Bill Belichick meets with the press yesterday to talk Pats-Colts.
Back in the division again. Just like Pittsburgh. The Colts, as usual, look real good. They're good at everything. But really, defensively, the three plays at the end of the Cincinnati game kind of summed it up. Cincinnati's got a chance to go ahead [and] they strip them and get back-to-back sacks with [Robert] Mathis and [Dwight] Freeney. That's kind of the way they play. They're a big-play team and [they] cause a lot of havoc, turn the ball over, sack the quarterback, strip them, tip balls and all those things. Offensively, they're still really efficient, as they always are, with Peyton [Manning] running the show and an experienced offensive line. They've used some different people in there, but they've all been productive and it's obvious they have good depth and a good quality of players and, obviously, a good system with Reggie Wayne still making a lot of plays, [Pierre] Garcon, Manning, [Joseph] Addai - I'm sure he'll be back. So, they've got a lot of good players and they've got a real good team.
Tom Brady responds to a question about what he likes best about this rivalry.
They're a great team. I think whenever you have the opportunity to play teams that have been as good as they have been over the years, it's always a great challenge for us. You kind of look at them and say, 'Ok, well, how do we measure up against a really good team?' We've certainly played some other really good teams this year [but] that have their own style of defense that you really can't duplicate. You can't duplicate it in practice. You can't simulate the speed of those two edge rushers and the other great players that they have on their defense from [Gary] Brackett to [Antoine] Bethea to some really young corners that are really good players. They've got a great group.
Bill Belichick is asked, "I know a part of you would probably like to play crappy teams every week ..."
Well there aren't any in this league. Ask the [New York] Giants.
TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino tells us what happened at Wednesday's practice and in the locker room.
- Erik Scalavino reports on the Patriots replacing of Shawn Crable with Pierre Woods.
- Patriots-Colts Wednesday Injury Report.
- Wednesday Press Conferences: Bill Belichick (17.39 min. video) and Tom Brady (10.48 min. video) plus transcripts.
- NFL Network: Editor of Patriots Football Weekly Paul Perillo looks at the fierce rivalry between the Colts and the Patriots. (3.40 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Brady, Woods and more from practice. (1.28 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Wednesday news and notes. (3.49 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Pats visit Children's Hospital Boston. (1.37 min. video)
- Locker Room Uncut - Comments from Woods. (4.08 min. video)
- Belichick Breakdown: Patriots vs. Steelers. (4.52 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Robert Lee reports the Brady-Manning Bowl resumes Sunday, and looks at the careers of both future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
- Greg A. Bedard asserts Patriots-Colts is the bigger rivalry than Brady-Manning.
- Karen Guregian breaks down how the Patriots-Colts matchup provides a fairly accurate barometer of which team will fare better down the road in the postseason.
- Christopher Price says after all these years, Belichick and Manning are still at the center of Patriots-Colts rivalry.
- Tedy Bruschi breaks down what the Pats have to do to beat the Colts. (Plus video clip)
- Karen Guregian warns us not to be fooled by the Colts' injuries. They won't stop Peyton Manning from making his team dangerous.
- Mark Farinella notes both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have shied away from the duel angle and emphasized that it will be the teams competing, not just them.
- Ian Rapoport projects Sunday to be another high-scoring game, as both teams have scored at least 20 points in each of their last five matchups.
- WEEI highlights Indy Star's Bob Kravitz appearance on the Dennis & Callahan Show.
- Mike Reiss looks at the target percentage of each Patriots pass catcher and says no one helped themselves more on Sunday than BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Rob Gronkowski.
- Mark Farinella offers the transcript of Pierre Woods' conversation with reporters following his return to the Patriots. Good guy.
- Monique Walker reports Tom Brady did not practice yesterday with a shoulder and foot injury. Brady says every guy on the team is nicked up and that during games adrenaline helps with pain.
- Christopher Price tells us five things to know from the Patriots on Wednesday.
- Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Pierre Woods returns to the Patriots after working as a groundskeeper; Tom Brady missed practice Wed with a foot injury; James Sanders has been filling in admirably all season; Patriots players prepare to tune Peyton out at the line of scrimmage, ignore what he says and focus on their assignments.
- Monique Walker Patriots Notebook: Pierre Woods "feels great to be back" with the team and was excited to get the call from Belichick; James Sanders was saluted in the locker room for earning the AFC Defensive Player of the Week; Tom Brady said he'll always remember the first time he started against the Colts, a 44-13 win at the old Foxboro Stadium; Injury updates.
- Chad Finn writes an interesting piece where he adds six former Patriots who he feels belong on Deadspin's 100 Worst Players Ever list.
- John Powers Colts Notebook: Peyton Manning tells his players Gillette Stadium is a tough place to play; Injury update; Adam Vinatieri is healthy and has booted eight straight field goals; Coach Jim Caldwell feels the Patriots are pretty fired up, playing good football and ramping up for another playoff run; Colts still plan to cover for the deep ball even without Randy Moss.
- Kirk Minihane answers his weekly Patriots mailbag.
NATIONAL NEWS
-
Bob Angelo (NFL Films) Anatomy of a Play: Patriots rookie TE Gronkowski makes everything right. (Plus 4.01 min. video) Well done.
- NFL.com Ultimate Audio: NE vs. Pit. Experience 360 degrees of sound in this special audio experience from NFL Films surrounding the Week 10 game between the Patriots and Steelers. (6.54 min.) Way cool!
- Kevin Fishbain (Pro Football Weekly) Pats-Colts matchup of the day: Patriots TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez vs. Colts safeties Aaron Francisco and Antoine Bethea.
- Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) NFL injuries are becoming more common.
- Jim Corbett (USA Today) NFL's explosion of passing, points leaving defenses in wake.
- Mike Pereira (Fox Sports) Reflections on Week 10.
- Jeff Pearlman (Deadspin) The Bottom 100: The Worst Players in NFL History.
- Steve Rushin (SI) An ode to kickers.
- NFL.com Week 11 Playbook picks. Wilcots, Lombardi and Baldinger pick the Patriots.
- Sporting News NFL Week 11: AFC Game of the Week - Indianapolis at New England. Pick: Pats 31, Colts 27.
- USA Today NFL analysts make their Week 11 picks. 6 out of 8 pick Pats over Colts.
VIEW FROM INDY
- Phil Richards (Indy Star) Indianapolis Colts coach wary of New England Patriots return man Brandon Tate.
- John Oehser (Colts.com) Manning: New England big because it's the next game.
- Phillip B. Wilson (Indy Star) Colts vs. Patriots outcome a formality?
- Phillip B. Wilson (Indy Star) Of injured Colts, toughness is expected.
- Mike Chappell (Indy Star) 2 touchdown picks are Colts Kelvin Hayden's laugh line.
- Jake Thompson (Colts.com) Adam Vinatieri surpasses two milestones and gets league recognition, Jacob Tamme becomes a focal point and Wednesday quotes.