New England Patriots Links 12/29/09 - To Play or Not To Play, Belichick Will 'Do What's Best' For The Team

Albert Breer knows Tom Brady wants to play in Houston.

"I'm sure [Bill Belichick will] have his own ideas, and down in Foxborough, it's not like it's a democracy there anywhere," the quarterback told Christian Fauria and Butch Stearns, sitting in on the Dennis & Callahan program. "We don't sit around and take votes on what we're gonna do. It's a one-man show and he makes the decisions. I think there's a lot at stake for us, the first and second seeds, they have that figured out, but the 3, the 4, the 5 and the 6, no one really knows about those. "You don't really play for position when you don't know who your opponent will be, nor does it really matter who the opponent's gonna be. We're gonna have to beat a good team."

Solomon Wilcots (NFL.com) When Brady practices, Patriots are perfect.

After speaking with Brady the night before the game, I sensed playtime was over. Brady explained to me how his assortment of injuries had not allowed him to fully participate in practice during the previous weeks, when the Patriots managed to win only two of their four games. Brady explained how their offensive system would only carry over 15 to 20 core plays into each game, but there would be 35 to 40 new plays to learn each week. He went on to explain how, for a quarterback, it’s vital to run new plays repeatedly in practice during the week.

Instead, over the last four weeks, Brady had been running many of these new plays for the first time in games without the benefit of practice. On Saturday night he assured me he had a great week of practice and that the Patriots’ offensive point production was close to improving without taking drastic measures. "All we need to do to convert a few more third downs and points will come," said Brady. The next day, Brady went through the Jaguars defense like a hot knife through warm butter.

Bill Belichick says Maroney wasn't put in the doghouse after Sunday's fumble.

I think all our backs were productive yesterday. They all had good plays when they had a chance to play. Sammy got some carries and hit a couple … like, a 15 or 20-yard run right off the bat and had some short-yardage runs. He kind of had the hot hand there, and so we gave him some carries.

I think all our backs, like I said, have been productive for us all year, and they all were yesterday, and I hope they will be going forward. I expect them to.

TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino looks at how New England will approach its final regular season game and the myriad possible opponents for the post-season.
• Monday Press Conference: Bill Belichick (21:26 min.) Plus Transcript.
• Patriots Today - A division title in the books. (13:50 min. video)
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady (25:15), Ty Warren (19:30), Chris Baker (9:28), Sammy Morris (13:39), Bill Belichick (35:20).

LOCAL LINKS

• Albert Breer captures coach Belichick's insight on his approach to sitting players (sorta).
• Adam Kilgore notes that while Bill Belichick did not specifically address the Colts situation, he sided with the general notion that a team has the right to choose what is best for itself.
• Ian Rapoport looks at the Patriots' playoff possibilities and what a win in Houston might mean to the team.
• Shalise Manza Young wonders if the Pats will follow the Colts' lead and rest their stars.
• Christopher Price notes Tom Brady sounds like he wants to play in the season finale.
• Bill Reynolds says the Patriots are likely to go as far as Tom Brady takes them.
• Christopher Price offers the highlights from Bill Belichick on The Big Show Monday, and from Tom Brady's Q&A earlier that morning.
  
• Adam Kilgore says that with practically nothing to play for in terms of playoff positioning, Belichick will have to choose how much, if at all, he wants to rest his starters in the regular-season finale at Houston.
• Karen Guregian thinks Laurence Maroney lost his grip on playing time with that goal-line fumble Sunday.
• Mike Reiss looks at and analyzes the snaps played by Patriots defenders in the team's 35-7 win over the Jaguars.
• Mike Reiss looks at and analyzes the positional groupings utilized by the Patriots Sunday.
• Mike Reiss look at and analyzes the snaps played by offensive skill-position players, noting that Julian Edelman seems like the best fit as 3rd wide receiver.
• Mike Reiss offers a game-by-game breakdown of QB hits against Brady. Sunday was the first time this season that Brady went through a game without being touched by a defender.
• Adam Kilgore reports that it's great to have January football back again in New England.
• Bob Ryan says that if you're still wondering who this 2009 Patriots team is, they're division champs.
• Chris Gasper looks at Belichick's decision to play James Sanders after mothballing him earlier on.
• Ron Borges issues A's all around - even for coaching -in his weekly report card. Maybe the grinch has a heart after all.
• Tony Massarotti takes a closer look at the Patriots possible playoff matchups.  Even though the Pats were done weeks ago, right Mazz?
• Gerry Callahan traces back the date of the climate change in Boston sports - from Loserville to Titletown - to April 16th, 2000.
• Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Belichick noted that at no point has the starting O-Line been healthy; Belichick thought the play-calling by Bill O'Brien was no better or worse than usual - it was the execution that improved; Stopping the Jaguars on their early 4th-and-1 bid was huge for the Patriots, especially they way they asserted themselves physically without Vince Wilfork.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Patriots still a factor after locking up AFC East with rout of Jaguars.
• Tedy Bruschi (ESPNBoston) Simplifying defense made a difference; Maroney may get lost in shuffle.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Welker having historic season.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) The NFL Network unveiled its top 10 players of the decade, choosing Tom Brady as their number one on the list.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) A look at AFC Eat Pro Bowl possibilities.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Jets might give Patriots playoff company.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Report: Bills, Weis show mutual interest.
• Peter King (SI) MMQB: The new year will begin without clear-cut Super Bowl XLIV favorite.
• Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL Playoff picture.
• ESPN NFL playoff picture, scenarios if the playoffs started now.
• Cam Inman (Oakland Tribune) Richard Seymour has been no savior in another lost season for Raiders.
• Bob Kravitz (Indy Star) By pulling Manning, Colts forsake chance at perfection.
• Mark Cannizzaro (NY Post) Gift Horse: Jets defeat unbeaten Colts; playoffs one win away.
• Mike Vaccaro (NY Post) Colts thumbing nose at history? Not Jets problem.
• Judy Battista (NY Times) Jets end the Colts' perfect season and burst into the postseason picture.
• Chris Chase (Yahoo! Sports) Caldwell's questionable decision leads to Colts' first loss of the season.