Seymour has been able to do his share

FOXBOROUGH - Defensive lineman Richard Seymour made the point after Sunday's win over the Steelers that he's still not 100 percent recovered from offseason knee surgery, which might have contributed to the Patriots adopting a liberal rotation along the line.

While Seymour started at right end in the 3-4 alignment, he played in just 39 of 68 snaps, which appears to be an acknowledgment that he is still working his way back into form.

After the game, in which coaches credited him with one solo tackle and three assisted stops, Seymour indicated his health was moving in the right direction. A five-time Pro Bowler, Seymour seldom has come off the field in past seasons, as he has been considered one of the most disruptive players in the NFL.

Seymour wasn't the only lineman spending a fair share of time on the sideline. Starting nose tackle Vince Wilfork (45 plays) and starting left end Ty Warren (42) also took breathers along the way, an approach likely aimed at keeping them fresh for the stretch run.

Top reserve Jarvis Green saw plenty of action (40 plays) while Mike Wright played 15 first-half snaps before spending the final 30 minutes on the sideline.

While the linemen split time, it was a different story at linebacker, as the defense continues to adjust to the season-ending foot injury sustained by outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin.

Mike Vrabel (all 68 snaps) and Adalius Thomas (67) were iron men on the outside and on third down, while Junior Seau (50) and Tedy Bruschi (44) were the regulars inside. Bruschi stayed on the field in the nickel package, while Seau replaced him in the dime.

Feast of turnovers

As the Patriots close in on various league, team, and individual records, one that is perhaps flying under the radar is the team's success in the turnover game.

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Patriots are on pace to set the franchise record for best turnover differential, currently at plus-18. The team has 28 takeaways and just 10 giveaways, and has not lost the turnover battle in a game this season. The 10 giveaways are the fewest in the league, while the plus-18 mark also leads the NFL.

Quarterback Tom Brady has thrown five interceptions, which puts him well on his way to establishing a career low. His previous low was 12, done twice, in 2001 and 2003.

Fan favorites

Fan voting for the Pro Bowl, which accounts for one-third of the selection process, ended yesterday. Players and coaches, the final two-thirds of the process, are scheduled to vote tomorrow.

Brady amassed the second-highest fan total in the league, behind only Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Brady (1,037,608) and Favre (1,140,863) were the lone players to top the million mark.

Other Patriots who led their positions in fan voting were receiver Randy Moss (806,455), inside linebacker Bruschi (283,128), punter Chris Hanson (125,272), special teamer Larry Izzo (250,130), and offensive tackle Matt Light (430,981).

Center Dan Koppen, cornerback Asante Samuel, defensive end Green, nose tackle Wilfork, returner Wes Welker, outside linebacker Vrabel, and right tackle Nick Kaczur were second at their positions.

Acceptable amount

The Patriots were flagged for just three accepted penalties against the Steelers, an effort that reflected how the team has avoided infractions this season. The team has been flagged for 65 accepted penalties, tied for the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Light has been the most flagged Patriot in terms of accepted penalties, picking up his sixth Sunday, a false start. While avoiding penalties is usually associated with success, that hasn't been the case for the Patriots' opponent this Sunday, the Jets. Eric Mangini's 3-10 club has been called for 48 accepted penalties, second-fewest in the NFL behind only the 9-4 Seahawks (47).

Looking out for No. 1

With a win Sunday, the Patriots would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. A Colts loss at Oakland also would give the Patriots the top seed. The Patriots have been the No. 1 seed just once in team history, in 2003. Either way, they will host a playoff game at Gillette Stadium the weekend of Jan. 12-13 . . . As the Patriots begin preparations for the Jets today, they will do so knowing that the long-range weather forecast is for a wintry mix Sunday afternoon. They are 9-0 all-time in games played in the snow . . . In winning his 100th game as Patriots coach Sunday, Bill Belichick became the fourth-fastest to reach that mark with one team (139 games), with only San Francisco's George Seifert (132), Oakland's John Madden (137), and Miami's Don Shula (137) getting there quicker.

Extra points

Welker's 93 receptions rank second in the NFL behind only Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh (96) . . . Bruschi leads the Patriots with 87 tackles, as credited by the coaches . . . The Patriots have had 37 drives of 10 plays or longer, the highest total in the NFL . . . The offense also has produced 51 passes of 20 yards or longer, a big-play stat that ranks first in the league . . . Reserve linebacker Pierre Woods leads the team with 19 special-teams tackles. Receiver Kelley Washington is second, with 15 . . . Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Patriots' 3-0 win over the Dolphins at Schaefer Stadium in which stadium worker Mark Henderson used a John Deere tractor to clear a spot for John Smith's 33-yard field goal in what has become known as the "Snow Plow Game."