Projo Pats Blog

The Patriots held today's practice inside Gillette Stadium, with the players in shells (soft pads) and sweats.

Jarvis Green (knee) and Tully Banta-Cain (groin) returned to the field, which meant that there were three players not present during the media access window: Fred Taylor, Stephen Neal and Rob Ninkovich.

This comes courtesy of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which, on its website, asked this question of its readers regarding the undefeated Saints:

"Would it be better for the Saints to lose a game in the regular sason, regroup, and then try to run the table, or are you in favor of a run at history -- trying to become the first team ever to go 19-0?

"You tell us -- will the pressure become too much to win them all, or can the team handle it?"

There were some people (fools? idiots?) asking the same question about the Patriots in 2007.

It's never good to lose a game. And who says that losing once, rather than not at all, gives a team a better chance of winning the biggest game of all -- the Super Bowl?

It's never worse than when a team's only loss occurs in the Super Bowl, as was the case with the Patriots two years ago. But the Pats lost that game because they couldn't stop the Giants from driving 83 yards to the winning touchdown in the final minutes, not because "the pressure" got to them.

Sometimes, I just shake my head and wonder what people possibly can be thinking.

New England removed Randy Moss (not football related) and Gary Guyton (illness) from the list:

Did not participate
LB Tully Banta-Cain - groin
DE Jarvis Green - knee
G Stephen Neal - head
LB Rob Ninkovich - knee
RB Fred Taylor - ankle

Limited participation
WR Sam Aiken - hip
LB Eric Alexander - groin
TE Chris Baker - shoulder
NT Ron Brace - ankle
WR Julian Edelman - forearm
C Dan Koppen - knee
T Matt Light - knee
RB Sammy Morris - knee
DE Ty Warren - ankle

Full participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Shawn Springs - knee
TE Benjamin Watson - back

For the Jets...
Did not participate
LB Vernon Gholston - hamstring
S Jim Leonhard - thumb

Limited participation
DE Shaun Ellis - knee
WR Brad Smith - quadricep

Full participation
LB Bryan Thomas - toe

The Patriots are back on the upper practice field at Gillette Stadium for today's practice, which is once again being held in shells and sweats.

Not spotted today: Jarvis Green, Tully Banta-Cain, Stephen Neal, Rob Ninkovich and Fred Taylor.

Randy Moss, Ty Warren, Sam Aiken and Gary Guyton, all of whom did not participate on Wednesday, were on the field today.

A lengthy list for the Pats...

Did not participate
WR Sam Aiken - hip
LB Tully Banta-Cain - groin
DE Jarvis Green - knee
LB Gary Guyton - illness
WR Randy Moss - not injury related
G Stephen Neal - head
LB Rob Ninkovich - knee
RB Fred Taylor - ankle
DE Ty Warren - ankle

Limited participation
LB Eric Alexander - groin
TE Chris Baker - shoulder
NT Ron Brace - ankle
WR Julian Edelman - forearm
C Dan Koppen - knee
T Matt Light - knee
RB Sammy Morris - knee

Full participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Shawn Springs - knee
TE Benjamin Watson - back

For the Jets
Did not participate
LB Vernon Gholston - hamstring
S Jim Leonhard - thumb

Limited participation
DE Shaun Ellis - knee
WR Brad Smith - quadricep

Full participation
LB Bryan Thomas - toe

The Sunday Night Football game has been the most-watched Sunday show every week so far this season, and the Colts' come from behind win against the Pats was no different: 22.4 million viewers tuned in to the game.

It is the second straight week over 20 million viewers watched SNF, and the fifth time this season.

New England-Indianapolis is second behind the Week 2 Giants-Cowboys NFC East showdown, which also served as the grand unveiling of Dallas' new stadium in terms of viewership this season -- that game drew 24.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched prime-time NFL game in a dozen years.