Robert Lee reports Jerod Mayo's injury is not season-ending; the team will have to adjust the best way it can.
"I don’t think that’s what it is," Belichick said when asked if Mayo’s injury would force him to miss the rest of the season.
"We’ll evaluate what the alternatives might be, whether that’s internally or externally," [director of player personnel Nick] Caserio said. "If we feel that there’s an opportunity for us to add a player that we feel can help our club, then we’ll go ahead and do that."
"We always have a contingency plan with various players that back up other players at different positions … everybody kind of learns a couple of different spots," [defensive coordinator Dean] Pees said. "We’ve always had a contingency plan – a ‘What if?’ plan. If somebody goes down, you put the backup in and move somebody over or somebody else up and kind of go with it.
"We certainly could have done better things on the field. It’s always hard when a guy hasn’t practiced that position all week, but for the most part they understand what to do. … That’s part of football."
Chris Gasper notes the interesting way the Patriots deployed Matt Light at TE Monday night.
One interesting aspect of Monday night’s game was the way the Patriots deployed left tackle Matt Light at tight end at times. Belichick said Light was used as a third tight end because Michael Matthews, picked up in a trade with the Giants Sept. 5, didn’t have enough experience in the system. When Light played tight end, rookie Sebastian Vollmer was at left tackle. Belichick explained that by rule Light could not be an eligible receiver on one play and then return as an ineligible tackle on the next unless it was the end of a quarter or a timeout had been called, so Vollmer had to stay in at tackle. "Rather than put a third tight end in the game, Matt just has a little bit more experience with it at this point so we used him as that third tight end,’’ said Belichick. "Of course, he’s begging for us to throw him the ball all the time.’
TEAM TALK
- Patriots at Jets Game Preview: Broadcast info, series history, quick hits and connections.
- Ask PFW: Part I - The first half of this week's Ask PFW focuses on the status of various players, in one form or another, on or off the Pats roster.
- Ask PFW: Part II - The Seymour trade and some throwback questions highlight the second half of this week's mailbag.
- Tuesday Conference Calls - Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (10.46 min.), director of player personnel Nick Caserio (5.55 min.) and defensive coordinator Dean Pees (5.49 min.)
- WEEI Patriots 'Monday': Bill Belichick (34.05 min.), Sammy Morris (9.11 min.), Tom Brady (22.52 min.), Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork (19.24 min.), and Chris Baker.
LOCAL LINKS
- Karen Guregian says the Patriots still have issues, and their work cut out for them for Sunday.
- Chris Gasper notes CB Leigh Bodden especially enjoyed the come-from-behind victory over the Bills; it's the first game he's won since Dec. 30, 2007 with Cleveland.
- Monique Walker and Chris Gasper report Mayo has a sprained MCL. Reports differ on return timetable, could be 6-8 weeks.
- Dan Guttenplan says Pats fans should adjust their expectations for the 2009 season after last night.
- Ian Rapoport has an NFL official's and Vince Wilfork's response to controversial roughing the passer penalties.
- Chad Finn selects a few of Tom Brady's more notable comments from his weekly spot with WEEI's Dennis & Callahan program.
- Ron Borges grades the Patriots on Monday Night's performance.
- Chris Gasper Patriots Notebook: Rex Ryan and Bill Belichick agree Sunday's game will be big; Wilfork and Thomas are puzzled by the dubious 'roughing-the-passer calls against them; Pats did well containing T.O. and Lee Evans.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Kerry J. Byrne (Cold Hard Football Facts) The true Mad Bomber: No quarterback in history could "carry a team" like Tom Brady can carry a team.
- Don Banks (SI) Preseason perceptions smashed, proven true after NFL's Week 1.
- Mike Reiss (ESPNBoston) Patriots not concerned with Galloway; Galloway is fine with offense.
- Mike Reiss looks at the snaps played by Patriots offensive skill position players in Monday's game, and offers his analysis. Moss played 80 of 81 offensive snaps.
- Mike Reiss looks at the Patriots' core special teams players and positional groupings from the season opener.
- Mike Reiss opens his first Patriots mailbag on ESPNBoston.com and answers questions on the Pats O-line, Benjamin Watson and much more.
- Mike Reiss catches up with Troy Brown for his thoughts about the Patriots win. Galloway needs to stay patient.
- Judy Battista (NY Times) A few leftover thoughts on the Patriots' Monday night victory over the Bills.
- Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Underdog, gritty Patriots are back.
- Tom Curran (NBC Sports) Brady's back: New England offense far from potent, while defense has serious holes.
- Mike Reiss looks back at Tom Brady's night and forward to Week 2's matchup with the Jets. (1.28 min. video)
- Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Tom Brady still knows how to produce in the clutch.
- Dan Parr (Pro Football Weekly) Tom Brady's late heroics helped him secure the top spot in this week's MVP rankings.
- Shutdown Corner (Yahoo! Sports) Tom Brady makes Suzy Kolber work for her postgame quotes.
- Tom Curran (Pro Football Talk) Wilfork draws iffy flag for "going low."
- Toni Monkovic (NY Times) Belichick owes Rex Ryan one.
-
Dave Hutchinson (Newark Star-Ledger) NY Jets approaching game against New England Patriots 'like it's the Super Bowl.'