FOXBOROUGH - Nose tackle Vince Wilfork is coming off one of his best performances of the season, with seven tackles and a sack against the Steelers, but it wasn't just that effort that won over coach Bill Belichick. It's what Wilfork has done over the last three-plus seasons that had the coach lauding him yesterday.
"He's one of the most instinctive and smartest defensive linemen that I've coached," said Belichick, now in his 33d NFL season.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 325-pound Wilfork has played in 58 regular-season games and eight playoff contests since joining the Patriots as a first-round draft choice in 2004.
"I think he does everything well - he's strong, he's physical, he's a tough guy to block in the running game and he's an explosive guy in pass rush, and he has good quickness and plays with good leverage," Belichick said. "There's a long list of positives."
Wilfork, who finished second in fan Pro Bowl balloting for AFC interior defensive linemen this year, was also praised for his preparation. His approach has benefited the team's defense, as he lines up at the heart of the 3-4 alignment, over the center.
"He understands football, blocking schemes, defensive concepts - [things like] where we're strong on a particular defense, where we're weak," Belichick said. "When you're strong in one place and weak in another, the first place you start to adjust is right in the middle of the defense."
Still friends
Safety Rodney Harrison indicated there is no added motivation to beat Eric Mangini, his former defensive coordinator, in the wake of the Spygate episode from Week 1. He also pointed to his close relationship with the Jets coach."I respect him. I talked to him in the offseason and he's always treated me with respect. I consider him a friend," Harrison said. "I have nothing personal against Eric."
Mangini respects Harrison's approach.
"He and I had a very close relationship. Rodney Harrison is a special player and to me just a special person," he said. "He was fun to coach from the perspective of he would do anything he could possibly do to help the team win, regardless of what was asked of him. He loved the challenge of covering the best tight end, he loved the challenge of the tight games, and he's one of those guys that always wants the ball at the end of the game. Then you combine that with the type of human being he is, and I just can't say enough about him as a player and a person."
A Wednesday walk
For the second week in a row, the Patriots broke from their practice routine. Instead of holding their standard Wednesday workout, the team elected instead a slower-paced, non-pads walkthrough.Quarterback Tom Brady opened his press conference yesterday with a smile, noting that the decision would allow the players to rest their legs. Last week, following a Monday night win in Baltimore, the Patriots took a similar approach.
Wednesday is traditionally the day Patriots players receive the game plan and focus on first- and second-down work. Often this year, the workouts have been held in full pads with full contact.
Snow woes?
The Patriots' high-flying passing attack has yet to be shut down this season, but can it continue to excel in inclement weather? Sunday might provide the answer as the long-range forecast indicates heavy snow is a possibility."Any time you play in a bad-weather game, your level of awareness and concentration has to go up," said Brady, indicating that the team has been fortunate to play in relatively calm conditions to this point. "You can't take anything for granted."
The Patriots are 9-0 in snowy conditions. The last snow contest came against the Jets Dec. 4, 2005.
Belichick indicated the Patriots' preparations and game plan won't be impacted by the long-range forecast, although the coaching staff is aware of the possibility of heavy snow.
"My experience has been you have to be careful about going overboard one way or the other this far in advance," he said. "I think you set it up the way you would want to play the team in kind of a normal situation, and then as the game gets closer, you be ready to adjust as they get a little more predictable."
Throw out the records
Brady said his favorite message inside the team's Gillette Stadium facility is a sign that includes the words "manage expectations." He feels this is the type of week those words come in handy, as the 13-0 Patriots prepare to host the 3-10 Jets."We don't care what record they have because they're capable of winning the game and we're capable of losing games," he said. "It's worked since I've been here and it's been fun to be a part of an organization where you don't just sit around and look at your press clippings and say, 'We can't ever be beat.' Every week before the game, you have an anxious stomach and you're sitting in the locker room and you're searching for breath and then you're running on the field and you're nervous because you feel like you don't know what the outcome is going to be. That's competitive sports."
