Patriots get past Bills, 17-10

The New England Patriots still looked sluggish but did just enough for a 17-10 win over the Buffalo Bills.

It was another disappointing effort from quarterback Tom Brady, who really looks like the injuries are bothering his play.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Randy Moss got back on track and silenced some critics with 70 yards and a touchdown.

If the Patriots can win next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they can clinch the AFC East title.

New England also still have a chance to earn a first round bye, but they will need some help from the San Diego Chargers.

Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 11:49 am by steve

Patriots fight off Panthers, 20-10

The New England Patriots struggled all day but still managed to pull out a 20-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

It wasn’t a textbook performance from the Patriots, as the team’s offense has stalled in recent weeks.

Quarterback Tom Brady struggled much of the day and was clearly frustrated by the lack of offensive production.

You can add wide receiver Randy Moss to that group as well, as the star caught just two passes on the day.

The Patriots do not have a good defense, so they must get more out of their passing game if they want to reach the playoffs.

Friday, December 18, 2009 at 5:42 pm by steve

Patriots Owner Supports Moss

Two days after QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick spoke out in defense of Randy Moss after his worst game in years, Patriots owner Robert Kraft came to Moss’ defense on Tuesday night during a Patriots charity Salvation Army holiday party.

“I can only speak for myself. I really believe in him, and support him,” Kraft told the Boston Herald during the party. “He’s made a great contribution to this team. Wes Welker has been great and productive, but he’s been fortunate to have Randy on the other side. Randy will be very productive and has been very for us. Look at his stats. So I’m really happy he’s part of our team. I look for a lot of good things from him before the season’s over.”

Panthers defensive end Chris Gamble spoke out on Sunday after Moss’ miserable game, saying that the Panthers were expecting Moss to mail it in early after they frustrated him at the line of scrimmage.

“We knew he was going to shut it down,” Gamble told the Boston Globe. “He’d just give up a lot, slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell [by his] body language.”

But Moss still remains one of the greatest, most feared receivers still active in the league today, and Kraft seems aware of Moss’ dynamic playmaking abilities.

Kraft also admires a lesser-seen side of Moss: the consummate teammate and professional.

“I check with the guys in the weight room and coaches. He does a lot of things people don’t see. When you’re a target out there, and in a different category, the expectations become so great, and people can be a little unfair,” Kraft told the Herald.

“Everything he’s done, interactions with me and with this team, have been top-drawer. I’m sure a lot of other teams would love to have someone like Randy on their team. I’m really happy he’s with us, and part of what we’re about.”

at 12:30 pm by bryan

Pats Defend Moss After Panthers Rip His Effort

After suffering a 20-10 defeat at the hands of the Patriots, two members of the Carolina Panthers’ defense started spouting off about Randy Moss following his worst game in nearly three years.

Moss only caught one ball for 16 yards on Sunday, while he also lost a fumble and dropped another pass.

And the Panthers players were quick to jump on Moss’ effort.

Panthers defensive back Chris Gamble told The Boston Globe that “we knew [Moss] was going to shut it down. That’s what we wanted him to do. That’s what we did … He’d just give up a lot. Slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell, his body language.”

Defensive back Chris Harris added in, “I don’t want to say [Moss] quits, but he kind of doesn’t run the routes the way they’re supposed to be run. If you get a jam on him, he’ll just ease up. He had the one catch, and he fumbled. … We stayed on top of him. We were not gonna let him catch a deep pass. That’s his game. If he can’t get it going, he gets out of sync.”

On Monday, it was the Patriots who were back on the offensive.

“He’s one of the top receivers in the league right now,” Pats QB Tom Brady said in an interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Monday morning. “He is up there in yards and catches and touchdowns. Every game plan that the defense comes up with is trying to stop Randy Moss. … It’s not like they don’t have respect for him when their game plan is built around stopping him.”

And Patriots coach Bill Belichick seemed unconcerned with the criticism from the Panthers players, saying “My response would be that’s a lot of conversation coming from a team that lost another game.”

“I have a lot of respect for Randy, I think he’s one of our best players and I think if you watch other teams defend him and watch other teams play against him, they think the same way — other than these two guys from Carolina after they lost another game. I guess they don’t think that way. They haven’t won a lot of games now.”

at 12:14 pm by bryan

Moss, 3 others sent home

The New England Patriots sent home wide receiver Randy Moss and three other players for showing up late to a team meeting.

Head coach Bill Belichick dimissed all four players from the team meeting and the practice for the day.

The players said they were late to the meeting because weather delays got them stuck in traffic.

The New England area was hit with a storm that dropped snow, ice and rain on the region, but all the other players managed to make it on time.

This could be an instance where Belichick is just trying to find ways to motivate and jumpstart his struggling team.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:47 am by steve

Brady banged up

As if the New England Patriots haven’t had enough distractions this week, now there is news that quarterback Tom Brady is hurting.

Brady left Sunday’s game momentarily because of injuries to a finger on his right hand and right shoulder.

Now there is news that he suffered a rib injury in the game as well and has not practiced for two straight days.

The team is likely just exercising precaution and wants to get Brady as close to 100 percent as possible, but it’s still worrisome.

At 7-5, the Patriots are on the outside looking in at hosting a second round playoff game and are only one game ahead in the division race.

at 9:31 am by steve

Patriots stunned by Dolphins, 22-21

The New England Patriots continued their recent struggles against the Miami Dolphins in a 22-21 loss.

Quarterback Tom Brady tossed two touchdown passes and threw for over 350 yards but it wasn’t enough.

Brady left the field briefly in the first quarter and went to the locker room for some type of injury but quickly returned.

Wide receiver Randy Moss had 66 yards receiving and a touchdown, which went for 50 yards alone.

The loss means the Patriots now hold just a one game lead over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.

Friday, December 11, 2009 at 4:02 pm by steve

Brady Misses Start of Thursday Practice

Pats QB Tom Brady missed the start of practice Thursday, according to ESPN, although it’s unclear whether it was injury related. He did have tape on his right ring finger in the Pats’ locker room.

Brady also didn’t practice on Wednesday, although the Patriots did not say whether that was due to injury or because of his new baby that wife Gisele Bundchen brought into the world on Tuesday.

The Pats added Brady to their injury report last Friday with a finger injury, although he was listed as probable (because he wasn’t going to miss the game against the Dophins).

Against the Dolphins, Brady finished 19 of 29 for 352 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Brady hooked up with WR Randy Moss in the first drive of the game for a 58-yard touchdown, but could only find Moss for one more catch (for eight yards) over the rest of the day.

After his TD pass to Moss, Brady took a big hit and ran straight into the locker room, although coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t specify why.

When asked whether the Pats changed their gameplan around considering Brady’s injury, Belichick replied on Wednesday, “”We didn’t change much. You saw the first drive of the game. The plays we had, we ran. There weren’t really any changes.”

Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 10:20 pm by bryan

LB Thomas Discusses Being Sent Home

A day after being sent home for being late to an 8 a.m. meeting, Pats linebacker Adalius Thomas was more than ready to discuss his punishment with the media on Thursday.

Thomas, defensive end Derrick Burgess, linebacker Gary Guyton, and receiver Randy Moss were all sent home from practice by Bill Belichick yesterday, according to a report in the Providence Journal.

Thomas blamed his tardiness on harsh weather conditions.

“I think everyone woke up to the snow yesterday,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know it was going to snow. There was traffic. I can’t run people over getting to work. I don’t do that. I actually almost had a car accident. It is what it is. He did what he thought was best for him. That’s what he did.”

“What do you do? It’s not the Jetsons, I can’t jump up and just fly.”

Moss held his peace while the locker room was open to the media on Thursday.

“Anything that happens with discipline on the team will stay between me and the players,” Belichick said Wednesday morning.

at 10:19 pm by bryan

Brady, Gisele Welcome New Baby Boy

The Patriots are suddenly be caught in a playoff race that looked like a foregone conclusion a few weeks back, and their on-field leader just took on a whole new responsibility.

Pats QB Tom Brady announced Wednesday that he and wife Gisele Bundchen welcomed a newborn boy into the world on Tuesday.

Brady called the birth “a wonderful experience in my life,” saying that both the baby and Gisele were in good health, and that the couple hadn’t picked out a name for their newest son.

But Brady assured reporters at his press conference that the baby would not affect his availability for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, in a game that suddenly may have become a must-win for the Patriots, who now only lead the Miami Dolphins by one game in the AFC East.

“As a captain and leader of this team, the last thing they need from me is to be really not focused on the job at hand,” Brady said. “There are plenty of things for me to do in here this week.”

This is the first child for Brady and Gisele. He also has a 2-year-old son named Jack that he had with former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 10:17 pm by bryan