Projo Pats Blog

We said it last week -- no one knew which Patriots team was going to show up on Sunday in San Francisco. What we ended up getting was a quarter's worth of the same team that gave up 38 points in Week 3 to the Miami Dolphins, followed by three quarters of the team that shut down Brett Favre and the New York Jets in Week 2. And in the end, the three solid quarters were enough. New England got contributions from all over the field, including a return to the long game with Matt Cassel finding Randy Moss on a 66-yard touchdown pass -- the longest of Moss' Patriots career. Cassel had help from a balanced running attack that helped the Patriots control the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Once again, though, as in Week 2, the Patriots MVP may have been Stephen Gostkowski, who made his field goals and blasted kickoffs all over Candlestick Park. (all projo.com)

KING OF THE CASSEL: He was sacked five times and threw two interceptions (one of them when he was hit in the back as he attempted to throw deep), but Cassel had by far his best game of the season, and he made a few plays in critical situations that Tom Brady might have been expected to make. (Worcester Telegram)

WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN: Members of the Patriots defense said that even as San Francisco picked up two easy touchdowns in the first quarter, they knew what they needed to do to put a stop to the 49ers' attack -- unlike the complete confusion that gripped them in the Miami game. (Boston Herald)

WHAT WILL HE DO NEXT? Bill Belichick reserved special praise after the game for running back Kevin Faulk, who scored two touchdowns and continued to be the man the Patriots turn to when they want to try something new. (projo.com) Yesterday, the Patriots' "new" thing was Faulk taking a direct snap and getting into the end zone on a fourth and goal from the 2.

AN AFFIRMATION: The Patriots' rebound from the debacle against the Dolphins showed what many of us thought from the day that Brady went down: The Patriots are too talented to fade away into irrelevance. (Boston Globe)

STOCK WATCH: While Sammy Morris, LaMont Jordan (until leaving with what appeared to have been a minor injury) and Faulk were all impressive, Laurence Maroney had a shaky return, running with the same indecisiveness that has drawn him criticism throughout his time in New England. (Boston Globe)

SAME OLD STORY: Former Patriot Tully Banta-Cain hoped that yesterday's game would show that the improving 49ers can play with anyone, but instead it is being perceived as evidence that the losing culture has not lifted from the team. (San Francisco Chronicle) Also as a reminder that offensive coordinator Mike Martz has not found the answers for Belichick's schemes, and that J.T. O'Sullivan is no match for a Belichick team with two weeks to prepare for him. (Oakland Tribune)

LIVE BY THE BIG PLAY, DIE BY THE BIG PLAY: The Indianapolis Colts showed that aggressive defense can save you in the most surprising situations, while the Baltimore Ravens showed you that overly aggressive defense can kill you just as unexpectedly. (projo Sports Blog) The Colts -- with an assist from quarterback Sage Rosenfels -- got two turnovers in the fourth quarter to show the way to victory, while the Ravens were victimized by a fourth-quarter unnecessary roughness call on Titans quarterback Kerry Collins that kept Tennessee's game-winning drive alive.

QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED: The Dallas Cowboys faced a lot of questions after falling at home to the Washington Redskins last week, and their unimpressive victory over the winless Bengals on Sunday won't make the week ahead any easier. Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News says the Cowboys need more fire from their head coach, Wade Phillips, who seems less engaged with players on the sidelines than owner/GM Jerry Jones usually does. Phillips had no shortage of fire yesterday, but he didn't turn up the heat until after the game, when he faced the media, telling one questioner that "you stink." (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

THE NEW, OLD ELITE: Until Dallas figures things out, the title of team to beat in the NFL most surely belongs to the Super Bowl champion Giants, who destroyed the defenseless Seahawks. But the Redskins are a team to watch, too, after picking up their second consecutive win on the road and in the division, this time at Philadelphia. (both projo.com)

THEY'RE FOR REAL: This has been a painful season for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, but despite all their injuries, and ESPN's James Walker says that last night's victory over Jacksonville shows that 4-1 Pittsburgh has a place among the NFL's elite.

A TOUGH JOB, BUT HE'S REALLY GOOD AT IT: Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner texted his wife after last week's loss to the Jets -- which included a horrendous hit that knocked wide receiver Anquan Boldin out of the game -- to tell her that he had decided to quit football: "This is it," he keyed. "I can't do this anymore. It's time to retire." But Warner reconsidered after his emotions settled, and he was back on the field yesterday, throwing two touchdowns as Arizona handed the Bills their first loss of the season. (Yahoo! Sports)

AS BAD AS A LOSS CAN GET: While it's only been one loss for Buffalo, no one with the Bills was seeing any consolation from a game that featured a multitude of mistakes and a concussion for their quarterback, Trent Edwards (Rochester News and Democrat)

WILDCAT CRAZY GUY: Before the Patriots face the Chargers on Sunday in San Diego, maybe the players can commiserate about the misery that was inflicted upon them by Miami running back Ronnie Brown. (Miami Herald) Against the Chargers yesterday, Brown actually took 11 direct snaps -- more than he took against he Patriots, and he scored another touchdown out of the formation as the Dolphins stunned another elite team.

DEPLETED ATTACK: Denver's defense finally rose to the occasion yesterday as the Broncos beat the Buccaneers, and much-maligned unit will probably have to do so more often in the future. The Broncos' victory came at the cost of injuries to promising wide receiver Eddie Royal and pass-catching tight end Tony Scheffler. (Denver Post)

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