Brown set to play catch-up

Receiver joins first practice

FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots returned to work yesterday following five days off during their bye week, and they had a familiar face at practice with them: wide receiver Troy Brown.

The Patriots' career leader in receptions is still on the physically unable to perform list but was at practice with the team for the first time this season. The Patriots started the clock on him last Tuesday and have 21 days from then to decide whether they want to activate Brown for a 15th NFL season.

The Patriots can choose to activate Brown, release him, or put him on injured reserve, ending his season. Had they not started the clock on Brown, who had offseason knee surgery, he would have been done for the year.

"Yeah, basically, the window had expired as far as activating [him], and we'll make a decision whenever we have to make a decision, whatever point that is," said coach Bill Belichick.

Defensive end Richard Seymour, who started the season on PUP with Brown and missed the first seven games, said it was good to see Brown back on the field.

"Absolutely, Troy is a veteran. He's a leader," said Seymour. "He means a lot to this football team and a lot of guys respect him, respect his work ethic, the things that he's done.

"Every time you see Troy, he's in the weight room. He's working out. He's doing something. He's a joy to be around as well. It's always fun to have Troy back."

Carryover effect?

Will the Bills be a little extra fired up to host the Patriots Sunday, after the late hit that Vince Wilfork laid on Buffalo quarterback J.P. Losman in New England's 38-7 victory at Gillette Stadium Sept. 23? A falling and flailing Wilfork struck Losman on the left knee with an elbow on Buffalo's first possession, spraining the quarterback's knee and causing him to leave the game and be inactive for the next two.

Wilfork was fined $12,500 by the league for the hit, which he claimed was accidental, and Losman, among other Buffalo players, thought Wilfork "got off easy." However, Bills general manager Marv Levy downplayed any lingering bad blood in the locker room.

"I think they've put it behind them here," Levy said yesterday.

"I haven't heard any talk. It's not on our bulletin board or any of that stuff. We're not addressing it, and we're getting ready for the game. Sometimes those things happen. Wilfork said it was inadvertent and we'll take his word for it."

Very special episode

The Patriots didn't play Sunday, but that doesn't mean they didn't win. New England saw its stranglehold on home-field advantage tighten when the Chargers upset the Colts, 23-21. The Chargers benefited from two special teams scores by Darren Sproles, an 89-yard kickoff return and a 45-yard punt return.

Larry Izzo, the Patriots special teams captain, said those plays illustrate just how vital special teams can be.

"Those were big plays for them," said Izzo. "It just goes to show you how important special teams are in this league. Anytime there is a big play in the kicking game, it can affect the outcome of the game."

Seymour shapes up

Seymour was one of the Patriots players who hung around Gillette Stadium during the bye week to work out. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end, who is just two games into his comeback from offseason knee surgery, said he's confident he will return to form, but it's not going to happen overnight.

"We have a lot of football left to be played," said Seymour. "Rome wasn't built in a day. It's a continual process. It's a process where I'm continuing to get stronger and continuing to do the little things, continuing to focus and get myself where I need to be, and hopefully, I can build on that week in and week out."

He said there's a difference between being in shape and being in football shape.

"Any time you have to put on the helmet and the pads, it's always an adjustment period," he said. "Thus far, I think I've done a good job working with the strength and conditioning staff and also the trainers and my coaches to put myself in a proper position to continue to get better as we move forward."

Relief picture

Cornerback Eddie Jackson, who was placed on the active roster last week after spending the first nine games on PUP thanks to a torn ACL he suffered last season with the Dolphins, called his activation a relief.

Jackson was another of the players who remained in Foxborough during the bye week to work out.

"You didn't want to lose anything," said Jackson. "All that work that you put in for six months. You didn't want to lose that edge, so you just kind of stay up here and work through it."

One thing to keep in mind, with safeties Mel Mitchell (groin) and Eugene Wilson (ankle) absent from practice, is that Jackson has experience on special teams and at safety, which he said he played some with the Panthers in 2004.

Strike three

Mitchell, Wilson, and linebacker Eric Alexander (knee) were the only players not present for the media portion of practice, which was held inside Gillette Stadium . . . Four players were wearing black jerseys as "practice players of the week" for their work leading up to the Colts game: safety Ray Ventrone, who played Dwight Freeney on the scout team; wide receiver C.J. Jones, who played Marvin Harrison; wide receiver Kelley Washington, who played Dallas Clark; and safety Rashad Baker, who saw action against Indy as a dime back and was credited with two tackles and one special teams tackle . . . Something has to give against Buffalo. The Bills are riding a four-game winning streak, but the Patriots have won eight straight against Buffalo, dating to 2003. The Patriots' last loss was the Lawyer Milloy Bowl, a 31-0 shutout at Buffalo to start the 2003 season.