Projo Pats Blog

Hey all --

Just in from the locker room, where you would have thought the Pats lost yesterday. There were hardly any players in there, though we found out that most of them were in a "life skills" seminar.

Tedy Bruschi spoke on a lot of topics, from New England's red zone defense -- an interesting subject given that teams have only ventured there seven times in six games -- to the difficulties in preparing for a team like Minnesota that the Pats are so unfamiliar with, to the play of defensive back Chad Scott.

Jarvis Green touched on his growth as a player, and how comfortable he feels now. If Richard Seymour can't play next Monday, Green would be the one to get the start. But while Green came into the league as a defensive end, he said he prefers playing at tackle now, and it's a measure of pride for him that his sacks this season have come while playing inside rather than on the outside of the line.

Tebucky Jones spoke for a couple of minutes; he was in Foxboro for one of his rehab sessions, but is commuting from his home in Connecticut. Jones was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Sept. 2 with an injury to his right leg.

During Bill Belichick's press conference, he said again that yesterday was a good win on the road for the Patriots. Looking forward to next Monday's game in Minnesota, he noted that the team will need a great deal of preparation -- not only are the Vikings a good team, they are also an unfamiliar team for New England.

Belichick said there are some similarities -- "they're in the same family, cousins, maybe" -- between the defensive schemes New England saw against Buffalo yesterday and those they'll see in their upcoming games with the Vikings and Colts.

He spoke of the improvement of Junior Seau, saying the veteran has gotten better every week.

As for Richard Seymour's left elbow, which he injured yesterday, Belichick wasn't talking, and wouldn't even confirm whether the Pro Bowler had further tests done on it today, as Seymour himself had indicated yesterday after the game.

Belichick was asked about a situation at the end of the Eagles/Falcons game yesterday, and he related a story about a game over 20 years ago when the Giants played the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Lawrence Taylor had gotten an interception and started racing downfield. Though there was no Detroit player around him for at least 50 yards, Taylor looked over his shoulder and saw a shadow and believed it belonged to a Lions player.

But "he was running from his own shadow," Belichick said with a smile.

shalise

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