.

The Patriots (6-2) lead the AFC East by two games, but on Sunday
they'll face their toughest test so far.

"I think we're approaching it just like any other game," said
Bodden, who sees no reason to change that "just because of
anybody's record, anybody's winning streak."

The teams have developed a strong rivalry despite being in
different divisions.

The matchup of quarterbacks Brady and Peyton Manning is one
reason for that. The teams have faced each other in each of the
past six regular seasons with each winning three games. In the
AFC championship game in 2006, the Colts rallied in the second
half to beat the Patriots 38-34 on their way to the Super Bowl
championship.

"Just a great rivalry," said Bodden, who spent five seasons with
the Browns before joining the Lions last year. "I've been part
of a rivalry with Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It's not really a
rivalry because it's one-sided, but the Colts and the Patriots,
it's a rivalry just because of AFC championship games. They're
always cream of the crop."

The hype surrounding the Sunday night game is sure to build as
the week goes on.

Typically, coach Bill Belichick doesn't think he'll get
overexcited.

"The most important thing is what it means to our football
team," he said. "We're 6-2 and it's a big game for us on the
road. We know it's an outstanding team. They are undefeated this
year, they've won 18, 19 in a row, however many it's been.
They're pretty good. It's a big challenge for us. That's really
where we're at."

The biggest challenge figures to be Manning.

He leads the NFL with a 70.6 completion percentage. He's thrown
for 16 touchdowns and five interceptions and trails only Matt
Schaub of Houston in yards passing with 2,545.

"He's just the ultimate quarterback," Bodden said. "There's a
route and a run to beat every coverage or defensive front. So he
looks at it, he surveys it and he checks out of whatever play
he's in to go to a better play and he has a lot of weapons and
he can put the ball on the money in tight coverage."

And there's not much Manning hasn't seen in 12 NFL seasons.

"You can show him 13 players on the field," linebacker Adalius
Thomas said with a laugh. "Other than that, I don't think you
can give him anything new."

NOTES: Staring C Dan Koppen walked through the locker room
without a noticeable limp after a knee injury knocked him out of
Sunday's game. "He's a fast healer," Belichick said, without
indicating whether he'd play Sunday. ... Rookie left tackle
Sebastian Vollmer started in place of injured Matt Light for the
third straight game and helped hold linebacker Joey Porter
without a tackle. "Sebastian's gotten better each week, even
going back to training camp," Belichick said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132606-Patriots-move-on-to-difficult-part-of-schedule</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132606-Patriots-move-on-to-difficult-part-of-schedule</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:59:49 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Brady-Moss combo overcomes wildcat 27-17]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- The Miami Dolphins had just spent more
than 10 minutes marching to a wildcat touchdown when Randy Moss
used one stiff-arm to wipe out their lead.

Moss sped to a 71-yard touchdown after grabbing a short pass
over the middle and shoving rookie cornerback Vontae Davis out
of his way as the New England Patriots tightened their grip on
the AFC East with a 27-17 win Sunday.

"That's like getting stabbed in the heart right there," Patriots
guard Logan Mankins said. "You grind it out for like 10 minutes
and finally score, and then in like a minute and a half we come
right back."

The touchdown - and a 2-point conversion connection between Tom
Brady and Moss - put the Patriots ahead 24-17 with 3:15 left in
the third quarter, and the Dolphins failed to get inside the New
England 40-yard line after that.

"It was tough for us. The offense had just come off of a great
drive," Miami linebacker Jason Taylor said, "but Randy Moss made
a play ... what he's done for a million years."

He did it twice Sunday.

On the Patriots' second possession, Moss made a one-handed catch
against Davis for a 36-yard gain to the 1-yard line. Laurence
Maroney ran for the touchdown on the next play, putting New
England ahead 7-3.

"That's Randy Moss," said Davis, who also intercepted Brady's
pass toward Moss on the Patriots' first series. "He's going to
make his plays and I just tried to limit him the best I could."

Miami's two touchdowns came on the possessions on which it used
the wildcat most extensively - after gaining just 36 yards on 21
wildcat plays in its previous two games - but New England's
quick-strike ability took back the momentum.

The Patriots (6-2) lead the idle New York Jets (4-4) and Miami
and Buffalo (both 3-5) in the AFC East. The win was especially
important since Miami had been 3-0 in division games and New
England only 1-1. Last season, both finished at 11-5 and had the
same record in AFC East games, but the Dolphins made the
playoffs with a better conference record, and the Patriots
missed them.

Brady missed all but the first quarter of last season with a
knee injury one year after he and Moss hooked up for 23
touchdowns.

"He's so fast," Brady said. "It's always nice for a quarterback
when you see the back of (No.) 81 sprinting down the field."

On Sunday, Moss caught six passes for 147 yards while Brady went
25 for 37 for 332 yards, his third straight game with more than
300 yards and team-record 27th of his career. The Dolphins
played without two injured defensive starters, linebacker
Channing Crowder and nose tackle Jason Ferguson.

Patriots starting center Dan Koppen did not return after hurting
his knee in the second quarter and was replaced by Dan Connolly.
The team gave no update on Koppen's condition.

"It's not the easiest thing to do when you lose your center,"
Brady said, "but he came in and did a great job."

Miami's Ted Ginn Jr. was held to four kickoff returns for 97
yards plus two touchbacks after running back kickoffs for
touchdowns of 100 and 101 yards a week earlier in a 30-25 win
over the New York Jets.

Dan Carpenter's career-long 52-yard field goal gave Miami a 3-0
lead before Moss set up the Patriots' first touchdown.

Miami scored four touchdowns against the Patriots out of the
wildcat in a 38-13 win last year but used just one wildcat play
on its first three possessions Sunday. On its fourth series, it
went with the alignment on five runs for 66 yards, the last a
15-yard touchdown by Ricky Williams on a handoff from Pat White.
That tied the game 10-10 with 6:11 left in the second quarter.

"It was much better today," running back Ronnie Brown said, "but
in crucial situations you have to make the big play."

The wildcat worked again for the Dolphins on the first series of
the third quarter when they used it eight times, the last a
1-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Joey Haynos as they took a
17-16 lead. That 16-play drive lasted 10:09.

But Brady and Moss wasted little time regaining the lead.

After a 5-yard run by Maroney and a 4-yard completion to Wes
Welker, Brady hit Moss across the middle. He ran away from Davis
for his 140th touchdown receiving, tying Terrell Owens for
second place behind Jerry Rice's 197.

"Everybody did what they had to do and 71 yards later it was a
touchdown," Moss said.

Notes: The Patriots' streak of coming up with a turnover in 15
consecutive games ended. ... Miami lost for the first time in
its last six games against AFC East opponents. ... The Dolphins
rushed for 133 yards after gaining just 104 yards of total
offense in their previous game. ... Maroney rushed a season-high
20 times for 82 yards.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132392-Brady-Moss-combo-overcomes-wildcat-27-17</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132392-Brady-Moss-combo-overcomes-wildcat-27-17</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:13:27 GMT</pubDate>
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