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Madden: "I think someone is going to beat the Patriots"

Last week the NFL and NBC announced that this week's Patriots-Bills game would be flexed from Sunday afternoon to Sunday Night Football, and today NBC forwarded some comments on the Pats from members of the SNF crew:

John Madden on if the Patriots can go undefeated:
"I think someone is going to beat the Patriots. The decision is going to come at the end of the season when they clinched the playoffs and they clinched home field and everyone tends to rest their players. That's going to be a dilemma for them. Do you go for the all-time record or do you go for the championship? In my mind, you always go for the championship."

Tiki Barber on the Pats' chances of going 16-0:
"I think the Pats are going to run the table. They're special. Without a doubt they're the best team I've ever seen."

With the league announcing this week that there will be no change to the Week 12 schedule, New England will play consecutive Sunday Night games -- this week in Buffalo and next week at home against Philadelphia.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments 2

Wednesday participation/injury report

New England and Buffalo have released the first participation/injury report of the week:

Did Not Participate
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
S Eugene Wilson - ankle

Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Eddie Jackson - knee
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
LB Mike Vrabel - team decision
WR Wes Welker - team decision

* Neal missed three games earlier this season with a shoulder injury; Vrabel has been on the report in past weeks with a shoulder problem. This is Welker's first appearance on the list this season. But the team has listed both Randy Moss and Kyle Brady has having limited participation on Wednesdays and Thursdays this season, and both were just getting rest.

For Buffalo:

Out
TE Matt Murphy - calf
CB Kiwaukee Thomas - groin

Did Not Participate
RB Marshawn Lynch - ankle
TE Robert Royal - head
DE Aaron Schobel - illness

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Jauron "not particularly optimistic" about Lynch

We've just wrapped our conference calls with Buffalo head coach Dick Jauron and quarterback J.P. Losman, and when Jauron was asked about rookie running back Marshawn Lynch, who sprained his left ankle Sunday in Miami.

"He's really sore," Jauron said. "We're not particularly optimistic" that he'll play against the Patriots.

Losman was asked about the teams' first meeting, when Vince Wilfork tumbled onto his knee on the Bills' first play of the game. His voice immediately dropped when asked about it.

"I don't know...it's football. It's a rough game. No one wishes for those things to happen."

Losman said he has not been contacted by Wilfork, but also that he has no hard feelings toward the nose tackle. When asked about his comments in the wake of the hit that Wilfork's $12,500 fine wasn't enough, Losman explained that he felt it wasn't enough if it had been ruled a dirty hit.

Wilfork maintains that it was an accident.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 2:34 PM to Vince Wilfork | Permalink | Comments 0

Practice peek: Same three absentees

The Patriots are holding today's practice on the windy practice fields behind Gillette and are in full pads.
The same three players absent on Monday were absent again today - Mel Mitchell, Eugene Wilson and Eric Alexander.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

New England's 60 minute men

Hey all --

Our time in the locker room today saw the unveiling of a new t-shirt for the Patriots players -- and you'll be able to get your hands on this one as well, giving to a good cause in the process.

Jarvis Green designed shirts that say "New England's 60 minute men," and at the bottom of the navy blue tees is a small circle with the number 91 in the middle. It's ringed with the words, "In memory of Marquise Hill."

Green came up with the shirts both to remind the players -- and their critics -- that football is a 60-minute game, and also in because of the Minute Men of the American Revolution, whom New Englanders know well.

Proceeds from the sales will go to Green's foundation to benefit Hill's family. The t-shirts will be available through local reatilers and at jarvisgreen.com soon.

Also in the locker room, Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel all drew big crowds.

We noticed that national outlets like ESPN and USA Today have reporters here despite this game not having the cache of Dallas or Indy; they likely will be here every week to document New England's potentially historic season.

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 12:27 PM to Jarvis Green | Permalink | Comments 1