New England Patriots Links 11/13/09 - Patriots Hyped To Hold These Horses

Albert Breer notes Tully Banta-Cain didn't shy away from saying this is a measuring-stick affair for the Patriots.

"This is an opponent we’re gonna have to face, hopefully, down the road," he said. "They’re always at the top of the league and in the playoffs. We know this is a game that’s really gonna make a statement on our team and where we can go. We’re all conscious of it, and we’re not trying to overthink it, but we know it’s gonna be a tough game and we gotta play our best."

Christopher Price lists Five Things to watch for Sunday Night.  Here's one of them:

Dallas Cark vs. Brandon McGowan. This is the must-see matchup of the game. Clark is a tight end without peer, while McGowan has developed a rep as a tight end stopper. McGowan cuffed around Tony Gonzalez (one catch against McGowan) and Kellen Winslow (two catches against McGowan) pretty thoroughly earlier this season while working in the safety/linebacker hybrid role that Rodney Harrison perfected with the Patriots. Now, McGowan gets his shot at Clark. Look for him to be handsy with Clark at the line, playing him physically right up on the line of scrimmage.

Ron Borges has a terrific column on Tom Brady, well worth the read. 

It is what kept him going last year through the greatest trial of his athletic life and what pushes him into dark film rooms and early morning wakeups even now. Call it fear if you’d like because, in a way, that is what it is. Fear of failure is the emotion that forges greatness.

"I think I’ve always needed to prove it to myself," Brady told the Herald this week. "I don’t think I ever believe I’ve got it figured out because I was never the best athlete. There were always guys picked ahead of me. No matter how much you win you don’t forget that.

"I don’t believe I’m very good. If I don’t put the work in there I don’t believe I’ll be very good. That’s how I’ve come to see it.

"That’s what keeps me going [the feeling you get when you win the Super Bowl]. The competition in practice is just as competitive to me as the competition in a game. If we have a bad practice you lose sleep on those nights. I’m the leader of the offense. They’ll go as I go. If I got a crappy attitude they’ll have a crappy attitude. If it gets to the point where I’m thinking, ‘Hey, it’s Wednesday, I don’t care,’ I’ll shut it down because I’ll know it’s time to go."

TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino notes Dan Connolly could be the Center of attention Sunday, plus news and notes from Thursday's practice.
• Patriots Today: A look at the unbeaten Colts.  (10:28 min. video)
• Belichick Breakdown: Patriots vs. Colts.  (7:01 min. video)
  

LOCAL LINKS

• Christopher Price notes the Patriots hope to generate pressure on Peyton.
• Adam Kilgore feels that how the Patriots handle the Colts' pass rush, and how much the Colts choose to blitz, could be a major factor Sunday night.
• Shalise Manza Young notes the Patriots will count on physical play to counter Dallas Clark.
• Monique Walker reports the Patriots are tied for third in the league in turnover differential at plus-8 with the unbeaten Saints, and hold a slight advantage over undefeated Indianapolis (plus-7),
• Ian Rapoport reports Peyton Manning is a master at not getting hit.
• Albert Breer says Patriots rookies aren't going to be star-struck, although there's no way they can be completely, all-the-way ready for what's gonna hit them Sunday.
• Steve Buckley sees Laurence Maroney finally up to speed.
• Michael Vega offers a Q&A with Colts' RB Donald Brown, who is eager to play.
• Albert Breer points out that the numbers back up Drew Brees belonging in the Brady-Manning conversation, at least through the first 8 weeks of the 2009 season.
• Ian Rapoport notes Myron Pryor and Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo played each other in Pee Wee football, and played with each other in high school.  They both attended U of Kentucky at the same time too.
• Adam Kilgore gets rookie safety Pat Chung's reaction to the fine on him levied by the NFL. "It was an honest mistake. It wasn’t intentional. I would never try to do that and get the fine, the penalty." Replays showed it was a close call.
• Mike Petraglia looks at who is Colts head coach Jim Caldwell.  Well, he's 8-0 for starters.
• Jim Lazar makes his Week 10 Picks.  Manning yaps away at the line of scrimmage. Brady simply yaps, 'Randy, go deep.'  Pats, 31-27.
• Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Dan Connolly poised to start; Colts do have a running game with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown; Pats are aware of Colts' fast and elusive special teams players.
• Mike Reiss feels the Patriots will be in sub packages a lot Sunday.
• Mike Reiss presents two video clips, one has Tedy Bruschi showing how the Patriots might stop Dallas Clark, and the other with Wendy Nix explaining why Manning doesn't get sacked.
• Jim Donaldson will be reliving the 13 games played by the Patriots and Colts this decade.  Here are Part 1(2000) and Part 2 (2001), Part 3 (2003) and Part 4 (2004), Part 5 (2004) and Part 6 (2005).
  

NATIONAL NEWS

• Jason Whitlock (Fox Sports) NFL Truths: Don't believe Brady-Manning hype.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Brady, Manning are NFL's top double agents.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Take your pick, Belichick or Polian.
• Gil  Brandt (NFL.com) Manning-Brady duel leads a solid week 10 list of matchups.
• Peter King (SI) NFL Weekend Pick Offs for Week 10.  Pats over Colts 30-26.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) NFL shipwrecks Captain Morgan campaign.
• Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) The Player's Picks: Week 10: Patriots 24, Colts 17.

VIEW FROM INDIANAPOLIS

• Phil Richards (Indy Star) Time for annual meeting of legends.
• Mike Chappell (Indy Star) Great Debate: Manning's 2004 season or Brady's 2007.
• Philip B. Wilson (Indy Star) Patriots' Moss still puts fear into DBs.
• Bob Kravitz (Indy Star) The real showdown?  It's Manning vs. Belichick.