By Chad Finn, Boston.com Staff

After a year's hiatus, the popular NFL reality program "Hard Knocks'' will return to HBO late this summer when it documents the training camp of the Miami Dolphins.

"We are delighted that 'Hard Knocks' will be returning this summer and placing the spotlight on the Miami Dolphins, a venerable franchise that had an exciting off-season activity," said HBO Sports president Ken Hershman in a press release announcing the decision. "This marks the first time that the series has featured a first-year head coach and we are extremely grateful to both Coach [Joe] Philbin and the entire organization for agreeing to participate. As always, there will be plenty on the line for veterans, free agents and rookies."

"Hard Knocks'' debuts Aug. 7 with the first of five one-hour episodes. This year, it will air on Tuesdays in prime time after previously being shown on Wednesdays.

The Dolphins may initially seem a curious choice for the behind-the-scenes candor that helped the network, which co-produces "Hard Knocks'' with NFL Films, win three Emmy Awards the last time it aired two years ago while featuring the New York Jets.

But while the Dolphins, who have had a losing record in seven of the past eight seasons, may not feature star power and natural story lines of the Jets, and Philbin is unlikely to utter lines as memorable as Jets coach Rex Ryan's "Now let's go eat a [expletive] snack,'' it won't require much of a search to find interesting angles for the 24-person NFL Films crew that will shoot more than 1,000 hours of video over the course of the series.

And there are interesting personalities. Philbin, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Packers, didn't get to bring Aaron Rodgers along with him when he was hired in January. Instead, he inherits a quarterback competition featuring first-round pick Ryan Tannehill, veteran David Garrard, and incumbent Matt Moore.

Philbin is working for a general manager in Jeff Ireland (a Bill Parcells protégé) who is reputed to be on the secretive side and an owner in Stephen Ross who courts celebrity. It shouldn't take two guesses to determine which one of them signed off on "Hard Knocks,'' which did not air last year because of the NFL lockout and seemed in jeopardy this year because of an apparent unwillingness of teams to commit to the program.

“All the decisions that have been made this off-season have had one guiding principle -- will it help our players and organization reach its full potential?,'' Philbin said in a statement. "This one is no different. We are convinced that our affiliation with NFL Films and HBO will allow football fans everywhere an opportunity to comprehend the significant sacrifices and demands that our players endure each day along their journey in training camp as a Miami Dolphin."

Charismatic running back Reggie Bush, a darling of the tabloids when he dated Kim Kardashian, is coming off the best season of his career. And it is the 40th anniversary of the franchise's 17-0 season in 1972.

"On the 40th anniversary of the greatest season in NFL history -- Don Shula’s perfect ’72 Dolphins -- it is perfectly fitting that Hard Knocks is heading to Miami to capture the start of a new era for one of the league’s proudest teams,” says NFL Films president Steve Sabol in a statement. “After Hard Knocks’ hiatus last summer, I know our team at NFL Films can’t wait to get back on the field.”

By Chad Finn, Boston.com Staff

Ten free minutes for me, 10 throwaway lines for you ...

1. I learned long ago not to write off this particular group of Celtics until the final buzzer has sounded, and that goes for a particular game or this remarkable season as a whole. But while I do think they get by the fledgling Sixers even with an injured Paul Pierce, it has been somewhat disheartening to watch him struggle to play through a knee injury that is hampering him significantly. He's unable to beat defenders off the dribble, and his uncanny knack for gaining position and leverage on his defender has been neutralized. He's also struggled with his passing, especially when the Sixers (and Hawks previously) run an additional defender at him and then jump the passing lane on the rotation. I think the Celtics could beat Miami with a healthy Pierce (and Ray Allen, and Avery Bradley). It'll be disappointing if this injury prevents us from finding out for sure.

2. Never thought we'd see Daniel Nava playing for the home team at Fenway Park ever again, but I guess that's what happens when the outfield depth chart reads like a list of casualties (Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Repko, Darnell McDonald, and even Ryan Kalish). And kudos to Nava for being ready for it. He's reached base in 12 of 16 plate appearances, and the way I understand it, a .750 on-base percentage is not bad. What he's done this time around is more impressive than when he first arrived in '10, which is saying something considering -- and I think this is mentioned on the Sox radio broadcast every time he comes to the plate -- he hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw.

3. Two favorite non-KG moments from Game 1: Avery Bradley beating Rajon Rondo to the loose ball and taking it all the way for a reverse layup. Man, that kid has some mega-jets. Also, Rondo's three-quarter-court perfect strike to Bradley for an in-stride layup. I could get used to watching these two play together for the next half-dozen years or so. OK, and an obvious tied for third -- Rondo's presence of mind to foul Jrue Holiday with a little more than three seconds left, then, on the inbound pass, recognizing that Evan Turner couldn't keep up with him as he dribbled out the clock. Anyone who questions Rondo's hoops IQ should be required to watch the fourth quarter of that game on an endless loop.

4. The suggestion that a player established at one position should move to an unfamiliar one to accommodate another player or to fix a logjam at one spot usually drives me nuts. I still don't like the idea of Adrian Gonzalez playing the outfield, though we'll probably see it in Philadelphia over the weekend. And I know it's not practical to put Kevin Youkilis in left field when he returns -- when he played the position briefly in 2006, he made Manny Ramirez look like Paul Blair, and that's when Youk was healthy. But I do believe Bobby Valentine needs to find a creative way to keep Will Middlebrooks in the lineup when Youkilis returns, and if that means he plays a super-utility role until his inevitable next injury, maybe that is the best way to go.

5. Really curious to see how the Patriots' wide-receiver situation shakes out. I loved the Jabar Gaffney signing -- he came in during '06 and instantly earned Tom Brady's trust -- and I'd be surprised if either Donte' Stallworth or Chad Ochocinco make the team. This much we know for sure: Some established names are going to have a tough time making the Patriots' final 53.

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By Chad Finn, Boston.com Staff

I probably should have had my thoughts in order for this since it was the worst-kept secret in Foxborough this offseason, but Matt Light's hilarious and introspective retirement announcement Monday left me with some mixed feelings.

It would be weirdly selfish, particularly in light of recent events, to suggest a player should not walk away from the game on his own volition just because it's apparent that he can still play. Light is going to do extraordinarily well after football -- the NFL Network and ESPN should be wooing him right now, because he is articulate and witty and would be a star analyst immediately -- and he's one of the lucky ones in that he departs on his own terms and right of mind.

But from a less significant standpoint -- the football-related one -- his retirement is the first real blow to the Patriots in an offseason that has delivered almost entirely positive personnel news, from the drafting of Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower to the savvy signing of Jabar Gaffney and several other quality depth pieces.

With Light, who has protected Tom Brady's blind side from snorting, slobbering pass rushers for virtually every snap of his career, moving on, suddenly there's a second-year player at left tackle in Nate Solder, while right tackle is a question mark if Sebastian Vollmer's bad back continues to be a problem. Solder has a chance to be an excellent player. But I doubt he will be the immediate equal of Light, who leaves after one of the best seasons of his 11-year career.

Drafted in the second round in '01 out of Purdue, Light became such an essential player, handling his unglamorous but crucial role with distinction for five Super Bowl teams, that it got me wondering whether he was the best player ever selected by the Patriots in that particular round.

After letting it percolate for about two seconds, I realized the answer was a resounding no, but he is on the short-list of candidates to follow a certain Hall of Famer who has the top spot locked down.

Just for the fun of it, here's my top seven second-rounders in Patriots history, in order:

1. Andre Tippett '82: The Patriots had to be confident they were getting a future defensive superstar in the '82 draft. It just wasn't who they thought. While No. 1 overall pick Ken Sims, a defensive end from Texas, let his sluggishness supersede his talent in a mostly wasted career, the Patriots found the greatest defensive player in franchise history with the 41st overall pick. Tippett was the second-greatest pass rushing linebacker of his era (he was to Lawrence Taylor what Tim Raines was to Rickey Henderson as a leadoff hitter), finishing with 100 sacks in his 12-year career, and he should have been voted into the Hall of Fame long before he was.

2. Steve Nelson, '74: When I first began watching the Patriots in the late '70s, it seemed like the announcer (probably Don Criqui) informed us after every play, "Number 57, Steve Nelson with the tackle." I probably believed he made every one. In 1984, Nellie came about as close as possible to doing just that, finishing with an astounding 207 while making his second of three Pro Bowl appearances.

3. Julius Adams, '71: If you want to drop Adams, a very good pass-rushing defensive end who was also stout against the run, down to No. 5 on this list and move the next two guys up, I'm cool with that. I slotted him because of steadiness and durability more than anything else. He played 206 games from 1971-85 and '87.

4. Matt Light, '01: Light followed in the immediate footsteps of the consensus greatest left tackle in franchise history, Bruce Armstrong, whose 14-year Patriots career concluded in 2000. Light doesn't match Armstrong in longevity (a franchise-record 212 games, all starts) or accolades (six Pro Bowl appearances), but factors such as leadership are included, I think I'd go with the guy who just retired on my all-time Patriots team.

5. Kevin Faulk, '99: The Troy Brown of running backs, he's done everything the team has asked of him and just a little bit more. He also remains the only evidence Bobby Grier can point to and exclaim, "See? I got something right!"

6. Lawyer Milloy '96: In the first three rounds over a span of four years (1993-96), the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe, Curtis Martin, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi, Terry Glenn, Ted Johnson, and Milloy. That's how to build it, Tuna. Milloy and Law were the leaders of the defensive backfield that pummeled the delicate Rams receivers in Super Bowl XXXVI. One of the lasting images among many from that game is Bill Belichick hugging one of his children and Milloy in the immediate moments after Adam Vinatieri's field goal proved true.

7. Rob Gronkowski, '10: Yep, it's been just two years. But hell, it was tempting to rank him higher, and I doubt you guys would have objected. After all, in those two seasons, he has 132 receptions for 1,873 yards and 27 touchdowns. If he'd had two healthy ankles in February, the Patriots would have a fourth Super Bowl title. Provided he can stay healthy -- a big if given how overmatched would-be tacklers go for his legs -- he will be the greatest tight end of all-time.

One fine receiver and a bunch of busts: Deion Branch '02 has 312 regular-season receptions as a Patriot. That's 193 more than fellow second-round receivers Kevin Lee '94 (8 receptions), Darryal Wilson '83 (0 receptions), Tony Simmons '98 (58), Bethel Johnson '03 (39), and Chad Jackson '06 (14) combined for in their entire careers. Heck, Branch has more Super Bowl receptions (24) than Wilson, Lee and Jackson totaled during the regular season.

Other quality second-rounders of various levels of accomplishment: Patrick Chung '09, Sebastian Vollmer '09, Eugene Wilson '03, Ted Johnson '95, Vincent Brown '88, Garin Veris '85, Tony Collins '81, Larry McGrew '80, Horace Ivory '77, Rod Shoate '75, Brandon Spikes '10, Chris Slade, '93, and Lee Roy Jordan, '63 (never played for the Pats, who drafted him as a center, but starred at linebacker for the Cowboys for 14 years).

@GlobeChadFinn

By Chad Finn, Boston.com Staff

He will forever be associated with the San Diego Chargers for reasons both triumphant and tragic. But the coda to Junior Seau's brilliant 20-year NFL career came here in New England, where he spent 38 regular-season games over four seasons proving how a player of such individual distinction could become a wonderfully enthusiastic role player and teammate.

Seau, who died Wednesday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 43, was a favorite of the coach, Bill Belichick, who once coached Lawrence Taylor with the Giants and has an obvious affection for linebackers of extraordinary skill and ability. While Seau's greatest days came as a San Diego Charger, the franchise for which he made 12 Pro Bowl appearances in his 13 seasons, Patriots fans have their snapshots of him, too.

He is remembered foremost for his toughness. After suffering a gruesomely broken arm in a November 2006 game, he walked off the field saluting the fans (with his good wing), then returned the following season to play all 16 games.

He is remembered for his enthusiastic willingness to join the Patriots in the middle of a season when Belichick would call to tell him his services were needed. Once, he said the call came while he was on a surf board, enjoying his retirement that was about to prove temporary again.

And he is remembered, admiringly despite the outcome, for his words of encouragement to Tedy Bruschi -- "Get a stop. We've just got to get a stop'' -- as the defense prepared to take the field for the final time in Super Bowl XLII. His teammates seemed to want that ring for him as badly as they wanted one for themselves.

When we watched him in his Patriot years, it was impossible not to recall one glaring what-if that hovered over the franchise for years. Seau could have, and probably should have, been a Patriot so much sooner.

In the 1990 NFL Draft, the Pats owned the third overall selection, courtesy of a 5-11 record the previous season. Rather than keeping the coveted selection for themselves, the Patriots did what they did in those days -- they made a decision that would haunt them, trading out of the spot, giving Seattle the pick along with a second-rounder in exchange for two first-rounders (Nos. 8-10), and a third-rounder.

The Seahawks selected Cortez Kennedy, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February.

Two picks later, the Chargers chose Seau, who will be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame the first moment he is eligible for consideration.

And with the No. 8 pick, the Patriots, in dire need of linebacker help, chose ... Chris Singleton from Arizona. He played six years in the league, finishing with seven career sacks. He did not make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Patriots went 1-15 in 1990.

Patriots history would be changed beyond recognition if they'd chosen the right player that day. Maybe Seau gives them instant defensive credibility, and the franchise is never in position to draft Drew Bledsoe (No. 1 overall, 1993) or Seau's Southern Cal successor, Willie McGinest (No. 4 overall, '94). But even in a Patriot fan's lament, this much is certain: Seau ended up where he belonged.

He wasn't just a Charger, he was the Chargers, crackling with electricity every time the ball was snapped. Relentless, ferocious and impossibly athletic from his linebacker position, he was superb at every aspect of playing the position. His talent, knowledge and instincts were such that he got away with freelancing more than any linebacker who didn't answer to L.T.

Before coming to New England, Seau spent three years in Miami, and his first 13 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Chargers. He's arguably that franchise's all-time most beloved and iconic player. Wednesday, he became part of their tortured legacy, becoming the eighth member of their 1994 Super Bowl team to die.

As a Patriots fan, it was easy to envy the Chargers fans who were lucky enough to have watched Seau wreak havoc on opposing offenses every Sunday in his heyday. You wished he could have arrived in New England sooner than he did. But Monday, football fans everywhere were united in sadness, wondering why he had to go.

@GlobeChadFinn

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Question, Boston sports fans: How many times did you replay Tyler Seguin's winning goal in Game 6 immediately after it happened? Five? A dozen? Or are you still hitting the rewind/play combo on your DVR this morning, two days after one of the most beautiful big-moment goals you'll ever see and a day before one of the most delicious events in sports, a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

There were so many reasons to watch his game-winner, then watch it again and again and one more time again. The magnitude of it, for starters, for his OT score kept the defending champions' season alive against Alex Ovechkin and the gifted, enigmatic Washington Capitals. Milan Lucic's gorgeous, almost casual, pass that sent Seguin on his way. The roadrunner-on-skates beep-beep speed with which he left the defense in his wake and closed in on Caps goalie Braden Holtby. The shot itself, which was from an angle you didn't need to be a geometrician to appreciate.

For me, and probably a lot of you too, there was one aspect of the play that impressed me more than the rest: Seguin's extraordinary patience.

I mean, for a 20-year-old athlete to have the presence of mind in that situation to wait ... and wait ... and wait to shoot the puck until the goalie all but says, "Will you please *$*@*($@ shoot the puck already, eh?'' before committing and essentially leaving an open net ... well, the poise Seguin showed under those circumstances, when he could have shot sooner, is just an incredible thing. That's why I kept hitting rewind and babbling to my sighing 8-year-old daughter why the play was so special.

Pardon me if this strikes you as a stretch of a connection, but I don't believe it is. See, it hit me like a Zdeno Chara check in the aftermath of the Game 6 victory that there is something all of us can take from Seguin's approach to that moment when it comes to our approach to following professional sports:

The value of patience.

To me, it seems like it's in shorter supply among sports fans and media members nowadays than it has ever been. I'm sure a large part of it is due to the prevalent sports-radio culture, in which every loss and negative play is magnified and dissected beyond recognition, and two losses in a row guarantee that the carcass will be picked bare. Everyone has to have a take, and you're not going to get your 30 seconds on the air with your favorite over-caffeinated host by being reasonable.

I don't like that, but I do get it. What I don't understand is how it rewards you as a fan, or where the satisfaction comes from when patience pays off. What do fans who were yelping for Danny Ainge to "blow it up'' and trade Rajon Rondo just a few weeks ago -- usually without any logical solutions regarding what they could and should get in return -- think now that the Celtics are the team no one wants to play in the Eastern Conference playoffs and Rondo has played his way into All-NBA consideration?

Do they admit that waiting it all out is sometimes the best route? Do they find joy in watching this fascinating team, which bickers like family and has each others' backs like family? Or when the going gets good, do they just move on to the next projected crisis, finding more satisfaction in griping than in success?

I suspect the same people who were piling on Danny Ainge back in February are the same ones who will shriek when Bill Belichick passes up that outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid you just know is the perfect fit for the Belichick scheme, if only he'd see it himself, to take a defensive tackle or a guard in the first round during the upcoming draft.

And yes, of course this is about the Red Sox. They've been awful, no doubt. Hideous. Bobby Valentine has made more curious decisions in 15 games than Terry Francona did in eight years, and that's only a slight exaggeration. The bullpen is a Toby Borland Tribute Band. Proven players such as Kevin Youkilis and Clay Buchholz have been brutal, and it's natural to wonder whether they'll perform up to their expected levels. There are real issues to fret about.

Which is why it puzzles me that some fans and media seem to invent things to worry about on top of the real problems. Barring injury, Adrian Gonzalez is going to hit for power; his second home run last year didn't arrive until May 3. When he gets hot, he will carry them. Barring injury -- again with that caveat -- the starting rotation will be better than a season ago. Jon Lester has actually had a better April than he usually does. There's no reason Josh Beckett will not remain a top-of-the-rotation starter. Buchholz's command isn't there yet, but is that really unexpected for someone who didn't throw a meaningful pitch after mid-June last year?

And the back of the rotation will be better. Between them a season ago, John Lackey and Tim Wakefield gave up 202 earned runs. That's 31 fewer than Clayton Kershaw has allowed in his 738.2 career innings in the major leagues. Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard have both shown the potential to be more than back-end starters, and should Bard be called upon to rescue the bullpen beyond his start Friday, mediocre Aaron Cook and his career 4.53 ERA should still be an upgrade on what they had last year.

I know, you're probably not going to listen to me. Sometimes I'm too patient -- I was with my wife for 12 years before we got married -- and this Red Sox team is legitimate turmoil in some ways. But there's too much talent here for it to stumble for long, and the schedule ahead is favorable, with lots of Kansas City, Baltimore, Cleveland and Oakland in the near future. But you should listen to me, because reason is often proven right, and I'm still all right to smile.

What's that? Why yes, that is a line from a certain Guns 'n' Roses song. "Patience,'' as a matter of fact. Right, the one with the whistling.

And if it's going to prevent you from coming up with cockamamie sports problems to worry about, you bet I hope it's stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Ten quick thoughts on the NFL's biggest transaction in years while imagining how strange it will be the first time we watch Peyton Manning go through his pre-snap histrionics in a uniform other than the Colts' ...

1. The 2012 NFL season might be sixth months from its opening kickoff, but I say give John Elway the Executive of the Year award now. Landing Manning -- even with the concerns about his health and the huge financial commitment -- is a coup. But that's not the most impressive part of the news that The Manning World Tour will end in Denver. By signing Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history, he has managed to find the only way he could displace and even trade the wildly popular Tim Tebow without enduring significant backlash. I've never bought that Elway, who knows more about what it takes to be a high-end NFL quarterback than just about anyone else on the planet, believes for a second that Tebow could survive and thrive as a starter. Now, by signing Manning, he has his out. It's risky but brilliant, and it's a greater escape than anything he ever did to avoid a pass rush.

2. With Manning throwing to them, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker should prove to be legitimate high-quality NFL receivers. I was very impressed with Thomas during the playoff game at Foxborough -- he kept running precise routes and getting open even as Tebow would seemingly bounce every other pass in his direction. Decker, I'm not sure about -- he may have been the beneficiary of Tebow's inability to throw downfield more than anything else. But Manning made the likes of Blair White look good (and made mediocre Pierre Garcon a rich man), so Decker too should thrive.

3. Would you want the Patriots to trade for Tebow, which was apparently suggested as a vague possibility by ESPN's John Clayton this weekend? Me, I'll put my interest at 46.2 percent, just out of curiosity regarding how Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels might use him. (From what I gather, the quarterback spot in New England is taken.) Of course, 46.2 percent was also Tebow's miserable completion percentage in 2011, which is why ultimately I'd much prefer him playing quarterback for another team in the AFC East than to discover whether the Patriots could turn him into -- best-case scenario here -- the next Andy Johnson.

4. Wonder which uniform number Manning will wear in Denver. His familiar No. 18 is retired in honor of Frank Tripucka, one of the franchise's first stars during their AFL infancy. (And '80s NBA gunner Kelly Tripucka's dad.) Maybe he wears No. 8 in honor of his stage dad, Archie, or maybe he wears No. 1 to denote the number of Super Bowls he's won. [Update: According to the Denver Post, it's possible he'll wear No. 16, his number at Tennessee. No Tee Martin tribute. Figures.]

5. Thought the Niners, with that bloodthirsty defense and the addition of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss, were the best option for Manning if the No. 1 goal is to have as many Super Bowl victories as his kid brother. Would not be surprised if there is something to the notion that he didn't want to go to the NFC in part because Eli plays in the conference.

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By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

This First-and-10 format was a staple of this blog in the early blogspot days, but I use it so seldom now that I might as well rename it the Ochocinco. The jokes, however, are as lame as ever. Because the best time to revive an old standby is 6:30 p.m. on a Friday, here are 10 thoughts on the Patriots ...

1. I understand the sentiment that the Patriots should do everything they can to bolster the roster while Tom Brady is still at the height of his powers. But the howling and entitlement among some fans after the first couple of days of free agency is ridiculous. They've arguably made the longest run of sustained excellence in NFL history, and they've done it in the salary cap era. In the last nine years, they've won at least 14 games four times, and never fewer than 10. Think about how difficult that is to achieve. I know, they haven't won a Super Bowl since 2004. You know why? Because it's really damned difficult to do. But they could have at least two more with a couple of bounces here and there, and that they are positioned to be a Super Bowl contender every single year should be confirmation enough that their approach works.

2. Besides, no official judgments should be made on how the Patriots have done in free agency until Brandon Lloyd picks an employer -- and I'm willing to wager he's coming here, because the receiver's sudden silence regarding whether the Patriots have shown interest tells you one thing: they are interested, and they've told him to keep it quiet.

3. Allow me just one more mini-rant on free-agent "splashes" and then I'll zip it. As Tom Curran noted recently, Adalius Thomas was a first-day signing before the 2007 season and the closest thing to a mega-move the Patriots have made in free agency. How'd that go? Well, as far as I know, he's still asleep in the back of a meeting room at Gillette Stadium as you read this. Meanwhile, what we perceive to be a splash -- the Rodney Harrison/Rosevelt Colvin double-whammy after the '02 season -- happened more than a week in. Patience, people. Let it play out.

4. It's not flashy, but you have to admire how they target under-the-radar players that they believe would fit here early in free agency, assuring that they collect a lot of players that they want while other teams are distracted by the shiny, sparkly so-called stars. Former Charger Steve Gregory is expected to bring versatility and good instincts to the defensive backfield, while ex-Bengal Jonathan Fanene's contract tells you all you need to know about how they regard him. I'm looking forward to watching both come September.

5. Leave it to Brandon Meriweather to mess up a great game-plan. I was hoping Meriweather would sign with the Jets, not just because he would be fun to play against twice per season, but because it would probably take them out of the running for LaRon Landry, whom I really hope ends up here despite his injury history and absurdly musclebound physique. Instead, Meriweather signed with Landry's former team, the Redskins, and now the Patriots and Jets are both trying to convince one of the few obviously appealing safeties on the market to come aboard.

FULL ENTRY

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Now that the meat has been cut, let's take a Patriot-centric look at ol' No. 18, who became the most feared and respected individual opponent of the Brady/Belichick era ...

1. It was a graceful, gracious exit for Manning, and It's impossible to exaggerate how much Manning meant to Indiana. You've probably got a sense for this already, but it really hit me at the Super Bowl when Manning jerseys were far more prevalent than jerseys of any Patriot or Giant -- you know, guys who were actually playing in the game. It's akin to watching Larry Bird and his creaky back go play a final season or two with the Nets or Pacers in the early '90s.

2. No matter whether he plays up to his usual standard, it will never cease to be weird watching him play for a team other than Indy. He may not be the flop Joe Namath was with the Rams or Johnny Unitas with the Chargers, but it still doesn't seem right that Joe Montana was a Chief, and he had some good moments there. Dan Marino had it right, I think, retiring as a Dolphin rather than taking an offer from the Vikings.

3. If Manning does sign within the AFC South, the Colts' best counter move might be to bring Ty Law out of retirement.

4. He's not a better quarterback than Tom Brady. He's probably a better pure passer. And he's definitely a better actor.

5. As much fun as it would be to watch Peyton's New York Adventure, I he's too smart to join the Jets circus. The Rex Ryan bluster isn't his style, Santonio Holmes would drive him nuts, and he has many better options, including another one in the AFC East.

6. No, not as Brady's backup. It seems to me that Miami is the best fit, particularly if Reggie Wayne is riding in Manning's sidecar to his next destination. Manning, Wayne, Brandon Marshall, Reggie Bush . . . that's a pretty high-caliber offense.

7. The biggest disappointment of yesterday, at least from a New England standpoint, is the sudden belief that Wayne will go wherever Manning goes. The veteran receiver essentially confirmed interest in playing for the Patriots a few weeks ago when asked by the NFL Network's Willie McGinest, and with his smarts and precise route-running, he'd be a nice fit here. Or would have been a nice fit here, I guess.

8. Houston seems to be the consensus choice as Manning's most likely destination. But given the lingering concerns about his health, arm strength, and age, I'm not convinced that he's a better option than Matt Schaub.

9. I'm not even convinced Manning throws another NFL pass. Don't dismiss Rob Lowe's investigative reporting chops just yet. Could be confusing things here, but I'm pretty sure he literally won a Pulitzer for "About Last Night.''

10. Without applying context, it's pretty amazing to realize the 1998 Colts won just three games with Manning, Marshall Faulk, and Marvin Harrison on their roster. Of course, that was Manning's rookie year, and it took him some time to figure it out. Colts fans should keep that in mind when Andrew Luck has more interceptions than touchdowns next December.

11. Faulk ran for 1,319 yards and six TDs during his one year with Manning. He was traded to the Rams, with the Colts replacing him with first-round pick Edgerrin James. One thing James and Faulk had in common: A knack for getting stopped and/or clobbered by McGinest at key moments.

12. Peyton trivia, part 1: Whom did he usurp as the starting quarterback at the University of Tennessee as a freshman in 1994? Clue: He's also a professional athlete, and has been with his current team longer than Manning was with the Colts.

13. Peyton trivia, part 2: Who was the only other player to throw a pass for the Colts during Manning's rookie season? Clue: Three years later, he was catching passes from Tom Brady.

14. Peyton threw for more passing yards in his 14 seasons as a Colt (54,828) than his dad Archie (23,911) and brother Eli (27,579) combined for in their 19 total seasons in the NFL.

15. I'm not sure which is more absurd: That Manning is rated the 57th-best player in NFL history by the voting on profootball-reference.com's FanElorater, or that Tom Brady is 71st. Don't you have to put both in the top 30, whether you happen to like them or not?

16. If you're wondering how much Bill Belichick came to respect Manning, only one phrase is really necessary: 4th and 2. The real question to me is when that respect developed, given that the Patriots tormented him through the first half-dozen years of his career. I'll presume the respect was there before the second half of the 2006 AFC title game, but that was obviously the pivotal 30 minutes of football in Manning's career. You have to give him begrudging credit for vanquishing an old tormentor, and I'll miss the rivalry. It's probably the same way I'll feel when Mariano Rivera is no longer a Yankee.

17. If you're a Patriots fan, it was impossible while watching the Manning/Colts parting from afar to avoid wondering how Tom Brady's eventual farewell from the Patriots will go. And I don't know about you, but it convinced me beyond a doubt that Belichick needs to do everything he can this offseason to give Brady the surrounding talent to win that fourth ring.

18. As for today's Completely Random Former College Teammate of Peyton Card:

The answer to the first trivia question is Todd Helton, who suffered a knee injury during the 1994 season for the Vols, with Manning stepping in and never again stepping aside. Baseball seems to have worked out OK for him, however. "Being around guys like that made it an easy decision,'' said Helton, who also backed up Heath Shuler with the Vols, in an interview with The New York Times two years ago.

Second trivia answer: receiver Torrance Small, who threw one incomplete pass for the '98 Colts and caught four passes in three games for the 2001 Patriots.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Ron Jaworski has signed a five-year extension with ESPN for what the network touted in a press release this afternoon as an "expanded multi-platform analyst role." But the announcement undersold the biggest news:

Jaworski will no longer be part of the "Monday Night Football'' broadcast team.

ESPN will go with a booth of holdovers Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden next year, just the sixth time in the program's 42-year history in which it has had a two-person booth.

The move is surprising since Jaworski's Xs-and-Os acumen -- he has the ability to make what he learns during extensive film study accessible to casual fans and diehards alike -- proved a nice balance to Gruden's outsized and occasionally over-the-top personality.

Jaworski will be prominent on studio programs such as "Monday Night Countdown,'' "Sunday NFL Countdown,'' and "NFL Matchup.'' ESPN said the move is not a demotion for Jaworski, citing his "greater year-round presence,'' but the list of sports broadcasting jobs as prominent as being part of the "Monday Night Football'' team is short, and the program is ESPN's crown jewel.

“I am grateful for having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working on Monday Night Football the past five seasons with Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and so many other talented people behind the scenes who make the show so great, and I look forward to bringing my passion and knowledge of the game to more fans in more places than ever before on any and all football topics,” said Jaworski in ESPN's press release.

He told Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch that he was told about the move on Monday. "“It’s bittersweet,'' he said, ''but I’m excited and thrilled with some of the projects moving forward.”

It will be interesting to see whether Gruden, an enthusiastic, entertaining, but rarely critical analyst, suffers or thrives without Jaworski offsetting him. Gruden signed a five-year contract with ESPN in October, but the former Bucs and Raiders coach's name is often rumored whenever there is a prominent NFL coaching opening.

Should he eventually leave, ESPN, which struggled to find the right "MNF'' mix before Tirico-Jaworski-Gruden, will have a vacancy with no obvious heir apparent.

“I thank Ron for the great contributions he has made to Monday Night Football,” said ESPN president John Skipper. “With two strong analysts in Ron and Jon, these moves will better utilize their strengths and benefit our entire NFL presentation.”

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

In the gray corridors beneath Lucas Oil Stadium, the contrast of joy and pain was so drastic Sunday night that it almost became disorienting if you swiveled from one scene to the other too fast.

In an open area -- if it was a room, it was a room hosting a party so raucous that it bled into the hallway -- the Giants whooped and hollered and embraced and piled up the trash talk. They were the Super Bowl champions, righteously so. They were delirious.

Down the hall and in another open room, a distance as close as the game itself, the Patriots arrived, one by one, to stand there with their open wounds in front of the media swarm. They were dutiful and resolute, desperately so. They were devastated.

It's probably not headline news to suggest sympathy doesn't come easily to sports writers as a species. Dealing with men who make exponentially more money, who date the world's most glamorous women, and who -- this really bugs sports writers -- eat at restaurants for free can lead to an accelerated onset of envy.

Most of us in this business seem to have a predilection for cynicism anyway. It's not just easy to become jaded -- it's an inevitability if you don't constantly remind yourself how damn fortunate you are to be writing about games for a living.

But even my fellow notepad-toters with the charm of an eel had to feel for Wes Welker, the ball having slipped from his sure hands, and with it, his red-tinted eyes told you, a chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy. Hell, yes, you had to feel for him, hearing him blame himself in a whisper that barely could be heard over the Giants whooping in the distance.

Then there was Brady, possibly the only man ever to walk the earth to look pallid and empty while being consoled by a supermodel. Maybe Gisele wouldn't make for much of a teammate -- a quarterback never blames his receivers, and by proxy that applies to the quarterback's wife. But watching their tender, personal moment unfold in front of countless cameras and slack jaws, it was apparent she knew how just much that single football game meant to her husband, who at that moment looked like he had everything in the world and nothing at all.

As we waited for the next player to arrive and spill his emotions for immediate documentation, a fellow writer I respect remarked that she felt bad for the younger players who still don't know what it feels like to win a Super Bowl.

Their disappointment was certainly palpable, from the noble Rob Gronkowski, who steadfastly refused to confirm that his ankle injury had rendered him a relative bystander (had he played with the ferocity and joy we saw all season, he would have become as popular nationally as he is in New England), to stoic James Ihedigbo, defiant Patrick Chung, and Jerod Mayo, who was still in full uniform, as if keeping it on meant it hadn't ended, not yet.

But it also dawns on you during the sad aftermath that there are longstanding veterans on this team who don't know the overwhelming feeling of standing on a podium beneath a shower of confetti as the silver trophy is raised to the sky. The Patriots have three Super Bowls, of course, but none in the past seven years. Logan Mankins has never won. Neither has Stephen Gostkowski. Or Welker.

It's why the scene of Brady with his consoling wife was so poignant, why Welker's matter-of-fact self-flagellation will stay with me for a while. The veterans, they knew. There may be other chances, but they are so damn hard to come by, so dependent on hard work and endurance and talent and luck. They knew. A beautiful opportunity had been lost for good.

That's the cruel thing about waiting until next year in the NFL: The standings can be shuffled with just one legal act of violence on a Sunday afternoon. Bernard Pollard drives his helmet through Brady's kneecap halfway through the first quarter of the first game of the 2008 season, and plans to avenge their lost chance at perfection became an unwanted debate as to whether untested Matt Cassel should play or someone from the QB junkyard like Daunte Culpepper should be signed. The best team in the NFL this year may have been the Pittsburgh Steelers. Injuries deprived them of a chance to confirm it.

That the Patriots made the most of their opportunities this year -- right up until the season's fateful final moments, anyway -- is one reason we'll remember them well even if the final chapter ended with a cruel twist. (Watching the Welker drop is painful, but the what-if that will linger with me is the Hail Mary. Gronk was so ... damn ... close to the greatest ending in sports history.) This was a very likable team, one that won its coach's respect weeks ago with its effort and determination, if not its raw talent.

The final irony was that an extraordinarily efficient and diverse passing offense let them them down in the end, while a defense that still perplexes me as to whether or not its "improvement" against all those subpar quarterbacks was genuine essentially did its job in the Super Bowl. The offense, this offense, should have been able to provide more than 21 points. It stinks that two near-misses have dented Tom Brady's legacy in the eyes of some, because if the defense can make a stand after his go-ahead drive in Super Bowl XLII or his effectiveness isn't reduced after being crushed by Justin Tuck with 21 minutes remaining in this Super Bowl, he has five rings and there is no debate over who the greatest of all-time is. Sometimes I think we've forgotten what a lousy quarterback looks like around here.

Instead, the pursuit of that elusive fourth ring begins anew for Brady and Belichick next fall, or immediately really. With four picks in the first two rounds, immediate help to the defense should be on the way, provided they avoid the Butlers and Wilhites and Wheatleys and find a couple of defensive backs who can actually follow a game plan and make a play from time to time. The offense should again be a precise machine -- I can't wait to see what Gronk has in store in his third season, and the hunch here is that a legitimate three-down running back will emerge from the current depth chart, whether it's Stevan Ridley or Shane Vereen. The future is bright even as Brady moves into his mid-30s, football middle age to be generous.

A sixth Super Bowl appearance in 12 years seems a reasonable prognostication. But we also know how difficult the journey is just to get there. Which is why it stays with you -- whether you're a veteran, a rookie, or a reporter taking it all in -- when it ends just an arm's length from the pinnacle.

During our always arbitration-eligible Friday chat, we discussed the Super Bowl with our usual 20/20 hindsight, where the Patriots go from here, the state of the Red Sox as pitchers and catchers begin to arrive, and the usual media matters. Check in below to relive the fun.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

INDIANAPOLIS -- I arrived in this unlikely host city skeptical of two things regarding Super Bowl XLVI: Indy's chances of rising to the occasion, and the Patriots' chances of departing with a fourth Lombardi Trophy.

Today marks my eighth day here, and I assure you there isn't a hint of Stockholm Syndrome in play when I tell you that Indianapolis has been such an outstanding site that another Super Bowl here would draw a consensus of applause from the media and fans who have checked in to this hospitable, easily navigated, sneaky-fun city this week.

Oh, and also, that other opinion has changed.

I believe -- I'm convinced -- the Patriots are going to win Super Bowl XLVI.

Tom Brady will match Joe Montana in jewelry and legacy. Bill Belichick will be regarded, even among his detractors, as a coaching equal to the man for whom the championship trophy is named. Kevin Faulk will ride a duckboat into retirement.

The Patriots, in the delirious aftermath, will admit that hell, yeah, revenge was a motive. They will damn well will be aware of this.

It will feel so familiar that you'll forget it's been seven years since the Patriots were last champions. You'll buy the t-shirt the next day, and a couple for the kids, too.

It will not be easy; it will be intense, the most difficult challenge they have faced all season. The Giants have been a force in the second half of the season. They beat the Patriots in Foxborough, without Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw. They beat arguably the best offense (Green Bay) and the best defense (San Francisco) on the road to get here.

The Giants are brash, physical, and formidable, and their strengths match up with the Patriots' perceived weaknesses, or at least their vulnerabilities. Seeing Ty Law and Mike Haynes roaming around the media festivities this week made a Patriots fan wish the current team had someone, anyone, near their equivalent. Maybe Raymond Clayborn is available?

But its sometimes been lost in the perpetual hype this week that the Giants have flaws, too. Real ones. While Bradshaw is a threat, the Giants struggle to run the ball because the offensive line is somewhere between patchwork and porous. Vince Wilfork could punish them the way he did the Ravens during his tour de force in the AFC Championship game.

When it's on, their pass rush masks mediocre linebackers and defensive backs. But if the rush is stagnated or delayed by a Patriots offensive line that has been waiting four years for redemption, or should Bill O'Brien use the screen game to use the Giants' aggressiveness against them, the Patriots are guaranteed to keep the scoreboard operators busy. The Giants were 25th in the league in points allowed (25) and 29th in passing yardage (255.1). As well as it has performed recently, this is not Lawrence Taylor's Oldsmobile.

Still, the Patriots cannot afford, against this justifiably confident opponent, to play an incomplete game. If BenJarvus Green-Ellis can't channel Corey Dillon '04, Antowain Smith '01, '03 will do just fine.

Patrick Chung and the group of fledgling defensive backs must unfailingly execute the game plan structured to contain Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham.

Rob Gronkowski must be more than a decoy, and yesterday's pool report that his limp was absent is beyond encouraging.

Stephen Gostkowski must make the right turn should he find himself at the fork in the road that leads in one direction to Norwood, and the other to Vinatieri.

And an improbable hero might be required. It will not be Chad Ochocinco, whom Brady hasn't trusted to be in the right place at the right time all season; why would he have that faith now? My hunch: Deion Branch. He's seized the Super Bowl stage before. The Giants may overlook him, but Brady never will.

Tom Brady cannot flinch at the sight of Jason Pierre-Paul bearing down and leave points on the field. And he won't. He is as insanely competitive as anyone I've seen since Michael Jordan, and I'd bet you he'd knock a season off his career for one victory today. It would only be appropriate for Brady to collect his fourth ring with a transcendent performance.

Seeing this team for the past eight days, I've come to truly believe in them. Their coach certainly does, and of course that's a fine indicator. But there's a ... a calm about this team, a quiet confidence, that is palpable when you talk to the Matt Lights and Jerod Mayos. It never wavered all week here in Indianapolis, and it's enough to make a skeptic start wondering what weaknesses they've detected in their opponent that they know they can expose. They know something.

A victory in Super Bowl XLVI will require discipline, talent, ferocity, and poise. A little luck wouldn't hurt, either. They are due some against this opponent, after all.

A lot must go right to beat the dangerous but flawed Giants today.

It will.

They've won their first three Lombardi Trophies by three. They'll win their fourth by four.

Patriots 28, Giants 24. We'll remember this edition of the Patriots, and the city in which the fourth championship was secured, with enduring fondness.

Originally wrote this in 2001, just as the Patriots were emerging but old friend Curtis Martin was habitually haunting them with those smooth cutback moves. Seems appropriate to repost today given all that's happening this weekend. Congrats, No. 28. It's all worked out beautifully for the Patriots, of course, but they never should have let you get away.

* * *

He is the Ghost of Patriots Past, a twice-a-season apparition. He is a reminder of those hopeful, happy days of the mid-'90s, when Drew Bledsoe was the Golden Boy QB, Terry Glenn suffered injuries instead of faked them, and visions of Super Bowl victories danced in our heads.

He's the one that got away from the Pats - and he's been getting away ever since.

Hello again, Curtis Martin. Back to haunt us once more, we presume?

Today, the New England Patriots, 6-5 and breathing again, take on the first-place, 7-3 New York Jets in what's shaping up to be a season-defining showdown. It's certain to be another compelling chapter in this rich, raucous rivalry.

And so, for the eighth time since Bill Parcells lured the beloved Pro Bowl running back away with a six-year, $36 million contract in February of '98, the Pats will have to confront Martin, their friend-turned-foe.

It's never easy. It's almost four full seasons later, and only now are the Pats recovering from Martin's devastating Foxboro farewell. It's not an exaggeration to say that this single transaction - by far Parcells's most productive trip to the grocery store - impacted the balance of power in the AFC East for a half-decade.

How has Martin tortured us? Let us count the ways.

First, the stat sheet: Martin has run for 100-plus yards in five of the seven games against New England. He has scored a touchdown in four of the seven. Considering that four of the teams' last five meetings have been decided by seven points or less, you could safely say he has been the difference. Naturally, Martin scored the lone touchdown in the Jets' 10-3 victory in Week 2 this season.

Then, the standings: In Martin's three years in New England, the Pats regularly beat up the Jets at recess and took their lunch money, winning five of six. Since he left, they are 1-6. In other words, the team that has Martin in its backfield is 11-2 in this suddenly lopsided rivalry.

All these numbers paint a pretty convincing case for his value. Yet Pats fans know Martin's worth can't be judged solely by columns of digits on a scoreboard page. There's no category for all that he means to a football team.

Martin is equal parts style and substance, a shifty, instinctive runner whose grace belies uncommon determination and grit. He is the rarest breed: a superstar whose humility and class appeal to Average Joe football fan.

Martin's name is in lights. It should be stitched across the breast of his shirt. It's no wonder you still see the occasional well-worn, red, white and blue "Martin 28" jersey in the Foxboro stands.

How it frustrates us that he's no longer wearing the jersey himself. He is missed, still.

I'll spare you the painful rehash of his utterly unnecessary departure. Just allow me to note that if Pats owner Bob Kraft hadn't insinuated Martin would have a short shelf-life, if Kraft hadn't spent much of the '97 season gloating about what cheap labor Martin was, if Kraft hadn't paid turnstiles Todd Rucci and Max Lane a combined $22 million before offering a single peso to Martin, if Kraft had remembered Parcells often called Martin one of his three favorite players he'd ever coached, well, then maybe the Pats wouldn't have had to spend three high draft picks in failed attempts to replace him.

Yeah, I'll spare you the painful rehash. Just let me note that Kraft bungled the situation with such complete and total incompetence, you have to believe Dan Duquette was giving him management tips.

Martin should have been a Patriot for life, which is why it's hard to fathom that he now has more service time as a Jet. This is Martin's seventh NFL season, his fourth in New York. He ran for 3,799 yards for the Pats; he's run for 4,938 for the Jets.

There's no use denying it: When his portrait hangs in the halls of Canton, the dominant colors will be green and white.

Martin's contributions considered, it's hardly a news flash that the green-and-white has dominated the rivalry. But perhaps, starting today, these new and improved Pats will show their true colors, and the balance of power will shift again.

For the first time since Martin left, there is a feeling of genuine hope in Foxboro, a sense that happy days are indeed here again. Maybe it's because of the exciting emergence of the new Golden Boy QB, Tom Brady, or perhaps it's because Antowain Smith has reminded us of the benefits of a powerful running game.

Probably, though, it's because Coach/No-Nonsense Head Honcho Bill Belichick has molded the team in his image. The Pats are tough and disciplined and they take no crap, and if you are skeptical, just watch Bryan Cox running around out there on a broken leg today, then try telling me these are still Pete Carroll's Patsies.

This, Pats fans, is a team you can root for. You even might say it's a team Martin would enjoy playing for.

By 4 p.m. this afternoon, we should have a pretty clear idea if we'll be rooting for them later into the winter than we had imagined. The Pats win today, and we can start wondering if doomed old Foxboro Stadium might get a stay of execution for at least one more game.

Before we dare speak of the playoffs, though, the Pats must do their part. They must exorcise those green-and-white demons. They must tackle a galloping ghost.

To beat the Jets, they must stop Curtis Martin.

And prove that four seasons after he moved on, they finally have, too.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

INDIANAPOLIS -- A couple of links to my stuff in the paper the the past few days that didn't get posted here. And, some wisdom from Cris Collinsworth, whose '81 Sports Illustrated cover is presented without comment.

* Some thoughts from Rodney Harrison -- who will be ubiquitous on Sunday's broadcast -- on why revenge will be a motive against the Giants.

I didn't use it in the column, but Collinsworth, who played in two Super Bowls with the Bengals (and lost both to the Niners) agreed with Harrison that revenge is a strong motivator.

"I can relate to that a little bit,'' Collinsworth said. "There were only four or five of us who were still around and I think that's fairly true of the Patriots, that there's probably 10 or 11 of them who played in Super Bowl 42. It's a new team. But for those guys, they'll never forget. Some of the guys who played in the '81 Super Bowl played really well in the '88 Super Bowl, and you could tell that there was a maturity level to it.

"I also think players who have been in Super Bowls, who have played in Super Bowls, have a distinct advantage. The first Super Bowl you play in, you're in the Super Bowl, and you're looking around and checking out the movie stars. I can still remember Diana Ross, who sang the National Anthem, walking in front of me, about this close, and we were like, 'Aw, maaaan.' I still joke with the 49ers guys that if she'd walked in front of your sideline, we'd have been up 20-0 at halftime. She completely destroyed us."

Collinsworth said the disappointment of losing a Super Bowl never truly fades.

"It was a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but the pain of losing two is almost twice as much. I'll tell you a story. I once asked Joe Gibbs, 'You won three and you lost one, how much time do you spend thinking about the one that you lost?' And he said, 'All I think about.' You expect to win, you expect that to happen. And when you lose, it's like someone takes a cup of cold water and dumps it over your head. Only, you never warm back up. I'm 53 years old, and I still think about it every day. Every day.''

* Many readers have asked as the season has progressed where Greg Dickerson been on the Celtics telecasts. As he discusses with great candor here, he was diagnosed with epilepsy after suffering a major seizure two days before Christmas and a lesser one two weeks ago before a game. He's back on the Celtics' sideline this week and plans to handle his usual workload the rest of the season.

* Finally, my column from Thursday's paper on Radio Row. Shaughnessy noted this today, but it was beyond bizarre to watch Tim Tebow and Joe Montana get out of the elevator at the same time yesterday, with one getting swarmed and the other nearly getting trampled. Good thing for Montana he's still fairly elusive at 55.

During our always super Friday chat, we discussed Gronk's chances of effectiveness Sunday, the Patriots' air of quiet confidence this week, and the usual media matters. (A Red Sox question or two also slipped past the filter.) Check in below to relive the fun.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ryan Wendell won't know whether he and his Patriots teammates will leave here with football's ultimate prize until their Super Bowl 46 showdown with the New York Giants concludes late Sunday evening.

But the third-year offensive lineman is already assured of departing with at least one prize: A black bra, his reward from "The Insider'' host Kevin Frazier and his co-host, R&B singer Ciara, for having a passing knowledge of Madonna lyrics.

In everyday context, an NFL offensively lineman being goaded into "vogueing" by a singer adorned in skyscraper heels, leather pants, and an undersized Tom Brady jersey could be considered one more sign that the apocalypse is near.

But on NFL Media Day, the league's annual theater of the ridiculous in which more than 5,000 credentialed media members descend on obligated players and coaches, it was just one more silly vignette from an hour-long availability session dotted with them.

"I've always wanted one of those," Wendell said, upon receiving his parting gift.

"You could wear it under your uniform," Ciara suggested helpfully.

As Wendell turned to show his reward to some lingering linemates -- sadly, the wait proved to be in vain for one to make the obvious booby prize joke -- one of the day's chief lessons proved just a few steps away: It helps to have big hair. And that applies whether you're a relentlessly chipper entertainment reporter who would likely answer in the affirmative if asked whether a football field has bases, or an obscure Patriot going for a distinctive look.

Ross Ventrone, the Patriots' special teamer who was cut and re-signed so many times this season that he may well have broken the waiver wire, was clearly reveling in the attention. "Ross Ventrone, aka Rusty Benson, Fox 59,'' he said, nailing a promo on the first take and even slipping in an alias. That camera crew moved on, another arriving immediately to take his place. "How do I care for my hair?" said Ventrone, earnestly repeating a question about his lengthy mane. "Shampoo. Conditioner. I keep it healthy. Love the product. Need it."

Tiquan Underwood, the Patriots' easygoing young receiver, was scarcely noticed on the field this season, with three catches for 30 yards; he's probably more remembered for a pass he dropped against the Eagles. But his breathtaking '90s-style high top fade hair style has made him instantly recognizable to New England sports fans -- the camera never misses him when he attends a Celtics game -- and it made him a favorite of the television cameras on today's stage.

"I just like to be different, to be my own person and have my own style,'' said Underwood to a British television reporter who asked him seven consecutive questions about the motivation for his 'do.

"Yeah, I'd say about 80 percent of the questions have been about my hair," Underwood said later. "Maybe 90 percent. But that's cool. This day is supposed to be fun, right?"

That seemed to be the universal attitude of the Patriots, who arrived on the Lucas Oil Stadium field, accompanied by the Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up To Boston,'' at 10 a.m. to fulfill their duties. For the first time, Media Day tickets were sold to fans, and while it's tempting to suggest P.T. Barnum had nothing on the NFL (tickets were priced at $25 but were in such demand that there were a few stray scalpers generating some business outside the stadium), their frequent cheers suggested that they were pleased with their investment.

Fans were given radios that allowed them to listen to any of the dozen or so players on individual podiums. Rob Gronkowski, sans the walking boot on his injured left ankle, was his usual agreeable and goofy self, as popular with the crowd listening in as he was with the swarm of reporters. Only Tom Brady drew more attention, and he effortlessly charmed his way through his fifth Media Day, including a good-natured jab at a 20-something man all spandexed up as a super hero.

He introduced himself as Pick Boy. Your kids may know him from Nickelodeon, but Brady didn't.

"Nice outfit,'' Brady said. "Halloween?"

"I asked him if his regular season game face was different from his Super Bowl game face,'' said Pick Boy, who didn't seem at all disturbed that he was wearing what looked like a green spandex onesie and a cape. "You should write down that he made a face and even gave me some sound effects."

The spotlight found just about everyone. One moment Aaron Lavarius, No. 60 in your program and probably a who's-he? even to the most diehard Patriots fans, stood alone watching Bill Belichick answer questions from his podium. The next, the practice squad defensive end was being interviewed by Marisol Gonzalez, a Mexican television reporter wearing a red dress that may well have been illegal in Indiana.

It did not take much coercion on her part to get Lavarius to put on a sombrero for his interview, which consisted of him sputtering out a few words of Spanish before getting a hug.

It was arguably a more dignified turn than singing Madonna lyrics. And don't tell Wendell, even Ciara's fandom proved fickle. By the time the Giants players were took the field at noon, her Brady jersey had been replaced by a Victor Cruz gamer.

No word whether he too was told to wear game-day undergarments.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

While he's been refreshingly engaging here in the buildup to Super Bowl 46, it's fair to say Bill Belichick has a well-established reputation for keeping even the most fundamental information close to his hoodie.

But the Patriots coach has never masked his affection for his time with the New York Giants, most evidently during the NFL Network's "A Football Life: Bill Belichick'' documentary that debuted in September.

Visiting the soon-to-be-demolished Giants Stadium for the final time, Belichick became downright wistful outside the coaches room where his first great successes in the NFL percolated.

“It’s a small room,’’ said, his voice trembling. “As I stand here . . . it’s surprising how small it is. Damn, I spent a lot of hours in that room. I loved it here. I loved it here.’’

One of the coaches who spent considerable time in that room as a fellow assistant on Bill Parcells's staff is Belichick's sideline rival this week.

Tom Coughlin was the Giants' wide receivers coach from 1988-90, a time when Belichick was building his name and his resume as the mastermind coordinating the fearsome defense of Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, and Leonard Marshall.

Knowing how Belichick feels about his Giants days, it comes as no surprise that he was effusive in his praise of Coughlin during his press conference Monday when he was asked to compare him to Parcells.

But it's not just because of their shared experience in those heady days at Giants Stadium that Belichick respects him.

"I respect a lot of things about Tom – his evaluation of talent, the way he attacks teams, his consistency, his discipline, his team’s toughness, their resiliency – I would say all of those things. Bill [Parcells] has a lot of those characteristics as a coach. I don’t know who rubs off on whom. That was the way Tom was as an assistant coach. He was very disciplined and very detail-oriented. He demanded a lot from his players. He was fair, but firm, like he is now.

"Tom is a good guy, and he has a good sense of humor. He is a good guy to be around. On the practice field and the game field, you have a job to do. He was demanding of them in a good way. There is a lot of Bill Parcells in that, too. He is demanding. He can shoot the needle in there to you a little bit, and get a little dig in. He expects a lot. He has high expectations. There is a different style, but some similarities as a coach. I don’t know how much one rubbed off on the other, as much as it’s kind of the way they are.”

When Belichick talks candidly and in anecdotal detail about football -- his experiences, why certain things work, why specific players are effective -- it's a fascinating football clinic that could make a lot of money if tickets were available. It's been a treat to listen to him in that mode during the first two days here. He spoke at length on so many topics today -- one question about what he learned between his head coaching stints in Cleveland and New England brought forth a nearly 10-minute answer -- that one wished the press conference lasted another hour.

On what he learned working with the Giants' coaching staff back in the day: “It was awesome. We had a great staff and great players. One of the biggest things I learned, that I can’t do today, but I know, is how tough those players were. We practiced every day in pads, every single day in pads. There were years that we practiced every single day on the turf before we had the grass practice fields up there on the hill, or it was being rebuilt or something happened. How we did 9-on-7, which is a good-tempo running drill, and how we did that on a regular basis. In training camp, we went out in pads every day. We hit every day. We did 9-on-7 every day. There was no way Bill [Parcells] would go out on the field without doing 9-on-7. We’d skip stretching before we’d skip 9-on-7."

On the toughness of those Giants teams compared to today's players: "Going back to last year, and even this year, going out in pads, working on 9-on-7, having more contact work in practice, we’d get that look a little bit like, ‘I don’t know if the players can do it.’ I’m thinking to myself, ‘Can’t do it?’ We were in pads on Fridays with the Giants, and nobody said anything. That’s the way it was. You went out there and practiced. I know what players are capable of doing because of how demanding we were with them from a physical standpoint, and that certainly didn’t lessen their aggressiveness or their toughness in games. That was a physical defense. That was a physical offensive line.

"Even getting ready for the Super Bowl against Buffalo [in 1990], the way we ran the ball in that game. That started on the practice field with the tempo in practice. When you get those guys crashing into each other – Jumbo Elliott and Mark Bavaro blocking Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Jim Burt and all them – they just lined up and played football. I know it was a different era, but it will never be like that again.''

Belichick was particularly introspective when he talked about taking the techniques he learned with the Giants to his first head coaching job in Cleveland.

"When I got [to New York] in 1979, relative to what the Giants had done previous to that, it was kind of a country-club atmosphere, from what I understood.

It was a little bit different than what I had been used to. I learned a lot from the mental and physical toughness standpoint that [former coach] Ray Perkins and then Bill, built their teams with. Maybe I took it a little too far in Cleveland, I don’t know. It was kind of the same thing when I got there. People said that we were too demanding and we were doing too much. I was thinking to myself, ‘I was with the Giants for 12 years. I saw this every day for 12 years. Don’t tell me we can’t go out there and have 9-on-7 two days in a row. I know we can.’ ”

After he was fired in Cleveland during a 1995 season in which Art Modell's plan to move the storied Browns to Baltimore turned the team into the ultimate lame duck, Belichick joined Parcells's staff in New England, where his lessons in being a head coach at hte NFL level continued.

"I certainly learned a lot that year being around Bill for three years with basically the same staff that had moved down to New York,'' Belichick said, mentioning Romeo Crennel, Dante Scarnecchia, and Al Groh. "All of the things that you do as a head coach, when you become an assistant coach again, you understand more what the head coach is going through when you have been a head coach, than when you are an assistant coach and you haven’t had that responsibility. It was a great learning experience for me."

In "A Football Life,'' Belichick had some chuckles at Parcells's expense, such as remembering how Parcells would "light into four cigarettes" after they would play racquetball. The relationship of course grew more complicated with Belichick's infamous resignation as the HC of the NYJ in 1999, a day in which he was considerably less articulate than he was Monday. But during the past two days, he's been quick to praise Parcells, who affectionately called Belichick and Coughlin "my guys" earlier this week.

"Bill was very generous in some of the information and experiences he shared with me during those four years from 1996 to 1999 – the situations he was dealing with, the things that would come up with the team and how you would handle this and how you would handle that,'' Belichick said. "Our relationship is a little bit different because I had been a head coach. He would say, ‘Look, you’ve been a head coach. Here is the situation. How would you handle this or that?’ And I would watch him handle it. I have a little different perspective on it than I had during those years with the Giants when I wasn’t a head coach, and I probably didn’t fully understand some of the dynamics of various decisions, whether it was personnel decisions or – as it was in the 1990s – salary-cap decisions, strategic decisions and logistics and planning.

"It was certainly a great learning experience for me from a different point of view."

Funny, the same could be said for those fortunate enough to hear Bill Belichick elaborate on his football life Monday.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Even by the usual standards of tabloid Super Bowl hype, which is to say that there are very few standards at all, this is absurd.

As I wrote last night, the New York tabloids are all over Tom Brady for daring to suggest that the Patriots just might win Super Bowl 46 and perhaps would be welcomed home warmly by their fans should they do so.

Actually, he wasn't even that bold. Here are his precise words from yesterday's pep rally at Gillette Stadium:

"We're going down there, and we're going down there for one reason. We're going to give it our best and hopefully we have a lot more people at our party next weekend."

If anything, it was a pretty uninspiring rallying cry from Brady. The one thing you're going down there for is . . . "to give it our best"? Whoa, now there's some bulletin board material right there.

So what do the New York tabs turn it into?

Oh, just this:

And this:

Talk about making something out of nothing -- actually, that should probably be the papers' slogan.

A half-dozen Giants will be available to the media later this afternoon. It will be interesting to see whether any are genuinely annoyed by Brady's milquetoast pep rally comments. Athletes do love milking those perceived slights as motivation, whether they're real, imagined, or quotes twisted and exaggerated beyond recognition on the back page.

* * *

Pop quiz: Who is the Patriots all-time leading rusher in the postseason?

OK, so Corey Dillon, the workhorse on the stacked 2004 champs, might not be the most difficult answer to deduce. Dillon had 508 yards in eight postseason games during his three seasons in New England.

I'll only briefly mention my perpetual lament that Curtis Martin should be first on this list, and it's with a respectful smile that we acknowledge Kevin Faulk is third (425 yards in 19 games).

So who is second? Perhaps this will surprise you, and perhaps it won't should you occasionally reacquaint yourself with "Three Games to Glory,'' but the is two-time Super Bowl champion Antowain Smith, who ran for 456 yards in six career games.

I bring this up not only as a reminder that Smith was an essential if unspectacular contributor to the Patriots' first two champions, but because he set the blueprint a decade ago for an approach that may benefit the Patriots Sunday.

In Super Bowl XXXVI, Smith ran for 92 yards on 18 carries in the Patriots' 20-17 victory over the Rams. (That's one more carry and 16 more yards than the Rams' celebrated Marshall Faulk had in the game.) Two years later, he ran 26 times for 83 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, as the Patriots beat the Panthers, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Through two games this postseason, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has run for a total output similar to Smith's in that second Super Bowl -- 28 carries, 96 yards, and a score.

Sunday, however, it is not difficult to envision him having a game similar to Smith's first Super Bowl. With the Giants' ferocious front four frothing at the mouth to get a shot at Tom Brady, and with Rob Gronkowski likely to be something less than 100 percent, it makes sense that the Patriots would mix in the run a little more early in the game.

Green-Ellis ran as well as he has all season against the Ravens, he's healthy, he does not fumble . . . and he might just be the wild-card in the Patriots' plan of attack.

So what if he's not flashy. Emulating what Antowain Smith did seems a pretty effective way of becoming a champion.

* * *

Indianapolis is a nice city. Or should I say, the people are extraordinarily nice in that unassuming Midwestern way. Inevitably, the cheeriness makes you like the city even if the official color seems to be slate and the architecture is best described as practical.

That was supposed to be a compliment, even if it doesn't read that way upon further review.

There is one small part of Indianapolis that is sure to generate warm feelings among Boston sports fans. And no, it's not a mural of all of Peyton Manning's crushing losses to the Patriots through the years.

Driving into the city along West Drive, just before arriving at media headquarters at the J.W. Marriott hotel, there's a small brown street sign near a block of businesses, museums, and, of all things, the NCAA headquarters. On the sign it reads:

"Robert D. Orr Plaza."

Now, every New Englander of a certain generation knows Bobby Orr's middle name does not begin with a D -- he's the esteemed Robert Gordon Orr, the greatest hockey player ever to lace 'em up, and don't give me that Gretzky stuff.

But it's just close enough that it stands as a nice reminder of home, where the people aren't always so friendly until you earn it, the architecture is often timeless and spectacular, and there's no debate over the greatest quarterback of this generation, let alone the greatest hockey player of all time.

Be sure to stop by our always strike-throwing Friday chat -- note yet another shift to 2:30 p.m. -- during which we'll discuss Super Bowl 46, the Oswalt/Floyd/Jackson possibilities, why we should be encouraged by the Celtics, and the usual media matters. Bring along a crate of minneolas and check in below to join the fun.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

The 10-year anniversary of my favorite game and maybe yours in Patriots lore passed Thursday without tribute here, and while this is probably a tactic that would get a fella in deep trouble with his wife, I say it's never too late to acknowledge a wonderful thing.

The Patriots' 16-13 overtime victory over the Oakland Raiders on January 19, 2002 is officially recorded as an AFC Divisional Playoff game. In Oakland, and many other parts of the country stricken with Patriot envy and/or loathing, it's known as the Tuck Rule game.

Here, it's the Snow Bowl. The final game at Foxboro Stadium, and unofficially the game when the Patriots' prolonged run of excellence began. Excluding certain pivotal events from October 2004, there's not a Boston sporting event in my lifetime that I remember more fondly.

The three Super Bowl championships were wonderful and fulfilling. But for sentimental purposes, for warm memories on a cold day, nothing trumps the Snow Bowl. We'll see other Super Bowls. But we'll never again see an atmosphere and an outcome like that.

A decade later, roughly XXXVI viewings of "Three Games To Glory" later, and I still have no idea how Adam Vinatieri knuckled that tying 45-yard field goal through the snowflakes, and then, the uprights.

Yet the Snow Bowl comes to mind today not just because of the calendar's reminder. The delightful happenings on the field Sunday at Gillette Stadium were more than enough to send a Patriots fan into a spiral of nostalgia, and some certain guests of honor made it feel like good old days have never left even if the names on the jerseys have changed.

When Sterling Moore poked what would have been the winning touchdown out of Ravens receiver Lee Evans's hands on Baltimore's failed final drive, it reminded you of something Ty Law, that ol' clutch cornerback, might have pulled off against the Colts seven or eight years ago. That Law, an honorary co-captain along with Drew Bledsoe, Troy Brown and Tedy Bruschi Sunday, was at Gillette Stadium to witness the moment only added to the pleasant symmetry of what this franchise has accomplished.

While the gracious Bledsoe, who recovered from a serious injury but never recovered his job from Brady, didn't have a role in the Snow Bowl beyond looking cold and helping Brady warm up . . .

. . . it is always great to see the second-best quarterback in franchise history at Gillette. And the names Bruschi, Brown, and Law do take you back to that particular game, and the mind wanders back to all the what-ifs and how'd-he-do-that's that broke the Patriots' way.

What if Charlie Garner could pick up a late first down, allowing the Raiders to run out the clock? What if J.R. Redmond didn't play the game of his life, unaware he'd play the game of his life again a week later before slipping away into obscurity? What if Jermaine Wiggins, he of the 10 receptions, wasn't as natural comfortable in the conditions as a New England kid who had grown up playing in them, which is of course exactly what he was.

What if Walt Coleman had incorrectly interpreted a contrived rule?

How would it have been different? Would the NFL version of the butterfly effect have taken place, with subtle changes in that game altering the course of history? Would the dynasty, the prolonged excellence that still exists today, have followed a similar course. Or in defeat, would something have been lost, some invisible intangible?

It's not a question you often ponder 10 years, six conference title games, four Super Bowl appearances (with a fifth pending) and three Lombardi Trophies (go ahead and say it -- with a fourth pending) later. It happened, all of it, and that's that. We don't know, we'll never know, and we don't care to know. Let Charles Woodson and Rich Gannon torment themselves with those questions for eternity.

It seems to me the most fulfilling victories are the close ones with high stakes. Perhaps you appreciate what happened Sunday a little more because of how close it came to becoming another notation on the brief but disappointing list of painful losses the past 10 years. Perhaps the trip to the Super Bowl means more because it's been seven seasons without a title. Had Lee Evans held on to the ball a split-second longer, had Billy Cundiff not shanked his own reputation, and perhaps we'd be muttering the names of certain Ravens in the same tones reserved for David Tyree and the 2006 version of Peyton Manning.

Instead, the Patriots added another game of glory to their lore, and many of the names and faces who were instrumental in this run were there as honored guests, proud witnesses. Watching Bruschi high-five Bledsoe -- both looking a little bit older and entirely satisfied -- in the immediate aftermath of the victory was a cool reminder of just how many years on the calendar the Patriots' excellence has spanned.

It was 10 years ago -- give or take a few days post-anniversary, of course -- that Foxboro Stadium was sent off with the most beautiful atmosphere in its history, and a game to match. The Snow Bowl was the beginning, and astoundingly, it continues less that two weeks from now at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Anyone know how to get some snow into that place?

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Three quick thoughts while watching Ed Reed run like he's seriously favoring his ankle in warmups. Hmmm. Probably just gamesmanship, right? . . .

1. Patriots have to negate Ngata: It's a tired angle at this point, but it's also the truth. If the Ravens are going to slow the Patriots' prolific passing game, they need to get pressure on Tom Brady and make him uncomfortable. The Patriots quarterback struggles (by his standards) when he faces heavy pressure in the middle and the offense's Swiss-watch timing is thrown off. Ngata, a mountain of a tackle at 6 feet 4 inches and 350 pounds, has been All-Pro the past four seasons. The Patriots' interior line cannot allow him to be disruptive today.

2. Joe Flacco isn't that bad. Sure, the Ravens might be wise to try to convince Patriots honorary captain Drew Bledsoe to put on Flacco's jersey and maybe take a few shots downfield. But Flacco, who threw for 3,610 yards this season (12th in the NFL), and was the 18th-rated passer in the league, is mediocre. And that's better than a lot of the passers -- Tyler Palco, Vince Young, Dan Orlovsky, Tim Tebow -- the Patriots have faced during their nine-game winning streak. The Patriots defense has improved, but the level of improvement has been tough to gauge because of the opponent. Look for Flacco to take a shot or two deep with Torrey Smith, and then we'll have some answers.

3. The Ravens won't be able to contain Rob Gronkowski: Because we're sticking with this one until it proves false, and we don't expect that to be anytime soon, that's why. Put Gronk down for 8/115/2, with at least one one-on-one embarrassment of Ray Lewis.

Prediction: During the week of the 10-year anniversary of the Snow Bowl, maybe it's appropriate that Stephen Gostkowski wins today's game with his foot. But I don't think it will quite come to that. Instead of a Vinatieri-style winner through the snow, he ices it with a late field goal, and the Patriots head to their fifth Super Bowl of the Brady/Belichick Era with a 27-17 win.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

A quick link to my media column this morning, which leads with a conversation with Mike Flynn of 98.5 The Sports Hub and NESN about Sunday's Patriots-Ravens showdown.

Flynn is an excellent resource this week in particular because of his connection to Baltimore -- he spent more than a decade playing center for the Ravens. But he's a rising star on the local sports media scene not just for his knowledge, but because he's self-deprecating and doesn't hammer listeners over the head with the "I-played-the-game-caller" stuff that plagues many ex-athletes who end up in the media. Probably has something to do with his UMaine education.

Also, if you missed it, there's an update at the bottom of the column on NESN's search for Heidi Watney's replacement. It's down to six or seven candidates, with the decision ultimately up to Tom Werner, who has a tape that includes everyone who auditioned. So you'll have that answer you've been waiting for soon. Now, if the Sox will just find a right fielder and fifth starter, baseball season will finally feel near.

I'll be at Gillette Sunday, handling the tweeting duties from our @GlobePatriots account among other things. Should have a post or two right here leading up to the game, so be sure to check back in.

Finally, I've posted a few deleted scenes from today's column below. They probably should remain deleted, but you know me. Wasted words are my specialty.

* * *

With the team he formerly and brilliantly quarterbacked, the 49ers, hosting the Giants in the NFC Championship Game, ESPN analyst Steve Young was asked earlier this week to reminisce about the franchises' classic showdowns in the late '80s and early '90s.

Demonstrating that the agony of defeat sometimes lingers as long as the thrill of victory even for the most decorated athletes, it was actually a game the 49ers lost -- New York's 15-13 victory in the 1990 NFL title game in which Young replaced injured starter Joe Montana -- that seemed to stick with him the most.

"The Giants always played us tough," Young said. "Bill Belichick-coached defenses [he was the Giants defensive coordinator] always felt like they knew what was coming, you know, so it was tough to play them. And they were great that day. That was a really tough one."

Despite the Hall of Famer's deep personal history with the Niners, Young said he's actually finds the other conference championship game more compelling.

"I think the game to watch is Ravens and the Patriots," Young said, "because the Ravens have the big boys on defense and [the Patriots have] this phenomenally unique, different offense, led by one of the great players ever. It's unbelievable what Tom Brady does now. He's built a repertoire that you just don't want to miss. I'm really looking forward to the results of that game. Phenomenal offense against a great defense. We'll see in this era who can pull off championship football."

* * *

It wasn't just Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos who got thumped by the Patriots Saturday. Not surprisingly, they did the same in the Nielsen ratings to the Bruins and Celtics, who had the misfortune of playing in the same approximate window. The Patriots' 45-10 victory earned a 44.4 rating and a 60 share in the Boston designated market area for their 8 p.m. game on Channel 4. The Bruins, who have averaged a strong 6.1 household rating on NESN this season, got a 1.8 for their 4-2 loss at Carolina, which began at 7 p.m. The Celtics, who also started at 7 p.m., were even more of an afterthought, with their 97-83 loss at Indiana drawing a 0.7 rating on Comcast SportsNet New England. The bad news for both the Celtics and Bruins? They both play in the same window as the Patriots again Sunday.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

It didn't take long for Tom Brady and the Patriots to take the drama out of their divisional playoff game versus the Denver Broncos last night, building a 28-point halftime lead en route to a 45-10 victory.

And because the outcome was all but decided before the prime-time matchup was halfway to completion, the ratings for the broadcast on CBS ended up being merely very good rather than the massive numbers that some anticipated because of the appealing matchup of Broncos phenomenon Tim Tebow against Brady and the three-time champion Patriots.

According to CBS this afternoon, it's broadcast scored an average overnight household rating/share of 20.6/34, making it the highest-rated prime time playoff game in 11 years. The rating/share peaked at a 24.1/39 from the 9-9:30 p.m. window, which is right about the time the Patriots put it out of reach.

The key phrase here is "prime time.'' The 4:30 p.m. window on Sunday is the most appealing ratings-wise, and chances are that today's Giants-Packers game on Fox will put up bigger numbers than the Patriots-Broncos did on Saturday night, particularly if the game is competitive. The most-watched divisional game in NFL history is the Jets' 28-21 victory over the Patriots on January 16, 2011. That game, which kicked off at 4:30 p.m. on a Sunday, earned a 26.2 overnight rating, a 44 share, and had 43.5 million viewers on CBS.

The Patriots-Broncos game wasn't even the highest-rated game Saturday. The 49ers-Saints instant classic, which aired at 4:30 p.m. on Fox, grabbed a 21.7 rating.

I'll update here with the ratings from the Boston market when they become available.

Ratings are the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program, while share is the percentage of homes that have televisions in use at the time. Overnight ratings are a measure of the 56 metered markets in the country.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Don't know about you guys, but the closer we get to game time, the more nervous I become. I'll chalk that up to the anticipation of a playoff game rather than any fear of The Tebow.

Four quick pregame thoughts/predictions just for the fun of it. I'll be fine if just the final one proves correct:

1. Rob Gronkowski will have a big game: Yeah, daring call there, right? When doesn't he have a big game. Well, actually, in the previous meeting with Denver on December 18, he had just four catches for 53 yards. With Denver's pair of superb pass rushers, Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, both banged up, Gronk won't be required to stay in and block on passing downs nearly as much. Put him down for 7-95-2. Conservatively.

2. Devin McCourty will pick off Tim Tebow: McCourty has had well-documented struggles in pass coverage when his back is to the ball this season. But if he again sees time at safety, where he can play facing Tebow, he'll have a couple of chances to be a ballhawk on some erratic throws.

3. Stevan Ridley will be the game's leading rusher: The quick and powerful rookie running back had a career high in carries (15) and yards (81) in the regular-season finale against Buffalo. He'll surpass both today. The suspicion here is that Belichick (and Bill O'Brien ... and Josh McDaniels for at least this week) has been waiting for the right time to unleash the closest thing they have to a game-breaking running back. Today is the day.

4. Final score: Patriots 38, Broncos 13. Until next year, Tebow.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

While offering up a quick link to today's media column on the potential for massive Patriots-Broncos ratings for CBS Saturday night, I might as well become the last person in America who owns both a keyboard and an opinion to chime in on the phenomenon driving those ratings.

I was wrong about Tim Tebow.

I thought last Sunday's wild-card matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers would go down as his only career postseason start as an NFL quarterback. But Tebow, Demaryius Thomas and the Broncos played an inspired game against the limping Steelers, and from what I understand he'll be getting that second career playoff start against the Patriots this Saturday. Someone really ought to cover this. Sounds intriguing.

But while I was wr-wr-wrong about his one-and-done, I remain convinced I'm correct about this:

Tebow is no one's long-term answer at quarterback.

I suspect John Fox, who has done a remarkable job of catering to Tebow's strengths while wearing a perpetually bemused look following their improbable victories, would tell you as much if you could slip him some truth serum. You know John Elway, as gracious as he has been, is perplexed by how Tebow, a quarterback who completes less than 50 percent of his passes, has mechanics that give quarterback coaches migraines, and struggles to make his reads in what is said to be a rudimentary offense, is doing this. Bet you he'd trade a whole roster of Tebows for one Andrew Luck.

(Somewhere, Skip Bayless just fainted at the thought of a whole roster of Tebows.)

Hey, I'd be cool to be wrong about this too. No matter where you stand on his outward faith, Tebow is an extremely likable player and personality. It's fun to watch someone from a different mold, with an original style, play quarterback, even if he gives quarterback coaches migraines with his mechanics. The NFL can use more genuine uniqueness, and he is a tremendous runner. There's a place for him in the league, and I'll always wonder how Bill Belichick would have used him had he ended up with the Patriots in the 2010 draft.

But that place is not at quarterback, not for the long-term and perhaps not beyond this week. Whether or not rumors of Brady Quinn preparing to get playing time against Pittsburgh were true, the fact was that Tebow had played so poorly in the previous couple of games it was actually a logical possibility that he could be replaced in passing downs by one of the great quarterback flops in recent years.

Doesn't that tell you all you need to know?

The great times and comebacks and 80-yard touchdown passes in overtime are amazing. But they are more the result of small sample-sizes, coincidences, and foolish, undisciplined opponents than his own talents or determination. And Tebow's lows are so low -- he was 6 for 22 against the Chiefs just two weeks ago -- that the Broncos with him at the helm will remain in a cycle of the occasional improbable comebacks sandwiched around crushing defeats. And those improbabilities will eventually give way to probability. A quarterback who can't throw cannot and will not win in the long-term in the NFL.

The Broncos have an intriguing player in Tebow. But they still need a quarterback.

Now, would my opinion change should Tebow and Thomas and Matt Prater and Von Miller pull of another NFL miracle Saturday night?

I could give you a confident "no" right now. But really, that's a question I'm not going to have to answer.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you ...

1. I'm a long-time admirer of Rany Jazayerli's baseball writing. He was one of many terrific full- and part-time hires by Grantland, and his thoughtful Rany on the Royals blog actually makes me interested in, of all things, the Royals.

So it gave me pause yesterday morning when his assessment of Ben Cherington's job performance thus far was lukewarm at best. But upon further consideration, I'm going to have to kindly suggest he swung and missed. I don't think you can praise the Astros' acquisition of Jed Lowrie ("A switch-hitting shortstop with a career .252/.324/.408 line? Yeah, I'll take two.") without acknowledging his significant flaws. Lowrie's range is subpar (minus-17.4 UZR last season). His arm couldn't be trusted, in part because he seemed to be casual with his throws. He'll be 28 in April and has never played more than 88 games in a season because of recurrent injury issues. There's a not a lot of risk on the Astros' part in acquiring him, but there is a chance he never pans out there, either.

And while it's fair to be skeptical about the probability of Daniel Bard succeeding as a starter, citing his awful statistics the last time he was full-time starter (Single A, 2007) needs to come with the caveat that the Red Sox fiddled with his mechanics and his command returned when he was allowed to use the delivery that made him a first-round pick in the first place. It wasn't as simple as sending him to the bullpen and, presto, instant relief ace.

It's understandable to conclude Cherington should have done more so far this offseason -- a proven righthanded-hitting right fielder would be nice -- I like the way he's gradually filling in the roster around the core stars. I hated the Punto signing at first -- yes, hated is the right word -- but upon deeper consideration, he's a utility guy who knows he's a utility guy, and who has consistently excellent defensive metrics at three infield positions. If Bobby Valentine doesn't play him more than he should, he can be a valuable asset. Melancon seems like a worthy addition to a bullpen that is not yet complete, whether he's the closer or replaces Bard as the relief ace. Yeah, I'll take two of him.

It's apparent that Cherington is looking for useful -- and yes, inexpensive -- secondary pieces who fulfill a certain need, the belief being that the core of an excellent team is already in place. I wouldn't call his offseason "distressing." I'd call it a promising work in progress.

2. The seven-year contract extension Adrian Gonzalez signed with the Red Sox last April kicks in this coming season, and for those who wondered last year why the Red Sox gave up three fine prospects to acquire him from the Padres rather than waiting for him to hit free agency (other than the chance to get his bat in the lineup a year earlier), perhaps Albert Pujols's deal with the Angels helps provide some context.

Pujols is two years and four months older than Gonzalez, had a lower OPS last season (.906 to Gonzo's .956), will be under contract for three years longer, and will make $100 million more over the length of the deal.

If Prince Fielder ends up landing a deal in the $200 million range, the Sox's deal with Gonzalez has to be considered a relative bargain, even considering the talent they parted with to bring him here.

3. Not to belabor the point, but the Astros are going to discover what Terry Francona often hinted at but never said outright -- that Lowrie doesn't defend well enough to play shortstop on a regular basis. Brad Mills, who was Francona's bench coach before becoming the Astros manager for the 2010 season, probably has some idea what he is getting. But Lowrie has slipped defensively in the two years since he left.

But if he stays healthy -- yup, that's one Rauch-sized if -- he can be a productive super-utility player for Houston, a .280/15 HR/.775-OPS-type, especially if he realizes he's much better off hitting from the right side, The change of scenery was necessary, and the time is now, but he has the talent to do well, and I hope he does.

4. A victory over the Patriots would have brought the Tim Tebow hype to levels even beyond their current insufferable state. Even in defeat, I doubt the hype will die down -- the theme for this week on "ESPN: First Tebow Featuring Skip Bayless Based On The Novel By Sapphire" will be, "Can Tim Tebow bounce back?"

Yes, the saturation Tebow coverage got to be a little much leading up to the Patriots game, but the justification is in the numbers -- ratings, page views, and all of that stuff that nowadays influences content decisions. After watching him play from the first whistle to the last against the Patriots, I'm convinced the buzz will probably fade out early next season.

He's a fine football player, but does not throw well enough to play quarterback, and I think we'll eventually look back at Sunday and realize it was the end of his entertaining but unsustainable small-sample-size run of football miracles.

5. Mike Aviles can't really be in the picture as a righthanded-hitting option in right field, can he? Um ... I think he can, or at least will, and I'd love to see Jazayerli weigh in on that.

He's hit lefthanded pitching well (.299 average, .814 OPS) over the course of his four-year career, and while he looked shaky during his five games and 19 innings worth of cameos in the outfield last season, he's athletic enough to take to the position.

I'll keep saying it until you agree with me: If they weren't going to get involved on Carlos Beltran, Josh Willingham, or Michael Cuddyer (now an overpriced member of the Rockies), taking a shot at lefty-masher Andruw Jones would have been an appealing solution.

FULL ENTRY

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and Broncos -- or Tom Brady vs. Tim Tebow if you work in promotions -- was so desirable to the networks that air NFL games that CBS and NBC battled over the right to air the game early last week. The reason was simple: Ratings were certain to be enormous.

NBC lost out on its bid to "flex" the game into prime-time, CBS retained it in the 4:15 p.m. window, and today the predictions of enormous Nielsen ratings were confirmed.

CBS received a 19.5 overnight rating for the Patriots' 41-23 victory, as first reported by the Sports Business Journal. The game was available in more markets than any other CBS has aired this season.

It is the network's highest regular-season overnight since the Patriots' 24-20 win over the Colts Nov. 4, 2007. Both teams entered that game undefeated.

I'll update with Boston numbers when they become available. According to the Denver Post, the game pulled a 40.6 rating and 74 share in the Denver market.

Update: In the Boston DMA, the Patriots earned a 42 overnight rating and a 68 share according to an industry source. Both numbers are expected to rise even higher once Nielsen announces the final household figures later in the week.

It could well end up the second-highest rated game locally in Patriots history. The top five in terms of household rating:

1. Patriots @ Giants, Dec. 29, 2007: 50.10
2. Dolphins @ Patriots, Dec. 7, 2003: 43.80
3. Packers at Patriots, Dec. 19, 2010: 42.62
4. Jets at Patriots, Dec. 6, 2010: 42.20
5. Colts at Patriots, Nov. 21, 2010: 42.04

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

The NFL announced a nine-year extension of its television rights deals with NBC, CBS, and Fox yesterday, news that came as little surprise given the massive ratings success of the current deal — game broadcasts accounted for 23 of the 25 most-watched shows on television this fall.

But there were some notable developments in the new agreement, which begins in 2014 once the current eight-year deal expires and runs through 2022. Among them:

• The NFL will have a limited option to move NFC games between Fox and CBS beginning in ’14 with the intent of bringing regional games to a wider audience. It will mark the first time that CBS, which has owned rights to AFC games since 1998, will also broadcast some NFC games in the same season. Fox will retain the NFC rights it has had since 1994 and will also carry some AFC games.

• Specific details of the new flex scheduling agreement — which includes those potential Fox/CBS game swaps — have not yet been released by the league. The current flex scheduling system, which allows for appealing late-season Sunday matchups to be moved to 4:15 p.m. on Fox and CBS as well as NBC’s prime-time ‘‘Sunday Night Football’’ slot, will remain in its current format until 2014.

• NBC will pick up a prime-time Thanksgiving game next season and in 2014 will get a divisional playoff game from CBS or Fox. In return, it will lose one of the two wild-card games it currently carries. ESPN, which extended its ‘‘Monday Night Football’’ rights deal with the NFL in September for eight years and $15.2 billion, is expected to receive the wild card game.
  
• The package of Thursday night games on NFL Network will expand next season, though the specific number has not been determined. Currently, it carries eight games in the season’s second half.

• NBC will add a Sunday morning pregame show on the NBC Sports Network, which will change its name from Versus in January. The NFL season will also continue to open with a Thursday night game on NBC.

• Each network will broadcast three Super Bowls over the length of the extension. NBC, which has the rights to the 2012 Super Bowl under the current deal, gets the 2015, ’18, and ’21 championships. CBS, which has the ’13 Super Bowl rights, gets the milestone Super Bowl L game in 2016 as well as ’19, and ’22, while Fox has the 2014, ’17 and ’20 games.

The terms of the extension were not announced by the league or the three networks. USA Today reported the extension brings a 60-percent increase in rights fees over the collective $1.93 billion CBS, Fox and NBC currently pay the league annually, with the three networks eventually totaling $3.1 billion per year. That does not include the $1.8 billion ESPN will pay annually.

‘‘These agreements underscore the NFL’s unique commitment to broadcast television that no other sport has,’’ said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. ‘‘The agreements would not have been possible without our new 10-year labor agreement and the players deserve great credit. Long-term labor peace is allowing the NFL to continue to grow.’’

The deal also includes ‘‘TV everywhere’’ rights, allowing each network to simulcast games it is broadcasting on television on tablets and other digital platforms. This does not include mobile phones because Verizon has a separate agreement with the NFL.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

The anticipated matchup between the Patriots and Broncos -- a surefire ratings monster because of quarterbacks Tom Brady and cultural phenomenon Tim Tebow -- won't be played until Dec. 18.

But it can already be chalked up as a win in one regard.

CBS, which spent yesterday battling NBC's intention of "flexing" the game into its "Sunday Night Football'' window, will retain the compelling matchup. It will air at 4:15 p.m. locally on Ch. 4.

Sources at NBC Sports have not yet responded to requests for comment. Communications director Adam Freifeld said via e-mail that the network would "defer to the league for comment."

Frustration on the network's part would be understandable. NBC pays $650 million per year to air 18 NFL games, an extraordinary expenditure compared to the $622.5 million CBS pays for 102 AFC games.

(Fox pays $712.5 million for the same number NFC games, while ESPN pays $1.1 billion for 18 Monday night games.)

Perhaps the major benefits for NBC is its contractual right with the NFL to "flex" games in Weeks 10-15 and 17 from other networks to their Sunday night package, ensure it has appealing prime-time matchups.

Instead, the network will feature the regularly-scheduled game between the 9-3 Ravens and 5-7 Chargers rather than Tebow vs. Brady.

CBS did have a reasonable case to keep the game, and not just because it owns AFC rights. The network was flexed out of a chance to get its piece the Tebowmania ratings pie when the Broncos-Vikings game was flexed to Fox in a flurry of moves that began with NBC replacing the Patriots-Colts game with Saints-Lions. And this week's Broncos game, against the Bears, is also on Fox.

But it is curious that the network's decision weeks ago to protect the Eagles-Jets game on Dec. 18 was not held against it in the end. CBS and Fox can protect one game per week from being flexed, but they are required to notify the NFL of their selections before the flexing period begins in Week 10. (Clarification: This season, the league required the networks to determine its protected games by Week 5. Explains a little better why CBS didn't go Broncos-Patriots in the first place. It didn't see Tebowmania coming, either.)

Decisions on flex games are typically made on the Monday 13 days before the scheduled game, with an official deadline of midnight Tuesday (or 12 days before).

But because both networks adamantly coveted the Broncos-Patriots game -- and because both had a legitimate case that it deserved to air it -- the NFL made the unprecedented decision of waiting until 11 days before the game to make a formal decision. The news came at approximately 2 p.m. this afternoon.

The decision benefits the Patriots to some degree since a 4:15 p.m. start (2:15 in Denver) allows them to depart at a more reasonable hour after the game than an 8:20 p.m. game would. With a short week -- the Patriots host the Dolphins on Dec. 24, a Saturday -- the less daunting travel schedule mattered.

One other significant angle here: Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was in New York yesterday for the league's committee meetings, is the chairman of the broadcast committee.

While The Kraft Group, of which he is the founder, chairman, and CEO, has a business partnership with CBS -- there is a CBS Scene restaurant at Patriots Place -- a team source said he was sympathetic to both CBS and NBC's perspective.

The Denver Post reported yesterday that he was making the case for the game on CBS's behalf. While his precise role in the final decision is uncertain, it's doubtful that the game would remain on CBS without his blessing.

The Globe has requested comment from Kraft on the matter, so we'll have further updates here and on Extra Points should he be made available.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Tebowmania, that increasingly frenzied phenomenon regarding polarizing, unorthodox, and usually victorious Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, has hit a new peak, with an assist from Tom Brady and the Patriots.

CBS and NBC, the two networks with the rights and intention to broadcast the much-anticipated December 18 matchup between the Broncos and the Patriots, spent Tuesday engaged in a tug-of-war over which will ultimately show the game.

Despite a midnight deadline to determine whether it would be ‘‘flexed’’ from a 4:15 p.m start on CBS’s Sunday schedule to NBC’s prime-time ‘‘Sunday Night Football’’ time slot, the matter was not settled.

The NFL announced at approximately 8:30 p.m. that it will determine Wednesday morning which network will carry the game.

NBC wants to utilize its contractual right with the NFL to move the game to its ‘‘Sunday Night Football’’ broadcast, replacing the previously scheduled matchup between the 9-3 Ravens and 5-7 Chargers.

Such a late-season maneuver is not out of the ordinary. The NFL utilizes flexible scheduling in Weeks 10-15 and 17 to ensure appealing prime-time matchups late in the season.

Losing compelling games can be a source of frustration to CBS, which has AFC broadcast rights, and Fox, which carried NFC games, but resistance is rare.

But this game is justifiably coveted. With the charismatic Tebow, who has led the Broncos to five straight victories, squaring off against Brady, the marquee player on a marquee franchise, the game is certain to be a ratings blockbuster for whichever network carries it.

It became increasingly evident Tuesday as the hours passed without an announcement that CBS was attempting to keep the game and a stalemate had occurred. Flex scheduling rules state that teams much be notified whether they will be moved into the Sunday night time slot no later than 12 days before the game, meaning midnight Tuesday was the deadline. Typically, the announcement comes the previous Monday.

Since flex scheduling was implemented in 2006, there are no other documented instances of a decision being held until a Wednesday.

The final decision on who gets the game will be made by the NFL, and it will be fascinating to learn which network it chooses. Conventional wisdom suggests the league would want Patriots-Broncos, a matchup that has been anticipated for weeks, in prime time, though the late-afternoon time slot on either CBS or Fox is usually its biggest ratings draw.

CBS and Fox can protect one game per week from being flexed under league rules, but the catch is that CBS protected Sunday’s Eagles-Jets matchup weeks ago, when that game had considerably more luster.

CBS, however, also could be excused for believing it is owed a break, having been flexed out of a Broncos/Tebow game just last Sunday. Then, the Patriots’ matchup with the winless Colts, originally scheduled for ‘‘Sunday Night Football,’’ was moved to an afternoon game on CBS. The Saints-Lions game, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Fox, was moved to NBC.

Because Fox had just two games to choose from in the early window, it was permitted by the league to take the Broncos-Vikings game from CBS.

Adding more intrigue to the situation was a report by the Denver Post Tuesday afternoon that Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was in New York for the NFL committee meetings, was making a case on CBS’s behalf and that the matter may have been resolved Monday had he not become involved.

The Kraft Group, of which he is the founder, chairman and CEO, is partnered with CBS in a restaurant venture at Patriot Place in Foxborough.

A source with the Patriots said Kraft, the chairman of the league’s broadcast committee, is sympathetic to both sides but may have some reservations about how a time change would affect the team’s travel plans back from Denver.

A spokesman for the Broncos said the team had no preference for when the game is played.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

When an NFL team enters a new season with reasonable postseason aspirations, conclusions on whether it was a success or failure can't be drawn until the final down of the final game has been played.

While there are occasional exceptions to this -- such as the "Dream Team" Eagles, who have become Andy Reid's worst nightmare since that time he woke up convinced that his favorite steak joint had converted to an all-hummus menu -- context is usually only available after the final shred of confetti has rained down on the champs.

Yeah, I know: You're muttering "No kidding, Sherlock." But I bring it up not only in a transparent way to mock the Eagles, the latest professional team to embarrass itself by behaving as if a championship is won during free agency (team slogan: They Are Who We Thought They Weren't), but also because it applies in particular to the 2011 Patriots.

We knew before Tom Brady threw for the first of his 511 yards in the opener at Miami that the context and perspective will become available regarding this football team only after two questions are answered:

• Will they earn their first playoff victory since the 2007 AFC Championship Game against the Chargers?
• Will their postseason journey culminate on February 5 in Indianapolis?

The standard set by Brady and Bill Belichick, the two chief architects of the franchise's run of excellence that has now surpassed a decade in length, is both rewarding and relentless. Win 13 games in the regular season but lose in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year, and it's recorded as an epic failure. There's an element among us that revels in that. They haven't won a Super Bowl in seven years! Sell on Belichick! He inherited Pete Carroll's players, just like Theo stole Duquette's glory!

The drought -- between Super Bowls, between playoff victories -- is frustrating for sure, even to the most levelheaded fans. Tom Brady is 34 years old. He might want to play until he's 40, but the game and 290-pound speed rushers tend to make decisions on career length for quarterbacks.

There is desperation to some degree to get that fourth championship before there are cracks showing in No. 12's foundation. But the blessing of high expectations is countered by a nagging curse -- an inability to appreciate the best moments along the way because the focus is always on not punting away a perceived championship opportunity.

That some of the most prominent sports radio programs in the market habitually emphasize the negative even after an efficient, impressive victory over a team they touted in the buildup as the Patriots' biggest challenge the rest of the way only adds to that vibe.

Will this Patriots' season be considered a success by the conventionally grand standards around here? Ask me again in February. What we know for sure is that they're 8-3, in full command of the AFC East, and have a decent shot at running the table over the next five weeks given that their remaining opponents have a combined 18-37 record. It's mostly been fun so far, and there are more good times ahead in December.

We also know that Eagles scatter-arm Vince Young isn't the last erratic passer they will face; this week, they cross paths with the Colts' Curtis Painter, who is literally caught in a can't-win situation and whose surname probably suggests a more reasonable career choice for his skills than NFL quarterback. It's telling that Tim Tebow, who could someday be a devastating H-Back but right now is an extraordinarily fortunate quarterback who often appears to be throwing with the wrong arm, might be the most dangerous QB ahead, save for perhaps Ryan Fitzpatrick. Can't wait to see utility player Julian Edelman shadow Tebow from sideline to sideline two weeks from now.

We also know that teams that don't need exotic schemes to get to Brady -- the Giants, Cowboys, the blitzing Steelers -- are the teams that can keep the Patriots below their average of 30.1 points per game. We know, as LeSean McCoy also does, that the defensive line can stop the run (12th in the NFL) and has played better and better the deeper the Patriots get into the schedule. We know Bill Belichick, animated and encouraging on the sidelines to his mix-and-match defensive backfield, likes something about this group that most of us are yet to recognize. We know that Gronk is unstoppable, possibly indestructible, and always remembers to spike the ball even after he's been hit so hard he looks like he might not remember his name.

We know that there's a lot to like about the 2011 Patriots. We also know, especially if you have your radio on, that there's a lot to wonder about. The postseason begins roughly six weeks from now, and the ultimate answers about this team will be revealed soon thereafter. in the meantime, try to enjoy getting there as much as you can. Or you'll leave me no choice but to revisit the Tommy Hodson Era in great and agonizing detail.

. . . or where me, Peter Abraham, and Daigo Fujiwara gab about GM-in-waiting Ben Cherington, the World Series, and pretty much everything other than what brand of beer Red Sox pitchers prefer. I give it two days until we find out that they actually had a keg in the dugout.

A massive and possibly coherent Red Sox column will be posted tomorrow morning. In the meantime, a couple of recent links I neglected to post here:

-- 20 offseason predictions for the Sox: Forgot to include the prediction that Varitek, who really should be moving along now, would deny everything.

-- Last Friday's media column on Terry Francona's two-game cup of coffee in the Fox broadcast booth. The strong hunch here is that he does TV for a year before getting another managerial gig. He was very good and enjoyed it much more than he thought he would

-- Two recent Patriots postgame sidebars -- one on Aaron Hernandez's return against the Jets, and this week's on the Cowboys' costly conservative offensive approach -- that I don't expect you to read but I'm posting anyway.

Caught up with Scott Hanson, host of the game-changing NFL RedZone channel, in Friday's media column. The question he gets asked the most -- one not at all related to football -- is accounted for in the column.

While we wait for the Patriots and Jets to get going, here are five other more conventional questions and answers with the genial and energetic Hanson:

1. Virtually all of what you do is dependent on what happens in the games; it's essentially a real-time highlights show. So how do you prepare for it during the week? I imagine it's a lot of studying rosters and injury reports to make sure you don't, for instance, mistake Ben Tate for Arian Foster or something along those lines.

Hanson: "Absolutely. It's a seven-hour show, and it's all ad-libbed except for the first two minutes setting up the game. So you have to stay dialed in to every story line, injury, depth-chart changes, coaching decisions, so I spend, oh, give or take, a couple hours each day combing the websites, hearing what's being said in various cities by the local reporters, I'm on Twitter all the time following beat writers, and all of that goes into telling me how the week is going and getting the information about a story line we might want to highlight on Sunday, or to learn about a player who might not have been on our radar previously. And depending upon the flow of the game, I might have to talk about this player for five seconds or I might have to talk about him for 60 seconds. You have to be prepared for just about anything. I really believe it's a lot like jazz music, preparing for this show. You can know your instrument, you can know your history, you can know all the notes to play, but until it's live, you don't know how it's going to sound.''

2. Given the frenzied nature of your role, it appears to be the most rewarding hosting job in television sports, and probably the most stressful, too. Yet the overwhelmingly positive reaction to RedZone pretty much since it launched in 2009 probably helps make it more of the former than the latter, correct?

Hanson: "My answer to that is yes, and yes. Lookit, the old cliche is, sitting in your living room is the best seat in the house. Well, if that's the case, I've got the best seat in America. I get to watch every single game and see everything of meaning that's happening, and not only that, I get to enjoy it with whatever the number of people who are watching every Sunday. It's thrill, whether the feedback is coming from fans on Twitter or someone I just bump into on the street, when people say how much they love NFL RedZone and how it's changed their viewing experience. The whole thing is just so pleasantly overwhelming, the response. There's almost nothing you can do, in sports, in entertainment, in television, that is going to be overwhelmingly positive. If you do something and 70 percent of the people like it and 30 percent don't, you're doing pretty well. This is, in everything I've heard in the three seasons we've been doing it, 95 percent positive, maybe even higher than that.''

3. The appeal to football fans in general is obvious, and I'm sure a decent number of your viewers might have a wager on a game or two. But it's an amazing resource for fantasy football players. Can you put a number on what percentage of people watch it for fantasy football purposes? It's the closest a fan will ever get to watching their team play in reality.

Hanson: "Well, we get some over-the-top flattery a lot of the time -- 'It's the greatest thing since sliced bread, it's the greatest thing since pizza, the greatest thing since penicillin' -- and that's always nice to hear. But I get, oh, probably as many questions about fantasy football -- 'Should I start Chris Johnson or Arian Foster?' -- and there are so many that I can't respond to all of them, but I would say, oh, it's well over 50 percent, certainly the majority of the people watching have some kind of fantasy football interest."

4. You played at Syracuse, having described yourself as "Rudy without the sack at the end.'' is the adrenaline rush you get from this similar to what it's like playing the game, and how tired are you after seven hours of standing in front of all those screens hopping from game to game?

Hanson: "Well, it really is exhilarating, and I think that adrenaline rush you mentioned tends to make the seven hours go by a lot quicker than you'd think. In the middle of that seven hours, I'm not at all tired usually, and never think that way. But by the end of the day, let me put it this way: As soon as we say goodnight and run the touchdown montage [featuring every TD of the day], well, my office is about a 50-foot walk from the studio. And it takes every bit of energy I can muster to walk by to the office and slump in my chair, flip on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ and just start watching some football as a fan and not a broadcaster. I exhale for the rest of the night.''

5. It's such an intense commitment for those seven hours, it takes someone with great enthusiasm to host "NFL RedZone.'' Obviously that is not something you struggle with, but do you foresee a day where it will begin to feel more like a job than a fun way to spend a Sunday?

Hanson: "I know exactly what you're saying. If I was talking to you off the record, I could probably name some names of famous sportscaster who at one time were very organic and genuinely enthusiastic, and now it seems like they . . . it's what they're known for, so they go out there and do it even if that enthusiasm isn't what it used to be. So let me put it this way: I don't ever want it to become an act with me. Because it's not. It's not. When I was a 10-year-old kid, I'd listen to my favorite sportscasters, radio sportscasters or television sportscasters, and those guys sounded like they were having the most fun in the world. My parents encouraged me to get into a career where I'd have a passion for what I did. I have that. And the wonderful thing about this is that it's new and different every week. The only thing you know about an NFL Sunday is that your jaw will drop at some point. You don't know when it will happen, you don't know how it will happen, you don't know who will make it happen. But you know it will happen, and experiencing that with audience, it rejuvenates me every single week, and it's hard to put into words how fulfilling that is."

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Sweet rings, sweet cover about Boston's winnahs, and sweet distraction from the submerging Red Sox. Or as Kevin Garnett put it in a classic commercial for ESPN Mag back in the day before he was part of the Boston sports scene, it's tastefully done.

While the suspicion here is that this week's all-Boston issue will include more references to "Beantown'' than most true Bostonians would ever actually say -- that would be one or greater -- a glimpse at the table of contents suggests it should be appealing overall even to the most parochial Boston fan.

Hey, anything with an article about Boston sports titled "Decade of Dominance" is off to a good start as far as I'm concerned. Also, Bill Simmons -- Grantland Sports Guy these days -- returns to the magazine to write a back-page piece on why the issue was a bad idea.

I know there's a punch line there, but I'm not finding it. So let's consider five other articles included in the issue, in order of appeal:

The Front Office Diaries -- A look inside the thinking of the Red Sox farm system featuring the scouting reports on some of the team’s best homegrown players, such as Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, and Jonathan Papelbon. Sounds like required reading for those howling without context or a clue that Theo Epstein should be fired.

How to Rob Fenway Park -- Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves” was turned into “The Town,” a well-reviewed and wholly Boston movie directed by and starring Ben Affleck. (Jeremy Renner, a Modesto, California native, had the most accurate Boston accent in the movie, however.) Following the movie’s release, there was a string of copycat bank and armed car robberies utilizing techniques seen in the movie. But no one has tried to copy the film’s heist of Fenway Park -- yet. Other than perhaps John Lackey every fifth day.

Bruins in the Bean -- This photo essay will show why the Stanley Cup champion Bruins are the most Bostonian of all the pro athletes in the Hub, with vignettes of their daily lives and what they love about Boston. No wisecrack here. Could not agree more with the premise.

Debating Boston -- Artie Lange (a Yankees fan) and Denis Leary face off to argue that Boston’s sports teams are awful and amazing, respectively. Then they rip apart the other’s view. Kudos to ESPN for going with two legitimately funny personalities to rep the two fan bases rather than, say, Billy Crystal and Lenny Clarke.

Who Does Tom Brady Think He Is? -- An examination of why Tom Brady is hard to relate to and "insufferable." Presumably co-bylined by Terrell Suggs and Bridget Moynahan.

Regarding that last article, I'm going to do what Brady does so well: pass. But I am looking forward to checking the issue out. It should arrive in subscribers' mail boxes today or tomorrow and is available on the newsstand Friday.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

FOXBOROUGH -- So there you have the literal view from the press box here at Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots are roughly 45 minutes away from kickoff against Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.

As for the figurative view from the press box, count me among those who are predicting a shootout between two of the league's finest quarterbacks. I do think the Patriots defense played better against Miami last week in context of specific situations than the final statistics suggest, but Rivers, who threw for a league-best 4,710 yards last season, is as talented as he is brash, and he'll get his points. Just not as many as Tom Brady and his offense. The show, and the outcome it produces, should be a heck of a lot more fun that watching the Red Sox flail against David Price the Rays bullpen.

One quick semi-related thought to today's festivities. While flipping between WEEI's always excellent "NFL Sunday'' and the Sports Hub's "Johnston and Flynn'' on the commute in this morning, I caught the engaging Flynn -- that, if you're not tuned in to the local sports media scene, would be Mike Flynn, the former UMaine and Ravens center, in that order of importance -- talking about Drew Bledsoe's induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame and how much he enjoyed watching those mid-'90s Patriots teams with No. 11 at the helm. Thought that was cool for two reasons:

1. Maybe I'm wrong, but rarely do you hear an ex-athlete talk with such appreciation for a team he rooted for before his playing career. Flynn seemed legitimately proud that he played in Baltimore with former Patriots Ben Coates and Sam Gash.

2. It jostled my memory a bit -- as did the Bledsoe nostalgia from the past week -- as to how fun those teams actually were. I won't rehash the immediate pre-Kraft, pre-Bledsoe, pre-Parcells history of the franchise except to say that it was grim and you couldn't blame James Orthwein for glancing toward St. Louis. But that 1994-'96 ride from optimistic underdog to legitimate contender was a blast.

And thinking back on the last year of that time frame, when the good times lasted all the way to the moment Desmond Howard blew past Hason Graham and burst through the seam in New Orleans, it dawned on me that the offense the Patriots put on the field during that 1996 season was as versatile as any the franchise has had in my recollection . . . yes, including 2007. Need I remind you that Laurence Maroney was the so-called feature back that season?

Consider the talent on that 1996 offense: Bledsoe threw 623 times, completing 373 for 4,086 yards and 27 touchdowns. Curtis Martin, the one would get away, ran for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. Terry Glenn was a combination of grace and dazzle, while Shawn Jefferson ran the deep routes. Coates was Bledsoe's Mr. Dependable; you couldn't cover him over the middle with two men, let alone one. Gash opened the holes for Martin. Keith Byars, a football Swiss Army, and speedy Dave Meggett were superb, accomplished role players.

Those Patriots finished second in the NFL with 418 points, a little more than 26 per game. Maybe that doesn't match up to what the Patriots did last year -- they scored exactly a hundred more points than the '96 squad, averaging a league-best 32.4. And maybe it won't match what they do this year. But it sure was fun, even if it does feel like more than 15 years ago.

OK, back to the present, and a prediction: Patriots 38, Chargers 28.

I'll be tweeting at GlobeChadFinn all afternoon, and be sure to check out Extra Points for updates from the Globe and Boston.com staff during and after the game.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Other than possibly Derrick Mason, it's hard to believe anyone who tuned in to the premiere of "Bill Belichick: A Football Life" on the NFL Network last night didn't come away entertained and feeling like they had a new depth of insight into the Patriots coach's personality.

(He's more than a guy who mumbles when he's standing behind a podium; he's also a guy who eats soup while he's on a conference call! Oh, I'm being facetious -- Belichick is extremely compelling, and comes across as funny, brilliant, sentimental, prepared and prescient. And I'll tell you, any player who watches this -- excluding Scoreboard Mason -- will probably want to play for the guy if he didn't already. Especially Ed Reed.)

Plenty of people did tune in, particularly by the NFL Network's standards. An average of 657,000 fans watched the first of the two-episode look at the Patriots coach last night, making it the most-watched documentary in the network's eight-year history.

Locally, it pulled in an average of 151,000 viewers, trailing only the Red Sox-Rays game on NESN as the most-watched program during the time period in Boston.

The second part of the series premieres next Thursday on NFLN at 10 p.m. I've heard from a couple of sources who would know who say that Part 2 is even better than the first.

Perhaps this is a spoiler -- pause -- but I've heard Belichick says something along the lines of "We need to get Welker off the field," just before he blew out his knee in the 2009 regular season finale at Houston. If true, that should induce chills in Patriots fans, if not a more visceral reaction.

By the way, Belichick is just the first subject in the network's very promising "A Football Life'' series. Upcoming episodes include a feature on former Eagles defensive linemen Reggie White and Jerome Brown, as well as looks at the life of Walter Payton and the improbable ascent of Kurt Warner. Count me in for all of them.

* * *

Today's media column, on the abundance of recent former Patriots thriving as analysts, can be found here.

And if you missed them, here's my review of Part 1 from our football preview section last week, as well as a blog post about some of the best scenes.

So, did you guys like "A Football Life" as much as I did?

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Let's leave the flashy intros to Hank Williams Jr., Faith Hill and whoever else. The Patriots' new season is just hours away from kickoff, so let's take a best guess at what's ahead before it finally begins . . .

1. Aaron Hernandez will lead the Patriots in receptions with at least 70. Hernandez is often compared to the Colts' Dallas Clark, who as Patriots fans are well aware has been a dangerous, versatile pass-catching threat over the course of his career. But Clark never had more than 37 catches in his first four seasons before breaking out with 58 in 2007. Hernandez had 45 catches last season while missing two games -- and he was more than three years younger than Clark was as a rookie. He's going to be a star, sports fans. And the ascent begins tonight.

2. Andre Carter will reach double-digits in sacks. Shaun Ellis will be the most consistent and valuable of the assorted veteran defensive linemen brought in during the offseason, but it is the relentless Carter who will do the most to make sure the Patriots surpass last season's total of 36 sacks.

3. BenJarvus Green-Ellis won't approach 1,000 yards again. With Danny Woodhead an integral part of the offense and the arrival of draft picks Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, the Patriots will have a more varied running game than they did a season ago. While Vereen is still a mystery, based on what we saw of Ridley in the first two preseason games, it wouldn't surprise me if he usurped BJGE as the team's top rusher.

4. Deion Branch will finish with more receptions than Chad Ochocinco. It's probably worth repeating the usual caveat: If he stays healthy. But don't sweat Branch's catchless preseason; as he proved last year upon his return from Seattle, there's a decent change he communicates telepathically with Brady. Don't take this as a suggestion that Ochocinco is going to be a bust; it's simply that until he's comfortable in the offense, he's probably going to be a bit of an afterthought in the early going.

5. Rob Gronkowski will reach double figures in touchdown receptions for the second straight season. Ben Coates is the Patriots' all-time leader for receiving touchdowns by a tight end, with 50, 47 of which presumably came when he was double-covered and Drew Bledsoe stuck it in there anyway. Second on the list is All-World Russ Francis, with 28. If Gronkowski can match his rookie season total of 10 this year, he will tie Benjamin Watson -- yep, that Benjamin Watson -- for third on the list. Given the reports of Gronkowski's improved knowledge of the offense, it says here to put him down for a dozen.

6. Randy Moss will sign elsewhere within the season's first month. And the silly conjecture about him returning to the Patriots finally expires.

7. Patrick Chung will make the Pro Bowl. And unlike the last Pro Bowl berth by a Patriots safety, this one will be entirely justified. Chung had his highs (think the Dolphins remember his performance against them in Miami last year?) and lows (the botched fake punt against the Jets, thought it wasn't entirely his fault), but his work ethic and physical ability suggest someone who is going to be a cornerstone player sooner rather than later.

8. Josh Barrett will emerge as a dependable performer at safety. Well, it has to be somebody, and Barrett, a 230-pounder who was plucked away from Josh McDaniels and the Broncos last season when they put him on waivers to try to get him to IR, is the best bet among Sergio Brown and James Ihedigbo to give fans that ah-ha! moment as to what Belichick saw that made him comfortable in cutting both Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders.

9. Albert Haynesworth will reinvent himself as an extremely valuable role player. The Patriots aren't going to ask him to be the wrecking ball who was The Sporting News's choice for NFL defensive player of the year in 2008, and he seems intent on proving that his days of having the best seat in the house to watch Michael Vick scramble just outside of his radius are behind him. He'll play 20-25 snaps a game, grind a couple of quarterbacks' rib cages into saltines along the way, stop the run the way Ted Washington did in 2003, and be exactly what Belichick thought he could be.

10. Tom Brady will double last year's interception total. . . . all the way up to eight, which is still less than a third of Eli Manning's total last season. He could even triple it -- he has thrown exactly 12 picks in a season three times in his career -- and still be a frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award. Brady may be 34 now, but the offense he's orchestrating is as versatile as any the Patriots have had during his career, and he has a long way to regress just to be called very good.

11. Jerod Mayo will be a serious candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year: He led the league in tackles last season . . . and now he's being let loose to make plays as a pass rusher? Let's put it this way: By season's end, he will get his due as one of the few genuine elite linebackers in the league.

12. The Patriots will win the AFC East, bounce the Chargers and Steelers in the playoffs en route to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2007. . . . where the champion Packers will await. How will that go? Hmmmm. How about we hang on to that prediction for February?

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

First, a couple of housekeeping details: No chat today. Got a couple of things I need to get a head start on for next week. Aww, I'll miss you guys too.

Today's media column, which kicks off with some thoughts from a few national analysts on the Patriots, can be found here.

And if you missed it in our NFL preview section Thursday, my review of the first episode of NFL Films's "Bill Belichick: A Football Life'' is over here.

Speaking of which . . .

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Was that obnoxious enough for you? Sorry. I've always wanted to pull off the rare triple spoiler alert. Feels good. It's also probably necessary based on what's to follow here. Quick explanation: I loved the first episode of "Bill Belichick: A Football Life.'' Loved it. It's NFL Films at its engrossing (if glorifying) best on a personality New Englanders care about and still probably don't know as well as they'd like. I can't say enough about it, and I mean that a couple of different ways. It's superb, and it was a joy to write about, yet there were so many revealing vignettes that I didn't get to touch on in the column.

So . . .

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

. . . I'll share a few here. If you want to be surprised when the first episode airs next Thursday at 9 p.m. on the NFL Network, well, this is probably the only time I'll actually suggest you stop reading. But if an extended written preview of just some of the most fascinating scenes you'll be seeing works for you, dig in.

* * *

Before the preseason opener against the Eagles, Belichick is informed [I believe by Berj Najarian, passing along the words of the trainers, but I'm not certain] that Wes Welker is a no-go.

It's obviously no big deal, a precautionary measure in a meaningless game. But when the opportunity comes to needle Welker -- and send a message that is neither subtle nor entirely serious -- he can't resist.

The coach sidles up to a smiling, healthy-looking Welker on the sideline:

Belichick: "E-R-W today?"

Welker: "Yeah, what's that mean?"

Belichick: "Eat, ride, and warm up."

A few moments later, a smirk creases Belichick's face as he speaks into his headset microphone:

Belichick: "Hey Ernie. [It's the mysterious Ernie Adams!] What’s that guy’s name who played before Gehrig? [Pause.] Wally. Yeah."

[Of course Ernie Adams knows Wally Pipp. You thought he'd say Don Mattingly?]

On the field, rookie seventh-round pick Julian Edelman fields a punt and jitters and jukes his way to the Philadelphia end zone. The voice over the highlight belongs to Gil Santos: "This is Wes Welker in progress. He looks just like him on the field."

And like that, Belichick has his opening bigger than the one Edelman had on his return. He approaches Welker, whose smiling but looks like he suspects his coach is up to something:

Belichick: "Ever heard of Wally Pipp?"

Welker: "Wally what?"

Belichick: "Wally Pipp?"

Welker: "Uh-uh."

Belichick: "Well, he played first base before Lou Gehrig."

Welker: "Oh, OK."

Belichick: "Well, he played first base before Lou Gehrig. Then Lou Gehrig started whatever it was, 23,000 straight games.

Welker: "Right. [Laughs.] The little man. The little man. No doubt. He can have [the punt return job], man."

Belichick, deadpan: "Way to compete."

* * *

Maybe you and I, the sometimes-perceptive Sunday afternoon citizens of the couch that we are, noticed what he was doing. Maybe we did not. Maybe Tom Brady didn't know himself, at least on any level above his subconscious.

But after two errant-for-Brady throws during Week 1 against the Bills, Bill Belichick noticed. He detected that his quarterback was not certain that the repairs to the devastated knee, an injury that cost him 15 7/8 games during the previous season, could be trusted to survive the violence that constitutes an NFL pass rush.

The voice precluding the lowlights -- presuming two slightly inaccurate throws to Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk qualify as lowlights -- belongs to ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski: "It's going to take time to mentally overcome the injury."

Belichick: "Tom. Settle down now, buddy. Step into the throw."

Brady, incredulous: "I hit him right in the hands."

Belichick: "The throw to Kevin out here?"

Brady: "I got drilled. When I threw it."

Belichick: "Did you get hit on that?"

Brady: "Yeah, he was blitzing. I had to flop it over [the defender]. He was standing right in his face."

Belichick: "The one to Maroney?"

Brady: "It was right in his hands."

[This is where it should be footnoted that hitting Maroney in the hands is equivalent to an errant pass.]

Belichick: "It was over his head."

Brady: "Oh, that one."

Belichick: "Just step into it, OK?"

Something occurred to me while watching this scene that I'd prefer to never have considered.

Belichick is going to recognize when Brady's skills begin to slip before the quarterback does. Hopefully no earlier than 2020. Make it 2025.

* * *

As mentioned in the newspaper column, the most candid stuff comes when Belichick makes his final visit to Giants Stadium in Week 2.

The anecdotes flow as he recalls those championship days with the Giants, and he becomes downright wistful at the scene of some of his best and most reassuring times. .

Belichick, who almost looked the part of a Bon Jovi fan then, was building his reputation as a defensive mastermind, Lawrence Taylor was reckless and unstoppable on the field and off, and the proud son of a coach's grandest football dreams began coming true.

Of course he's wistful. But not when it comes to his boss, whose accomplishments as a coach were enhanced by his uncanny gift for sharp verbal manipulation.

The voice in the classic film clip belongs to Bill Parcells. He gyrates and wobbles on the sideline, barking into his headset, and the apparently unacceptable response he's getting from his defensive coordinator soon escalates his mood from agitated to threatening:

"Don’t you start giving me that. Your ass will be out in a [unintelligible] minute."

Belichick knew better. Parcells was his superior in the hierarchy. But in terms of defensive coaching acumen, well . . .

‘‘You know, look," Belichick says, still standing in the old familiar hallway. "There was a good mutual respect there. And look, he was the boss. I’d tell him, Bill, this is what I think we should do, and sometimes he would be OK with it, like, 'yeah, that’s great.' And there were other times he’d be, well ...

‘I’d say, 'OK, you don’t want to do that, what’s the alternative?'

'Well, I’ll just tell you what you’re doing is screwed up. This is screwed up.'

'How do you want to change it?'

'I don’t know. But it’s screwed up, and you need to get it fixed.' "

Belichick shrugs, the body language version of It Is What It Is.

The half-smile on his face makes you wonder exactly when the the student realized his knowledge surpassed the mentor's.

* * *

It's obvious to Brady and Belichick before the snow-globe scene against the Titans that they're going to be able to throw the ball. "A quarterback's best friend," Brady says of the snow. Fifty-nine points and a couple of NFL records later, the adage is confirmed and then some.

In the winners' camaraderie of the postgame locker room, Randy Moss hoots across the room to Robert Kraft, "You ain't never seen 59 points!"

Even Belichick is impressed, though he quickly recognizes that he's lost a familiar talking-point:

‘‘Can't say anything more about [us having made] no big plays,'' he says. "That shut me the [expletive] up."

* * *

Belichick has always seemed to respect Derrick Mason. Spent many words of praise on the veteran receiver when he played for those tough Tennessee teams a decade ago. Once tried to sign him as a free agent. He instead chose Baltimore.

After a catch along the sideline, Mason chirps something at him during an October game against Baltimore. It seems fairly innocent by NFL trash talk standards, but it quickly becomes clear that Belichick has little interest in renewing acquaintances at that particular moment.

"Aw. [expletive] you Mason, just [expletive] you, will ya? Why don’t we talk after the game. Just shut the [expletive] up."

And then, as if his point needs punctuation, he whacks Mason with the eternal comeback of the winning team:

"Can you look at the scoreboard?"

Derrick Mason is a Jet this year.

C'mon, NFL Films. We need a 2011 sequel to this. One more episode isn't going to do it.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

I suppose Brandon Meriweather's abrupt dismissal could come as a surprise from the standpoint that you'd think Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio would find a way to get something for a former first-round pick who made the past two Pro Bowls. Even if he was the 73d alternate last year, chosen, I believe, only after Donnie Shell and Kenny Easley bowed out at the last minute.

What should not be a surprise whatsoever is the decision itself to part ways with the habitually reckless Meriweather, a player who should be called a safety only in an attempt at irony. There were attributes to like about him -- he was big and fast and fearless -- and from time to time he would remind you why the Patriots drafted him in the first round in 2007, why the esteemed Rodney Harrison spoke highly of his promise, why the hope that someday he'd have a Pro Bowl berth that was actually legitimate lasted right up until the moment he turned in his playbook.

The past couple of seasons, as it became clear that he didn't have much interest in curbing his freelancing ways or correcting his flaws, I thought you could gauge a Patriots fan's level of knowledge and insight by how they felt about Meriweather. If you mentioned his name and the response was an eye roll or a (possibly vulgar) expression of exasperation, you knew you were talking to a diehard. But if someone's assessment of Meriweather included the Pro Bowl berths somewhere in the first few words, chances are you had encountered a Patriots fan who spent far too many Sunday afternoons pushing a cart at the Pottery Barn.

Who Meriweather was and who he was supposed to be rarely intersected during his four seasons in New England, though he should be noted that he broke Tebucky Jones's unofficial franchise record of intersecting with his own teammates during his often faulty routes to the ball carrier. If he's not the only player in NFL history to be benched twice in a Pro Bowl season, he's on a short list. He was the ultimate, "Yeah, he has all the tools, but" player, the Laurence Maroney of the defense, a talented space-shot who rarely failed to exasperate. I'll always wonder why the Patriots, who prioritize players who love football, first saw in the likes of Maroney, Meriweather, and Chad Jackson beyond the obvious raw ability. Did they think pure talent, aided by their coaching, would overcome immaturity and other faults? Jackson is the particular mystery given that he never even showed the flashes that Maroney and Meriweather did.

No, Meriweather was not a play maker, as so many of the stories about his departure suggested; he had 12 interceptions in four seasons, forced five fumbles, and never had more than 83 tackles in a season. He could deliver a big hit -- the head-shot on the Ravens' Todd Heap last year is the one that will be remembered long after he's an ex-Bear, ex-Raider, ex-Blue Bomber, or wherever else his journey takes him -- but his often ill-advised attempts at the big play often came at the expense of what he was supposed to be doing.

Comcast SportsNet New England's "Sports Tonight" program mongers panic in certain situations and with certain truck-driving hosts, but the loop of Meriweather's blunders that ran over the chatter Monday night essentially rested the case that he was a significantly flawed and often detrimental player. My colleague Greg Bedard noted that Meriweather made a crucial but often overlooked mistake during the Giants' final drive in Super Bowl XLII, botching the coverage on 3d and 11 that led to a 12-yard gain for Steve Smith. Yeah, that was four years ago. Do you doubt he'd make the exact same mistake in the same circumstances now?

The comparison is obvious, but cutting Meriweather really parallels the decision to cut Lawyer Milloy before the 2003 season only in that they played the same position. The accomplished and beloved Milloy was let go because his production no longer justified his salary. Meriweather was let go because his detrimental lack of discipline was finally determined to be incurable.

The comparison fits better when considering the aftermath of the transaction. In 2003, the Patriots had Rodney Harrison -- a similar and superior player to Milloy -- at one safety. They might have been redundant had they played together, but Milloy's departure nonetheless left an initial void. Antwan Harris Aric Morris started the 31-0 loss to the Bills in the opener and got toasted. The next week, rookie cornerback Eugene Wilson took over the spot and soon took to it like he'd been playing it his whole life.

You have to trust that this is where history may repeat itself, whether it's rookie Ras-I Dowling reprising the Wilson '03 role, or huge Josh Barrett showing us why the Broncos were so ticked when the Patriots claimed him last year, or a major leap of progress from Sergio Brown, or savvy Darren Sharper arriving in Week 2.

You simply have to presume the coaching staff has recognized something in at least one of these guys that we are yet to notice. Not everything is as obvious to both the trained and untrained eye as Brandon Meriweather's flaws.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

If you're one of those football fans who loves the compelling peek behind the scenes NFL Films traditionally provides -- and who among us isn't? -- let's just say this should make up for the absence of HBO's "Hard Knocks'' this year.

Especially if you happen to follow the Patriots.

The NFL Network announced yesterday that it will air a two-part documentary series titled "Bill Belichick: A Football Life," which will premier Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. The second part airs Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. Here is a link provided by the NFL Network to the preview.

In preparation for the documentary, the Patriots coach became the first person ever wired for a full season when NFL Films recorded him during the 2009 season, his 35th on the NFL sidelines and the Patriots' 50th anniversary season.

Vignettes include game-planning sessions with quarterback Tom Brady, who was returning from a knee injury that cost him virtually the entire 2008 season, Belichick's last trip to Giants Stadium, and the ultimately disappointing ending, a 33-14 playoff loss to the Ravens. It also includes off-the-field footage, including a visit with Belichick's mom and scenes from his offseason home in Nantucket. There may or may not be footage of him holding a teddy bear.

While Belichick might seem a surprising subject given his reticence with the media, his cooperation also makes sense on a couple of levels beyond his great stature in the game. For one, since footage is from the 2009 season, there are few secrets to be revealed at this point.

The Patriots coach also is well-known for his deep appreciation for and knowledge of NFL history. NFL Films is not only legendary for the stylish manner in which it documents the sport, but legendary in its own right -- founder Ed Sabol was an inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, a long overdue honor. It's an appropriate marriage of subject and medium.

“Bill Belichick doesn’t only make history – he studies it; he understands his place in it; and he appreciates our desire to capture it,” said NFL Films president Steve Sabol, Ed's son. “Like Vince Lombardi’s Packers in 1967, Belichick and the Patriots gave us access to his football life and what we created is a portrait of the coach, the father, the taskmaster – and most importantly – the man.”

Belichick will be the first subject of "A Football Life,'' a new series by NFL Films that aims to offer "untold stories into the lives of some the NFL’s most recognizable icons." Other subjects include Walter Payton (greatly looking forward to Jeff Pearlman's upcoming book on Sweetness), late Philadelphia Eagles teammates and legends Reggie White and Jerome Brown, and Kurt Warner's rise to one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks.

.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Taking a bit of a different approach to the long-running yet sporadic First and 10 feature around here today. Rather than chime in on scattered thoughts from the most recent Patriots game -- Thursday's 34-10 preseason loss to the Lions that you'll have long since forgotten about once to meaningful games begin -- let's instead take a look at 10 individual players, some of whom are cornerstones, some of whom will be nervous as tomorrow's 4 p.m. roster-shearing to 80 looms, and some of whom are already gone . . .

James Sanders: Actually, might as well start with the news of the day rather than the news of Saturday, since the decision to release the seventh-year safety came as a relative surprise based on the perceived lack of depth at the position. Sanders, who started 50 of his 84 regular-season games as a Patriot, was an adequate player here, lauded for his intelligence, communication skills, and football acumen, a player who long ago won his coach's appreciation. Unfortunately, Sanders may have been brilliant at diagnosing a play when the opposing offense lined up, but he wasn't quick enough to get himself into position to make the play. It's always disappointing to see someone who got the most out of his ability -- physically and mentally -- depart. But there comes a point when the mental acuity can't overcome the physical shortcomings, and Sanders has probably crossed that threshold. His professionalism will be missed, but his performance should be replaced.

Tom Brady: If the Giants' pass rush Thursday night is as effective and ferocious as Detroit's Saturday, the Patriots quarterback should be in his usual position on the sideline -- that is, standing next to Chad Ochocinco and gesturing toward the field while the ex-Bengal stares saucer-eyed, as if he's suddenly realized his former team's playbook was really a pamphlet. Brady was a bit scatter-armed by his standards Saturday, but whatever rust he may to shake off is of little relevance compared to the risk of him getting injured in a preseason game against a defense desperate for a couple of pelts to start the season right.

Brandon Tate: I hope he sticks. I don't know how he does, unless Wes Welker's injury is more serious than it appears, but I hope there's a spot on the roster for him. The Patriots have a relatively deep crew at receiver, but he's the only one of the crew who can consistently get deep. He seems to have been surpassed by second-year receiver Taylor Price, and his value as a kick returner has been diminished by the rule change, but I think it's often overlooked that last year was essentially his rookie season. He missed the last eight games of his senior season at North Carolina with a knee injury, then was limited to two games during his first season with the Patriots before playing all 16 games a season ago, with 24 catches for 432 yards (18 yards per catch). He may not have Brady's trust as a route-runner yet, but he has promise; give him time to learn. Let's not discard him in the Bethel Johnson/Chad Jackson discard pile just yet.

Ras-I Dowling: Pure conjecture here -- hey, now there's a surprise -- but is it possible that the rookie second-round pick has shown Belichick and Matt Patricia enough during his limited practice time that he might get a look at safety rather than cornerback to start the season? Given the Patriots' apparent lack of depth at safety before Sanders was let go, there has to be something happening at the position that remains a mystery today, whether that's the emergence of Josh Barrett or Sergio Brown or the impending signing of someone such as Darren Sharper. I refuse to believe it has anything to do with today's signing of the Obligatory Ventrone Brother.

Matt Light: A silly thought considering that first-round pick Nate Solder is a work-in-progress who appears to lack the strength and nuance required to protect Tom Brady's blind side at this point, but a silly thought I'm afraid I'll keep coming back to if Dan Connolly's injury is serious: Is there any chance Light could move to right guard? It's probably a lot to ask in his 11th NFL season, but I seem to remember a few people projecting him as a guard when the Patriots drafted him (some dismissively), and in his 2001 Pro Football Weekly Draft Guide, the late, great Joel Buchsbaum noted of the Purdue product: Might be better at guard or right tackle at the next level. There was no need for him to begin his career anywhere but left tackle, and he's been a damn good one. But he may be able to prolong that career by moving to guard at some point.

Brandon Meriweather: Considering he's blown coverages that led directly to big plays in each of the past two preseason games, I have my doubts that he's going to be any more dependable in his fifth professional season than he was in his first four. He's fast, he can hit, and yet neither is really a strength since he often overruns plays and goes for the kill at the expense of actually bringing down the ball carrier. If Belichick truly were an evil genius, he'd have long ago found a way to meld Sanders's smarts with Meriweather's raw skills and create the next Rodney Harrison.

Rob Gronkowski: Two things heard about Gronk during camp this year: He knows the playbook much better than he did a season ago. And: He's been absolutely unstoppable in practice. The Patriots' offense is so versatile that it's tough to project big numbers for anyone in the passing game, but I'll be betting on my fantasy football draft day that he's a top-five tight end this year. Possibly top-three.

Jonathan Wilhite: The fourth-year defensive back is among those let go by the Patriots today, and while I try not to say good riddance to someone who just lost their job, the truth is I can't remember Wilhite making any single positive play during his time here that stood out. Research revealed this -- an interception of Peyton Manning during the Patriots' 35-34 loss to the Colts in 2009. It's one of his three career picks, and undoubtedly the most notable considering the other two came against JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Fitzpatrick. (Come to think of it, the highlights of both Wilhite and Sanders's career here came with picks of Peyton Manning. Wouldn't have guessed that.)

BenJarvus Green-Ellis: He's easy to root for, a 2008 rookie free-agent afterthought who three years later became the Patriots' first 1,000-yard rusher since 2004. Other positives: He protects the ball, he gains every inch possible in traffic, and he's not named Laurence Maroney. Green-Ellis is reminiscent of another Patriots running back of relatively recent vintage, Antowain Smith, who earned two Super Bowl rings as a Patriot one tough yard at a time. But he also was just flawed enough that there was always the temptation to go for an upgrade at the position, and that's the same feeling I have about Ellis, whose lack of speed in the open field can be a source of frustration. If Stevan Ridley or -- and this is a longer shot given the preseason hamstring injury that set him back -- Shane Vereen can prove worthy of taking some carries from Green-Ellis on first and second down, the Patriots will be a better team for it.

Devin McCourty: It was a bit jarring to see him struggle against the Lions Saturday given that it was the scene of perhaps his best game of his superb rookie season last year. It's one thing to struggle covering Calvin Johnson -- even Mike Haynes in his prime might find the Lions star a difficult matchup -- but McCourty also got beat by Nate Burleson on a couple of occasions. If you're a frequent sports radio caller, feel free to worry that he's headed for a sophomore slump and possibly may even turn into the second coming of Chris Canty if that gets you a few more seconds of airtime. If you're a fan who maintains enough common sense and perspective to realize that drawing worrisome conclusions from this Week 3 thumping is akin to fretting last year about the preseason Week 3 loss to the Rams, you're probably not sweating McCourty's performance and realize that, yes, he will remember to turn his head around when the ball is in the air once the regular-season begins.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Have to admit, I didn't think it actually rained on Tom Brady. See, he is just like the rest of us! Or maybe he's just walking on water?

Of course, this is nothing to joke about. It's a good thing he didn't catch a cold, for instance. The sniffles can linger -- cost Tony Eason (questionable, runny nose) three full seasons in the mid-'80s, if I recall correctly.

Brady's brash decision to go without an umbrella -- arrogance obviously learned by being in the proximity of Bill Belichick all these years -- could have ruined the Patriots season before it ever got started, you know.

By the way, how many Super Bowls has "The Genius" won without Brady? That's right, caller. None. The two as defensive coordinator of the Giants? How dare you suggest those belong to anyone other than the great Parcells. Did you know Belichick once dumped Bernie Kosar for Todd Philcox? The hubris of the hoodie lingers long after you wish it would go away. Like a cold. Or Bon Jovi.

Annnnnnd with that particularly long and feeble introduction, I believe I've fulfilled my apparent obligation as a member of the Boston sports media to find something about the 2011 Patriots to be snarky or snide about.

Sorry for putting you through that, but it's tough to fulfill a designated scold's obligations when the honest opinion is that the Patriots are right there with the Super Bowl champions Green Bay Packers and the remodeled Philadelphia Eagles as the best bets to be celebrating under a shower of confetti come February 5 in Indianapolis.

That's right. You can keep your rain clouds and your gloomy contrarianism. It's all sunshine around here. This team is stacked, and barring the unforeseen -- yes, always a possibility on those vicious Sunday and Mondays in the NFL -- it has a damn good chance of collecting that elusive fourth Lombardi Trophy.

Out of obligation and because it does feel a bit foolish to suggest a team will play in the season's final game before it has played its first game, I will repeat the mantra of August football: It's just preseason. It's just preseason. It's just preseason. And I will acknowledge that the combined 78-26 advantage they've had over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the first two preseason games probably isn't the best gauge of where the Patriots stand at the moment.

Jacksonville is coached by a guy who carries himself on the sideline like he would make a great crony for Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie. And Tampa Bay, with a young coach and quarterback, could be one of the teams that will suffer for the abbreviated training camps.

For the Patriots, the opposite is widely and properly regarded as being perhaps their greatest advantage entering this unusual season. With Belichick and Brady entering the 11th season of their legendary partnership, the Patriots have preparation, continuity and extraordinary competence on their side in a season when all are at a premium. It's a safe conclusion to draw through two preseason games -- they are ready.

If not for the need to get into the same playbook, let alone the same page, as new receiver Chad Ochocinco while also best figuring how to implement the most versatile collection of offensive players he's ever worked with, there might be some temptation to put Brady in bubble wrap until the Monday night opener at Miami. Brady's cruelly precise performance against the Bucs proved he's ready to try to duplicate his Most Valuable Player performance of a year ago. Maybe he will play until he's 40.

Belichick, to no one's surprise, has been ready all along -- not just for the season, but for the prelude, the scramble to fill out rosters in the wildly fun free-agent frenzy after the collective bargaining agreement was reached. More than any other team, the Patriots have capitalized on the supply of readily available veteran talent, not just by supplementing the roster with low-risk, potentially high-reward trades for Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco, but by signing the capable likes of defensive ends Andre Carter, Shaun Ellis and Mark Anderson and unsung safety/special-teams standout James Ihedigbo, often a nuisance as a Jet.

Unless he enhances his famous football book collection by writing one of his own someday, we'll probably never know the extent to which Belichick read the tea leaves this offseason and when he recognized that there would be an essentially unprecedented opportunity to enhance a talented roster with capable, inexpensive veterans. (The offseason between 2000-01, when 22 veteran free agents were signed, was different simply based on the weakness of the Patriots' roster. Antico Dalton anyone? Jeff Paulk?)

But I'm willing to bet it was weeks and even months before all labor matters were settled that Belichick recognized the opportunity ahead, particularly when it came to remodeling the Patriots' defense. He knew he could get the players he needed, in abundance if necessary, to make the adjustments to the defensive scheme, from a frequently 3-4-structured unit to one that has the beef inside and the edge rushers to be a dynamic 4-3.

Witnessing the aggression with which the Patriots' defense attacked the Buccaneers' offense wasn't just the most enjoyable aspect of the their victory last Thursday -- it was also the most encouraging. Rather than reacting to the offense, they made Freeman and the beleaguered Bucs react to them, whether it was Carter screaming around one end or Jerod Mayo unleashing a pass-rushing fury that often seemed the only thing missing from his All-Pro package of skills. Sure, there are soft spots that could become flaws -- at last check, Brandon Meriweather, the Scott Cooper of safeties, was still taking paths to the ball carrier that would make a butterfly dizzy.

But if this defense is nearly as good as it looked Thursday night, it has a chance -- a chance -- to be the best the Patriots have had since 2004. If you recall, the sunshine that year became that glorious shower of confetti at the end. Even in August, it's OK to be optimistic that a similar scene can take place this February. Especially since you've already begun to collect some compelling evidence.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

An extra point on the Patriots while trying to figure out whether Wilfork has Brady by a step there . . .

Maybe it's because we're so eager for football to return to get underway that we can't help but overanalyze the new season's first sites and scenes. Maybe some of us just don't know any better than to draw conclusions from the cautious Patriots' first exhibition game of an abbreviated training camp.

Or maybe Taylor Price and Stevan Ridley are the Terry Glenn and Curtis Martin of a new generation and we're just fortunate enough to catch those first glimpses of greatness.

[Pausing for a beat so you can admire my hyperbole. It's nice, isn't it?]

OK, I'm being facetious, and Glenn is a horrible example. Hopefully the only thing he has in common with Price other than some level of raw talent and a position on the football field is matriculation at an Ohio-based university.

It's just that whenever Ridley's three-touchdown performance against an apparent sandlot team from Jacksonville the other night has been mentioned, the famous Bill Parcells quote delivered to reporters about a certain rookie running back after a sterling debut in 1995 seemed to follow: "Don't put him in Canton just yet, fellas."

Which is rather funny given that the player he was talking about, Martin, should have been put in Canton by reporters last year, and almost certainly will this year, provided Peter King and his cronies see fit to do more back-slapping good work and enshrine the NFL's fourth all-time leading rusher, a true class act, and the rare New York superstar who was stylish, charismatic and yet somehow underrated.

Yes, I'm digressing before I even get to the fifth paragraph here, and no, I'm not suggesting Stevan Ridley is the second coming of Curtis Martin. (If you want to make a Robert Edwards comparison based on Thursday's tiny sample size, I'm not going to bicker with you. I saw the hints.) What I'm saying is that exhibition games -- the first one in particular -- are for getting those hints, those clues, not drawing drastic, unassailable conclusions. Taylor Price looked good from the perspective of my couch. But when Tom Brady is asked about him and his reply is that the key to young players' development is eliminating mistakes, you wonder if the perspective from within the Patriots' huddle is as enthusiastic. Yes, Canton can wait.

Of course, drawing conclusions is one thing. Looking for those trends and clues is another. And what I saw Thursday supported a couple of theories and suspicions I had entering the game.

One, that the Patriots have one hell of a junior varsity team; as one colleague noted, their backups might win the NFC West, if not the Southeastern Conference. Brian Hoyer will be a good starting quarterback in the NFL, and -- at the risk of contradiction about the importance of Thursday's exercise -- Ryan Mallett has the raw ability and apparent poise to be a great one. They appear to have very high-quality depth on the defensive line (loved bringing back dependable Gerard Warren), running back (could one of the rookie relegate admirable but open-field slowpoke BenJarvus Green-Ellis to a lesser role coming off his 1,000-yard season?), and cornerback (Leigh Bodden is a perfect complement to Devin McCourty, and Kyle Arrington just kept getting better last season).

It's apparent that Bill Belichick is going to have to cut some players who neither they nor us want to see go, though I would be completely staggered if the thin speculation that Albert Haynesworth or this accomplished but apparently puzzled pass-catcher . . .

. . . were among them. Even if it takes Mr. Ochocinco awhile to prove he has golden hands to go with the golden shoes. (Aside: Don't worry about his route-running despite what the semi-informed skeptics say. Darius Butler's tailspin began in Week 1 last season when Ochocinco diced him up with precise cut after precise cut. It was something to behold.)

Such depth is going to be essential this season. Around the league, numerous knees, Achilles' tendons, and hamstrings have already been the victim of the abbreviated camps and probably in many players' cases, a workout routine in the offseason that was practically dormant compared to what their coaches would put them through in OTAs and mini camp. It's why Belichick was cautious in playing his starters against Jacksonville, it's why he has taken the path of due diligence and worked out the likes of Darren Sharper, Reynaldo Hill and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in case they are needed down the road, and it's why I bet there will be some intriguing players put on the physically unable to perform list, starting with Ron Brace and Kevin Faulk. The Patriots have serious depth, and that is going to be a tremendous advantage this season.

There is another significant advantage they will have entering this season, one we have believed in with great reward for more than a decade now. It's an advantage that should be obvious even to the desperate contrarians, one that again was magnified Thursday night: Having Bill Belichick on the sideline running this whole operation rather than, say, an apparently disorganized preener such as Jack Del Rio, matters even more this season than it ever has, save for possibly 2001 when the 20-something veteran free agents and the scrawny former sixth-round pick at quarterback were molded into something unforgettable.

This season, continuity is crucial, and having a system in place -- with players well-versed in running it -- is imperative for success in the early weeks, and probably beyond. The Patriots have made some fascinating changes -- the arrival of Haynesworth and Ochocinco, the increased defensive flexibility. But the veteran core of Wes Welker and Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins and many more remains in place, the sophomore class of Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez is poised build on a collectively spectacular debut . . . and once more for emphasis, having arguably the greatest quarterback/coaching tandem in NFL history in place is even more beneficial than ever.

You can go ahead and put them in Canton already, fellas. Just hold off on the carving their accomplishments into those bronze busts. This year, Belichick and Brady have a golden chance to enhance their legacies even more.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

If anyone in the history of professional football ran a go-route better than Randy Moss, the footage of this mystery receiver must be lost from daylight in a dusty NFL Films vault somewhere.

But beyond what football aficionados outside of the Sabol family have witnessed, however, there has never been another like Randy Gene Moss of Rand, West Virginia. When Moss was motivated and engaged -- more on those caveats and complications in a moment -- no cornerback, whether it was hapless Dallas blip Kevin Mathis, who had his Thanksgiving ruined during Moss's transcendent three-touchdown performance during the receiver's electrifying rookie season in '98, or the great Darrelle Revis, whose hamstring was a casualty of running stride for stride with Moss during Week 2 last season, could do much to prevent the inevitable. Even when they usually suspected what was coming.

Today, though, his pattern wasn't so predictable. Moss, 34, ran what seems to be one last go-route this afternoon, announcing his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons, 954 receptions, 14,858 receiving yards, 154 total touchdowns, and one lasting but complex legacy.

Maybe we'll hear an official explanation in the coming hours or day. Maybe this is just a savvy veteran's way of dodging training camp. Maybe apparently self-designated Moss spokesman Cris Carter will share some real insight on what his former teammate is thinking -- revealing that the Patriots offered him a one-year deal is a start. Or maybe Moss will disappear to his favorite West Virginia fishing hole and keep us guessing at the reasons until his day comes in Canton.

Make no mistake, the day of the mustard-colored jacked and the bronze bust that may or may not capture his likeness will come, and should in his first year of eligibility. Should you be one of those finicky, fickle sports writers whose delicate sensibilities were affected along with Joe Buck's the day Moss fake-mooned the fans in Green Bay or pulled another immature stunt, maybe you'll tweet or write or belch sometime today that Moss isn't a Hall of Famer in your mind. But beware, ye of thousands of followers and little self-awareness. Such a suggestion would render your opinion a permanent confirmation of your lost perspective and credibility in subjective matters. Like so many Daunte Culpepper heaves, the Hall of Fame is incomplete without him.

Jerry Rice stands alone as the greatest player to catch an NFL pass, and no other receiver is within several strides. But Moss is in the argument as the second-best, and no one -- not even Rice -- played the position with such flair. Rice has 197 receiving touchdowns, 44 more than Moss, who is tied for second place with Terrell Owens. No knock on Rice, a gridiron surgeon who was justifiably named the greatest player of all time by the NFL Network. But I'd venture to guess Moss has a similar advantage in breathtaking highlights, whether he was hurdling a defender who suddenly found himself tackling a ghost or habitually catching the ball one handed, like a dad showing off to his 6-year-old while chucking around the Nerf. He accomplished many of his greatest highlights and feats, such as his 17-receiving-touchdown rookie season, still a record, while pointing flawed quarterbacks -- first Randall Cunningham, then Jeff George and Culpepper -- the way to the end zone.

Moss was infamous before he was football-famous, with off-the-field incidents (assault, marijuana charges) preventing him from attending Notre Dame, and then Florida State. He made his name at then-Division 1-AA Marshall . . .

. . . and mastered the art of hurdling defenders, but slipped all the way to 21st in the 1998 NFL Draft, two picks after the Patriots selected ill-fated running back Robert Edwards and a pick before selecting GPS-challenged defensive back Tebucky Jones. He was an instant star, a freakish 6-foot-4-inch deep threat who seemed to cover five yards a stride and appeared to jump so high that it you wondered if he could pluck the moon out of the sky on a whim. After seven productive, controversial seasons in Minnesota and two going through the motions with the perpetual hopeless cause in Oakland, Moss found redemption and rejuvenation with a 2007 trade to the Patriots.

The chemistry between Moss and Tom Brady was immediate. Moss caught nine passes for 151 yards in his Patriots debut, and such production was not the exception but the norm. He had eight multi-touchdown games, nine 100-yard games, and six scoring receptions of at least 40 yards. He finished the regular season with 98 catches for 1,493 yards and a record 23 touchdowns, while Brady set an NFL record with 50 TD passes as the Patriots finished the regular season 16-0. They were, for all intents and purposes, perfect.

The ending, of course, was not. Moss never played for a Super Bowl champion in New England, and the ending to his three-plus season run here came following Week 4 last season when he was dealt back to Minnesota following a zero-catch game against the Dolphins during which he reportedly accosted coach Bill O'Brien at halftime. His departure, fueled by a postgame soliloquy following a Week 1 win versus the Bengals in which he said he knew this was his last season with the Patriots, didn't make sense until after the fact, when he continued to praise the team he forced to trade him. Only then was it obvious that Moss so desperately wanted to stay that he gave them no choice but to get rid of him.

From the Boston perspective, he was football's Manny Ramirez. You wanted to like him unequivocally, and often did, but he didn't always make it easy. He was moody, mercurial, unpredictable and enigmatic. He made football look so easy that his doubters couldn't believe he worked at it, though there were countless testimonials that he did. His arms seemed to shrink a size when he went over the middle, and slights real or perceived could cause him to check out. You counted on him knowing there was a chance he would let you down and never offer an adequate explanation afterward. But you did so because the good times were so damn good, it was all worth it.

If Moss chose to retire today because the New York Jets signed Plaxico Burress instead, well, maybe that's appropriate in a symmetrical sort of way. Patriots fans need no in-depth reminder that Burress was the hero of the Giants' upset of the 18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl XLI. What's sometimes lost in the complicated timeline of Moss's time here is that it could have been him -- he gave the Patriots a 14-10 lead with 2 minutes and 42 seconds remaining -- and it was so close to being him again. In the Patriots' final seconds of desperation, he nearly got behind the Giants defense, but Brady's heave on fourth and 20 eluded his fingertips. He glided so effortlessly that you wondered if he had been going all-out, and c'mon, Randy, couldn't you just leap a little higher or stretch those plastic-man arms to full extension or maybe dive, just to leave us with no doubts?

Yet you also knew that the list of receivers who could put themselves in position to even have a chance at making such a play probably included only the man who couldn't quite do it. No one ran a go-route like Randy Moss, right up until today.

And who knows. With the havoc the abbreviated training camp could wreak on receivers' hamstrings, the temptation some injury-addled team will have to check in with Moss during the season, and even the off-chance that Burress shoots himself in the other leg, maybe Randy Moss will have a comeback route in him yet.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Those of us familiar with the weekly saga of the 2010 Patriots require no reminder that they lacked an outside pass rush last season. At best, it was more like a pass meander, the path of most resistance. Tully Banta-Cain, who made a play just often enough to remind you that he was indeed active, led their outside linebackers and ends with five sacks. Willie McGinest, whose legacy grows with each passing year his old job remains essentially unfilled, once finished a half-sack shy of that number in a single playoff game. Those were some times.

It is not coincidental that the Patriots failed to get off the field on third down a staggering 47 percent of the time last season. A defensive backfield of four Mike Hayneses with Ronnie Lott as the nickel back couldn't consistently stop a decent passing game without the assistance of a competent pass rush. The Darius Butlers and Jonathan Wilhites of the world had no chance.

Such a cold truth considered, it comes as little surprise that fans and media alike were puzzled, to put it mildly, that Bill Belichick selected two more running backs in the first three rounds (2) than he did outside pass rushers (that would be zero). Who knew that the only pass rusher to be associated with the Patriots during the draft would be Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, who announced their second-round pick? Now that you mention it, he is a rather young-looking 51. Think he could give them 10-12 plays a game next season, a couple of key third-downs here and there? If Seau could do it two years ago at age 62 . . .

I know, no one wants to be facetious about this. Many fans are frustrated that the teams apparent greatest need remains unfulfilled. That was evident by the insta-howling on Twitter beginning Thursday and carrying through the weekend after the Patriots progressively . . .

1) chose Colorado offensive lineman Nate Solder with the No. 17 pick . . .

2) traded out of the No. 28 spot with Alabama running back Mark Ingram on the board . . .

and . . .

3) took Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling with the first pick of the second round when pass rushers Brooks Reed (Arizona) and Jabaal Sheard (Pitt) were still available.

The gripes are understandable, at least upon casual consideration. The Patriots need a pass rusher. Belichick said in the days leading up to the draft that there were some talented players in this year's group. Then he goes out and drafts, in the first three rounds, an offensive lineman who used to be a tight end (Solder), a cornerback with injury problems (Dowling), two smallish running backs (Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley), and a quarterback with Drew Bledsoe's arm and, if you believe the most TMZish gossip, young Drew Barrymore's lifestyle (Ryan Mallett).

Brief digression: I love the symmetry of choosing Mallett with the pick they acquired from the Vikings for Randy Moss, especially since both of the teams the wide receiver played for after leaving New England spent first-round picks on quarterbacks. Given that Mallett has the biggest and possibly the most accurate arm in the draft, wowed Belichick (and Jon Gruden) with his chalkboard acumen, and is in the ideal situation to grow the hell up, ditch his personal baggage, would you bet against him being a superior quarterback to Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert, and even Cam Newton five seasons down the road? I wouldn't.

But that's all it is right now: informed bets at various levels of education and knowledge. Pardon me while I step into the usually filled role of scold around here, but it seems that some among us require a reminder than none of us knows a damn thing, including those who get paid to provide "draft grades" before any one of the 254 players selected plays a single down of professional football. Could Ryan Mallett be a steal? Yup. Could he wash out of the league in three years? Well, sure, stranger things have happened. I suspect that on draft day 2000, Giovanni Carmazzi never suspected his job description would be "fledgling goat farmer/yoga novice/punch line" barely a decade later, you know?

As for not drafting a pass rusher, maybe it's just this simple. Maybe there just wasn't one he liked, at least at the spot where the player was available. Belichick's dastardly attempts at cloning the likes of McGinest or Mike Vrabel or Roman Phifer in the bowels of Gillette Stadium have thus far been fruitless, and we know it's hard to find the big, fast, smart, versatile prototypes for his system. (Belichick must consider Vrabel, who was all of those things, one of the best free-agent heists in league history.) Given that he prefers veterans fill the complex, crucial role with veterans rather than young players, it's fair to presume his strategy all along was to find a dependable candidate or two in free agency (LBs here, DEs here) once matters of the lockout are settled.

The generally negative reaction to Belichick's approach to the draft among fans is disheartening. He trades around too much! Pick some players, will ya! Well, sure . . . except that he chose nine players this year, 12 last year -- six of whom were significant contributors -- and a dozen as well in 2009. Last year, he traded down from No. 22 to 24 and then 27, ending up with Devin McCourty in the first round and adding third-rounder Taylor Price and fourth-rounder Aaron Hernandez with the two picks acquired in moving down five total spots. I presume you're OK with the McCourty pick now that he proved something more than a nickelback/special-teams gunner? Or do you still covet pass-rushers Sergio Kindle or Jerry Hughes? (Since we're being honest here, I thought Hughes should have been the pick. But I know now to keep my yap shut when Belichick does something I don't expect.)

Sure, it would be nice if the Patriots had a monster playmaker like Clay Matthews, whether or not the former Southern Cal walk-on was an ideal fit for their system when they passed him up in 2009. But again, in trading out of that spot, they ended up with an array of picks that yielded Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman and Darius Butler. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'm not ready to put that one in the loss column.

I'm not saying he's always right. I'm saying that loading up on picks in a business in which even the most expensive can't-miss prospects often miss seems like a pretty shrewd policy. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, particularly when he makes a deal like the one with the Saints with the No. 28 pick. Getting a first-rounder next year as well as the No. 56 pick in this year's draft (used on Vereen) is an offer that cannot be refused.

We all get caught up in the pre-draft hype. Imagining your favorite team reloading is irresistible fun. The draft is probably my favorite day on the sports calendar that doesn't actually involve the playing of a game. I'm one of those people who talks himself into believing that, say, Cameron Jordan is exactly the player the Patriots need . . . even though I've never seen him play, first heard of him, oh, maybe three months ago, and have no honest clue about how he would fit within Belichick schemes. He looked the part in the highlights, but who doesn't? They're highlights.

We all like to think we know what we don't know. It's why some of us were upset Belichick passed up a shot at Ingram. He was familiar, having won the Heisman Trophy two years ago, which makes it easy to dismiss the knee issues that plagued him last year, which is why he was available at 28. I suspect one main reason some Patriots fans coveted Reed is because with his long, blond hair he looks like Matthews if you squint. It's ridiculous. But it's what we do.

It's not that I want that to change. My wish is that the decibel level on the immediate overreaction when Belichick leaves you, me, and Mel Kiper scratching our heads can be turned down. Let me ask you this: What was the one draft in the past six or seven years that seemed immediately gratifying? I doubt it was 2005, when the Logan Mankins selection in the first round left Kiper scrunching his face and muttering that he had him as third-round value. I doubt it was 2008, when the consensus was the Jets got a better linebacker at No. 5 than the Patriots did at 10 with Jerrod Mayo. Wonder if Vernon Gholston will be in the league next season.

Speaking of abbreviated careers, the most immediately gratifying draft for me was the Lawrence Maroney-Chad Jackson-David Thomas trio in 2006. Now that was a flashy draft with name recognition. Finally, Tom Brady had some weapons! Turns out they were weapons of self-destruction. Five years later, Thomas is a contributor in New Orleans, but Jackson and Maroney will be lucky to take their talents to the UFL. Maybe they can play on an all-busts team with Gholston.

Belichick's worst draft was arguably the one most of us liked the best. That's pretty telling, I'd say, and hopefully reason enough to keep the howling to a minimum next year when he ruins everyone's mock draft yet again. Hopefully we will learn, one of these Aprils. Because this won't be the last time he drafts another class of promising players we've barely heard of over a player or three whose name recognition and position are enough to foolishly convince us he's just the elixir the Patriots need.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Hey, what say we take a break from wondering whether Josh Beckett can find happiness, fulfillment, and six decent innings with budding scapegoat Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate rather than his binky Tek and enjoy a brief football interlude instead?

Too bad. I'm doing it anyway.

The NFL draft begins Thursday, April 28, a little more than than three weeks away. Over on our Extra Points blog, beat writer Shalise Manza Young is profiling a prospect each weekday who may appeal to the Patriots. The draft is one of my favorite events on the sports calendar, though I've finally smartened up and realized that it's better to keep my post-draft opinion to myself. Turns out calling Bethel Johnson "can't-miss" will cause one to question his draftnik cred.

Back when I worked on the Globe sports desk, we always used one guide to get our information: Joel Buchsbaum's annual production in cahoots with Pro Football Weekly. It was incredibly detailed, and more important, accurate. Eccentric wouldn't begin to describe Buchsbaum, as detailed engagingly in this 2003 award-winning feature by Juliet Macur, but his knowledge of draft prospects won over the most accomplished of coaches, personnel experts, and skeptics.

"I tried to hire him as a scout with the [Cleveland] Browns every year," Bill Belichick told Macur. "But he always said he'd rather work for all 32 teams. There's a thousand people out there that write draft books, and they aren't worth the paper they're written on. But Joel? He was something special."

When Buchsbaum died in December 2002, Belichick and Scott Pioli drove from Foxborough to New Jersey for the funeral. They had never met the man.

Remembering this, I was curious what Buchsbaum had to say about a certain skinny Michigan quarterback back eligible for the 2000 draft. Turns out we still had that year's edition in our files, and Tom Brady was rated sixth among quarterbacks that year. Chad Pennington was first, followed by Chris Redman, Tee Martin, epic bust Giovanni Carmazzi, and Tim Rattay.

Here's Buchsbaum's pre-draft analysis of Brady, who you surely know was chosen 199th overall, the greatest draft-day steal in league history:

Positives: Good height to see the field. Very poised and composed. Smart and alert. Can read coverages. Good accuracy and touch. Produces in big spots and big games. Has some Brian Griese in him and is a gamer. Generally plays within himself. Team leader.

Negatives: Poor build. Very skinny and narrow. Ended the '99 season weighing 195 pounds and still looks like a rail at 211. Looks a little frail and lacks great physical stature and strength. Can get pushed down more easily than you'd like. Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush. Lacks a really strong arm. Can't drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. System-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib and do things on his own.

Summary: Is not what you're looking for in terms of physical stature, strength, arm strength, and mobility but he has the intangibles and production and showed great Griese-like improvement as a senior. Could make it in the right system but is not for everyone.

Well, the list of strengths certainly sounds like Brady, though I'd be really impressed with Buchsbaum's breakdown had he written: Has a chance to eventually marry a Victoria's Secret model. Possibly Gisele, who is also very skinny and narrow.

And I think we're all glad he exorcised those comparisons to Brian Griese (his former Michigan teammate and a decent NFL quarterback for 11 years) a long time ago. Beats being compared to Drew Henson, I suppose.

More than anything else, though, I think what stands out about this is how much it reinforces our awareness of the work he put in to become one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks. Look at that list of weaknesses again:

Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush. Well, yes, he's still dirt-train slow, but he has an uncanny knack for feeling the rush (his most recent game excluded, maddeningly) that we're beginning to wonder if it's not an instinct but something he was taught -- or taught himself -- to do.

Lacks a really strong arm. Can't drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. How would it read now? Try the opposite: Has a strong arm. Can drive the ball down field (50 TD passes in 2007, 23 to Randy Moss). Throws a tight spiral. To put it another way: Bet he's made Tom Martinez, his personal passing guru, one of the highest-paid gurus on the personal guru circuit.

One last thought: The draft is a blast, and evaluating how your team did in the immediate aftermath is even more fun. As silly as the business of judging players who haven't played a down of professional football may be, it's reassuring when Mayock or Kiper or McShay gives the Patriots an A on that day-after report card.

But we also know better around here. We know that Kiper's bewilderment that Belichick would choose, say, Logan Mankins in the first round when Kiper had a third-round grade on him is not necessarily a bad thing.

We know, this year anyway, not to whine and blow up Twitter if the first attribute mentioned about a young cornerback is his special teams proficiency.

We know that instant analysis is really just a slightly educated guess, that picking Laurence Maroney, Chad Jackson and David Thomas does not guarantee Brady has all the weapons he needs for the next half-dozen years, and that maybe, just maybe, Bethel Johnson won't make it.

We know we won't learn anything meaningful about these players about to become Patriots until Belichick confirms that they are doing something right by putting them on the field.

With an occasional assist from Mo Lewis.

A few parting thoughts on an afternoon of exit interviews, postmortems, and aggravating day-old what-ifs . . .

1. When Bill Belichick addressed -- briefly and curtly last night -- the botched fake punt at the end of the first half that will torment Patriots fans through the offseason, the closest he came to an explanation for what happened was saying "We just made a bad mistake on the play." What isn't clear is whether the bad mistake he referenced was Patrick Chung's decision to call the fake -- and we suspect Zoltan Mesko may have his tongue removed by Ernie Adams for revealing that bit of information, further confirmed by Chung today -- or that he made a physical error that led to the failure of a foolish, desperate play that never should have been run in the first place. The hunch is that Belichick's reference was to the former. A minute and 14 seconds left in the half with the ball on the Jets 38, down 4 points and facing a fourth and 4? Unless all 11 Jets defenders are 10 yards down field and looking up at the pretty sky, you punt, stop 'em, head into the locker room and regroup for the second half. There's no second option. Chung's going to be heck of a player -- in some ways, he already is -- but that was one cruel lesson for a young player to learn yesterday.

2. I understand why Belichick benched Wes Welker for the first drive -- there was apparently a directive not to engage the Jets in trash talk, Welker ignored his coach's orders (albeit in an absolutely hilarious way), and it ended up agitating them even more, though I doubt it had any effect on their performance. That said, I wish Belichick hadn't disciplined Welker. It just felt like an ominous way to begin the game, and Welker is not only essential, but he's one of the few players who should be allowed a bit of leeway.

3. I still haven't heard an adequate explanation for the offense's lack of urgency on that already infamous second-half drive during which they ate up eight minutes of the clock while trailing by 10 points . . . and gave the ball up on downs with little more than five minutes remaining. I know Tom Brady said the Jets had six defensive backs on the field at the time, but that doesn't explain the . . . I don't know, casualness? -- of their approach. The Donovan McNabb/Andy Reid jokes are well beyond cliched at this point, but the Eagles' final, lolly-gagging drive at the end of Super Bowl XXXIX is exactly what it felt like, except from the opposite, gruesome point of view. The crowd at Gillette was too often stunned into silence yesterday, but if you listened closely, you could almost hear cries of "What are they doing? Hurry up!" as one Danny Woodhead run followed another.

4. Another frustration with the passing game/offensive in general: In all of his blabber in the buildup to the game, Bart Scott basically revealed the Jets' defensive game-plan -- funnel the Patriots receivers toward a zone defense in the middle of the field while letting cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie take care of business on the outside. I don't know if the Patriots thought he was running his mouth for the sake of running his mouth, but in retrospect, giving credence to Scott's tip-off on the Jets' altered scheme might have helped them solve it a little bit sooner.

5. Rob Gronkowski, with four catches on six targets, should have been more of a factor -- he's the one receiver on the Patriots who is matchup hell for an opponent, the one who has proven that the advantage is always his on a jump ball or in tight coverage because of his enormous catching radius. The Patriots got too cute by utilizing Alge Crumpler time and again as a receiver, and unless his hip injury was worse than we were led to believe, I can't believe there wasn't some way to get Aaron Hernandez more involvement than one catch for four yards on a single target. So many questions, so few answers.

FULL ENTRY

Ten final pregame thoughts while thinking it's bad karma to bench Wes Welker for his remarks, no matter how long he sits . . .

1. Can't help but wonder whether Rex Ryan has reached the point of no return with his bluster, presuming the Jets lose today. He's put it all on his shoulders with his "it's about me and Belichick" nonsene, took the blame for the 45-3 disaster (during which he was among the chief mopers on the Jets' sideline), let his team say even more stupid things than usual about an opponent (and a quarterback) with a remarkable knack for converting slights into touchdowns, and essentially set his team up for its greatest victory since The Namath Guarantee or a disappointment so painful that a bunch of players who can't keep their mouths shut might start wondering if maybe it's their coach who should zip it.

2. Jets personnel have been raving about a inspirational speech by former defensive lineman Dennis Byrd, who suffered a career-ending neck injury that temporarily left him unable to walk. No word if the Patriots countered with a Dennis Byrd of their own. But we doubt it.

3. In two games against the Jets as a rookie, Rob Gronkowski has totaled two catches for 26 yards and no touchdowns. Bet he triples the first two numbers at the least today and finds the end zone at least once.

4. Watching Antonio Cromartie practice kick returns in warmups is enough to make you wonder if losing usual return man Brad Smith to injury might be a break for the Jets. It's only a slight exaggeration to say Cromartie covers five yards in about 2 1/2 effortless strides.

5. Provided his knee is OK, Deion Branch will torch Cromartie at least once. You know it's on Brady's to-do list, particularly if they build a big lead.

5. All Bart Scott did by vaguely threatening Wes Welker is assure that the refs will keep an eye on him today. Which is probably shrewd of him, given that with one sack and 81 tackles this season (tied for 89th in the NFL, a spot behind Devin McCourty), chances are no one was going to notice him otherwise.

6. Brief Seahawks-Bears interlude: Pete Carroll kicking a field goal down 28 points. Yep, that's the Pete Carroll I remember. Someone really needs to talk to the always-candid Lawyer Milloy about what it's like to be back with Khaki Pete again. I bet he's still mad about Willie Clay getting cut back in '98.

7. One key for the Jets today who hasn't been talked about too much during Hype Week: Braylon Edwards. He was beyond brutal in the 45-3 loss -- he caught two passes of the seven thrown his way -- but he's had his moments against the Patriots, and came through with a huge catch last week against the Colts.

8. If you're looking for a reason to be concerned, I suppose it's easy to fret about the depth -- or lack thereof -- on the Patriots' defensive line. Vince Wilfork needs to continue his dominant season, no easy task against Nick (I Pick Things Up, I Put Them Down) Mangold. Gerard Warren's steady play has been one of the subtle stories of the Patriots' season, but they're going to have to get contributions from the likes of Eric Moore, Kyle Love, and Landon Cohen. Not saying they won't -- hell, they probably will. But Myron Pryor will be missed, and that's something I never thought I'd write at the beginning of the season.

9. Wonder where Randy Moss is watching the game today. OK, cheap shot, 15-yard-penalty on me . . . but having been here at Gillette for his bizarre press conference after the win over the Bengals, it still remains unfathomable how it all changed, how he screwed up a perfect situation in a free-agent year. Probably goes without saying, but thank goodness he did, right?

10. Patriots 38, Jets 20. The only way the Jets win is if Brady suddenly becomes turnover-prone, LaDainian Tomlinson finds his 2003 form (and doesn't spend the day pouting behind a visor on the bench), and Mark Sanchez stops airmailing his receivers by five feet. I don't think any of those things will happen, let alone all three of them. By the start of the fourth, you'll be saying, "Bring on the Steelers."

In case you missed it (or tried to ignore it and just saw your luck take a terrible turn), today's media column/notebook is right here. It features more on the stratospheric NFL ratings, the good fortune CBS has with the intra-divison Pats-Jets and Ravens-Steelers rivalry matchups, and notes on Dickie V. reupping with ESPN and T.C. reupping with NESN.

There's also a thought from Phil Simms, who along with Jim Nantz will be in the booth at a Patriots game for the eighth time this season, on the Jets' chatty ways. CBS studio analyst Bill Cowher, who had a perm once, also touched on the topic, but that didn't make the column for space reasons. Maybe I should have used his more pointed comments instead. Have a look:

"I think Rex Ryan is being Rex Ryan. At some point it’s going to lose its luster…," said Cowher during a conference call this week with CBS NFL personnel. "The New England Patriots will say all the right things and they will say it’s just talk. But I can tell you back in that locker room and on Saturday night when Bill Belichick is talking to his team or Sunday morning, whenever that may be, some of those quotes will come back. And I’m going to tell you players can say what they want but you’re only going to be motivated by what you want. New England loves to make it personal. And Bill Belichick will make it personal. He’ll make his players make it personal. And I think I wouldn’t wake a sleeping giant. I think he may have done that."

Patriots fans require no reminder that Cowher is speaking from first-hand knowledge. His Steelers teams in the early 2000s -- particularly the 2001 squad -- were notorious for having a spotty record of backing up their bragging. It might be a stretch to say Cowher regrets letting his team talk so much smack, but it's apparent that some lesson -- perhaps "do not give Belichick ammunition" -- was learned. When he coaches again, it will be interesting to see if his new team is less verbally brazen than the ones he had in Pittsburgh.

By the way, has Kordell Stewart played that Super Bowl in his hometown yet? Seem to remember him mentioning he was looking forward to it.

Ten brief, possibly coherent, and overwhelmingly positive thoughts on the 14-2 Patriots before I pack up the gear here at rainy Gillette and paddle my rowboat back to Maine . . .

1. I know he had 50 touchdown passes three years ago. But you're not talking me out of it. Given the reliance on rookies and the personnel tweaks during the season, this was the most impressive regular season of Tom Brady's career. Thirty-six touchdowns. Four interceptions. It's as close to flawless as a quarterback can be.

2. Like many of you, I suspect, I've been down on Julian Edelman this season, mostly because he'd entered today's game with nearly as many drops (3) as receptions (4). But today's performance in place of Wes Welker (can't blame him for missing the rest of the regular-season finales of his career if he so chooses) was a reminder of why we were so optimistic about his future just last season, when he had 37 catches in his first year playing receiver after starring at quarterback at Kent State. He has lateral quickness that can't be taught, only enhanced with hard work, and by all accounts he puts in the time. Today's lesson: Don't quit on him yet.

3. I don't think I've even been more pleased to see a running back achieve the 1,000-yard milestone than I was for BenJarvus Green-Ellis today. The man earned his way into the league the hard way, and he's earned every hard yard he's gained since.

4. And by the way, that's one of the half-dozen reasons I hate the idea of the 18-game schedule. It makes the relevance of a 1,000-yard season obsolete.

5. Green-Ellis had 80 yards today on 20 carries. Laurence Maroney had 74 yards this season on 36 carries. I'm not sure what my point is, because I almost feel bad for Maroney, who seems to have the UFL in his near future, but it's worth pointing out nonetheless I guess.

6. Loved hearing Mike Haynes's name come up twice today in the Gillette press box: When McCourty pulled down his seventh interception of the season on Miami's first drive, pulling him within one of the Hall of Fame cornerback's rookie record of eight set during his legendary '76 season, and again when Julian Edelman took a punt back 94 yards for a score, eclipsing Haynes's record 89-yard return during the '76 season. It's not that we like seeing Haynes's records challenged or fall, but the reminder of a genuine and perhaps somewhat underappreciated legend in Patriots history is always worthwhile.

7. So Rob Gronkowski finishes his rookie season with 42 catches for 550 yards and 10 touchdowns (and a tip of the cap to my old friend Mike Reiss, who predicted early in the season that Gronkowski would reach double figures in TDs). It should be noted that Mark Bavaro had 37 catches for 511 yards and four touchdowns during his rookie season with the '85 Giants. I think you know what we're getting at.

8. As wonderful and entertaining and, to many alleged prognosticators, surprising this season has been, it is not the best coaching job of Bill Belichick's career. In fact, I'd put it third. There has never been a more improbable champion than the 2001 squad. While some players were better than we realized entering that season (Tom Brady, Troy Brown, Mike Vrabel, Roman Phifer to a degree), there was also a staggering lack of depth. J.R. Redmond was the third-down back (and a playoff hero). Jermaine Wiggins was the best tight end (and a playoff hero). Fred Coleman was the third receiver for a time (and a beatin'-the-Jets hero). To say that this season is better is to forget so much of what happened the year this all began.

9. As for his second-best coaching job? Doesn't it have to be 2008, when Brady was lost less than a quarter into the first game of the season? Matt Cassel has turned out to be a terrific quarterback, and it was fun to watch him continue to improve in '08. But if I recall, there was an outcry that the Pats should sign Chris Simms . . . or Daunte Culpepper . . . or Tim Rattay . . . because they couldn't possibly win with this kid who couldn't even get on the field in college. Instead, they won 11 games, an one of the greatest regrets of that season -- right behind Sammy Morris not pulverizing Bernard Pollard into the turf when he had the chance -- was not getting an opportunity to see what Cassel could do in the playoffs.

10. I'm a little surprised that the Patriots are playing at 4:30 p.m on Sunday the 16th. I figured that it would be the Saturday night game, which has usually been their preference. But I'll take a 4:30 start over an 8:30 start anytime. Now, with the time and place set . . . who do you hope they play in that game? I rank 'em this way, most worrisome to least worrisome: Colts, Ravens, Steelers, Chiefs, Jets. So in a way, I'm glad the Colts got the No. 3 seed, since they can't face the Patriots until the AFC title game. But all things considered? The team I've seen these last eight weeks -- the one that has put up at least 30 points in each successive win while the defense continues to grow -- is the one that I believe has the best chance at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy that February night in Dallas. Based on what you've seen and what you know about this team, do you believe it too?

The short, subjective answer to the question posed in the headline:

Ab-so-lutely.

So there. Case closed. If you disagree, you are either Archie Manning or prefer the Brady from the explosive 50-touchdown 2007 season to the killing-them-softly version of this season. Which, all facetiousness aside, is fine.

Statistically, Brady's 2007 remains the greatest in NFL history, slightly better than Peyton Manning's 2004 season when he threw 49 touchdown passes.

But this -- what is happening right now with this amazing quarterback and a mesmerizing, eerily familiar team full of possibilities -- is just as fun, and more impressive.

You know the numbers: An NFL-record 319 passes without an interception. Twenty-three touchdown passes since his last pick. And then there's the coolest number of all, courtesy of WEEI's Kirk Minihane on Twitter. Since Brady's last interception Oct. 17 against Baltimore, the Manning boys -- Peyton, Eli, and hell, include Cooper and Archie if you want -- have been picked off 31 times.

Brady has thrown 34 touchdowns with just four interceptions. According to our extensive yet rudimentary research, some of what he is accomplishing this season is as unprecedented as his feats in '07. Consider: Before this season, no quarterback has ever thrown 25 or more TD passes with five or fewer picks. Heck, only five had thrown 25 or more touchdowns with seven or fewer interceptions:

• Brett Favre, 2009: 33 TDs, 7 INTs. He really had an amazing year, right up until the moment he hit Tracy Porter in the numbers.
• Aaron Rodgers, 2009: 30, 7.
• Vinny Testaverde, 1998: 29, 7.
• Drew Brees, 2004: 27, 7. Easy to forget he was so good as a Charger.
• Steve Young, 1992: 25, 7.

And Brady this year. That's it. Whoops, wait, there's one more.

Coincidentally -- or perhaps a bit ironically, given that this is the quarterback who got his first chance to play since high school only after Brady was injured in '08 -- that group added a new member yesterday. Matt Cassel joined the club when the threw three TDs without a pick to improve his season numbers to 27 TDs and 5 INTs. If you're a Patriots fan who watched him grow during the Bradyless 2008 season, you have to be happy for him, and perhaps a little surprised as well.

It's extraordinarily exclusive company, for some names you might expect to see on that list -- Marino, Elway, Manning, Montana, the game's true legends and icons -- never gained admittance. For further context, we matched up some of Brady's key stats this year and in his career against those of the five other best quarterbacks we've ever seen play:

Biggest gap between TD and INT totals in a season:

Brady: 42. 50 TDs, 8 INTs in 2007.

Joe Montana: 18, three times. 28/10 in '84, 31/13 in '87, 26/8 in '89.

John Elway: 16. 27/11 in 1997 at age 37. I hope he thanked Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey in his Hall of Fame speech along with Terrell Davis. It was also Elway's career high in TD passes, a number Brady has surpassed five times.

Dan Marino: 31. During his legendary 1984 season, Marino threw a then-record 48 TD passes against 17 interceptions. I'm willing to bet he got all Tom Coughlin on a receiver after every one of those 17 picks.

Steve Young: 25. Our requisite southpaw threw for 35 TDs and just 10 INTs in 1994 for another stacked Niners team.

Peyton Manning: 39. 49 TDs, 10 INTs during the '04 season, which, all snark aside, is the best season an NFL quarterback not named Tom Brady has ever had. Yet . . . think Brady would trade his Super Bowl ring from that season for Peyton's numbers? I think we know better than that, don't we?

Lowest interception total in a season (300 attempts minimum)

Brady: Eight in 578 attempts, 2007.

Montana: Eight in 386 attempts, 1989.

Elway: Ten, three times. In a league-high 551 attempts in 1993, in494 attempts in '94, and in 356 in '98.

Marino: Nine in 373 attempts, 1996. Brady's career high in interceptions is 14, which he's done three times. Marino threw more than 14 picks in a season 10 times. That's a lot of yelling and finger pointing. You think Duper and Clayton wore earplugs? And yes, I am going to beat this Marino-yells-at-his-receivers angle to death. It's what I do. It's who I am.

Young: Six, twice. In 316 attempts in 1996 and 356 attempts in 1997. If you wanted to, you could make the argument that his peak was better than Montana's. I'd disagree . . . but you could build a case.

Manning: Nine in 557 attempts, 2006.

Highest passer rating in a single season:

Brady: 117.2 in 2007. Second-best all-time. His current season would put him sixth.

Montana: 112.4 in 1989. Fourth-best all-time.

Elway: 93.0 in his final season, '98. Brady's rating for his career is 95.0.

Marino: 108.9 in 1984, the season he and the Dolphins lost to Montana and the Niners in his lone Super Bowl appearance.

Young: 112.8 in 1994. Third-best all-time.

Manning: 121 in 2004. NFL record. One-hundred-and-21 is also the number of commercials he did that season, I believe. Also a record.

Brady's current passer rating of 109.8 would be good for sixth-best all time, behind the aforementioned seasons of himself, Manning, Montana, and Young as well as the fifth-best single-season passer rating of all time, which belongs to . . . Daunte Culpepper?! Yep, that Daunte Culpepper, late of the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions. During his 2004 season with the Vikings, he threw 39 TD passes against just 11 picks. Randy Moss sure made a lot of flawed quarterbacks -- Randall Cunningham, Jeff George -- look spectacular in his youth. In 2007, he helped make Brady transcendent.

Right now, though, in the season of Moss's bizarre and necessary departure, the truth is in the numbers and the aesthetics: Tom Brady is better than he has ever been. Which means he's better than anyone else has ever been, too.

* * *

When we watch Brady at his best, it's impossible not to recognize some of the traits and characteristics of the quarterback he grew up idolizing as a boy in the Bay Area, Joe Montana. The incredible accuracy, of course. And that poise, that uncanny sense to stay calm and focused, to take that subtle sidestep and hit the open man when all hell is breaking loose in the form of a ferocious pass rusher bearing down with menace on his mind. I can't think of two great quarterbacks with more in common than these two. (OK, maybe Dan Fouts and Drew Bledsoe. But I said great, and besides, Bledsoe didn't have an awesome beard.) And that's never more evident than what they accomplished in their age-33 seasons.

Check out Brady's numbers and accomplishments this year, then match them up Montana's 1989 season. Despite missing three games, Montana threw 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, completed 70.2 percent of his passes, threw for 3,521 yards (270.2 per game), and had the best rating of his career, 112.4. He was named the NFL MVP. Sound like anyone you know?

It should be noted that these Patriots, as accomplished as they are and may continue to be, would require the most brilliant scheme of Bill Belichick's career to beat those '89 Niners, who put themselves on the short list of the greatest teams in NFL history that season.

They went 14-2, and their two losses, to the Rams and Packers, came by a total of five points. They led the NFL in points (442), then rampaged through the playoffs, beating the Vikings, Rams, and Broncos by a combined score of 126-26.

It's worth noting that Montana, despite suffering a devastating hit by the Giants' Leonard Marshall in the 1990 postseason and missing all of 1991 and most of '92 with an elbow injury, continued to play to an extremely high level up to his retirement at age 38.

Brady, of course, has often said he wants to play until he's at least 40. Based on what Montana, his historical doppelganger, accomplished late in his career, who's to say he can't?

* * *

After all of this talk about his greatness, it's -- well, whiny, I guess -- to suggest Brady doesn't get his due. Despite the countless highlights provided by the Michael Vick Redemption Tour, he's a lock for the MVP award this year, something one of the more notable talking heads, Boomer Esiason, emphasized on WEEI this morning.

Still . . . let's fire up the whine machine anyway.

It is annoying to hear all of the plaudits heaved Peyton Manning's way for the miracles he's working playing with -- let's see, I think it's the three blind mice at receiver, a couple of running backs who suffer from polio, and a huddle filled with Culpepper's former UFL teammates, and the occasional beer vendor who knows how to run a go route. (This is the point where Blair White is usually cited as a punch line, while the existence of Reggie Wayne is overlooked.)

Maybe I'm still ticked that Manning was ranked 13 spots ahead of Brady on the NFL Network's 100 greatest players list -- actually, make that yes, I'm definitely still ticked -- but it's because the reality of the careers of the two greatest quarterbacks of this generation is this: Brady has beaten Manning with lesser firepower and broken his records when he had more.

Manning is an all-time great; Brady is better.

And the argument can be made with ease that winning with two street free-agents at running back, two rookie tight ends, a scar-kneed receiver for which might Seattle had no use, another scar-kneed receiver who had some subtle fits and starts during his comeback, and isn't what Brady has accomplished with this crew even more impressive yet again than what Manning has done with his?

* * *

Part of the reason that we appreciate the season-in-progress for Brady and the Patriots so much is because the ending to last season suggested that these days of efficient victories and selfless championship-level play may have been gone for good.

It's interesting to look at the game book from the Patriots' embarrassing 33-14 loss to the Ravens in the playoffs in January and consider the names that are no longer on the team.

Moss . . . Maroney . . . Thomas . . . Springs . . . Burgess . . . Watson . . . Thomas . . . Thomas . . . Thomas . . .

It's even more interesting when you consider Brady's blunt diagnosis of the team's downfall during his press conference after that Ravens whupping:

"There are some things that we didn't do well over the course of the year and I think the things we didn't do well today - a lot of [reasons] of why we've been successful and mental toughness and leadership and discipline and commitment and all those things that we displayed at times and certainly didn't display at other times. I think that's something that we all reflect on and individually, that's what we have to make more of a commitment to each other. I think [for the] guys that are going to be here next year - the 2010 version of the team - it's going to be something we can learn from this year."

I'd say they learned. Those who are still here, anyway. Those who are fortunate enough to be playing with a quarterback playing the position as well as it has ever been played.

Loved Jeff Pearlman's counter to the NFL Network's buzzy countdown of the top 100 players of all-time -- naturally, the 100 Worst Players Ever. Loved it. It's one of those smart yet shoulda-been-obvious ideas that makes you want to punt yourself for not thinking of it first.

Of course, digging it doesn't mean that I agree with it entirely. Otis Smith, rated the 71st-worst, does not belong here. He'd get burned from time to time, but he could also make plays on the ball, he was smart, and I wish the Patriots had someone like him right now instead of Jonathan Wilhite. The man earned his Super Bowl ring.

There are not nearly enough Bengals on the list -- they should have at least 20 of the top 100 worst players just on principle. There are way too many Jets, and strangely few Patriots. To put it another way, there are dozens of Patriots I'd trade for Johnny "Lam" Jones in his prime, including pretty much every Bobby Grier draft pick save for Kevin Faulk and Damien Woody.

Actually, scratch that: Just looked up Lam Jones's stats, and he probably does belong. He was done at 26, so he didn't even have a prime.

Lam can stay. But here are six Patriots who should join him on the Wretched 100, plus an extra point . . .

1. Chris Canty: The worst. Just . . . the worst. If there's been a more unlikable Patriots player in recent memory, I've apparently blacked him out of my mind. This is what Bobby Grier got with the 29th pick in the 1997 draft: A runty, not particularly quick cornerback who couldn't cover anyone, tackled like he thought such a thing was beneath him, and who very possibly began the trend, carried on dutifully by Brandon Meriweather and others, of celebrating a tackle after getting torched for a first down. On the plus side, it is possible that he inadvertently invented The Dougie at some point. Probably after a 28-yard gain by the guy who blew past him at the line of scrimmage.

2. Jeff Carlson: In three games (two starts) at quarterback for the wretched 1992 Patriots*, he completed 18 of 49 passes -- that would be a 36.7 completion percentage -- for 232 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. His passer rating 33.7. The worst quarterback I have ever seen play is Craig Whelihan, who made Pearlman's list. But I suspect that's only because I don't have any recollection whatsoever of Carlson.

* The Patriots went 2-14 in '92 with four quarterbacks -- Carlson, Hugh Millen, Tommy Hodson, and Scott Zolak. Guess who started in the two wins? Yep. Zo.

3. Eugene Chung: The first round of the 1992 NFL Draft was pretty lousy -- the Colts took los bustos Steve Emtman and Quentin Coryatt 1-2, Desmond Howard was the fourth pick, David Klingler the seventh . . . and some guy named Belichick goofed in Cleveland, selecting Touchdown Tommy Vardell ninth overall. But it's hard to find a bigger flop than Chung, the 13th choice who started 30 games during his first two seasons with the Patriots before Bill Parcells, who didn't seem to care that he was a first-round pick since he wasn't his first-round pick, buried him behind Bob Kratch in 1994, Chung's final season in New England. Looking at this card, it's appropriate that he already seems to be heading in reverse.

4. Chris Singleton: The Patriots might have had Junior Seau 16 years before Belichick brought him here had they not traded the No. 3 overall pick in the 1990 draft to the Seahawks for the eighth and 10th selections in the first round. With the third choice, Seattle chose Miami defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, who became a perennial Pro Bowler. Two picks later, the Chargers swiped Seau. And with their choices? The Patriots got Singleton, an alleged pass rusher who had four sacks in four seasons (22 starts with the Patriots), and defensive lineman Ray Agnew, who'd go on to play 11 undistinguished seasons, the most undistinguished of which came as a Patriot. An awful trade made worse by awful use of the picks.

5. Ken Sims: Did you happen to catch the sight of Albert Haynesworth pathetically plopped all dormant and sessile on the FedEx Field turf Monday night like a sea lion, as Tom Curran perfectly put it on Twitter? Yeah, that sort of reminded me of Sims, a superbly gifted slug who performed adequately during an eight-year career in New England after being chosen No. 1 overall out of Texas in '82. He was supposed to be Reggie White before there was a Reggie White. He turned out to be much closer to this Reggie White.

6. Trevor Matich: I guess he's not the worst player in NFL history, given that he managed to hang around the league for 12 years, primarily as a long-snapper. But considering he was a flop as a lineman (12 career starts) after the Patriots chose him 28th overall in '85 . . . and considering that he was chosen with the lone first-round pick among the three selections the Patriots acquired from the San Francisco 49ers for the 16th pick in that '85 draft . . . and considering the player the 49ers chose with that pick ranked first on the NFL Network's list of the top 100 players . . . well, let's just say we like the symmetry of having Jerry Rice at No. 1 and Trevor Matich about as far from No. 1 as possible.

Extra point: Giovanni Carmazzi:And while we're talking symmetry, let's consider the 2000 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers, in need of an heir at quarterback to Steve Young, grabbed Hofstra standout Carmazzi with the 65th pick, a selection endorsed by none other than Bill Walsh. One-hundred-and-thirty-four picks later, the Patriots spent a sixth-rounder on a skinny Bay Area kid who grew up idolizing Joe Montana and dreaming of playing for the Niners. Whatever Walsh thought he saw in Carmazzi -- who never took a snap in the NFL in two seasons -- proved abundant in Tom Brady. (You thought we meant someone else?) Funny how the talent in Brady, the closest thing to Montana we've ever seen, went unrecognized by the man who found Montana. Given how it's all worked out, I guess we can probably forgive them for Rice/Matich now.

The theme was consistent in the aftermath of another wildly unpredictable NFL Sunday, which culminated with the Patriots' affirming, shockingly easy 39-26 victory at Heinz Field Sunday night:

There are no elite teams in the NFL this year.

Right up until the Michael Vick Show last night, the notion dominated the day's NFL discussion no matter the medium -- harried postgame television analysis, sports radio yammering, even some reporter buddies chiming in on Twitter. You got the sense that those ubiquitous power-polls would have a 10-way tie for first, the consensus being that there is no consensus.

In Peter King's team rankings -- I should be clear, not of sugary overpriced beverages and preferred modes of travel, but of actual NFL teams -- the top spot was left vacant. It's a clever device, I guess, though the word vacant, perhaps appropriately, also implies an absence of analytical thinking.

The 6-2 Patriots overwhelmed the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers -- beat them at their own game, really, beat them up convincingly in their own yard -- and yet the performance is not a suggestion of their potential and/or burgeoning dominance, but confirmation that parity has come to the NFL like never before.

Funny how that works.

I can't be the only one who strongly suspects the talking point would have been different Monday had the Pittsburgh Steelers been the maulers rather than the maulees Sunday night. The Steel Curtain is back. Another step toward redemption for Big Ben. You know, Merril, they have won two Super Bowls since the Patriots last won one. Click.

I'm not denying the rest of this NFL season -- and the postseason to come -- is going to be wide open and wildly unpredictable. Taking a quick glance at the standings, there are at least six AFC teams (Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, and Chargers) I could see playing in Dallas in January, and five from the NFC (Giants, Eagles, Packers, Falcons, Saints) with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. That's 11 teams, more than a third of the league. Somewhere, Pete Rozelle nods in approval, then wonders who this Roger Goodell thinks he's fooling with his make-it-up-on-the-fly justice. (We like to think that's how it would go, anyway.)

Even if you're skeptical that the Patriots are the NFL's elite team at the moment, this much is certain. There is absolutely more elite talent -- or potentially elite talent -- on this roster than there was perceived to be just a month or two ago.

We'll begin with the obvious. Given the circumstances and context -- a pivotal game on the road against a talented, respected, fierce longtime rival -- that has to be one of the top five performances of Tom Brady's career.

He's had better statistical games, chucking six TDs against the Dolphins in '07 or playing practically flawlessly in the snow-globe blowout of the uninterested Titans last year. And he's earned maybe, what, a dozen more meaningful victories than this in his career where his stat line didn't do his performance justice? Sunday was the perfect amalgam of the two. He was spectacular statistically, and even more spectacular viscerally. If you've ever seen a finer throw than the first touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, please, send along the video.

And let's stop with the nonsense about Brady not being emotional. Yeah, he's become a little bit more Joe Cool than he was in his giddy NFL youth, when he exulted on every touchdown and obliviously pounded on a bewildered Drew Bledsoe's shoulder pads before Super Bowl XXXVI. But unemotional? Tell that to the hole he stared through Joey Galloway's head last year.

Yet Sunday night, it wasn't just the QB 12 show. Patrick Chung was the best safety on the field. (If only he had a shampoo endorsement to enhance his profile and exaggerate his skills.) Cris Collinsworth casually mentioned that Devin McCourty looks like a future Pro Bowl corner, an accurate, astute statement, yet one we wannabe draft gurus never would have believed back in April. Logan Mankins has somehow returned in his usual ferocious form. Jerod Mayo is the linebacker we hoped he'd become two years ago, before a knee injury stunted his sophomore season. Rob Gronkowski is a beast. Vince Wilfork's interior dominance is not a surprise, but his versatility makes him even more valuable. Alge Crumpler, once Vick's favorite target in Atlanta, has reinvented himself as a blocker so effective that he practically willed James Harrison invisible.

Now, despite the giddiness, I'm not saying this all adds up to confetti shower February 6 at Cowboys Stadium. Each Sunday brings more information about this team, and we'll have an even better gauge on their status at roughly 7 p.m. Sunday. A win over Peyton Manning and the Colts would be a pretty damn convincing confirmation of their status even to whatever naysayers remain. And I do understand the perception that the Patriots have something left to prove, that they can't stand alone above the field when the memory of a shocking loss to the mediocre Cleveland Browns is just a week old. But I'm willing to write that off as a young team looking ahead on the schedule, underestimating a supposedly weak opponent. Perceptive veterans such as Wilfork said they saw it coming during an uninspired week of practice. I trust the lesson has been learned, with Sunday's game submitted as indisputable evidence.

We do know how to recognize an elite team around here, you know. We've a seen one, or two, or three over the last decade. And what we saw Sunday night . . . it just looked so pleasantly familiar. The Patriots pummeled the Steelers on their own turf. They were coldly efficient, versatile, physical and unyielding. If so many of the names on the jerseys hadn't changed, I would have sworn NBC's telecast was a bootleg version of the 2004 AFC Championship Game.

The team I saw Sunday is the best team I have seen on any given Sunday in the NFL this season. They have a chance -- a chance, but a realistic one -- to carve their own niche in history before this season is done. If the Patriots truly are poised to pull off this throwback thing in both style and results, well, you know what that means for you, Peyton.

Whoops, we should probably clarify which Peyton.

We're talking about you, Manning. That Hillis guy? We're not messing with him again -- consider it another lesson learned. Yes, that's the kind of year it's been.

So many questions whirling about the Shocking Randy Moss Transaction of the Month. Or should we say, Transaction-To-Be, since the move isn't official yet. Like that's going to stop us . . .

How much would you have loved to be a fly in the film room when Bill Belichick got word this afternoon that the Vikings we're dumping the receiver for whom they gave up a third-round draft pick not even a full month ago? He must have looked like the Grinch when his heart grew three sizes that day.

• Did the Vikings have Brett Favre's jaw wired shut so he can't call a press conference to blather about his disappointment? I can't imagine what he might pull to get his name back in the headlines. Best guess: He'll shoot himself in the foot with his trusty BB gun, then blame it on Jenn Sterger.
• Who will claim Moss? The battered Chargers? Kansas City, to reunite him with Matt Cassel, a quarterback he helped make rich? The Redskins? The -- gasp -- Jets? What about Indy? Would Peyton Manning want him with the Colts? The Bengals, with T.O. and Ocho Cinco? Pete Carroll's Seahawks? Josh McDaniels's Broncos? The Ottawa RoughRiders? New Jersey Generals? The University of North Carolina?
• Is Brad Childress's ego really so fragile, or is he simply a paranoid control freak desperately clinging to his last bare threads of authority? Clearly he took Moss's comments yesterday as verbal insubordination, and reports indicate the Vikings thought he was joking when he said Moss was "no longer with them." And then he apparently decided to cut Moss -- inexplicably, he has roster autonomy -- without informing anyone else in the front office. This is the most unbelievable part of this to me. Did he think owner Zygi Wilf wouldn't notice when he wasn't on the field Sunday? Actually, Moss was barely noticeable yesterday, so perhaps that was Childress's plan. He's had dumber ideas.

Which brings us to the most tantalizing question of all: Could Moss's next destination be his previous home? Could he come back to the Patriots? It's fascinating to consider for a number of reasons, but I can't convince myself there is a chance, and not just because 30 teams will get a crack at him on waivers before the Patriots.

I think we all took his compelling "Baby, I'm sorry, I miss what we had together" act during yesterday's postgame press conference as an acknowledgment that he regrets forcing his way out of the best professional situation he's ever been in. His tone fell someone between pandering and pleading when he was talking about his affection for New England. It was quite a contrast to when he talked about the Vikings and was certainly disrespectful of Childress. ("There is a lot of film study that we leave in that room each day . . . I wish we could have had that three at the end of the half . . . PLEASE, MR. KRAFT. DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE AGAIN!!! PLEASE!!! I'LL LEAVE MY EARPHONES AT HOME NEXT TIME, PROMISE!!!")

He's probably holding up his boom box outside Tom Brady's place in the Back Bay right now. Giselle must be puzzled.

It sure didn't take long for his Vikings sequel to turn into a wake-up call. He thought he was getting traded back to the Vikings, the team with which he made his Hall of Fame name. What he likely realized in three short weeks was that he might as well have been dealt back to the Raiders given the Vikings' dysfunction and the Childress/Favre ego fight.

We know better than to say never with Moss -- who would have thought a month ago that he'd have bounced from the Patriots to the Vikings to NFL purgatory by now? Maybe the lesson is learned and his perspective has been altered, and he can convince Belichick of as much. Maybe Belichick believes he can bring him back this season without fear of an outburst or another goofy, incendiary press conference or having to watch him run half-hearted pass routes because he's not the focus of the offense and doesn't have a new contract.

What a story a comeback route would make. But there's an even better story in the making. The Patriots are 6-1, and 3-0 since he left. There's an irresistible 2001 vibe about this team, with all the kids and the Ninkoviches and Arringtons thriving, and you look at the names they've pared off the roster since last season -- Thomas, Burgess, Maroney, and yes, Moss -- and you realize selflessness, focus and unity are again atop the priorities list.

Maybe Moss has been humbled by his Minnesota hiatus. But given what the Patriots have become without him, he's not worth the risk. In a way, he will remain to this team what Terry Glenn was to the 2001 Patriots -- a talented, high-maintenance, eventually discarded afterthought.

Which is why Moss's words yesterday will always read as a goodbye and a thank-you rather than anything foreshadowing a potential return.

"Maybe it could have been different. Maybe not," he said. "I don't know how many more times I'm going to be up here in New England, but I'm going to leave the New England Patriots, coach Belichick, man, with a salute. Man, I love you guys. I miss you. I'm out."

Less than 24 hours later, he's out of Minnesota, too. And we wait, with equal parts skepticism and eagerness, to discover if the Patriots fulfill his thinly veiled wish and bring him back in.

It's a contradictory set of feelings to be sure. Which, given the player we're talking about, couldn't seem more appropriate.

* * *

A few other thoughts on the Patriots we were working on when the Moss bombshell dropped . . .

BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 117 rushing yards yesterday -- 43 more than Laurence Maroney has this season -- and scored a touchdown for the fifth straight game. It would easy to say that there's something to be said for putting your head down and running straight ahead . . . except that Green-Ellis, who is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, has a little bit more style than he gets credit for. He's never going to be mistaken for Maroney in the open field -- that is, if you can remember the times Maroney got through the line and to the open field -- but he came close to breaking a couple of long ones yesterday, and he's got a little more shimmy that he gets credit for. Feel free to go ahead and consider this yet another complimentary comparison to Antowain Smith.

* * *

Maybe the Patriots miss Kevin Faulk in some subtle ways that aren't apparent to this Sunday citizen of the couch. I'm sure they do. But Danny Woodhead -- averaging 4.9 yards per carry, tied for fourth on the team with 14 catches, and the author of two completely Faulkian plays (the direct-snap TD and a 16-yard catch-and-run to pick up a first down with under 4 minutes remaining -- has been a very reasonable facsimile, and perhaps even the long-term successor. (In a related note, loved seeing him in the No. 39 throwback jersey yesterday. He looked like a kid wearing a Sam Cunningham gamer in 1977.)

* * *

I'm jumping the gun here like Jared Allen trying to make up for that step he's apparently lost, but I don't care. I realize these guys aren't even a half-season into their NFL careers, but hypothetically and for the fun of it, let me ask you this: If there were a do-over on the 2010 NFL Draft tomorrow morning, where would Devin McCourty be selected? McCourty looks like a genuine No. 1 cornerback -- one who is also willing and able tackler, not exactly a common attribute among "shutdown corner" stars at the position. A top-notch corner might be the rarest asset in the NFL these days. He'd have to go in the top 10, right? The irony is that he's become so valuable as a cornerback that its almost too risky to put him on special teams, which was widely believed to be his best skill by those puzzled by his first-round draft status.

* * *

I wouldn't want to be a fan of these Vikings. Save for perhaps the Chargers (who have injuries as an excuse to some degree), they are the classic the-whole-is-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts team in the league, and that includes Dallas, whose talent is overrated annually. As frustrating as the Vikings must be to root for -- Childress forgets Adrian Peterson is on his team at the most inconvenient times -- it is impressive to watch the individual skill of some of their players. We've known Peterson was the total package since he was a freshman at Oklahoma, but it's startling to watch a running back with so much skill take such pleasure in punishing his would-be tacklers. It may cost him years off his career, as Troy Aikman noted yesterday, but you have to admire a running back puts staying bounds and gaining an extra yard or two ahead of self-preservation. It's Paytonesque, and there's not a higher compliment for a running back than that.

* * *

The other Viking who is a blast to watch is Percy Harvin, who runs his patterns like a receiver but has the open-field moves of a running back. I don't know if we'll ever know for sure whether Brad Childress's claim that they drafted him in the first round in 2009 knowing that the Patriots coveted him is true, but it could be. The Vikings took him 22d; the Patriots traded the 23d pick to the Ravens when they were on the clock and ended up with four second-rounders, their top choice being Patrick Chung at No. 34. No gripes here about how that turned out, particularly since the Patriots ended up with a relatively similar player in Brandon Tate in the third round, but if they were interested in him, Sunday was a reminder why.

* * *

It never dawned on me that the middle of the game would overlap with prime trick-or-treating hours until I heard Jonathan Kraft apologize for the start time during his spot on the Patriots pregame show. So like many of you, I imagine, I DVR'd the second half and took the queen and Superman on the neighborhood candy raid they've been anticipating since about June. I managed to peek at the score at a few houses -- and got a few knowing nods and occasional details from the dads who talked their wives into letting them stay home and hand out the goodies, a more football-friendly duty. But I didn't know that Favre had been knocked out of the game until my wife filed her sideline report when we got home. She said he'd been hit in the mouth and it looked bad and had to be carted off. I snorted and said he'd find a way to have postgame press conference even if his jaw had to be amputated and the rest of his face was now wired to his neck. Wouldn't you know it, less than, what, an hour later, there he was, drawling over 100 I's, me's, and my's in a 12-question press conference, and that's when my wife understood why Favre is a first-ballot Hall of Fame drama queen. Now, if we could just convince some certain national NFL broadcasters of the same.

* * *

As for today's Completely Random Football Card:

You've been in the public eye since the beginning of forever. You were apparently a master at keeping your hands warm during those frigid Sundays in Minnesota. And you had one fewer catch than Moss yesterday. Here's to you, Ahmad. Here's to you.

Ten lingering thoughts on the Patriots' escape from Qualcomm . . .

1. In the aftermath of the Patriots' win, which I think we can probably agree was due in large part to the Norvball Chargers' own ineptitude, I was resigned to the notion that the recurring theme among most media and the most skeptical of fans would be yeah, but.

Yeah, they won, but . . . the Chargers tried to give it to them . . . and tried again . . . and tried again . . . and still they had a chance to tie . . . and Brady struggled (for him, anyway) . . . and they couldn't run the ball . . . and we haven't even mentioned 4th and 1 yet . . . and . . . yeah, they won but . . .

Which is fine. They're all valid points to some degree. But ultimately, you know what? They won. On the road. Against a talented and desperate opponent in the Chargers, led by an outstanding quarterback in Philip Rivers.

I'll take the win, and I'll take 5-1, particularly with a rebuilt and improving defense and an adjusting offense in its second week post-Moss. I'll worry about the consequences of inefficient or erratic play later. They won, over a skilled foe in a tough environment, and while it might have been ugly and had some unnecessary suspense at the end, was a tremendous win. And in this year's version of the NFL, where parity rules and the best teams seem to vary week to week, every single victory matters a heck of a lot more than style points do. No buts about it.

2. OK, so this is what I wrote in this spot in response to the Patriots' selection of Devin McCourty in the first round of the NFL Draft in April:

I'm still not sure about the Patriots selection of McCourty -- it's disconcerting when the first thing you hear about a player is in regard to his special teams skills. But I'm smart enough to give Bill Belichick the benefit of the doubt, and the rest of their draft was pretty reassuring and encouraging.

OK, so that wasn't exactly an endorsement of the kid, but given the general "who the . . . Belichick, you've gone mad!" reaction to the pick among the more reactionary of the Twitterati, I'm feeling pretty good on where I came down on the pick competitively. It's evident six games into his NFL career that McCourty, who had a textbook interception Sunday, not only is a tremendous athlete, particularly for his size, but a fast learner. I can't wait to see him go stride-for-stride with Mr. Moss next Sunday. And in the future, when Belichick puzzles Mel Kiper Jr. by spending a first rounder on some massive defensive end from Southeast Texas State Agricultural and Tractor who Gary Wichard has never heard of, I'm going to put away my skepticism for fear of eating a heaping helping of crow once we actually see the kid play.

3. If there's an underutilized weapon in the Patriots' passing game, it has to be Rob Gronkowski, doesn't it? He presents a matchup problem at 6-foot-6, he's fast enough to get open in the middle of the field, has demonstrated to have stick-'em hands (Brady made a bad throw on his TD grab Sunday), and while he's already proven a Vrabelesque red zone threat (three TDs), he has just nine receptions for 96 yards. If defenses continue to focus on Wes Welker as the Chargers did, Gronkowski should end up as one of the beneficiaries. And you could argue that's already overdue.

4. One of the little reasons I generally prefer baseball (and to a lesser degree, NBA basketball) to the NFL is the seemingly smaller chance of significant injury to a player crucial you enjoy watching. That may sound ridiculous coming after a Red Sox season in which a talented and intriguing team was decimated by injuries, but it's my theory and I'm sticking to it. That considered, if the reports that Patrick Chung will miss no more than a week or two with an apparent knee injury suffered in the first quarter Sunday, I will absolutely take it, breathe a huge sigh of relief, and thank the football gods for sparing us from another season of the Meriweather-Sanders Step-Too-Late tandem at safety.

5. Bill Belichick will never admit it, but I'm convinced one of the reasons he decided to go for it on fourth-and-1, if not the main reason, was the erratic performance of long snapper Jake Ingram Sunday. Zoltan Mesko fielded more grounders and one-hoppers than Derek Jeter did in the entire ALCS, and the fear that Ingram had the yips for the afternoon and might be on the verge of launching one over Mesko's head to the Patriots' 25-yard line or so had to play some role in Belichick's thinking.

6. The last five Chargers head coaches, in chronological order: Kevin Gilbride, June Jones, Mike Riley, Marty Schottenheimer (with Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator), and Norv Turner. If San Diego ever lands a truly capable head coach such as Bill Cowher or that guy Jon Gruden, its going to feel to Chargers fans like they just got Lombardi in his prime. Or Belichick. Figured you'd say it if I didn't.

7. Tully Banta-Cain had 10 sacks last year, as many as he had in the previous four seasons combined. Five of those sacks game in the two games against the Bills, who played a season ago like they were unaware were required to field five offensive linemen. Banta-Cain has 1.5 sacks (none since Week 2) and 14 tackles this year -- a half-sack more and a tackle fewer than rookie Jermaine Cunningham, who has nine of his tackles over the past two weeks.The point is two-fold: Cunningham is yet another newbie on this rebuilt and blossoming defense who is hinting that he may be an impact player for years to come . . . and that three-year, $13.5 million contract Banta-Cain signed in the offseason is not looking like money well spent.

8. That was just a -- I don't know, weird? -- performance Sunday for Brady, who seemed to lack his customary sixth sense for feeling the rush in the pocket. He was sacked a season-high four times and tied his season-low with 19 completions, in eight more attempts (32) than his previous 19-completion game against Miami. Aesthetically, it reminded me considerably of his performance against the Chargers during the 2006 playoffs . . . .but upon checking out the recaps and box scores, it was actually sort of the opposite. Brady wasn't his usual close-to-flawless self in either game, but his rating Sunday (82.7) was higher than his 59.5 from the Marlon McCree Bowl . . . and that's despite throwing for a meager 159 yards versus 280 in the '06 game, a 24-21 win. The difference? Brady threw three picks in the playoff game, while he managed to avoid any aerial miscues Sunday despite being under siege by the unsung Kevin Burnett, Shaun Phillips, and the Chargers' very impressive post-Merriman defense.

9. Brett Favre may shrewdly position himself as a just-a-good-ol'-boy, never-meanin'-no-harm -- albeit one who apparently does a little ol' textin' from the John Deere -- but he's certainly done his share of harm to the Patriots through the years. You probably don't need to be reminded that Favre has directly or indirectly foiled some of the Patriots' best-laid plans -- beating them in Super Bowl XXXI, going through the motions in '02 against the Jets to keep the Patriots out of the playoffs, blowing it with one of his patented brain-lock interceptions against the Giants in the NFC title game in '07, and so on. So if there's any justice, he'll give it a go on his broken ankle Sunday, if only to keep his consecutive starts streak alive (and perhaps to spite his coach), and the Patriots will get to be the beneficiary of his poor decisions, his desire to force the ball to Randy Moss, and his declining skills. That 35-0 win over Favre and the Packers in 2006? Not nearly enough revenge for my liking, particularly since he made his escape near halftime and nearly ran over Ellis Hobbs while getting carted off the field with an elbow injury. Play, Brett, play.

10. As for today's Completely Random Football Card:

Now there's a welcome flashback. Ramsey was one of my favorite Patriots of the Raymond Berry/"Squish The Fish" era. ( I also had an appreciation of the Weathers brothers and Greg Hawthorne that wasn't necessarily supported by their production.) While Ramsey's time with the Pats was relatively brief -- he played 34 games over two-plus seasons -- the 6-foot-4-inch, 230-pounder had a terrific receiving season in '85, catching 66 passes for 792 yards and seven touchdowns. Now that I think of it, I wonder if Aaron Hernandez will surpass those reception/yardage numbers from Ramsey's fine season this year.

He picked up a couple of scars on his knees during his four years in Seattle, his lucrative but ultimately unfulfilling professional purgatory. His hair is different and his face shows the years a little more. And his old familiar No. 83 belongs to and is more associated with Wes Welker now. He's now No. 84 in your GameDay program.

Otherwise, the Deion Branch we saw Sunday sure looked just like the Deion Branch we all remembered so well, didn't he? His performance -- nine catches, 98 yards, one touchdown and damn near a second -- looked like it could have come out of his highlight reel, the moment matching up perfectly with the memories.

I'm so sentimental about this that I'm about to queue up some John Sebastian here -- Was there something that made you come back again/And what could ever lead ya/Back here where we need ya -- for which I will now apologize but not really mean it. Let's just say the performance by ol' No. 83 new No. 84 made for a heck of a welcome-back party.

I realize I'm late to this particular party (as usual . . . it's like I'm on a three-day delay on this blog lately, and I hate it), but I doubt anyone minds. The Patriots' 23-20 victory over the Ravens Sunday is one of those wins that linger, one of those wins that leaves a smile on your face for hours after the game as you replay the highlights in your mind, one of those wins that puts a little extra bounce in your step as you roll out of bed the next day and remember how it all went down. While Bill Belichick and his team surely moved on to the Chargers at, oh, roughly 4:30 p.m. Sunday, it's OK for us to savor it.

The performance confirmed a lot of things about this football team -- that they could beat a legitimate top-quality opponent, that the Wilforks and McCourtys and Cunninghams and Chungs and Mayos, yes, even the formerly anonymous Ninkoviches, Deadericks and Fletchers, are accelerating toward becoming a very compelling defense by the time the postseason is here, and that the Back To The Future passing game worked, for the most part, as if Bill O'Brien had stumbled upon an old Charlie Weis play sheet or the Patriots had never deviated from it in the first place.

Yes, it was an incredibly fun victory, one that in a way made up for the lost chance to properly savor the Miami win because of the Randy Moss bombshell, and it was appropriate and rewarding that Branch was such a significant factor. To be honest, I didn't expect him to contribute so much so soon; I thought Brandon Tate and Aaron Hernandez would be featured more, while Branch would slide in as a third receiver and maybe catch three or four balls.

Maybe that's how it will go eventually. But this Sunday, it sort of evolved like this.

First quarter: "Hey, Branch caught a pass. Nice to have him back."

Second quarter: "Man, he's actually a pretty big part of the passing game today. Impressive."

Third quarter: "This is exactly the Deion we remember. How come Seattle never used him right, anyway? Seahawks are a dumb bird!"

Fourth quarter: "He's open in the end zone! He's open! . . . AAAHHH! So close! Could have been the perfect ending!"

Overtime: "Just get him the ball a couple of times, Brady, and then Vinat . . . er, Gostkowski can win it."

So yeah, I probably should have known he would rise to the occasion. That has been his history, after all. One reason Branch remained so widely admired by New England football fans was the little receiver's knack for playing big in the biggest moments.

He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX with 11 catches for 133 yards -- including a spectacular catch he snagged a split-second after it sailed through the hands of an unbelieving Eagles defensive back. And he was equally spectacular, if not the official MVP, in the Patriots' Super Bowl win over Carolina the previous season, when he had 10 catches for 143 yards, including a 17-yard reception that helped set up Adam Vinatieri's winning kick.

It is Branch's association with those cherished times in franchise lore, as well as his reputation as a smart, precise, hard-working receiver who long ago won the unyielding trust of Brady, that kept alive the daydream that he'd someday play for the Patriots again.

Before Sunday's redemptive return, he final image of Branch in a Patriots uniform was of him standing on the Patriots' sideline, tears streaming down his cheeks, as the bid for three straight titles and four in five years ended in the thin air of Denver at the hands of Champ Bailey and Jake Plummer in the 2005 AFC Divisional Playoffs.

There was never any doubt about how much he cared.

And that's why all was easily forgiven long ago regarding his messy departure in a contract dispute in September 2005, which was arguably a more egregious exit than Moss's fly pattern to Minnesota. By the time the Doug Gabriel/Reche Caldwell missed opportunity in 2006 had passed, we weren't mad at him. We just wished he'd never left.

This is no knock on Randy Moss, who was always entertaining, often spectacular, and would have been a Super Bowl hero in his own right had the defense been able to stop Eli Manning.

But Deion Branch is back where he always belonged. And suddenly, all feels right with the Patriots.

It can't be all coincidence, you know.

Well, now it all makes sense. Randy Moss is back in Minnesota, where he ran his first go-route toward Canton, because he had a grooming fight with Tom Brady.

It really shouldn't surprise us, I suppose. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of NFL lore is aware that this sort of stuff has happened since the days of leather helmets, drop kicks, and undiagnosed concussions.

You should hear Steve Sabol tell the story about the time Bronco Nagurski and Red Grange nearly bare-knuckle brawled to the death in the 1933 Chicago Bears locker room over a can of Burma Shave. It's mesmerizing.

Sorry, Charley. I mean, c'mon, if you think we actually believe that . . .

• . . . this Brady/Moss incident actually happened.

• . . . had it actually happened, Tom Brady wouldn't have laughed it off and defused it with his usual self-effacing humor, for his ability to make fun of himself and take just-one-of-the-guys verbal abuse has helped him remain a popular teammate despite being married to a supermodel and looking like that smirking fella in the J. Crew catalog you want to strangle with his $79 llama wool scarf.

• . . . had it actually happened, it would have resulted in the massive overreaction of Moss being instantly expatriated to Minnesota as punishment.

Did Brady and Moss bicker from time to time? No doubt about it -- find me a quarterback and receiver who haven't. It's the nature of competitive sports, football in particular. Philip Rivers delivers a sneer with every pass. Peyton Manning shakes his head when Reggie Wayne drops one. Hell, I half expected Dan Marino to scream at Mark Duper and Mark Clayton during that ceremony Monday night, just for old times' sake.

I think we've all wondered about the level of sincerity of Brady's relentless praise for Moss, whether it was about his football IQ or the effort he put in on the field and so on. I tend to believe at least a portion of it was done to keep Moss's healthy yet fragile ego well-maintained, just as throwing to him periodically when he was covered was done to keep him involved. Which, of course, is fine. It's what a smart quarterback does.

But the notion that the breaking point for Moss and Brady -- and perhaps the breaking point for Moss and the Patriots -- had anything to do with beards and haircuts is almost as foolish as that acorn-hoarding pelt atop Casserly's head.

Why did they trade him? Here is why, so far as I can deduce: He was unhappy with his contract situation, obsessed with his future, and to some degree, he was being a pain in the neck, whether it was listening to his earphones at a charity banquet, bickering with Bill O'Brien (who frankly, should absolutely be bickered with), providing bizarre, entertaining postgame soliloquies, or whatever else might have happened that we don't know about. Belichick realized it wasn't going to get better and Moss was en route to becoming insubordinate, had faith in the young guys on offense, particularly rising star Aaron Hernandez, and decided to swiftly eliminate the problem before it became a Problem.

If you've got a more logical theory than that, please do share.

Roughly 14,604 words (and, nearly, buckets of feuding sports-yakker blood!) have been spilled around here on the Moss deal since it officially went down Friday morning.

Let me throw a few more words into the pot while we wait to watch him make his debut with his new/old team, hopefully again leaving Darrelle Revis in a heap of wounded hamstrings ...

* * *

With the caveat that I haven't exactly been spot-on with my Most Likely To Implode predictions this year (the Jets are better than I expected . . . until Rex cries, then all bets are off!), I'm convinced this deal is going to be a spectacular failure for the Vikings. Think about it. They have a pushover head coach in Brad Childress. They have perhaps the game's finest running back. They have other very capable weapons such as Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe. They have a 41-year-old quarterback who has clamored to play with Moss for years, isn't exactly known for his wise decision-making, has never grown up, openly admits he will throw Moss's way when he's covered, and may no longer have the arm to reach him downfield. To put it another way: This sinking ship will relegate the time Fred Smoot tried to purify some friends in the waters of Lake Minnetonka to the second-biggest nautical embarrassment in Vikings history.

* * *

I should probably know better considering how much sports radio I'm required to listen to in the course of a week, but I never fail to be stunned and disappointed by the instant Belichick's lost it! yelping whenever he makes a roster move that is unexpected or against conventional wisdom.

You'd think his track record and the fact that he's turning over this roster on the fly while still winning more than he loses would buy him the benefit of the doubt. But it rarely does, which is puzzling and a little disappointing. It's really not that difficult to look at his history with controversial moves and realize that his success rate is pretty close to that of Adam Vinatieri in big moments. Consider his four most controversial moves with the Patriots (actually, letting Vinatieri go might be the fifth, and that worked too).

• Traded Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills for a No. 1 pick. The yelp: How could they trade Drew within the division!? He's gonna haunt us for years! The result: Exposed Bledsoe time and again. Turned pick into Ty Warren.

• Cut Lawyer Milloy. The yelp: He cut Loy-ah! He's hahhhtless! The result: One ugly season-opening loss in Buffalo in 2003. Back-to-back Super Bowls. The realization that Rodney Harrison (and for a too-brief time, Eugene Wilson) was pretty damn good.

• Traded Richard Seymour to Oakland for a No. 1 pick. The yelp: Actually, even I was howling about this one, mostly because I'd just finished editing the 2009 Maple Street Press Annual and there were about a half-dozen pictures of No. 93 in the book. Grrr. So, yeah, I'll refrain from mocking here. The result: Seymour is decent for the Raiders, but the Patriots were not going to re-sign him and Vince Wilfork, and Wilfork, the anchor of the defense, was the correct keeper. And did we mention the Patriots have the Raiders' No. 1 pick next year?

• Traded Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs for a second-round draft pick. The yelp: Vrabes and Matty? For a second-roundah! Why me??!! Why??!! (Yes, Nancy Kerrigan was crushed by the deal.) Result: Loved watching Cassel improve during his one season here, but he's been abysmal with the Chiefs and looks like a product of playing with Moss and Welker. Vrabel had 53 tackles and two sacks last year, and has eight tackles and no sacks this year. The second-rounder was used on Patrick Chung, who looks like a young Milloy, if not a young Harrison. The deal looks better with every passing Sunday.

The verdict: In Bill we trust. Yup. Still. And pretty much always.

* * *

The notion that the Moss-less offense will be similar to the share-the-ball approach the Patriots took in their championship years might be an obvious one, but if you compare the personnel, it really does sense. Wes Welker is very similar to Troy Brown, a slot receiver extraordinaire. Brandon Tate's skill-set is reminiscent of young Deion Branch's. (It's probably too much to expect old Deion Branch's to be reminiscent of young Deion Branch's, though I do love the deal). If you put aside his designation as a tight end and consider him for his pure receiving skills, Aaron Hernandez has some traits in common with David Givens, though he's a far superior talent with multiple Pro Bowl berths in his future. There's really no comp for Rob Gronkowski [update, 9 p.m.: Christian Fauria isn't a bad one, actually], but at running back, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has the same straightforward approach as Antowain Smith. And the quarterback? You know his deal. It's going to be fun to see how this all works, because the pieces for a versatile, productive offense are in place.

* * *

From this perspective, the two most disappointing things about the Moss deal: 1) I wish they could have held out for a second-rounder from the Vikings. They were desperate, and I suspect Brad Childress generally leaves poker night with considerably less money than he arrived with. But I suppose that no other team apparently offered more than a No. 3 is telling regarding how Moss is perceived at this point. 2) I wish he could have taken the team-first approach and not let his fears about his next contract sabotage what Moss himself has often said was the best situation of his career. But then, he wouldn't be Randy Moss, tortured football genius, would he?

* * *

Anyone who worried that Wes Welker is going to struggle to get open with Moss no longer clearing out a safety is making the mistake of underestimating him, something Patriots fans should know better than to do at this point. Welker is a threat because of his precise routes and ridiculously quick cuts in a small amount of space. It's not as if he runs down the open field yelling, "Hey, Tom! I'm open! Yo, throw it here!" He works to get open, he's uncommonly skilled at doing so, and that's not going to change. To put it another way: The season before he was united with Moss in New England, Welker had 67 catches for the Dolphins. Their quarterbacks that season were Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon, and Daunte Culpepper. He's going to be just fine.

* * *

Just to emphasize the point, or if I haven't made it clear, I loved watching Moss play here. Loved it. For all of his quirks, he's a unique talent in NFL history, and in 2007 in particular, it was mesmerizing to watch him and Girl-Hair Brady do their thing. Further, those who suggest the Patriots' inability to win a fourth Lombardi Trophy during his three full seasons is conveniently overlooking the fact that he caught what coulda/shoulda/woulda been the winning TD pass with little more than two minutes left in Super Bowl XLII. Don't blame him for Asante Samuel's failures or David Tyree's miracle or Eli Manning's blind luck. He did his part and then some, and I only wish he could have let it last a little bit longer.

* * *

OK, before we depart and begin pregame festivities for what should be a wildly entertaining Monday night game (can't wait to hear Tirico and Gruden tap-dance around the Favre allegations), let's stretch out our willing suspension of disbelief and suppose there is a follicle of truth to Casserly's report. If Moss did give Brady grief about his hair, just imagine what Favre is in for when this football marriage inevitably goes bad.

Ten Patriots thoughts still lingering the day after another perfect fall Sunday at Gillette . . .

1. Go ahead, put me in with the glass-half-filled crowd, because I'm in full agreement with Tom Brady's postgame theme after the Patriots' entertaining 38-30 victory over the Bills:

A win is a win.

Sure, the concern with having scatter-armed genius Ryan Fitzpatrick drop 374 yards of total offense on the Patriots defense in his first start of the season is a legitimate one, particularly since the Bills offense was ranked last in the league in a number of categories entering the game.

A lousy offense looked pretty capable against the Patriots defense, and that's alarming in part because of the suspicion that it could be a harbinger of things to come against teams far superior to the Bills, starting with Miami Monday night.

The victory did little to change the premise that the Patriots' best defense will be their own offense. I don't believe that is necessarily true in the long-term.

As I've said before and will probably say again a few sentences from now, there is a huddle's worth of legitimate bright young talent on this defense, and as the individuals blossom, the defense will improve.

But, hypothetically, what if it is? What if the Patriots are going to depend on Tom Brady's right arm, the receiving skills of Randy Moss and Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski and Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman (and Danny Woodhead!), and a passing game that offers more versatility than even the record-setting 2007 unit could boast about?

Is that the worst problem to have three games into the season?

The if-you-can't-stop-'em-outscore-'em approached worked for the Saints last year, right up until their defense, ranked 25th in the league in the 2009 regular season, peaked in the playoffs. It worked for the Colts (21st in total D) in 2006, the year they won the Lombardi Trophy.

I'm not saying Patriots fans should book those hotels for North Texas in February. Given the strength of two of their division opponents, it's going to be a brawl to make the playoffs. But the defense is going to get better, and the offense is loaded.

Seems to me that's a recipe for plenty of fun and rewarding autumn Sundays.

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2. While the inevitable improvement of the Patriots' young defense depends wholly upon the learning curve of undeniably talented players such as Ron Brace, Devin McCourty, Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, and so on, I can't help but wonder just how much better this defense would look right now if Leigh Bodden hadn't been lost for the season with a shoulder injury.

We knew the blow was significant, but with Darius Butler's regression, losing the steady veteran corner stings with each passing week -- and each impressive passing performance by an opposing quarterback.

Kyle Arrington was adequate yesterday -- he made a nice play to bust up a pass intended for Lee Evans in the first quarter -- but the Patriots' best hope at that position is that Butler, a smart, talented kid whose confidence is close to mutilated right now, finds a way to play up to his considerable ability.

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3. It seemed appropriate to see John Hannah walking around and shaking hands with fans on the Gillette Stadium turf yesterday in the moments after a game in which the Patriots plowed for 200 rushing yards. The versatile running attack -- Danny Woodhead outside, but mostly BenJarvus Green-Ellis inside -- was a pleasant flashback to the late '70s Hog heyday.

Perhaps it's largely a sign of the porous Buffalo defense than anything else, but after the Patriots early abandonment of the running game last week against the Jets, it was encouraging that the Patriots ran the ball 38 times, averaging more than five yards per pop, with the aforementioned runners breaking runs over 20 yards.

I'm still not cool with giving away Laurence Maroney (despite his brutal performance yesterday for Denver), but the Patriots' ground game should remain effective, if for no other reason than it has to be a relative afterthought for opposing defenses whose first priority is to stop Brady and the diverse passing game.

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4. Brandon Tate is fast -- he always seems like he's one grasping-at-the-cleat tackle away from going the distance. Bethel Johnson was faster. But I think C.J. Spiller may be the single fastest player I've ever seen return a kick (and I suspect Tebucky Meriweather would agree). If Chan Gailey doesn't find a way to get the rookie first-round pick 15-20 touches a game, he's not doing his job.

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5. Two thoughts after watching Jets tight end Dustin Keller torment the Dolphins with six catches for 98 yards and a pair of TDs last night:

• 1) Nice to see him light up the middle of the field against a team other than the Patriots for once.

• 2) It's imperative that the Patriots expose the Dolphins in the same with with Hernandez and Gronkowski Monday night.

It cannot be exaggerated how much these two distinctly skilled tight ends bring to the Patriots offense, and yesterday's game was encouraging .

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6. Randy Moss has five receiving touchdowns in three games. So far, this contract year thing is working out pretty well for the Patriots. I've said it before, and I will continue to say it until it happens. They must re-sign him.

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7. How many Patriots fans with recently outdated No. 39 Maroney jerseys are desperately trying to figure out a way to change the name tag to Woodhead today?

OK, you got me. So I used that on Twitter yesterday; you know I have to milk the rare occasion when I have a decent line.

Recycled Tweets aside, it should be noted that Woodhead's a tremendously intriguing player. He's the height of your average rookie ball boy and jittery-quick, and in certain circumstances he could prove a real nuisance to opposing defenses, which will have a hard time spotting him behind the line, let alone catching him in space.

It's apparent from the postgame comments from Brady, Wes Welker, and Moss (who called him a "stub" in as admiring a way as you can call someone a stub) that his teammates have taken to him already. Better, they all seemed genuine in the belief that he is much more than just a double-agent from the Jets, but someone who is going to help this team.

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8. Ryan Fitzpatrick has an NFL arm and better-than-average mobility, and we all know about his Hahvid Smahts. (He's legendary for scoring a 48 on the Wonderlic test. For what it's worth, Brady scored a 33, well above average for a quarterback. Brett Favre scored a minus-6, answering "Jon Deeer green trakter" on all 50 questions.)

But he has one fatal flaw that is going to continue to prevent him from being a quality starting quarterback -- he throws a wild pitch just a little too often.

Fitzpatrick confirmed the notion that both Patriots interceptions were on him, and the former in particular (Official TATB binky Patrick Chung's pivotal goal-line pick) would have been downright inexcusable had he not been hit as he threw.

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9. I wonder if at some point late in the Fresno night, Logan Mankins pulled himself away from tending to his beloved cattle, looked at the Patriots' stat sheet, saw that they racked up 200 yards on the ground and Tom Brady was sacked only once and compiled a 142.6 rating, and immediately muttered to himself, "Drat, it would have worked, too, if not for that meddling Dan Connolly."

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10. As for today's Completely Random Football Card:

The more I see of Green-Ellis, and the more I hear his teammates praise him, the more I think he's capable of giving the Patriots very similar things to what Antowain Smith delivered to a pair of Super Bowl winning teams. Don't know about you, but I consider such a comparison pretty high praise.

A dozen reasons why the Patriots will win the AFC East . . .

1. Because the kids are all right. Might as well address the most common theme regarding the 2010 New England Patriots right from the opening kickoff here: Yup, they sure are quite young on defense. You, me, and even Randy Cross were aware of this long before every analyst from the NFL Network to ESPN to the Lifetime channel felt obligated to emphasize, re-emphasize, and then bludgeon to death the obvious. There will undoubtedly be some growing pains, and the conventional wisdom that the Patriots will have to win some shootouts early will probably look pretty danged prescient starting today.

But what's missed in all of the chatter about this fledging defense is that it's the good kind of young, not the Chris Canty/Chris Carter/Sedrick Shaw kind of young. There are 22 first- or second-year players on this roster, and an astounding number of them have the potential to become favorite names in football households in New England.

Devin McCourty, Brandon Spikes, Patrick Chung, Darius Butler, Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, Ron Brace, Sebastian Vollmer, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski . . . these are all talented young players. It's just a matter of showing it Sunday after Sunday. Yet the way some people talk about the Patriots, you'd think all rookies had to redshirt of something. These kids can play, and it's going to be fun watching the skeptics catch on.

This anecdote probably doesn't help prove my point -- it may even contradict it, which wouldn't be the first time that happened around here -- but I'll share it because it sort of put current state and status of the Patriots in perspective. I was looking something up on Patriots.com a day or two ago and noticed an ad selling those t-shirts with a player's name and number on the back. (I've heard them called "shirsees." I am not going to call them such a thing. It sounds like something Pete Carroll would say.)

There were, I think, nine players available. The usual superstar suspects such as Brady, Moss, Welker were of course for sale for the low, low price of $24.95 plus shipping . . . but then there other plawere Darius Butler, and Julian Edelman, and Matt Light, and Stephen Gostkowski.

And while this is no knock on any of those guys, it did serve as one more stark reminder of how much marvelous, incredibly accomplished talent has moved along the past couple of seasons. Three years ago, those shirts would have been Brady, and Moss, and Welker . . . and Mike Vrabel, and Richard Seymour, and Tedy Bruschi, and Rodney Harrison, and Lonie Paxton. Well, maybe not so much the last one, but you get the point. Lots of good days have gone by.

Hey, we miss them too -- hell, I still miss Ty Law, Willie McGinest, and Roman Phifer. But you know what? Before you know it, those t-shirts and jerseys will say Gronkowski, and Hernandez, and Spikes, and McCourty, and they'll be coveted. They will. I'm buying what they're selling; the kids can play.

2. Because Gronkowski and Hernandez are reminiscent of Bavaro and Winslow. No, not David Bavaro and Michael Winslow, and yes, we're indulging in a fairly sizable helping of hyperbole here. But when you watch the thunderous Gronkowski drag a linebacker into the end zone during his four-touchdown preseason, you can't help but see flashes of Mark Bavaro, the Giants' legendarily tough tight end from their '80s heyday.

As for Hernandez, it's a Patriots homer's daydream to mention his name in the same breath as San Diego Super Chargers Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. before he's even played an NFL game. But . . . well, he actually looks like Kellen Winslow Jr. and has flashed some deft moves after the catch during the preseason that might at least get him temporary honorary Winslow status.

Let's just hope he never has the urge to rage about being a soldier.

3. Because Randy Moss is in a contract year. While I'd have few reservations about giving the still-electric 33-year-old a two- or three-year deal sometime before the opening coin flip today, it should also benefit the Patriots to have the quirky (flaky?) receiver in some sort of limbo, if only to keep him fully engaged.

The blessing is that while he remains one of the league's most dynamic offensive players, there are about four reasons -- they go by the names Tate, Edelman, Gronkowski, and Hernandez -- to be hopeful that the Patriots will feature a much more diverse passing attack this season.

Which in a sense could make Moss more dangerous.

Do you follow? Well, just think back to last year: Even with two of the most tough-to-stop receivers in the league in Moss and slot receiver Welker, the Patriots' passing game was too often stagnant and predictable, and the frustrating third option either ended with the ball bouncing of Sam Aiken's hands on a fly pattern or the ball bouncing off Ben Watson's facemask.

Presuming Belichick doesn't bump his head and suddenly feel the urge to implement Mike Tice's infamous "Randy Ratio," this is going to be a much more well-rounded passing offense this year, resulting in Moss getting his catches -- and there will still be plenty -- not forcibly, but in the flow.

4. Because, to borrow a baseball term, they should be very strong up the middle. Vince Wilfork is the fulcrum of it all, arguably the league's premier nose tackle, the least of the Patriots' worries on defense.

It feels like Jerod Mayo has been around for years, but this is just his third season, and we're confident he'll perform like the 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year rather than the player who was never quite right in his sophomore season after suffering a knee injury in the opener. He'll have some help inside: Brandon Spikes is a potential beast with whom Belichick is already impressed.

And safeties Patrick Chung and Brandon Meriweather, to borrow another baseball term, have great range, though admittedly I couldn't tell you if UZR supports that.

5. Because the offensive line's woes are exaggerated. Sure, they'll miss Logan Mankins's ferocity, and the Patriots will be a better team when and if the two-time Pro Bowler comes to his senses. But the importance of Nick Kaczur -- I vow someday we'll prove he's a distant relative of Max Lane -- was the weak link, and Dan Connolly should be steady in the same way Ross Hochstein was for a couple of seasons.

Depth is an issue, and it will imperative to remain healthy, but this line, which allowed just 18 sacks last year with Mankins at left guard, still features three dependable veterans (Dan Koppen, Matt Light, and Stephen Neal) and an extremely promising behemoth of a tackle (Sebastian Vollmer).

They're going to be better than fine.

6. Because Fred Taylor can still run the football better than any 34-year-old has the right to do. Yeah, he'll probably get hurt -- he usually does. Still, is it silly to wonder if all the time he's missed (46 total) due to injury in his otherwise stellar 12-year career may be benefitting him in a way now? He's been sidelined for nearly three full seasons; maybe I'm looking at this in a warped way, but that may have saved him a lot of wear and tear.

This much we know for sure: He can still run over a DB (get out of the way, Cromartie! You've got 16 3-year-olds to feed), he can still deke a linebacker, he can still the hole with more conviction than any other back on this roster, and he has that awesome instinct or habit of falling forward for a bonus yard or two after he's been hit.

(One more thing -- call this 6.5. It seems like Taylor's been in the NFL forever -- but he was a rookie the same year as Randy Moss. Before that, it seemed like he was at Florida for at least eight years. I'm beginning to think Fred Taylor has been in the football fan's consciousness roughly the same amount of time as Herschel Walker.)

7. Because our Sundays will no longer be spent cursing Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess. I'd rather see 50-year-old Andre Tippett and 52-year-old Don Blackmon try to hold the edge for the Patriots this season than last year's Blunder Twins, Captain Indifference and Sir Invisible-A-Lott.

8. Because Bill Belichick taking on more of the coordinators' chores is a good thing. I'm actually skeptical that he's a whole lot more involved than he was last year; I suspect he's simply positioning himself to take some of the heat off Bill O'Brien and Matt Patricia.

If he is handling more of the coordinating responsibilities on either side of the ball . . . I mean, great, and I don't say that facetiously. I'll take a supposedly spread-too-thin Bill Belichick over, say, an at-the-peak-of-his-powers Dean Pees every single day and twice on Sunday.

9. Because Patrick Chung is on the verge of becoming the Patriots' best safety. He's a vicious hitter, he can run with just about anyone, and by all accounts he puts his work in.

It's only a matter of time before Chung jerseys are commonly sighted at Gillette. (And we're not talking about this guy's old No. 69.)

Once that happens, we'll finally be able to accept the Brandon Meriweather is a useful player who has some Tebucky 2.0 tendencies that we can live with in the team's second-best starting safety.

10. Because if "Hard Knocks" has delivered one undeniable truth beyond all others . . . . . . it's that Mark Sanchez (12 interceptions, 20 picks last year) has the charisma of that fern you keep forgetting to water.

Also, the fern knows the Jets' playbook better and Brian Schottenheimer just loves its leadership skills.

11. Because the Dolphins are counting on a dude named Chad. And as my wife will tell you on her blog youresadlymistakenifyouthinkyouregonnawatchfootballalldaymister.com, that is a guaranteed recipe for disappointment.

12. Because of a certain superstar quarterback -- one whom I suspect may now be answering in the Patriots' locker room to George Costanza's wishful nickname, T-Bone -- who wears this number.

In the Brady era, the Patriots have won fewer than 10 games just once -- in 2002, when they somehow won nine despite employing Steve Martin and Victor Green in meaningful roles on defense.

They'll hit double figures again . . . and if not for a hellacious schedule, we'd be tempted to suggest their number of victories will match the number on Brady's jersey.

Instead, put us down for Edelman-and-5.

That would be the number 11, if you don't have his shirsee.

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Just a reminder to check out the Extra Points blog during the Pats/Bengals game. I'll be live-blogging there from Gillette starting at 11 a.m. Cannot wait. It's football season in Foxborough. 'Bout time.

Dear regular readers of our Mildly Entertaining And Occasionally Accidentally Insightful Friday Afternoon Chat:

Sadly, you sports and media nerdles are going to have to find another way to kill a couple (or three) hours this afternoon. As you may have noticed by now, no chat today. I've got my bye week during the first week of the NFL season, with Shalise Manza Young sliding in to the noon slot this week to get you primed for the Patriots opener with her beat-writer wisdom.

Complete disclosure: Rather than chat a little later, and risk confusing my puny but charmingly devout audience by bouncing around various timeslots like "Freaks and Geeks" before eventual and unjust cancellation, I decided to take the afternoon to actually write a column for this blog. I know. That's been a foreign concept far too often lately, and while it's rewarding to be habitually busy working on other projects scattered around Boston.com (some recent stuff is aggregated below just to annoy you further), I don't visit this, my favorite neighborhood, nearly as often as I'd like.

So here are some recent links; I'm frequently told the media column is hard to find on the site (it's usually linked near the top of the headlines on Friday mornings, FYI). I've also posted a couple of Patriots quizzes I had great fun putting together that you may have missed.

And the photo of Mike Haynes? Just the usual nostalgia, but also a nice reminder that the best corner in NFL history played for the Patriots. He's pretty high on the list of Patriots players I wish I could watch play again. Top five, probably. Stingley, Morgan, Curtis Martin, Tippett . . .

(Why am I suddenly humming "Reminiscing" by the Little River Band? Make it stop.)

Anyway, on to the housekeeping/pathetic self-linkage. I'll be back here with a column this afternoon (topic: TBD), and I'm already looking forward to chatting about the 1-0 Patriots and 0-1 Jets next week . . .

• Today's media column on the fallout on the rush to be first in reporting the two major Tom Brady stories this week. A few of you guys have told me -- as well as certain Dirt Dog to my right in the office here -- that Dennis and Callahan agreed with my take, which came as a surprise given that we are well established as not-quite-BFFs, not to mention that I somewhat called out Adam Schefter, a regular weekly guest on their program during the football season. I didn't hear it, but it would explain the pigs circling Logan right now. I suppose it has to do with the fact that Channel 7 -- which was shameless in how it handled the Brady news yesterday -- is trying to infringe on WEEI's well-handled scoop.

  (Aside: Did any of you crafty veteran TATB readers notice that I weaseled in a mention of Lyman Bostock? He's long been a pet cause around here. In my nearly two years of writing the media column, shoehorning in a reference to the doomed former Angel and Twin may well be my finest feat. And the MLB Network should do a show on him. And check out this picture of his locker from Sept. 24, 1978, the day after he died. There are at least three things here you'd never see in a baseball clubhouse today. A cigarette machine. Stacks of bottled Pepsi. And -- sigh -- a pile of newspapers.)

• Thursday's media column in our NFL section on what analysts at various networks are saying about the Patriots. As a reader pointed out the other day, Jon Gruden essentially said the opposite here of what he told Sports Illustrated. I like Gruden as an analyst, but he hasn't exactly mastered the concept of predictions yet. He's also picked the four AFC North teams to have better records this year than they did last season. That would be a hell of a feat given that three of the four teams won at least nine games a year ago.

• Last week's media column on NFL Films's ridiculously fun series on the NFL Network counting down the top 100 players of all time. I'd never talked to Steve Sabol previously, so it was cool to discover he's just as friendly and animated in an interview as he is as the host of so many NFL Films productions.

• Totally piggybacking on SI's entertaining concept of the best player in NFL history to wear each jersey number, here's our list of the greatest Patriots, Nos. 1-99. The toughest call for me: Randy Moss over Russ Francis at No. 81, though it probably shouldn't have been.

• Finally, a couple of recent quizzes. One on the history of Patriots openers, and an earlier one on general Patriots history. Love doing these, and I suspect they're more fun for readers than seeing them in gallery form.

Two other things: I'll be blogging the Pats-Bengals game from Gillette Sunday, so be sure to stop by the Extra Points blog for news, updates, and very possibly, some snark. Also, buy it! Now! Or I might have to snivel and beg, and no one wants that.

Column coming up in a bit . . .

I realize I'm late to the party (as usual) with this one, and I'm jumping on the pile Seau-style to boot. But I couldn't let Peter King's warped list of the dozen best quarterbacks in history slip by without comment.

King is upfront about the motivation for mentioning his rankings in his always (and sometimes unintentionally) entertaining "Monday Morning Quarterback" column on SI.com this week; he's pushing a book. Fair enough -- it was a tried-and-true way to generate buzz, and it worked. He lured suckers like me into writing about it..

But I'm not sure he's aware of the fallout from doing so. Every single time King, who recently moved to Boston, tries to order his morning Triple Mocha Venti Whatever at Starbucks in peace, he's going to hear it from the proverbial (hat tip, Kissing Suzy Kolber) Tommy from Quincy:

"HEY, PETAH KING!!! YEAH, YOU THERE, WITH THE CHOCO-COCONUT SCONE!!! HOW COULD YA HAVE TOMMY BRADY 10th?!?!? HE'S TOMMY THREE RINGS!!! THE BEST EVAH!!!"

Actually after reading his list, I might do that myself should the opportunity present itself, though it's unlikely since I'm a Dunkin's junkie. Anyway . . .

King's dozen: 1. Otto Graham. 2. Sammy Baugh 3. Joe Montana 4. Johnny Unitas 5. Brett Favre 6. Peyton Manning 7. John Elway 8. Dan Marino 9. Roger Staubach 10. Tom Brady 11. Bart Starr 12. Terry Bradshaw

Don't know about you, but I've got a lotta, lotta problems with that. A few: Too much love for the geezers in the 1-2 spots, both of whom piled up their numbers in a smaller league against smaller foes . . . Favre, who is apparently in King's good graces again, is about 20 spots too high. He's the absolute last quarterback on this list I'd want leading my team in a meaningful game . . . There's no way any member of the Manning family, even Peyton, belongs four spots ahead of Brady . . . Too much love for Bradshaw, who completed just under 52 percent of his passes and finished his career with just two more TD passes than interceptions.

Because it's bad form to bust on someone else's subjective choices without providing your own opinion, here is my completely subjective, mildly informed, not-pushin'-a-book-just-havin'-fun list of the dozen greatest quarterbacks in football history:

1. John Elway. Sure, until T.D. came along, he couldn't win a ring. Name me one quarterback who could have accomplished as much as Elway did with forgettable players named Sammy Winder, Ricky Nattiel, Vance Johnson, Gerald Willhite, and so on. The most complete package of mobility, accuracy, arm strength and big-moment leadership ever to take a snap.

2. Joe Montana. Not the most imposing quarterback physically, but he was brilliant, bloodless, relentlessly accurate, and always kept his cool in the spotlight. The game looked slower, more under control, when the ball was in his hand. Sound like someone else we know?

3. Tom Brady. I'm assuming I don't need to tell you guys why. (At least those of you who weren't yowling, "THEY TRADED THE WRONG QUAHTAHBACK!?" at 4.pm. Sunday.) By the way, doesn't it have to be more than coincidence that he was in the stands the day Dwight Clark made "the catch" and Montana rocketed to stardom? It's similar to Derek Jeter being at Yankee Stadium the day Lou Gehrig made his "Luckiest Man" speech. (Wait? What? He wasn't there? You say he wasn't even born until 35 years later? But . . . but . . . but why would Michael Kay make that up?)

4. Dan Marino. Simply the finest pure pocket passer ever to play the game. No one ever had a quicker release or a better feel for the rush, and I bet he can still throw the 20-yard out better than half the starting QBs in the league.

5. Johnny Unitas. It's often said that John Wayne swiped his persona from Ted Williams. But there's a little bit of Johnny U. in the act as well.

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(Deep breath.)

(Exhale)

Repeat after me.

It's all going to be OK. Tom Brady will recalibrate his arm, spray on some Rust-Oleum instead of Stetson, and rediscover that trademark accuracy and poise in the pocket. Welkah! will return as the indispensable safety valve, Bill O'Brien will remember that Kevin Faulk is on the roster, and the running game will find its footing.

Again: It's all going to be OK. The Patriots are good enough, they're smart enough, and people like them.

All right, so maybe Stuart Smalley is a tired reference, and maybe that last part of that mantra isn't quite true when it comes to the Patriots. Rightfully or not, the Patriots are regarded as villains outside of this six-state region -- actually, make that 5 1/2 states, since Connecticut trends green and white as much as it does red, white, and blue.

There were plenty around the NFL yesterday who were nothing less than giddy to see arrogant Bill Belichick lose to that grinning, blustery media-charmer, Rex Ryan. I can't confirm this, but when the final seconds ticked off the clock, I'm pretty sure Charlie Casserly's toupee moved on its own out of sheer delight.

Let them have their fun now, because yesterday's mess at the Meadowlands does nothing to damage the greater point: Barring something unforeseen, the Patriots are and will be a very good football team this season. Due to circumstances mostly within their control and entirely correctable, they just didn't happen to play like one yesterday.

While I heard from more than my share of angry and irrational Patriots fans yesterday -- no, Matt Cassel is not a superior quarterback, no, Brady is not playing scared, no, Giselle is not a curse, and yes, you're tempting me to break out the phrase '"lowest common denominator" again -- I realize stomping to the nearest proverbial bridge and threatening to jump if Laurence Maroney isn't immediately banished to the Canadian Football League is how some deal with the frustration of defeat. It's a common reaction -- even if it makes them look like spoiled, entitled front-runners.

I'd like to think -- make that I do think -- that the vast majority of Patriots fans are clear-headed and reasonable about yesterday's loss. They understand that the defense played fairly well in its first week of the six to eight it must face without its centerpiece, Jerod Mayo. They realize Pete Carroll's surprisingly self-serving suggestion that Mark Sanchez should have stayed at Southern Cal suggests the cheery coach still can't be trusted to make NFL personnel evaluations. They understand that this game meant an immense amount to the Jets, who have a longstanding of habit of collecting their biggest wins in September.

Most importantly, they understand that Tom Brady's frustrating Bledsoe-at-his-worst performance -- throwing off his back foot, not feeling the blindside rush yet inexplicably hurrying when the coast was clear, missing open receivers by a margin just small enough to make you audibly and crudely lament the lost opportunity -- was exactly what should be expected of a quarterback who missed essentially a full year of vicious Sunday afternoon action.

In retrospect, what he accomplished last week in the final five minutes against the Bills was not confirmation that he had returned to full health. It was a well-timed display of will, poise, preparation, and ability. It was both a flashback and a promise of things to come -- but the catch is that there was no guaranteed time-frame on that promise.

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Quick programming note: I'll be joining Chris Forsberg and perhaps a couple of the other usual suspects for a live blog/chat during the Patriots-Jets showdown this afternoon. We had a lot fun with these last year and received a lot of positive feedback, so be sure to check in right around kickoff.

As for the game . . . to be honest, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Conventional wisdom, at least among the Peter Kings of the world, is that the Jets, who are determined to justify their glib, over-the-top cockiness, will give the Patriots a tough time tomorrow.

There's plenty of evidence through the years that conventional wisdom and common sense don't always intersect when it comes to the prognostication skills of supposed NFL pundits, but I can't shake the feeling that the pro-Jets crowd might be onto something with this one.

I just haven't been able to convince myself that this is the best matchup for the Patriots' offense so early in the season -- and so early in Brady's return from his knee injury. The Jets' defense is designed to be a duplicate of the decorated group Rex Ryan coached in Baltimore -- quick, fierce, aggressive -- and the Patriots' offensive line played too much of Monday night's opener against the Bills in reverse.

The Jets have yapped this week that they will get their shots in on Brady, and despite my best efforts at rationalization, I believe them. I'd like to think the Patriots have a shrewd plan to turn the Jets' frenzied, trash-Tweeting approach against them -- a dose of Faulk, heaping helping of Welker? -- but the Patriots will have to be much more polished and efficient than they were in first 55 or so minutes Monday night.

Defensively, it's not about who's playing, but who isn't. Jerod Mayo, the bright and gifted second-year linebacker who's already the captain and centerpiece of this remodeled group, is out for a month, maybe two, with a knee injury. Adalius Thomas and Gary Guyton should be capable of handling the chores in the middle of the field, but neither is as adept at or as deeply prepared for the role as Mayo. Given that the Jets feature one of the most dangerous third-down backs in the league in pesky Leon Washington, this might not be the best week to be without the anchor of your defense.

FULL ENTRY

Are we ready for some football?

Are you kidding, Hank?

Did Jay Cutler cry himself to sleep listening to his favorite "30 Seconds to Mars" song last night?

Will three quality quarters from Mark Sanchez lead Jets fans to recalibrate their expectations to comically unachievable heights?

Is Jake Delhomme playing like the stiff who was once looking up at a pair of Billy Joes (Tolliver and Hobart) as well as Danny Wuerffel from the bottom of the Saints' depth chart?

Of course we're ready for some football, and while we got an early fix yesterday, the new season is not official around here until the Patriots have taken the field.

(That they're doing it in old-school style -- it's always a nice flashback when Pat Patriot is involved in the festivities -- only adds to the anticipatory fun.)

With a few hours to go until kickoff, let's further feed our football jones with some scattered thoughts on the Patriots . . .

The Patriots' best rookie will be . . . Well, until Richard Seymour was traded, my hunch was that it would be UConn product Darius Butler, who has speed to burn and already seems more polished than the two cornerbacks the Patriots drafted last year, Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite. But Seymour's departure makes me wonder whether someone -- Ron Brace? Myron Pryor? -- has the ability to contribute immediately in a much greater capacity than fans and media have recognized. Sure, a huge reason Seymour was moved is because the chance to swap a 29-year-old defensive lineman who most likely was going to depart after the season for a first-round pick from the most dysfunctional franchise in professional sports was an offer Bill Belichick could not convince himself to pass up. But I think there's slightly more to it. Belichick always spots the truth long before we do. Either he thinks Seymour was slipping, or he has high hopes for a player on his roster that we are not yet sure about. My money -- and I think this is the smart money, too -- is on Brace, the Boston College product plucked in the second round in April.

We'll catch ourselves glancing at the right side of the Patriots defensive line from time to time: It's not like Seymour was the second coming of Jim Marshall in terms of durability -- he played 24 of 32 games over the past two seasons. And the Patriots somehow managed to go 16-0 in 2007, when he had just a 1.5 sacks in nine games. So it's not like he was always out there, always dominating, always making his presence known. But when he was at his best, that's exactly what he was: a presence. Stuffing the run and overwhelming his helpless opponent en route to the quarterback, tall No. 93 looming over the proceedings, the finest and most complete defensive lineman the franchise has ever known. Seymour was a player whose arrival with the Patriots as their No. 1 pick in 2001 coincided with the beginning of their improbable dynasty, and in that sense, it will be strange seeing someone else filling his old spot. I guess this is what it takes to get me to pay attention to a Raiders game.

C'mon, Laurence Maroney isn't so bad: Yeah, I'll admit it -- I like him, at least in comparison to the opinions of many Patriots fans, who seem to equate the fourth-year back to some combination of Reggie Dupard (in terms of running style) and Tony Eason (in terms of toughness, or lack thereof). I do understand the frustration with his running style. Too often he approaches the line like the ball carrier in those aggravating vibrating electric football games from the '70s -- he runs into the back of one of his offensive lineman and immediately gets stuck in neutral. But I'm also willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for a couple of reasons. It was a legitimate injury -- a broken shoulder, according to the player himself -- that cost him the 2008 season. Who could fault him for being frustrated that the team's refusal to divulge injuries contributed to the perception that he was something less than tough? Anyone with any pride would be furious. And enough with the suggestion that he's a bust on the level of Chad Jackson. You might expect more from a No. 1 pick, particularly one who was chosen ahead of Joseph Addai and DeAngelo Williams in the first round in 2006. But he's just 24, he ran for 835 yards at 4.5 per pop in 2007 and played great down the stretch that season, running for 122 yards in each of their AFC playoff games. Even his detractors recognize his talent. He might be an enigma so far, but he's not a bust, and I believe he will live up to his ability. Hopefully it will happen with the franchise that once so saw so much promise in him.

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The gap in the NFL hierarchy between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders is as vast as the distance between Foxborough and Oakland. So it's tough to fault Richard Seymour's present choice of football purgatory over joining the NFL's literal Black Hole.

But by no means does that suggest the Patriots made the wrong decision by coldly sending him to Oakland for a first-round pick in 2011. I suppose there's a chance that public opinion is correct and the Patriots will dearly miss Seymour this year, much in the way the Deion Branch deal in 2006 might have directly cost the Patriots a shot at a fourth Lombardi Trophy. But history and logic tells me that trading Seymour now will become one more article of evidence for those who believe the "In Bill We Trust" mantra, and we'll all be gloating in two years when Belichick cashes in the winning lottery ticket, courtesy of the delusional and dilapidated Al Davis Empire

Besides, who says liking this trade and being bummed to see Seymour must be mutually exclusive? The man was easily admired as a football player. So many of the Patriots accomplishments since 2001 wouldn't have been possible without his contributions. From afar, he seems like a good and decent man. He is the best lineman in the franchise's 50 years, everything that Ken Sims was supposed to be but wasn't, and all I need to do is pop in from the trio of Super Bowl DVDs to watch Big Sey at his dominating best again.

But I do have to admit, I'm not quite sure what his best is at this point. The stat sheet suggests he had a quality season last year, leading the team with eight sacks. And those who are confident that they recognize the subtleties of the NFL tell me that his main job was to occupy blockers, thus allowing the team's linebackers to enjoy the sunlight and the glory.

I'm not going to grab my stopwatch and put on my whistle and pretend to be of those people. I couldn't confidently tell you if Seymour had a great season, a good season, or a mediocre season a year ago. I recall seeing him make sporadic big plays. I definitely recall him constantly tangling with offensive linemen, sometimes two at a time. But I don't recall noticing him making those wrecking-ball plays of his youth. Maybe that was by Belichick's design. Maybe my memory is on the fritz. Or maybe he's just not that player anymore.

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Catching up on the headlines I missed while lumbering around sunny Acadia . . .

In a small sort of way, Nomar Garciaparra owes his huge, heartwarming ovation last night to the man who replaced him in Boston and started at shortstop for the Oakland A's last night.

If Orlando Cabrera had pulled a Lugo upon coming over to the Sox in the shocking three-way deal that sent Nomar to the Cubs at the 2004 trading deadline, Boston fans may be considerably more bitter -- and less forgiving -- than they are nowadays, after a pair of championships.

But Cabrera proved a perfect fit on the 2004 champs, a dependable shortstop with the knack for a clutch hit, and so Nomar's bitter transgressions during that season are more easily forgotten.

That's not to suggest he didn't deserve the "Welcome Back, Nomahhhh!" moment last night. While the five-year gap between his acrimonious departure -- and by the way, it seems to me neither side has yet been completely honest about what went wrong here -- probably helped restore some of the misty watercolors to our memories, the truth is rather simple: If you watched Nomar during his heyday with the Sox, you can't help but have warm memories about his time here.

During the late 1990s -- particularly '99, when the Red Sox reached the ALCS with a roster made up of Pedro, Nomar, and 23 role players and Dan Duquette reclamation projects -- he might have been the most versatile and dangerous hitter in the game. As rookie in '97, he hit 30 home runs, and his hustling style and quirky mannerisms spawned a generation of mimicking Little Leaguers. In 1998, he batted .323 with 35 homers. His entire '99 campaign -- when he batted .357 to win the first of his back-to-back batting titles -- felt like Dustin Pedroia's torrid streak last summer. It seemed as if Nomar concluded every single trip to the plate with a line drive. In 2000, he batted .372, and for a time we thought he might make a run at .400 -- he was batting .403 after the first game of a doubleheader on July 20 -- which only seemed appropriate given that Ted Williams was counted among his admirers.

There's no need to rehash the infamous SI cover, the wrist injury, or how it all went wrong -- plenty of ink and bandwidth has been spent on that the past five years. Nomar Garciaparra was a deserving New England icon for the better part of a decade. Last night, it was nice to see the player and the city acknowledge their mutual appreciation of the good times.

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Graceful exits are scarce in professional sports, maybe because it's usually someone else telling you it's time to go. For those whose final act on a football field is to be carted off to a round of bittersweet applause, you'd think it might be particularly agonizing to say goodbye.

Jim Davis/Globe staff photo

Not so for the great Rodney Harrison, who formally announced his retirement after 15 NFL seasons this morning by offering seven words that convinced us he's put away his dinged-up helmet for good: "I really didn't have that fire anymore."

Rodney Harrison without fire? Unthinkable. That's like Derek Jeter without calm eyes. Once an athlete's definitive characteristic is diminished, the characteristic that made him superior to the rest, what's the point of playing on? Kudos to Harrison for recognizing that his internal flame was not eternal, that the fire that made him one of the finest (and most fined) safeties of his era was down to a flicker.

So, yes, it was time for him to go, and even those of us who held out hope that he would pass the early weeks of the season on the Junior Seau Taxi Squad while waiting for Bill Belichick's bat signal that it was time to come help the ol' gang again can admit it. Harrison's career is in the past tense as of today, and so our attention turns to his legacy, his place in Patriots lore.

There are countless Patriots of this golden, glorious era who will be remembered fondly, but only a few will become certified legends. Tom Brady is at the head of that class, obviously, and the educated hunch here is that Harrison will also belong in that group. Some might remember Ty Law or Mike Vrabel or Tedy Bruschi or even Richard Seymour as the signature player of the Patriots' championship defenses earlier this decade. Some will say the Patriots didn't have a signature defensive player, that their success was the result of their strength as a whole. But in my mind, and maybe yours too, no other player epitomizes the fierce and smart defenses of the Patriots dynasty like Harrison.

He was as intelligent as he was vicious, making up for his underwhelming speed with a deep knowledge not only of his own defense, but of the opposing offense. He was versatile, becoming the lone player in NFL history to compile more than 30 sacks and 30 interceptions. He was an absolutely carnivorous tackler, cruelly batting around opposing receivers like a cat tormenting a captured mouse just for the sport of it. He was the glue, particularly during the 2004 championship season when the defensive backfield was decimated to the point that wide receiver Troy Brown took a spin at cornerback. He was Exhibit No. 37 of a player you love on your favorite team and absolutely loathe as an opponent. (Kevin Youkilis is also a classic example of that phenomenon.) I suspect Lawrence Taylor still ranks at the top of Belichick's list of his favorite defensive players he has coached, but Harrison has to be a finalist for that coveted runner-up slot.

When you consider Harrison's time here and the literal and figurative impact he made, it's almost easy to forget that he was still a San Diego Charger when the Patriots won their first championship, spending the first nine years of his career there after arriving in the league as a fifth-round draft pick from Western Illinois in 1994. But it feels like he's been one of ours all along. He essentially replaced Lawyer Milloy at safety, though they were teammates in camp in 2003 before the hard-headed Milloy's stunning release for refusing to restructure his contract. Patriots fans adored Milloy, barely noticing even as his production diminished to virtually nothing, and the uproar regarding his departure only grew louder when he signed with the Bills and promptly helped them whup the Patriots in the '03 season opener. But it did not take long -- a week, maybe two, certainly no more than a month, right? -- to realize that Harrison was the superior beast, a legitimate Hall of Fame-caliber, hard-hitting strong safety. He was everything we always wanted Milloy to be.

The man's legendary toughness was no myth, either. The defining moment of a career marked with highlights came last in the Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVIII victory over the Carolina Panthers. Here's how Tedy Bruschi, a dude who knows a little something about toughness himself, remembers it:

"He broke his arm and didn't come off the field, he played the next play, made the tackle on the next play, and then it completely broke," Bruschi said. "He went and got the air cast on and said, 'I'm not staying in here, let me go back out there.' "

In the end, his hell-bent style of play took a toll on his body, and it became harder and harder for him to "go back out there." Over his final four seasons, he played in just 31 games, though four of his game-day absences were because of a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy after purchasing human-growth hormone, the great embarrassment of his professional life and one for which he made no excuses and all the requisite apologies.

In a way, the final scene of his career was perfectly appropriate. In Week 7 last season, Harrison tore his right quad while trying to line up a hit on scrambling Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. No longer as fast or as agile as he was in his prime, he got tangled up on a fake and a juke; in his younger days, you can be sure he would have knocked that emo mop off Cutler's head. Instead, he got carried off on his shield, waving in between winces to the knowing and appreciative Gillette Stadium crowd.

It was his first goodbye. Today brought his last.

And yet I know I'm not the only one who finds himself reminiscing again and again about all the wonderful moments Rodney Harrison provided in the six seasons since he said hello.

As promised and guaranteed, Nos. 11-34 of the greatest moments from this championship era in Boston sports. For items 1-10, click right here:

11. Paul Pierce returning to the court moments after suffering what looked like a serious knee injury, Game 1 of the NBA Finals, June 5, 2008: Pierce is an LA kid -- he grew up in Inglewood -- and his Willis Reed-like return showed he has at least a little bit of Hollywood in him. An added bonus: His rapid return to health infuriated Laker fans.

12. A-Rod slapping the ball from Bronson Arroyo, Game 6 of the ALCS, Oct. 19, 2004 : When the umpires overturned their original safe call, it was one more sign that the Sox' luck had finally changed. As for A-Rod's transparent Who me? act, it was our first clear indication that he was one of sports' preeminent weasels.

13. Papi’s 14th-inning single to win Game 5 of the ALCS, Oct. 17, 2004: Of all the improbable things that happened that postseason, rallying against Rivera in consecutive games must be at the top of the list.

14. Ray Allen juking the Lakers' annoying Sasha Vujacic out of his Vujajock, Game 4 of the NBA Finals, June 12, 2008: Again with the symbolism. Allen's driving layup through the lackadaisical Lakers' defense was the definitive sequence as the Celtics completed a rally from a 24-point hole to take a 3-1 lead in the series. After that, the Lakers were broken, and banner No. 17 was a mere formality.

15. Vinatieri’s 23-yard field goal to win the Snow Bowl, Jan. 7, 2001: Think it was chip shot? You try kicking a field goal in a snow globe.

16. Walt Coleman invokes the Tuck Rule, Jan. 19, 2002: Because without his correct interpretation of a silly and contrived rule, all that came afterward wouldn't have been possible, and Al Davis might still be sane.

17. Papi’s homer in first inning of Game 7 of the ALCS, Oct. 20, 2004: Coming immediately after Johnny Damon was cut down at the plate, it staked the Sox to a 2-0 lead and delivered this message: Not only would they not go quietly, but this time, the Sox had no intention of going at all.

18. Troy Brown’s 55-yard punt return for a touchdown versus the Steelers, AFC Championship game, Jan. 27, 2002: As ol' No. 80 ran the final few steps to toward the end zone, a group of desperate Steelers defenders fell like dominoes behind him. Just a great visual.

19. Papi’s 10th-inning walkoff homer to complete an ALDS sweep of the Angels, Oct. 8, 2004: Still one of my favorite Globe sports headlines of all time: David, Goliath.

20. J.D. Drew's first-inning grand slam off Cleveland co-ace Fausto Carmona, Game 6 of the ALCS, Oct. 20, 2007: Drew may carry himself like baseball is a job rather than a passion, but say this for the man: He has a flair for the dramatic in the postseason.

21. Manny Ramirez's walkoff homer off K-Rod, Game 2 of the ALDS, Oct. 5, 2007: Do me a favor: Let me know when it lands, will you?

22. Manny’s three-run homer off of Oakland ace Barry Zito, Game 5 of the ALDS, Oct. 6, 2003: Funny how those who claim Manny never hit clutch home runs always conveniently forget this moment, when Zito was at the peak of his powers.

23. Brown recovering a blocked field goal and lateraling to Antwan Harris, who took it 45 yards for a touchdown, AFC Championship Game, Jan. 27, 2002: A typically heady play by one of the smartest players to ever wear the Patriots jersey. You and I had no idea the obscure Harris could run like that. Good thing Brown did.

24. Pokey Reese fields Ruben Sierra's grounder and throws to first to record the final out of Game 7 of the ALCS, Oct. 20, 2004: Because it had finally happened -- in the most delicious way possible -- and now we would get the reward: Watching the Red Sox celebrate on the Yankees' turf.

25. Mark Bellhorn’s three-run homer in Game 6 of the ALCS, Oct. 19, 2004: According to our accounting, this is the first time in history a controversial call at Yankees Stadium went the Red Sox' way . . . but it wasn't the only one in this game.

26. Bellhorn’s game-winning homer in Game 1 of the World Series, Oct. 23, 200:Shhh. If you listen closely, you can still hear it rattling off Pesky’s Pole.

27. Vinatieri’s 46-yard winning field goal against the Titans, AFC Divisional playoff, Jan. 10, 2004: When the temperature was almost as cold as the ice water in Vinatieri's veins.

28. Dustin Pedroia’s tone-setting homer off Rockies lefty Jeff Francis in Game 1 of the World Series, Oct. 24, 2007: A few days later, when a security guard didn't recognize Pedroia as he was trying to enter the ballpark, the Sox' rookie second baseman replied in his usual comically brash fashion: "Ask Jeff Francis who I am."

29. Derek Lowe’s crotch chop, Game 5 of the ALDS, Oct. 6, 2003: After whiffing Adam Melhuse and Terrence Long with a pair of the nastiest sinkers he ever threw, after stranding three runners to save the game and the Red Sox' season, only Miguel Tejada could blame the flighty Lowe celebrated a little too, um, graphically. Hey, you'd be excited too if your team had just overcome an 0-2 deficit.

30. Jed Lowrie’s ninth-inning RBI single to win Game 4 and defeat the Angels in the ALDS, Oct. 6, 2008: Wait -- a playoff-series-winning hit is 30th on the list? You betcha. Again: That’s how good we’ve had it, son.

31. Tom Brady hits Troy Brown for to set up winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVI, Feb. 3, 2002: Brady threw for just 145 yards in the game, but twenty-three of them came on perfectly executed crossing route to his favorite target, the biggest gainer of the nine-play, 53-yard drive that set up Vinatieri's winning 3-pointer.

32. Papi’s winning two-run double in Game 4 of the ALDS, Oct. 5, 2003: Coincidentally, Papi’s first huge postseason moment -- which came with two outs in the eighth -- came off future Sox postseason super hero Keith Foulke, then of the A’s.

33. Coco Crisp’s epic 10-pitch at-bat in Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS, Oct. 16, 2008: The Sox were down 7-0 with two outs in the seventh inning. With two outs in the eighth, Crisp had his defining moment with the Sox, singling in the tying run to tie it at 7-7. Couldn't have been happier for him, either.

34. Kevin Garnett’s declaration that ‘‘Anything is possibbuuuulllllll!!!, June 17, 2008: Because, as we’ve learned time and again this decade, it is the absolute truth.

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I imagine your initial reaction when you heard about the Matt Cassel deal Saturday was similar to mine:

The 34th pick? Really? That's it? And they get Mike Vrabel too?

Then you promptly drop-kicked whatever inanimate object (or house pet) that happened to be nearby. Wide right, Fluffy.

Okay, so maybe I'm flying solo on that last part. But it did fall somewhere between frustrating and surprising to learn that the Patriots would give up Cassel, who earned a career's worth of admiration after he rescued the 2008 season when few believed he could, and Vrabel, a bright, versatile, and talented defender who in many ways embodied the Patriots' defense during their glorious three-championship run, for nothing more than a solitary pick. And not even one in the first round.

We had sentimental attachment to these players -- sentimental attachment that was usually rewarded by excellent performance -- and it's hard to not wonder why they didn't bring more in return.

I was really hoping for a mid first-round pick (at least) for Cassel, who I believe will be a very good quarterback even without Randy Moss and Wes Welker in his huddle. Why the Lions didn't offer their second first-rounder for him is . . . well, it's why they're the Lions.

And while Vrabel has clearly lost a step or three -- he recovered just 2 1/2 sacks after Week 1 last season -- he was a great player here, one who is universally popular among Patriots fans, and it's always sad to see another link to that first Super Bowl victory depart. (Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, Matt Light, Kevin Faulk, Larry Izzo, and Tedy Bruschi are the six remaining, and that number might be three come September.)

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If you missed it while enjoying your holiday festivities, this week's OT column is right here. As a bonus, I'm posting here a few of my Boston sports predictions for 2009 that didn't make the cut.

(Yep. I wrote too long. Again. But by only 500 words this time. That's what you call a craftsman's discipline, baby.)

Anyway, I'll be back with an original column Monday -- at last, one in which the names "Teixeira" and "Boras" will not be mentioned. Until then, here are few deleted scenes that left out of the OT original . . .

Feb. 10: With “Justice” written on one fist and “For Cam” on the other, the Bruins’ Milan Lucic pummels 43-year-old Sharks forward Claude Lemieux so brutally that the longtime villain attempts to announce his re-retirement while cowering on the ice. Neely proudly nods his approval from management’s box, while NESN’s Mike Milbury chucks a shoe in Lemieux’s direction for old time’s sake.

May 23: Assuming it’s no different than taking a mid-game leak inside the Green Monster, Manny Ramirez urinates on the sacred monuments beyond the left field wall at Yankee Stadium during the seventh inning of a 21-3 loss to the Phillies. The entire city of New York is aghast. The ghost of Babe Ruth, however, finds it hilarious.

June 10: The Celtics deliver the ultimate indignity to the Lakers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals when Eddie House’s grade-school-aged son, Jalen, blows past Sasha Vujacic for a reverse layup and a foul with 1:22 remaining, giving the Celtics a 133-82 lead. Vujacic retreats to the LA bench, slaps a folding chair, shakes his hand in agony, and immediately bursts into tears. Little House chest bumps his proud pop, then says: “Dad, you told me there was no crying in basketball.”

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. . . while desperately hoping the power has been restored by the time I get home. I would have made a lousy pilgrim . . .

I understand why Danny Ainge might have cursory interest in Stephon Marbury -- he's mimicking the Red Auerbach philosophy that if you bring add a talented malcontent to a winning team with a strong and established group of leaders, he will have no choice but to get in line and behave or get lost. And it always was fun when Red would bring in perceived headcases and troublemakers -- Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson among them -- and they would often become vital contributors for the Celtics. But I think Marbury is a different case -- he's the ultimate me-first player, always has been, and always will be, and I don't think anything is going to change him at this point, including a chance to salvage his career with an outstanding team. Hell, I doubt he even believes his career needs salvaging. He's incurable. I would, however, be curious to find out what the "brain doctor" Ainge consults would make of Marbury. I suspect he would report there was no activity whatsoever.

* * *

While cursing Buffalo's "Dumb and Dumber" duo of Dick Jauron and J.P. Losman Sunday, I realized that we don't have a Patriots Enemies List here at TATB like the one we periodically update during baseball season for the Sox. So, with Jauron and Losman as members of our inaugural class of nitwits and villains, here are a couple of other names off the top of my head that should join them:

Ryan Clark: The hit on Welker might not have been illegal, but it was damn sure dirty.

Brett Favre: Consider it a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Channing Crowder: He's like Joey Porter's mouthier, less talented brother, which, in the case of the former, is saying something.

Eric Mangini: King rat.

ESPN: Every last one of 'em but Jaws.

Ty Law: For taking the Jets' dirty money.

Plaxico Burress For not shooting himself in the leg before the Super Bowl.

Bernard Pollard: Imagine how we'd loathe him if Matt Cassel hadn't played so well.

I know there's some obvious enemies I'm missing, so feel free to chime in with your own.

* * *

Sure, he's so brittle that it's been suggested he change his last name to Pavano -- okay, you got me, I just made that up -- but I still think there's a very good chance that former Brewer Ben Sheets could end up being the steal of this year's free agent pitching class. He has the stuff of a legitimate ace -- when he's right, his breaking ball is absolutely untouchable -- and he's apparently a hellacious competitor, which is something not often said about the pitcher most similar to Sheets statistically, according to baseball-reference.com: the ridiculously overpaid A.J. Burnett. I hope the Red Sox have done their due diligence with the 30-year-old righthander, because if the price is reasonable, I have no doubt that he's a risk worth taking. (In a related note, check out Burnett's top three similarity scores: Juan Guzman, Sheets, Ben McDonald. Yikes. Somewhere, Brian Cashman just sucker-punched himself, then slapped himself in the face to emphasize the point. Oh, yes, the meltdown is going to be fun.)

* * *

While it was a typically disingenuous move by the Red Sox' marketing wizards -- I'm pretty sure Mike Dee would go on camera to tell us the fans just love them even as an angry mob wearing classic Sox caps pillaged Fenway in the background -- I've got no problem with the uniform tweaks. Then again, I grew up in an era when they wore this, so anything would look classy by comparison.

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. . . or, if that catchy headline doesn't do it for you, let's call it 32 Things I Think I Think I Think. (Take that, Peter King . . .)

AFC EAST
New York Jets: They have no clue Favre is going to break their hearts with one of his patented four-pick clunkers in the postseason, do they? Oh, the crash-and-burn is going to be spectacular.

New England Patriots: He'll probably never tell us, but I'm desperately curious to know if Bill Belichick saw this in Matt Cassel all along. Remember, the week after Tom Brady got torpedoed, Phil Simms -- probably the one media member Belichick might confide in -- said on the air that Belichick "thinks he has something special" in Cassel.

Buffalo Bills: I can't help but laugh every time one of the network cameras scans the Buffalo crowd -- it's amazing how many people still show up wearing Bledsoe jerseys. Those were the good old days? Seriously? I guess it beats wearing an Alex Van Pelt gamer.

Miami Dolphins: If only Joey Porter had lost his helmet in the last few minutes. Next time, Matt Light. Next time.

AFC SOUTH
Tennessee Titans: This is according to Bringing the Heat, Mark Bowden's richly detailed book on those wild and wildly talented Eagles teams of the early '90s: When Buddy Ryan was let go as Philadelphia's coach in '91, owner Norman Braman narrowed down his list of candidates to two finalists: Rich Kotite, who got the job . . . and a 20-something Ryan underling named Jeff Fisher. Talk about losing the coin flip. Might want to send Mr. Braman a thank-you note, Titans fans.

Indianapolis Colts: First, he beat the Patriots with a 52-yard field goal earlier this season, then, last night, he took down the Chargers with a winning 51-yard boot. Ol' Vinny still has some gunpowder in that leg after all.

Houston Texans: Free Andre Johnson! Free Andre Johnson!

Jacksonville Jaguars: Preening Jack Del Rio strikes me as your stereotypical ex-player meathead. Too bad he doesn't have New England ties, because he'd make an ideal Big Show co-host.

AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh Steelers: Wonder if Anthony "Toast" Smith will impart any of his unique wisdom and insight regarding the Patriots this week.

Baltimore Ravens: Belichick doesn't strike me as one to linger on "What-Ifs," so I doubt he truly regrets taking Daniel Graham three picks ahead of one of his favorite players, Ed Reed, in 2002 NFL Draft. But as much as I appreciated Graham, I'm more than happy to do the regrettin' for him.

Cleveland Browns: Weird how Romeo Crennel's first head coaching experience is similar to his Belichick's -- like his friend, he was set up to fail in Cleveland, Belichick by a duplicitous owner, and Crennel by a locker room full of malcontents. I hope he's back as the Patriots' defensive coordinator the day after Cleveland dumps him.

Cincinnati Bengals: I'm getting the sense that T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who has been a teammate of Chad Johnson-Ocho Cinco's since they both entered Oregon State in 2000, is getting sick of his fellow receiver's act. In fact, he's this close to changing his own name to T.J. Chadshutthebleepupzadeh.

AFC WEST
Denver Broncos: Upset of the season so far: Mike Shanahan hasn't repeatedly plunged his pen into the thorax of one of his players after yet another hideously inept defensive series. But I'd keep my eyes open for the shiv if I were you, Dre' Bly.

San Diego Chargers: Well, they've officially been Norved. I suspect Josh McDaniels might be the one who gets to clean up this talented mess next season.

Oakland Raiders: If the Raiders put up 31 points again this week, does 137-year-old undead offensive mastermind Al Davis immediately become one of the hot names for potential coaching vacancies? (C'mon, you really think Tom Cable was calling the plays? That puppet couldn't call for room service.)

Kansas City Chiefs: ESPN's John Clayton thinks Larry Johnson will be playing for the Patriots next season. I think John Clayton has a vivid imagination.

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I'm not saying it was once again all about the money with Ty Law, but don't you get the sense he'd start telling people he went to Ohio State if Jim Tressel forked over a big enough pile of cash?

No, we shouldn't be surprised ol' No. 24 is a Jet. While Law hasn't come out and admitted it, you don't need to be an expert at reading between the lines to realize he'll be with Them instead of Us for tomorrow night's immensely important AFC East showdown for one reason and one reason only: They filled his pockets with more loot. Law always has been a money player, in every sense. (So far, there is no confirmation that the deal was sealed when Law was given access to Eric Mangini's endless stash of 100 Grand bars.)

Not that we expect Law to be much of a factor tomorrow -- 34-year-old cornerbacks, even ones with his extended list of accomplishments, just don't stroll in off the street and blanket Wes Welker. And give me a break about his alleged "insider's knowledge" regarding the Patriots -- he's been gone for four years. Freeman McNeil or Wesley Walker could probably provide Belichick the same amount of insight about the current Jets.

Still, Law's return adds another layer of intrigue to a rivalry that probably would be better described, without a hint of hyperbole, as mutual hatred. In fact, while I'm sure the Jets believe Law will help them at some point this season -- just as we believe he would have eventually been an asset to the Patriots had they met his sticker price -- we fully agree with the sentiment here: the timing of the signing is one more transparent attempt at oneupmanship in a rivalry that has become increasingly petty.

I'm not just pinning this on Mangini, either, though he clearly is an accomplished and gifted weasel. While I generally like Bill Belichick's personality -- he has far better people skills than the common perception suggests, and there's something to be said for dry humor -- his perspective on the Jets falls somewhere between immature and irrational. It's understandable why he considers Mangini, his ungrateful former understudy, a turncoat for joining the franchise whose team president once publicly questioned his sanity. But his refusal to even say the word "Jets"? The man's 56 years old. He should be above that sort of thing.

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The temperature is rising on the baseball hot stove, but the Red Sox aren't the only Boston sports team that could -- or should -- be making a significant addition or two soon. Here's a quick look at various players whose names we might be seeing in the transactions in the coming weeks:

Antonio McDyess: The likable veteran forward, who played extremely well at times against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals last spring -- he scored 21 points in Game 4 -- is apparently in the process of negotiating a buyout with the Nuggets after he was included in the Iverson/Billups swap for salary reasons. The 34-year-old would be a perfect fit off the bench for these Celtics, a more athletic and versatile version of P.J. Brown, and he does have a history with Celtics boss Danny Ainge, who was his coach with the Suns in 1997-98 and is still an unabashed admirer. That said, McDyess in green is probably wishful thinking. There's quite a bit of informed speculation coming from the Detroit papers that he'll end up back with the Pistons 30 days from now after the Gary Payton Rule is no longer in effect. Here's hoping Ainge is looking at that as his window to make a relentless sales pitch.

Javier Vazquez: It would be cool to have him here, if only as a living monument to Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, but even with his obvious ability, he's probably not an ideal match for the Red Sox seeing how he basically got called gutless by his manager, then went out and proved him right. I suppose there are worse booby prizes the Red Sox could get in return for Julio Lugo, though. (See: Willis, Dontrelle.)

Mark Teixeira: Yeah, I know, you haven't heard his name enough lately. But here's the thing: My biggest worry at the moment regarding the 2009 Red Sox -- wait, make that my second biggest worry, after the nightmare scenario of Scott Boras brainwashing Theo Epstein into giving the ghost of Jason Varitek a multi-year contract -- is that Big Papi struggles again with injuries and ineffectiveness, and Mike Lowell can't return to form after hip surgery, thus leaving the Red Sox with a very suspect middle of the order. I think the Red Sox have to fill some suitcases full of cash and make a serious and sincere run at Teixeira, and I think they will. The problem, as Tony Mazz wrote today, is that the 28-year-old switch-hitter is so coveted and has timed his free agency so fortuitously that it's almost the perfect storm to make him the next $200 million player. And I don't see the Red Sox paying him anything approaching that figure (heretofore known as Steinbrenner Money), no matter how much they covet him.

Nick Swisher: I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the Red Sox' fallback plans if they lose the Teixeira sweepstakes. He's in his prime (28), he fits the organizational philosophy of driving up pitch counts (he's averaged 93 walks over the past three seasons), and it's a decent buy-low opportunity. Of course, there's a reason he's available -- he batted just .219 last season, a point lower than the Varitek, and he's just a .244 hitter in his four-year career. Ultimately, it's a matter of Chicago's asking price and whether Theo Epstein believes his potential is greater than the risk. I do think the Sox would take him for Lugo and some minor-league spare parts in a heartbeat, though.

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A passing thought on the Patriots while worrying that Dice-K's maddening habit of nibbling will contribute to the end of the Sox' season tonight:

I'll admit, my expectations for (and opinions of) Matt Cassel have tended to fluctuate wildly during the first six weeks of the season, depending pretty much on whether the Patriots won their game that particular Sunday.

So you probably have a sense for how I feel about the Accidental Heir at this particular moment: C'mon, Kevin O'Connell, hurry up and master the offense already, so Cassel can fulfill his destiny of holding a clipboard for the Toronto Argonauts.

Cruel and unreasonable? Probably. But after watching the debacle against the Chargers, I really don't have a lot of hope for him -- or the sluggish and inconsistent football team he's desperately trying to guide -- this season.

The Patriots looked indifferent (and that's a nice way of saying "comatose") once they fell behind at San Diego, and if they play that way against the Broncos -- and I fear they're going to be on the losing end of a track meet -- then it's not going to be long before their fans become indifferent as well. I feel like a spoiled jerk writing that . . . but it's the truth. At least we've still got the Celtics (and at least nine more innings of the Sox, I suppose).

But the point here today isn't to blame Cassel -- by all accounts he is putting in the overtime required of an NFL QB, he seems like a swell guy, and he has some raw athletic ability (though in a sense, Cassel, a former Southern Cal pitcher, reminds me of Chad Huchinson and Drew Henson -- athletes who were just good enough at a couple of sports to not quite make it).

The point is to suggest a certain segment of fans and media should lower their expectations of him, and of what he might become.

For instance, I heard someone -- a deployed 'EEI airbag, I think, but I can't remember which one -- point out that Cassel's numbers through his first five games are similar to Tom Brady's during his first handful of starts in '01. The point, I think, was that there's a chance Cassel could develop into something special at quarterback himself, just as Brady did from his humble beginnings.

Which, of course, is absurd. Anyone who actually watched Brady play in the sudden aftermath of Drew Bledsoe's franchise-altering injury in 2001 saw encouraging attributes in the new guy immediately, even when the statistical results weren't there.

When Brady first took over, you had to be impressed -- again, immediately -- at his poise in the pocket, his uncanny instinct for feeling and dodging the pressure, his ability to sell a fake, his knack for throwing an accurate screen pass at just the right time. They were subtle aspects of quarterbacking, and they were so noticeable to us at the time because they were such unfamiliar characteristics in a Patriots quarterback -- they were important skills that the rocket-armed but satisfied Bledsoe never possessed.

And they are skills (or instincts) that Cassel lacks right now -- and most likely, always will.

Cassel actually might have more physical ability than Brady at the same age, though pure talent has long been an underrated aspect of the Brady package. But Cassell has the timing of a cheap watch, a blind man's feel for the pass rush (how many sacks has he scrambled into?), and even though those weaknesses are in part due to his limited playing experience, it's fair to assume he will never completely master them.

The small things elude Matt Cassell, and I fear, like with Bledsoe, Tony Eason, and so many others before Tom Brady came around, they always will.

I'm sure he could probably start for the Argonauts, though. That was just plain mean.

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FYI, this week's "OT" column can be found right here -- I like to call it my Loving Tribute To The Brilliant 'n' Omnipotent Tito. Seriously, even though Terry Francona hasn't had his finest postseason in terms of strategy, I stand behind every word in the piece but one: instead of calling the Rays "pesky," I'd like to change that to "$*$(#(*$** impressive." Man, are they loaded, for now and the future.

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As for today's Completely Random Baseball Card:

Yep, for karma's sake, we're going back to Hendu. Hey, his magic worked against the Angels.

A Troy Brown tribute edition of Random Lists of Five . . .

Top five most clutch Patriots of all time:
1. Adam Vinatieri. There are three last-minute, game-winning field goals in Super Bowl history. He's hit two of 'em. Next question.
2. Brown.
3. Tom Brady. Obviously tempting to put him higher, but he gets a demerit here for losing a playoff game to Jake Plummer.
4. Kevin Faulk. Somehow, he cured his fumbleitis and became amazingly dependable in big situations.
5. J.R. Redmond. An unsung hero of the Snow Bowl and the first Super Bowl, and a lost cause the rest of his brief career.

Top five NFL players out of Marshall:
1. Randy Moss.
2. Brown. But to Moss's credit, he always refers to himself as the second-best receiver ever to come out of the school. Classy.
3. Chad Pennington. Imagine if he had a fastball.
4. Ahmad Bradshaw. Part of the Giants' stellar '07 draft, he was a steal with the 250th overall pick.
5. Jermaine Wiggins. Gotta go with the East Boston kid over underachieving QB Byron Leftwich.

Top five most memorable plays of Brown's career, all of which you surely can still picture in your mind's eye:
1. The blocked kick/lateral to Antwan Harris against Pittsburgh.
2. The 23-yard catch that set up Adam Vinatieri's winning field goal against the Rams.
3. Stripping the football from the Chargers' Marlon McCree after an interception.
4. The 82-yard TD in overtime to beat the Dolphins.
5. Catching a pass from Drew Bledsoe -- as a defensive back.

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In October 2003, I truly hated the Yankees. I mean, I felt it. The Aaron Bleepin' Boone loss affected my mood for days afterward. It made me question why I devoted so many hours and so much emotion to a team that inevitably let me down. For the first time since I was 8 years old, I didn't watch the World Series . . . that is, until a Yankee defeat was imminent. Then I watched. I've been enjoying Josh Beckett's work ever since.

So in that sense, I completely get the national venom for the Patriots. I'm not surprised by all the anecdotes we're hearing about fans in bars in New York and Indianapolis and in all the other football cities the Patriots have pillaged the past seven years erupting in gleeful cheers as Tom Brady writhed on the ground Sunday.

And how predictable was it that the ESPN clowns would climb all over each other to declare the wicked witch in the gray hoodie dead? The Hoges and Schlereths can barely repress their smirks as they wait for the Patriots to get their comeuppance, as if the Super Bowl shocker wasn't enough.

They hate the Patriots, for their success, for all they've denied them. They feel it. I know where they're coming from.

But a word of warning to those who are giddily drop-kicking the Patriots while they're supposedly down: In your bloodthirsty, envious desire to see the fatal blow delivered to the wobbling dynasty, you are severely underestimating the remaining 52 men on this team right now.

Let's get this straight: I'm am not in a state of grief as I write this. I am not a basement-dwelling fanboy in denial. I am not looking for hope anywhere I can find it. I simply believe this to be true:

The Patriots, even without the best player in the NFL, are still going to be a tremendous football team this season. They may not light up the scoreboard, and they may not dominate from the first minute to the 60th, but more often than not - much more often than not - they will win.

They will win because of Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They will win because of Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren. They will win because of Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel . . . Dan Koppen and Logan Mankins . . . Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris . . . Rodney Harrison and Deltha O'Neal . . . Dave Thomas and Ben Watson . . . Jerod Mayo and Tedy Bruschi . . .

They will win because of Matt Cassel. And most of all, they will win because of Bill Belichick.

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While we sit here absorbing Bill Belichick's confirmation of the inevitable, let me just say this: I believe in Matt Cassel. Also, in what may be a related story, I suffered a severe concussion in fifth grade and haven't been quite the same since.

I know, this is no time for weak jokes. But in all seriousness, what choice do we have but to put our damaged faith in Cassel, he of the 57 (fifty-seven!) career passes as a pro?

We all know this season took a turn for the surreal at 7:27 of the first quarter yesterday, and it wasn't much later that the cruel truth whacked us like Rodney Harrison from the blind side:

Tom Brady is seriously, severely hurt, and our team's very real Super Bowl aspirations are little more than daydreams now.

There is no replacing Brady, and while I'm sure I offered a similar sentiment about a different damaged quarterback in Week 2 of the 2001 season, those miracles of fate and circumstance don't come around this often. The Patriots may have a winning season, and perhaps they'll have a playoff season, but their chances of a championship season crumbled to their ground yesterday.

I hate the notion that the 15 games to come just got more interesting with Brady out; to me, that's a surefire sign that you've begun to take this era of Patriots dominance for granted. Legitimate Super Bowl contenders are a rarity. You got a blunt-force reminder yesterday: This ain't lasting forever, folks.

Now this is Matt Cassel's team for the foreseeable future, and it's a great credit to him that he performed yesterday like he had been in command all along. He justified his place on this roster, proved he knows the offense, and looked ready to be an entirely capable caretaker in Brady's absence.

Our new concern - one of them, anyway - should be this: What happens if Cassel gets hurt? Rookie Kevin O'Connell, the other healthy quarterback on the roster, can't possibly be ready. At this time a year ago, he was preparing to take on San Jose St. Thus, we give you some semi-serious candidates (please, try to laugh through the tears) to be the backup to the once (and hopefully future) backup:

Chris Simms: The ex-Buc is in for a workout today, and he seems to be the most likely option. He's young, experienced, and has somewhat of a history with Belichick since his old man is a Giants icon. I just wonder if he's a Belichick kind of player; while he's tough, he's never played particularly well in big moments dating back to his days at Texas, and a quarterback of his skill and pedigree should not find himself on the waiver wire at this point in his career.

Tim Rattay: This ex-Niner was the other quarterback the Patriots considered late in the 2000 draft. From a January feature on Brady by ESPN's Greg Garber:

For New England's sixth-round pick, it was down to Brady and Tim Rattay of Louisiana Tech. Quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein, who had worked them both out, gave the slight edge to Brady. Fortunately for the Patriots, head coach Bill Belichick concurred.

I suppose there would be some irony or symmetry in Rattay getting his shot here now, but Simms is the better quarterback.

Daunte Culpepper: Let's get one thing straight: Randy Moss made him in Minnesota, just as he made Randall Cunningham an NFL MVP and rejuvenated Jeff George's career for one statistically great season. When Culpepper was young, before his knees went (man, I hate that phrase today), Culpepper was a remarkable talent, but sometimes it seemed like the Vikings had just two options in their playbook: See Daunte Run, and See Daunte Heave It Up For Randy. He takes the Brett Favre approach to quarterbacking - just sling it, man - and he's not the right man for this job. In fact, he couldn't be more wrong, but it does remind me of this: It is imperative that Randy Moss stays healthy this season. He may not make Cassel into a star . . . but then again, he's accomplished greater feats.

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When the calendar turns to September, it's tradition here at TATB that at least some of our harebrained sporting thoughts turn to football and the Patriots. I apologize in advance for the dumb things I'll write in the months to come (I'm still smarting from arrogantly predicting a Super Bowl blowout). So with that disclaimer out of the way, let's kick things off (groan) with a look at a few of the names caught up in Bill Belichick's odd game of roster roulette the past few days . . .

John Lynch: Like most of you, I imagine, I loved the idea of Lynch on the Pats, but the version in my mind's eye was much different than the one we saw on the field this preseason - namely, the helmet-cracking force I remembered was about five years younger and three steps faster. Though it sounds like there's a decent chance he'll rejoin the Patriots over the course of the long season - he's apparently on Belichick's taxi squad of future Hall of Famers, along with Junior Seau and, I believe, Paul Warfield and Lawrence Taylor - I wasn't surprised he was let go. Mike Shanahan in Denver didn't seem to think he could run anymore, and I wouldn't surprised if Belichick came to the same ruthless conclusion after watching Lynch struggle to keep up with young, fast, and mostly anonymous receivers in the preseason. Ultimately, there may be a role for him here, but sentiment aside, I'd prefer faster players to aging, famous ones.

Chad Jackson: I imagine his famous final scene unfolded this way:

Assistant coach/grim reaper: "Chad, coach wants to see you in his office. Bring your playbook."

Jackson, dropping the PS3 controller in astonishment: "Dude, wait . . . we have plays. Like on Madden?"

It was obvious Jackson had a ton of physical ability. It was also obvious that Tom Brady had no faith in him to be at the right place at the right time on the football field, and when you're a wide receiver and the Franchise doesn't trust you, well . . . let's just say it isn't long before the Patriots send you to a nice home out in the country, where you spend your days obliviously running around in a field alongside Bethel Johnson, Doug Gabriel, Tony Simmons, and Donald Hayes. I'm sure he's happy there.

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Ranking your favorite championships is like ranking your children. You have your favorites. You just don't tell your wife.

No, no, wait, dear, I was just kidding . . . Of course I love all of our babies equally . . . Even what's-his-name, the little pirate-looking fella with the wooden leg . . .

(NBA.com Photo)

Anyway, while I prepare to sleep on the couch tonight, I suppose I should warn those of you who aren't Boston sports fans that this post is an exercise in supreme arrogance. Yup, even moreso than usual.

You see, we're here today to rank our teams' six championships this decade - that's right, SIX championships - and you can bet your Loserville pennant that we're going to enjoy it.

(Editor's note: For today's purposes, we're going to pretend Super Bowl XLII never happened. Because it didn't. Thank you, TATB Management.)

So Yankees fans, you can skip out on us today and surf on over to your other favorite destination . . . what is it again, BronxChixWithMustachesTomSelleckWouldEnvy.com? Sounds right.

Lakers fans, you can stop pretending you care and again focus on your real favorite pastime: bleaching your hair, your teeth, your nostrils, your Vujacic, and whatever else happens to be the Tinseltown trend of the moment. Freaks.

And Philly fans . . . well, I don't even know where to begin with you. Moses Malone isn't walking through that door. And if he did, he'd probably drop 25 and 20 on Samuel Dalembert.

But seriously, enough about you. This is about us. So fire up the duck boats, let the confetti rain, and let's get rankin' . . .

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Let's just admit it. Despite devouring all the of the mock drafts, semi-educated guesses, deliberately misleading rumors, and flat-out gossip like we're Peter King rummaging through the Starbucks dumpster, you, me, and Mel Kiper Jr. haven't a clue what the New England Patriots are going to do with the No. 7 overall selection in today's NFL Draft.

Especially Mel. There are a few memorable draft moments that stand out in my mind over the years - the made-for-TV nose dives of Thurman Thomas, Randy Moss, Warren Sapp, and Brady Quinn, Dr. Z's dismissive appraisal of Dan Marino (man, I wish I could find this on YouTube), that one time Chris Berman paused for breath - I think my favorite happened in 2005, when the Patriots selected little-known Fresno State guard Logan Mankins with the 32d and final pick in the first round.

You could just tell from Kiper's reaction that he was completely befuddled by this pick - when asked by Berman for his reaction, he looked like a deer in the headlights, albeit a deer with an awesome man-bouffant - and it was so apparent that he wanted to rip the selection; if I recall correctly Kiper had Mankins pegged as a late second or early third rounder. But bless his little draftnik heart, he just couldn't do it. The Pats, I'm going to guess you recall, were coming off back to back Super Bowl titles, their previous two drafts had been sensational, and at that moment in time it was a self-defeating act to question any personnel decisions that they made. So Kiper dislodged his tongue from his throat, stammered something about it being a bit of a reach but that the mean Mankins was a Patriots-type of player . . . then burst into tears, ripped his draft board to shreds, shrieked "I hate you, Belichick!," and stormed off to his room. Well, maybe not all of that is true. But trust me. It was awesome.

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