HOT SHOTS

• Troy Brown, much loved receiver, kick returner, and even cornerback is set to announce his retirement this morning at 10:00am at Gillette Stadium, and will make an as yet undisclosed "important announcement."
  
• The Patriot Ledger offers the first of what should be many Troy Brown appreciation articles.
• Rodney Harrison is the only player in NFL history to record at least 30 sacks and at least 30 interceptions in his career.  Harrison is the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a defensive back.
• Stephen Gostkowski has connected on 84.2 percent of his regular-season field goals (48-for-57), achieving the best field goal percentage in Patriots history.  He's also hit 14 straight field goals dating back to last season.
• Adalius Thomas feels he made the right choice in coming to New England.  The 49'ers also pursued him.
• What are Robert Kraft's New England Patriots worth, and where do they rank in the top ten most valuable teams?

LOCAL SHOTS

• Belichick and Co. plan to make good use of this week's Bye before heading out to San Francisco.
• Mike Reiss discusses what the Patriots need to work on during the Bye, including pass defense and zone coverage.
• Reiss talks up Ellis Hobbs, explains the return game, and notes that the Pats lead the league in kickoff returns.
• Hobbs and the return team get "special" attention from Karen Guregian as well.
• Guregian hits on pocket protection and what Matt Cassel must learn to avoid the sack.  The O-Line knows it has to improve as well.
• Defensive end Jarvis Green yesterday "examined the fragile interdependence of each functioning body of the [defensive] unit."  Prof. Green says each member of the D has to do its job and get on the same page with each other.
• Jim Donaldson understands the fan reaction to Sunday's game, " When you’re used to eating filet mignon, it’s hard to get excited about hamburger." and discusses the concept of loyalty.
• Ron Chimelas also revisits the boo-birds, " I would like to think, though, that being passionate about this sport does not require one to become a total moron."
• Patriots Football Weekly answers reader questions in it's mailbag feature.
• Scouts Inc. says it's not time to hit the panic button, (whew!) and that Matt Cassel is New England's best option.  Interesting article for the analysis of Cassel's play.

WEIRD SHOTS

• Former Patriot Ted Johnson agreed to donate his brain to Boston University for a study  on the long-term effects of concussions.  Johnson believes his multiple concussions between 2002-05 is a cause of his problems with memory and depression.
• Weirdest headline of the week (courtsey of Fox Sports on MSN):  Cheat Sheet:  Belichick Coaching Tree Rotting.  In an irrelevant story, Peter Schrager ties Bill Belichick to the (mis)fortunes of his former assistants Charlie Weiss, Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini.  Much ink is spilled on how badly they're all doing compared with other coaching trees.  Odd.

POWER RANKINGS .

• NFL.com's Vic Carucci still ranks them below 12th, "in the middle of the pack."
• Fox Sports on MSN ranks them 13th (-8):  includes a "Cool Stat" showing where the Patriots rank this year in....wait a minute, now that was just cold.
• Pro Football Weekly ranks them at 12th (-6):  "Forget Cassel; the defense was bad."  Oops! Make that "miserably bad."
• ESPN ranks them 11th (-5):  We need an immediate "infusion from another source", whatever that means.
• Dr. Z at SI ranks them 6th (-4): Dr. Z includes a partial Q & A with Belichick that's classic.