A look at who's up and who's down from the Patriots' 20-10 win over the Jets:
Up
Laurence Maroney -- In a game where the Patriots needed to find out if they could count on their 2006 first-round pick, Maroney delivers a stellar effort -- 104 rushing yards on 26 carries, with a touchdown.
Junior Seau -- Energetic linebacker finishes tied for the team-high with nine tackles and adds two sacks.
Richard Seymour -- Defensive lineman plows through the line and pressures Kellen Clemens into an ill-advised throw that results in Eugene Wilson's 5-yard interception return for a touchdown. Finishes with three quarterback hits and one pass deflected.
Stephen Spach -- Signed on Wednesday, tight end is thrust into unexpected action when Kyle Brady is injured. Playing mostly as an in-line blocker, he is on the field for about 50 percent of the plays, is not called for a penalty, and contributes to a strong rushing effort.
Adalius Thomas -- Looks as comfortable as he has all season at outside linebacker, finishing tied with a team-high nine tackles, while adding 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Kelley Washington -- Receiver comes up with one of the biggest plays of the game, a blocked punt in the second quarter that sets up the touchdown to give the Patriots a 17-7 lead.
Down
Tom Brady -- Finishes 14 of 27 for 140 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception.
Chris Hanson -- Punter can't hold on to the snap and has a second-quarter attempt blocked and returned for a touchdown.
Logan Mankins -- Starting left guard is penalized for two false start infractions.
Donte' Stallworth -- Receiver plays in 18 snaps and finishes without a catch.
MONDAY LOOK-AHEAD: We'll plan on looking at snaps played by offensive skill-position players in the morning. Also, Bill Belichick is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:45 a.m.
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Is it me or do most of the analyst on ESPN absolutely hate the Patriots, the most obvious being Merril Hodge and Tom Jackson, with Steve Young close behind. It's gotten to the point when they start talking about the Pats I change the station. I'd have more respect for them if they just came out and said "I hate New England and hope they lose" instead of pretending to give unbiased analysis.
How about a big UP for Eugene Wilson? He gets an INT for a TD and recovers a fumble. He was good in coverage and didn't give up any big plays that I saw. Not bad for a guy who had fallen down the depth chart.
I still think his speed is an underrated element in the Pats secondary. I love both Sanders and Harrison but Wilson has much better speed and quickness then either of those guys. Good game by Eugene.
As far as Eugene Wilson is concerned, I agree with Mike Reiss that he didn't have an "UP" game or a "DOWN" game. Reason being: yes, he had the big interception return for a TD (which may have been the easiest interception in the history of the NFL) and had the nice fumble recovery which CBS made sure they highlighted. However, Wilson was burned big-time on Leon Washington's long run in the 1st quarter (which Phil Simms faield to recognize).
Great to see Richard Seymour FINALLY step-up and play like the old dominating Seymour we all remember. Lets hope it stays consistent instead of one great game, one bad game, one great game, one bad, etc.
Is it me or do most of the analyst on ESPN absolutely hate the Patriots? No, its not you. Beyond that, you must have noticed how "mouthy" most of the ESPN types are in general. Whether its football or baseball - too many in the booth, too many words about everything but the game at hand, and finally just plain lousy coverage.
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