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Patriots no longer shocked by Dolphins' wildcat (AP)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:05:52 PST

Vince Wilfork had a quick reaction when he first lined up against Miami's strange formation: Huh? "It was shocking," New England's nose tackle said. "We really didn't know what they were doing." The Dolphins were doing the wildcat, unpacking it for the first time when they visited Foxborough in the third game last season.

Patriots Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:59:19 PST

With the bye week over and a new challenge on the horizon, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is through reflecting and ready to move on to the second half of the season, which promises to be a tough test as New England aims for a playoff berth.

Boston is a tough place to play for any professional athlete and even one as successful as Brady is not immune to criticism. Brady has had his share of cheers and jeers this season as he battles with consistency and control issues in the aftermath of undergoing major knee surgery, but he still feels lucky to be regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed athletes in the region.

"I haven't heard a whole lot of criticism," Brady said.

Patriots release G Kendall Simmons after using him in 1 game this season (The Canadian Press)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:14:00 PST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots have released guard Kendall Simmons.

Patriots release former Steelers G Simmons (AP)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:47:03 PST

The New England Patriots have released guard Kendall Simmons. Friday's move came after Simmons was inactive for six of his seven games with the team. He played only on special teams on Oct. 18 in a 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans. Simmons, 30, signed with the Patriots on Sept. 6 after being waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Is the NFL recession-proof? (Yahoo! Sports)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:48:25 PST

The recent travails of the American economy have affected just about everyone. But when it comes to the...

Belichick Q&A: Every player has a trade price (Yahoo! Sports)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:05:00 PST

Tom Brady and Jerod Mayo may be off limits, but almost everyone is available, says Pats coach Bill Belichick.

Patriots running back Morris expected back in two weeks (Yahoo! Sports)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:31:25 PST

New England Patriots running back Sammy Morris has been out since Week 6 when he exited the game against the...

Head-to-head: Colts are NFL's better undefeated team (SportingNews.com)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:15:37 PST

the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints .

Browns owner needs to look in the mirror (Yahoo! Sports)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:21:00 PST

Owner Randy Lerner is getting exactly what he hired in Cleveland. Why should he suddenly be surprised?

NFL Team Reports: AFC East (SportingNews.com)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:16:18 PST

Several times a week, The Trenches will present team reports from Sporting News' 32 NFL correspondents.

Week 9 picks: Eagles, Cowboys battle for NFC East lead (SportingNews.com)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:16:44 PST

Donovan McNabb knows how to duck pressure and avoid interceptions. It's strange, but considering all the...

Confluence of influence: NFL coaches praise mentors (SportingNews.com)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:16:41 PST

When it comes to football coaches, the branch doesn't fall far from the tree. It's only natural for a...

Tom Brady really gets rolling once Patriots begin playing in November (The Canadian Press)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:37:00 PST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Seven games into his comeback season, a healthy Tom Brady has the New England Patriots where he wants them - on top of the AFC East.

Brady starts rolling when November begins (AP)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:46:44 PST

Seven games into his comeback season, a healthy Tom Brady has the New England Patriots where he wants them -- on top of the AFC East. And now it's November, time for him to really get rolling. As a starter, Brady is 41-15 in September and October. But once November begins, he's 64-14 in the regular season and playoffs.

Week 9 playoff forecast: Ravens make big jump (Yahoo! Sports)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:49:00 PST

Signs of a revamped defense bode well for the Ravens' playoff chances the rest of the way.

The absurdly premature playoff picture: Week 8 (Yahoo! Sports)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:40:53 PST

See last week's absurdly premature playoff picture here . AFC First-Round Byes : Indianapolis Colts Denver...

Patriots' DL Wright may get larger role (AP)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:43:51 PST

Mike Wright's playing time increased after the New England Patriots traded star defensive end Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders a week before the season. It's due to grow again now that the player who moved into Seymour's spot, Jarvis Green, is recovering from knee surgery. "It's tough to lose any player on the defense," Wright said Tuesday, "but we're going...

NFL's most clutch quarterbacks (Yahoo! Sports)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:41:00 PST

Which signal callers are the best in tough situations in the fourth quarter?

The Week 8 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings: Favre vs. Rodgers (Yahoo! Sports)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:47:32 PST

Shutdown Corner is proud to present the weekly quarterback power rankings. They're just as arbitrarily...

NFL Power Poll: Texans gaining playoff momentum (SportingNews.com)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:16:11 PST

The second half of the season could be historic for the Houston Texans . They have a chance to make the playoffs...

New England Patriots, receiver Welker start well, finish strong (The Canadian Press)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:34:00 PST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The excitement doesn't start until Wes Welker catches a short pass from Tom Brady. Then the NFL's leading receiver leaves defenders grabbing air as he weaves through them for extra yards.

Patriots, Welker start well, finish strong (AP)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:04:59 PDT

The excitement doesn't start until Wes Welker catches a short pass from Tom Brady. Then the NFL's leading receiver leaves defenders grabbing air as he weaves through them for extra yards. The New England Patriots follow the same pattern -- a promising beginning to a season and a better ending.

After strong game, Meriweather stays humble (AP)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:49:38 PDT

Brandon Meriweather won't spend time during his bye week watching perhaps his best game as a pro. He might take a peek, though, at his next opponent. The emerging leader in the New England Patriots secondary is more concerned with the upcoming challenge, not the last one. "Everything is a work in progress," Meriweather said Wednesday.