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New England Patriots Links 10/01/10 - Devin McCourty Has Team's Trust

By Marima
<em>As long as this man is in charge of the defense on the field, there's hope</em>.
As long as this man is in charge of the defense on the field, there's hope.

Tom Brady responds to a question from the Miami media on how he would sum up the series.

Well, they've always been a tough division opponent for us. It's a great rivalry. And there was a long time that we played down there and couldn't beat them. It took a lot of years, and I think finally in '03 or '04 we beat them on a big pass to Troy Brown. It was so exciting for all the players. It's a tough place to play. It's a tough stadium, and the Dolphins always play very well. I know that we don't have a lot of margin for error this week. We've got to play our best game of football that we've played all season in order to win. If we don't, the Dolphins are going to take advantage. They've got an offense that can score points. They've got backs that can run, receivers that can catch. They've got a defense that is big and physical up front and very fast in the secondary. These Monday night games tell you an awful lot about what kind of team you have, just because with the buildup to the game and we're playing a very good team on the road - a division opponent. It's a real big game for us in the course of the season. We're really going to find out what kind of team we are and I think we're excited about the challenge that it's going to be.

Bill Belichick is asked if he feels the stakes are a little bit higher in division games.

I think the stakes are always high in the division games. Absolutely. Three teams tied for first place right now, and you're right, one team has the advantage of two division wins. It's a big game for both teams. There's still a lot of football left and nobody is going to clinch anything after this weekend, but it'd definitely be good to gain an advantage over our opponent this week and at the worst, keep pace with another division leader. That's kind of what the challenge is this week. Of course it's a big game. Any division game on the road counts a little more than one game in the standings. It's one game, but it counts a little bit more than that when you come down to the wire on tiebreakers and things like that.

TEAM TALK

LOCAL LINKS

  • Christopher Price notes Devin McCourty's overall steadiness and consistency have earned him the trust of the coaching staff.
  • Christopher Price reports Devin McCourty welcomes the challenge of facing Brandon Marshall.
  • Mark Farinella says that if these rookies have to learn on the job, Devin McCourty will be learning from one of the best Monday night, Brandon Marshall.
  • Monique Walker notes Brandon Spikes is aware that his inexperience has cost him on the field at times but knows it's on him to keep up with the challenges of learning and preparing.
  • Ian Rapoport notes Brandon Spikes feels challenged to improve his run defense, especially against Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.
  • WEEI Patriots Friday: Jerod Mayo admits the Pats need to stop the run to win.
  • Danny Picard notes Wes Welker isn't upset that he left Miami before the Wildcat craze began, "I don't really see myself as the Wildcat type."
  • Michael Vega catches up with Jets castoff and Patriots new cult hero RB Danny Woodhead.
  • Robert Lee reports the Patriots rookie tight ends have been developing into dangerous weapons for Tom Brady.
  • Steve Buckley details the Patriots sudden inability to win anywhere other than at Gillette Stadium.
  • Robert Lee says the Dolphins have always been a tough test for Brady and the Patriots.
  • Chris Gasper breaks down his three keys to a Patriots win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. (2.50 min. video)
  • Mike Reiss offers his Dolphins-Pats key matchup: Brandon Marshall against the young Patriots CBs. (31 second video.)
  • Mike Reiss revisits both sides of the cost in the Ojinnaka trade.
  • Mike Reiss says New England's defense has been exploited on throws outside the numbers this season.
  • Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Covering Brandon Marshall will be a tough task for Devin McCourty; Kyle Arrington isn't assuming he'll be the starter against Miami, "whoever's doing what they're teaching, plays"; Pats D is particularly struggling in third down situations; Danny Woodhead says life has calmed down a bit since he signed; Kevin Faulk is still waiting for the swelling to go down before his knee surgery.
  • Michael Vega Patriots Notebook: Wes Welker has proven to be a "fish shredder" against Miami; Danny Woodhead became an instant fan favorite in his Patriots debut; Brady acknowledges Mike Nolan as a very good coordinator to go up against; Injury report.
  • Mike Reiss sees AccuScore projecting a tight game Monday night.
  • Kirk Minihane offers his Week 4 NFL picks, and expects another meltdown in Miami.
  • Rich Levine makes his Week 4 NFL picks. Fins over Pats.
  • Jim Lazar makes his Week 4 picks. Pats over Fins 24-20.
  • NESN Daily Former Patriots Max Lane and David Givens discuss the distractions of playing in South Florida. "Night games are electric down there." (1.23 min. video)
  • Jeff Howe interviews Omar Kelly from the South Florida Sun Sentinel to shed some light on the Phins, the Wildcat and the Miami defense.
  • WEEI hosted ESPN's Adam Schefter this morning who says pass rushers are 'difficult to find.'
  • Kirk Minihane answers the WEEI Patriots reader mailbag.

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