Tedy Ballgame Back?

The Boston Herald is reporting today that LB Ted Bruschi may have an outside chance of returning THIS season. Karen Guregian of the Herald says in her article:

"Word is, in fact, Bruschi is back seeing doctors, apparently hoping to gather enough information and data to see if it might at least be in the realm of possibility to come back sooner than he had planned. "

Obviously, if he is medically-cleared, the re-addition of Tedy into the mix would be a Godsend to this defense given the multitude of key injuries.

Pats Sign Running Back Zereoue

PATS OFFICIAL SITE: "The New England Patriots signed free agent running back Amos Zereoue and released wide receiver Andre' Davis today. Zereoue will wear number 31 for the Patriots. Terms of his agreement were not disclosed."

Clock-Gate: Hey, What's 52 Seconds Between Friends?

The amazing discovery that 52 additional seconds were added to the fourth quarter of the Pats-Steeler tilt raises the obvious question: Did it affect the outcome of the game? To nobody's surprise, Tom Brady master-minded one of his patented drives to put Adam "Little Papi" Vinatieri in position to make the game-winning score. A minute and twenty-one seconds is all our Super Bowl MVP needs, right? Well, what if it was only 29 seconds?

Your humble scribe believes Brady would have won it anyway: just Brady being Brady. His past performances have instilled so much confidence in the fan base, that it seems almost silly for us to doubt that he would have pulled it off. That's probably irrational on our part. But, until he demonstrates otherwise, I say, assume he wins big games no matter what the time constraints.

Having said that, it does seem outrageous that the NFL can allow such a blunder. What if the cleat were on the other foot? We would be screaming bloody murder! The Commissioner has got to implement bullet-proof integrity in clock management or the credibility of late-game heroics will always be in doubt.

REPORT: Pats Sign Two Players To Fill Injury Void

The Boston Herald reports that the Patriots have signed free agent safety Michael Stone and offensive lineman Gene Mruczkowski to fill the spots of Rodney Harrison and Matt Light. Light was NOT placed on injured reserve, however, so there may be hope of a return this season.

The Herald also reports that the Pats are working out running backs, which may be a sign that Kevin Faulk was hurt in the Steeler game more seriously than previously thought.

REPORT: Rodney Harrison Out For Year With Torn ACL

According to Boston.com: "Patriots defensive back Rodney Harrison will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee."

Beautiful Ugly Win: Pats Overcome Miscues To Beat Steelers, 23-20

They say that great teams are able to overcome adversity and win games that lesser teams cannot. Sunday's comeback win by the Super Bowl Champions was a textbook example of this adage. Pittsburgh linebacker Larry Foote summed it up best, "They showed us today why they're the champs." This was a game that could have easily gotten away. Key injuries to Rodney Harrison and Matt Light, 3 drive-killing turnovers, and an uncharacteristic 118 yards in penalties made this one look bleak at several points in the contest.

Tom Brady lead a stirring 4th Quarter comeback (12 of 12 passing in the quarter) with ruthless precision and Adam Vinatieri calmly booted the game winning field goal as the final seconds ticked away as the Pats completely "out-cooled" the still-cocky Steelers. Brady completed 31-41 for 372 yards, 1 INT, 0 TD, and typically, distributed the ball to 8 different receivers (most notably David Givens who caught 9 passes for 130 yards). None bigger than Kevin Faulk's 17-yard reception on the last drive (see quote below).

So, on this "toughest 5-game stint in NFL history", the World Champs are 2-1. So much for NFL scheduler conspiracies.
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From The Pittsburgh Tribune Review:
"In many ways, the 5-foot-8 Faulk is the perfect personification of the Patriots' dynasty. He is a subtle but effective team player whose contributions often go unnoticed everywhere but in his team's locker room."

Roethlisberger With A Cherry On Top

Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger has now officially moved on from his rookie year. Witness his comments yesterday when asked to name the best guy in the NFL at his position. The now wily second-year guy said this:

"People say Manning, but Tom Brady is, by far, the best quarterback in the NFL."

With this new maturity comes the realization that Pittsburgh teams of the past have regretted the trash talk that preceded earlier tilts with the Pats (remember the booked flights to New Orleans?).

So, give the kid credit for not only recognizing reality (after all, who IS better than Brady?), but also taking a leadership role by insuring that no bulletin board material will appear in the locker room of the Super Bowl Champs.

Coming off two impressive wins against lesser opponents, the Steelers are under no illusion that the Pats will lay down before them as well.

I look for a narrow Pats win (20-17) and a decent start on the toughest 5-game stretch in NFL history.

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