Patriots Sign Donald Jones, Bring Back Kyle Arrington For Four More Years

Thanks to Twitter and the fine work of tireless NFL writers, we can all feel like ESPN's Adam Schefter with all the non-stop action in terms of NFL free agency. Today, the Patriots signed former Bills wide receiver Donald Jones (terms of the contract weren't known) and re-signed cornerback Kyle Arrington to a four-year deal.

In addition to those moves, running back Danny Woodhead signed a two-year deal with San Diego and the Patriots hosted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders ( I like him better than Jones but he's nothing special), defensive ends John Abraham and Dwight Freeney along with safety Adrian Wilson. If you need to sit down for a second or stop looking at the computer screen, I understand. Can you say ice cream headache? Woodhead will be missed but with Leon Washington, his role was basically eliminated.

Jones won't set the world on fire but he registered career-highs in catches (43), receiving yards (443) and receiving touchdowns (4) last season in Buffalo with the erratic Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing him the ball. The Pats obviously saw him up close and personal the last three years and he had two solid performances against them in 2012: he combined for eight catches, 164 receiving yards and two touchdowns (1 in each game). He set a career-long with a 68-yard catch against New England in Buffalo in Week 4. Hopefully, he can learn the playbook quickly and find a connection with Tom Brady. It could do wonders for his career, we'll have to wait and see.

Arrington fell to third on the Pats cornerback depth chart last season after they acquired Aqib Talib and the emergence of rookie Alfonzo Dennard. Now, Talib is a free agent (who knows if he'll return) and Dennard is potentially facing jail time, they had to bring Arrington back since he's young (26) and entering his fifth year in New England's system. He's durable since he's played 16 games in each of the last three seasons and versatile because he also plays on special teams. His seven interceptions in 2011 seems like a random blip since he had zero interceptions last season but I have no problem with a few more years of Arrington.

Moving forward, the Patriots need to keep bringing in talent on defense. Veterans like Abraham, Freeney and Wilson are all appealing since while they might be a bit long in the tooth, they can still make plays and most importantly, they can bring the leadership that they side of the ball desperately needs with so many young but important guys on the team (Devin McCourty, Chandler Jones, Brandon Spikes, Dont'a Hightower, etc).

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At Least The Patriots Kick Return Game Is Getting A Serious Upgrade

The Patriots' raid of the NFC West continued today as they added kick returner Leon Washington (formerly of the Seattle Seahawks) on a one-year deal (terms were not disclosed). This comes a day after they gave former Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola a five-year deal. He's a two-time Pro Bowler (2008, 2012) who was also named an All-Pro in 2008 specifically for his prowess on punt returns and kick returns, an area that New England has really struggled the last few seasons.

Drafted in the fourth round by the Jets in 2006, Washington started out as more of a third-down back but he has morphed into mostly a return specialist. He played four seasons in New York and was in Seattle for the last three years. He's been durable too, playing in all 16 games in six of seven seasons. In 2012, he averaged 29.0 yards per kick return (2nd in the NFL to Baltimore's Jacoby Jones) with one touchdown and 8.7 yards per punt return.

He is tied for the most kick return touchdowns (8) in NFL history with Josh Cribbs. Seattle deemed him expendable since he'll be 31 in August and they just traded for Percy Harvin. The Patriots were 25th in the NFL last season with an average of 21.2 yards per kick return (from Devin McCourty and Danny Woodhead) so this should be a huge upgrade to their special teams.

Getting Washington means that Jeff Demps Patriots career might be over before it ever really started (since he missed last season on IR). Anyways, there has been talk that he wants to pursue a professional track career and I'm sure the team didn't want to hear that. Also, this could mean that Woodhead is gone if New England trusts Washington to get more touches than last season with the Seahawks (23 rushes, 4 catches). For his career, Washington has 2213 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs, 146 catches, 1127 receiving yards and two TD catches. Keep in mind that he's short like Woodhead (5-foot-8) but bulkier (listed at 210 pounds).

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2013 AFC Championship Game Injury Report

Thankfully, after this week of mostly worthless chatter, there is an actual football game to look forward to on Sunday night (6:30 p.m., CBS). The Ravens visit Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots in the 2013 AFC Championship Game, a trip to Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans is on the line. The winner will face the NFC Champion-either the Falcons or Niners.

For the second week in a row, the Patriots don't list anyone lower than probable. Chandler Jones (ankle) and Danny Woodhead (thumb) both left last week's game against the Texans with injuries but apparently, they should be fine on Sunday. Normally, I don't even mention guys that are probable since that is almost a guarantee that they'll play.

Not surprisingly, since they've played an additional game, the Ravens come to town much more beat up. Cornerback Asa Jackson (thigh) has been out since November and he won't make a miraculous return, he's already been declared inactive. In addition, Baltimore has four players that are questionable: fullback Vonta Leach (knee/ankle), running back Bernard Pierce (knee), linebacker Dannell Elerbe (ankle/back) and wide receiver David Reed (thigh).

Leach paves the way for Ray Rice while Pierce is Rice's backup but he had 103 rushing yards in the Wild Card win over the Colts. Ellerbe is a starter who piled up nine tackles in both of Baltimore's wins this postseason. I've never heard of Reed so I assume he's a special teams player.

I would bet anything that Leach, Pierce and Ellerbe will suit up. As for who else will be inactive for both teams, we'll have to wait until Sunday night to find out more information.

UPDATE 1/19: Today, the Pats signed defensive lineman Marcus Forston to their 53-man roster from the practice squad. Ironically, the undrafted rookie's one game was against Baltimore in Week 3. After that, he was released and signed back to the practice squad. This is a nice reward for all his hard work this season.

UPDATE 1/20: Patriots inactives-WR Kamar Aiken, DE Jake Bequette, DL Marcus Forston, DB Derrick Martin, OL Nick McDonald, DB Malcolm Williams and OL Markus Zusevics.

Ravens inactives- Jackson, OT Ramon Harewood, DE DeAngelo Tyson, DT Bryan Hall, S Omar Brown, LB Adrian Hamilton and WR Deonte Thompson.

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Patriots Roll Over Dolphins 28-0 To Clinch The No. 2 Seed In The 2012 AFC Playoffs

After Indianapolis beat Houston 28-16 earlier this afternoon, New England was handed a special opportunity: beat Miami and they'd clinch a Top-2 seed in the 2012 AFC playoffs. That extra certainty of motivation proved to be significant as the Patriots (12-4, 6-2 home) blanked the hapless Dolphins (7-9, 2-6 away) 28-0 at chilly Gillette Stadium.

With the victory, New England knows they host a divisional round game on Sunday, January 13 at 4:30 p.m. against either the Texans (who host the Bengals) or the winner of Colts/Ravens. I think I speak for all Patriots fans when I say that I like their chances against any of those three squads.

Basically the only thing that didn't go right for the Pats today was that Rob Ninkovich hurt his hip and had to leave the game in the second quarter. We're not sure how serious it is but the good news is that he has an extra week to heal and rest. Tom Brady (22 for 36, 284 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) had a solid game while Wes Welker (8 catches, 94 yards, TD) and Danny Woodhead (5 catches, 79 yards) were in a nice rhythm with TB12.

Stevan Ridley ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns while Rob Gronkowski returned after missing five games to catch a 23-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The ironic part is that Gronk still leads all NFL tight ends with 11 TDs despite all that time off. He was obviously favoring his arm though so I'm thrilled that he doesn't have to play another game for a while.

New England's defense posted its first shutout since 2009 thanks to its best pass rush of the season which produced seven sacks led by undrafted rookie free agent Justin Francis (3 sacks). Steve Gregory intercepted rookie Ryan Tannehill (20 for 35, 235 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) and Dont'a Hightower recovered a Tannehill fumble.

Miami's only effective weapon was wide receiver Brian Hartline (5 catches, 69 yards). Tannehill's interception was terrible and Reggie Bush fumbled on the goal-line (although it was charged to Tannehill). Clearly, the Dolphins had no interest in putting up a fight in their season finale.

After Gregory's interception, Welker cashed in with a nine-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Ridley had a one-yard touchdown run (on 4th and Goal) followed by a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The only intrigue left in the contest was over whether Ryan Mallett would make an appearance (he didn't) or if Miami would score (also a negative).

Now let's all sit back next weekend, watch the Wild Card games and get plenty of rest. The Patriots have never won a Super Bowl without a first-round bye so this was the first step to what we hope is a very special season.

UPDATE 1/1: The Patriots signed rookie defensive tackle Tracy Robertson to the practice squad.

UPDATE 1/4: Today, New England signed quarterback Mike Kafka and defensive end Marcus Benard to reserve/future contracts for next season.

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Patriots Survive Crapfest 23-16, Mostly Because They Were Playing The Hapless Jaguars

The less time spent talking about this afternoon's brutal 23-16 Patriots win against the Jaguars at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, the better. If you didn't see any or even some of this one, I'm jealous of you. I feel like I need a cold shower to wash away the filth from viewing this.

Patrick Chung's (2 interceptions) interception in the end zone sealed a win that was way closer than it should have been for the Patriots. It is not hyperbole to say that if they were playing pretty much any other team in the NFL than Jacksonville, they would have lost. Oh well, I guess it was the predictable letdown/trap game after primetime matchups with the Texans and Niners in consecutive weeks.

New England (11-4, 6-2 away) spotted the Jaguars a 10-0 lead in the first quarter but after Jacksonville (2-13, 1-7 home) went up 13-3 early in the second quarter, it all went to shit for the team that is currently tied with the Chiefs (2-13) for the worst record in the NFL.

With all the guys that they sat with "injuries" or moved around, it appeared that the Patriots didn't have much interest in winning this game when it kicked off. However, maybe once they realized that Houston was losing (they fell 23-6 to Minnesota), they remembered that they were still able to get the No. 1 or 2 seed in the AFC. Hey, we all lose our minds at some point or another during the holidays.

Former Dolphins great Chad Henne (29 of 51, 348 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs) picked the Patriots apart in the first quarter but he soon regressed to the awful quarterback that he's always been. Conversely, Tom Brady (24 of 41, 267 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) threw two early interceptions but then he settled down and began to find plenty of holes in Jacksonville's awful defense.

Stevan Ridley (18 carries, 84 yards) ran well after his bobble led to Brady's first interception. Wes Welker (10 catches, 88 yards on 12 targets) was Brady's main target as always while Brandon Lloyd (6 catches, 62 yards on 12 targets) came back to Earth after his huge game vs. San Francisco and Aaron Hernandez (1 catch, 13 yards on 5 targets) was M.I.A. all game. It goes without saying that the Pats really miss Rob Gronkowski and he can't return soon enough, maybe next week?

University of Maine product Montell Owens (77 yards receiving; 42 yards rushing) made the most of his rare start while Jordan Shipley (5 catch, 82 yards on 10 targets) and Justin Blackmon (7 catch, 79 yards on 12 targets) took advantage of a depleted secondary for New England with no Alfonzo Dennard and a banged up Aqib Talib.

Blackmon caught a 3-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 7-0 lead and Josh Scobee's 41-yard field goal made it 10-0 in the first quarter. Stephen Gostkowski's 25-yard field goal got New England on the board late in the first quarter.

Scobee added a 35-yard field goal before the Patriots finally woke up. Gostkowski drilled a 49-yard field goal and Brady hit Danny Woodhead with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds left in the first half to improbably tie it at 13.

Gostkowski's 38-yard field goal in the third quarter was the only score of the frame as both defenses settled in and each offense sputtered. Welker's 3-yard touchdown catch put New England up by 10 (23-13) and that was just enough for them to hold on. Scobee had a 42-yard field goal but Henne couldn't complete the comeback at the end. Story of his life.

Marquice Cole (6 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, pass defensed) had his first interception as a Patriot while Dont'a Hightower (6 tackles, 4 solo, sack, tackle for loss, pass defensed, quarterback hit) had one of his best games of the season. Kyle Arrington (7 solo tackles, tackle for loss) also played well in extended action for him.

The 2012 regular season ends next Sunday with the Patriots hosting the Dolphins (7-8) at Gillette Stadium (4:25 p.m., CBS). New England is currently the No. 3 seed in the AFC but they can move up if either Houston or Denver lose. That's what we have to root for, the Pats could even jump to No. 1 if both lose but that probably won't happen with Denver hosting Kansas City (Texans are at Colts).

The game means plenty so I would expect that almost all the healthy Patriots will play. The difference between a bye and having to play during Wild Card weekend is enormous so they should go all out to ensure that they win. Miami isn't going anywhere and they are not great by any means but they'll make it competitive mostly because their defense is above average.

UPDATE 12/24: The Patriots made a bunch of roster moves involving guys you probably have never heard of. They released fullback James Develin and wide receiver Kamar Aiken from the 53-man roster. They also released wide receiver/punt returner Tony Logan and offensive lineman Jeremiah Warren from the practice squad.

New England also received a one-week exemption for Jermaine Cunningham after his four-game suspension ended yesterday. They have a week to activate him to the roster, which they are expected to do. As it stands now, the Patriots have two open roster spots.

UPDATE 12/25: Aiken and Develin both cleared waivers today, meaning they are now free agents. The Patriots have three open slots on their practice squad and both retain practice squad eligibility so look for at least one of them to stick around Foxborough.

UPDATE 12/26: Today, the Patriots signed three guys to the practice squad: Aiken, Develin and cornerback Cyhl Quarles. You're obviously familiar with Aiken and Develin while Quarles spent two plus weeks on New England's practice squad earlier this season.

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Patriots Almost Rally For A Once-In-A-Lifetime Win, Fall Short Against 49ers 41-34

It's hard to know where to start when recapping what had to be the most exciting game of the 2012 NFL regular season. San Francisco built up a 31-3 lead in the third quarter, only to see New England rattle off 28 straight points and tie it at 31 in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers (10-3-1, 5-2 away) clinched a playoff berth with a completely absurd 41-38 victory at Gillette Stadium over the Patriots (10-4, 5-2 home) in the wind and freezing rain. New England went from looking completely overmatched to unstoppable in the span of a quarter. It turned out that the awful start by them came back to bite them, like a basketball team that makes a huge comeback but then falls short.

This win validates San Francisco as the team to beat in the NFC and the NFL too as far as I'm concerned. It could prove to be a particularly costly loss for New England since they lost their firm grip of the No. 2 seed in the AFC and now it looks like they are destined to be No. 3 at best barring an unlikely loss by the Broncos in the final two weeks.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (14 of 25 for 216 yards, 4 TDs, INT; 28 yards rushing) made his head coach Jim Harbaugh look smart in choosing him over Alex Smith. Tom Brady (36 of 65 for 443 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) carried the Patriots on his back when it appeared hopeless. Still, New England fell to 0-2 against the Harbaughs this season and 1-3 vs. the NFC West as they saw their seven-game win streak overall and 21-game home win streak in December both snapped.

Michael Crabtree (7 catches, 107 yards, 2 TDs) and Frank Gore (21 carries, 83 yards; 2 catches, 34 yards) were the main weapons for Kaepernick although he also spread it around with touchdowns to Delanie Walker and old friend Randy Moss. San Francisco's top-ranked defense held New England's top-ranked offense to a season-low three points in the first half.

The Patriots finally found some success in the second half when Brady sped up the tempo and went no-huddle. Brandon Lloyd (10 catches, 190 yards) had his best game for New England while Danny Woodhead (61 yards rushing, 23 yards receiving, 2 TDs) surprisingly enough was their best running back. Aaron Hernandez (10 catches, 92 yards, TD) and Wes Welker (5 catches, 56 yards) started off slow but in the second half, they also began to find bigger holes in San Francisco's tired defense. The Pats ran 92 plays and racked up 520 total yards.

The main reason that New England came up short (besides the huge deficit) is they lost the turnover battle (4-2) and committed more penalties (8-6). It is rare to see them come out on the wrong side of either of those statistics so when they get beat in both, doubly so. San Francisco actually fumbled six times, including four by Kaepernick but they only lost one whereas New England lost both of theirs (by Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen). Ridley's confidence has to be shaken since he nearly fumbled earlier in the game but he was ruled down.

Moss's 24-yard touchdown catch was the only score of the first quarter. Stephen Gostkowski cut it to 7-3 with a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter. Walker caught a 34-yard touchdown and David Akers's 20-yard field goal was the last play of the first half as the 49ers took a stunning 17-3 lead into the locker rooms.

Devin McCourty picked off Kaepernick to start the second half but New England couldn't take advantage as Ridley fumbled it back to them. Luck was on Kaepernick's side as he fumbled another snap early in the third quarter but Gore picked it up then ran seven yards for a touchdown. Aldon Smith picked off Brady on the next play after he rushed a throw to Hernandez and the supposed rout was on as Kaepernick threw a 27-yard touchdown to Crabtree on the following play.

The Pats chipped away as Woodhead's 6-yard touchdown run gave them their first touchdown with 5:59 left in the third quarter, trailing 31-10. Brady jumped over the pile from a yard out to cut it to 31-17 on the first play of the fourth quarter. After a San Francisco 3-and-out, New England made it a one-score game on Hernandez's 5-yard touchdown catch. Woodhead tied it at 31 with a 1-yard run of his own.

LaMichael James returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards-the play of the game-and the 49ers regained all the momentum they had lost with a 38-yard touchdown catch by Crabtree on the first play after that. The Patriots had to go for it on 4th-and-1 from their own 12 but Brady couldn't connect with Woodhead. From there, it was a matter of field goals (28 yards by Akers; 41 yards by Gostkowski) for the final margin. New England got a chance to take an onside kick but it didn't get that good bounce so Walker grabbed it easily.

After the thrills of back-to-back primetime games (Monday night and Sunday night), the Patriots can take a siesta the next few weeks as they travel to Jacksonville next Sunday afternoon (1 p.m., CBS) to face the hideous Jaguars (2-12, 4th AFC South). That's followed by the regular season finale, at Gillette vs. Miami (6-8, 3rd AFC East) on Sunday, December 30. So yeah, time to get your Christmas shopping done and if you miss the next two games due to the holidays, it honestly isn't the end of the world.

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Nobody Makes You Feel Worse About A Win Than These Patriots

I thought I had run out of ways to describe a terrible win a few weeks ago when the Patriots were handed a 29-26 overtime win against the Jets in Week 7. New England (6-3, 3-1 home) outdid themselves this afternoon at Gillette Stadium with a 37-31 "victory" over the Buffalo Bills (3-6, 2-4 away).

I hate repeating myself but in this case, it's totally necessary. Once again, New England's defense couldn't get off the field or stop one of the worst teams in the NFL. Also, their offense similarly couldn't get their job done either since they had a chance to ice it with a long drive and TD but they had to settle for a field goal.

Therefore, we had to sweat out a two-minute drive by Ryan Fitzpatrick (27 of 40, 337 yards, 2 TDs, INT, fumble) that looked destined to end with a touchdown. That is until the Harvard product remembered who he is and what he does in that type of situation: Devin McCourty (8 tackles, 4 solo, forced fumble, pass defensed) picked him off in the end zone to finish it.

Exhale. Buffalo hasn't won in Foxborough since 1999 (hello Doug Flutie) and they probably would have done it today if they didn't continuously shoot themselves in the foot with penalties (14 for 148 yards) and costly turnovers (3). Tom Brady (23 of 38, 237 yards, 2 TDs) improved to 20-2 in his career against the Bills and the Patriots swept the season series against Buffalo in 2012.

It's hard to explain how a team that had an extra week to prepare, against a divisional opponent that they know very well, could still struggle so badly on defense. I guess the best we can muster for an explanation is that the Bills' skill players are a matchup nightmare for the Patriots.

Buffalo easily could have scored 45 points if Fitzpatrick had thrown a touchdown at the end and Fred Jackson (80 yards rushing, 2 TDs; 35 yards receiving) hadn't fumbled at the 1-yard line. C.J. Spiller (70 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving), Steve Johnson (6 catches, 86 yards), Donald Jones (6 catches, 74 yards, TD) and Scott Chandler (5 catches, 65 yards, TD) made their fantasy owners happy.

On the positive side, when the Pats had the ball, they toasted Buffalo's defense. Stevan Ridley had 98 yards rushing and a touchdown, Wes Welker had six catches for 74 yards while Danny Woodhead had two touchdowns and Rob Gronkowski caught a touchdown (something he's done in all six games against his hometown team).

Stephen Gostkowski's 43-yard field goal and a 1-yard touchdown run by Ridley were the only points in the first quarter. Rian Lindell got Buffalo on the board with a 41-yard field goal before Woodhead's 15-yard TD run made it 17-3. Jackson answered with a 14-yard TD run and the teams traded scores as neither defense could get off the field. Gronk had a pretty diving 2-yard TD catch but Chandler had a 3-yard TD catch with 31 seconds left in the 1st half.

Woodhead's 18-yard catch and run increased New England's lead to 31-17 in the third quarter but Jackson's 1-yard run showed the Bills weren't going away. Gostkowski had a 48-yard field goal in the fourth before Jones caught a 2-yard touchdown. Gostkowski's 27-yard field goal provided the final points.

With the Dolphins (4-5) loss and the predictable Jets (3-6) no-show in Seattle, the AFC East is the same graveyard it has been for much of the last decade. More importantly for the Patriots, who have won three in a row, they can find out where they stand against some real teams beginning next Sunday. The Colts (6-3) led by rookie quarterback Andrew Luck come to Gillette (4:25 p.m., CBS) riding a four-game win streak.

UPDATE 11/12: Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian was released (he still has practice squad eligibility left) with cornerback/savior Aqib Talib taking his place on the 53-man roster.

UPDATE 11/13: The Pats signed free agent guard Mitch Petrus (a former Giant) to the roster and released linebacker Jerrell Harris from the practice squad. Additionally, Tarpinian was re-signed to the practice squad.

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Patriots Get Up Big (31-7), Hang On For 31-21 Win Vs. Peyton & The Broncos

The bottom line is that Tom Brady and the Patriots improved to 9-4 all-time against Peyton Manning. New England (3-2, 1-1 home) beat his new team-Denver (2-3, 0-2 away) 31-21 this afternoon at Gillette Stadium in a contest that went from blowout to somewhat of a nail biter thanks to two TDs by the Broncos.

For everything that the Pats did right, building up a 31-7 lead late in the third quarter, they had to sweat it out a bit in the fourth quarter after Stevan Ridley (28 carries, 151 yards, TD) ruined his perfect day with a costly fumble. Thankfully, Willis McGahee (51 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards) was in a giving mood as well, Rob Ninkovich forced his second fumble of the game and Jermaine Cunningham fell on it to wrap it up.

Manning (31 of 44, 345 passing yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT) and Brady (23 of 31, 223 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) had solid performances but Denver overshadowed it with three costly fumbles and New England put up 251 rushing yards as a team. When's the last time the Patriots had more rushing yards than passing yards in a game?

Brandon Bolden (54 yards rushing) and Danny Woodhead (47 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards) were sprinkled into the playcalling wisely by Josh McDaniels. Wes Welker (13 catches, 104 yards, TD) scored his first touchdown of the season with his mortal enemy Julian Edelman still sidelined with a hand injury.

Demaryius Thomas (9 catches, 188 yards) is a beast and Peyton is helping him become one of the NFL's top receivers but he needs to cut down on his fumbles. Today's fumble after a 43-yard catch and run was his third consecutive game with a fumble. Props though to Patriots cornerback Sterling Moore who chased him down (after getting beaten deep), knocking it loose then recovering it.

The other fumble was from Manning and Vince Wilfork recovered it after Ninkovich drilled Peyton. Jerod Mayo (13 tackles, sack) also played well for the Patriots defense that was superb, until the last quarter or so. Broncos linebacker Von Miller had eight tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss and a pass deflection.

Welker's 8-yard touchdown catch were the only points of the first quarter. Denver tied it at seven early in the second quarter after Devin McCourty's standard pass interference (not turning his head at all) penalty put the ball on the 1-yard line. Joel Dreessen caught the 1-yard score from Manning.

Of course with all the weapons New England possesses in the running game at the moment, Shane Vereen would be the one to get a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter that made it 14-7. It was his only touch of the game and first score of the season. The Pats could have gone up two touchdowns heading into halftime but they were stuffed twice on runs at the goalline and had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.

In the third quarter, Brady got in on the fun with a 1-yard sneak and Ridley's touchdown had everybody thinking about the two Patriots blowouts vs the Broncos last season. If nothing else, Peyton is not Tim Tebow which means Denver still had some hope to rally. Eric Decker made an amazing 2-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter and Brandon Stokley (yes, he's still in the NFL) cut it to 31-21 with a 5-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots' tour of the NFC West continues on Sunday (4:05 p.m., CBS) with a game at CenturyLink Field against the Seahawks (3-2, 2-0 home). Seattle has a big homefield advantage although we all know they should have lost to the Packers in Week 3's debacle that was the swan song for the replacement refs. Pete Carroll's team doesn't have many weapons on offense and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has struggled but their defense is legit and their home crowd makes a ton of noise so that game won't be easy by any means.

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Patriots Suffer Another Devastating Loss, 31-30 To Ravens On Shady 27-Yd Field Goal

The esteemed Jerry Thornton of Barstool Sports said in his weekly Knee Jerk reactions piece (every Monday or Tuesday after a Patriots game) last Monday that the Patriots never lose in mundane fashion. This was after they fell 20-18 to the Cardinals last week on Stephen Gostkowski's missed field goal attempt.

They felt the other side of that pain tonight as once again they lost in another spectacular way, 31-30 against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Through incompetence of the replacement refs and the inability of New England's (1-2) defense to make a play/get a stop/get off the field, they allowed Baltimore (2-1) to move down the field and set up rookie Justin Tucker for a 27-yard field goal.

Of course in a game that featured 24 penalties (10 on New England, 14 on Baltimore), this had to end in a controversial manner: Tucker's chip shot appeared to go directly over the right goal post. Luckily with the clock nearing midnight on the East Coast (really) and no replays on field goals (really?), this gongshow was complete.

The easy thing to do which will no doubt be the choice of most Patriots apologists this week is to simply blame the officials. They were only part of the problem as the endless skirmishes after the whistle attest to. Let's start with the defense giving up 503 total yards plus 28 first downs and only 1 tackle for loss to the Ravens, including a monster performance from Joe Flacco (28 of 39, 382 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT), 150 yards for Ray Rice (101 rushing, 49 receiving, 1 rushing TD) and an incredible moment for Torrey Smith (6 catches, 127 yards, 2 TDs), who played after his younger brother tragically died this morning in a motorcycle accident. Steve Gregory had a gift interception and 37-yard return but other than that, the Pats defense didn't make any plays. Pressures, hurries and knockdowns were few and far between and they didn't have any sacks of Flacco.

The main reason the Pats find themselves under .500 for the first time in nine years (0-1 in 2003; but how'd that year turn out?) and 1-2 for the first time since 2001 because as usual, they couldn't protect a fourth-quarter lead (30-21). Stephen Gostkowski's 20-yard field goal put the Patriots up 30-21 with 14:10 left in the fourth but those were their final points. Smith cut it to 30-28 with a 5-yard touchdown catch with 4:01 left. New England moved the ball but Tom Brady (28 of 41, 335 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) was sacked then had to throw it away on third down.

While this game was going on, a main subplot was Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron locked into a battle of can you top this in horrible playcalls with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. I'd say the edge goes to McDaniels since even though Cameron called a handoff to rookie Bernard Pierce on 4th and 1-stopped by Patrick Chung-McDaniels beat him with sheer volume of baffling decisions. An end around to Julian Edelman worked once, why not try it again on the same drive? Danny Woodhead had a few decent runs, let's give him more carries than Stevan Ridley. On and on it went with a guy that suddenly doesn't seem like the wizard we remember from 2007. Now he appears much more like the guy in over his head in Denver and also fired last season in St. Louis.

Brady threw a touchdown pass for the 35th straight game, the fourth longest streak in NFL history. Brandon Lloyd (9 catches, 108 yards) and Wes Welker (8 catches, 142 yards) gave him a combination that the Ravens could never really stop. With no Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski (2 catches, 21 yards; 3 targets) was just another guy. I guess Baltimore double-teamed him but doesn't the best tight end in the NFL need more touches than that?

Befitting a team that has become a frontrunner the past few seasons, New England jumped out to a quick lead then faded as the game went on. Gostkowski had a pair of field goals (37, 49) sandwiched around a 2-yard score by undrafted rookie running back Brandon Bolden (1st of his NFL career) in the first quarter for a 13-0 advantage.

The Ravens woke up in the second quarter with Flacco and Smith connecting on a pretty 25-yard touchdown. Dennis Pitta's 20-yard catch and run was a disgrace since Gregory and Devin McCourty had the most pathetic tackle attempts (called out by NBC's Cris Collinsworth) that you'll ever see.

Brady answered with a masterful 2-minute drill, still his specialty, that was capped off by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Edelman over the middle with two seconds remaining in the half. New England led 20-14 at halftime.

Cameron remembered that his team had Rice in the third quarter, his 7-yard run made it 21-20 but Woodhead answered with a 3-yard score.

My head hurts from all the terrible calls, on both sides. I can also admit that McCourty needs to make a play when Flacco throws him multiple easy interceptions that he dropped. He also picked up a pass interference on the final drive when Flacco's ball was underthrown to Jacoby Jones (3 catches, 86 yards) and he didn't adjust properly.

The best outcome from this whole debacle is that it was the final straw that makes NFL owners (wake up Bob Kraft!) realize they need to get the real referees back in the games. After the Falcons-Broncos nightmare on Monday, this contest similarly in the national spotlight was more of the same dangerous slop. Plus, have you noticed how much longer these games are? Good lord, they are pushing four hours which is way too long for any sporting event (sorry Red Sox-Yankees).

The good news for the Patriots is that their schedule eases up for a while. They play the Bills (2-1) in Buffalo on Sunday (1 p.m.). Fred Jackson got hurt in Week 1 and C.J. Spiller was hurt early in today's game which means New England will likely be facing Tashard Choice. If there is anything you can count on in this crazy mixed up world, it's that the Patriots own the Bills. Until they prove us otherwise, I will keep clinging to that fact this week and beyond.

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Every Football Team Needs An Olympian With World-Class Speed To Return Kicks

Ever since Brandon Tate was released prior to last season, the Patriots kick return game has been awful. I'm not saying that will change overnight based on one player but you have to like their chances after they signed free agent Jeff Demps to a three-year deal tonight.

A running back at the University of Florida, Demps was undrafted in April since he wanted to concentrate on his track career. Otherwise he would have been a mid to late round draft pick. I'd say that was a smart decision since he qualified for the London Olympics and came home with a silver medal from the 4x100 relay team that finished second to Usain Bolt and Jamaica. When he decided, he wanted to return to football, he was quickly snatched up by New England before other teams could sign him (Jets missed out).

He was a true weapon for the Gators. Demps is only 5-foot-7 and 191 pounds so he obviously won't be an every down back in the NFL but he could be Darren Sproles. In his senior year on a rebuilding team, he rushed for 569 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games last season. In four years of college football, he put up 2470 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He had 31 rushes for more than 20 yards at Florida, most in the Southeastern Conference (by far college football's best/an NFL feeder system) since 2008.

Demps could be a project but when the Patriots main kick returners in 2011 were Danny Woodhead and Julian Edelman, they can afford to think outside the box a little bit. Demps only returned two punts at Florida so Edelman's punt returning duties seem secure. Keep in mind, New England head coach Bill Belichick and former Florida head coach Urban Meyer (who recruited Demps) are tight and the Pats have greatly benefited from two Gators on their roster: tight end Aaron Hernandez and linebacker Brandon Spikes; let's not talk about defensive end Jermaine Cunningham.

Here is a sweet highlight package from Demps' college career. Note the kickoff return that starts at 2:35. With his breakaway speed and ability to make guys miss in the open field, I have no doubt that he could be an elite kick returner and unique weapon for Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to utilize down the road.



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Not Again: Giants Beat The Patriots In Another Super Bowl, 21-17

For the second time in four seasons, the New York Giants topped the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl.

New York quarterback Eli Manning (30 of 40, 296 yards, 1 TD) secured his legacy as he picked up his second Super Bowl MVP trophy with a 21-17 Giants victory at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Ironically, the win in Super Bowl 46 gave him more rings (two) than his more overrated choke artist brother Peyton (one), who plays in Indy.

Including the regular season, New York has now beaten New England three straight times and they've scored the winning points in the last minute every instance.

Everyone knew it was a joke that the Patriots (15-4) were favored coming into tonight since the Giants (13-7) not only had their number but they were a more balanced team. The painful part for Pats fans is that despite a shaky defense, not much of a running game and a lack of receivers, this was one they truly let slip away.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (27 of 41, 276 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) and the offense were up 17-15 and driving for another score late in the fourth quarter-a touchdown would have ended it-but Wes Welker (7 catches, 60 yards) dropped a pass that he makes 49 times out of 50. That mistake didn't cost New England the game but when you couple it with Giants receiver Mario Manningham's (5 catches, 73 yards) absurd 38-yard grab on the ensuing drive, they were two of the most pivotal plays in such a tight game.

New York seemed to make a mistake as Ahmad Bradshaw (17 carries, 72 yards) fell into the end zone with 57 seconds left, rather than drop at the one and kill the clock before a chip shot field goal. That ended up being a moot point since with less than a minute, one timeout and no deep threats, Brady couldn't get it done. He converted on 4th-and-16 to Deion Branch (3 catches, 45 yards) for a 19-yard gain but it ended with a hail mary into the end zone that was inches away from Rob Gronkowski's (2 catches, 26 yards) hands.

Speaking of Gronk, without him New England's options in the passing game were limited. Aaron Hernandez (8 catches, 67 yards, TD) played well but he also made a key drop, on the last-minute drive. Danny Woodhead (4 catches, 42 yards, TD) was effective but as expected, Chad Johnson (1 catch, 21 yards) had minimal impact. With Gronkowski clearly hobbled, the Patriots couldn't match the weapons of New York.

Hakeem Nicks (10 catches, 109 yards) was the best skill position player in the game while the Patriots contained Victor Cruz (4 catches, 25 yards, TD) but he did catch a touchdown.

New York owned time of possession-37:05-22:55 thanks to more balance (40 passing attempts, 28 rushing attempts vs. 41 passing attempts, 19 rushing attempts for the Patriots). It also helped that they fumbled three times (!) but recovered two and the other was nullified by too many men on the field for New England. Add in a bad interception by Brady and you start to understand why New York won it; they made virtually all the big plays.

New England spotted New York a quick 9-0 lead as Brady was flagged for intentional grounding out of his own end zone on the Patriots' first play. The Giants drove 78 yards on the ensuing punt and Cruz capped it off with a 2-yard catch.

The Patriots finally got on the board early in the second quarter as Stephen Gostkowski cut it to 9-3 with a 29-yard field goal.

Somehow despite sleeping through the first quarter and not converting in the red zone until the end of the second quarter, the Patriots entered halftime with a 10-9 lead thanks to Woodhead's 4-yard touchdown catch with eight seconds left. It was a stunning turnaround for a team that should have been behind by more but was still in it thanks to their defense.

Since they deferred as always to start the game, the Pats got the ball to begin the second half and looked like a different team after the 30-minute halftime. Hernandez made a 12-yard touchdown catch after breaking a tackle and New England was up 17-9 with 11:20 left in the third.

Who would have thought that would be the final points for the Patriots? Once again, the defense kept them in it as they held the Giants to a pair of field goals (38-yard and 33-yard) and New England led 17-15 heading into the fourth.

Brady forced a deep ball to Gronkowski on the second play of the fourth and it was picked off by Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn. If I'm making excuses, it's easy to say a healthy Gronk at least knocks that down but like in the AFC Championship game against the Ravens, an objective Pats fan has to ask, why did Brady put it up for grabs like that?

It didn't end up costing New England since their defense had one last stop in them before Welker's drop and Manningham's catch (challenged unsuccessfully by Bill Belichick) totally swung the momentum of the game.

The Patriots have the core to make another run at a Super Bowl next season and for the near future as long as Brady and Belichick are still around. Jerod Mayo (11 tackles), Brandon Spikes (11 tackles), Patrick Chung (6 tackles) and Vince Wilfork (3 tackles) are the key pieces to a defense that really came together in the postseason. However, there are a few areas that the team needs to address if they want to reach the next level and not lose their third consecutive Super Bowl.

New England needs to spend money in free agency and they also need to hold onto draft picks or trade up rather than trade down as they usually do. They need wide receivers, cornerbacks, running backs and pass rushers and they needed them yesterday. This loss was certainly painful but when you look at the roster, you realize that Belichick squeezed everything that he could out of this group and they still had a great chance to steal a win. Is there anyone you would rather have with the chance to make a play than Brady and Welker?

There's no reason to lament Gronk's injury since it's football and that comes with the territory. It's damn impressive that he played the entire game but he was only a shell of himself.

The clock is ticking on Brady and Belichick but with the right moves this offseason, there is no reason why this team can't reach this point again. They just better hope that they don't have to go through the Giants since until further notice, New York owns them. There is no way to dispute that, the better team won Super Bowl 46.

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Another Season, Another AFC East Title (9th in 11 seasons) As Patriots Top Broncos 41-23

The hardest thing to achieve in the NFL is consistency. For that alone, the New England Patriots need to be lauded as they picked up their ninth AFC East title in the last 11 seasons (third in a row, 8th in the last 9 seasons) with a 41-23 win (their sixth straight) over the Broncos this afternoon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

New England (11-3) was able to knock off the NFL's flavor of the month, Denver (8-6), who had won six games in a row before today. I'll dare to call it the Pats biggest win of the season thus far, given the hype and the fact that nobody in the NFL besides the Packers was hotter than the Broncos.

It is certainly easy to pick holes in the Patriots terrible defense but in a season like this, where there is no dominant team in the AFC, they have as good a shot as any to reach the Super Bowl based on their superb offense, quarterback and head coach.

Broncos quarterback/messiah/global icon Tim Tebow (11 of 22, 194 yards passing; 12 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TDs) was slowed down when the Patriots figured out the obvious solution to stopping him: building up a big lead, which forces him to throw the ball (not his strong suit).

The fact that John Fox is the Broncos head coach means that they'll never outcoach any other team. Talk about riding Tebow's coattails, Fox is the luckiest guy in the country that he gets to coach him and therefore has kept his job. Other than the one random Super Bowl appearance with the Panthers, what has Fox ever done? He's another bozo in a league full of them.

Also, Denver was careless with the ball, they fumbled three times and the Patriots converted those into 13 points.

After a very shaky start, trailing 16-7 early in the second quarter, New England was able to run off a 34-7 run to close it out and win the division (the Jets also lost although all the Pats had to do was take care of their own business).

The only negative that tempers this win is the fact that defensive end Andre Carter left on the last play of the first quarter with a knee injury and early reports seem to indicate that the Pats defensive MVP (an oxymoron) is done for the season.

If that's true, it's a huge blow to their Super Bowl hopes since he's their only real pass rusher. However, Mark Anderson (3 tackles, 2 sacks) continues to quietly have a nice season and he'll be counted on for much bigger things if Carter is out. Likewise, rookie Markell Carter will probably be activated from the practice squad.

Denver's defensive gameplan was clearly to limit Wes Welker (4 catches, 41 yards) and Rob Gronkowski (4 catches, 53 yards). They were successful at doing that but unfortunately they forgot about Aaron Hernandez (9 catches, 129 yards, TD), who set career-highs in catches and yards.

Demaryius Thomas (7 catches, 116 yards) was Denver's only effective option in the passing game while Patriots rookie running back Stevan Ridley (11 carries, 65 yards) came back out of hiding after not seeing much of the field for months. Strange considering he's been New England's most explosive running back for most of the season.

Besides a highlight reel sack on Brady in garbage time by Elvis Dumervil (2 tackles, 2 QB hits), him and Von Miller (1 tackle for loss) were completely held in check by New England's offensive line.

On a day when some truly wacky things happened around the NFL: Colts win, Packers lose, Reggie Bush ran for over 200 yards, it was fitting that Chad Johnson caught his first touchdown of the season.

Denver marched right down the field on the opening drive with Tebow running it in from nine yards out. That basically caused Twitter, ESPN and the Internet to simultaneously crash. Former Patriot Lonie Paxton's bad snap caused Denver to have no chance on the point after.

Tom Brady (23 of 34, 320 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) went to work and tied it up with a 33-yard strike to Johnson, who was wide open. Stephen Gostkowski's point after made it 7-6 New England.

Lance Ball (11 carries, 64 yards) put the Broncos ahead 13-7 with a 32-yard touchdown run later in the first quarter.

Matt Prater's 26-yard field goal early in the second quarter gave Denver its biggest lead at 16-7 but from there, the Patriots woke up and the Broncos had no answer for anything they did.

Brady found Hernandez for a 1-yard touchdown which cut it to 16-14 Denver. On the next play, Ron Brace (remember that bum?) forced a Ball fumble that Rob Ninkovich recovered. New England's offense was stuffed in the red zone and they settled for a 21-yard field goal by Gostkowski. However, the Pats led 17-16 and they would never trail again.

Three plays later, Anderson forced a fumble by Tebow and recovered it. Brady and Co. were able to take advantage of it as he scored on a quarterback sneak. Brady put the cherry on top with a Gronk spike.

Quan Cosby was in a giving mood, it being the holiday season and all, so he fumbled on a punt deep in Denver's territory. No idea why he fielded it but Dane Fletcher was happy to pounce on it. Gostkowski's 34-yard field goal on the next play gave the Patriots a 27-16 halftime lead that truthfully felt like stealing.

Surprisingly, the Broncos barely showed a pulse in the second half after living off improbable fourth quarter comebacks during their absurd last two months. Danny Woodhead had a pretty 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, Tebow added a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and BenJarvus Green-Ellis closed it out with a 1-yard run.

We will watch Sunday Night Football tonight (Ravens vs. Chargers) and Monday Night Football (Niners vs. Steelers) tomorrow night in hopes that both AFC contenders will fall. The fraud Texans lost earlier today so it looks like a three-team race between the Patriots, Steelers and Ravens for that coveted top seed in the AFC playoffs.

No more road games in the regular season for New England. They host Miami on Christmas Eve then Buffalo on New Year's Day. Two more weeks and then things will really get interesting as the 2011 NFL playoffs roll around.

UPDATE 12/19: The Ravens got blown out last night by the Chargers and ditto for the Steelers tonight against the Niners which means your New England Patriots are in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They are one game ahead of Houston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh with two games remaining; win out and they lock it all up. Wow.

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Patriots clinch AFC East title & home field throughout the 2011 playoffs

The New England Patriots just made things much easier for themselves moving forward by absolutely humiliating the hapless Buffalo Bills in front of their sad-sack fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium yesterday in Buffalo.

The 34-3 beating thrown by the Pats (13-2) to the Bills (4-11), their seventh straight victory, clinched another AFC East title for them. More importantly, it ensured they would have home field throughout the AFC playoffs and the No. 1 seed.

So all the Patriots have to do is win two home playoff games and then they'll be in the Super Bowl, February 6 in Dallas. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves though, they've still got plenty of work to do before we're talking Duck Boats and rolling rallies. However, they've done everything they possibly could do in the regular season.

Buffalo had actually come into yesterday winners of four out of their last six but as usual for the last couple years, they gave the Patriots one tough game (38-30 on Sept. 26) at Gillette then laid down at home late in the season.

Tom Brady (15 of 27, 143 yards, 3 touchdowns) set the NFL record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception. Bernie Kosar had the old mark (308) but Brady is already well ahead of it (319). He hasn't thrown an interception since his two vs. Baltimore (Oct. 17) which is insane.

Equally impossible to wrap your mind around is the fact that it's been nine games since New England has had a turnover. They only have nine total this season; the NFL record for fewest in a season is 13.

The Bills lost yesterday because they had seven turnovers (4 fumbles, 3 interceptions). Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (18 of 37, 251 yards, 3 interceptions) has had a nice season but you wouldn't know it from yesterday's debacle. He looked like he was back at Harvard if the Ivy Leaguers had traveled to face an SEC school, just completely overmatched.

Buffalo received the opening kickoff and marched down the field, mostly behind Fred Jackson (13 carries, 81 yards), but they had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Rian Lindell. Ironically, that would turn out to be the only points for the Bills.

Danny Woodhead (93 yards rushing, 32 yards receiving) answered with a 29-yard rushing touchdown later in the first quarter.

New England sewed up the game and the AFC East with 17 straight points in the second quarter. Buffalo native Rob Gronkowski hauled in his first of two touchdown catches (8 yards), Shayne Graham kicked a 34-yard field goal and veteran Alge Crumpler added a 4-yard touchdown catch (his first of the season). It was nice to see the former All-Pro, who is primarily a blocking machine for the Patriots, get rewarded with a goal-line look.

Gronkowski's second 8-yard touchdown grab, in the third quarter, tied him with Ben Coates for the Patriots' rookie tight end touchdown record (9). With Aaron Hernandez sitting out yesterday with a hip injury, Gronk took advantage and helped boost his candidacy for NFL offensive rookie of the year.

Graham's 26-yard kick in the fourth quarter was the game's final points.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 104 yards rushing on 19 carries. Patrick Chung, Dane Fletcher and Jarrad Page registered interceptions while Jerod Mayo, Sergio Brown, Eric Moore and Fletcher recovered fumbles.

The Pats host the Dolphins on Sunday in the regular season finale. The game means nothing at all to either team so it'll be interesting to see how much New England's stars (Brady, Branch, Welker, Wilfork, McCourty, Mayo, etc.) play. As you'll remember, Bill Belichick hates to sit anybody that is healthy and with a bye week in the playoffs, expect everyone to play a decent amount.

Be honest homers: How many times did you have to pinch yourself last night?

In a million years, I never would have dreamed that the biggest game of the regular season last night would turn out the way it did.

With likely an AFC East title on the line and a No. 1 spot in the AFC playoffs hanging in the balance, the New England Patriots absolutely destroyed the New York Jets, 45-3 at cold Gillette Stadium on Tedy Bruschi night.

Just like last year where the Jets (9-3) won the first game of the series and then the Patriots (10-2) won the one later in the season that really counted (which help them win the AFC East), Bill Belichick's squad showed up when it mattered.

Nothing changes more than the NFL from week to week so I'm not going to make too big a deal of this result (taking a cue from my beloved Patriots) since after all, it was only Week 13.

That being said, hot damn. This was the first complete game the Pats have played all season and possibly the best performance (in the regular season) that I've ever seen from them given the stakes.

Tom Brady continued to play at an MVP level, coming through with his second straight game of four touchdowns and no interceptions. He was 21 of 29 for 326 yards.

Mark Sanchez looked like the second-year quarterback that he is, throwing three interceptions and going 17 of 33 for 164 yards.

More shocking than that was how easily the Patriots' picked apart the Jets' excellent defense and conversely, how New England's bad defense completely flummoxed Sanchez and his head coach Rex Ryan.

Not to pile on here (but if not now, when?) but Rex looked way over his last night from the start. He challenged a spot on fourth and 1 (lost it), got the first down but eventually had erratic kicker Nick Folk try a 53-yard field goal in swirling winds. How do you think that went? Not so well friends.

Other than Brady, would you guess who was the biggest star for New England? Danny Woodhead, the pint-sized ex-Jet. He had four catches for 104 yards and two carries for 11 yards. Wes Welker (7 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD) and Deion Branch (3 catches, 64 yards, TD) also shredded the Jets' secondary despite Brady never throwing in the direction of Darrelle Revis.

The Patriots received the opening kickoff and moved down the field until stalling outside the Jets' red zone. Shayne Graham's 41-yard kick gave the Pats a 3-0 lead.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (18 carries, 72 yards) increased it to 10-0 with a 1-yard run later in the first quarter.

When Branch had a 25-yard catch and run for a score, making it 17-0 New England late in the first quarter, it was clear the Jets were rattled (and they never recovered from there).

Folk hit a 39-yard field goal early in the second quarter but that turned out to be New York's only points in the miserable night for Gang Green.

Brandon Tate hauled in a 4-yard touchdown from Brady in the second quarter and strangely enough, Ryan didn't challenge it even though Tate looked to only get one foot and one arm down. 24-3 Patriots.

After halftime, the Jets moved the ball down field and looked like they might make it competitive but Sanchez threw a bad pick on the goal-line to rookie linebacker (and amateur porn star) Brandon Spikes.

Welker's 18-yard touchdown in the third quarter (where he hauled a Jets defender the last five yards or so) was proof that this might be the same old big talking but no substance Jets.

The blowout was complete in the fourth quarter with Aaron Hernandez (3 catches, 51 yards) adding a 1-yard touchdown catch and Green-Ellis notched another touchdown, this time from five yards out.

Rookie cornerback Devin McCourty had his sixth interception as this one started to get ugly and James Sanders wrapped it up (sound familiar Peyton) with one last pick.

Part of the reason you have to move on fast from this one is that the Patriots have two very good NFC teams up next: at Chicago on Sunday and hosting the Packers a week from Sunday night.

Not to get all footie pajamas on you but that's why you have to feel good with Belichick and Brady on our side. They're still the best in the business and there's no debate.

Brady wins this round in Patriots-Colts epic rivalry

Nothing will ever change fourth and two gate, Bill Belichick's worst playcall of his life last season that helped speed up the Patriots' chokejob to the Colts.

Indy came into Gillette Stadium yesterday afternoon having won five of their last six against New England. It was a far cry from Tom Brady's first six games against Peyton Manning (6-0).

That is only the tip of the iceberg why New England's nail-biting 31-28 win meant so much for this season and James Sanders' clutch pick could be a hallmark moment of a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations (yes I said it).

Recent history has shown that the winner of this game - the best rivalry in the NFL at the moment - goes farther in the playoffs so it was nice to see the Pats (8-2) come out on the right side of a chokejob by Manning (3 INTs).

It never should have been that close since just like last year, New England was up 17 points in the fourth quarter (31-14) but the offense couldn't close on a terrible Colts (6-4) defense.

Brady (19 for 25, 186 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT) and the offense were clicking in the first half. Manning (38 for 52, 396 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs) began the game with a overthrow that was picked off by Mr. Big Bang Clock himself Brandon Meriweather and returned 39 yards.

Brady made quick work of the short field and found Wes Welker (5 catches, 58 yards) with a picture perfect 22-yard touchdown pass.

Aaron Hernandez made it 14-0 early in the second quarter but any thoughts of a Pats blowout were ignorant given the opponent and how last year not to mention the 2006 AFC Championship game played out.

I hate to use injuries as an excuse (and it was tough this season with the Red Sox) and football is a brutal game but I will admit that the Colts have about as many important players out as I can ever remember. It's basically Peyton, Reggie Wayne (8 catches, 107 yards) and a bunch of scrubs.

One of those bums - Gijon Robinson - pulled in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Manning to cut it to 14-7 in the second quarter. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (21 carries, 96 yards) answered with a 5-yard touchdown run, his fifth straight game with a TD.

Wayne kept it close as he reeled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Peyton with four seconds left in the first half, making it 21-14 Patriots.

The only score of the third quarter was an electrifying 33-yard run by Danny Woodhead where he left multiple Colts defenders with broken ankles. Almost as bonerific as that was the fact that on the ensuing kickoff, Woodhead raced down the field and made the tackle. You know you'll be buying a pink Woodhead jersey this Christmas for your wife, girlfriend or favorite stripper/hooker.

Shayne Graham's 25-yard field goal, after Julian Edelman couldn't snag a fastball from Brady on the goalline, gave New England its final points at 31-14.

From there, Manning went into Madden rookie level mode. Blair White (5 catches for 42 yards), who was subbing in for Austin Collie (5 catches, 60 catches) when he picked up another concussion, had a 5-yard touchdown catch then an absurd 18-yard touchdown catch that left it at 31-28 New England with a lifetime (4:46 left) remaining in regulation.

New England's offense picked up one first down before punting back to the Colts. Peyton got greedy though at the end as he had gotten Indy well into field goal territory but he rushed to the line and threw a terrible pass that wasn't close to any receiver.

Devin McCourty had the other interception in the third quarter and he added six tackles (five solo). Jerod Mayo had 15 tackles (11 solo) and Gary Guyton posted nine tackles (six solo).

It's a very short week for New England as they go to Detroit for the 12:30 p.m. Thanksgiving day game vs. the Lions. I mean where would you rather be on Thanksgiving?

The stinker against the Browns a few weeks back should safeguard against any letdown on Thursday. The Patriots are tied atop the AFC East with the Jets, who picked up their third straight lucky win, and they both possess the best record in the AFC and tied with the NFC's best (Atlanta Falcons).

What the hell happened in Cleveland?

There is a reason I always tell people that I never gamble on the NFL (besides Fantasy Football which is totally different) - it is impossible to predict!

How else could you explain the Cleveland Browns looking like the best team in football yesterday as they dismantled the Patriots 34-14 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Yes New England (6-2) was due for a letdown after playing great football for the past five games (all wins) but they would find a way to beat Cleveland (3-5), right?

Nope, the term trap game was an understatement as everything went the Browns' way while fullback Peyton Hillis (career-high 184 yards and two touchdowns) resembled Walter Payton and rookie quarterback Colt McCoy (174 yards passing, 16-yard rushing TD) looked polished in just his third NFL start.

Basically, the only Patriots that bothered to show up were rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez (5 catches, 48 yards, 2 TDs) and Danny Woodhead (54 yards rushing, 38 yards receiving).

This one-sided beating recalled the pasting the Ravens administered in the playoffs last season but come on, that was Baltimore not the Browns. Sure they won in New Orleans two weeks ago and then had a bye but did anybody that doesn't reside in the dog pound take Cleveland seriously?

Phil Dawson hit a 38-yard field goal on the Browns' opening drive. A miscommunication between Sammy Morris and Rob Gronkowski on the ensuing kickoff led to former Pat Ray Ventrone recovering deep in Pats territory. From there, Hillis capped off the short drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Hernandez got New England on the board in the second quarter with his first NFL touchdown, a 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (19 for 36, 224 yards, 2 touchdowns) that was actually intended for Gronkowski. It was tipped but Hernandez managed to make the athletic play and catch it in the back of the end zone.

Gronkowski (4 catches, 47 yards) had a miserable day befitting of a rookie, kind of like Hernandez against the Ravens earlier this season. Besides the kickoff mistake, he dropped a couple passes, had a penalty and worst of all, fumbled near the goal-line when New England was driving late in the first half (down 17-7).

Cleveland scored on a gimmick play to go up 17-7 later in the second quarter when wide receiver Chansi Stuckey took the handoff from Josh Cribbs and ran around the left side for an 11-yard score. It completely fooled the Patriots defense and summed up a day when they didn't know how to stop Eric Mangini's improving team.

McCoy's 16-yard touchdown run accounted for the only score in the third quarter and Dawson added another kick in the fourth quarter (37 yards) before the Patriots showed a little pulse with Hernandez's 1-yard touchdown catch.

However, that was short-lived as Hillis successfully ran out the clock and added more points with a humiliating 35-yard touchdown run.

As if the day couldn't get any worse, New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski left the game with a thigh injury, forcing Wes Welker to kick the second extra point. We'll see how serious Gostkowski's injury is moving forward.

Not that they deserved it at all but the Detroit Lions didn't do the Pats any favors as they choked against the New York Jets and lost in overtime. The Patriots and Jets are tied atop the AFC East at 6-2 while the Dolphins are 4-4 and the Bills are 0-8.

With next Sunday night's game at Pittsburgh and then hosting the Colts in two weeks, this was a game that New England had to have and they failed epically. The young defense will need to have a short memory if they're going to make any progress during the meat of the schedule.

Happy Halloween from the Minnesota Vikings

As expected, the Minnesota Vikings coming to Gillette yesterday was similar to the circus coming to the TD Garden.

There was plenty of media coverage and in the end, the team with more substance (the Patriots) beat a team loaded with way more talent (the Vikings) but completely held back by their joke of a quarterback (Brett Favre) and powerless, enabler of a head coach (Brad Childress).

New England (6-1) won their fifth straight game overall, 28-18 over Minnesota (2-5) and surprisingly Favre (22 of 32, 259 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) didn't cost them the game. However, since he couldn't win, he still had to get some attention and he successfully did that by acting like he was dead after a fourth quarter hit.

His pathetic 41-year old body was dragged off the field and he was laid on the training table. My buddy compared it to the Undertaker of WWF fame cause once the Vikings scored on the next play after he left, he raised his arm then sat up like nothing happened. Sure, he had a nasty laceration on his chin (which required eight stitches) but I feel no pity for the biggest fraud in sports and possibly on the planet.

Nobody with the Vikings has the balls to sit him down when he clearly can't help this Super Bowl contender as they fade faster than Randy Moss (1 catch, 8 yards) in crunch time.

Ah yes, it was Moss' return to Gillette after his surprising trade four weeks ago. The only thing more predictable than Favre's attention whore tendencies are seeing Moss completely disappear against our average secondary. Moss is done, over the hill, case closed.

He opened the field up for his teammates but he can't be counted on to do anything other than that anymore. It's all reputation with him now, his skills have really diminished. Seeing him reflect on his days as a Patriot after the game was strange but that's typical for his post-game stream of consciousness diatribes.

Adrian Peterson (92 yards rushing, 50 yards receiving) is still the best running back in the NFL, sorry Chris Johnson, but for the most part, the Pats contained him. He started off the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run to start the second quarter. It's a moot point since he probably would have gotten in on the next play (third down) but it didn't look like he broke the plain since Jerod Mayo (14 tackles) met him in the air and sent him flying back with a shoulder thump.

New England answered on the next drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by everybody's favorite folk hero Danny Woodhead (58 yards).

Childress had a chance to take a 10-7 lead into halftime but decided to predictably run up the gut with Peterson on fourth down late in the second quarter and he was stuffed.

Ryan Longwell gave the Vikings a 10-7 lead on their first drive of the third quarter with a 24-yard kick.

That's when the luck and bounces started to go the Patriots' way. Brandon Tate caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Brady on a broken play. Brady had absolutely nobody to throw to but he bought time with a spin move and then found Tate (101 yards receiving) wide open on the sideline after his defender bit on a short pass.

After that, Percy Harvin (6 catches, 104 yards) had a reception ripped from his hands by Devin McCourty, who returned it 37 yards. How much of a stud is McCourty? Nobody knew who he was when he was drafted late in the first round this April but he's proven to be a solid all-around football player: he can cover, tackle and play special teams. What's not to like about him?

From there, it was the BenJarvus Green-Ellis (career-high 112 yards rushing) show. He used the short field to get a 13-yard TD run which put the Pats up 21-10 late in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota was in the red zone halfway through the fourth quarter when Favre got crushed by bum Myron Pryor. On the next play, Tavaris Jackson threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Naufahu Tahi and then found Harvin for a nice grab in the corner of the end zone on the two-point conversion.

I'm not dumb enough to say Tavaris Jackson is the answer but how long can the Vikings stick with Favre? This season is pretty much a wrap already unless they win out or go on a crazy run (which is quite unlikely).

The Pats iced it with a long, clock-killing drive, including a 16-yard catch and run by Woodhead on third-and-12. Green-Ellis put it away with a 2-yard touchdown run, his first two TD game of his career.

Don't look now but New England is in first place in the AFC East, thanks to the Packers' shutout of the Jets, and they have the best record in the NFL. That doesn't mean anything in the middle of the season but it's crazy how much progress they've already made this season.

The Patriots go to Cleveland next Sunday afternoon to play the Browns. I'm not going to break out my Super Bowl DVDs quite yet but this season is quickly starting to feel like one of those magical years.

Patriots beat Ravens in OT after dream return by Deion Branch

From what I remember (glug, glug), 2002-2005 was a special time for me since I was in college and coincidentally, Deion Branch helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls during that special time in both of our lives.

I'll never go back to college (which is good news for my liver) but Branch's return to New England yesterday proved that F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong when he famously remarked "there are no second acts in life."

Well if the unwashed masses had any doubt that Branch had anything left in the tank, they're currently digging out old Branch jerseys and trading in their Randy Moss jerseys.

The Pats (4-1) were down 20-10 in the fourth quarter but stormed back to win 23-20 to beat the Ravens (4-2) yesterday afternoon in overtime at Gillette Stadium.

It was just like old times as Branch (9 catches, 98 yards, 1 touchdown) and Brady (292 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions) looked like the dynamic duo they used to be in those halcyon days.

More than anything, this signature win validated that New England is back. I'm not saying they're going to the Super Bowl, it's such a crap shoot to make it that far, but this was one of the biggest and most important victories they've picked up in years.

Joe Flacco (27 for 35, 285 yards, 2 touchdowns) and the Ravens offense was moving up and down the field on the Pats defense until the fourth quarter and Overtime (ie. when it mattered most). Somehow, the Patriots stopped the Ravens three times in OT before they finally moved the ball and won it with a 35-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.

It was a vintage game since the Pats got contributions from bigger names, role players and emerging talents. Danny Woodhead had 115 total yards (63 yards rushing, 52 yards receiving), Aaron Hernandez caught four passes for 61 yards and had a reverse for 18 yards while Wes Welker moved the chains as usual (7 catches, 53 yards).

For one game at least, against one of the NFL's best defense, it was tangible proof that you don't need the deep ball threat. Without Randy Moss, the Patriots already seem better suited to long drives and spreading it around. This offense will struggle at times but it was shocking how well Branch played in his first game back in over four seasons wasting away in Seattle.

Ray Rice rushed 28 times for 88 yards and Derrick Mason had eight catches for 100 yards.

Baltimore received the opening kick and had a long drive but were limited to a 26-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis and New England responded with a 2-yard touchdown run for a 7-3 lead with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.

Todd Heap had the only score of the second quarter, a 16-yard touchdown catch from Flacco early in the second quarter.

When the Ravens' Anquan Boldin was left wide open and hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Flacco, things did not look good with a 17-7 Balitmore lead early in the third quarter.

On the next drive, Gostkowski hit his first field goal of the day (38 yards) as the Pats started to chip away.

Cundiff gave the Ravens a 10-point lead once again with a 25-yard kick at the beginning of the fourth quarter but Branch caught a clutch 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady (heard that one before?) and Gostkowski tied it with a 24-yard kick with 1:51 remaining in the game.

This one had it all, including some great defensive work from Jerod Mayo (18 total tackles, 11 solo), Brandon Spikes (16 total tackles, 10 solo) and Patrick Chung (13 total, 5 solo).

A schedule that looked so daunting when the season started, gets some breaks in the next few weeks since the Chargers (2-4) are a complete mess with Antonio Gates and Malcolm Floyd possibly out for Sunday's game in San Diego. Plus, the sideshow that is the Minnesota Vikings (2-3) with Brett Favre and Moss come to Gillette on Halloween.

Neither the Dolphins nor myself saw that one coming

Nobody, not even the biggest Pats footie pajamas fanboy, could have possibly seen last night's Pats blowout of the Dolphins coming.

It was Monday Night Football in Miami and after losing to the Jets (3-1) on Sunday night, the Dolphins (2-2) figured to bounce back.

Miami led 7-6 at the half but the Patriots (3-1) exploded for 35 points in the second half, on the way to a 41-14 thrashing that completely changed the complexion of the AFC East (for one week at least).

In the process, New England became the first team in NFL history to record a touchdown catch, touchdown run, interception for a touchdown, a blocked field goal for a touchdown and kickoff return for a touchdown.

Obviously, the special teams were the difference, giving every football coach in the world a pants tent since that's something they harp about ad nauseum.

The biggest stars last night? Patrick Chung, Rob Ninkovich, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Brandon Tate and Jerod Mayo. And yes, this is real life.

When the game started, Miami looked like they were going to run over New England, literally. The Pats defense continued to play like they were wearing ice skates as Chad Henne (302 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Davone Bess (9 catches, 93 yards).

Ninkovich made two picks, one late in the first quarter and the other in the second quarter, that were converted into two field goals by Stephen Gostkowski: 23-yard and 30-yard kicks.

Brandon Tate took the opening kick of the second half and completely changed the game by returning it 103 yards for his second return touchdown of the season.

That 13-7 lead morphed into 20-7 a few minutes later as Green-Ellis (16 carries, 76 yards) ran up the middle 12 yards for the touchdown. It was all set up by Chung, who blocked a punt that was scooped up by Brandon Spikes at the Dolphins' 15-yard line.

Miami seemed to respond as the ageless Ricky Williams ran a screen pass in for a 28-yard touchdown.

Tom Brady (153 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions) and the offense got the job done on the next drive, as he eventually found Woodhead for a 11-yard touchdown pass.

It got much worse for the Dolphins in the fourth quarter as Dan Carpenter's 54-yard field goal was blocked by Chung and picked up by Kyle Arrington, who returned it 35 yards for the touchdown. Game over, it was 34-14 New England.

Finally, Chung capped off his career night with a 51-yard interception return for a score off of Henne. Once again, Henne was exposed for the fraud he is. I should have known better, I saw him enough at Michigan to realize that he'll never be better than average but I bought into the Dolphins.

Mark Sanchez is better than Henne and the Jets are better than the Pats and Dolphins. Fact not opinion as Mike Felger has famously said a million times.

The post-script from the game are some interesting stats: Randy Moss didn't have a catch for the first time in his Patriots career. Wes Welker had eight catches for 70 yards, including a vital third-down conversion. Mayo looked awesome, making 14 solo tackles and two assists. Also, Ninkovich had a sack in what Mike Tirico called "the best night of his football life."

Now we have two weeks to all jump back on the Pats bandwagon and feel the love. The schedule gets particularly hard after the bye week since they host Baltimore then go to San Diego.

For one night though, Belichick and Brady were pumped up on the sidelines as the game wound down and this season has much more hope and potential.