Projo Pats Blog

One thing you have to say about Ellis Hobbs: He personally didn't deserve to get booed by the multitudes at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. His excellent work on kick returns gave the Patriots offense good field position much of the afternoon, and without his 81-yarder in the third quarter, there's a good chance the Pats wouldn't have found the end zone all day.

But even if it couldn't have been directed at him specifically, Hobbs seemed to take the fans' response personally. "It amazes me how people react. You would think that this organization hasn't won as much as they have and been successful in the years that they have, and it's a testament to how spoiled they are where expectations are that high that we're not allowed a bad game."

Spoiled? If the Patriots are ever going to deserve to be booed, Sunday was the day. Players' own comments after the game -- which among other things compared the defense's efforts to "chickens with their heads cut off" -- pretty much summed things up. Fans in football occasionally boo. They boo teams that are much less talented and probably therefore much less deserving of criticism than the Patriots were on Sunday. As anyone who followed the Patriots before the move to Gillette Stadium and the salad days of Belichick and Brady will attest, the booing of fans today cannot really hold a candle to what has been thrown the way of lesser players in the past. So who's spoiled? The fans, for the success they've enjoyed? Or the Patriots' players, for the pleasant bubble pumped with adoration that they have inhabited for most of this decade?

"As a fan, you have the luxury of keeping a wall between you and the players, to where it's almost as if you're in the crowd and you feel invisible so you can say -- you can do -- whatever you want and not get in trouble for it unless you're just outrageous. There's no rules regulating what you say. You paid your money, you feel like you're owed that."

Interesting social commentary, but unless I've missed something, nothing that was heard or seen at Gillette Stadium seemed to be out of the bounds of acceptable human behavior. It was booing by frustrated fans. Players have said much less about the much more severe transgressions -- many of them involving flagrant disregard for the law -- by some of their own peers. So Hobbs doesn't deserve much criticism for what he did on the field Sunday. But his response to the fans seems pretty out of place, and if any other Patriots are truly upset about it, they had better get much better on the field, or get used to it.

ZONING RESTRICTIONS: While the Patriots have not had big problems moving the chains under Matt Cassel, they have scored touchdowns in just two of eight trips to the red zone during the last two games. (Boston.com)

TO RANDY'S DEFENSE: On WEEI's Dennis and Callahan, Cassel rebutted the many critics who saw ominous signs in Randy Moss' on-field and sideline demeanor during Sunday's loss.

KEEPING THEIR OPTIONS OPEN: Cornerback Deltha O'Neal was among those criticized for soft play against the Dolphins. Coincidentally or not, the Patriots yesterday had six free-agent defensive backs work out at Gillette. (Boston.com)

ONE FOR THE BOOKS? WELL, NO: Bill Barnwell of Footballoutsiders.com examines the list of top 20 performances by a running back since 1995, and finds that Ronnie Brown's display on Sunday in Foxboro does not belong.

SOUND FAMILIAR? On the other hand, there are an awful lot of fantasy football owners who had Brown on the bench last week, and they're a sorry group today. (ESPN)

IF IT WORKS, STICK WITH IT: Dolphins coach Tony Sparano says he is confident that his "wildcat" package, featuring Brown lined up as the quarterback in the shotgun, can still be successful, and says that the Fish only just "scratched the surface" of what they were trying to do. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

AT LEAST WE'RE NOT THEM: The stock on the Patriots may be down this morning, but at least it doesn't compare to the deflated balloon that is Brett Favre and the New York Jets. Favre was intercepted twice last night as the San Diego Chargers dismantled New York, 48-29, leaving the New York Post's Steve Serby to ask if this season will be remembered as "Regret Favre." In fairness, this looked like a mighty ominous matchup for the Jets, going on the road to face a Chargers team that was steaming mad following two consecutive losses -- in unlikely fashion -- to start the season. And the Bolts defensive coordinator, Ted Cottrell, expertly added fuel to the fire before the game when he called out his men, saying they hadn't been pulling their weight. (San Diego Union Tribune)

NOT PLAYING AROUND: Derek Anderson has not yet lost the starting quarterback job in Cleveland, but the 0-3 Browns will have a Romeo Crennel indicated yesterday that Brady Quinn could be the starter on Sunday against Cincinnati, depending upon what happens in practice this week. (Cleveland.com) Anderson was horrendous against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, going 14 of 37 for 125 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, and now has a 43.5 quarterback rating for the season.

SOURCES SAY: Packers cornerback Al Harris may be lost for the season with a ruptured spleen, according to a web site called The National Football Post. You may not have heard of the site, but it is probably credible in this instance, since Harris' agent, Jack Bechta, is a contributor.

CLUELESS IN KANSAS CITY: Herm Edwards knows that Brodie Croyle won't be available on Sunday, but aside from that there is little else that is clear about his intentions for the road game against the Denver Broncos. Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star's Chiefs Blog thinks that Edwards is planning on abandoning the Tyler Thigpen experiment and going back to veteran Damon Huard, but Edwards is noncommittal. Thigpen had Derek Anderson-type numbers against Atlanta on Sunday (14 for 36, 128 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions), so you can understand one blog commenter's sentiment: "If I have to watch Thigpen step on the field I promise I will turn off my TV."

JULIUS IS THE MAN: Mike Holmgren expects to get running back Maurice Morris back after Seattle's much-needed Week 4 bye, but he plans on sticking with Julius Jones as his starter. (Tacoma News Tribune)

HIS JOB TO LOSE: Steve Slaton will remain the starting running back for the Houston Texans, whether or not Ahman Green can return to action against the Jaguars. The rookie from West Virginia carried for 31 times for 159 yards in a losing effort against the Titans on Sunday. (Houston Chronicle)

WOULD GETTING FIRED REALLY BE SO BAD? Poor Lane Kiffin. Yesterday started with reports that Kiffin would get the axe following his team's collapse at Buffalo, but late yesterday the young Raider coach was insisting he has not lost his job and swearing that he will not resign. How all this melodrama will help Al Davis' Raiders win game remains perfectly unclear.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: Kiffin's status is having implications far beyond Oakland, as it has sparked a war of words of sorts between the Washington Redskins and The Washington Post. It started when Post reporter Jason LaCanfora asked the league office if Vinny Cerrato, the team's executive vice president, could be charged with violating league rules if he commented about Kiffin's status on his radio show. Cerrato then stated on the air that LaCanfora had complained to the league office that the Redskins were tampering with Kiffin, which in turn prompted a special statement seeking to clear the air by Post Sports Editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz.

MORE PAIN FOR THE SAINTS: New Orleans' promising season continues to be undermined by injuries. Now tight end Jeremy Shockey, the team's top offseason acquisition, is out up to six weeks because he needs surgery for a sports hernia. (New Orleans Times-Picayune) Wide receiver David Patten is also a concern after leaving Sunday's Broncos game with a strained groin.

HE BELIEVES IN VINCE: The Titans may be riding Kerry Collins right now, but owner Bud Adams says he still believes that Vince Young will be a successful quarterback in the NFL. (The Tennessean)

THE DISSENTING VIEW: In a radio interview, ESPN analyst and former NFL running back Merrill Hoge called Young a "soft baby" and claimed that Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher "fought like crazy" against drafting Young in 2006. Not surprisingly, Fisher denies Hoge's characterization of events.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE EAGLES: Running back Brian Westbrook has no significant damage in the ankle that he injured against Pittsburgh on Sunday, and quarterback Donovan McNabb (chest) sounds like he should be fine for the Week 4 game at Chicago. (Philadelphia Inquirer) Westbrook vows to do all he can to get back on the field as soon as possible. (Philadelphia Daily News)

IS THERE ANYONE WHO DOESN'T AGREE? Count Bill Ford, the son of Lions owner William Clay Ford, among the multitudes who does not understand why Matt Millen is still the GM in Detroit. The younger Ford, who is the Lions' vice chairman, told reporters that if it were up to him he would get rid of Millen, who has kept his job somehow despite his team going an NFL-worst 31-84 since he was hired in 2001.

PROVING THEIR POINT: With the Patriots humbled and early-season wins recorded against the Eagles and the Packers, the Dallas Cowboys are the consensus Super Bowl favorite, and part of the reason is that quarterback Tony Romo is learning how to handle the pressure of NFL stardom, writes Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports.

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