By Bill Barnwell
bill@patriotsdaily.com

42 points in a half is a lot, even for these Patriots. It’s not an unbeatable total if you’re Bill Belichick, apparently, but it’s enough to inspire thoughts of record totals. It leads announcers to point out that the Patriots, against the Dolphins, were on pace to score 84 points.

The thing is, of course, teams who are “on pace” to score 42 points don’t score at the same pace in the second half. Both teams see their game plan change: The leading team runs the ball more to kill clock, while the trailing team throws the ball almost exclusively to make some attempt to catch up, as unrealistic as it might be. The leading team generally has fewer possessions because, inherently, teams that score 42 points in a half need some luck to get there — namely, an extra possession or two from turnovers. If we look at all drives from 1998-2006, we can see that teams would find it extremely hard to get to 42:

With six possessions on average in each half, teams would need to score a touchdown on every drive. The Patriots are good, but not that good — they benefited from a Cleo Lemon fumble that gave them a short field, and picked up seven points on a Willie Andrews kickoff return.

What we also see in that breakdown is that both scoring and possessions are seemingly consistent — an average performance from a team sees them score about five points a quarter on three possessions.

Of course, describing the Patriots offense as “average” is nonsensical at this point. Let’s split the data by points per quarter and see how many points, for example, a team that goes scoreless in the first quarter scores on average in that game:

So, then, a team that goes scoreless in the first quarter averages 14 points per game — slightly less than the 5-point-per-quarter pace that we’d expect.

The issue with looking at data towards the realm of scoring the Patriots approached is sample size; while 15 teams have scored 38 points in a half, only one has scored 41, 44, or 47 points. That being said, none of them have significantly increased their total, so it’s a pretty safe bet to say that we shouldn’t really expect the Patriots to double their point total in the second half.

If we break point totals down by possessions per quarter and half, there are some interesting trends:

The Patriots, for reference, had two possessions in the first quarter (for 14 points), five in the second (28 points, with the Andrews kickoff return counting as a possession), but only one in the third and three in the fourth — that’s eleven possessions, actually one below average.

It’s interesting that there’s only really a slight upwards trend in the first half for points compared to possessions — you would assume that more possessions would yield more points and a shootout, but it’s also the case when teams just can’t move the ball and are punting at each other all game. In the third quarter, actually, there’s no relationship whatsoever between possessions and points, as it begins to blur together.

Do teams that have a lot of possessions in the first half continue to have them in the second half, though?

Not really. The small increases at the margins aren’t enough to say that possessions in the first half have any predicative value for possessions in the second half.

Next time an announcer says that a team is on pace for a certain amount of points, you can safely ignore him or her. Whether it be due to luck running out, changes in the game plan, a lack of possessions, or combination of the three, most teams’ scoring totals regress to the average over the course of a full game.

by Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

Bill Barnwell’s Football Outsiders column will be along later today, but while we’re waiting, let’s spend a minute with the Herald’s Karen Guregian, who filled up her notebook yesterday with some quotes from a couple of newsworthy Patriots.

First, Guregian asks Tom Brady to explain exactly what’s wrong with ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook:

“Usually, when it comes back the other way, you have to think there’s something behind it, or some motivation from somebody, but I think ultimately in life, you can only control what you can control. You can’t really control what people say or think. You just have to go about your business and work hard and say whatever your goals are, and (stick to) whatever priorities this team has for what we feel is most important to us. That’s how we make our decisions.”

Some motivation from somebody? I wonder what the motivation of the man my friend Ozzy calls “Lord Easterbrook of the Cliveden Set” might be? Hmmmm.

“We represent our ownership. We represent Mr. (Robert) Kraft and Jonathan and everything they put forth,” Brady said. “We’re not perfect people. We never claimed that. We never say that. We just say we like playing. We try to listen to our coach. We try to do the right thing, and at the end of the day, you’re judged by wins and losses.”

Honestly, I’m not trying to tie those last two paragraphs together. I’m really not.

“I think when they talk about a Patriot-type player, or a Patriot-type attitude, it’s someone who’s selfless, it’s someone who does their job, who’s attentive, who works hard,” Brady said. “It’s someone who’s on time, who’s dependable, who loves playing football. I think that’s what (being a Patriot) stands for, for us.”

Yeah, all right, Cheney. Just wipe that smirk off your face.

Elsewhere, KG caught up with Adalius Thomas, who has done the unthinkable and insulted Ray Lewis.

“The only problem I have is the coward comment. To call me a coward, you have my phone number. You can call me. I will call Ray, personally myself. I don’t want to sit here and throw (things) back and forth, and make this a media frenzy. I’m bigger than that. I’m better than that,” he added. “As far as calling me a coward I think that goes to something personal. I don’t like it. I will address that with him personally myself. To attack my integrity . . . and say you had to make a scheme up for me, I didn’t know they made up outside linebacker for me.

“Ray Lewis means nothing to me, as far as his comments or anything else that he says. I love him like a brother,” Thomas said. “Other than that, as far as me being a coward, I felt like that was a personal shot. That’s the only problem I have with it.”

When Sports Illustrated came calling, Adalius probably would have been better off saying, “Ravens? Oh, yeah, Stevie Bisciotti’s outfit down in Baltimore. Great, great guy, Stevie. Founded the Allegis Group.”

But, he didn’t. Still, unless you’re hanging around Buckhead, feuding with Ray Lewis isn’t exactly newsworthy. Lewis throws fits like Brett Favre throws interceptions. I’m just surprised he had time to fit AD in.

Lastly, Karen checks in with Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, on the new guy wearing #93 at Pats practice yesterday.

Asked during his teleconference for his thoughts on the prospect of having to face a Pats defense with Seymour in it, Gibbs said: “I don’t like it, I can tell you that. I’ve got great respect for him. I think their whole defense, they have a great scheme, great personnel. They do a great job. Coach Belichick has always been gifted when it comes to defense. Look across the board, you hate to see them get somebody back, and some high quality guy to add to it. Not a pretty picture.”

Joe, really, you need to get out and smell the roses. Your fatalistic world view is depressing everybody this week. “They’re gonna KILL us!” Yeah, they probably are, Joe, but you don’t have to be such a Gloomy Gus about it.

Check back later for Bill.

by Dan Snapp
dan@patriotsdaily.com

I know what you’re thinking: “How good could Peyton Manning be if he had Tom Brady’s weapons?”

It’s gotten that ridiculous.

Suddenly the Patriots offense is the Colts of 2004, the Rams of 2001, the Vikings of 1998. They’re perched to set new standards of achievement, both individually and team-wise. Along the way, let’s hope they keep in mind what else those teams had in common.

The Patriots and the Colts need each other. With the rest of the league unwilling to offer up some real competition, the two squads are all there is to keep the season from devolving into some bad joke.

The Jets were supposed to be the AFC East challenger to the throne, but they punted that title away long ago (and they can’t even do that right, if Ben Graham’s 20-yard shank Sunday is any indication). The Cowboys were played up, complete with “The Next Favre” billing for quarterback Tony Romo, but the Pats dispatched that empty threat in short order. The Chargers relinquished their “elite” status when they fired Marty Schottenheimer.

So that leaves just the Patriots and the Colts. Like the Red Sox and the Yankees perennially, like the Celtics and 76ers of the early ’80s, they’ll feed off each other, always aware of the other’s spot in the standings, and always having the prospects of future meetings haunting some passage in the back of their minds.

It’s a matchup we should root for.

We should want both to be undefeated going into their November 4th matchup, and for both to win out after the meeting, in anticipation of their eventual playoffs tilt. With home-field advantage in the balance, every game would have meaning.

Of course, that would mean one achieves the coveted 16-0 record. All the more motivation for the other to try to knock them off in the playoffs. Imagine the thrill of denying a team that just completed a perfect season their shot at the title?

Sports memories linger longest and age best when marked by some adversity overcome, some threat averted. With the passing of years, the details of the blowout get lost, but the tiniest minutia of the last-second win gets stored away forever.

Quick, which of the Pats’ Super Bowls do you remember best? Likely the first, with the surprise of the early lead, the powerhouse Rams clawing back, and then that sublime final drive. The next one was memorable in its own right, what with the surprising resiliency of the Panthers right to the end.  

Yet somehow, it’s toughest recalling the details of the most recent title, the win over Philly in 2005. There was the 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, and the Eagles taking their own sweet time driving with time running out, but none of the vivid-like-it-was-yesterday snapshots the first two titles offered.
 
How about this one: do you remember better the finer details of the Red Sox’ 2004 championship series win over the Yankees, or their subsequent sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series? Pretty easy call there.

For the truly memorable events, you have to confront the monsters: The “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams; Derek Jeter’s Yankees;  Magic Johnson’s Lakers. The bigger and badder, the better.

Fortunately, the Colts are as big and bad as you can get. They have the most accurate quarterback in the game, killer receivers, a dangerous tight end, a shifty back and a line that seemingly can guarantee seven yards every time they run that damn stretch play. Their defense is quick to the ball, and apparently no longer a running game patsy.

Most importantly, they’re not the old Colts, the ones you could count on to run up the score in the regular season and then choke it away in the playoffs. They finally got smart, starting to take what defenses were giving them at the expense of their personal stats. In essence, they became the Patriots and won a title.

So now the tables have turned, with the Pats offense making a Manningish run on the record books. They’re even looking Colt-like on defense of late, with the three-score victories allowing for a little lax play.

That’ll be the best result of facing Peyton Manning in two weeks. The Pats need it to sharpen their senses again, to be reminded just how good they need to be to get past these guys.

The Colts being great is a good thing. Beating their asses just wouldn’t be as much fun, otherwise.

by Christopher Price
chris@patriotsdaily.com

When it comes to watching Tom Brady, Joe Theismann is just like the rest of us.

“We’ve run out of adjectives to describe him,” Theismann said earlier this week after watching Brady throw six touchdowns in a 49-28 win over the Dolphins. “He is what every quarterback should aspire to be.”

Through seven games, Brady is enjoying a storybook season. The 30-year-old tops in the league in most every statistical category, including touchdown passes (27), total passing yards (2,096), completion percentage (73.3) and quarterback rating (137.9), all while leading New England to its first 7-0 start in franchise history.

Theismann has always held Brady in high regard, but this year, the former Redskins quarterback and “Monday Night Football” analyst said Brady’s game has gone to another level because he has so many dependable offensive options around him.

“His numbers in the previous couple of years were only reflected by what I think was a suspect receiving corps,” Theismann said. “What they’ve done this year is upgrade the receiving corps tremendously.”

And while Theismann has an affinity for Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker, it’s Randy Moss who has really made the biggest difference. Theismann cites several of his team-high 10 touchdown catches this season — including his two scores against the Dolphins — as plays that only someone like Moss could make.

“It’s speed to run away from people, athletic ability and ball presence to be able to take the ball from anyone, anytime, anywhere,” said Theismann in explaining what makes Moss special. “There hasn’t been a more dangerous football player in the National Football League than Randy Moss, except that he hasn’t had the compliment to go with him.”

The Patriots are on pace to break several offensive records, including touchdown passes, touchdown receptions and total points scored. But for all of the offensive pyrotechnics, Theismann believes the unsung heroes of the 2007 Patriots are the offensive linemen.

“The offensive line has done a wonderful job — they’ve allowed Tom to be able to step into his throws,” he said. “I’ve seen the film, and I’ve seen six or seven times where Brady has upwards of four seconds to be able to let Randy Moss get down the field and get the ball. … As compared to Notre Dame. I just watched Notre Dame-USC, and [Fighting Irish quarterback] Evan Sharpley had a half-second.

“It’s so great to see so many elements of a football team come together like this.”

According to Theismann, when it comes to going undefeated, there are two main points to consider. You need to keep your key players healthy. And it always helps to have some company at the head of the pack — in this case, Indianapolis, which appears to be doing everything it can to stay stride for stride with New England in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC Playoffs.

“When it comes to going undefeated, the most important thing to happen for New England is to have somebody close enough where all 16 weeks matter,” Theismann said. “Then, Bill will have the toughest decision when it comes to how much he wants to play these guys and how much he wants to rest them.

“But this is the best football team that’s been put together in the last 15 or 20 years. They really are.”

FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK

1. If Jason Campbell can have any more success against the Patriots than any of the other first-timers have had this season. Campbell marks the fifth quarterback who will be going up against the Patriots for the first time in his career in 2007. He follows in the footsteps of Buffalo’s Trent Edwards (10-for-20, 50 yards, one interception vs. the Patriots), Cleveland’s Derek Anderson (22-for-43, 287 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions), Dallas’ Tony Romo (18-for-29, 199 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) and Miami’s Cleo Lemon (24-for-37, 236 passing yards, one interception).

2. If New England’s second-half struggles in stopping the run against Miami were simply attributable to the Patriots spending much of the time in a prevent defense, or is it symptomatic of a larger problem? The Dolphins had little trouble piling up 179 rushing yards against New England. Much of that was when the game was well out of reach — and so the Patriots spent much of the time defending the pass instead of the run — but regardless of the numbers, the tackling was still poor at times. With plenty of above-average running backs just over the horizon (Clinton Portis, Joseph Addai and Marshawn Lynch), it’s a situation that bears watching.

3. If the Redskins secondary — probably the best the Patriots’ passing game has faced all season — can slow down the New England wide receivers. Led by four first-round draft picks (LaRon Landry and Sean Taylor at safety, Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers at cornerback), Washington’s starting secondary has limited opposing quarterbacks to just a 67.7 passer rating, the best in the league. In addition, they’ve allowed just five passing touchdowns all season, tied for second-best in the NFL. If there’s any team who can truly manage single coverage against Moss, Welker and Stallworth, it might be this group.

4. How many carries Laurence Maroney gets. After missing three games because of injury, the second-year running back had six carries for 31 yards in the win over the Dolphins. With Sammy Morris likely sidelined for another few weeks — and the Colts’ game drawing closer — the Patriots need to start working Maroney back to 100 percent.

5. If the clock starts on Richard Seymour and Troy Brown this week. Head Coach Bill Belichick didn’t offer any sort of insight as to the status of the two veterans at Monday’s press conference. Once they come off the physically unable to perform list, the Patriots have 21 days to activate them, release them or place them on season-ending injured reserve. “I think we’re getting close to that point,” Belichick said of the guys on the PUP list. “Whether that will happen this week or Wednesday or not, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

STAT OF THE WEEK

8. The combined number of Super Bowl rings that Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick and Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs have.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK (tie)

“Guys really liked playing for Herm [Edwards], but I don’t know if I can say the same for Eric [Mangini]. Guys played hard for Herm because they liked him. Guys now are scared. … Eric knows his Xs and Os, but he’s not a motivator. It’s just his way or you’re out of here. Some guys already know they won’t be here next year.” — Unnamed Jets player, speaking with the Newark Star Ledger on Sunday.

“We can’t win in America. Maybe we can win overseas.”—Miami defensive end Jason Taylor, answering a question about the winless Dolphins’ game next week in London against the Giants.

Christopher Price is an award-winning sportswriter who has covered the Patriots since 2001 for Boston Metro. He’s served a contributor to ESPN.com, SI.com, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post and The Miami Herald. He’s written “The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Superpower,” and can be reached at chris@patriotsdaily.com.

Here is a sampling of media reaction following yesterday’s 49-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins:

FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Howie Long on the New England Patriots’ outstanding start: “I think the only person that can stop New England’s offense is the guy whose game plan stopped the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ in Super Bowl XXXVI and also the guy whose game plan sits in Canton, Ohio for stopping the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. That would be Bill Belichick. And I don’t think that’s happening. If this team goes on and wins another championship this year, I think you have to mention Belichick and Tom Brady in the conversation for best ever at what they do.”

Analyst Jimmy Johnson added: “Bill Belichick and myself, we’ve had this discussion about how good they are and I think they are by far, the best team in the NFL since the salary-cap and free agency. But one reason you can’t compare it before that is because teams used to stockpile talent. So you can’t compare the two. The reason they are the best is because Bill Belichick is an outstanding coach. He coaches new players, young players, rookies, free agents and then on top of that, he coaches his coaches. He lost Charlie Weis, he lost Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini. What does he do? He grooms young coaches to take their place.”

Co-host Terry Bradshaw: “In Tom Brady he’s got the best quarterback, the coolest guy under center, and a guy who sees the field and now has weapons. I’ve never seen anything quite like this. The game, the way that he plays on the road, at home, the bigger the game, the better he is and the cooler he is. But, it takes great players to have a great team and I think Belichick would be the first to tell you that.”

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Boomer Esiason on CBS’ The NFL Today: This is the best team that Bill Belichick has ever had. Look at their remaining schedule. They’re going 16-0. I don’t care what you say. There isn’t a team… I’m telling you, I know that Indianapolis has got a really good team. No worries about that. They are the second best team in football. This team, the New England Patriots, from the quarterback to the coach, and let’s not forget one little thing that took place in Week One – it’s called “SpyGate.” Everybody was talking about that smudge or the taint of their Super Bowl. You don’t think this is fueling the fire and inspiring this football team? It is. And I’m telling you, it will not surprise me to see them go 16-0, assuming that their last game of the season means something against the Giants.

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NFL Network GameDay Quotes:

“This team reminds me of the 1994 San Francisco 49ers. We had the number one offense, [a top] defense and in the off-season we loaded up [with new players]. We built up to overtake the Dallas Cowboys just like this team built up [to overtake the Colts].”

– Deion Sanders comparing the 2007 Patriots to his San Francisco 49ers team which won Super Bowl XXIX

“If they don’t have something…it’s a veteran backup quarterback. Maybe Brady plays every game, but this would have been an opportunity for [Matt] Cassel or somebody. They don’t have a Kurt Warner or a Kerry Collins. This would have been an opportunity to give that guy reps in case they ever need him.”

– Steve Mariucci on Patriots

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Here’s a photoshow from yesterday’s game, put together by the Boston Herald:

Here are two ESPN recaps of the game:

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Peter King’s Monday Monrning Quarterback contains all the usual material.

Michael Silver is On the run.

Tom Curran says that the Patriots won’t get caught looking ahead.

Len Pasquarelli says there is a perfect storm brewing for the Patriots.

Steve Silverman says that the presence of the Colts will not allow the Patriots to let down.

Terry Bradshaw thinks the Patriots can go undefeated.

Jarrett Bell has the Patriots headed for new heights.

We’ll be back tomorrow with Chris Price’s Inside Gillette column.

Meanwhile, stir things up in the comments.

by Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

The New England Patriots will try to go 7-0 for the first time in franchise history this afternoon as they travel to Miami for a divisional matchup with the winless Dolphins. Let’s take a spin through the morning papers to see what they think.

In his Pats notebook, the Globe’s Christopher Gasper says Ben Watson and Sammy Morris will miss the game today. Morris is sidelined after having a house fall on him last week, and Watson is on the dole after he was tackled from behind by Dallas’s Roy Williams, an awful little shit who specializes in injuring players far more talented than him by tackling them from behind. Special teams ace Mel Mitchell will also miss another game. Gasper also has a brief visit with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who’s been admiring the Pats from afar. 

Chris continues by looking at Tom Brady’s many struggles in South Florida, pointing out that the Fins are one of the few teams that have been able to combine physical coverage with a strong pass rush when facing the Pats. In his weekly scouting report, Jim McBride says the Pats have it all over Miami today.

Mike Reiss looks at how teams are getting off to a fast start with scripted offenses, including the Patriots, the only team this season to score on every one of its opening drives. Mike, without even cracking a smile, adds comments from Norv “Secret Agent Man” Turner, who knows a little something about scripting plays. Or so he claims. Elsewhere, Reiss considers whether Jason Taylor will continue to be part of the Dolphins’ perpetual rebuilding program as he bears down on some considerable cap numbers next season.

In the Herald, Karen Gurgeian has more on the offensive scripting in her Pats notebook. John Tomase lists five things to look for in today’s game, including which running backs the Pats will use against Miami’s lousy run defense. Speaking of running backs, Tomase has some quick hits on why the Pats are unlikely to call on Corey Dillon if the injury bug continues to tax the New England running backs.

John adds a short, tsk-tsk bit at the end on the Patriots leaving popcorn all over the Texas Stadium carpet last week. This double standard continues to kill me. The rest of the league has been lining up since September to take their shots at the Pats, and the media generally accepts this as amusing filler for their Thursday notes columns. But if New England ever tries to give a little back, even after earning that right on the field, someone will be there to offer a stern lecture about “character” and “class” and roll their eyes about some alleged hypocracy on the part of the Patriots. It’s exhausting.

Tomase wonders if Jason Taylor would consider New England, of all classless places, if he’s ever forced to separate from the Dolpins. John has NFL notes as well, and of course, that means a visit with Lenny Clarke. Natural progression there. Lenny says sports radio is always trying to tear him apart from his pal Bill Belichick, which makes me really glad I don’t listen to sports radio anymore.  

Shalise Manza Young of the ProJo says the Pats have gone from the NFL’s most vilified team to its most watchable. SMY agrees with Jim McBride that the Pats have all the advantages today, and closes out the morning by going up close with the typically quiet Kevin Faulk. The fertile imagination of Jim Donaldson somehow cooks up an imaginary debate between Belichick and Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote. Topic: Do the Dolphins suck? Answer: Yes! Winner? Media!

In Hartford, Courant writer David Heuschkel has Heath Evans saying that if the Pats think too much about 0-6, they’ll be 6-1 when they leave Miami today. Get that, Jim? In Portland, Maine Sunday Telegram beat man Mike Lowe looks at fast learner Wes Welker, who only seems like a career Patriot.

For more news, check patriotslinks.com, and as always, we’ll be around with post-game reaction. Have a good Sunday.

by Greg Doyle
greg@patriotsdaily.com

Big games on tap this weekend that will flush out the BCS standing even further. With Boston College idle, they could move up to #2 with South Florida losing to Rutgers this past Thursday. A loss by Ohio State to Michigan State and the impossible could happen - yes, BC at #1. Of course, they face their own extremely tough game next Thursday at Virginia Tech. The standings will be further subject to change as LSU looks to get back on track at home against Auburn and USC looks to take out Notre Dame after a string of lackluster performances by the Trojans. Should be an interesting weekend.

Kansas at Colorado (5:45 PM ESPN): Kansas remains under the radar at 6-0 and they had an exceedingly easy first four games on their schedule before finally getting an impressive win two weeks ago at Kansas State. They are now up to 15 in most polls and a win here on the road against an improved Colorado team should finally get the pollsters to pay closer attention. Kansas runs an entertaining style of offense under coach Mark Mangino. Colorado is in the second year of a rebuilding program and has made great strides, already knocking off highly ranked Oklahoma this year. This should be a real good game with young talent on both sides. We took a look at Colorado in the September 29th College Scout, so check that out. Let’s take a look at some more players in this game.

Kansas WR Marcus Henry (#86): A solid but far from great player his first few years at Kansas, Henry seems to have taken it to a higher level this season. Has 24 catches during the first six games and is averaging nearly 20 yards per catch, while finding the end zone 3 times. Has good size and the improvement he’s shown this year will impress scouts. He is likely a later round choice as he isn’t a speed burner, but there is potential for him to be a possession receiver and he’ll need to continue to display nice hands to solidify his standing.

Kansas FB Brandon McAnderson (#35): A fullback in the Jayhawks scheme who weighs in at 235 lbs. Has been given the ball a lot more by Kansas this year, racking up 461 yards rushing through the first 6 games. Has not gotten much experience catching the ball, but does flash some potential there. He is a team captain, which is something the Patriots always look for and like to draft. Has been a mainstay for the Jayhawks covering kicks throughout his career. Truthfully, McAnderson almost certainly will not be drafted. But he has an interesting size combination with an ability to run the ball. Throw in special teams skills and some pass catching capabilities and he reminds slightly of former Patriots versatile back Patrick Pass. McAnderson could get a look in someone’s camp and make a team or practice squad. A lot depends on his blocking and ability to show some versatility in what he can bring, but it wouldn’t shock me if he ends up spending years in the NFL and eventually becoming a solid pass-catching fullback type.

Colorado TE Tyson DeVree (#84): A big, athletic tight end who has a knack for finding the end zone. Spent his first two years at Western Michigan where he caught 55 passes. Settling in at Colorado and has 13 catches so far. A pass catcher with good size who has a lot of experience and will get a look. Smart, which is a trait the Patriots look for.

Idaho at New Mexico State (8:00 PM ESPN Game Plan): Believe it or not, there is some NFL-caliber talent in this game, which you’ll only be able to catch if you subscribe to ESPN Game Plan. Idaho is struggling at 1-6 and headed for their 8th straight losing season. New Mexico State sits at 3-4 and seems to be making progress under former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme. Let’s take a look at a few of the players in this game, as some of them could end up in the NFL some day.

Idaho LB David Vobora (#40): The best player on the Vandals shaky defense, Vobora is a sure tackler with NFL size and the quickness and speed to get to the edge. Displays leadership ability and plays hard. Can make plays both in coverage and in the backfield. Team captain. Voted first team All-WAC Conference last year.

Idaho CB Stanley Franks (#6): Was All-WAC Conference as a Junior and had an impressive 9 interceptions, tying for most in the NCAA. Came over last year as a JUCO player. Has only 1 interception so far this year, but teams are avoiding him. A bit too small at around 170 lbs, but he has ball skills and some potential. Can return kicks.

New Mexico State DT Maurice Murray (#45): Very big defensive tackle who came over from a Junior College to start last year. Starting again this year and has racked up 13 tackles so far with 1.5 sacks. Big and strong and weighs as much as 323 lbs with good height, yet plays on the end. This could indicate he has potential to play 3-4 end for the Patriots. Very raw and took a year off from football in 2005. Late round or free agent type, but with size and strength, could fit with the Patriots.

Michigan at Illinois (8:00 PM ABC): Check out the September 8th College Scout for a look at some of the Michigan players to watch and the October 6th College Scout for a look at Illinois. This is a big game for both these teams. Michigan remains undefeated in the Big 10 and still has Rose Bowl aspirations while Illinois suffered their first loss of the season in the Big 10 last week to Iowa, but can get themselves back into the race with a win here.

Michigan LB Shawn Crable (#2): Somewhat unheralded coming into this season, he is moving up the charts by leading Michigan in tackles so far this season. At 6′5″ 245 he has definite NFL 3-4 linebacker potential. Can rush the passer and a solid tackler. Gets out into coverage as well. Seems to be a perfect fit with a 3-4 team like the Patriots. Has 5.5 sacks thru 7 games this year. Runs a good 40 time and with a good Combine, he may start soaring up the charts. Has gotten some consideration as a Butkus Award candidate as the nation’s top linebacker.
 
Michigan S Jamar Adams (#22): A good sized safety who has been productive and a multi-year starter for Michigan. Has 35 tackles with 2 interceptions and 7 pass break ups thru 7 games this season. Has played special teams and been productive there. Very fast and good coverage ability, but also can hit. Should be one of the better safeties in the draft.
 
Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall (#5): A junior, he is having such a good year he may consider coming out. Only 210 lbs, but never seems to go down on first contact. Has some good vision and cutting ability as well. Good around the end zone, he has had one of the better years of any running back in the country. Can catch the ball as well with 21 catches thru 7 games.
 
Illinois FB Russ Weil (#41): A big-bruising throwback fullback type. Probably won’t be drafted, but a good blocker and can catch a pass here and there. May stick with a team looking for a traditional fullback type and this brusing blocker would fit the bill.