Archives for December 19, 2009

‘Buffalo’s run game found some life last week rolling up 200 yards on the ground. New England’s run defense is not what is used to be and with Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren not 100 percent healthy, Buffalo’s tandem of Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch should have respectable success. The two backs must be the chief means by which the Bills move the chains if they’re to control time of possession and sustain drives long enough to get into scoring territory.’

‘"Since I’ve known him, he’s never pouted, never complained, never said, ‘I’m not going to do it,’" safety Donte Whitner said. "Those are guys you want, guys that sacrifice self for the good of the team."’

‘"Nobody gives us any credit," said safety Donte Whitner. "In all the key categories our secondary is up there with the best. But it really doesn’t get any light shined on it because of our record. So we feel we have something to prove. So Sunday is a chance for us to show what we think we are, and that’s a good secondary."’

‘Named the NFL’s dirtiest player by The Sporting News earlier this season, Incognito has accrued more than $100,000 in fines for repeated on-field violations during his five-year career.’

‘”We’ve been in a lot of games in the fourth quarter and for one reason or another haven’t been able to pull them out,” he said, “I just think that that’s been difficult this year to not have the same guys out there all of the time, but we switched offensive coordinators in the beginning of the year, and obviously we switched coaches during the midway, so there’s been a lot of change. But that being said, the guys are still fighting and we’re still playing hard and going out there and trying to get wins.”‘

Maroney reads a lot into chats with coach (Boston Globe)

Taylor steps closer to the playing field (Boston Globe)

Tayloring to Patriots’ needs (Boston Herald)

Years of work pay off for Titus Adams (Boston Herald)

Defensive line in limbo (Boston Herald)

Tom Brady’s bride says ‘Benjamin is a blessing’ (Boston Herald)

Patriots’ Taylor hoping for swift return (Metro West Daily News)

Patriots may look more to the ground game against Buffalo (Providence Journal)

Brady continues on pace for second-best season (Providence Journal)

Pats, Bills seeking common ground (Brockton Enterprise)

Injury bug takes bite out of Pats (Brockton Enterprise)

Harvard grad Fitzpatrick made the smart choice (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

It’s on Mayo (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)

Taylor focusing on ‘smart’ decision; Fri notes (Patriots.com)

Friday Out-Takes: Waiting for Vizzini (Patriots.com)

Patriots Locker Room Quotes (Patriots.com)

‘Two things stand out about it. One, it’s a perfect bathroom book. That is to say, it contains 36 easy-to-read chapters on the most famous plays in franchise history and they can be perused in any order. And, every chapter has a sidebar – mostly on a player – involved in each story plus the game details, including team records, score by quarters, and scoring plays. Two, the photos – and there are over 80 on the 154 pages – are outstanding and cover every era of Bills’ history.’