By Dan Zeigarnik, Patriots Daily Staff

The young and boisterous 10-2 Patriots have been a pleasure to follow all season long and it’s not just because they got rid of Randy Moss, who suffocated their creative juices, as some radio personalities have been lambasting these past few months. I’m looking at you Felger.

One of the main reasons has to do with the attitude of the fans. Long gone are the days where a Super Bowl trip is preordained. Regular season opponents are not just simple road blocks on the Shermanian March towards the eagerly awaited playoffs. We no longer feel complacent about a victory.

The fan base is energized for every single regular season game and is focused on each upcoming opponent. Every game is either against a very formidable team like the Jets, Stealers and Ravens, or a ‘trap game’ that is easily losable if it is overlooked like Cleveland. In either case the fans know that the Patriots need to bring their A game and play as a unit in all three phases of the game in order to succeed. Fans are nervous about New England’s ability to play on the road and it doesn’t help that the defense most closely resembles a sieve.

This positive nervousness creates tension before the game, the release of which makes a victory all the sweeter. It feels great that 13 games into the season fans are still not thinking about the playoffs. This could obviously change come next year, when the team is more experienced, with more top of the draft picks on board, and come in with elevated expectations. However until then, it’s nice to imagine that the fan base has finally matured to not take anything for granted and to relish the era of unprecedented dominance and to bask in all of its glory. This particular week’s opponent falls into the category of ‘very formidable opponent’ and these 5 matchups are key to another Patriots road win:

Cutler Vs. Patriots Defensive Schemes

Full Disclosure: I had Cutler on my fantasy team last year and he ruined my season, so there is no love lost between us. For all of you who watch The League on FX, I may or may not have thrown my own nativity scene rant from this season’s finale targeted at Mr. Jay Cutler. So it would be great if Belichick’s schemes will confuse Cutler and let him do what he does best, throw interceptions.

Peppers vs. Pats O-line

As you might recall, the Patriots wanted to get their hands on Julius Peppers, but he was too expensive and didn’t want to play in a 3-4 defense. His nickname is the freak and he must be accounted for at all times. Matt Light will have his hands full with this matchup.

Special Teams Play

Last week I threatened to lace up my soccer cleats and displace Shayne Graham myself. He had a decent week against the Jets, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the windy city. I still think that Woodhead or Welker can have kickoffs land past the 7 yard line, something Graham simply cannot do. This week, there is the added headache of Devin Hester, who is always a threat.

Forte and Taylor vs. Spike-less Linebackers

I don’t know if you have heard, but Brandon Spikes is suspended for 4 games for medication that he took without having it Okayed by the training staff. This puts additional pressure on an already porous defense. Hopefully Guyton can step and catch the fleet-footed running back tandem.

Chicago O-line vs. Pats Pass Rush

The Chicago O-line is so bad that that even the Pats anemic rush could do some damage. Lets hope!

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff.

Its been a long, long time since the Patriots played the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, either the new, remodeled one which they’ve never played at or the old one. They played the Bears on the road in 2002, but that game was in Champaign, Illinois at the University of Illinois while Soldier Field was being renovated. Before that, the Patriots played in Chicago at the old Soldier Field last in 2000 in Bill Belichick’s first year. The Bears won 24-17 as Shane Matthews had a big day at QB for the Bears. Overall, the Patriots are 7-3 versus the Bears. The most important one though, the XX Superbowl, of course the Bears won 46-10 in 1986.

This year, the Bears are 9-3. The Patriots are 10-2 coming off a thrashingof the Jets 45-3 on Monday Night. It’ll be interesting if the Patriots can keep up the intensity off that all-time beat down against a good NFC foe. How good the Bears are is uncertain. They haven’t won many games against good teams. But they’re certainly playing sound football and have a lot of good players and if the Patriots do let down, they will have a very long day.

Patriots fans may not know a lot about this opponents since we see them so infrequently, so lets take a look at some key Bears:

Mike Martz, Offensive Coordinator:

Martz and Cutler

Belichick has had some memorable match ups against Martz. The first two were, of course, in 2001 when he first slowed down the Rams a bit in the regular season and then pulled off one of the great coaching games of all-time beating the “Greatest Show on Turf” in Super Bowl 36 in an all-time upset. That game literally sent the Rams “dynasty” spiraling downward and eventually cost Martz, up until that point an alleged offensive genius, his job. In five meetings against teams for which Martz was either head coach or offensive coordinator, Belichick’s Patriots-coached teams are 4-1. They’ve held his teams to games of 24, 17, 22, 21 and 21 points or an average of 21 a game. That’s despite the fact three of those games came against the supposed offensive juggernaut St. Louis.

Martz has done a pretty good job with the Bears in this his first season as their offensive coordinator, though its not really showing up in the statistics. Their scoring is at 20.5 per game (21st in the NFL) compared to 20.4 per game last year (19th in the NFL) and their yards per game is down to 300.3 per game (29th in the NFL) from 310.3 per game last year (23rd in the NFL). Where they have improved is turnovers. Through 12 games, the Bears have only turned it over a total of 16 times which would project out to 20 for the year. Last year, they turned it over 30 times. So an improvement of a projected 10 on the season shows why the Bears are playing better. Their time of possession is up slightly too and its helped the defense. Some good personnel moves and smarter play on offense has helped get their points allowed down to 16 per game from 23.4 per game. But Belichick has usually gotten Martz’ offenses to perform below their normal level. If that can continue, you’d assume the Bears will score less than their normal 20 per game.

Jay Cutler (#6), Quarterback: Coming off a horrendous season in 2009, huge doubts were beginning to surface about Cutler. The Bears paid a tremendous price to acquire him via trade from Denver and then he went out and threw 27 INTs last year. This year, he’s playing better under Martz’ offense. He’s faced the Patriots once under Bill Belichick and that was the Tom Brady injury year of 2008. That day, the Patriots crushed Denver 41-7 and held Cutler to a 64.3 QB rating, well below the 86 he compiled for that entire season. They also held him to only 168 yards throwing and threw two interceptions (to Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders). This season, Cutler has done a better job not forcing the ball into coverage, but in so doing has taken an inordinate number of sacks. In 11 games (he sat out one full game with an injury), Cutler has been sacked 41 times. He hasn’t not been sacked in any game this year. In fact, in only 3 of 11 games has he been sacked less than 3 times. As a result, he’s fumbled 9 times and lost 5 of those to the opponent. Look for Belichick to try to take advantage of this with pressure from all direction and hopefully some balls put on the ground.

Matt Forte (#22), Running Back: Forte is a good, hard runner who does a nice job for the Bears. Not a great talent or dominant back, he does a lot of things well. In some ways, he reminds of BenJarvus Green-Ellis of the Patriots, albeit a faster version. The similarities include hard running and effectiveness in short yardage. For the season, he is averaging 4.2 per carry, the best of his career. He also has 36 catches and is good in that area as well. He does fumble a bit and has done that 10 times in his 3 year career. Stopping him in early downs will put the pressure on Cutler and perhaps lead to sacks and forced throws.

Devin Hester (#23), Wide Receiver/Kick Returner: Hester came to the Bears really without a regular position, but more of a defensive back if on any side of the ball. His real value early in his career was his kick returning. And from day one, Hester has been electric in that area. His rookie year, he returned two kicks and three punts in the regular season for touchdowns. Then he added another kick return for a TD in the postseason to open the Super Bowl versus the Colts. The following season, he had 2 more kicks returned for a touchdown and a remarkable 4 punts for six. Then he went three full seasons with no kicks or punts returned for touchdowns. This coincided with Hester getting more time at a position the Bears worked on converting him to, wide receiver. And he’s done decently there as well. The past three years including this season he’s had 57, 51 and 32 catches. And finally, he’s broken back through for 2 punt returns for touchdowns this year. Hester on offense is essentially a third receiver who plays the slot for the Bears. They actually don’t use him much downfield, despite his speed, but he’s dangerous on slip screens and short routes where he can get in space. As a kick returner, the Bears only use Hester very occasionally, but as a punt returner he’s having a good season with over 15 yards per return in regular duty there and the two touchdowns. Not letting him do damge will be challenging for the Patriots and they’ll need punter Zoltan Mesko to be as good as he has been of late.

Julius Peppers (#90), Defensive End: Peppers was long rumored to be an object of Bill Belichick’s affection as a player. There were rumors for several seasons the Patriots were interested in making a trade for him. Then, when he was a free agent this past offseason, the Patriots reportedly made an offer. However, the Bears blew their offer away and Peppers ended up there. He’s done a good job with his new team. In fact, he was just named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November. The Patriots have only matched up with him twice, once in Super Bowl 38 and then again in 2005. He didn’t have a sack and was pretty inconsequential both games. But obviously he is dangerous. Belichick said this week the Bears occasionally drop him into coverage when you bring extra protection to his side, essentially making the offense waste a player. Peppers has always had a knack for getting his hands up (he is 6’7″) and tipping balls, causing interceptions. Tom Brady obviously needs to pay extra attention to that.

Israel Idonije (#71), Defensive End: I felt it necessary to mention Idonije because he is an unsung, unknown NFL player who is also quite good. He plays the opposite end from Peppers. Idonije has an interesting story. Born in Nigeria, he went with his family to Canada as a child and grew up there. Eventually, he played football in college in Canada after taking it up for the first time as a senior in high school. He bounced around for a few years after college on the Cleveland and Chicago practice squads. He’s been with the Bears regular roster since 2004 as a reserve defensive lineman and special teams player. In 2007, he blocked either field goals or extra points in three consecutive games. This year, he has finally become a full time starter and is having a good year with 37 tackles and 7 sacks. Teams generally focus extra protection on Peppers and this allows Idonije to beat one-on-one blocking. And that is something he is more than capable of doing that as he is a very good pass rusher. The Patriots really need to watch protection this game as this is one of the more dangerous pass rushing teams they’ve faced. Idonije is not only a nice underdog story, but a big part of that pass rush as well.

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Jets come to town Monday night with the same 9-2 record that the Patriots have. The game is big; it’ll likely not only decide the division, but its probably the difference between the number one seed overall in the AFC and a #5 wildcard road for the loser. Have the Jets been lucky or good? Its a tough question, but you have to say good teams find a way to win and the Jets have done that. One could look at the Patriots run of Super Bowls earlier this decade and all the detractors who were constantly carping they were “lucky” or the other team beat themselves.

We as Patriots fans learned then how close the NFL is, its the teams that figure out how to win those close games that are the truly great teams. But on the other hand, I don’t recall during those years, 2001, 2003, 2004, the Patriots winning as many close, literally down to the wire, games against bad opponents as the Jets have. The Patriots had many nip and close wins against good teams, but despite the reputation, usually took care of the bad ones fairly handily. The only close games in 2001 against someone I’d label a bad team were an overtime win against LaDanian Tomlinson’s Chargers, who finished 5-11 and the infamous Buffalo overtime win where David Patten was allegedly knocked out on the sidelines. In 2003 they had only two single digit wins out of fourteen regular season wins over a team that ended with a losing record. In 2004 only three of their fourteen wins came by less than double digits and only one of those against teams with a losing record. So in three championship season, they arguably only had 5 “close” games amongst their 39 regular season wins against losing teams.

In contrast, before last week’s 16 point win against the Bengals, the Jets previous five wins had all come against bad or very bad teams. Two of them went to overtime, others against Houston and Denver they essentially won on the last play of regulation. The only winning team they’ve played since September (Green Bay) they lost to 9-0. Overall they’re 2-2 against teams with current winning records.
So, I don’t think the “lucky” label can be completely dismissed. Give them credit. Good teams find a way to win. But they’re taking it to a new level.

Mark Sanchez (#6), Quarterback: Sanchez has proven himself a bit more since we last looked at him. One area of his game which is somewhat of a surprise and he’s caused damage to opponents with is his mobility. He isn’t really a quarterback who’ll regularly take off and run, though he is quick enough he can do that a bit. And he isn’t mobile in the sense Tom Brady is, where he just steps up or makes slight movements to avoid the rush. Instead, Sanchez seems to run all over the pocket to create time and is at his most effective and accurate finding receivers who come uncovered as he buys extra time. Accuracy is certainly an issue with Sanchez. His 55.2 percent completion rate is the lowest among any quarterback who has started more than 7 of his team’s games besides the immortal Derek Anderson in Arizona. If you can keep Sanchez in the pocket rather than throwing on the move, he is far less effective. Particularly on deeper drops. It seems not just a pass rush is important with Sanchez, but containing the outside so he can’t roll and throw on the run.

LaDanian Tomlinson (#21), Running Back: Tomlinson got off to a very fast start this season, but seems to have slipped back to form as a beat up, aging, marginally effective running back. In his last 6 games, Tomlinson’s stats are 16 carries for 55 yards, 16-54, 15-55, 18-57, 12-36 and 13-49. This is a total of 90 carries for 306 yards or 3.4 per carry. He remains an effective pass catcher. These stats have been piled up despite playing a majority of mediocre defenses against the run during that time. The bottom line is, Tomlinson simply isn’t a great running back anymore. He averaged 3.3 per carry last season for a reason. He wanted to blame the San Diego line, as he often points elsewhere or becomes sour when beaten, but the blame is on him. He is merely a decent pass catching running back now in deep decline. It wouldn’t surprise me if he is sitting on the bench a majority of the time by the time the playoffs roll around and assuming the Jets are in them.

Damien Woody (#67), Tackle: Woody, of course started his career with the Patriots in 1999 and he has a very solid resume to be proud of when it finally comes to an end. Woody was a member of the first two Super Bowl Championships in 2001 and 2003 with the Patriots before leaving for Detroit in free agency in 2004. He’s been a two-time Pro Bowler (2002 and 2005). Woody also went to college at Boston College and then was drafted as a center by the Patriots. He played there most of his time, but problems with the shotgun snap led to occasional switches to guard. In Detroit, Woody mostly played guard. And now with the Jets, Woody has completed the offensive line trifecta by being their regular starting right tackle. Jets coach Rex Ryan calls him the “best run blocking right tackle in the NFL.” He shown toughness in recent weeks by playing with a sprained MCL and will almost certainly play this week versus the Patriots. But perhaps his quickness is diminished just enough one of the Patriots pass rushers can beat him a few times for some sacks.

Calvin Pace (#97), Outside Linebacker: Pace missed the Patriots first matchup with the Jets with a broken foot. He has come back to play in the last 7 games and has 33 tackles to go along with 4 sacks. He had one of his better games last week versus Cincinnati with 7 tackles and a sack as the Jets defense held the Bengals to 10 points. Originally the 18th pick overall for Arizona in 2003, Pace was largely considered a bust early in his career. However, when the team switched him from defensive end to outside linebacker in 2007, his play improved markedly. It was enough to warrant him a 6 year $42 million dollar deal with the Jets in 2008. He’s already been suspended once for banned substance, so one more violation could land him with a year’s suspension. But when he is on the field, he remains a pretty effective outside linebacker the Patriots will have to be gameplan for.

Bart Scott (#57), Inside Linebacker: Scott has had a disappointing two years for the Jets. Always willing to put the spotlight on himself with loud, emotional yelling on the field, he has been unable to duplicate the success he had in Baltimore since coming to New York. He’s been largely overshadowed by his fellow inside linebacker David Harris, who at this point is a far superior linebacker to Scott. In 27 games for the Jets, Scott has gotten 2 sacks, defensed 2 passes and forced 1 fumble. Not exactly playmaking stats from someone who talks so much. And his tackles statistics are exceedingly average for an inside linebacker. Now in his thirties and a bit undersized, it appears Scott’s career has begun its inevitable descent.

Brodney Pool (#22), Safety: Pool was one of this offseason’s big acquisitions, meant to fill the void caused by the Kerry Rhodes trade, who never completely meshed with head coach Rex Ryan or his system. But Pool has largely been a disaster and was benched last week in favor of Eric Smith. Safety play in general has been a problem for the Jets this year and they’ve slipped significantly from their #1 pass defense rankings of last season. Last year they only gave up 8 touchdown passes all year and intercepted 17 passes. This year thru 11 games, they’ve already given up 15 touchdown passes and only intercepted 7 balls. They’re also giving up about 55 more yards per game in the air. Its uncertain if Pool will be back starting this week after Smith put in a decent performance last week in his place. But the middle of the field, where the Patriots now seem more effective with the tight ends and Deion Branch in place and Wes Welker’s health improved, could be a soft spot for the Patriots to attack.

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

Its Thanksgiving and the Patriots are headed towards Detroit. And really, what can be better than Thanksgiving, eating turkey and mashed potato with the family, having a few beers and watching the football. It has to be among the greatest holidays and its certainly my favorite.

A Patriots win would make the turkey taste that much better. If they learned anything from the Cleveland debacle, they’ll be on top of their game from the outset and not let an inferior team get confident. But still, the Patriots are a young team. Despite their record, the Lions are improving and have numerous excellent players. They’re also a much tougher team, lead by Belichick protégé Jim Schwartz at head coach. And they’re probably not going to go down Thursday without a fight.

So lets take a look at some of the key players and factors in the game and Happy Thanksgiving First Impression readers:

Shaun Hill (#14), Quarterback: Hill is filling in for injured starter Matt Stafford, who could be out for the season. Traded to the Lions this past offseason for a 7th round pick, he has done a pretty good job compiling a 80.5 QB rating and a 12 to 9 TD/INT ratio. His career QB rating is 84.8. The problem is, he’s only won one game he has started. Hill does everything adequately. He can move in the pocket, he is over 61% accurate for his career and he puts nice touch on the ball at times. He has a pretty good group of skill players to throw to. While Hill isn’t a great QB, he is capable and could put up a good game versus the Patriots. Really, it wouldn’t surprise me either way because he can be somewhat inconsistent. It would seem if the Pats don’t disrupt him and cause some negative throws on his part early, it could be a long day because he is a rhythm quarterback subject to both hot and cold streaks.

Jahvid Best (#44), Running Back: Best is a somewhat undersized burner of a back, checking in at 199 lbs. He was one of the fastest players in this year’s past draft and the Lions took him with the 30th pick overall in the first round. So far, he has not been very good strictly running the ball, only averaging 3.0 yards per carry. Really, to me, that isn’t that surprising because at his size and with a finesse style it was questionable all along whether he could be a feature back. He clearly has the speed, hands and elusiveness to be a great third down back and change-of-pace back. The Lions may have miscalculated thinking he could carry a full-time load and may have to reach back into the draft high this year for another back. For Thanksgiving, Best could most hurt the Patriots by getting into space in the passing game where he is very dangerous. The Lions do all they can to try and do that as evidenced by his 49 catches through 10 games. He has made some very big plays in that area. So the Patriots really need to watch him out of the backfield and not let him get lost on the backside of misdirection plays, as the Lions are so fond of trying to do.

Calvin Johnson (#81), Wide Receiver:

Calvin Johnson, AKA "Megatron"

Patriots coach Bill Belichick raved about Johnson this week, saying he was virtually uncoverable. He compared trying to cover him to Shaquille O’Neal going for a rebound versus a point guard. Devin McCourty may have to play his best game, and most physical, since coming into the NFL this year to try and neutralize this receiver. Just 25 years old, Johnson has it all….a 6’2″ 235 frame, strength, hands and 4.35/40 speed. It makes one wonder how productive he could be if the Lions ever found a consistent running game. His nickname is Megatron, reflecting how he is liable to go off at any moment. It was just a little more than 3 weeks ago Johnson pulled in three touchdowns in a single game and if the Patriots allow a similar performance against their sometimes shaky secondary, they may just get upset. He is that much of a game changer.

Ndamukong Suh (#90), Defensive Tackle: Suh was the second player taken overall this past draft and so far he has lived up to the hype with 7 sacks thru 10 games and by being very disruptive and stout versus the running game. The Patriots interior line, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly, have their toughest test this week to deal with his pure brute strength. I am a big fan of Suh in that he is supremely talented, but also brings ferocity and intensity to a defense when he plays. It hasn’t quite paid off in wins and the Lions defense hasn’t gelled yet, but they are very physical. They are capable of stretches of great play. They may be a few players away, but on Thanksgiving they always seem to rise to perform well and Suh’s biggest showcase game so far is at hand. If the Patriots come to play, or not come to play, as they did in Cleveland, you’ll see Suh hitting Tom Brady all day long.

DeAndre Levy (#54), Linebacker: Levy is an underrated, energetic, sure tackling middle linebacker who has been hurt most of the year but is now back starting. He started 10 games for the Lions as a rookie and was on his way to taking the next step in his game this year when injuries slowed him down. He could be a major factor in stopping BenJarvus Green-Ellis and he has the speed to run with Danny Woodhead. With Suh in front of him, it frees him up to be a playmaker. How the Patriots handle him will help tell the story how productive their running backs are both carrying the ball and in the passing game.

Dave Rayner (#3), Kicker: Filling in for the injured, long-time Lions kicker Jason Hanson, Rayner is a bit unproven and if he becomes a factor in the game it may spell trouble for the Lions. He does have a big leg and indoors can get it fairly consistently deep in the endzone on kickoffs. He can hit the occasional 45+ yard field goal. But he’s just been too inconsistent so far in his NFL career. Beyond 50, he’s a mere 1-5 in the NFL. Overall, he’s a mere 71.4 percent kicker and has missed 6 of 19 between 30-39. If it comes down to a big kick, I’d give it even money at least he misses.

Thanksgiving Day Football: The Lions are truly one of the more storied franchises in NFL history. Or at least they were. You look at them now, playing in a Dome, with a traditionally bad team, in a dying, decaying city and winless two seasons ago and its easy to forget that. But there was a time they were the NFL gold standard. They were something of a dynasty in the 50′s, winning three NFL Championships that decade. They have four overall. They have a long, long list of legendary players who’ve suited up for them. And they’ve been, along with Dallas, a traditional home team on Thanksgiving for the NFL. Overall, they’re 33-35 on Turkey Day, having lost six straight years.

But it seems to me, many times over the years watching them on that day they were competitive that day even with their worse teams. Of course their are exceptions, for example they’ve lost the last six years by scores of 34-12, 47-10, 37-26, 27-10, 27-7 and 41-9. So perhaps I’m remembering back to the Barry Sanders years. Its been awhile since they’ve actually pulled an upset or even played close. But still, something inside me says they are improving, have lost a lot of tough games this year and in the second year of Coach Jim Schwartz program, they’ll want to re-establish themselves as a tough out on the one day the entire football watching nation always watches them. The Patriots beat them on Thanksgiving 20-12 back in 2002 in what I remember to be a fairly closely fought game. And given all this, I’m anticipating a tougher than expected game this year as well.

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Patriots jump out of the frying pan of Cleveland and into the fire of Pittsburgh this coming Sunday after getting absolutely physically manhandled by the Browns last week and losing 34-14.

If physical teams that like to pound the ball are going to be a problem for the Patriots, there is probably no worse team in the NFL to face the right now than Pittsburgh. Maybe. Because perhaps on the other hand, there is no better team to face. If they have a problem with physical, running play, why not just get it out there and see if they’ve corrected it or not versus the best? That’s the test for the Patriots this week. Can they bounce back and handle a team that is good at tough, physical play on both sides of the ball and who wants to pound it at them on defense and is likely licking their chops seeing how they wilted against such play last week? If not, they have other physical teams who’ll try to replicate the Browns going forward such as the Jets, Lions and Dolphins. And many more if they make it to the playoffs.

Wes Welker Would Like To Avoid Another Close Up With Ryan Clark

If the Pats can stand up to Pittsburgh and counterpunch a bit themselves physically, well then, perhaps last week was just an aberration that is now behind them. Teams will have to think twice about what they’re gonna do. This very well could be the pivotal game for the Patriots this season whether they’re going to be a top team or merely a decent team. Lets look at some of the key Steelers they’ll face this week:

Ben Roethlisberger (#7), Quarterback: Big Ben, as he is known, is back after starting the season with a 4 game suspension following a host of personal problems. As most football fans know, Roethlisberger was accused at least twice of rape in recent years and at the very least appears guilty of very bad judgment. There were rumors of additional women who had claims against him who didn’t come forward as well. Fans and associates alike were quick to jump on the Big Ben Bashing Bandwagon in the wake of his scandals with reports of years of boorish behavior, arrogance, stupidity and an all around jerk-like persona from the Steelers QB. The hypocritical thing is Ben always tried to pass himself off through college and coming into the NFL as a God-fearing religious type from a very strict Christian family. Now Ben is back again, reformed, so he says. He tells us once again he has changed and is the God-fearing, Christian humble athlete he once professed to be but he really, really means it this time. Whatever. Not much of that is a concern to the Patriots. He’s back playing and his game hasn’t changed much. On the field, he is a big, physical quarterback who may be the toughest QB to actually get to the ground after hits in the NFL. Ben makes a lot of plays bouncing off of hits, breaking away from sacks, alluding coverage and he can throw quite well on the run. The Patriots have had some success against him and Roethlisberger has had his successes against New England as well. He does occasionally make really dumb decisions and can get on a cold streak at times. He’s also prone to get hot. The most important thing with him is not to let him run around. If you have a chance to wrap him up, you have to do it because if he breaks away he’ll likely make a play to a receiver whose man can’t cover him as long as required.

Rashard Mendenhall (#34), Running Back: Mendenhall was the Steelers #1 draft choice out of Illinois in 2008. At Illinois, Mendenhall had a good but not great year up until his last year there when he exploded for over 1,600 yards. After an injury shortened first year in the NFL, last year Mendenhall started to come into his own with an 1,100 yard season. He’s continued to improve this year and is a very dangerous running back who hits the hole as fast as any back I’ve seen in recent years. He really usually is at full speed by the time he is finished taking a handoff or pitch and its concerning for the Patriots given how they handled another big, hard running back last week in Peyton Hillis of Cleveland, which is to say not well. If anything, Mendenhall is more talented than Hillis and more of a threat. He is also improving and becoming above average as a receiver as well. One negative to Mendenhall’s game is he has had a past fumbling problem, but reportedly has worked hard to overcome it. He may be running behind a banged up offensive line. Left tackle Max Starks is out for the year and has been placed on IR. He’ll likely be replaced by former Bill Jonathan Scott who the Patriots usually had their way with when he was in Buffalo. Frankly, he’s not that good. Guard Chris Kemoeatu also was hurt Monday versus Cincinnati and could be out. Center Maurkice Pouncey got hurt Monday as well, but returned later in the game and should play Sunday. All this could affect Mendenhall’s effectiveness.

Mike Wallace (#17), Wide Receiver: Wallace is a very fast receiver averaging an amazing 23 yards per catch. He has quickly made the Steelers forget about Santonio Holmes, who was traded to the Jets this offseason. Wallace, who went to Ole Miss, gives the Steelers 60 minutes of stretch the field ability and game breaking type plays. Reportedly he runs a 4.33/40. In a year and a half of action, Wallace has produced 11 touchdowns so he is obviously a big playmaker. The Patriots defense this year has focused on preventing big plays and making teams beat them on offense with a consistent, if conservative, approach. Taking away the deep option for Roethlisberger that he has in Wallace will be a priority. They’ll like give whomever is on him help over the top with a safety. If Wallace is still able to make plays Sunday, its a sure sign the defense has simply failed to execute again this week and will probably lead to a long day for the Patriots defense.

Maurkice Pouncey (#53), Center: Pouncey is the Florida player who got away. Just a terrific center on the Gators recent teams, he is known as a team leader, tough guy, smart center and just all around tremendous player. There was even some talk of the Steelers making him a captain, which is unheard of for a rookie player. You’d have to think the Patriots liked him, but simply couldn’t get him and take Devin McCourty as well. Corner was a bigger need. But Pouncey could have played guard for a time as well. In any event, the Steelers have themselves a great player and anchor of their line going forward for probably a decade or more. The good news for the Patriots? Pouncey’s twin brother, Mike Pouncey, is now a senior at Florida and just about as good as Maurkice was there. Mike played guard while Maurkice was still at Florida, but has moved over to his brother’s center spot this season. The Patriots will like that position flexibility and could possible target the brother in this year’s upcoming draft.

Ziggy Hood (#96), Defensive End: Hood was the Steelers first round pick in 2009 and many are beginning to wonder if it was a rare Steeler draft swing and miss. Whether it was or not, we’re about to find out as Hood’s playing time will be extended going forward with usual starting end Aaron Smith likely out for the season. This year, Hood only has 6 tackles thru 8 games and no sacks despite starting the last two. The reviews have been mixed of his first two starting appearances. Without Smith and with a unproven Hood and some other aging players on the Steelers defensive line, they’re not what they used to be amongst the front three. Their linebackers are still very tough to run on however, but there is at least enough of a crack beginning to show there perhaps the Patriots can run just enough to keep the Steelers a bit honest and open things up in the passing game. Hood stepping his game up significantly would be an important way for the Steelers to prevent that, but the jury remains out if he’s a player or a bust.

Ryan Clark (#25), Safety: When the Patriots last saw the Steelers in 2008, Clark came up with a memorable hit on Wes Welker that pretty much set the tone for the Patriots blowout loss that day. Some on the Patriots weren’t happy with the hit and felt it was dirty. Clark wasn’t fined, however, and trying to figure out what’s a legal hit and what’s good solid defense in Roger Goodell’s convoluted NFL these days is nearly impossible. Still, the Patriots may be looking for payback on Clark, a player with at least some reputation for dirty play. There is no doubt Clark is a hitter and causes fear amongst receivers and if an offensive player gets a chance to light him up in return, they’d be more than happy to. Clark suffers from sickle cell anemia and after a game in Denver in 2007 had to have both his spleen and gallbladder removed due to negative affects from the thin air. He lost thirty pounds following the surgeries, but has regained his former level of play in the years since. When the Steelers travel to Denver, however, Clark does not go any longer.

We did something a little different this week, as the Cleveland sports blog Waiting For Next Year contacted us and asked for some input on today’s game.

Chris Warner obliged, and the result is on their post The Browns Will Win If…

Chris’ contribution is telling the Browns fans how the Patriots will win the game if…

You get the idea. Check out their site, and perhaps join in the discussion.

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Patriots travel to Cleveland this week in an AFC matchup against a young, but dangerous team, playing at home.

The Browns have lost some close games, three by one score or less, and beaten some tough foes like the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints on the road. While I don’t usually buy into the “trap game” thing, any team is capable of beaten any other any week, if there is such a thing, its this week. The Patriots are riding high at 6-1 with the best record in the NFL. They have two huge games coming up against traditional rivals after Cleveland out on the road against Pittsburgh and back at home against Indianapolis. Cleveland is 2-5 and likely starting a rookie quarterback. If this young Patriots team has really learned how to take things one game at a time as Bill Belichick preaches, we should know this week based on how prepared they are versus Cleveland.

Mangini Appears To Be Leaning Towards Starting Colt McCoy Again This Sunday

Colt McCoy (#12), Quarterback: McCoy is a rookie this year after coming out in the draft following a highly successful career at the University of Texas. Cleveland ended up taking McCoy in the third round and it was a fairly big surprise he went that low. Most had him at least in the second and at least possibly in the first round. McCoy doesn’t overwhelm you in any one area, but he has more wins than any quarterback in Division I history. And in the Browns last game, just McCoy’s second NFL start, he helped pull off a startling win at Super Bowl Champion New Orleans. This week against the Patriots will be his first home game. McCoy has played pretty well, all things considered, in his first two road starts accumulating a not terrible 76.5 QB rating. McCoy is a smart quarterback. He won’t force throws, he moves around the pocket and is accurate. He doesn’t have an overly strong arm, but he knows what he is doing. He’s still a rookie, so if things start going south it could fall apart for him, but on the other hand if he plays well early he is smart enough to manage the Browns to a victory over the Patriots.

Peyton Hillis (#40), Running Back: Cleveland appears to have gotten a steal in acquiring Hillis this year from Denver. Denver traded a 6th round pick in 2011, a conditional pick in 2012 and Hillis to Cleveland for Brady Quinn. So far, all Hillis has done is lead Cleveland in rushing with 460 yards through 7 games with 5 touchdowns and 27 catches on top of that. Largely used as a fullback in college at Arkansas, Hillis has shown elusiveness, speed and power that is surprising for his 6’2″ 250 lb. frame. He is a bit more of a power back than anything and generally this type of back the Patriots have historically handled better, but one place he could hurt them is out of the backfield. He has good skills in that area of his game. Hillis did have a strained calf for a couple games, but is now reportedly 100%. Containing him could go a long way towards the Patriots forcing the young McCoy to throw and really getting Cleveland out of its game plan.

Benjamin Watson (#82), Tight End: Watson, of course, is the former Patriots first round pick who never lived up to his potential in his six seasons here. A first round pick, big things were always expected of Watson, but he never reached the levels hoped for in New England. Its not that he was a horrible tight end, he did catch 165 passes and score 20 touchdowns his last 5 years with the Patriots, he just wasn’t first round level. Had he been picked in the third round, he’d probably be considered a solid draft pick. But as the last pick of the 2004 first round, he was always burdened with expectations. He occasionally had big games, such as the opener last year versus Buffalo. He is remembered for an exceptional hustle play in the playoffs versus Denver following the 2005 season. But on the downside, he’d follow up good catches with easy drops. He got dinged up a lot and was occasionally inconsistent as a blocker. He’s actually on pace for over 60 catches in his first season in Cleveland, which would easily represent his best year and what was hoped for in New England, if he keeps it up. In general, he was a pretty good soldier his time here. He seemed well liked by his teammates and gave at least an acceptable, if disappointing, six years of performance. Both sides have moved on. The Patriots have drafted young, promising tight ends who are producing and Watson seems to have fit in well in Cleveland. As a Patriots fan, I wish him well. Just not this week.

Scott Fujita (#99), Linebacker: Fujita came over to the Browns from New Orleans this offseason as a big acquisition and a defensive captain on a Super Bowl Champion. So far, he has produced for Cleveland with 44 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles. Those are very solid numbers for a linebacker thru 7 games. Cleveland has utilized Fujita quite a bit on the edge in their 3-4 defense and there is talk he could be headed to his first Pro Bowl season. Fujita is a good player who has some speed as an edge rusher. As the Patriots have occasionally struggled versus these types of players, Fujita is someone the Patriots will have to find a way to help out on should either tackles struggle containing him early.

T.J. Ward (#43), Safety: Another rookie, Ward has developed into one of the harder hitting safeties in the NFL already. He has made a big impact for the Browns as a second round choice. He played his college ball at Oregon where he was teamed with Patriots safety and his friend Patrick Chung for a time at safety. Ward and Chung are a lot alike, good athletes, tough, physical, smart and energetic safeties who are going to punish receivers if given the chance. Mike Holmgren seems to have done a good job in the draft his first year in Cleveland and Ward was certainly a find at safety. One that may eventually end up matched up again someday with Chung in the Pro Bowl. For this week, Patriots receivers should be wary, because he’ll be looking to make a play and sting them if he can’t.

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

It is Halloween night and into Foxborough come the Minnesota Vikings and their cast of unique characters which includes Head Coach Brad Childress, Quarterback Brett Favre and former Patriots receiver Randy Moss. The struggling Vikings, who many experts had as a Super Bowl contender, may of course be without Favre as he is in danger of his first missed start in many, many years.

Childress and Moss will be there, however, along with a lot of other talented Vikings players. There is no doubt this team has many quality NFL players. They are better than their 2-4 record. And they are very dangerous to the Patriots. Any loss, even to an NFC team, could be the difference in the Patriots division as its likely to be very, very close between them and the Jets the rest of the way in the AFC East.

It is Halloween night. Moss returns. Favre’s a question. You have one of the best running backs in the NFL to contend with. Head coach Childress made suggestive comments about the Patriots and there has never been any love lost between him and Patriots coach Bill Belichick anyway. And the Patriots, despite a win last week, need to right their ship on offense after a very down week for them. It should be a compelling game.

The Patriots Should Be Prepared For The Running Ability of Jackson.

Tarvaris Jackson (#7), Quarterback: Jackson was selected in the 2nd round in 2006 to be the quarterback of the future for the Vikings. At the time, there were wildly differing opinions on Jackson, who is known to his teammates as “T-Jack.” Some felt he had a lot of talent, excellent arm, good size and mobility and could be developed into an excellent NFL quarterback despite playing at a low level of college ball. But the majority seemed to feel he lacked the necessary ingredients to be a top QB and that the Vikings severely reached in taking him in the second round.

While they may have thought they were getting the next Daunte Culpepper/Randall Cunningham, most seemed to feel he wasn’t and never would be in their league talent-wise. Brad Childress, then in his first season, was particularly interested in Jackson and thought to be largely behind the selection. Early in his rookie year, Jackson took over late in a blowout loss for a struggling starter Brad Johnson, who had thrown four interceptions that day. After the game, Jackson was asked if he was ready to take over as starter to which Jackson replied “Not really. We still have a chance at the playoffs.” This created a minor stir in Minnesota about Jackson’s competitiveness. In 2007, his second season, Jackson did start 12 games and led the team to an 8-4 record in those games. But his 70.8 passer rating suggested the team won despite him that year and the team missed the playoffs. Two games into the 2008 season, Childress benched Jackson in favor of veteran Gus Frerotte. After Frerotte was again injured late in the year, Jackson came in again as the starter and played well, even earning NFC Player of the Week Honors one game. But with Frerotte still out, Jackson starter the Vikings wildcard playoff game and again was back to playing terribly in a loss at home.

Since the beginning of the 2009 season, Jackson has served as Brett Favre’s backup. Jackson at times has played well. He never seemed to get a full opportunity to grow as a starter in the NFL before being benched. He did put up pretty good numbers in the games he played in 2008, playoff performance not withstanding. Now having sat for essentially two years, he may get a chance to start this week or at least play depending on Brett Favre’s injured ankle. It seems probable Jackson will play and unlikely Favre could get thru a whole game. This could present problems for the Patriots. Jackson is mobile, has a good arm, played well at times and has had a chance to learn from the sidelines for quite awhile now. Sometimes when a player comes in after a layoff like that, it takes some adjustment time for opponents to learn his game again. It would almost seem with Favre struggling anyway, and now hurt, it would actually improve the Patriots prospects for Sunday if he played instead of Jackson.

Adrian Peterson (#28), Running Back: Peterson is, of course, the Vikings best player and an elite running back. He has to be considered among the two best at the position in the entire NFL, along with the Titans’ Chris Johnson. He has it all; speed, power, size, hands out of the backfield – everything. He has had a tendency to fumble in past years, but so far this year he has improved and it hasn’t been a problem. The Patriots have done a pretty good job against the run this season, but this will be their biggest test. In addition to the run game, Peterson really can break some long plays on swings and screens out of the backfield. The Patriots have used rookie linebacker Dane Fletcher in coverage a lot in the past few weeks and he has done a good job. But this will be a huge test for him and you can be sure the Vikings will want to exploit any matchup of their All-Pro running back being covered by an undrafted rookie linebacker.

Randy Moss (#84), Wide Receiver: Moss, who was just traded weeks ago, returns to Foxborough to play against the team he put up one of the greatest statistical years for a receiver in NFL history just a few short years ago. He’ll know the spotlight is on him and he also knows the Patriots defensive backs very well. He spent the entire summer practicing against them, or in some cases several years. Patriots coach Bill Belichick always said Moss was amongst the smarter players he’s coached, so the knowledge he’s gathered of the Patriots defense through the years, I’m sure he will use to his advantage. It is Halloween and it should be a wild scene with Moss masks and costumes populating the crowd. The Vikings have a lot of weapons and the Patriots defensive backs are still young and a bit banged up. If they hope to avoid a very scary scene, they’ll need to find a way of dealing with Moss while not ignoring all the other Viking options. Perhaps the best hope would be a solid amount of pressure and seeing if Devin McCourty can be competitive on his own and without too much help with Moss in the early drives.

Jared Allen (#69), Defensive End: The Patriots struggled with some speed rushers last week and this has been a periodic problem for Patriots left tackle Matt Light. Light has generally done an extraordinary job for now into his 10th year protecting Tom Brady’s blind side. In many ways, he’s a completely underrated player. But, one area of problem for him is the occasional speed rusher who is so quick, Light can’t use his trademark strength and technique to get properly engaged quickly enough all the time. The now-retired former Buffalo Bill Aaron Schobel was one guy like that who gave Light fits. Some speed rushers Light has done well with, such as Dwight Freeney. While Freeney is quick, I think he’s not quite as fast as guys like Schobel, Jason Taylor and Allen. He just has a variety of moves and some strength. So he is different. But Allen could cause problems as he fits the mold of the type Light struggles with. And you won’t find a more productive defensive end as Allen has been voted All-Pro three seasons running now. Going back and looking at Allen’s matchups versus the Patriots, he’s faced them only two times. As a rookie in 2004 with Kansas City he had 4 tackles and 1 sack. In 2005 with KC he had 1 tackle an 1 sack in a Kansas City win during which Tom Brady was under a lot of pressure. Two sacks in two games is a bit worrisome given the Patriots struggles last week. One thing to watch for, however, is that Allen is off to a very slow start for him. He only has 1 sack thru 6 games after racking up 45.5 over the last 46 games he’d played going into this season. Still, slowed or not, the Patriots better give Light some help or it could be a very long day for Tom Brady.

Chris Cook (#31), Cornerback: The rookie Cook was the Vikings second round pick this year and reportedly the Patriots showed some interest in him pre-draft. He is a big kid who played for Al Groh in college. He also tested quite well athletically at the combine and has good speed and strength. At times this year, Cook has been the nickel back for the Vikings and has really struggled. With the Vikings losing one of their better corners for the year recently in Cedric Griffin, finding guys back here has been a problem. The way the Patriots like to spread out the field, particularly against the Vikings who typically play tough run defense, their could be a lot of matchups for Tom Brady to exploit if he gets the time. Cook was abused repeatedly by the Packers last week and ended up benched for part of the game, but the Vikings don’t have a ton of alternate options. One of their better remaining veteran corners after Antoine Winfield, Lito Sheppard, has a broken hand and didn’t play last week. Its a question whether he can go this week, but should be limited even if he does. So the Vikes are going to have to rely on young corners such as Cook and the Patriots will likely be able to make some plays on them.

Top 5 Matchups for the Chargers Game:

Coming off of a wonderful morale-boosting win against the Baltimore Ravens, the Patriots take their young team on the road to sunny San Diego. There they will face an underperforming yet dynamic team with its back against the wall. Look for these matchups this week as the Patriots try to improve to an impressive 5-1.

Even Slowed By Injury, Antonio Gates Is Tough To Handle

Chargers Desperation vs. Patriots Let Down

The Chargers are a very talented team and are always dangerous. Don’t listen to anybody who thinks that the Patriots will just walk all over them. This game is on the road and the Chargers are going to play with a sense of urgency that will be hard to match. Confounding the problem is that the Patriots, having defeated the vaunted Ravens could be due for a letdown. This is uncharacteristic for a Bill Belichick coached team, but the team is young and that makes their emotional state unpredictable.

Gronkowski and Hernandez vs. Chargers Secondary

These two dynamic Tight Ends are continuing with their impressive rookie campaigns. Hernandez had a few bad drops late in the game against Baltimore, but it was just two isolated bad drops and nothing to be too concerned about. If the trend continues, then we may fear that he has hit a rookie wall of sorts. However, until then, look for Coach O’Brien to try to find these two elusive Tight Ends in the flat.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. Chargers Linebackers

BenJarvus Green-Ellis followed up an impressive performance against Miami with a poor game versus Baltimore. It wasn’t all his fault, as the Ravens defense has always been good against the run, and the Patriots stayed with the hot hand, Danny Woodhead. However, the Patriots will need to establish the run today in order to keep the Chargers Linebackers honest.

Brandon Meriweather vs. Antonio Gates

Brandon made the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons. Now, he will have his hands full with Antonio Gates who is always a formidable opponent even if he is hampered with a bad toe. Since Meriweather can no longer launch himself like a torpedo, maybe he will focus his energy on trying to bat down the pass.

Deion Branch vs. Secondary

Deion Branch was a bona fide star when he was with the Patriots and he returned with a huge bang. Look for him to continue running crisp routes and getting into coverage gaps where Brady can find him.

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

In the wake of the Randy Moss trade, Boston Herald football writer Ron Borges reacted to those who held the opinion that in some ways it could make the team better, whether it be in style or toughness, or whatever by loudly screaming “THERE IS NO NUMBER HIGHER THAN ONE!!! THERE IS NO NUMBER HIGHER THAN ONE!!!” Of course, Ron has long since been disgraced as a journalist by getting nabbed for plagiarism some years ago. And he’s generally considered a raving lunatic who has been proven time and time again to have little to no football acumen. But the point he was trying to make, apparently and albeit with dreadful debating skills, was that the Patriots ranked number one in offense at the time of the Moss trade, so how could they possibly be better?

It was a crude point, one which Ron preferred to make by simply screaming the above repeatedly rather than with some kind of thoughtfulness he’s probably incapable of. But nevertheless, its a point worth pondering. The simple answer is things aren’t that black and white. Heck, if the Patriots had been playing Somerville High while another team was playing the Steelers, I’d expect they’d rank number one. If they have one game, like last year, where they score 59 points and others where they score 17 over and over, well the stats might get skewed. There are a variety of reasons why there could be more to the story, and more worth contemplating, than simply screaming over and over “THERE IS NO NUMBER HIGHER THAN ONE!!!”

The San Diego Chargers, who the Patriots will meet this week in Southern California, are the ultimate example of this. Even Ron Borges, as demented as he is, would have a difficult time with his “argument” when looking at the Chargers. Why? Because they are “number one” in both offense and defense the way the NFL ranks these things. Number one in both. In addition to that, They’ve thrown for more yards than any other team and average 4.3 running it. On defense, they’ve given up less passing yards than any other team, only 3.7 per rush and are 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 21. And yet, the San Diego Chargers are 2-4. If presented with these numbers, a simpleton like Ron Borges’ head might explode. But really, it just proves the point. Rankings don’t necessarily equal wins. And there are a lot of numbers higher than 2 wins when you’ve played six games. Yet, those are the facts. Ranked number one in offense and defense, yet 2-4 record.

That’s who the Patriots will be playing this Sunday. So lets take a look at some of the key players for San Diego to this week’s game.

Philip Rivers (#17), Quarterback: As a Patriots fan, I don’t particularly like Rivers. I think he is a whiner, sore loser and sulks too much for a professional athlete. And he’s never led his team to its potential in the post-season. But my respect for him did grow by leaps and bounds when he played in the AFC Championship Game after the 2007 season against the Patriots with a torn ACL. This was on a very cold day. He gutted it up, played decently and even the Patriots took their hat off to him. And believe it or not, his career 96.3 QB rating ranks second all-time to Steve Young. Even higher than Tom Brady’s. For this year, Rivers has a 100.7 rating which if it continues would be the third consecutive season Rivers has a 100+ rating. He’s completed 62.3% of his passes and has a 12-5 TD/INT ratio. He’s not that mobile and has been sacked 18 times, but he is a very good quarterback who’ll be playing at home and the Patriots at times have struggled versus the pass this season. So, he is obviously a key player in the game who if he gets hot, could cause a very long day for New England.

Chargers Rookie RB Ryan Mathews

Ryan Mathews (#24), Running Back: Mathews was the second running back taken in last year’s NFL Draft taken at #12 overall. Mathews attended Fresno State (and incidentally shares the same agent as the Patriots Logan Mankins) and had a good, if pedestrian, career there up until his last season. Mathews, who was not considered a top recruit coming out of high school, was born to a single mom who was 16 when she had him and was abandoned by his father before he was born. Mathews has only seen his father a couple times in his life. As a senior, Mathews really progressed and seemed to pick up size and speed that brought him to the next level of player. He tested well at the combine and worked himself from a relatively smaller program to a 1st round pick. He’s off to a solid start to his NFL career, averaging over 5 yards per carry. He did miss two games to an ankle injury that some reports have him still slightly slowed by. One thing to watch, he lost fumbles in both of his first two NFL games, so perhaps that is an area the Patriots can look to exploit. He is merely an average receiver out of the backfield and the Patriots need not pay any particular special attention to him in that area of the game.

Malcolm Floyd (#80), Wide Receiver: With San Diego’s top receiver, Vincent Jackson unsigned, the Chargers have turned to Floyd to become their go-to wide receiver. So far this season, he has responded spectacularly. Two weeks ago, Floyd put up an incredible 213 yard receiving performance. He had only had 2 previous 100 yard days since coming into the league in 2004, so it was a sign that Floyd really has blossomed into a true #1 receiver. But unfortunately for him and the Chargers, Floyd hurt his hamstring this past Sunday and it appears likely he won’t play versus the Patriots. If he can’t go, the Chargers will have to make due with their other receivers such as Patrick Crayton, Buster Davis and Legedu Naanee. Its an area to keep an eye on whether Floyd will be able to get on the field or not and could affect how well the Patriots are able to handle San Diego’s highly ranked passing attack.

Antonio Gates (#85), Tight End: Gates is the best receiving tight end in the NFL and off to a spectacular start this year, perhaps the best start of his career. Using Gates, the Chargers would still have the formidable presence of Gates for Patriots pass defenders to deal with even if Floyd were out. But, like Floyd, Gates was also injured Sunday and it is uncertain whether he will be able to go either. Initial reports on Gates however, appear more favorable than on Floyd and after a MRI yesterday, the Chargers are hopeful he’ll suit up. The injury has been determined to be a sprained toe and if Gates can deal with pain, he should be able to play. On the field, he is as dangerous a seam receiver as the league has ever seen. Good around the endzone, he’ll challenge the Patriots safeties’ coverage abilities and he’ll certainly make his share of plays regardless of how well the Patriots play on defense. He is just that good. If the Patriots can at least limit his damage, that is all you can really ask for as he will get his catches one way or the other.

Antonio Garay (#71) Defensive Tackle: Garay is an interesting story to Bostonians because way back in the day, he was a star defensive lineman for Boston College. Something happened with Garay, though the story has never exactly been clear. A truly dominant college player, he seemed to be drafted lower than he should be in the 6th round when he came to the NFL in the 2003 draft. Garay lasted one season as a rarely-playing rookie with Cleveland in 2003,  and then appeared to be out of the league for good. After last playing in a NFL game on December 21, 2003, suddenly Garay reappeared with the Chicago Bears nearly three years later, getting into a game October 8, of 2006. He appeared in ten games over the 2006 and 2007 seasons for the Bears before being let go again. He didn’t play at all in 2008. Midway thru the 2009 season, Garay, who was now almost 30 years old and had played in 14 NFL games since 2003 and hadn’t even been under contract since following the 2007 season, once again suddenly reappeared in a comeback tryout and earned a spot on the New York Jets practice squad in October. In December, the Chargers signed him off the Jets practice squad and he got in a couple games for them towards the end of the year. Now, here in 2010 and with Garay to turn 31 next month, he has finally become a starter for the Chargers and racked up 17 tackles and his first two NFL sacks. That’s a true story of perseverance for him and with a local angle. I will try to make a point to watch this guy, who I remember as dominant in college to see how he is doing.

Kevin Burnett (#99), Linebacker: Burnett is another story of perseverance for a Charger defender. A second round pick for Dallas in 2005 out of Tennessee, his career has largely been considered a disappointment and he’d been considered a bust up until this season. A fast, quick, smaller coverage linebacker, Dallas mostly used him inside as a coverage linebacker in his time there. This year, his second with the Chargers, he’s finally become a full-time starter as the Chargers use him outside and are giving him a chance to be a playmaker as a blitzer. He’s responded with 5 sacks thru 6 games. A fast guy, he could give Matt Light some trouble on the edge. He also does drop into coverage some and has an interception and 4 passes defended. He’s an able tackler. Now 27 years old, it seems Burnett has finally found his niche with the Chargers and giving them the dual outside linebacker threat (along with Shaun Phillips) they had when Shawne Merriman was healthy. He’ll certainly be a guy the Patriots will have to account for as a pass rusher and cover guy on passing downs.