Projo Pats Blog

When the Pats got the ball for that final drive of the first half with just over a minute left on the clock, a colleague sitting next to me wondered aloud if New England would just run out the clock and go into halftime.

Not a chance, I said.

After it became clear that there is bad blood between Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini -- one New York Post story this week said that Mangini was locked out of Gillette when he returned from his interview with the Jets -- it also became clear that Belichick would want to win this game by as many points possible.

Other first-half thoughts/observations:

*New England has given a 4-3 look defensively on a number of plays

*Tedy Bruschi did not play in the first quarter, but was on the field for New York's first offensive series, calling the plays in the huddle as he always does. He is wearing a black cast on his right wrist

*After Chad Jackson caught his first career touchdown pass, Ben Watson ran over to the officials and grab the ball to give to his teammate as a momento

shalise

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