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Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas has been fined $5,000 for what many saw as a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty in Monday night's season opener. The penalty came in the fourth quarter of Monday night's game, when Thomas wrapped up 231-pound Bills quarterback...

September 18, 2009 3:52 pm

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Week 2: Friday practice peek

Once again, Jerod Mayo was the only Patriots player not at practice today. It is an absolutely beautiful September day for the players to work out in, a stark difference from the gray skies and windy conditions of the last...

September 18, 2009 12:06 pm

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Football Today: Kris Jenkins describes 'New York mentality' (updated with picks)

Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins explains in today's New York Post that the Jets' boastful attitude is just the way they are, as a true New York team. Jenkins, who is actually from Detroit, said the Patriots "will see a...

September 18, 2009 11:38 am

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Week 2 -- Thursday practice report

For the Patriots LB Jerod Mayo -- DNP, knee C Dan Connolly -- LP, back WR Julian Edelman -- LP, ankle G Stephen Neal -- LP, back LB Rob Ninkovich -- LP, calf DL Myron Pryor -- LP, calf WR...

September 17, 2009 3:54 pm

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Derrick Brooks still wants to play this season, and praises Pats

Linebacker Derrick Brooks, who has reportedly drawn interest from the Patriots, but who has signed to become a studio analyst for ESPN, might not be in the broadcast game for long. This afternoon, on SportsCenter's live show, Brooks said that...

September 17, 2009 1:46 pm

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Week 2 -- Thursday pracitce peek

Once again, LB Jerod Mayo was the only player not on the field during the media-access window at practice. The players were in full pads....

September 17, 2009 1:33 pm

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Mayo hobbles through locker room

Just as the Patriots' locker room was opened to media today, Jerod Mayo was walking out, but not before reporters saw him with his right knee in a brace and using crutches to walk. He was with team strength and...

September 17, 2009 12:28 pm

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Football Today: Jets' Rhodes intent on 'embarrassing' Patriots

One of these years the Jets will again rise to the top of the AFC East. It might even be this year. In order to do that, they'll probably have to beat the Patriots, which is something they've done far...

September 17, 2009 11:22 am

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Pats will miss Mayo's talents against the Jets

By ROBERT LEE Journal Sports Writer FOXBORO -- With Jerod Mayo out with a sprained MCL, linebacker Gary Guyton will take over his duties as the quarterback of the defense. And while Belichick said that he has full confidence in...

September 17, 2009 9:30 am

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Conflicting reports on whether Tom and Gisele are having a boy

A boy for Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady? The National Enquirer reports that the baby is a male and that the couple are leaning toward naming him Gabriel. Not so fast, says The Boston Globe. The Globe has a source...

September 17, 2009 8:42 am

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Pats vs. rookie quarterbacks

By ROBERT LEE Journal Sports Writer FOXBORO -- Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez is looking forward to playing the Patriots in the Meadowlands on Sunday. But rookie quarterbacks haven't had too much success against a Bill Belichick coached defense. According...

September 17, 2009 8:41 am

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Week 2 -- Wednesday practice report

For the Patriots LB Jerod Mayo -- DNP, knee C Dan Connolly -- LP, back WR Julian Edelman -- LP, ankle LB Rob Ninkovich -- LP, calf DL Myron Pryor -- LP, calf WR Matthew Slater -- LP, elbow LB...

September 16, 2009 4:09 pm

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Jets coach appeals to fans for noise on Sunday vs. the Pats

The Jets have made no bones about the fact that they are treating Sunday's visit from the Patriots like the Super Bowl. The latest development is that coach Rex Ryan left a voicemail with season-ticket-holders appealing for vocal support against...

September 16, 2009 2:39 pm

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Week 2 -- Wednesday practice peek

New England is holding its first practice of the week under very gray skies; players are in shells and shorts/sweatpants. There was one player not spotted: linebacker Jerod Mayo. Matthew Slater, who suffered an ugly-looking left elbow injury in the...

September 16, 2009 1:34 pm

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Week 2 -- On Rex, Sanchez and the Pats-Jets rivalry

Media access for the day is mostly done, as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have held their press conferences and some players took time to chat in the locker room. The practice window opens shortly. Here at Gillette, there are...

September 16, 2009 12:33 pm

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Pats might be interested in signing Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks?

-- With Jerod Mayo shelved for a few weeks with a reported sprained MCL, one linebacker that the Patriots are interested in adding to the team is Tampa Bay free agent Derrick Brooks, the Boston Herald is reporting, citing an...

September 16, 2009 11:50 am

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Brady named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week

FOXBORO - The accolades keep on coming for Tom Brady. The NFL announced today that Tom Brady has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Patriots' 25-24 comeback victory over the Buffalo Bills...

September 16, 2009 11:34 am

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Buffalo still reeling after Monday night loss

Looks like it's going to take Bills fans a while to get over Monday night's debacle in Foxboro. According to the Buffalo News, nitwit fans vandalized the lawn of Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, whose fumble open the door for Tom...

September 16, 2009 11:00 am

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Chicago officials block Walter Payton statue outside Soldier Field

On the surface, there would not seem to be a more fitting person to memorialize at Chicago's Soldier Field than Walter Payton, formerly the NFL's all-time rushing leader, a man who represented his franchise with class and dignity and died...

September 16, 2009 10:09 am

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Patriots don't like roughing calls on Wilfork and Thomas

FOXBORO -- Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't quite sure why Vince Wilfork and Adalius Thomas received roughing-the-passer penalties Monday night. In the third quarter, Wilfork hit Bills quarterback Trent Edwards in the thighs a split second after Edwards threw...

September 16, 2009 8:43 am

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Nobody has kissed Belichick's rings

By ROBERT LEE Journal Sports Writer FOXBORO -- Jets coach Rex Ryan said in an interview with a New York radio station this year that he didn't want to coach the Jets to "kiss Bill Belichick's rings." "I came to...

September 16, 2009 8:28 am

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Report: Mayo has sprained MCL, could miss 8 weeks

Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during Monday's game, according to a report tonight by The Boston Globe's Christopher Gasper. The report cites two unnamed "sources with direct knowledge" of the injury. One...

September 15, 2009 10:14 pm

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Mangini's role in Favre injury unclear

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Browns coach Eric Mangini can't seem to escape from New York. The NFL is investigating Mangini's role in the Jets' failure to list quarterback Brett Favre's arm problem on injury reports last season. Mangini coached the Jets...

September 15, 2009 9:50 pm

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Conference call transcripts: Bill Belichick, Nick Caserio, Dean Pees

BILL BELICHICK BB: We have a quick turnaround here with this short week. We watched the film this morning from the Buffalo game and try to make the corrections on that and get some of those problems fixed as they...

September 15, 2009 8:09 pm

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McKelvin, Monday night's goat, is the victim of vandalism near Buffalo

HAMBURG, N.Y. (AP) - The front lawn of a home belonging to Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin was vandalized following Buffalo's season-opening loss to New England. Hamburg police on Tuesday confirmed the home of a Bills player was vandalized, but declined...

September 15, 2009 7:55 pm

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Pats-Bills game was highest-rated cable TV program of 2009

According to the Patriots public-relations department, Monday night's season-opening game against the Bills attracted the largest audience of any program on cable television this year. The game garnered a 10.3 rating, reaching an average of 10.2 million households, which made...

September 15, 2009 7:34 pm

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Belichick says Mayo's injury is not season-ending

Associated Press It appears Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo will return to the field at some point this season. New England coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday he doesn't think last year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is done for the...

September 15, 2009 6:48 pm

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Who Is Rob Ninkovich?

And what is he doing playing for the Patriots while wearing Mike Vrabel's old number? For starters -- which, who knows, Ninkovich may be come Sunday at the Meadowlands against the Jets -- Ninkovich is no Vrabel, who was...

September 15, 2009 2:41 pm

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The legend of Tom Brady grows

According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, here is what Tom Brady said in the huddle with 5:32 left and the Patriots trailing by 13: "Get your hats on. We're gonna score before the two-minute warning, get the ball back,...

September 15, 2009 1:42 pm

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Time to get a backup QB with experience

In Bill we trust. Or was it Scott? In any event, Scott Pioli is now in Kansas City, where he has quarterback problems of his own stemming from Matt Cassel's preseason knee injury that sidelined Tom Brady's former clipboard...

September 15, 2009 12:32 pm

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A few leftovers from a memorable Monday night

*****FANCY FOOTWORK: Even with a surgically repaired knee, Tom Brady showed after time ran out Monday night that he can avoid the rush. Brady did everything but stiff-arm ESPN's persistent Suzy Kolber as she chased him down the field...

September 15, 2009 8:51 am

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Pats 25, Bills 24: New England takes advantage of McKelvin's mistake

The two songs don't have much in common; different eras, different genres. But as veteran Adalius Thomas bumped Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" from his locker and rookie Pat Chung had Jay-Z's "Run This Town" from his, both seemed...

September 15, 2009 1:50 am

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Pats keep Terrell Owens in check

By ROBERT LEE Journal Sports Writer FOXBORO -- The Pats held Buffalo Pro Bowl receiver Terrell Owens to just two catches for 46 yards. Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards only threw to him three times, but Edwards said that Owens' leadership...

September 15, 2009 12:02 am

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Pats get win but Belichick has a lot to fix

By ROBERT LEE Journal Sports Writer FOXBORO -- For a coach like Bill Belichick, the way their season opener against Buffalo played out was probably a good thing. The Pats got a 25-24 victory and he will get to show...

September 14, 2009 11:48 pm

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Pats-Bills postgame: Maroney happy to be back

Laurence Maroney was back to his wide-smiling, silly-joke-telling self after the game, the first time he's been in pads for New England since Week 4 last season in San Francisco. Maroney took the opening kickoff of the game 52 yards,...

September 14, 2009 11:31 pm

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Pats and Bills put fans through a rollercoaster of emotions

By ROBERT LEE Journal Sports Writer FOXBORO -- The Patriots and Bills put their fans through a rollercoaster of emotions in both teams' season opener with the Pats pulling off a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback to prevail, 25-24. "It's a tough...

September 14, 2009 11:26 pm

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Pats-Bills postgame: Without Mayo, defense plays on

While there was a palpable excitement in the Patriots locker room after their improbable win over Buffalo, there was also a bit of a dark cloud for the team: linebacker Jerod Mayo, ready to assume the mantle of the leader...

September 14, 2009 11:13 pm

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Pats-Bills postgame: Without Mayo, defense plays on

September 14, 2009 11:13 pm

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Pats-Bills postgame: Bump, bump, bump...

...another one bites the dust. And another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust!" Bump, bump, bump... The Queen classic poured from the ipod speaker deck at Adalius Thomas' locker. In 2007, it was a familiar...

September 14, 2009 11:06 pm

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Patriots 25, Bills 24: Pats rally from 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit

By Art Martone

FOXBORO - As a rookie last year, Leodis McKelvin signed a hefty five-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. Which means he probably had enough money to buy his own plane ticket back to Western New York. After his blunder in...

September 14, 2009 10:25 pm

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Anonymity is . . .

By Art Martone

. . . playing nine years in the National Football League, making the Pro Bowl twice, earning All-Pro honors once, winning three Super Bowls, and being called the wrong name throughout the night by one of the color commentators. Ex-Raider...

September 14, 2009 9:17 pm

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Pats-Bills: Moss moves up list

In the span of three catches, Randy Moss took two steps up the NFL's all-time receptions list and recorded his 60th career 100-yard game. Catching three consecutive passes during the Pats' last drive, he notched his 849th, 850th and 851st...

September 14, 2009 9:02 pm

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Mayo won't return

FOXBORO -- Linebacker Jerod Mayo, who led the team tackles last year as a rookie, did not come out for the second half after leaving the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. If the injury is serious,...

September 14, 2009 8:52 pm

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Pats-Bills: Light getting embarrassed; Buffalo leads at halftime

FOXBORO -- And he's not the only one, as the Patriots trail the Bills, 14-10 at halftime. When Tom Brady last faced the Bills, the Pats put up 56 points, winning big at Buffalo, 56-10, on Nov.18, 2007. Earlier that...

September 14, 2009 8:24 pm

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Pats struggled in first quarter, down by 7

FOXBORO -- With a high-powered offense and an unproven defense playing without six starters from last year's squad, the last position that New England wanted to be in at the end of the first quarter tonight was trailing by a...

September 14, 2009 7:43 pm

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Pats-Bills: Mayo's return questionable

While tackling Bills' running back Fred Jackson, Jerod Mayo suffered an injury to his right knee. It was just announced that his return is questionable. To state the obvious, it is not at all a good thing if Mayo is...

September 14, 2009 7:43 pm

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Pats-Bills: Buffalo inactives

For the Bills QB Gilbran Hamdan (third quarterback) WR Steve Johnson DB Ellis Lankster CB Drayton Florence LB Ashlee Palmer T Kirk Chambers TE Derek Fine DE Chris Ellis...

September 14, 2009 6:58 pm

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Pats-Bills: New England inactives

The Patriots have just announced their inactive players for the night: OL Dan Connolly WR Julian Edelman RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis OL Rich Ohrnberger DL Myron Pryor OL Kendall Simmons S Matthew Slater CB Terrence Wheatley...

September 14, 2009 5:57 pm

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Chalk Talk afternoon -- Edelman reminds Troy of himself

Troy Brown was one of 19 members of the 50th anniversary all-time team, along with Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Nick Buoniconti, Andre Tippett, Sam "Bam" Cunningham, Jon Morris, Gino Cappelletti, Ben Coates, Stanley Morgan, Irving Fryar, Julius Adams, Houston Antwine,...

September 14, 2009 5:46 pm

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Chalk Talk afternoon -- Kraft will always consider Seymour a Patriot

Robert Kraft, who expressed a great deal of excitement for tonight's game -- he is, after all, a fan first -- was asked about Richard Seymour and the difficulty of letting go of players who have given so much to...

September 14, 2009 5:37 pm

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Pats-Bills: Welker warming up

Receiver Wes Welker is currently on the field with several of his teammates, warming up. Welker, officially listed as questionable with a knee injury, is in his game pants, which is a pretty good sign that he'll be active tonight....

September 14, 2009 5:35 pm

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Chalk Talk afternoon -- Goodell talks labor, Seymour, injury list

On the afternoon of each Monday Night Football game, ESPN hosts a Chalk Talk luncheon event, inviting players from each of the teams playing that night to discuss their MNF memories; community charities also get some recognition. This being the...

September 14, 2009 5:12 pm

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Pats-Bills: Welcome to Gillette

Hey all -- Am I the only one who felt like this day would never get here?? There's been excitement in the air all day here at Gillette, and I've been here since around noon for ESPN's Chalk Talk presentation...

September 14, 2009 3:07 pm

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Report: Welker a go for opener

Wes Welker, who was listed as questionable for tonight's game because of a knee injury, is expected to play, according to NFL.com's Jason La Canfora, via Twitter....

September 14, 2009 3:03 pm

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Broncos player injured by fall in locker room

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- Denver Broncos linebacker Spencer Larsen will miss a few weeks after injuring his shoulder in a freak fall in the locker room at Cincinnati. Larsen slipped on a wet surface and injured a shoulder while trying...

September 14, 2009 2:36 pm

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3 NFL players, including Brown grad Morey, agree to donate brains for injury research

BOSTON (AP) - Three NFL players announced Monday they have donated their brains and spinal cord tissue to a Boston University medical school program that studies sports brain injuries. Even though dozens of former NFL players have agreed to donate...

September 14, 2009 2:28 pm

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Red Sox weigh in with their NFL, Patriots predictions

Rocco Baldelli has the first pick in the Red Sox fantasy football draft, and he's going with either Maurice Jones-Drew or Adrian Peterson. That's one of the nuggets gleaned by ESPNBoston.com's Louise Cornetta, who checked in with a few Red...

September 14, 2009 1:34 pm

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Patriots opening-day history: Week 1 results through the years (with gallery)

-The Patriots are 25-24 all-time in opening day games, and 17-11 in opening-day games played at home. -New England has won five consecutive season openers, and five straight season openers at Foxboro. They won six straight season openers from...

September 14, 2009 1:21 pm

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Football Today (update): Urlacher says he's out for the season

-Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has said this morning, via text message to the Chicago Tribune, that his season is over as a result of a dislocated wrist he suffered in the first quarter of Sunday night's loss in Green Bay....

September 14, 2009 11:36 am

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Al Davis says Raiders nearly hired Belichick in 1999

At the news conference Saturday night after Richard Seymour decided to report to Oakland, Raiders president-for-life Al Davis mentioned that when he was looking for a coach in 1999, it came down to Jon Gruden or Bill Belichick. Davis wanted...

September 14, 2009 10:12 am

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Patriots vs. Bills: Inside New England's streak of dominance