Light's status remains question
Backup left tackle LeVoir is also hobbled by injury
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FOXBOROUGH - Left tackle Matt Light, who injured his right shoulder in last Sunday's victory over the Raiders, did not practice yesterday as the Patriots began preparations to face the Arizona Cardinals. Light's injury was not initially diagnosed as season-ending, but his availability for Sunday's game remains in question.
Meanwhile, second-year player Mark LeVoir - the top backup to Light - was limited with an ankle injury.
Injuries have seemingly struck every part of the Patriots' roster, and the issues at tackle are shining a spotlight on the depth at the position - starting right tackle Nick Kaczur and reserve Wesley Britt are the lone healthy tackles. Both have experience at left and right tackle.
Britt, a third-year player, has appeared in two games this season, solely on special teams. He's started one career game at right tackle, Oct. 1, 2006, against the Bengals, while his second career start came as a blocking tight end.
Elsewhere on the injury front, safety James Sanders (abdomen), who started the season's first 13 games, did not practice. Sanders did not play against the Raiders. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi (left knee) also remained out of practice.
Kraft has grown fond of the 26-year-old Cassel.
"He's a pretty special guy. Spending an hour with him, he's just a great kid, humble, and very respectful of his dad," Kraft said.
Veteran Mike Vrabel is the top signal-caller, but when Vrabel was knocked out of Sunday's game for two plays in the second quarter, Mayo took over. Mayo also called the defense on the final series, as Vrabel earned a well-deserved break.
Coach Bill Belichick said he had no hesitation putting a first-year player in that role.
"For a rookie, he is probably as professional as anybody I've coached," Belichick said.
Vrabel has noticed Mayo's willingness to step into such an important spot.
"I think Jerod has taken his leadership up," Vrabel said. "I think he came in as a rookie and obviously learned the playbook in and out, and physically he can go out and make every play that we needed him to, but he's starting to be a leader out there on the field."
"It's something that's unheard of and it's something that we all work so hard to do, and it was fun as a football fan to watch something like that and to see the greatness it takes to accomplish that," Warner said yesterday. "It was basically a note to say congratulations for a job well done."
Warner had previously sent Belichick a note after the Patriots' upset victory over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, a team quarterbacked by Warner.
Given the underdog path he took to the NFL, Warner likes to share his appreciation of the excellence he often witnesses.
"I love to watch great people do whatever they do great, and football is one of them," he said. "I love to see greatness, I love to see people accomplish things that people say they can't accomplish, or people don't expect them to accomplish."
Second-year Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said he regularly cites the Patriots when speaking to his team about penalties.
"One thing you can say about their team is that they're very disciplined, they play with technique, they're very sound in what they do, they pay attention to details, and that's the reason they're not a penalized team," he said. "When you're playing against them you know you have to play well because they don't make a lot of mistakes."
