Grass could be even greener

FOXBOROUGH -- Even without the actual field on which they went unbeaten, the Patriots still have the home-field advantage. After the NFL ordered the Gillette Stadium field to be re-sodded for Saturday's playoff game against the Titans, whatever slight edge New England had may be even bigger with a new surface.

"It's advantage us that there's new sod," said Dennis Brolin, the Patriots field superintendent of 10 years who resigned during training camp because of philosophical differences with coach Bill Belichick. "Bill loves to play on natural grass. You look at the practice fields, they're in great shape. Tennessee's accustomed to playing on a subpar field like what we've been playing on the past couple games. Every one of the Patriots' practice fields is in great shape. They spare no expense when it comes to safety. For us, the new sod is going to be good because it's what they practice on."

Brolin cited the re-sodding of the field at Foxboro Stadium before the 1996-97 playoffs and during the '98 season as proof that problems don't come with the new grass.

"It's a nonissue," said Brolin, owner of Sports Turf Specialties. "As soon as they kick that ball off, I guarantee no one's going to say anything about the field. It's going to be a story before the game, but in my opinion, it's a nonissue."

As for the swiftness of the field installation, which costs $50,000-$100,000, George Toma, the league's turf consultant for every Super Bowl, said, "It's not going to take at all. But if you cut the sod thick enough, the thickness holds it down. You could sod a field today and play on it today if it's done right."

Belichick didn't see anything wrong with the old surface, which had been worn by events and inclement weather.

"I thought that the field has played well," he said. "I haven't really had too many problems with it in terms of player safety and cutting and consistent footing and all of that. Let's hope that will continue to be the case."

The league makes the call on the condition of the field for the playoffs.

"It came to our attention that there were some issues with the field," league spokesman Greg Aiello said yesterday, "and we worked with the club to alleviate them. It's been done many times before. It's a routine matter. It's certainly not unprecedented. It's standard procedure."

Four honored by AP

The Associated Press anounced its All-Pro teams yesterday, with four Patriots receiving selections.

Defensive lineman Richard Seymour, on his way to his second Pro Bowl, was voted first-team defensive tackle by a nationwide panel of 50 media members. Ty Law, headed to his fourth Pro Bowl and third straight, was chosen as a first-team cornerback. And Rodney Harrison, passed over for the Pro Bowl, can take some measure of satisfaction at being picked as a first-team All-Pro safety.

Tedy Bruschi made the second team at inside linebacker.

Others receiving votes: Tom Brady (5), Mike Vrabel (5), Dan Koppen (2), Tyrone Poole (1), and Ted Washington (1). Seymour was top vote-getter among defensive tackles with 44, and Law the top vote-getter among corners with 34.

Over by halftime

The Patriots and Titans coaches got a head start on preparing for each other. By about a half. The matchup was pretty much set once the Colts took a 31-3 lead over Denver into halftime Sunday night. New England's coaches scouted the game from their homes. "We worked on three teams [Baltimore was the other], and Denver was still a possibility," Belichick said. "By the end of the first quarter, it didn't look like that was going to manifest itself. We started pushing on Tennessee at that point." . . . The last time these teams met, Titans tight end Shad Meier left with a concussion suffered as the result of a Harrison hit. Meier, who would miss the following game with headaches, later said of Harrison, "I knew who he was, but I didn't know he was a trained killer. You watch the rest of the game and he's out there taking people's heads off. I guess you have to give props to him because that's his forte and that's his trademark." . . . Willie McGinest's goal-line tackle on fourth down to preserve New England's Nov. 30 win at Indianapolis has been nominated for NFL Play of the Year by www.nfl.com. Fans can vote on the website through Thursday afternoon.