Zip's Weekly Game Preview

December 29: vs. Miami Dolphins

Regular Season Concludes with Wide Open AFC!

Dolphin Official	vs	ESPN Dolphins
Miami Herald	Foxboro Weather Report	Dolphin Message Board
ESPN Preview	Online Broadcast Link	NFL Priview

Does Patriot Nation Have Hope?

Game Notes

   Does this need to be written?  The Loser of this game can definitely pack their bags for the off-season.  Many already have New England's bags packed but the Dolphins are in an equally must win scenario.  The Dolphins, however, control their destiny where New England has left their playoffs hopes only partially in their own hands.  A Dolphin victory gives them the AFC-East Championship.  A Patriot Victory then puts the weight on New York (hosting Green Bay) for the Division Championship.  The Patriots can still make the playoffs with a Jet victory but the list is ludicrous.  The trouble for the Patriots is the Dolphins have owned their division rivals in the past (44-27) and recently (6 of 7).  Last season the Pats took this season finale against the Dolphins and it earned them first place in the Division and they rode that to Superbowl Victory.  Everything is clearly on the line for this game but New England has folded in several such contests recently.  Miami has been ice-cold in Decembers for some time.  Which will prevail?  Read on...

Injury Report: (NFL.com)
Miami Dolphins
Questionable DE Rob Burnett (quadricep); DT Larry Chester (ankle)
Probable T Mark Dixon (ankle); RB Rob Konrad (knee); CB Sam Madison (hip); CB Patrick Surtain (heel); DE Jason Taylor (groin)

New England Patriots
Out TE Daniel Graham (ribs-injured reserve)
Questionable G Joe Andruzzi (knee); WR Deion Branch (leg); LB Tedy Bruschi (knee); TE Cameron Cleeland (groin); T Kenyatta Jones (knee)

Opponent Review

   Newsflash:  The new-look Dolphins run the football behind the speed and power of Ricky Williams.  He, as much as the defense determines the fate of Miami.  Jay Fiedler is asked to play as error free as possible while supporting the run with timely play-actions to Chris Chambers or Tight End Randy McMichaels.  Williams also acts as a significant receiving option.  This should not confuse the issue, however, Williams will be attempting to pound out his 4.7 yard rushing average while exceeding his 23.5 carries per game average.  The league's fourth best rushing attack is a primary reason the Dolphins may have more life in the late season than in previous years.

   Dolphins have long prided themselves in defensive dominance.  The fundamental points of their defense remains intact.  Shut down corners, large strong defensive line and speedy linebackers are their mainstays.  Zach Thomas once again leads the team in tackles as his line sets him up to make the plays.  Thomas doesn't get all the accolades, however, as Jason Taylor remains a dominant sack force in the entire league.  With the sack crown on the line he's licking his chops with the impending match.  They combine to ensure the defense is among the top  three in the league.  They are particularly strong against the run and the tight man corners become very effective in the red zone.

   On Special Teams Olindo Mare remains one of the best in the game.  He has great range and accuracy as well as an uncanny ability to provide an onside kick.  He has been particularly effective his battles with New England.  This has not been his most prolific season.  Mark Royal replaces Matt Turk and is a solid punter capable of providing solid field position.  He averages 40 yards with only 5 yards of return against him typically.  The Dolphin coverage is solid and they do not give up big plays on special teams.  Neither, however, have they been explosive in their own returns.

Our Match-up Weakness

   This isn't a challenging feature.  The New England Patriots have been run over throughout the season.  The Dolphins have Ricky Williams chomping at the bit for a chance to repeat his 100 yard performance from their last meeting.  They did somewhat contain him as it took 36 carries to achieve those yards but late in the season the powerful back is an advantage to at least force New England to adjust their defense to handle him.

   Jason Taylor is a savvy veteran speed rusher whom presents the most significant mismatch against either Matt Light or whichever Offensive Tackle deigns to face him for New England..  He  is precisely the type of rusher whom has most challenged Light and Jones.  Brady has excellent pocket awareness and moves well to evade the sacks but Taylor has the potential to wreak havoc on New England's passing attack and all the more when he can anticipate so many pass plays as the Patriots have shown in their unbalanced attack. 

   The Dolphins run defense entirely stifled Patriotic attempts to rush against them.  They have far too much speed and power at the point of attack for New England's run game to be at anything less than a significant disadvantage.  This fact will only augment the Jason Taylor factor.

Our Match-up Strength

   A desperate and dangerous team will be poised before their home crowd.  The atmosphere will be the culmination of intensity from their Superbowl season.  The noise level will be intense, the team will be laying it on the line with a crowd lifting them up each step.  Should the Dolphins surrender an early lead they are more steadily taken away from their strengths on offense which can lead to key errors in such big games.

   New England has struggled against the run but it has more typically been the cut back and elusive style which caused them fits.  Miami's strength isn't in this area which may play well into the hands of a Patriot team with their backs against the wall.  This proud crew did minimize the damage of Williams and will be poised to force the game into Jay Fiedler's hands.  It isn't a great advantage but it may be enough.

Strategy

   Miami will launch Ricky Williams tight off tackle to challenge New England's Defensive Ends early and often.  This will coincide with an emphasis on phenomenal tight end Randy McMichaels getting matched up against Ted Johnson on play action passes.  They realize Johnson can not keep pace with McMichaels and the safeties will be pre-occupied overmuch with supporting the run defense.

   Defensively the Dolphins can play their typical schemes as these are sufficient to shut down New England's running attack in most of their last challenges.  The Safeties are free to pull up short in support of the middle passing game.  New England has struggled greatly when faced with such schemes as the deep ball has continuously eluded them.  Quality cover-corners will make this even more challenging.

   New England's offense has continuously failed on the deep ball but more than ever must find a way to strike with the deep ball.  Whether it's a Patten pass to Troy Brown or Brady finally hitting and getting a receiver to hold onto the deep pass.  The first play of the game is likely to do this because if New England doesn't soften the middle they will be in dire straits all day.  The only other offensive strategy which they have managed on rare occasions is an off tackle rushing attack which runs directly at the undersized Jason Taylor while getting an extra player pulling ahead to target Zach Thomas.  Thomas is the key to their defense and forcing the others to make plays has the most room to wear down a very capable defense.  It also may be enough to buy the time Brady needs for the occasional long ball attempt.

   Defensively New England will force Fiedler to beat them.  They'll have the linebackers pulled into full run support and hang their corners out to dry as the safeties are required to cover the extra receivers and tight ends.  Expect a run blitzing 3-4 scheme to dominate the attack even without Tedy Bruschi's presence.  This is the defense which best stifled the run - precisely the need in this challenge.

Prediction

   This is the final opportunity for New England to defend their Championship.  Even with a victory the playoffs are not in their hands without help.  So they'll lay out their defense with the big play attempts upon which it must be hinged today.  An early deep ball by Brady starts the scoring while New England's scheme handles Ricky Williams sufficiently to keep Miami out of the endzone.  An end around attacking the over-pursuit of Jason Taylor sets up another long score as New England grabs an early lead much as they did last season.  The Dolphins stage a rally in the second half but in the final moments Adam Vinatieri kicks the comeback game winner.

World Champion New England Patriots 17   
Miami Dolphins 16

Give me your feedback on my message board!

December 22: vs New York Jets - Gillette Stadium

Jets Official	vs	ESPN Jets
NY Daily News	Foxboro Weather Report	NY Post - Jets
Jet Insider	NFL Preview	Sooth's Jet Board

Officially a Must - Must - Must - Must Win Game
Game Notes

   Fittingly, it has come to this.  Two rivals are both poised for elimination.  The loser is eliminated for certain although NY is certainly already looking down a dark road.  So these two rivals will pound it out in Foxboro with more than pride on the line and due to their familiarity, there will be considerable hostility on the line.  The Jets at 7-7 travel to the Blade to avenge a 44-7 thrashing received in their New Jersey home by the 8-6 Patriots.  These are not the same teams by any stretch.  Consider they lost 5 of 6 games starting with the loss to New England whereas they are now winners of 5 in the last 7!  New England is realing from a tremendously flat outing against the Titans on Monday Night Football.  It is a loss which extracted a physical toll upon the World Champions.  They will need considerable resolve to rise up to this week's challenge.  The only thing certain is that neither team wishes to leave anything out of this game.  They will both give everything they have for victory because a loss ensures the end.  As Belichick noted "There is nothing to save it for."

Injury Report:

Opponent Review

   This team is not the one faced in a 44-7 rout on September 15.  Testaverde is replaced by the Brady-esque Chad Pennington.  Their running game has solidified behind an offensive line which is blocking well and a rejuvinated healthier Curtis Martin.  In fact the Patriots can expect the Jets offense to be vastly about Curtis Martin and Laveranues Coles.  In the last 5 games these two alone have accounted for 989 yards of offense.  Coles has averaged 7 catches per game in that span with an amazing 15.62 yards per reception.  Martin's average is an impressive 4.75 yards per carry and that's despite a 26 yard effort against the Raiders.  That is also without adding Martin's 14 receptions for 99 yards.  Then there is this young Quarterback Chad Pennington.  He spreads the ball around to his rather extensive and talented options.  His top choices are Coles and Martin but he also frequents speedster Santana Moss, typically clutch Wayne Chrebet, dependable Richie Anderson who often causes Patriot fits or tight end Anthony Becht who has 5 touchdowns.  This is a dangerous group which runs a spread offense as well as anyone because it releases Curtis into wider lanes where his elusive style can dominate.

   Defensively this team rides the strength of their linebackers and the pass rush of their star lineman John Abraham.  In fact my previous review stands staunchly accurate still:   "The strength of the Jet's defense is their excellent linebacker corps and an overpowering John Abraham.  Abraham versus Matt Light is a tough match for Light and last season this was a strength the Jets were glad to exploit.  Their line is anchored around Jason Ferguson's size and athleticism with the remainder of the unit emphasizing speed.  This can make them vulnerable to the run as was shown last week against the Bills.  The linebackers provide excellent speed and power for the short passing or run support.  Sam Cowart's addition was an excellent move and he joins Mo "yeah that one" Lewis and Marvin Jones for the heart of their defense.  The weakness of their defense is more likely at corner where Donnie Abraham and Aaron Beasley take over for Coleman and Glenn after their departure via the Houston Texan draft.  Sam Garnes replaces Victor Green as a tall and powerful strong safety.  The Jets lost depth and gave up talent they would have preferred to keep in order to cope with the salary cap woes they faced.  The Expansion draft aided them in this battle but it did extract a toll on their talent."  Chandler and the Bears did showcase a short passing attack with Marty Booker which may provide some inspiration for the Patriot formations as they stretch the field and attack Mo Lewis on coverage situations.

Our Match-up Weakness

   The Patriots cannot seem to handle the elusive running backs of the precise ilk which comprises the seemingly healthy Curtis Martin.  After taking a physical pounding while surrendering (literally) 238 rushing yards to the Titans, is there any reason the Jets will not douse the Patriots with Curtis Martin?  An injured Bruschi will impact this as solidly as the early Patriot lead prevented Martin from being a factor in the first meeting.

   Abraham is an excellent speed rusher and matches up against Matt Light who struggles most against speed rushers.  This mismatch forces New England to adjust in order to handle the danger or risk Tom Brady being hit frequently.  Brady has struggled most in his career when the opponent hit him on a regular basis.  The only saving grace is New England knowing the dominance of Abraham versus Light and being able to scheme against it.

   The speedy Coles and Moss are the most challenging of receivers for a Patriot secondary which now must play without O-T-I-S.  It also challenges our 3 safety formation when the offense can spread the field and exploit with speed.  The saving Grace is Pennington's questionable arm strength on the deep pass.

Our Matchup Strength

   First and foremost the Patriots have more to play for at this point.  The Jets have a slim at best hope and New England clearly and concisely controls their destiny.  Add the home crowd playoff atmosphere and there's an advantage in the Blade for the Superbowl Champions.

   Belichick knows this team very well.  He has especially shown a propensity for limitting the Jet offense.  He knows the two best 'secrets' for thwarting the Jets.  His schemes have in fact been able to limit the Jet scoring in the past as evidenced by the 10, 16 and 7 point previous games.  This is only increased with a young Quarterback and particularly one with a weakness such as Chad's questionable arm strength.

   A suspect pass defense struggled much with the spread formations in their first meeting as well as last week against Chris Chandler and a far less talented receiving corps.  Charlie Weiss has something to prove to the league and especially this team and will have his best schemes on display with nothing to hold back this week.

Strategy

   The Jets would be foolhardy to not plan a healthy dose of Curtis Martin.  Typically the linebackers are instrumental in stopping the run which is why the use of Martin on early runs will make the flare passes to Anderson and Martin all the more deadly as the less than fleet linebackers are forced to run more and further thus exposing them to greater risk of failure.  If in fact the Patriots cheat forward with safety support to stop this the Jets must show Pennington can get as deep as his speedy options of Coles and Moss.  Myers and Law alone on either is a dangerous proposition for New England.

   Defensively the Jets can pick from a slew of game tapes which depict the biggest challenges for the Patriots.  Pull the safeties up to punish the wide receivers as you flood the short slants and zones.  The Patriots running attack has not carried the team once this season.  It can supplement an effective passing attack but as of yet it cannot carry the game.  Thus the Jets may let their corners play physical while John Abraham  and Josh Evans alternate between straight rushes and twists or stunts to get the Brady pressure into his pocket.  Their linebackers have the speed and awareness to handle the screens which may be thrown towards lineman who are overly emphasizing the pressure Brady approach.

   The Patriot defense has two primary goals.  Obviously to stop Curtis is a given need - whether a reality depends on the performance of their line.  The jets have an athletic offensive line which can move off the snap and lead block on linebackers which would work against New England.  Seymour has the speed and pursuit to inhibit this but the Patriots must get solid play from their Defensive Ends.  The line must get a push because the linebackers want to get to Curtis in the backfield if at all possible.  Once in the open he will make their day long.  This will simply be a physical battle with the most critical play coming from Richard Seymour on Kevin Mawae.  A final note is the Belichick disguised schemes and blitzes.  New England must bait Pennington into making errors which he has avoided.  He may not throw interceptions but he must be forced to make sufficient errors to halt the drives on the occasions when New England forces the Jets to pass.  This will likely involve the 3 safety package in various forms but the specifics will be fewer blitzes and more coverage schemes.

   Offensively this team is woefully inconsistent.  Their game ability is so significantly linked with an ability to establish a lead that the pressure on this unit is tremendous.  While they are not precisely a quick strike unit, they are a streaky unit which relies on Brady's correct reads, pocket sensing and passing to succeed.  The full arsenal contains streaky performers as well.  Brady's decisions and accuracy have varied more than most would like, Patten has dropped balls - especially deep balls with an unfortunate pace.  Daniel Graham and Deion Branch have both demonstrated a similar though more severe malady of drops.  The line frequently provides sufficient pocket despite the challenges of Matt Light yet the breakdowns are sufficient to halt more than their share of drives.  So the streaky offense is faced with a strong need to score first and a defense which believes the deep pass is a rare success.  Their first assignment is to stretch the linebackers and encourage the Jets to utilize more nickel and dime packages.  This lets them use the running game on toss sweeps which put a lineman on a dimeback and helps Antowain or Kevin get the corner.

Prediction

   Not too challenging a task to predict all the various schizophrenic portions of both teams.  Both win 5 of the last 7 games but fail to perform in critical games last week.  The Patriots cannot aford to trail to the Jets because they do not have the ability to rally while stopping Curtis.  Weiss reminds the world why he does often get considerable respect from the coaching fraternity.  Pats score on their first two drives and then sustain with field goals for the remainder but survive the Jets when the Patriot defense makes a big play to seal the game.

Pats 23  - Jets 17

Give me your feedback on my message board!

December 16: at Tennessee Titans

Titans Official	vs	ESPN Titans
NFL Preview	Nashville Weather	ESPN Preview

Sinking The Titanic Playoff Hopes of Tennessee

Game Notes

   This game pits two teams tied for first place and battling for a chance to stay there as only three games remain before the new playoff format demonstrates the critical nature of winning your division.  Both teams fully respect their opponent and the match looks to be an intense battle.  Both teams are on solid winning streaks and the Titans are especially hot with Quarterback Steve McNair particularly lighting the passing lamp over the last two weeks.  The Titans are getting billed as the more physical team which is reminiscent of the Patriot battle with the New Orleans Saints last season.  The added hype of a Monday Night game will make for a playoff atmosphere with the victor emerging a confident playoff bound team and the loser scrapping for an opportunity.

   Although New England leads  the series 18-15-1, primarily versus the Houston form of the franchise, this is unlikely to be exceedingly demonstrative of the game.  The Patriots have not played them in Nashville yet and will face a rowdy crowd which may be a factor in the game with emotions running high.  These similar teams may be both bound for the playoffs with this being the first test of a match repeated in January!

Injury Report:

Opponent Review

   The Titans have been Eddie George's team until recent history.  Finally they are taking significant shots in passing formations and trusting Steve McNair's impressive talents.  Despite his injuries he's come out to play strongly with both his arm, 21 Touchdown passes, and scrambling (330 yards).  There is no doubt he has a favorite target in Derrick Mason who runs excellent routes and has the speed to get deep which has been more effective recently.  The loss of Kevin Dyson was a severe blow to this team and Drew Bennett has picked up much of the slack with his impressive 6'5" frame.  Surprisingly the Titans have 431 pass attempts to their 388 rushing attempts.  In a rather odd coincidence, New England has obtained 81 rushing first downs with161 passing first downs.  The Titans in eerie similarity have 81 rushing first downs with 160 passing first downs.  It is clear their rushing attack and George's talents have diminished significantly.  Despite this, Eddie George has powered in for 9 touchdowns on the ground as their only credible threat to do such with the possible exception of McNair on a keeper.  Wycheck at tight-end has 10 years of quality work and although he's not a speedster, he's a capable blocker and has very good hands to be the outlet receiver for McNair along with Eddie George.

   Defensively the Titans get good outside pressure even without Jevon "the Freak" Kearse.  His injury has had him out the entire season but he seems poised for at least a partial return.  In his stead Kevin Carter and Carlos Hall have put up 7 and 6.5 sacks respectively.  They are speed rushers and with Carter nursing injury it is likely the Left Defensive End will be split duty with Kearse and Carter.  Their Defensive Tackles are reasonably athletic and do much to aid the outside guys in getting pressure.  Coupled with the speedy linebackers they do a very good job of stopping the run.  Only a single rusher has notched 100 yards against them this season and that was the rather impressive Corey Dillon.  Their leading tacklers are their outside backers and their free safety, the latter due to their challenges in stopping the pass.  Speedy outside backers help curtail the run while the athletic tackles generally force things out.  For such a good run defense it is surprising to find their middle linebacker with so few tackles relative to his peers.  Free Safety Lance Schulters not only holds the second leading tackler position on the team but leads the league with 6 interceptions.  He has ideal size and speed for his post but a quad injury may have him slowed a bit.  Their top corner is Samari Rolle which leaves Andre Dyson a common target for opposing offenses.  Free Safety is the aptly named Tank Williams who is a large punishing hitter.

   On special teams they are the worst at punt coverage and the best at kickoff coverage.  Punter Craig Hentrich gets part of the blame and has done little to showcase his talents this season despite having a 56 yard punt to his credit.  He does have some skill at pinning teams inside the 20 and avoiding the touchback however.  Kicker Joe Nedney is reasonably accurate but does not stand out in the league.

Our Match-up Weakness

   A scrambling and accurate quarterback has been the toughest challenge for the Patriots this season.  McNair is red-hot and fits that bill precisely.  He'll buy time to aid his receivers and take off when it suits him.  The absence of Tedy Bruschi makes this scrambling especially challenging for the Patriots at this time.  This decent advantage is made a bit worse with the linebackers already forced to concentrate on the power rushing game of Eddie George.

   While George is not experiencing his best season currently, he is still a powerful rushing threat.  New England has seemingly clamped down on the opposition ground game but some of this has been by the strength of leads.  George probably doesn't have the speed to be a threat on the corner in the manner of Tomlinson or even Travis Henry but he has the power to challenge the middle of the run defense for a minor edge.

   The Patriots are not a particularly quick rushing attack and will face a very good ground defense which is ranked 6th in the league.  The first part of the advantage is a straight match edge against the run for Tennessee but a subsequent edge involves their ability to force New England into a one-dimensional game which could become a significant advantage with a loud Monday Night crowd.

Our Match-up Strength

   The Titans are not a strong passing defense and Tom Brady has been exceedingly efficient at spreading the ball to a plethora of receivers to really challenge a secondary.  He's been efficient and avoided turnovers which allows him to stretch a defense and find mismatches which are likely to exist in this secondary.  This is the significant edge which New England's offense has revitalized as they've improved their scoring efficiency in recent weeks.  Scoring on the last four opening drives has done much to let their offense dictate the flow to defenses and give Antowain Smith an edge against a defense struggling to handle the spread passing formations.

   Intricate defenses are the forte of New England and although McNair has emerged in the last two weeks despite limited practice, he will be facing the more complex schemes which can lead to the interceptions he would like to avoid.  New England has a significant edge in the turnover ratio in large part because of the schemes.  A good secondary is faced with one primary challenge and have the depth to scheme him (Mason) out of predominance and allow their depth to be superior to the remainder of the Titan attack.

  Troy Brown and Adam Vinatieri are two key elements to a special teams edge which may spark the difference in a close contest of very similar teams.  Brown can break a punt return at any time which has been a Titan weakness.  Meanwhile Vinatieri remains one of the league's most accurate and clutch performers.

Strategy

   Tennessee will give New England an early dose of Eddie George.  His power attack expects to force the linebackers and safeties into the tackling game and set them up for the play action in which their speed receivers can find holes in the Patriot zones as McNair buys times.  Until and unless the Patriots stop George, the Titans will run more than pass in this game.  It keeps the dangerous Patriot offense off the field while wearing down an older defense.  A few deep attempts will help weaken the safety run support and put much of the weight on Ted Johnson and Mike Vrabel to stop George.

   The Patriots must protect Tedy Johnson from the opposing Guards so that he can get clean shots at George before the big back gets a head of steam.  To do this they will put pressure on their secondary to make the over the middle plays and keep the receivers in front of them.  It's age-old Belichick scheming which is willing to give up short passing yards and depend on the opponent to be unable to sustain it long enough to put points on the board.  Seymour has been solid but will face a low to the ground player in the athletic Center, Gennero DiNapoli.  The opposing Defensive Tackle, Hamilton or Martin most recently, must be prepared to hold up their end of the bargain for this to be effective.

   Defensively the Titans will challenge New England to beat them deep.  They will flood the shorter zones and have the personnel to do such.  Speedy outside linebackers will drop into slant patterns while the safeties cheat forward.  Brady hit Branch on a deep ball to start the Bills game and had them questioning their strategy.  The Titans are likely to play the man defense outside which provides New England the option to prove it again.  If Branch is unable to play due to injury, this strategy will become more effective on Hayes or the Tight Ends though rookie Givens may provide a surprise or two.

   Offensively the Patriots badly need to score early to ease their burden.  Charlie Weiss has done an excellent job of this early on and it will be done with their passing attack typically.  Expect Troy Brown to get the first pass in a statement play which helps free up Daniel Graham for a battle he should be winning most of the day.  The benefit New England secretly holds in their passing attack is a pocket based offense which can handle the outside rushing danger more readily than a pocket collapsing defensive tackle.  They match up well on this front and when the outside guys begin to over pursue their rush, expect Antowain to get the chance to run straight at them.  This may be especially true when Kearse comes into the game to test his injury.

Prediction

   It will be an emotionally charged atmosphere and despite New England putting early points on the board, their middle game will struggle as McNair not only buys time for his receivers to make plays but forces New England to loosen the death grip they attempt to put on Eddie George.  George will seemingly be getting into a groove before adjustments in the third quarter stymies the Titans.  It's a close game into the fourth when Brady has been especially at his best.  A late drive puts the Pats ahead to stay and the Nashville crowd, though loud, will leave dissappointed.

   George will have more rushing yards than Smith but McNair will not have the touchdown tosses of Tom Brady and New England escapes:

New England Patriots 27    - Tennessee Titans 20

Give me your feedback on my message board!

November 28: at Detroit Lions

Lion Official	vs	ESPN Lion
NFL Preview	Dome?! Weather	ESPN Preview

Lions - Thankfully Struggling As Pats Are Chasing Miami

Game Notes

   Detroit is in a furor over the decisions made by their head coach, Mary Mornhinweg, which likely cost them a game against rival Chicago.  Their 3-8 record and those calls have the team likely ready for a mental funk except for one fact.  This is Thanksgiving Day and Detroit always has their game in order for this day.  In fact two years ago they lambasted the Patriots 34-9.  There are plenty who still remember that sting far more than the 4-3 series edge between these infrequent foes.  More likely the playoff precipice will be more noteworthy for Patriotic motivation.  At 6-5 they remain 1 game out of the division lead.  Their roster is an old roster and will be weary from the short rest and tough match in Foxboro.  The Lions though younger will also be weary but they have become accustomed to this short week match.

Injury Report:

Opponent Review

   The Detroit Lions are rebuilding and not very effectively at present.  They do like the long term prospects of their rookie Quarterback, Joey Harrington.  He's not a particularly mobile quarterback but much like Tom Brady has a decent to good pocket awareness.  He has a decent hard working back in James Stewart and his 4.7 yards per carry.  Stewart is also the leading receiver in receptions of the uninjured Lions.  Unfortunately his receiving corps is deflated by the loss of Az Hakim.  One time Patriot Bill Schroeder picks up the bulk of the load along with the Tight End Mikhael Ricks.  Their receivers have height and decent speed but are not speed burners.  Hakim was the man to stretch the field and he is gone.  As a result teams are pressing down on the lanes and Harrington has more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (11).  The end result is an offense which is in the bottom 8 for points scored and the bottom 6 for most other offensive categories.

   Speaking of poor rankings, their defensive unit is not particularly better.  They rank at #30 in points allowed and passing yards allowed.  Only their rushing defense shows much promise being in the middle of the pack which is in part due to their inept passing defense.  As if this wasn't challenge enough, the injury report is filled with their secondary and their leading pass rusher.  Prcher is the biggest loss as a speed rusher he is precisely the type to force Brady from the pocket and aid the Lion's defense.  The two starting corners are the two leading tacklers.  They are more a speed group than a physical group but when leading in tackles it shows a significant number of completions given up by the duo of Lyght and Cash.  Chris Claiborne is a strong middle linebacker and is the mainstay of their run defense.  He lacks the speed to run sideline to sideline and relies on his outside backers to drive plays inward.  This is buoyed by their capable tackles in young behemoth Shaun Rogers and Luther Elliss.  Claiborne's speed 'weakness' has tended to make the middle a bit more vulnerable to the pass as well.  Porcher's back-up, Jared DeVries is out for the game, and thus rookie Kalimba Edwards may get a fair number of reps to help generate pass rush.   This is not a team at it's best nor one which inspires fear, here is a comparative look at their rankings:

Our Match-up Weakness

   The Patriots defense did hold the Viking's back Bennett under 100 yards but was it in large part due to the 21-0 lead they put up?  Yes!  Until the Patriots demonstrate they can stop the run without creating a weakness then they must have this detraction listed as a significant liability.  Stewart will break tackles and drive for extra yards which may be particularly impressive against a defense which has shown missed tackles and is coming off a short week which may have them more tired than normal.

   Pats are not running the ball particularly well and Detroit has a defacto edge.  It isn't that Detroit is particularly capable at this, it is more a credit to New England's weakness.  This is a minor edge since the Patriot run style matches up well against this and more so with Porcher's injury.

   Short weeks are old hat for the Detroit preparations and they are gifted an extra day by being the home team each year.  New England's defense is an older team and this will tax them a bit more as a result.  Add the home field and holiday furor and you'll have the Thanksgiving day bonus edge for Detroit.

Our Match-up Strength

   Horrible pass defense, strong pass offense.  Injured secondary with less speed in the middle backer against a team which attacks this very location.  Best pass rusher slowed at best and you'll find New England's offensive passing has a huge advantage which may be countered but likely only at significant risk.

   Staggered by two critical coaching choices, it is likely the team is questioning their coach and in a tumultuous state for this game.  Not only did he choose the wind in overtime but he declined a penalty which would have forced a punt or long (52 yard) field goal attempt.  The Coach lost the media, fans and likely his own team with this move.  The stunned group may not recover in time for this game.

   Motivation is stronger with the Patriots for this game.  They still recall the smack from 2 years passed and they know they are in a tight playoff race which begs every victory possible.  Detroit meanwhile has bowed out of contention (quickly) and is not yet at the wounded tiger state which makes extra competition out of failing teams.  Hunger is a vital part to winning the individual battles and New England will be the hungrier team.

Strategy

   Detroit and most other teams are well aware New England has not hit on the deep ball and has not run particularly well.  The Safeties step down and clog the short and medium routes while fewer rushers are sent but they are sent in twists on the tackle.  This strategy attacks the slow outside step of both New England tackles as well as the Guard speed and read issues.  Frequently 3 men rushes have generated pressure on the Patriots while 8 men drop into short coverage to greatly limit Brady's best effectiveness.  This is best done with man-zone mixes as Brady reads zones well as does Troy Brown, his favorite target.  This will work until New England hits on a deep ball or explodes a few runs on the formation.  Thus far this has not been a credible risk.

Offensively Detroit will launch Stewart at the Patriot run defense while using play action to attack Otis Smith.  They'll also use Ricks at Tight End frequently to challenge the safety supporting Otis.  They likely do not believe the Patriot linebackers can cover Ricks and they may be right. The key is to let Stewart make his yards and with his large right side line he may just find some of the room he needs or pull up the linebackers in the attempt.

   Defensively the Patriots are likely relieved to not have a mobile Quarterback against them as these style QBs have wreaked havoc.  They'll want to use the blitz schemes remaining from the Vikings game to put pressure right up the middle on Harrington and encourage his errors.  Young quarterbacks rarely enjoy a Belichick defense but this will be a replay defense since there wasn't time for more complicated schemes.  The same approach used against the Vikings would be well suited for Detroit since they have a downgrade at every position except perhaps tight end.  Harrington is more accurate but the loss of mobility further suits the scheme.  

   Offensively the Patriots have not missed the long ball by much and have taken their shots at it.  They'll repeat those shots intermittently but most likely will attempt the Antowain Smith toss sweep.  Smith was close to breaking long gains against the Viking approach and may find the going easier in the comfortable environs of the dome where his power run will be even more effective.

Prediction

   This is a major trap game.  All the reasonable indications and accursed prognosticators have New England winning this game.  The group hasn't entirely corrected their mental state and may just make a game out of what could and should be a lop-sided victory.  

   Still the edges are too significantly tipped and the playoff motivation from Miami's victory over San Diego is enough for the Patriots to get off on the Antowain Smith train early.  This isn't the explosive score output of the Viking first half but it is more steady and with Branch getting on track for the deep ball, New England pulls away from Detroit as well as from some of the AFC Playoff Contender log-jam.

New England 31   - Detroit Lions 10

Give me your feedback on my message board!

November 24: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Viking Official	vs	ESPN Viking
NFL Preview	Foxboro Weather Report	ESPN Preview

Resurgent Vikings Must Be Plunder For Pats Playoff Hopes

Game Notes

   New England isn't quite at the end of their rope but it's close enough to turn up the pressure.  The Division win is likely their only route to the playoffs and this will allow them only a single loss in the remaining 6 games if they wish to control their own destiny.  At 5-5 they are playing a poor Vikings team which still may create significant match-up problems for the Pats despite their 3-7 mark.  Minnesota has lost 15 consecutive road games and is a 7.5 point underdog.  The current team series is knotted at 4 wins each with Minnesota having taken the last two directly.

Injury Report:

Opponent Review

   The Vikings are in turmoil and disarray despite an impressive victory over the league leading Green Bay Packers last week.  Part of the Vikings resurgence of performance in recent weeks resides with running back Michael Bennett.  He has erupted for four consecutive 100 yard games despite playing some tough defenses.  He is the essential ingredient in aiding Dante Culpepper's performance.  When the running game is working effectively then Culpepper's athleticism can begin to shine and create more passing opportunities.  If Culpepper can get Randy Moss into the game then Moss has tremendous talent and the offense will put up yards and points.  Despite Moss' talent and 62 catches, he can vanish from the game too easily.  When the Vikings want points they do the bulk of their work on the ground with Moe Williams having pounded 10 touchdowns on the season.

   Defensively the Vikings have struggled allowing the 28th worst unit in points allowed.  Their secondary is highly suspect with Cornerback Corey Chavous leading the team in solo tackles as a result of his poor play.  Biekert leads the team in actual tackles as well as interceptions from his post at Middle Linebacker.  His experience helps him to be in the right place at the right time.  Both defensive ends supply the Quarterback pressures when it comes as Mixon barely trails speed rusher Lance Johnstone.  The has no dominant player and is searching for coverage as their 31 rank against the pass indicates.  

Our Match-up Weakness

   The largest right side yet as 360 pound dixon and 321 pound Liwienski will take on Bobby Hamilton and the New England linebackers to help Michael Bennett's elusive style exploit a struggling Patriot run defense.  Bennett is a poor man's LaDanian Tomlinson which was more than sufficient challenge for this defensive unit.  He has the speed to reach the corner and the elusiveness to evade linebackers on his way upfield.  His fifth consecutive 100 yard game could ensure defeat if the Patriots Run Defense doesn't find the means to rise to the challenge.

   Culpepper is a scrambling QB who torched the Patriots on the ground in their last meeting in September of 2000.  The Patriots run defense can ill afford to spy the scrambler and buying time against New England's pass rush may be precisely what the Vikings need for a second explosive week.

Our Match-up Strength

   One of the worst pass defenses taking on a talented group of receivers who are stinging from a week in which their Premier passer fell flat on his face.  Brady has responded well, typically, to poor games and he's found precisely the defense to help himself recover.

   Despite having the size to hold their positions and a scrambling Quarterback behind them, Minnesota has given up a fair amount of sacks and quarterback pressures.  New England's corners can play the big physical receivers of the Vikings for a shorter duration and if the Vikings tendency to give up pressure continues this will enable some of the ball-hawking which has been a bane for Dante Culpepper and the Vikings.  His 16 interceptions will be challenged to not rise against a decent secondary which is well suited for his receivers if the pass rush can force the young quarterback into making mistakes.

Strategy

   This will be an old-school football game for Minnesota.  With Bennett running the ball Culpepper will not be making mistakes.  Their line will challenge New England to stack against it's run and then will likely run again anyhow.  Bennett has game breaking runs more frequently as his 85, 78 and 62 yard runs over the last three weeks indicate.  They'll give him an opportunity to force the safeties into run support before letting Culpepper's strong arm challenge Otis Smith deep.

   Defensively the copy-cat league will have circled Brady's inability to throw the deep ball well this season.  The safeties will pull up not in run support but in punishing formations to jam the slants and in-cuts of the Patriot Receivers.  The linebackers meanwhile will support the very short zones while supporting the speed rushers who will challenge Matt Light and Greg Robinson-Randall to the outside.

   New England's offense must connect on the deep ball when given the opportunity.  They must use their short passing strength to pull the safeties into short support and then allow Branch and Patten to get deep on their coverage.  The pressure will be on Tom Brady to make the connections which horrifically elluded him last week.  Speed rushers must be counter punched with screens to alleviate their pressure and give Tom the chance to have a pocket on other plays.  Though Antowain Smith might have been the key to previous games, this game is not his prime opportunity to emerge.

   Defensively the Patriots must get pressure onto Culpepper.  They must line up to take on the blockers at the line and get quality linebacker run support.  If the safeties are needed to help in containing Bennett then Culpepper and the Vikings will have a major advantage.  This game will likely be dominated by linebacker play with Bruschi and Johnson given the middle of the field while Phifer and Vrabel have outside containment on the speedy back.  This puts greater pressure on Hamilton and McGinest to own their gaps on running plays.  Expect those linebacker formations to launch run blitzes which are designed to contain Culpepper even as they catch and swarm Bennet in the backfield before he can explode from behind a drive blocking lineman.

Prediction

   This game began getting much more challenging four weeks prior when the Vikings began to believe Bennett was their best threat.  Each team launches a strength at the opposing weakness.  Pats pass versus Vikings pass defense and the Vikings Rush against a poor run stuffing unit.  Will Brady connect on big plays more regularly than the Vikings explosive back bursts a long run?  This certainly puts more pressure ont he Vikings to have success early.  In a hostile stadium against schemes which generally confound and confuse struggling Quarterbacks, it's time to trust the schemer who knows his team has their backs against the wall.  This game goes to Bellichick, turnovers and the big play:

New England 34  - Minnesota 23

Give me your feedback on my message board!

November 10: at Chicago Bears

Bears Official	vs	ESPN Bears
Chicago Tribune		Bears Board
NFL Preview	Game Day Weather	ESPN Preview

Challenge: Prove it wasn't a Fluke

Game Notes

   The Franchise is gone from New England - not last week's opponent Drew Bledsoe but rather old friend Larry Whigham.  The Special Team star is now with the Bears and will likely be hunting to make something significant occur.  The Patriots lead the series 5-3 and 3 of the last 4 but Chicago put it to New England in their last bout on December 10, 2000.  Though the score was 24-17, Chicago dominated much of the game behind the surprisingly effective Shane Mathews.  

   This year the Bears are struggling with a 2-6 record after a pair of opening wins and several close games against quality teams.  They have been afflicted with injuries and their performance has fallen with losses to Minnesota and Detroit.  Their six game losing streak has put them out of contention for the most part but not out of pride.  They will gear up for the World Champions as they did for the Eagles whom they battled fiercely.  The Patriots must find a means to prove their Buffalo victory was no fluke or they'll quickly fall back out of the hunt for the AFC-East tournament.

Injury Report:

Opponent Review

   This is a reeling Chicago team which had a strong performance last season.  This means they are a team with pride - wounded pride.  This makes them very dangerous as Philadelphia nearly found out last week.  Made more dangerous by the apparent return of a tenacious defense which centers around the speedy behemoth Brian Urlacher.  Chicago has played the part of a poor team, worse than Buffalo in every category except scoring defense yet those statistics are misleading for the Chicago defense much like the Patriots has been drastically underachieving and still holds the roots of a stingy defense which made them dangerous playoff contenders last season.

   The strength of Chicago was and remains their defense.  They are now built to support Urlacher at the middle linebacker (MIKE) position.  Much as Miami builds around Zach Thomas, they provided behemoth's at the Defensive Tackle position which provide him the freedom to make plays.  Ted Washington is out but former Dolphin Keith Traylor anchors the middle along with 325 pound Alfonso Boone.  Their troubles have come from significant injuries as well as a loss for the swarming, ball hawking defense of last season.  They seemed to put it together last week and this may have them inspired for this week as all of last week's starters will return this week.  Despite the 25th ranked run defense in the league, they held the powerful Philadelphia rushing attack in check.  Despite the 23rd worst scoring defense they forced the Eagles to settle for field goals despite excellent field position.  The Bears defense was back and should be expected to show against New England.  Their corners have the speed to stay with receivers and to exploit any mistake with interceptions.  Rookie Alex Brown is an excellent speed rusher expected to line-up across from Matt Light while Phillip Daniels takes the other end position.  Daniels grabbed a pair of sacks against McNabb and seems ready for a full return from his injury.  Still watching this defense should expect Urlacher to fly around the gaps created by his linemen while safeties Green and Brown help him swarm to the ball with a fierce tenacity.

   Offensively this team thrived on the "A-train" and his dominant rushing attack.  An attack which has been deep in slumber this season.  Deep enough to rate worst in the league.  The offensive line has retooled  on the right side with rookie Marc Colombo and first year player Mike Gandy.  They have the size and athleticism to aid Anthony Thomas on the ground but despite a seeming awakening last week in the first half, they are simply not moving the ball. This is a power running attack based on size more than elusiveness and thus far it has been ineffective.  Jim Miller has an ailing shoulder/elbow from which he has returned to the field but not to full form.  His passing attack is based on three targets: Dez White, Marty Booker and Anthony Thomas.  The full back and tight end do not hold integral roles in the passing game.  All three are more than capable at getting open.

   On Special Teams, Paul Edinger has been a stellar performer.  His 53 yard field goal at the half was inspiring.  He has missed only a single field goal under 50 yards and is 2 of 4 beyond that range.  Punter Brad Maynard was outstanding last season at pinning opponents and though off that pace is still very dangerous.  His coverage teams are doing a decent job holding returns to an average of 8  yards with no touchdowns allowed.  Leon Johnson has been strong on punt returns but below average on kickoff returns which has also been the case for kickoff coverage.  Special teamer Larry Whigham may have a bit more inspiration for this particular game.

Our Match-up Weakness

   Although Travis Henry was held well under 100 yards, the Patriots' offense may have done as much to stop him as the Patriots' defense.  At the half he was still averaging better than 5 yards per carry and New England still has notably struggled against the run.  Despite the seeming reemergence of Ted Johnson and Richard Seymour, New England must be listed as a concern in stopping the run.  A-train may have lost his potency thus far this year but his line is back in place and he's got the talent.

   Desperation was a benefit for New England last week and now it resides solidly with Chicago.  In part due to their own losing streak, in part to the chance of renewed complacency and in part because of the motivation which comes of playing the World Champions.  They laid it on the line against Philly in their revenge game and came up just short.  Expect the desperation to again be a factor solidly in their favor.  Desperate teams are dangerous teams.  Desperate proud teams are even more dangerous and Chicago retains much of the pride from last season's surprise success.

   Chicago's run defense returned to form against Philadelphia.  It is well suited for challenging New England's running game.  Urlacher can outrun any of the Patriot backs and with a healthy defensive line in front of him he'll be plunging into the backfield to make stops.  This line and linebacker will be amongst the toughest for New England's power running if they hold true to their recent play.

Our Match-up Strength

   Miller is likely a scratch for the game and if not is going to be at reduced effectiveness.  An injured Miller is not going to handle many throws of deep balls which is roughly equivalent to the performance of his back-up Chris Chandler.  This gives the Patriot defense the ability to concentrate a bit more on the run as the game progresses.  This is precisely the edge the Patriots need until their run defense is proven fully repaired.  This is not to imply a run defense advantage but rather the potential freedom to release the linebackers and safeties into strong positions of run support if it proves necessary.

   Balance?!  New England once again found the benefit of balance in their offensive attack.  The offensive line was given the freedom to run block which provided a host of benefits to the team.  Antowain Smith was a major factor in last year's success and will likely remain a factor this season as Weiss' game plan once again provides him with a featured role.  The trickle down benefits are immense as a drive-blocking offensive line typically has better pass protection having put their opponents off guard.  Play action is always more successful and ball control rests your own defensive formations.  

   The accurate control game of short passes is expertly run by Brady.  He spreads the ball around to many receivers and provides a demanding price for the defense.  Each receiver must be well accounted for or they will receive the pass.  Brown, Patten, Branch, Fauria, Graham, Faulk and Smith may all be expected to make key receptions throughout the game.  This spreads the defensive responsibilities and will tax a Bears defense which has not shown great depth in their ijury challenges.  This is New England's most significant edge against any foe - especially when balance exploits the spreading of the defense.

Strategy

   New England has still not dominantly displayed they can stop the strong running game.  Chicago would be foolish to not provide a healthy diet of Anthony Thomas runs to the Patriot defense.  Get a full back onto the linebacker and attack Steve Martin and Anthony Pleasant with power runs.  This challenges the middle linebackers to beat the block and make the tackle while Thomas' cut forces Phifer to respect the outside run.  This has the similar advantage of keeping the clock running and New England's offense off the field.  It will also set Miller or Chandler up to throw the shorter and intermediate routes which both are currently better suited to handle than the deeper routes.  The formula for beating the Patriots may no longer work but a wise team would force them to prove this at this juncture in the season.

   Defensively the Bears want to continue flying around the ball.  They want Urlacher free to run down Antowain Smith with a Miami style front five assault.  Their outside backers must be prepared to pinch the New England short passing game while supporting the run in a read and react format.  The four lineman and Urlacher must be sufficient to stop the run and provide the pressure on Brady.  New England has been lining Antowain Smith up deep and have used power rushes more than quick hitters to the line, this should give the other linebackers time to properly read and react before New England has achieve any level of significant ground.  Both corners will play tight to the line and press the New England receivers inside where the backers will support them.  The Safeties can pull towards the line for outside over the top support.  This pinches the Patriots short passing game and almost challenges them to go deep on fly routes which have not been the strong point of this New England offense.

   New England's offense must get Urlacher in the wrong holes or blocked.  To achieve this they will pull guard Joe Andruzzi to lead the block and attack Urlacher.  Let Smith earn his yardage against the other run support as a guard and fullback regularly pound the young middle linebacker.  The Patritos did this effectively against Zach Thomas late in last season and may employ nearly the same strategy against this group.  A few counter direction plays or even the end around might work to some significant gain in this scheme.  The Kevin Faulk trick play pass back to Tom Brady might also appropriately re-emerge against this unit if the offense is struggling.  The most important factor is to stay within themselves.  Use Antowain Smith frequently and allow Brady to throw the short quick passes which are his forte.  Chicago will be looking for screens and as such they will be more difficult to run successfully but a scattering of them will challenge the speed rushers on the end to stay at home.

   New England's defense must again demand Richard Seymour handle the line of scrimmage.  For all of the scheming in these games, control of the line of scrimmage most frequently leads to victory.  Seymour will be facing Olin Kreutz and Kevin Dogins, the smallest of the offensive linemen in both height and weight.  At 6'2" and 6'1" respectively, they will be hitting Seymour low and will challenge the tall linemen to stay low in his stance if he wishes to hold his ground.  The Patriots may show much of the 3-4 scheme which allows Bruschi and Johnson to work together at snuffing the run game.  It also gives Seymour one man responsibility as he opens the holes for the linebackers to make the tackle.  This also allows McGinest and Phifer to shut down the outside lanes with the presumption Thomas does not have the speed to get outside before their coverage of him forces the play.  It is a style which cannot work against a Priest Holmes or LaDanien Tomlinson but may well fit the Chicago attack.  This scheme does vary throughout the game and situation but more specifically throughout the play as New England employed a meandering line of scrimmage against Buffalo.  This challenges blocking assignments especially for a young line like Chicago.  It is vulnerable to a full power attack but interspersed may help put run blitz pressure into the mix.  In this game more than most, if New England stops the run, they are likely to earn the win.  They still must give Otis over the top support to prevent the easy deep ball and this should fit within the 7 man run stopping scheme.

Prediction

   This game isn't as critical as the Buffalo road game for purposes of the standing but New England cannot return to form with just a single victory.  This is a team against whom they match well.  It is a struggling team for which they should be the victors.  It is also a desperate team playing at home.  New England does control the fate of this game.  If they play the football they are capable of demonstrating, they should be able to stifle an anemic Chicago offense and put enough points on a struggling but resurgent Chicago defense.  Expect the mismatch to be sufficient to carry New England.  The Champions are saying the right words but a wise adage will apply when Sunday night concludes: "What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say!"  

New England 24  - Chicago 9

Give me your feedback on my message board!

November 3: at Buffalo Bills

Bills Official	vs	ESPN Bills
Buffalo News	Game Day Weather	Bill's Board
NFL Preview	Online Broadcast Link	ESPN Preview

Win or the Season is Over - It is that Simple

Game Notes

   "Must win?" In the first week of November?  The league realigned this year and there are now four division winners for each conference and only two wild card teams.  A loss to Buffalo will mire the Pats at 3-5 which technically still would allow for the 11-5 record which will get into the playoffs, however 10-6 is a likely miss and running the table is even more improbably than all of last season's heroics.  So what salve for the four game losing streak?  Drew Bledsoe and the potent Bills offense - in Buffalo.  Well at least their struggling run defense can gain ground...against Travis Henry the NFL's fifth leading rusher and not coincidentally one of only two such backs who haven't already played New England to 'pad their stats.'

The Patriots hold the series edge 43-39-1 having won two close battles last season.  That was before Buffalo emerged as such a potent team.  At 5-3 the Bills currently lead the wildcard race and are challenging for the division lead while New England at 3-4 are struggling and facing a situation in which their entire season might very well be a wash if they do not win this game.

Injury Report:

Opponent Review

   This is an offensive team who thrives on the arm of Drew Bledsoe and the legs of Travis Henry.  Henry is the fifth best at his position in the NFL by yardage ratings.  However, Bledsoe, Moulds and Price are tops at their positions in this category.  While they are atop the league in offense they are likewise near the bottom in defensive performance especially in the all important scoring category.  Here is a quick look at some comparative statistics:

   Examining their offense is an impressive review.  Drew Bledsoe leads the league with 2500 yards passing at an exceedingly efficient 63.8%.  He has thrown for a lofty 16 touchdowns with a frugal 5 interceptions in their 8 games thus far.  His arsenal is loaded with Moulds as the leader and a big target or Peerless Price as his speedster.  They are #1 and #2 in yardage in the league with good reason.  Riemersma is an excellent tight end with more receptions than any of New England's Tight Ends and a solid blocking history as well.  Larry Centers is still a very dangerous and credible receiving threat at the Full Back position and Travis Henry has more catches than Faulk, Smith and Redmond combined!  Drew has a multitude of capable targets and outlets which helps him shine and sets up a good rushing environment for Travis Henry.  Henry is a short back but not a small back as his 5'9" frame boasts 220 pounds of power.  Though he did not break 55 yards in either Patriot game last season, he has come into his own with the Bledsoe let offense.  Three times he has been over 100 yards rushing in a game, twice more than 140 yards.  He has been stopped but it is a difficult challenge.

   Defensively the Bills are riddled with holes.  They are big in the middle but not dominating.  London Fletcher is still a very speedy middle linebacker who leads the team in tackles far and away as their scheme requires him to read the holes while the Defensive Tackles tie up bodies.  Their QB pressures come from the outside by Schobel and Ahanotu.  Neither are very good run stuffers but both have decent quickness which bodes ill for Patriots Matt Light, Kenyatta Jones and consequently Tom Brady.  The Bills secondary is weak which is why teams are scoring so many points against them.  The injury to Winfield makes them all the more vulnerable although this has seemed to aid the Patriots recently (re: Green Bay).