Vince Wilfork responds to the media pointing out the Patriots defense ranks 31st in total defense and 32nd in pass defense:
"I don’t pay attention to that. The important part is winning," Wilfork said. "We’re 9-2, and there are a lot of teams that have pretty good defenses out there, and their records don’t show that. I don’t care about stats. The main stats for me is winning. However you can win, that’s what it’s all about. People can say what they want to say about this team. About the defense, the people we have here. We just … the only thing we’re trying to do is win. Point blank. If that calls for us to be the 32nd defense in the league, then it is what it is.
"At the end of the day, Sunday — this week, Monday — we want to make sure we do everything we can to walk away with a W. Every week, that’s our goal. To win. Good teams find a way to win. The Jets are a great team. They’ve shown they’ve blown out people. They’ve won close games. OT. They’ve been challenged and they’ve always [risen] to the occasion. That team, we’re going to have our hands full. We’ll have our hands with them. By the same token, we’re at home. Out there, they beat us. Hopefully, we can turn that around this week."
Bill Belichick is asked to address the ramifications of this game, and the 'embarrassing' status of his defense being ranked 31st in the league.
Well, there's a lot of football left. There's still a third of the season to go. There's a lot of football left. It will be a different story every week. This happens, that happens, something else happens, it will be this, and next week it will be another one, and next week there will be another one. There will be five different scenarios in the next five weeks. I'm not worried about that.
We play to win the games. That's what our goal is. There are a lot of things that we can do better as a football team - things we can do better as coaches, players, as a team - absolutely. There's a lot of room for improvement.
TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino tells us what we need to know about Thursday's practice.
- Erik Scalavino reports New England's players are trying to temper their emotions leading up to the Monday night showdown.
- Pats-Jets Thursday Injury Report.
- The New England Patriots announced today that G Stephen Neal has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
- The New England Patriots announced today that they have claimed and been awarded RB Thomas Clayton off waivers from Cleveland.
- Thursday Press Conferences: Bill Belichick (15 min video) and Tom Brady (11.24 min. video) plus Transcripts.
- Jets Conference Calls: Rex Ryan (12.31 min.), and Darrelle Revis (8.21 min.) plus Transcripts.
- Patriots Today - Back to practice for the Pats. (1.45 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Branch vs. Cromartie. (3.18 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Stopping Santonio is on Pats' agenda. (3.19 min. video)
- Locker Room Uncut - Thoughts from Wilfork, McCourty. (4.14 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Ian Rapoport sees the Patriots defense only concerned with the one stat that matters - wins.
- Mike Rodak reports Vince Wilfork isn't concerned with his defense's stats, he's only concerned with wins
- Monique Walker notes Rex Ryan often studies other teams' defenses and Bill Belichick's is one that he steals from.
- Chris Gasper sees a lot of similarities between Rex Ryan and Bill Belichick, behind the playbook where it matters. Good read.
- Mark Farinella notes the mutual admiration society between Bill Belichick and Rex Ryan continuted unabated Thursday at Gillette.
- Tedy Bruschi and Mike Reiss break down Monday's big matchup. Bru actually picks the Patriots to win this time.
- Christopher Price tells us the five most important things we need to know about the Patriots on Thursday.
- Kirk Minihane offers four things you need to know about the Jets after Thursday's practice. One being Santonio Holmes isn't worried about Devin McCourty.
- Jeff Howe points to Wes Welker and the Jets running game as the keys to the Jets-Patriots matchup in New England.
- Karen Guregian reports Tom Brady hopes to play a lot better Monday than he did in the second half of Week 2.
- Paul Kenyon reports Brady and the Patriots need to play at a higher level if they want to beat the Jets.
- Mike Reiss looks at if the Pats will really miss Moss vs. Jets.
- Tom E. Curran notes Tom Brady is aware Monday night is not the Super Bowl but there is still a lot at stake.
- David Lefort reports on Tom Brady's view of what makes the Jets' D unique.
- Mike Petraglia looks at what Tom Brady can expect facing Rex Ryan again.
- Amalie Benjamin says big-play receiver Santonio Holmes has clearly helped the Jets.
- Danny Picard writes Darrelle Revis says he'll be covering Tom Brady Monday night.
- AP Jets WRs confident and excited over the prospect of facing the Patriots young secondary.
- Mike Reiss takes a closer look at the Patriots' guard spot with Stephen Neal on IR.
- Kirk Minihane notes Santonio Holmes said he didn't think any rookie, specifically Devin McCourty, could stop him.
- Mike Reiss notes Jets CB Darrelle Revis is prepared to face the Moss-less Patriots.
-
WEEI Patriots Friday highlights: Ron Jaworski talks up Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
- Mike Rodak and Mike Reiss report the Patriots worked out three players this week as depth options in case of injuries.
- Mike Reiss offers the transcript of his weekly online chat.
- Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Santonio Holmes disses Devin McCourty; Stephen Neal was placed on IR, Dan Connolly is the full-time starter; Darrelle Revis was surprised with the Randy Moss trade but says the Pats receiving corps is "still good."
- Monique Walker Patriots Notebook: Season nover for Stephen Neal, RB Thomas Clayton back off waivers from Browns; Tom Brady noted the larger-than-normal media crowd yesterday; Fred Taylor feels pretty good; Myron Pryor should hear from the league in about a week to see if his appeal will be granted. Pryor was fined $7,500 for his hit on Brett Favre.
- Jim Lazar makes his Week 13 picks. Pats 27, Jets 20.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Jets DBs will bring heat on Tom Brady.
- Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Ron Jaworski says Rex Ryan has Tom Brady's number.
- Mike Reiss and David Lefort (ESPN) Jets' Rex Ryan: We're going to try to confuse Tom Brady.
- Kevin Fishbain (Pro Football Weekly) Patriots-Jets matchup of the day: Wes Welker and Deion Branch vs. Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis.
- Greg Gabriel (Nat'l Football Post) Week 12 rookie report card, part 2. "[Devin] McCourty wasn’t the first corner taken in last April’s draft but he may be the best."
- Jim Corbett (USA Today) The Rex effect: Jets-Patriots may be 'best rivalry in football'.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) AccuScore: Patriots will grind down Jets.
- Brian Burke, Advanced NFL Stats (NY Times) NFL Week 13 Game probabilities: Patriots over Jets.
- ESPN Stats and Information Some next-level numbers on Patriots-Jets.
- Charley Casserly (CBS Sports) Five things to watch: Jets-Pats best of season.
- Greg Bishop (NY Times) Jets and Patriots wage war of praise.
- Judy Battista (NY Times) For the Jets, Brady is all smiles.
- William C. Rhoden (NY Times) Jets' Holmes becomes a game changer.
- Luis DeLoureiro (Cold Hard Football Facts) Big Plays = big wins, exciting games.
- Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Why Steelers-Ravens is the best matchup in the NFL.
- Sports Xchange (Scout.com) McDaniels can't avoid New England history.
- ESPN NFL Playoff Machine: Allows you to predict the 2010 NFL Playoff matchups by selecting the winners of games from the season's final weeks to generate the various matchup scenarios.
- Mike Tanier (NY Times) Week 13 picks. Patriots over Jets.
- Sunday Countdown (ESPN) Week 13 Picks. Ditka and Carter pick New England, Johnson and Jackson pick N.Y. Jets.
- USA Today NFL analysts make their Week 13 picks. Six out of eight pick Pats over Jets.
- Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) Week 13 picks. Pats 21, Jets 17.
VIEW FROM NEW YORK
- Mark Cannizzaro (NY Post) Patriots' rookie TEs have Jets' attention.
- Justin Terranova (NY Post) After years of frustration, Jets can take New England's crown.
- George Willis (NY Post) Jets weren't this good when they beat Patriots in Week 2.
- Nick Gallo (NewYorkJets.com) Pats' D playing better than the numbers say.
- Jenny Vrentas (NJ Star-Ledger) Jets QB Mark Sanchez hopes to rise to the occasion in 9-2 showdown with Patriots.
- Steve Politi (NJ Star-Ledger) Could the jesting, joking (and winning) of the Jets lead to a Rexolution?
- Justin Terranova (NY Post) Jets' success 'pains' Patriots Brady.
- Jenny Vrentas (NJ Star-Ledger) Nick Folk says confidence not shaken after Jets worked out another kicker.
- Bart Hubbuch (NY Post) Time is on Tom's side.