Projo Pats Blog

The Patriots have posted their practice report for the day, and the requisite estimation of likelihood that injured players will be available. Without further ado...

Out
RB Fred Taylor - DNP, ankle

Questionable
WR Sam Aiken - LP, hip
LB Eric Alexander - LP, groin
TE Chris Baker - LP, shoulder
LB Tully Banta-Cain - LP, groin
NT Ron Brace - LP, ankle
WR Julian Edelman - LP, forearm
DE Jarvis Green - LP, knee
C Dan Koppen - LP, knee
LT Matt Light - LP, knee
RB Sammy Morris - LP, knee
RG Stephen Neal - DNP, head
LB Rob Ninkovich - DNP, knee
DE Ty Warren - LP, ankle

Probable
QB Tom Brady - FP, right shoulder
DB Shawn Springs - FP, knee
TE Benjamin Watson - FP, back

For the Jets:
Out
LB Vernon Gholston - DNP, hamstring

Questionable
S Jim Leonhard - LP, thumb

Probable
DE Shaun Ellis - FP, knee
WR Brad Smith - FP, quadricep
LB Bryan Thomas - FP, toe

FP - full participation, LP - limited participation, DNP - did not participate

DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Lions' home game against the Cleveland Browns will be blacked out on local TV.

Lions spokesman Bill Keenist confirmed Thursday the team did not sell 7,000-plus tickets that were available the previous day.

The game featuring two 1-8 teams will be not be shown on TV in the Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw-Flint and Toledo, Ohio, markets.

Detroit has sold out two of its five games at Ford Field this season: its home opener and a game against Pittsburgh in which Steelers fans might've outnumbered Lions fans.

The Lions drew just 40,857 fans the last time they were at home -- their smallest crowd in two decades -- and had just 40,896 fans watch their lone win against Washington.

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.