The End of Fred Taylor

It appears that Fred Taylor and the Pats are reaching the end of the line. Taylor is signed through the end of the season. It would make no sense to bring him back next year unless he was paid at the veteran minimum.

Taylor has been brilliant when able to be on the 45 man roster. His injuries have raised the question of what might have been.

Taylor came to the Pats with a lot of miles on his legs. Hehas not been able to stay on the field the last two seasons. He has been active the last two games and seen limited mop-up duty. He was a healthy scratch against the Bears.

He has avoided publicly stating his frustration. He knows the end of his career is sooner rather than later. It's rather ironic that his might be his best chance to get a Super Bowl ring, but in the end, his contribution has been minimal.

I think he still has some games left if some team wants to pick him up on cheap dollars in spite of his great injury risk.

No Fair Way of Voting

There is probably no fair way to select the Pro Bowl team. The Pats are well represented, but other players should have been included.

I still feel that giving the fans a voice was not the best idea. The NFL wants input from the fans, but this type of voting gets abused.

The league prohibits players and coaches from voting for their own team. Not all players are knowledgeable of the other players in the league. Some get selected purely on their reputation.

The honor gets further diluted when players withdraw for various reason. That happens every year, especially with quarterbacks. Pretty soon you end up with a starter who got on the team only because of attrition of those in front of him.

Last Game Thoughts

Many questions come up about the Pats playing the Dolphins on Sunday to end the regular season.

How long should the starters play? Should the Pats play to win the game?

I think the team needs to keep its competitive edge. You never want players to get hurt in a game that doesn't mean anything. Wes Welker is the prime example of getting hurt in the last game of the 2009 season. It contributed to the season ending loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Brian Hoyer could certainly use some work. He has taken very few snaps this season. He needs to get his timing with the offense.

Maybe running the ball on Sunday is the safest way to go. Nobody gets hurt (hopefully).

Piling on the Record

Tom Brady continues to win ball games. Lost in all that is his assault on some NFL passing records.

Yesterday, he set a league record with his 319th passing attempt thrown without an interception. He can add to his total when the Pats play the Dolphins on Sunday.

It broke a nearly 20 year old record held by Bernie Kosar. We must wonder if anyone will ever surpass his new record. It took 20 years from someone to break Kosar's mark. It could happen next year or in thirty years.

Even Deion Sanders was flabbergasted as evident by his comments last night on the NFL Network.

QB Questions

It's quite a story to think that the two most valuable quarterbacks in the NFL are Tom Brady and Michael Vick. They are both under consideration for MVP award from Mercedes Benz.

Vick has risen from the dead and carved out a new identity. It helps a lot when your team wins. He has played well in his 11 starts this season.

I think Brady is the obvious choice for MVP in any category. Vick has some great numbers, but in the end, it doesn't really matter. It's all about winning.

Football at Christmas

There is concern about the Pats having a bad game in Buffalo tomorrow against the Bills at 1pm. It looks like snow is in the forecast. This could work to the advantage of the Pats as they are 11-0 in snow games during the Brady era.

It could get real bad in Buffalo tomorrow. The city is not the best place to play a football game in December. It will only get worse if the NFL expands to an 18 game regular season schedule.

I like the concept of an 18 game season. The television networks want to expand the season into late February when there are not a lot of high profile sporting events on other than the NBA and NHL

The NFL has already had one postponement of a game. The league had to wait one day to reschedule as the did with the Vikings and Giants.

It would be interesting to see the league's reaction when the have a blizzard going over to a second day. It's going to happen at some point.

The End of T.O.?

There comes a day when every career ends. It's not always on the player's terms. Time and injury catch up with everyone if they last that long in the NFL.

Terrell Owens may have reached the end of the road. At the age of 37, he was having a very productive season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Two weeks ago, he tore cartilage in his left knee. As with the case of so many players, he continued to suit-up in the last two games.

During last Sunday's game against Cleveland, he aggravated the injury while making a cut during his team's opening offensive series. He hobbled off the field and into a potential retirement.

He had surgery done by the noted Dr. James Andrews. He faces a long struggle ahead to convince teams that he is a viable receiver next season at the age of 38.

He might be T.O. , but at his age, there are fewer opportunities available for him. He could get signed for one more season, but the likelihood of ever getting a Super Bowl ring is rapidly fading.

Two More Episodes

The Vikings are doing everything in their power to keep the career of Brett Favre alive. The declined to put him on IR after he suffered a concussion last Monday.

The team admitted that Favre is doubtful for Sunday's game against Philadelphia, but won't rule him out for the season finale on Jan 2nd against Detroit.

The Favre Watch continues. It appears that there are only two more episodes left before the curtain comes down on his illustrious career.

Brett's Last Game

It would be a miracle if Brett Favre plays another game in his career. He started the MNF game against the Bears, but suffered a possible concussion when he was slammed to the turf by DL Corey Wooten.

He was replaced by rookie Joe Webb. With two games to go, it appears to be pointless to have Favre play another game. He keeps getting hurt. He almost needs to be kept on the bench for his on well-being.

It looks like it took a knock-out to end Favre's career.

The Play of the Year

Every game has great plays, but the 71 yard kick return by OL Dan Connelly has to be one of the season's highlights. It was the longest kick return in NFL history by a lineman.

It would have been nice if he scored a touchdown, but he was stopped on the four yard line. He caught the ball on a short kick and proceeded to carry it with two hands against his stomach as all linemen are trained.

Once he broke a few tackles, he ran like a bruising full=back in the open field. He even stiff-armed a defender.

I have seen many great plays, but this one was at the top of the list for any season. That will probably go down as the highlight of his career.

End of an Era

As a fan of the game, I felt bad that the 297 consecutive game streak of Brett Favre came to an end tonight in the game against the Giants.

He has been unable to throw since spraining his shoulder last Sunday. This could be the end of a great career. I don't expect to see him back again this season.

I enjoyed watching him play. He had an awesome career.

Consecutive Starts

Getting on the field is becoming more difficult for Brett Favre on a weekly basis. He faces a huge challenge to play against the New York Giants and make his 297th regular season start. On the other end, Eli Manning will be making his 100th consecutive start. Between the two of them, is Peyton Manning with 204.

Tom Brady knows how quickly these streaks can end. His came at 111. He is in good company with Ron Jaworski (116), and Joe Ferguson (107) for quarterbacks.

It's interesting to look at other positions. DE Jim Marshall of the Vikings had 282 between 1960 and 1979. Recently retired punter Jeff Feagles holds the record with 353 from 1988-2009.

You can't beat kicker Morton Andersen for total games played with 383 from 1982-2004 and 2006-2007.

It's interesting to note the longevity of kickers.

Matt On the Edge

NFL players fight through injuries. Nobody is immune to them. Brett Favre faces one of his biggest challenges to play this Sunday with a sprain in his throwing shoulder joint. He has not practiced or throw the ball.

QB Matt Cassell has brought this to a new height. On Wednesday, he underwent and emergency appendectomy. As of today, Coach Todd Haley has not ruled him out for Sunday's game against the Chargers in San Diego.

I hope he wears a flak jacket if he plays. This borders on being foolish, as well as dangerous. To paraphrase Coach Belichick: "he has a mid-body injury and is day to day".

Driving the Train

Many players go through great extremes to keep their NFL dreams alive. Some candidates make it from the Arena League and United Football League.

There are many "street players" who wait by their phone for that last chance. The Pats signed kicker Shayne Graham after he did a week with the Giants on an emergency basis.

The uncertainty of the NFL was brought to light with the story of Safety Keith Fitzhugh. The former standout at Mississippi State was an undrafted free agent when he signed with the Jets last year. They released him three times from their practice squad. He also had a one stint with the Ravens.

Fitzhugh was in the final cut of the Jets during training camp. After his release, he decided to take a job as a train conductor with the Norfolk Southern Railway System near his home in Atlanta, GA. He cited the ill health of his parents and the desire to have steady employment.

When Safety Jim Leonhard suffered a broken leg last week, the Jets came calling with an offer to join the team for the rest of the season.

Fitzhugh declined the offer because of his recent job hiring. He mentioned the uncertainty of employment in the NFL. He is giving up potentially four game checks and playoff money.

He has not closed the door for future NFL employment, but his actions speak very loudly.

The Band Wagon

It's really great that the Pats are 10-2. If they beat the Bears on Sunday, they qualify for the playoffs. People are already talking about going to the Super Bowl. Everyone is getting ready to jump on the band wagon.

WBZ radio did a poll yesterday and showed that 76% feel the team will make it to the final game, 18% said just the playoffs and 6% said the season would end early.

I assume 6% feel the team will go no better than 2-2 down the stretch. I wonder what Coach Belichick would think about all of this.

The 76% group should try to get some betting action on the game. They must know something that others don't.

A Rare Breed

There were many great things to see at the game last night. Being there is so much different than watching it on television. Both have their positive points. The camera work on television displays the game in a great way. The instant replay and slow motion is phenomenal.

Being at the stadium is a different experience. You see match-ups on the field, especially with special teams, that you don't see at home.

I was glad I was able to see the ceremony for Tedy Bruschi. Television showed a couple of soundbites from what I heard.

Bruschi is part of a vanishing breed of players who spend their entire career with one team. That was his goal when he came into the NFL.

His 13 year tenure is a tribute to that. I heard Vince Wilfolk say today that he doesn't ever want to play for another coach other than Belichick. Vince has a five year contract, but will he even be able to fulfill it? Will his play decline at all to the point where the team would part ways?

You never know. Will Tom Brady play his whole career at Gillette? Some "experts" say that at the "end of his career" he will play with the future team in Los Angels.

Who knows what will happen? All of this makes Bruschi's accomplishment very special. Troy Brown is the only other stalwart of the Super Bowl teams that spent his entire career with one team.

This is an awesome accomplishment in these days of the NFL and professional sports.

Cold Game

It's awesome that the Pats and Jets and playing the marque game of the year on Monday Night Football. I'll be at Gillette Stadium on Tedy Bruschi night. It's great that I get to see the team honor one of my all-time favorite players at halftime.

It's going to be very cold and windy. I don't mind the cold as long as I'm dressed properly. Hopefully, I am.

This makes me think that the NFL might someday have a horrific game day experience with playoff games in late February because of the potential change to an 18 game regular season.

Fans and players must tolerate cold, wind, snow and any other type of weather. A snow storm makes for cozy television watching. By playing in February, it's only a matter of time before the league has a game played in blizzard conditions. It will be interesting to see how they handle that, especially if it's a playoff game.

What About the Dome?

Much has been written about the lack of success for teams that play in a dome. After reading some very detailed analysis, I think it's hard to draw firm conclusion due to the fact that not enough teams play in a dome to make this a valid study.

If half of the league had a dome, I think some results could be valid. However, what is the effect of temperature on teams that play outdoors?

I have the Cowboys and Colts game on right now. It's being played at Indianapolis. With the wind chill, it's 12 degrees there.

Would the teams be playing differently if they were outdoors?

More Scenarios To Come

There is no doubt that the Monday night game against the Jets has huge playoff implications for both teams. If the Pats lose, they face playing a Wild Card game on the road and lose home field advantage.

One thing many of the "experts" fail to point out is that many of their scenarios are based on both team winning their remaining four games after Monday night. The Pats still need to play Chicago, Green Bay, Buffalo and Miami. The Jets have Miami, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Chicago on their schedule. None of these games are a guarantee win for either team. Things can certainly change if either team loses one or more of these games.

As Coach Belichick said the other day, after Monday night there will be a whole different scenario based on the outcome. The same will happen after next weekend.

The Pats need to win Monday night, but the season is not lost if they don't. You never know what might happen to either team in their final four games after this one.

Loss For Jets

The Jets suffered a huge loss for Monday night's game when Safety Jim Leonhard was carted off the practice field with a broken leg.

This is a huge loss for the Jets as he was their defensive signal caller and one of the leading tacklers. The Jets will make the necessary adjustments, but it's tough to lose a player.

The Pats announced that RG Stephen Neil is done for the season with a shoulder injury. Neil had missed the last three games. The team needed to move in another direction with his roster spot.

This shows the precarious state of NFL rosters in December. The Pats might win this game, but in the end, so much depends on having healthy players on the roster going into the playoffs.

It's hard to see how the teams could play an 18 game regular-season schedule.

Don't Tell the NFL

The NFL is often referred to as the No Fun League because of its policy about end zone celebrations by players. There is a concern that it could be viewed as taunting.

In the state of Washington, a high school football player was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after he scored a touchdown. Apparently, he dropped to one knee in the end zone and pointed to the sky. This was considered taunting and drew the penalty.

I hope the NFL doesn't see the video of the play. It might give them some more ideas on taking the fun out of the game.

Story Checks-in

Once a story takes a life, it can stay around indefinitely. Such is the case of Spygate where Denver Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels and the team were each fined $50,000 for being involved in a taping incident.

A video assistant allegedly filmed a San Francisco 49er's practice in London while both teams were getting ready for their contest. McDaniels said he declined to look at the video when made aware of it.

Steve Scarnecchia, son of Pats long time coach Dante, was fired by the Broncos.The team was fined $50,00 for his role. McDaniels received the same fine for not disclosing the offense to the league in a timely manner. Teams were under a league mandate to self-report incidents like this.

The league said the penalties were less than the Pats because of the scenario. McDaniels reportedly told his team that the Pats "practiced" and "coached" to the videos during Spygate.

McDaniels is now caught in a major jam. What really happened during his time with the Pats when Spygate occurred? Was he being totally truthful in his answers to questions back then?

I wonder if Coach Belichick will answer any questions about this.

The answer will be: "I'm only trying to get ready for the game with (next opponent)".

Hair Gate

First we had to deal with Tom Brady's shoulder. Then it became a "foot" injury. Now, we are hearing that he might be going bald or suffering from a receding hairline.

Reports in the Boston Herald indicate that Brady sought consultation about a "hair plug" procedure. His hair is thinning and apparently he is concerned about a receding hairline.

Perhaps that is why he wear his hair long now because it won't last forever. Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw had long flowing blond locks at one time, but has been sporting a shiny dome since the 1980's.

Brady should be concerned. His father has the classic case of male baldness. Brady has a future in modeling where the coiffure is considered very important. Maybe he might try the Michael Jordan look. It worked well forMJ.

Big Game Tonight in the NFC West

The NFL must be very happy that a pair of 3-7 teams are playing a huge game tonight on Monday Night Football.

The game between the San Francisco 49er's and Arizona Cardinals will have huge implications on the NFC West race as both teams trail the 5-6 Seattle Seahawks and St Louis Rams by only one game.

With six weeks to go, one division may have a winner with a final 8-8 record. As a division winner, they would host a Wild Card playoff game.

At this point in the season, only Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit and Carolina are out of the playoff picture. A few more will be added this weekend if some of the teams with eight losses add to their total.

This is what the NFL wants with the "balanced" schedule. It's great for the television ratings with teams still having a shot. This is unlike other professional sports that always have a bunch of teams out of it early in the season.

Too Many Teams Playing

It seems like every sport wants to include more teams in the playoffs. The NFL constantly considers whether to add another wild card team in each conference. Baseball is also considering the same.

The start of high school football playoffs begins this week in Massachusetts. There will be no state champion overall because the state is broken down into Eastern, Central and Western sectors.

Eastern Mass. is the classic example of inclusion and ensuring that nobody feels left out or slighted. Rather than label Divisions 1-8, the teams are broken down by Divisions 1 & IA, 2 & 2A, 3 & 3A, 4 & 4A. The initial round will involve 30 teams at 15 games.

Most of the finals will be played at Gillette Stadium. A couple of the games will be played at another venue. I'm sure those players, coaches and parents feel slighted that their team did not get the chance to play in the Big House.

Maybe, they should declare very team a champion. It would save a lot of time for everyone.

Small Squad Football

High school football is a huge part of the Thanksgiving Day tradition in America. Every game and rivalry has a great story line behind it.

Boston Latin and Boston English renewed their rivalry for the 124th time. It's been lopsided over the years with English winning only twice in the last 40 years.

The teams continue to play in spite of the small number of players on the English roster. They only dressed 14 players for the game. During the season, they have dressed less than 20. The team struggles to recruit players.

That may have contributed to their 54-12 loss to Latin. They trailed 14-7 at one point, but Latin scored seven touchdowns on the ground and piled up 300 yards. The score could have been much worse.

The game was played in Harvard Stadium, quite a venue for a high school contest. I think the players will remember it for the rest of their lives. It meant a lot to the 14 who dressed.

Countdown to J-E-T-S

The Pats were able to beat the Lions yesterday , 45-24, after playing a mediocre first half. Coach Belichick and Tom Brady have emphasized that the team has been unable to play a consistent 60 minutes of football against any opponent this season.

That could come back to haunt them in their next game, a week from Monday against the Jets. That will be their toughest battle of the year. The Jets looked really good last night during their 27-24 win over the Bengals.

The Monday night battle with the Jets should be a great indicator of how far the Pats could go in the playoffs. If they can't be the Jets, they might not get past the first round. The next ten days will be filled with hype. Unfortunately, some "experts" will just focus on what is wrong with the Pats.

You would think the team is 2-9 the way some of these guys talk. After a while, I need to turn the radio off. Of course, these guys would not have a job unless they focused on the negativity.

More For Motown

I'll be the first to say that I wish the Pats were playing their game on Sunday instead of Thanksgiving at 12:30PM. I enjoy watching other teams on this day, but I'm a Sunday 1PM traditionalist.

I think it's great that the league has a triple header lined up. The Lions and Cowboys have been a tradition for many years. Detroit started this in 1934. They have always played at home no matter what happened.

Naturally, there is a movement to take the game away from Motown for a few reasons. The Lions have been horrible for the last several years. They usually get the 1st or 2nd overall draft pick because of their losing ways.

They wasted a great deal of draft choices under former GM Matt Millen. Now, some want to move the game out of Detroit in lieu of their poor record and the dismal economic climate of the city. They want to spread the game around and let other cities have the option of being the showcase venue.

I strongly oppose this. I'm a great believer in tradition. Just because the team is playing poorly is not a good reason to move the game. The city of Detroit needs all of the economic help it can get.

The Cowboys came on-board with the Thanksgiving Day game in the 1960's. The night game is just a creation of the NFL Network. If they want to move the game from city to city, do it with the night game.

Thanksgiving is very traditional. I see no reason to move the game from Detroit.

Pacman Squanders

Adam "Pacman" Jones is the poster boy for NFL players who have lead a life involving numerous arrests and misconduct off the field.

Jones is the epitome of a player who has squandered his talents. He keeps getting additional chances because of who he is and his exceptional talents.

He was the overall 6th selection in the 2005 draft when the Tennessee Titans called his name. He began a series of incidents which lead to his suspension for the 2007 season and part of 2008. He resurfaced with the Bengals last year before getting injured this season and ending up on IR.

His latest problems involve being ordered to pay $241,000 to a NYC car dealer for non-payment of two leased luxury cars. It doesn't make any sense why Jones would need to rent both a Lamborghini and a Bentley.

He seems destined to follow the road of many professional athletes who squander their excessive money on cars and jewelry. For all of the money he has earned, he probably doesn't have too much of it left.

The league has recently mandated that all rookies and draft selctions attend a symposium on how to conduct themselves outside of football. Too many of these guys end up broke by the time they are in their late 20's.

Mike Is The Best

I watched a NFL Network show on the sound bites of LB/Head Coach Mike Singletary. He was a stalwart on the Chicago Bears 1985 Super Bowl team that included Walter Payton and William "Refrigerator" Perry and so many others.They beat the Pats 46-10 in the January 26, 1986 game.

He now coaches the San Francisco 49er's to their current 3-7 record. It's been a long road for the Hall of Famer. He was a great defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens with Ray Lewis, but the transition to the head coaching ranks has been challenging.

He may become a victim of the 49er's lack of success and get himself fired. I believe he has a great future in the NFL as a head coach. Nobody is more passionate about the game than him. He is a great asset to any team.

If he gets fired and can't get a head coaching job, he would be an awesome addition to Coach Belichick's staff. Bill might even make him the "defensive coordinator". You never know....

The Last Days of Brett

The pre-season Super Bowl hopes of the Vikings evaporated yesterday after losing 31-3 to Green Bay at home. It also cost Coach Brad Childress his job. In retrospect, he probably wishes he never based his team's fortune on Brett Favre.

With the Vikings at 3-7, Favre now faces what could be the last six meaningless games of his 20 year career. His compensation amounts to over $1 million per start.

The Vikings must now decide if they want to salvage a few wins. Favre was 17 of 38 for 208 yards, with one interception and heavy pressure throughout the game.

Favre is banged up and could rationalize sitting out the last six games on Injured Reserve. What will he choose to do? What will the Vikings do?

The fans in Minnesota can only roll their eyes as this drama continues to play out.

Bad Seats At The Game

Last night, Notre Dame and Army played the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium. The teams met for the 5oth time in their rivalry with the Fighting Irish winning 27-3. They played there many times between 1920 and 1950. Their last game there was in 1969.

The stadium was designed with football in mind. I'm not sure what that means other than they were able to get a football field in there. The overhead shots of the field from the blimp did not show the playing field in a favorable light. Too many seats were at odd angles to the field or were just too far away.

Illinois and Northwestern played their game at Wrigley field in Chicago. The stadium was not large enough to meet the NCAA regulations for space behind the end zone. As a result, both teams had to play their offense towards the same end zone. The place also had many awkward seats.

I applaud both venues for having football games there. However, baseball stadiums do not provide good sight lines for watching a football game. Many people must have gone home with stiff necks. You should not need a pair of binoculars to see the action on the field.

Desperate QB Situation

You don't see many teams with a winning record without a good QB. When a starter goes down, you need a dependable back-up. Matt Cassell landed a huge contract after filling in for Tom Brady during the 2008 season.

Some teams resort to desperate measures. Back in 2007, the Carolina Panthers brought in 43 year old Vinny Testaverde on a Tuesday before stating the next game. This time, they are going with Brian St. Pierre who has been a stay at home dad this season. In fact, he didn't even attend a training camp.

St Pierre had a great career at Boston College before the Steelers selected him in the 5th round of the 2003 draft. He has made a career of being a back-up QB on three different teams.

Unfortunately, he has limited playing experience with career stats of 2 of 5 for 12 yards, one TD and one interception.

After the 1-8 Panthers play the Baltimore Ravens, St. Pierre will increase his career numbers one way or the other.

Match of This Era

A lot is being made about the match-up between the Colts and Pats on Sunday. Many feel it's all about Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning. They feel to realize that football is a total team effort, unlike the other major sports.

Some have said this is the greatest match-up of quarterbacks ever. They fail to take into account such icons as Joe Montana vs Troy Aikman and Dan Marino vs John Elway. The list could go on and on.

Brady and Manning are the big ones of this era. The NFL has a rich history which many fans fail to appreciate. These two players are destined for the Hall of Fame, but eventually someone else will take their place. Brady said he wants to play into his 40's. He might do that. You never know, but all careers end at some point.

Another great rivalry will come along. Fans will say that rivalry is the greatest ever. There will be those who never saw Brady and Manning play. That's how it goes.

Shaun, Tyrone & Pierre

There are many player transactions on NFL teams. Players get signed and released. It's a fact of life in the NFL where time can be short.

The Pats had an interesting player transaction this week. They released 2008 3rd round pick LB Shaun Crable in order to sign LB Pierre Woods who was released in the final cut of the 2010 training camp. Woods spent four years with the team after being signed as an undrafted free-agent in 2006.

Coach Belichick implied that ties are not cut with Crable forever. Anything could happen in the future.

I really wonder if Shaun Crable and Tyrone McKenzie are the future of this team. It's hard to believe.

Players Not Fine With It

The NFL has been cracking down on helmet to helmet hits by leveling huge fines against several players. The NFL Players Association has complained that there has been a lack of consistency in determining the fines. The league is trying to get it right with the safety of its players in a game defined by its violence.

One area where the league has a zero tolerance policy concerns the proper use of player equipment. Jets LB Bart Scott was fined $25,000 for not buckling his chinstrap during last Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. It was his third violation of the rule requiring the strap to be on at all times.

Chad Ochocinco of the Bengals gave up another $20,000 for wearing gold cleats during the Bengal's loss to the Steelers. He continues to write huge checks for decisions that are bound to bring a fine.

The league is particularly harsh on anyone showing a logo or not wearing the right socks. The NFL is very conscience of tits image to the public. That is behind the crackdown on vicious hits. At the same time, they want all the players to match with their uniforms.

The Streak of Hines

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward is upset with the new NFL concussion policy. Hines was removed from the game against the Pats in the first quarter after suffering a helmet to helmet hit. He caught a pass, but the call was overturned after a challenge by Coach Belichick.

As Hines staggered off the field, he was examined by a neurologist on the sideline who ruled him out for the rest of the game. Under the league's new concussion policy, Hines was examined by an independent neurologist rather than one from the team. In the past, many players have returned to action after "getting their bell rung". Hines felt that it should have been his decision whether to continue playing.

As a result, Hines had his streak of 186 game ended in which he had caught a pass. It began on November 9, 1998 against Green Bay and continued until this past Sunday night. His was the third longest behind Jerry Rice (275 ) and Marvin Harrison (190). Tong Gonzalez now has the longest streak at 155.

Hines was very upset over the whole process. He is known as a tenacious blocker who is not afraid to crush a safety or any other defender.

He has 925 career receptions for 11,322 yards. It has not been decided whether he will be cleared to play this Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Anything Can Happen In OT

With the Jets beating the Browns 26-20 with one minute left in overtime, the Pats really need to win tonight. That is far from a guarantee. They are going against one of the best defenses in the league at stopping the running game. The Pats really need to turn around from last week.

The Browns could have won the game, but made some terrible mistakes. The overtime period was a classic example of how anything can happen to any team. There were tipped balls and very close plays. The margin between winning and losing was very minuscule.

Some might say the Jets are a lucky team, but in the end, the winning team often makes one more bigger play. That happened today for the Jets in their final drive.

The Last Home Game

I went to the UMass-Delaware football game today. It was their last home game of the season. They lost 45-17, greatly hurting their playoff chances for Division I-AA.

There is one more game next week against Rhode Island. For most of the seniors on the team, this will be be the last game of their football career. A few will chase the dream of a roster spot in the NFL. Some might cling to their dream with the Canadian Football League or the Arena.

There are also the semi-pro teams. We have a league in Northeast Massachusetts. They play a very hard hitting style which results in too many injuries. A few years ago, a local team canceled their last three games because of a depleted roster.

So for the most part, their careers end next Saturday. There will be a few exceptions, but most will never play on a team again.

Anyone who plays in the NFL lives on the edge. Their career can end on any given play. They can also be released whitout notice.

In all the years I have followed the NFL, very few players leave on their own terms. Most are told they can no longer play. Injuries are very cruel.

When LB Tedy Bruschi retired right before the start of 2009 season, he did so knowing that his knee would not carry him through the season. Coach Belichick said there was a roster spot for him, but I think Bruschi knew it was over.

He has made a good transition to a broadcaster and was very happy at his retirement press conference. I think he is one of the few.

I wonder what Ty Law thinks about his playing future. Does he have any more opportunities? Will he play again?

Only One Foot

Tom Brady missed practice on Wednesday because of a "foot sprain". Coach Belichick was his usual evasive self and said Brady would be evaluated "day to day". The injury report indicated a "foot sprain". That's a better desciption than a "lower leg injury".

We never know what Belichick means when he talks about injuries. Brady's shoulder has been on the injury report every week. It carries on a tradition that started several seasons ago.

We found out after last season that Brady played with broken ribs during several games. Once this season ends, we will probably hear that Brady had a broken bone in his foot.

Can you imagine if Belichick had a job "coding" medical procedures for insurance purposes? He would come up with some real classics.

A Sighting of Fred

Fred Taylor was at practice yesterday and today. It looks like he might be ready to go on Sunday after missing the last six games with turf toe.

Taylor is in the last year of his contract and could be in the final stages of an illustrious career. During his time with the Pats, he has had trouble staying healthy and able to play.

The addition of Taylor could greatly help the Pats offense against the Steelers.They really need him during the second half of the season.

Just A Snap Away

Things happen very quickly in the NFL. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski had an injury against the Brown and was unable to finish the game. Coach Belichick said that he would be evaluated and would be "day to day".

Today, the team placed him on Injured Reserve after they signed Shayne Graham to replace him. They also released LS Jake Ingram.

This could have a huge effect on the rest of the season. Gostkowski was one of the best in the league for kicking the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs. He missed field goal attempts earlier in the season because of bad snaps from Ingram. Punter Zoltan Mesko also had some low snaps on punts.

Apparently, the long snapping deficiency was too much for Belichick and the coaching staff. Only Mesko remains as the holder. Having two new players in this three person group should prove to be a challenge against the Steelers.

I think when the season started, we all felt comfortable with the kicking group. Now, it has been torn apart because of injury and faulty play. It looked like Ingram was destined to be here for a long time after the team used a 6th round draft pick last year to select him. Gostkowski just signed a huge three year contract extension.

Who knows how this will all work out for the season or for Gostkowski next year.

Ultimate Job Security

It was inevitable that Wade Phillips would be fired by Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. His team was picked as one of the pre-season favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. After a 1-7 record, the axe has fallen on Phillips.

Jerry Jones is the same guy who fired Jimmy Johnson after two Super Bowl wins. There is no pleasing this guy. Jones serves as the team's GM and spokesperson. He has his own press conferences. His hand is in every detail of running the team.

As the owner, he has the right to do anything he pleases. He has made a lot of mistakes, causing the team to drift further away from their glory years.

He can continue to make mistakes and not get fired. He refuses to admit that he might be part of the problem. Any coach he hires will need to be a yes-man to him. You can certainly rule out John Gruden and Bill Cowher as future candidates.

I never understood why Jones doesn't name himself as the coach. He does everything, but call the plays.

Just Another Loss

Probably the worst thing about the 34-14 loss to the Browns is that the story will continue to play out on local sports talk shows. The Pats were coming off a four game winning streak and had dealt with the Randy Moss trade. Some of the "experts" crowned them one of the elite teams in the league. Of course, a lot of that was based on their 6-1 record.

Before the season started, the "experts" had the Browns on the list of guaranteed. wins. I don't know why these guys think that any team is a sure win. The Lions gave the Jets a scare into overtime yesterday. The Steelers, Colts and Lions on Thanksgiving Day provide a daunting task ahead.

The game Sunday is going to be a huge challenge. I think it's good that the team lost. With so many younger players, the team is not used to getting their egos stroked by all of the "experts" and perhaps believed that each win is automatic.

If the Pats lose three more games before the end of the season, it should lead to at least a wild-card, although they missed out in 2008.

Pats fans have been spoiled by the three Super Bowl wins and the teams winning record. All of this attention comes in the era of 24x7 coverage with the media.

If they had this type of coverage on their other losing seasons in the 80's, it would have been crazy around here.

Nobody ever wants to lose a game. It happens at some point. The 2007 team is proof of that. I always believe they may have one the Super Bowl if they had not been given a win by the Ravens during their 16-0 run.

Feeding Randy

Now that Randy Moss has been claimed off waivers by the Titans, I hope that he does not launch into another tirade over the team's buffet. Last Friday, he spewed out an obscene rant directed at the caterer over the menu choices. Several of his teammates referred to him in expletive terms.

By league rules, he has five days to report to the Titans who are on their bye week. It will be interesting to see if Moss can become a contributor to his new team that has a 5-3 record or continue his train wreck.

A Risk For Rex

It can be risky to go on 4th and one, especially when considering field position. Coach Belichick has taken criticism even when things have worked out.

Coach Rex Ryan of the Jets was a big risk taker in his team's 9-0 loss against Green Bay last Sunday. The Jets faced a 4th and 18 on their own 20 yard line early in the first quarter. Ryan has given his punter, Steve Weatherford, the discretion to run if an opportunity opens up. He decided to do so on this play, but came up a couple of yards short. This resulted in the first of three field goals for Green Bay.

Considering their field position, I don't think this was the right call. It would have been different if they were at mid-field.

The Drama Club

The Pats have the best record in the NFL at 6-1. The mid-point of the season comes up next week in Cleveland. No doubt the Browns are great in all three phases of the game. I'm sure they have a lot of explosive players on offense, defense and special teams.

Things are out of control on some teams. Randy Moss got released by the Vikings. Coach Brad Childress teeters on the verge of being fired. Brett Favre and his illustrious career is getting them nowhere. It's panic time in Minnesota.

Dallas is 1-6 and Jerry Jones announced he has considered firing Coach Wade Phillips. Maybe he should fire himself. As team owner, he can be his own GM. He "buys all of the groceries".

Washington Redskin Coach Mike Shanahan gave a lame reason for pulling Donovan McNabb in the final two minutes during the 37-25 loss against the Lions.

Every team seems to have a problem. Here in New England, we are getting ready for the game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Nothing else really matters.

At some point, Randy Moss will be signed and released by another team. It seems like he is destined to be here for the Super Bowl run. Things change fast.

The Edge of Brett

The suspense is overwhelming as to whether Brett Favre will start his 292nd consecutive regular season game at Gillette Stadium today. He finally practiced on Friday and could be seen moving very slowly. It could all be a ploy to convince the Pats that he will be on the bench.

I don't doubt that he is hurting. Stress fractures can be very painful. It's obvious that he can barely move. You never know with Favre. I predict he plays today.

Moss Fine Raises Questions

The NFL announced that Randy Moss has been fined $25,000 for not making himself available to the media in the three weeks he has been with the Vikings. Apparently, he is continuing his policy of not talking. This was his standard procedure when he was with the Pats.

It's puzzling to see that the league is finally addressing this issue after three years. Why the change now? Did the members of the Vikings media complain to the league? Did anyone ever complain in Foxborough or did they let this whole affair slide because they didn't want to upset Coach Belichick?

The Surge of Sergio

Some players make it to the NFL, in spite of not being drafted for a variety of different reasons. Such is the case of Sergio Brown who was signed from the practice squad to the 53 man roster after the injury to safety Patrick Chung.

Brown joined the Pats after a great career at Notre Dame. Things didn't work out for him in the draft. Fortunately, he caught the eye of people when it mattered. One of those was his former defensive backs coach Corwin Brown who joined the Pats after Charlie Weis and his staff were terminated at Notre Dame.

I'm sure the coach advocated for Sergio to his new employer. Sergio had a great training camp and was on the final cut. The team signed him to the practice squad where he waited for his turn.

He had a huge defensive stop against TE Antonio gates during the Chargers game. The team announced that they have signed him to a four year contract. This is just another example of the inexact science that is the NFL draft.

Meeting Brad Sunday

Don't expect Coach Belichick to give Coach Brad Childress much of a hand shake after the game on Sunday. Childress accused the Pats of stealing defensive signals during their game in 2006. Is he trying to stir up Spygate again?

Coach Belichick brushed it off by saying he is just getting ready for the game. Another standard line was "it doesn't matter what happened in 2006, 2002 or 1989".

Coach Childress later back off his statement, but the damage has been done.

The Weekly Brett Watch

I have always been a big fan of Brett Favre. I'm glad he is still playing in the NFL at the age of 41. He can be perceived as a prima-dona, especially since he left Green Bay.

He has his problems off the field, but this week he is facing his greatest challenge with the two stress fractures in his ankle. This is a huge threat to his record of 291 consecutive game starts. I really admire his streak. I hope it doesn't end.

Ironically, it's become a story and now we are on the Brett watch for Sunday. Will he or won't he play? I never thought it would come to this, but Father Time can be cruel to athletes.

If he plays Sunday, can he be effective with his elbow and ankle problems? The Vikings are betting their season on him.

We have been spoiled in New England with the likes of Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe for the last 17 seasons. It's tough to find a great QB.

As Coach Belichick has often said, "Nobody plays this game forever", although Favre has 15 million reasons to drag himself out on the field.

The Woes of Brett

I wonder if Brett Favre ever looks back to that day in 2008 when he tearfully ended his career with the Green Bay Packers. He has been able to squeeze the last few seasons out of Father Time with the Jets and Vikings.

He has himself in a big mess with his sexting problem. He admitted doing it, but not sending the pictures. He faces a possible suspension from the league.

Coach Brad Childress was openly critical of his play and three interceptions in the team's 28-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

To make it worse, Favre had an MRI today which revealed two "stress fractures" in his ankle. He spent the day walking in a boot.

Maybe Favre will take his punishment from the league now which will cause him to end his consecutive game streak.

It's not all that bad for Favre. When his teammates made the special trip to Mississippi to drag him to training camp, it was for a contract that is paying him $15 million no matter what happens.

In the words of Coach Belichick, Favre has a "lower leg injury" and is "day to day", but could be a game time decision.

Unwanted Attention For Izzo

During Friday's press conference, Coach Belichick anointed former LB Larry Izzo as the best special teams player he ever coached.

Izzo went undrafted in 1996, but carved out a 14 year NFL career excelling on special teams. He holds the league record with 298 special teams tackles. He made the 2002 and 2004 Pro Bowl as a specialist. His career ended after the Jets cut him last year because of a spinal injury.

I'm sure Izzo would be very flattered to hear such comments. Special teams players don't always make it into the news.

However, Izzo has been making the news for the last few years for all of the wrong reasons. He has testified before a federal grand jury regarding his connection to the BALCO steroid scandal.

The U.S. Attorney's office announced that Izzo will be a prosecution witness when former baseball player Barry Bonds goes on trial for committing perjury before the grand jury investigating steroid use. Izzo will be forced to answer questions about his own use and connection to Greg Anderson, the former trainer of Bonds and the alleged supplier to a host of professional athletes.

The trial is set for next March. I bet he wishes that Bonds would work out a plea agreement prior to going that date.

UMass Plays In The Big House

I love following the NFL. There is no better game than this. I really don't watch college football except to follow my UMass Minutemen and brother's Boston College Eagles. I don't watch the 27 bowl games.

I had the good fortune of attending the Colonial Classic today at Gillette Stadium with UMass playing the University of New Hampshire. Although we lost 39-13, it was enjoyable to watch a college game in such a great venue.

The announced attendance was 32,848. The place holds 68,000. At any given time a certain percentage of the crowd are not in their seats. I thought it might be under 30,000. That's a great turnout.

Coach Belichick would have done a meltdown with the horrible special teams play of UMass. The missed three field goals and gave up big yard on returns. They also had turnovers with interceptions and fumbles. There was no way they could have won this game.

I get a kick out of the "pagentry" aspect of college football. I can't imagine having the marching bands play during the game or the cheerleaders on the sidelines doing pyramids and back-flips.

Bill would never go for this.

Numbers Are Misleading

Analysts and "experts" try to use statistics to explain what happens in the NFL. When the Pats play the Chargers on Sunday, they will play a team with a 2-4 record.

It's hard to justify that record when you look at the numbers. The Chargers lead the league in total offensive, passing and are 5th in total points per game.

They lead the league with the lowest amount of yards allowed on defense and passing per game. However, they have turned the ball over 16 times, including three in the opposition's red zone.

In their last three games, they have allowed 30 points on special teams. In their loss against the Raiders, they had two punts blocked.

You can't win in the NFL with a weakness in any phase of the game. Special teams play and turnovers are hurting the Chargers big time.

The Pats are playing excellent on special teams. This could be the most critical factor in determining the outcome of the game.

Attention For Meriweather

It seems like the goal of every NFL defensive player is to make the biggest hit of the game and get on Sports Center.

Brandon Meriweather has gone above and beyond that. His vicious hit in the Ravens game got him a $50,000 fine and national exposure. He even made the network news when they mentioned his name and showed the hit.

Last Monday, he was very nonchalant about the whole situation. Now, he is saying he is sorry and wishes the whole incident would "just go away". He said he plans to play within the rules. This is coming from someone who said earlier in training camp that he doesn't always listen to the coaches and tries to improvise out on the field.

In a perfect situation, Coach Belichick would sit him down for at least part of Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers. With injuries effecting the secondary, he might not have that luxury.

It's just a matter of time before Meriweather does something real stupid to hurt the Pats at a crucial time in the game.

The Big Hits

A great deal of attention has been focused on the three players fined by the NFL for illegal hits during their games last Sunday.

LB James Harrison of the Steelers, who was fined $75,000 said he is contemplating retirement because he no longer knows how he is suppose to play defense. That might be a bit of an over-reaction on his part.

The NFL is part of the problem. Various shows on television show big hits every week. The league sells videos of memorable hits. The hitting and violence are part of the culture of the game.

The league is trying to protect players by tweaking some of the rules. That is a good idea. Kids do what the pros do.

We have created a culture where players believe the most important thing to do is to made a huge hit and get on Sports Center.

I'm not sure how you go about changing that mind set.

Target On Meriweather

Brandon Meriweather is the focus of attention this week as a result of his hit on Ravens WR Todd Heap. He faces a possible fine or suspension as a result of launching himself on that play.

Coach Belichick took him out of the game immediately and could be seen yelling at him on the sidelines. The next day on WEEI, Meriweather seem to make light of the situation which even captured the attention on NBC nightly news.

Meriweather is an overrated player. Ironically, the Pats drafted him in the first round in 2007 as compensation from the Seattle Seahawks in the Deion Branch trade.

Meriweather made it to the Pro Bowl last year after several safeties were unable to play. The Pro Bowl is becoming a joke with many players going there only to fill a vacant spot.

In a move to address a potential suspension, the Pats re-signed Ross Ventrone to their practice squad. Ventrone was with the team through training camp.

Rodney Feels Different Now

I think Rodney Harrison does an excellent job as a analyst on Sunday's "Football Night In America" show. He has good chemistry with Tony Dungy. Last night, they discussed the vicious hits laid out by Brandon Meriweather.

It's a certainty that Meriweather will get fined by the NFL for launching himself and giving a helmet to helmet hit on a defenseless receiver.

During his career, Harrison was voted the dirtiest player by his peers on several occasions. By his own count, he paid over $100,000 in fines for illegal hits.

Harrison said that something must be done to prevent defenders from nearly paralyzing players. He said the only thing that worked for him was getting suspended. It was only then that he realized his selfish play was hurting his team.

Players make so much money that writing a check for $5,000 is chump change for these guys. The game is violent enough without players taking it to a higher level. It's only a matter of time before we have another paralyzed player.

Two Different Receivers

When Deion Branch arrived this week, he said he was not Randy Moss. There is no way he could be. They are two distinct players and personalities.

It was a striking contrast to see how they act in post-game press conferences. Branch was very humble and kept addressing people by "sir". He showed a tremendous amount of respect to the people asking the questions.

It's amazing to see how happy he is to be here. He seems very genuine in his comments. He indicated that working with Brady was like he had never left.

This reunion certainly has the potential to have a good future this season.

A Win Tomorrow

Every week we ware inundated by the pundits and "experts" who predict the outcome of the weekly games in the NFL.

Fans should rest easy knowing that the Pats are a three point favorite over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The odds-makers are saying that the Pats should win the game.

I feel relieved now. I can watch the game tomorrow expecting the Pats to win because the "experts" said they would.

End of a Streak?

Brett Favre holds a slew of NFL passing records that may never be surpassed except by Peyton Manning if he plays until he is 40.

Favre has always been proud of his consecutive game streak which now stands at 289, but is in serious jeopardy of ending. He faces a possible suspension from the league as a result of his sexting controversy. Almost an equal threat, is the tendinitis in his right elbow. He was seen in obvious pain during the Monday night game against the Jets.

He has indicated that he might end the streak to get himself back to health. It will be interesting to see if his suspension coincides with his injury time. Will he work a deal out with the league?

Deion Is Back

Deion Branch played here from 2002-2005 before he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks after a contract dispute. He was traded for Seattle's 1st round pick in the 2007 draft. The Pats selected Brandon Merriweather with the pick as they had traded their own 1st away.

Branch is back here, but not to replace Randy Moss. Branch was always a possession receiver. I think the days of the Brady to Moss deep ball are gone.

It was so refreshing to see how humbled Branch is to be back here. This seems to be a great marriage between team and player. He really wants to be here. If he can stay healthy, he can help the team.

Branch was a 2nd round pick in 2002. That draft included TE Daniel Graham(1st), QB Rohan Davey and DE Jarvis Green on the 4th, RB Antwoine Womack and WR David Givens in the 7th.

Sometimes, I need to research to realize that Rohan Davey was the pick recived as compensation when the Past traded WR Terry Glenn to the Green Bay Packers after the 2001 season.

In a twist of irony, trading Branch brought Merriweather to the team, the only draft selection left from that year. Of course, we can't forget that a 2nd round pick was sent to Miami for Wes Welker and a 4th to Oakland for Randy Moss. That was not a bad use of draft choices.

The only other player to make the roster from the 2007 draft was CB Mike Richardson from Notre Dame who was the 2nd of their three 6th round selections. He played in 10 games over two seasons before ending his career after a marijuana bust two days after the Pats lost Super Bowl XII.

Time To Let Go

Now that the Pats have signed WR Deion Branch, I wonder if the focus will move away from the Randy Moss trade. Players and coaches claim the team is moving on. I hope the fans and media do likewise.

It seems that no matter what happens this year, everything will focus on whether the team should have made the trade. If they make it to the AFC Championship game and lose, everyone will cite Moss as the missing part.

It looks like the only thing that will silence the malcontents is having the team win the Super Bowl. That is a very daunting goal.

Only time will tell if the was a good trade. The team is playing the rest of the season without Moss one way or the other.

Brett's Bad Move

Before it's over, QB Brett Favre will probably wish he stayed retired before going to the Jets and Vikings. He is involved in an investigation over whether he sent sexual text messages to female employees of the Jets. It started with one women, but now there are three.

The NFL will walk a fine line on this one since Favre is one of the league's marque players. Favre is sitting on a potential public relations nightmare and financial disaster if some of his companies drop him from their endorsement contracts.

Apparently, his wife is familiar with his infidelities as she indicated in a prior book she wrote. Favre is a grandfather and one of the women is only a few years older than his oldest daughter.

Maybe Favre has played the last two years to build up his financial reserves in case he goes through a messy divorce.

The NFL Network is a great source of league information, but fans almost need to check out "Accces Hollywood" to get all of the facts.

Hair Pulling Time

It's bad enough that fans will never find out the truth on why the Pats traded Randy Moss to the Vikings. Now, there is a report out that Brady and Moss had to be separated a week prior to the trade when Moss told Brady to get his haircut because he looked like a girl. This was after Brady told Moss that he should cut his beard.

Maybe this whole thing wasn't just about Moss wanting to be the focus of the offense. It's about personal grooming.

OK With Trade

Nobody denies that there is an impact on the offense with the trading of Randy Moss. I think it opens more possibilities for other players and keeps the team from relying on the long ball.

I think the contract issue lead to the trade. The team had no intention of signing him for next year. They could have used the franchise tag at the end of the season, but that would have lead to a bitter battle between Moss and the front office.

By trading him now, Coach Belichick is trying to remove the potential Moss meltdown late in the season when the team is pushing for the playoffs.

Moss is happier now. The trade probably would not have been made except under the circumstances of sending him to a place where he wants to be.

More Moss

After listening to the press conferences of Bill Belichick and Randy Moss, it's gets harder to understand why this divorce happened. Both of them took the high road and didn't say anything negative about what happened.

There are variations of a story about an incident on the flight back from Miami between Belichick and Moss. The coach denied anything ever occurred. Moss was a bit evasive and didn't want to talk about the past.

It was hard to believe when Belichick said that the contract status of Moss was not an issue. Moss made a great point in reiterating that the NFL is nothing but a business. He said that fans would be better off if they could understand that point. He is certainly right on that account.

I don't think they will miss him as much as a lot of us think. If he got hurt and was out for an extended period, the team would need to adjust. It just proves that nobody is bigger than the game and it passes everyone by eventually.

Gathering Thoughts On Moss

I don't think we will ever get the truth about what happened to cause the trade of Randy Moss to the Vikings. It was a shock to all of us when you hear that they traded such a prolific receiver after only four games for a 3rd round draft pick next year.

Coach Belichick and everyone else has been saying the right things every week about Moss. Something must have sent Coach Belichick over the edge. Randy's agent had requested a trade after the first week of the season. His post-game press conference did not endear him to many fans. He came across as being self-centered and not caring about the team. Many of his teammates spoke in his defense.

Maybe Coach Belichick will write his memoirs someday and address this issue. There are rumors that they wanted to trade him before the season started. There are reports of of a verbal altercation with Coach Scott O'Brien during halftime of the Miami game. We will never know because of the wall of silence in the locker room.

It's hard to say how this will effect the rest of the season. It was perhaps a good time to do this during the bye week when the team was away from Foxborough. What does Tome Brady think? We will never get his true thoughts. He will talk the company line.

This has certainly helped talk shows, bloggers, commentators and other self-proclaimed "experts". Everyone has an opinion, but nobody knows all of the facts. I think this story will continue to grow.

Say "No" To 18

The Pats went without RB Fred Taylor at Miami. Leaving him behind did not have an effect on the outcome of the game. The Past won 41-14 with some monster special teams play.

Taylor stands as one of the all-time running backs. He has missed a bunch of games throughout his career. Maybe that is why he is still around. It seems impossible for anyone to play all 16 regular season games. The playoffs are another story.

One of the key points in the CBA negotiations is adding two games to the regular season. As a fan, I would love to see it, but I just don't see how the players could endure it physically.

The health of the team is so critical in advancing through the playoffs. The season becomes a war of attrition before the 16th game. With 18 games, it would only get worse.

As of now, I'll go with 16 regular season games.

Final Miami Thoughts

It's moments before Monday Night Football kick-off. So many of the "experts", including some of the locals feel the Pats might lose the game tonight. There are a lot of factors. The field might be a problem with the newly installed turf and the young defense trying to "learn the sytem" of Coach Belichick.

This game has great implications for the playoffs because it's a Division game. I still feel they will win this game if the play they execute in all three phases of the game.

Don't forget red-zone, third down and turnovers.

Return of McNabb

QB Donovan McNabb had a controversial relationship with the Philadelphia Eagle fans right from the start when the team selected him in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. His selection received a mixed reaction from the fan base.

He was never seen as the one who could lead the team to the Super Bowl, although he got there once and went to five NFC Championship games. He set a slew of team passing records, including most career wins.

Coach Andy Reid decided to make a change this year and traded him to the Washington Redskins. The two teams finally met yesterday in Philadelphia. During pre-game introductions, McNabb received a huge ovation from the fans. I thought that was a good sign on their part for someone who had done so much for the franchise.

He lead his team to a 17-12 win over the Eagles.