That should be a good sign for the Patriots, particularly with the way they've already handled pressure-packed games throughout the season, and it's reminiscent of the way they've approached postseasons of the past. Of course, it will be a few more days before they find out if they'll be hosting the AFC Championship.
In the meantime, here are this week's 20 thoughts.
1. The last month served as an eye-opening experience, sitting down with a host of Patriots who described head coach Bill Belichick's genius and tireless work ethic, and while many already knew of Belichick's dedication to the game, it was interesting to hear how it all takes shape behind closed doors at Gillette Stadium. In the interest of capping that feature at 2,000 words, I had to leave out some material, so I'll include those deleted scenes in the next few blurbs.
2. First of all, one of the reasons why wide receiver Deion Branch said he pays so much attention to Belichick was "just in case I want to coach one day." Branch has already mentioned that he hopes to get at least one more contract with the Patriots after his current one expires after the 2011 season, but some time thereafter, maybe he'll join Belichick's coaching tree.
3. Rookie linebacker Dane Fletcher mentioned how detail-oriented Belichick is in practice and meetings, and he said it was a major difference from college to the pros. "I didn’t even think about [situational football], and when it came up, you just played to the circumstances. Then you come here to a place like this where situational football is just built into your routine and your film study, when it comes up, you're more comfortable with it."
4. A number of players also said how much they appreciate the fact that Belichick never calls anyone out to the media, and when he knows they're underperforming, he's blunt about it to their faces. Because of that, there's no gray area, and when the players know exactly what their coach is thinking, it makes those day-to-day tasks much easier to execute, and it makes them more willing to give an honest effort.
5. This was also a good quote from star linebacker Jerod Mayo, who has been a captain for two consecutive seasons. "He never treats anybody different, no matter if you're a starter or just a regular guy," Mayo said. "He treats everybody the same." A message like that seems to carry more weight from a guy like Mayo, who is so highly thought upon in that locker room.
6. So it's rivalry week again, and tight end Alge Crumpler seems like he's still getting used to all of the hoopla that surrounds a Patriots-Jets game. "I thought we would get a few days before some of the banter started, but it is what it is," said Crumpler, who is in his 10th season in the NFL but his first year with New England.
7. Branch had an interesting take on his time with the Seahawks. And remember, he showed up a season after Seattle lost to the Steelers in the Super Bowl. "There were times in Seattle where guys talked about the Super Bowl so much in '06, but you lost," Branch said. "That’s the big difference. I think here [in New England], we’ve won in the past, but guys don’t harp on it. They don’t talk about it. That doesn’t matter anymore. The game is over."
8. Pro Football Focus named Pats cornerback Devin McCourty their rookie of the year, and while that probably won't be the case when the league's official award is announced, the guys at PFF put in their work. Their staff pores over every play of every game and grades out every player, so this is a legitimate tip of the cap.
9. Anyone who watched Monday night's national championship — or any portion of Auburn's season — had to have become infatuated with Tigers defensive lineman Nick Fairley. Patriots fans shouldn't get too excited about the possibility of him suiting up in New England, though (I'm bringing this up because I've been asked about him a decent amount). First, the Patriots would have to mortgage a large portion of their draft to move into the top five to draft him. Second, while Fairley has the talent to play as a defensive end in the 3-4, he projects to be most effective as a 3-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3. So, bottom line, he just wouldn't be a perfect fit in New England.
10. Any Pats fans who would like to dream about a best-case scenario at defensive end should set their sights on Ohio State's Cameron Heyward. He has top-five to top-eight potential, too, though.
11. Sunday will mark just the second time in Belichick's 11-year tenure with the Patriots that he has faced a team a third time in one season. In the other instance, the Patriots beat the Jets in the 2006 wild-card round. It happened once during Belichick's five-year tenure in Cleveland, but his 1994 Browns fell to the Steelers in the playoffs.
12. While watching film of their big victory against the Jets in Week 13, the Patriots would have never known they won by six touchdowns. "The score was 45-3, but we had a lot of mistakes in the game and I think those are the things we focus on more," Branch said. "He drills us on it. You wouldn’t think we won the game 45-3, which is good. That’s a good thing. Once [Belichick] shows it, guys realize where they made the mistakes and we’ve got to correct those mistakes."
13. Center Dan Koppen wore a red jersey last week for unspecified reasons — the Patriots didn't have to release an injury report because they didn't have a game that week — but he shed the non-contact jersey during Tuesday's full-pads practice. That's a good indication that he'll be ready to play against the Jets, and that's important because Koppen plays an integral role with New England's blocking assignments. Once Tom Brady makes his pre-snap reads, he relays his calls to Koppen, who calls them out to the rest of the offensive line.
14. If Koppen couldn't play, the Patriots would look toward Dan Connolly or Ryan Wendell, who can each play all three interior spots on the line. Connolly is expected to return after missing two games with a concussion, and since he's played so well at right guard, I wonder if Belichick would prefer to put Wendell at center to minimize the movement.
15. Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has a ton of physical ability, but his mistakes against Oregon's pro-style defense showcased that he's got a long way to go before he becomes an NFL quarterback. Newton, who will likely declare for the draft before Saturday's deadline, will also have three months to prove he is mature enough to warrant a top-10 slot in the draft, which seems awful high at this point. Anyway, the Patriots don’t have a need at quarterback, but many think their AFC East foes, the Bills, will give Newton a serious look with the third pick.
16. When the Jets say things about remembering how much the Patriots celebrated during their 45-3 victory, do the Jets forget about how much they celebrated while losing by six touchdowns? I think the trash talk is entertaining for the most part, but that example is a little ridiculous.
17. Jets safety Brodney Pool hit both ends of the spectrum Saturday in Indianapolis. He made two outstanding tackles on the Colts' first two drives, then he made a horrendous read that led to wide receiver Pierre Garcon's 57-yard touchdown reception.
18. It's exciting anytime one of the league's best players hits free agency, like former Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha just did. It's tough to imagine where he'll end up because a desperate team might decide to overwhelm him with a huge contract offer, but all things being equal, I think the Jets end up parting with Antonio Cromartie and making a big push for Asomugha. That would be a scary notion for the Patriots.
19. The Patriots absolutely robbed the Panthers last April when they traded their third-round pick (No. 89) for Carolina's 2011 second-rounder, which turned into the 33rd pick in this year's draft. To make matters worse for the Panthers, they made the trade in order to select Armanti Edwards, an Appalachian State quarterback who made no impact in his rookie season while converting to wide receiver. Edwards played in just three games in his rookie season, had one rushing attempt for seven yards, no receptions and one completion for no gain.
20. Apparently, the book has been closed on rookie defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick's suspension. There have been few, if any, answers, and Belichick was very dismissive last week when asked about the matter. Since Belichick has been so diligent in cleaning house over the last year — Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Laurence Maroney, for example — it was surprising that Deaderick's suspension lasted less than a week. Whatever it was, then, couldn't have been overly egregious.
