Projo Pats Blog

Sorry for the belated posting today, which resulted from some technical problems. Without further ado:

NO HE DIDN'T: You would think that Steelers safety Anthony Smith, who guaranteed victory against the Patriots last season (how did that work out for you?) would be less likely to call attention to himself this season. So much for that. Here's what Smith told the Indiana Gazette, according to Adam Schefter of NFL.com: "If they ask me again, I'll say the same thing. We're the No. 1 defense. If we play like we've been playing, and our offense comes around and has a good game, and we're clicking on all cylinders, we're going to win the game."

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: As big a victory as Sunday's triumph in Miami was for the Patriots, it still did not put them in charge of their own destiny in the AFC playoff race. If the playoffs started today, New England would be on the sidelines while Indianapolis and Baltimore -- each of which has the same 7-4 record as the Pats -- took the two AFC wild card spots, thanks to the league's tie-breaker system (ESPN.com). The Colts, who beat the Patriots in a game New England should have had, are in very good position to wrap up a playoff spot, with games coming up against the Browns, Bengals, Lions and Jaguars before a final meeting with a Titans team that might have nothing left to play for. The Ravens, on the other hand, still have tough matchups remaining against Washington, Pittsburgh and Dallas. The Patriots, of course, still entertain hopes of overcoming the Jets and winning the division, but it might be worthwhile for Pats fans to root against those Ravens, just to be safe.

POOR WORD CHOICE? The Globe's Mike Reiss caught up with Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a charity event in Boston last night, and Kraft spoke about Tom Brady, who is back in Foxboro rehabbing his injured knee. Kraft said that Brady has "an infectious way of impacting people, so we're happy that he's back and getting himself into good shape." Speaking of infectious, Kraft expressed confidence that the postsurgical infection Brady developed will not cause him to miss any action next season.

A SECOND CHANCE: Just like one year ago, the Steelers will bring the NFL's top-ranked pass defense into Foxboro for their late-season date with the Patriots. But the Steelers are hoping for much better results against Cassel and company than they saw last season against Brady and the boys (Pittsburgh Post Gazette).

TAKING THINGS IN STRIDE: You would expect that memories of last year's trouncing would have Steelers fans foaming at the mouth as this weekend's game approaches, but blogger Blittzburgh from BehindTheSteelCurtain sees the Patriots of 2008 as "just another team": "Winning on the road is hard in this league. I wouldn't be devastated if we came up short on Sunday provided Ben Roethlisberger didn't play unintelligent football and the offensive line didn't have another Eagles-like meltdown."

A FAMILIAR THEME: Dolphins nose tackle Jason Ferguson said the Patriots showed a "lack of class" when they punched home a touchdown with 40 seconds left in Sunday's game -- a game New England already had in hand -- and said that he hopes the two teams meet again (The Sporting News). "I hope we see them again in the playoffs," Ferguson said. "We'll see what happens then." Sounds like something straight out of 2007.

JOEY'S SORRY: On the topic of angry Dolphins, Joey Porter apologized to his coach and teammates for refusing to leave the closing moments of Sunday's game.

FOOTBALL COMES TO LIFE: A Boston movie theater is among three in the country that will show next Thursday night's Chargers-Raiders game live and in 3D. The Wall Street Journal reports that the event is a preliminary step in what is likely to be a long road toward regular 3D broadcasts of NFL games.

AN EFFECTIVE ARGUMENT: Drew Brees looked every bit the NFL MVP candidate last night as he threw four touchdowns and no interceptions in leading the Saints past the Packers, 51-29 (New Orleans Times Picayune). New Orleans scored on eight of its first 10 possessions, doing its part to ensure that NFL teams collectively eclipsed 800 points in a single week for the first time in league history. Meanwhile, for 5-6 Green Bay, it was the first time in the Mike McCarthy era that the Packers had lost a third consecutive road game, and the most points surrendered by a Green Bay team in more than 20 years (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

WHAT WENT ON: Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick this morning entered a guilty plea on state dogfighting charges in Virginia, perhaps taking a step toward eventual reinstatement in the NFL (Atlanta Journal Constitution). Meanwhile, much detail about Vick's offenses can now be found in federal documents posted on The Smoking Gun, and summarized on ProFootballTalk.com.

OFF TO SEE THE DOCTOR: Brady Quinn has a date with Dr. James Andrews to receive a second opinion on his injured right index finger (ESPN.com). A Cleveland Clinic specialist cleared Quinn to start last Sunday's game against Houston, but the results were disastrous, prompting Romeo Crennel to bench Quinn in favor of Derek Anderson.

CASE CLOSED: Titans coach Jeff Fisher says that he and running back LenDale White have cleared the air after White complained about getting only three carries in Tennessee's loss to the Jets on Sunday. Fisher wouldn't say whether White would be disciplined over his comments, in which he said that he didn't pay attention to the action from the sidelines and didn't care about the result, but he indicated that White would be available for the Titans' Thanksgiving Day date with Detroit.

A MAN'S MAN: Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards was disappointed and unapologetic about being fined $25,000 for illegal hits in a recent game against
Tampa Bay: "No offense to women, but men don't wear panties. We chose to play this game. We don't cry when we get cracked unexpectedly." (AP)

 Tags  Anthony Smith Football Today Pittsburgh Steelers

---