Slater's Take

Matthew Slater serves as the team's representative for the NFLPA. He had some interesting comments about Thursday night games.

I agree with him about the league not always being concerned about player safety with games four days apart. He brought up the issue of the bye week being scheduled along the Thursday night game. It makes a lot of sense, but it's not happening.

London Times

It seems like the NFL would love to have a franchise in London, but the logistics are very daunting. There is a plan to "share" a franchise with London.

In 2016, one team will play back to back games there. Will it be Jacksonville? They are giving up one of their home games annually to host one over there.

A team playing four games there and four back in the US might work out. In the end, it's all about the money.

The Days of Vince

When Vince Wilfork signed with the Houston Texans, he knew that he would be cashing some good paychecks. At this point in his career, he was looking for a final payday.

He got that, but ended up with a team in a downward spiral. The Texans are 2-5 and just released QB Ryan Mallet after he missed a team charter flight to the Dolphins game last week.

Wilfork felt comfortable with Coach Bill O'Brien from his days with the Pats. Will O'Brien be there next year after he wanted to release Mallet, but was overruled by the GM?

Every coach wants to have his own guys. It doesn't look like that in Houston.

Ryan's Story

QB Ryan Mallet seems to be a different player since the Pats traded him to the Houston Texans last year. He created quite a stir when he missed the team's charter flight to Miami the other day. He ended up buying his own ticket and flying commercially to get to the game.

Coach Bill O'Brien said they are handling it internally, but they don't have too many options. If they release Mallet, they won't have a backup to Brian Hoyer.

This is a critical season for Mallet. He already has a reputation for showing up late during training camp. If he ever did it with the Pats, the fans never heard about it.

Mallet seems to be sulking after losing his starting job to Hoyer. Things are not working out for him in Houston.

The lack of good quarterbacks in the NFL is working in his favor.

He's Not Joe

Former Jets QB Joe Namath will always be known for his Super Bowl III prediction when he guaranteed a win over the Baltimore Colts. He was correct and the rest is history.

Jets DL Sheldon Richardson is trying the same tactic for his team's game today against the Pats. He guarantees a win, which will give both teams a share in the lead in the AFC East.

It's never a good idea for a player to go on record, but that hasn't stopped Richardson. We shall see at 1pm.

UMass/Toledo

It was great to be at the UMass/Toledo game today. For once, UMass fans had an 18 point lead going into half-time against #19 ranked Toledo. It was hard to believe it was 28-10.

Toledo ran up 38 straight points in the 2nd half. The Minutemen lost 51-35 to drop to 1-6. They had the game in control during the first half with three interceptions, but it was a different one after the break.

UMass can never catch a break in a game. They find a way to lose. They didn't help themselves with all of their offside and holding penalties.

Rex Does It Differently

The Buffalo Bills have a 3-3 record and are in London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is a critical game for the Bills if they want to stay above 500.

I was surprised to see the reaction by Rex Ryan after a couple of his defensive stars complained about how they were being used. Rex didn't seem to have any problem with players questioning his decisions.

They might be right on saying that they should be rushing the passer, instead of dropping back in coverage.

If they have a concern, they should speak to the coach personally. This would never happen on a Bill Belichick team. Going public would be their ticket out of town.

How To Get Released

Poor performance is one way to get released by a team. Getting into a heated argument with the GM is another.

The Chicago Bears released DL Jeremiah Ratiff after he got into a shouting match with GM Ryan Pace. It got so bad that local police were called to escort him from the team's practice facility.

He had a similar situation with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in 2012 which ultimately lead to his release.

Will he get another chance in the NFL? He seems to bring too much baggage with him.

Fred and Marshawn

You can always count on NFL players to make bad decisions off the field. Running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks allegedly had a drag race outside of the team's practice facility.

Jackson ended up crashing his car into a planter. Naturally, they are denying anything happened.

This reflects poorly on them. Here are two great players engaging in such foolish and dangerous behavior.

It's just another day in the NFL.

Waiting On Matthew

The Pats have been very quiet about the injury to Matthew Slater's knee during their win over the Colts. Slater has been the heart of their special teams. The longer their silence, the worse it looks for the long term.

The Pats are always very secretive about injuries. As the coach says; the injury report comes out on Wednesday.

Sometimes, we end up finding out that the player is out for the season.

Star Dollars

The NFL is always about the money. I wonder how much they got paid to show a preview of the new Star Wars movie during halftime of tonight's game. It wasn't presented as a commercial. I'm sure they had that in mind when they decided to show it.

The movie has nothing to do with football, but he price must have been right. It looked out of place.

Spoiled Fans

One of the problems with the success of the Pats during the Belichick/Brady era is that many fans have no connection to the past. They don't know what it's like to miss the playoffs on a regular basis. They have been spoiled by the team's endless success.

I find it very boring to listen to fans keep talking about running up the score on the Colts tonight. The Pats need to play well and score points. If they do that, they should win the game.

Not Likely To Run The Table

UMass suffered another difficult loss today at the hands of Kent State by a score of 15-10. I was at the game and saw the Minutemen drop to 1-5. They continue to have major problems with their move to what use to be Division 1.

Nothing helps like winning, but UMass can't catch a break. They had no offense today. The schedule doesn't get any easier. I don't think they will run the table and finish at 7-5, which would get them in one of the smaller bowl games.

Another bad season will bring out the critics who feel UMass should never have made the move to D1.

Good Issue To Deal With

Pats fans really to pump the brakes on their thoughts of demolishing the Colts on Sunday and having an undefeated season.

They are both big goals. No doubt the Pats want to run up the score if they get ahead. A win will make them 5-0 and keep the talk going.

It certainly beats having to deal with some of the issues that fans deal with for their team.

Camera On Rob

The New Orlean Saints and the Atlanta Falcons are playing the Thursday Night game. The Falcons are cruising along with a record of 5-0, while the Saints are fighting to keep their season alive at 1-4.

Rob Ryan continues to get a lot of camera time as Defensive Coordinator. His Saints defense is one of the worst in the league for giving up yards.

He doesn't seem to get consideration for a head coaching job. Is it the hair or the weight or maybe his twin brother Rex?

The Rexster has enjoyed a great ride so far, in spite of his bad ending with the Jets.

Why not Rob?

Double Hit For Nate

Things were going great for LT Nate Solder. He recently signed a two year contract extension for $20 million. The future of that money is up in the air after he suffered a torn bicep in his right arm during last Sunday's win over Dallas. He was placed on season ending IR.

Will the team ask him to renegotiate it next year? Jerod Mayo went though this after his recent injuries. It was the only way he could stay on the roster.

When the team gave Solder his extension, I thought there was no way he would ever receive all the money.

No Padding

Rob Gronkowski is such a domineering player, but I think most fans are concerned when he is tackled and brought to the ground. Everyone wants him to get up and be healthy.

During the win over the Cowboys, he was not wearing the big padding on his arm that was previously broken.

I'm sure that it was awkward for him to play with it on his arm. I assume the medical staff signed off on it.

Fans hope it was the right decision.

Tom & Greg

I think that we can all agree that Greg Hardy keeps playing in the NFL because he is such a great player. The Dallas Cowboys signed him. Jerry Jones enabled the situation.

Every team would want a player like him. He just carries so much baggage. He played so well against the Pats.

He makes $13 million this season.

Injury Report On Wednesday

Injuries are a part of the game, but Donta Hightower and Nate Solder might miss some significant time after being injured in today's win over the Cowboys.

Coach Belichick will never let anyone know the extent of Solder's elbow or Hightower's hip injury. We will hear about the next player stepping up and the injury report comes out on Wednesday.

Everyone buys into it. The results are there.

The Unknown College Game

It has always been said that Boston is not a college football town. Boston College has its faithful alumni and draw well at home. Other than that, it is a big void.

A local news radio station didn't even mention the UMass score. It was if they didn't exist. This is nothing new. College sports fly under the radar around here.

Brady to Glenn

I was watching an interview with Tom Brady on Patriots All-Access. He was reflecting on some of the receivers he threw to during his career. One name that jumped out was Terry Glenn.

There is no doubt that Glenn had all of the tools to be one of the greatest, but it never worked out here. Bill Parcells and Pete Carroll worked a lot with him, but to no avail.

Glenn always had erratic behavior. He gave Coach Belichick fits during his first year as head coach in 2000. It finally came to a head during the 2001 season. The team released him and never gave him a Super Bowl ring.

Who Plays For Texans?

I don't enjoy watching Tom Brady's backups Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer battle it out for the staring jobs with the Houston Texans. They should each be leading a NFL team.

Both have experience with Coach Bill O'Brien when he was with the Pats. They are being played against one another.

That's how it goes in the NFL.

Hardy Stirs It

Many fans expect the Pats to pile up the points in Dallas on Sunday. The Cowboys will be without QB Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.

DE Greg Hardy will return after his suspension on a domestic issue. You would think he would be contrite, but he called out Tom Brady over his wife and in-laws.

That was a bad thing to do. Brady is motivated to the sky. He brushed it off, but he will do his share to make the Cowboys pay for those comments.

A Sore Loser

It sounds like Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is mean to practice players who intercept his passes during practice. He openly mocks them about being on the practice squad.

Meanwhile, former Pats WR Donte Stallworth said that Tom Brady paid practice players who intercepted him. Stallworth was with the team in 2007 and 2012.

Such is the contrast between two players. Tannehill is highly overpaid on a 1-3 team that already fired its coach. Brady takes care of people and has five rings to show for it.

Dolphins Season Floating On Surface

The Miami Dolphins are a complete mess at 1-3. They have not been competitive in any of their losses, with issues in all three phases of the game.

Things like that get you fired in the NFL as Coach Joe Philbin will find out today when his tenure ends with a record of 24-27.

The next coach will inherit a bad situation.

Drew For 400

NBC's Bob Costas had a great commentary at halftime during the game with the Saints and Cowboys.

Drew Brees needs one more TD to join the 400 club along with Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Costas noted that the recent rule changes have caused teams to emphasis more passing in the offense. That leads to more opportunities to inflate numbers and statistics.

I agree that these QB's could play in any era. Would their numbers still be the same? The game is so different now.

It makes for good discussion with inconclusive results.

No Undefeated Talk

The worst part of the Pats being 3-0 is that fans are talking about an undefeated season. This is foolish and a waste of time. Every game is unique to itself. Anything can happen.

Back in 2007, the pressure kept mounting as the Pats stayed undefeated. They were trying to get their 19th win in the Super Bowl. We know how that worked out.

Just Visit London

The Jets and Dolphins are playing in London this weekend with a 9:30am kickoff. It will only be broadcasted on Yahoo Sports, but the local team market areas will have a television feed.

The game is a logistical nightmare for both teams, compounded by jet lag and the early start. The NFL owners love it because it's another extra payday.

The league continues to flirt with the idea of a franchise in London. I think they are better of bringing teams in to play games rather than base one there.

The End For Hooman

Players are ready for their time off during the bye week, but it didn't work out for TE Michael Hoomananawanui. He was traded to the New Orleans Saints for DT Akiem Hicks.

It looks like the trade works well for both teams. Hooman and Hicks were both seeing fewer snaps.

I was surprised to see it happen, but Coach Belichick is not hesitant to make a trade if both sides can work it out.

Hooman was a fan favorite for his long name and great blocking.