The last time the Pats played the Saints, New England escaped with a 24-17 victory in Foxboro.  This highlight vid from NFL films features a lot of old friends who aren't around anymore: Branch, Vrabel, Wilson, Davis just to name a few.  The Saints look different, too.  No one will mistake Aaron Brooks for Drew Brees, for example.  No rest for the weary -- not this week, anyway. 

Use this space for jibber-jabber, if anyone's up watching the Monday night tilt between Tennessee and Houston.  They hate each other, and are treating us to a glimpse of playoff-level intensity.  Keep an eye on Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams, as we'll be facing them the last week of the year -- a match that might have implications for playoff seeding.