Projo Pats Blog

When the Patriots take on the Denver Broncos tonight, all eyes will be on what happens when the visitors have the ball. Despite the fact that the offense's problems are arguably a bigger concern than the defense's, there is no question that the defense must improve tonight, when it faces one of the most polished scoring machines in the league in Mike Shanahan's Broncos.

In particular, we'll all be looking to see whether the defense can prevent the big play, something it has been woefully inadequate at doing to this point. The Patriots have already surrendered seven pass plays of 30 yards or longer this season -- which is the same number as all of last season (ESPN.com). So there's no question the Broncos will go downfield, and we can expect them to do it early. As Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs said, "Everyone has to realize it's a wound everyone's going to try to keep opening up until we heal it. It's there."

One thing the Patriots have going for them is the continued questionable status of Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley -- quarterback Jay Cutler's security blanket -- and tight end Tony Scheffler. With those two men healthy, the Broncos have the best receiving corps in the league. But even if Stokley sits out because of the concussion he suffered in last week's loss to Jacksonville, and if Scheffler's groin injury forces him to yield to former Patriot Daniel Graham, the Broncos remain an elite unit. It's not every team that can boast a three-time 1,000-yard receiver (Darrell Jackson) as a fourth option in the passing game.

The two best ways to slow the Broncos' attack seems to be forcing turnovers -- Denver has shown a penchant for coughing the ball up lately -- and to put pressure on Cutler. But it is an ominous fact that the Broncos have surrendered just two sacks all season, while the Patriots' seven sacks is the third-lowest team total in the NFL. It is very important that the vaunted Patriots front seven gets some extra push toward the Denver backfield tonight.

The Patriots' linebackers, who have been much maligned (with the exception of rookie Jerod Mayo, who has been the best player in the unit so far this year), will face a diverse group of Broncos running backs. Selvin Young, a bruising back who is the team's number-one option, has a groin injury and is uncertain for tonight's game; promising rookie Ryan Torain is also a question. But the Patriots will definitely see versatile back Michael Pittman, who at 33 years old is enjoying a renaissance season. (Colorado Springs Gazette)

Offensively for the Patriots, controlling the ball figures to be key, both to give the defense some respite from the Denver attack, and because the Broncos are a team that you should be able to control the ball against. They are 30th in the NFL in yards allowed per game. With both Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan questionable, the focus shifts to Sammy Morris -- who could emerge as the number-one member of the Pats' running back by committee -- and to Kevin Faulk, who was very effective in New England's last victory, at San Francisco.

And then, of course, there is Matt Cassel. He gets a chance to face one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Denver is a team that likes to guard against the big play and leave room for the receivers to operate underneath, which should play into the hands of Cassel, who hasn't thrown a very good deep ball anyway (Boston Herald). This is a critical stretch for Cassel, and for the Patriots, who want to show that they can put up points -- and if they can't do it against the Broncos, you wonder if they can do it against anybody.

AND THE SURVEY SAYS: Eric Wilbur of The Boston Globe rounds up experts' predictions from around the country, and finds split sentiment, with a slight majority picking the Broncos to win.

THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL? Jets quarterback Brett Favre is denying a report by Fox Sports that he contacted Detroit Lions coaches before Week Two to give them inside information about the Packers' offense as the teams prepared to meet in Detroit. Jay Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal, though, has two unidentified league sources who say the report is true. Mike Florio of the Sporting News says that if the reports are true, Packers fans should start burning their old Favre jerseys now.

FALLING INTO THE ABYSS: The Cowboys' issues have gone from somewhat amusing to season-threatening, following a shocking rout at the hands of the St. Louis Rams. The repercussions are, predictably, far-ranging, as folks have started calling for the firing of head coach Wade Phillips, and describing the Week 8 date with the Buccaneers as a must-win game. Seventy-five percent of those who have responded so far to a Dallas Morning News online poll agree that it is time for Phillips to go, but owner Jerry Jones is publicly standing by his coach. To make matters worse, the Cowboys have lost safety Roy Williams for the season with a broken forearm. (San Antonio Express-News)

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS: Rams fans are understandably elated by their team's second straight victory over a tough NFC foe, after the team had been left for dead following an 0-4 start. Unfortunately, the win came at the cost of a thigh injury to Steven Jackson, the stud running back who rushed for 160 yards and scored three touchdowns against the Cowboys before leaving in the fourth quarter. His status for Sunday's game in Foxboro is unclear.

BUSH REPORTEDLY HAS SURGERY: Saints running back Reggie Bush had surgery today on a torn medial meniscus in his knee, according to a report by ProFootballTalk.com. The normal recovery time for the surgery, which was performed in Alabama by Dr. James Andrews, is two to four weeks, although Bush could be out longer to ensure that the knee is more fully healed.

STANDING TALL, STANDING ALONE: The Tennessee Titans remain the league's only undefeated team after methodically dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs. In a pass-happy era, the Titans are boasting a stat that is unprecedented (at least in the modern-day NFL): they have intercepted 10 passes while allowing just one touchdown pass. (ColdHardFootballFacts.com)

SAD CASE OF DEJA VU: Chiefs running back Larry Johnson -- who missed the Titans game because of a team suspension -- was involved in a late-night altercation with a woman during the team's bye week (Kansas City Star). This is a separate but similar incident to one in February that has already resulted in a December court date for the talented but troubled Johnson.

AND IT GETS WORSE: Obviously the Chiefs can't count on their star running back to help them reach respectability the rest of the way, and they won't have their starting quarterback either, as Brodie Croyle saw his season end yesterday to a knee injury (Kansas City Star). Let the league's least interesting quarterback controversy (Damon Huard versus Tyler Thigpen) resume.

'TREATED LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT': That's how tight end Kellen Winslow says he feels because of the way the Cleveland Browns handled the illness that left him hospitalized recently. Winslow now says it was a staph infection, and he is upset that the team tried to keep his injury secret and because, he says, general manager Phil Savage never called him while he was at the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland Plain Dealer).

INNOVATION ANNIHILATION: Maybe it was just the fact that they were facing an angry Ravens defense (which had been picked apart the week before by Indianapolis -- amazing how things change in one week's time), but the Dolphins' "Wildcat" offensive formation came crashing down to earth on Sunday. In six attempts to run plays out of the "wildcat" package, with Ronnie Brown lining up as quarterback out of the shotgun, the Dolphins got four yards and a penalty (Miami Herald).

FIGHTING ACTIONS, FIGHTING WORDS: Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, recently fined twice by the league for unnecessary roughness, broke the jaw of Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers while making a block in the first quarter of yesterday's Pittsburgh victory. The play brought allegations from the Cincinnati side of a cheap shot (Cincinnati Enquirer), but Ward said the hit was clean, and Sports Illustrated's Peter King wrote today that the play was an example of why Ward's teammates love him.

AND THEY ARE DANGEROUS TO BIRDS, TOO: In case you missed it, it was helium balloons that were to blame for the nation losing television coverage of yesterday's Bills-Chargers game.

 Tags  Football Today

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