Archives for September 8, 2006

‘"We’re most likely to see him as a returner and he’s a guy who doesn’t like to fair catch. We’re the best of friends, but this week he’s on the other side. If he doesn’t fair catch we’ll have to lay something on him." – Sam Aiken on facing friend and former teammate Jonathan Smith.’

‘”I’m pretty sure it will hit me the night and morning before we play the game,” said Spikes, who maintains a scrap book that contains before and after pictures of his surgically repaired Achilles. “I look forward to it. It’s something I’ve been waiting on.”‘

‘If Bowen can’t play, coach Dick Jauron said that both rookie Donte Whitner, the team’s first-round (eighth overall) draft pick, and Coy Wire will see action. Jauron didn’t say who would start in place of Bowen if the seven-year veteran is unavailable.’

‘"He’s only been there for 48 hours but the Buffalo Bills have offered him a three month contract with an affiliate club in Germany," Shannon Grant said, accepting an award on behalf of Rocca for his services to the Kangaroos.’

‘”As far as I know I’m going the entire game,” said Spikes. “The best thing I’m going to do is listen to my body. I’ve been taking all the reps in practice so I look forward to it. Sunday is going to be the official day.”‘

‘The Bills’ new regime thinks Fowler is an upgrade over former center Trey Teague, and they will get a good read on Fowler right away. He faces one of the best young defensive tackles in the NFL in New England’s Vince Wilfork when the Bills meet the Patriots on Sunday. “He’s very big, powerful and quick,” Fowler said of Wilfork, a first-round draft pick in 2004. “He’s definitely one of the elite defensive linemen in the NFL. I have to play extremely hard and make sure I’m taking the proper footwork.”‘

‘”As far as kicking the ball, his hang time and distance, he’s got a pro leg,” Guy said. “I coached in Melbourne and Sydney just prior to the Olympics [in 2000] and I did some clinics down there and established some good relationships. He came here with the idea that he needed somebody to tell him where he stands, how far off he is.”‘

‘Even though he was 37-2 at Southern California with a 64.3 completion percentage, I think you need a quarterback with a strong arm to play in the wind and weather of Buffalo. That’s the opinion of Colts General Manager Bill Polian, and it’s good enough for me. Leinart doesn’t have a cannon arm. I also like a quarterback with some mobility in this era of the NFL, in which a quality offensive line is hard to keep together. Mobility isn’t a necessity but it’s a preference. Leinart isn’t mobile.’

‘”I wasn’t the most talented guy, and I had to think it through, know angles and how to use leverage to put myself in the best position to have success,” Fewell said. “I was always studying sports when I was a kid. I’d watch basketball and see a 3-2 zone or a trap and I’d be intrigued by that stuff. I never thought I’d be a coach, but I always liked that aspect of it.”‘

Bruschi returns to practice (Boston Globe)

Ready to give QB helping hands (Boston Globe)

Hearing in Branch case delayed (Boston Globe)

Jackson is back but playing catch-up (Boston Globe)

Tedy’s back in line (Boston Herald)

Tight-lipped Pats in midseason form (Boston Herald)

Jackson, Kaczur return to practice (Boston Herald)

Miller boosts rookie (Boston Herald)

Tirade would fill Bill (Boston Herald)

Branch’s bad-faith hearing first (Boston Herald)

Pats getting Krafty (Boston Herald)

His time to shine for Pats

(Metro West Daily News)

Sullivan speeding up progress (Providence Journal)

Bruschi, Jackson take the field (Providence Journal)

Andrews a special ace (Woonsocket Call)

Bruschi returns to Pats (Woonsocket Call)

Brady Getting His Fill-Ins (Hartford Courant)

It’s all right to dig the Patriots’ gopher (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

Bruschi has a hand in drills (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

Hobbs, secondary ready (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Pats playing injury games? (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Caution: Bumpy road ahead (Nashua Telegraph)

Pats’ braintrust finds solutions where there were questions (New Bedford Standard Times)

Eventful offseason fails to blur players’ focus (New Bedford Standard Times)

Sticking together, young O-Line has Brady’s back (New Bedford Standard Times)

Is Cain able? (New Bedford Standard Times)

Safety Harrison ready for opener after severe knee injury (AP)

LB Bruschi returns to practice after wrist surgery (AP)

Bills will get special attention (Patriots.com)

Bruschi, Jackson practice (Patriots.com)

Belichick Press Conference (Patriots.com)

‘Can Buffalo pull off the upset, and win in Gillette Stadium for the first time? Yes. Will they? No. Patriots win 24-13.’

‘Buffalo enters this game as nine-point underdogs, which is probably fair. Though the Bills have a superior special teams unit over New England’s, that won’t help them enough in the end. The Patriots are stronger on offense, defense and coaching than their weekend visitors. They’ll cover the spread and win it, 24-13.’

‘Buffalo’s 26.6-yard kick return average ranked first in the NFL thanks to McGee and Parrish.’