Bill Belichick answers questions for the media before the weekend break.

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Tom Brady reveals one of the motivational tools used by Bill Belichick.

Q:  "Bill Bashing" - I've got to talk about that. Junior Seau said you're not a part of the team until you'd been "Bill-Bashed". He said it even happens to Tom Brady, but he said to ask you about it. Have you been "Bill-Bashed" before?

TB: Yeah. Randy calls it "You Tubed." We have practice on a Wednesday or a Thursday, and there you are the next morning on the big screen. You get in there pretty excited on a Wednesday morning or a Thursday morning, and then there're 30 plays of myself and Randy [Moss] and Wes [Welker], and he's going ‘What do you guys think you're doing here? This is you know what...' and using a lot of words I can't use here. He's tough on us, and I think it's for a reason. He always has a purpose in what he does and he's a very smart man and he's a great coach. He's just trying to motivate us to be the best we can be.

Bill Belichick talks about making good use of the Bye week.

Q: Is that basically what you do - self scout and throw out what's not working and get some guys up to speed, especially some of your young guys and guys coming of P.U.P.?

BB: That's right. We have some young players that have gotten a little bit of playing time, but we will continue to give them more reps in the bye week. And [it] also gives us a little more time to prepare for Miami. They've played seven games, so we'll get a pretty look at them and that will take some work there for what they do and the problems they present. It always comes at a good time, but I think it's a good feeling to come back from London. I'm glad we weren't facing a regular week this week after the trip back across the ocean.

No question.  Yes, we'll have to work on [the Wildcat.] That's one of the unique things that they do and we'll be able to get a little bit of a head start on that.

TEAM TALK

• Patriots All Access Transcripts (From the episode that aired Oct. 30th, on WBZ.) Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
• John Cockrell Friday Out-Takes: LJ gets DQ'd in KC; Blooper Reel and more.
  

LOCAL LINKS

• Albert Breer notes the Patriots didn't even play yesterday but they still came out winners anyway.
• Adam Kilgore reports that at 32 and coming off a major knee injury, quarterback Tom Brady says his arm feels better than ever.
• Monique Walker says that at 23 years old Jerod Mayo is a true leader and wise beyond his years.
• Adam Kilgore focuses on the Patriots' reconstructed secondary.
• Karen Guregian reports Tom Brady has moved up in the NFL rankings to third in passing yardage (2038), and the Pats (198 pts) are third behind the Vikes and Saints in scoring.
• Mike Reiss' Blog:  Patriots burned with the Wildcat last year; Pats gain separation in the AFC East; Focus on Brett Lockett; Mid-Season Awards; Leaders in Special Teams Tackles; and much more.  Too many to list.
• Karen Guregian awards some Bests and Worsts from the first seven games of the season.
• Mark Farinella looks at where the Patriots stand at this juncture in relation to the AFC East and the Conference, noting the killer stretch they have over the next five weeks.
• Shalise Manza Young looks back at the team to this point and offers her own superlatives, high school style.
• Albert Breer says it's unusual in the NFL that a team will rotate players in and out at corner, yet the Patriots have mixed playing-time patterns with Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler and Shawn Springs the last four weeks.
• Michael Hurley notes Tom Brady reveals one of Bill Belichick's coaching secrets, and it's all on film.
• Ian Rapoport has a terrific piece about Pierre Woods' trek from the raw streets of Cleveland to the plush carpet of the Patriots locker room. Men like Ted Ginn Sr. are the real heroes of this world.
• Jeff Howe reports Wes Welker's production keeps growing with his understanding of the game.
• Nate Dow notes in 33 regular season games as a Patriots, Junior Seau tasted defeat only 3 times. A look at his tangible contributions suggests his value goes far beyond his stats.
• Ian Rapoport discusses the intense Jets-Fins game at the Meadowlands and the hate within the AFC East.
• Shalise Manza Young gets Up Close with Kendall Simmons.
• Steve Buckley offers an excerpt from his book about 2007, "Wicked Good Year - How the Red Sox Patriots and Celtics Turned the Hub of the Universe into the Capital of Sports."
• Christopher Price plugs the Joe Andruzzi Foundation as it hosts the second Annual New England Celebrities Tackle Cancer at Christina’s Monday night in Foxboro.  (For ticket and event information, click here.)
• Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Kevin Faulk still a focal point; Brandon McGowan is the team's leading tackler with 43; Logan Mankins talks about his false start penalties, blaming mental errors.
• Albert Breer notes Jason Taylor briefly considered signing with the Pats.  "I have immense respect for Bill and Tommy,’’ Taylor said. "Like I said, if it didn’t work out in Miami, that’d definitely be a place I’d go, based on those two guys.’’
• Mike Reiss catches us up with how the former Patriots are doing with their new teams.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Tim Graham (ESPN) Rex Ryan bewildered by loss to Dolphins.  Ryan not gracious in defeat.
• Peter King (SI) MMQB: Favre, Favre, Favre and the Favreity, Favre-Favres.  Plus some NFL stuff.
• Don Banks (SI) Snap Judgments: Cowboys turning heads, Ravens 'D' stars and more from Week 8.
• Mike Florio notes the recent Congressional sniffing around the NFL, "Given the whole health care thing and the war in Afghanistan and the economy in the crapper... doesn't the government have better things to do?"