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New England Patriots Links 1/06/11 - Self-Scouting Results, Roster Moves & A Full-Pads Practice Greet Players on Return

By Marima

Bill Belichick talks about what the team and coaching staff will be doing over the Bye week.

We're just trying to work on some things that we feel like we need to improve on. We've got a good list of those. It doesn't matter who we play, just things that we feel we need to do better. I think there's definitely some carry over in the three potential opponents that we could face, but more important than that, right now, it's trying to work on things that we feel like need to get worked on. Then we'll deal with whoever we have to play after this weekend.

I think it's just like having a bye week during the regular season. You try to improve your team. If you've improved it, then you've used the time well. If you don't, then it's a waste of time.

Tom Brady responds to a question about whether the team feels that they match up better against one team, out of the three teams they might play.

These teams are the best in the league. There is very little margin for error at this point, so I think this week we are trying to make improvements, improve some things that we haven't done very well over the course of the season. Hopefully those will help us next week with whoever we may play, but I don't think we have a pool in there or anything like that of who we want to play or anything. I think whoever it is, is going to be a damn good team and we are going to have to go out there and play our best game of the year to beat them. I think that's really what we're focused on.

Deion Branch explains self-scouting.

"It's a lot. I think if [you] look at our work and look at what we've done the past couple of games, it looks good. I think the coaches did a great job of breaking down the game tape...I think we've got a lot of stuff that we've got to correct. And there was a lot of stuff that was pointed out. I know a lot of guys took that to heart. And we're going to go out and improve it with these two days and the extra days that we have next week."

TEAM TALK

LOCAL LINKS

  • Shalise Manza Young reports the Patriots offense looks at not converting on third down as a turnover, and how that approach led them to be 2nd in the league in 3rd-down efficiency.
  • Christopher Price reports the Patriots have taken advantage of the Bye week with some self-scouting.
  • Ian Rapoport looks at how the offense has been tinkered with after the departure of Randy Moss.
  • Ian Rapoport uses stats to compare the Patriots season with Randy Moss and without.
  • Ron Borges details DL Atiyyah Ellison's unexpected call to New England, 69 days since he last was on an NFL roster and one year since he last played in a real game.
  • Robert Lee notes Atiyyah Ellison was just as surprised as everyone else that the Patriots signed him to a contract on Tuesday.
  • Chris Gasper ranks the possible playoff opponents for the Patriots from most favorable to least preferable.
  • Karen Guregian notes Robert Kraft 'loves this team... the rookies we have here, and the veterans' and lauds its chemistry and attitude.
  • Mike Reiss offers some quick hits from media-access yesterday with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
  • Christopher Price gives us the five most important things we need to know about the Patriots on Wednesday.
  • Mike Reiss and Steven Krasner note Bill Belichick chose not to elaborate on Brandon Deaderick's suspension. "Whatever is between the player and the team will stay between the player and the team."
  • Mike Reiss and Mike Rodak note WR Buddy Farnham made his presence felt quickly by being one of four players named practice player of the week his first week here.
  • Ian Rapoport says the Patriots are the NFL's highest-spending team.
  • Mike Reiss looks at the team's final tackle leaderboard of the season, noting Jerod Mayo finished with 193 which led the NFL and more than double the next Patriot.
  • Mike Reiss looks at the final special teams tackle charts, with Matthew Slater on top.
  • Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Players bore the brunt of a verbal beatdown by Bill Belichick when they returned to practice yesterday, backed up by film as visual evidence, of all that still needs to be corrected despite the team's 14-2 NFL best record; Marques Murrell was signed as insurance due to injuries to Tully Banta-Cain (groin) and Jermaine Cunningham (calf); Brandon Spikes returned to duty for the full pads workout; Danny Woodhead and Dan Connolly returned to practice (head injures) and wore red non-contact jerseys.
  • Michael Vega Patriots Notebook: Matt Light and Wes Welker were added to the Pro Bowl roster to replace injured players Jake Long and Andre Johnson; Tom Brady says this bye week is a working week as "there certainly is a lot to fix"; LB Marques Murrell was re-signed by the Patriots and newly signed DL Atiyyah Ellison practiced with the team.
  • Jerry Spar highlights Jason Whitlock's guest appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Wednesday. Whitlock says Pittsburgh is the best team in football.

NATIONAL NEWS

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