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ONLINE ONLY: Pats welcome Harrison's return this week

BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

CINCINNATI -- Rodney Harrison returns this week after serving a four-game suspension for using Human Growth Hormone and the Patriots will be happy to see him.

''That's going to be big,'' linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said last night. ''Everybody's missed him.''

Despite the absence of hard-hitting, veteran safety Harrison, as well as five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour -- who's on the Physically Unable To Perform List at least through Week Six -- the New England defense hasn't missed a beat.

The Patriots haven't given up more than 14 points in any of their first four games and are yielding an average of just 12 points per game.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 1:17 AM to Rodney Harrison | Permalink | Comments 3

ONLINE ONLY: Brady agrees Pats are tough to stop

BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

CINCINNATI -- The way the Patriots are playing, they're tough to stop.

The way Randy Moss is playing, he's almost impossible to stop.

''If we continue to run the ball well, and throw it on our terms, we're tough to stop,'' Brady said after leading the Patriots to their fourth straight lopsided victory in as many games, this latest a 34-13, Monday night trouncing of the Bengals.

It says something about how well the Patriots are playing that the 21-point margin of victory was their smallest of the season.

Although top running back Laurence Maroney was sidelined with a groin pull, Sammy Morris -- signed as a free agent from the Dolphins during the offseason -- stepped in and rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

With the Patriots grinding out 173 yards on the ground, Brady was able to throw for 231, completing 25 of 32 passes, three of them for touchdowns, with one interception.

He threw to seven different receivers, not counting the ''catch'' that guard Logan Mankins was credited with when he illegally touched a ball that popped up in the air when Brady was hit just as he let it go.

''When you keep everybody involved in the passing game,'' Brady said, ''that's makes it tough on a defense.''

No receiver was more involved in the New England passing game last night than Moss, who again put on a spectacular performance, catching 9 balls for 102 yards and 2 TDs, giving him a total of 7 on the season.

He outjumped Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph to make a 7-yard scoring grab in the second quarter, then zipped past a would-be chuck at the line of scrimmage by overmatched rookie corner Leon Hall to haul in a 14-yard yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter.

''I was aiming for the third row in the stands,'' Brady laughed, when asked about his high, TD toss to Moss in the second quarter. ''He just leaped up and grabbed it. He's tough on DBs. He's 6-4, has a 35-inch vertical leap, and great hands.''

What impressed Brady most about that catch was not that Moss was able to go high into the air, over Joseph, to bring the ball down, but that he also was able to keep both his feet in bounds after making the catch.

''That was great body control,'' Brady said.

Brady went on to note that Moss has great body language, enabling a perceptive QB to see where he's going.

''He's easy to read,'' Brady said.

And very hard to cover.

''This is his 10th year in the league,'' said Brady, ''and he's run every route in the book. He doesn't drop many balls. He commands a lot of double-coverage, but finds ways to beat it. When he gets single coverage, he's always a threat to go deep.''

Because the Bengals were obviously concentrating on preventing Moss from beating them deep, said Brady, he was consistently open on shorter routes.

Moss also creates openings for the other New England receivers. Donte Stallworth had a season-high four catches, for 49 yards, and Wes Welker had three receptions, for 22 yards, as well as running 27 yards on a reverse in the third quarter.

''Donte played his best game,'' Brady said, ''and Wes continues to do great things.''

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

ONLINE ONLY: Pats' tight ends ask for same chances on defense that Vrabel gets on offense

BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

CINCINNATI -- Turnabout, Patriots tight end Ben Watson believes, is fair play.

Since linebacker Mike Vrabel gets to come in near the goal line and catch touchdown passes, Watson wants a chance to rush the passer.

''I want to come in on third-and-long,'' he said, smiling broadly. ''I want to come in when it's third-and-20, when everybody's knows the quarterback is going to pass, and get a sack.''

Watson, still smiling, added that the tight ends get ''a little jealous'' when Vrabel gets the ball thrown to him in the end zone.

''Whenever we see Mike coming in,'' said Watson, ''we roll our eyes and say: 'Oh, man!' ''

The tight ends try not to let Vrabel slip into their meetings during the week.

''He tries to sneak in,'' Watson said.

But they can't keep him out of the huddle when coach Bill Belichick sends him in.

And, it appears, opposing defenses can't keep the versatile Vrabel from catching the ball in the end zone.

He has caught nine passes since coming to the Patriots from Pittsburgh as an unrestricted free agent in 2001, and all of them have been for touchdowns.

Two of them were in Super Bowls -- one against Carolina, one against the Eagles -- and his latest TD catch came last night in Cincinnati, when he hauled in a 1-yard toss from Tom Brady in the final minute of the first quarter that put the Patriots on top, 10-0.

''Mike's a great threat down there,'' Brady said. ''He's very elusive and has good hands.''

''His eyes light up,'' Belichick said, ''when he sees the ball coming.''

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments 0