FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — As if this game needed more hype.

Rex Ryan, never afraid to say what’s on his mind, declared the New York Jets’ playoff game against the New England Patriots as a lot more than just another postseason matchup.

“I think it’ll be huge,” Ryan said Friday in his final news conference before Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff. “This one will probably be the second-biggest in the history of the franchise.”

Broadway Joe and the 1969 Super Bowl champions’ win over the Baltimore Colts is still at the top, of course. But this game between the Jets (12-5) and Patriots (14-2) isn’t far behind — at least in Ryan’s mind. Yep, even bigger than last year’s AFC Championship Game against Indianapolis.

“This year is huge because you’ve got your rival,” he said, “a team that’s won three Super Bowls right there in your own division, at their place, coming off the huge, embarrassing loss that we had in the Monday night game (on Dec. 6).”

After a ho-hum week of name-calling, accusations and challenges, Ryan’s chatty Jets are looking to get past the Patriots and reach the AFC Championship Game for the second straight season. But Bill Belichick and Tom Brady might have something to say about all of that. On the field, that is.

“Certainly the stakes are much higher than they were the last time,” Brady said, referring to the Patriots’ 45-3 rout last month. “Each can execute, certainly, at a very high level against great competition, and that’s going to be part of the reason why there is going to be millions of people tuned in for the game on Sunday.”

The fact these teams clearly don’t like each other — at all — would be another.

“One thing I can tell you right now, we have plenty of respect for them up there, but we don’t fear them,” Ryan said. “I can promise you that. We do not fear them. We respect them, and we’re going to win the game. That’s our message.”

There have been plenty of other messages sent from New York to Boston.

Ryan kicked things off last week when he praised Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, saying no one studies like him, even though Brady thinks he does. Then, Ryan said Monday that this game against the Patriots was “personal” between him and Belichick. Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie took things to another level of nastiness when he called Brady an expletive, while he and his coach accused the Patriots quarterback of showboating and pointing at their sideline after a late touchdown.

Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery said the Patriots spread their arms out like planes — the touchdown celebration some New York players use — after an interception in the last meeting.

“When you have a rivalry like this, things are going to come out,” Cotchery said. “People shouldn’t be surprised by any of this. This is a contact sport, though, and it’s going to be settled out there on the field in the end.”

To their credit, the Patriots stayed mostly quiet — under orders from Belichick, of course, who rarely gets into verbal confrontations with other teams through the media.

Notes

• Jets backup cornerback Drew Coleman (knee) and wide receiver Brad Smith (groin) are listed as questionable because of injuries before the playoff game at New England.

• New San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh hired three coaches from his former Stanford staff to join him in the NFL. The 49ers named Greg Roman offensive coordinator, Vic Fangio defensive coordinator and Tim Drevno offensive-line coach.

• The San Diego Chargers hired Greg Manusky as defensive coordinator.

• Former Jaguars tight end Ernest Wilford was charged in Jacksonville with resisting arrest and trespassing after a disturbance at a bar. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Wilford refused police advice to leave the bar early Friday, pushed one officer and was subdued by another using a Taser.

Vince Wilfork doesn’t dwell on the task he did poorly in last year’s playoffs. He’s too busy handling the jobs he does well.

The dean of the New England Patriots defensive line is, by his own description, a player, a mentor to young teammates and an adviser to them in the film room.

But he’s also the massive nose tackle who got shoved aside when Ray Rice ran for an 83-yard touchdown on the first play of the Baltimore Ravens’ 33-14 playoff win a year ago, a play Wilfork says he never revisits in his mind.

“We’re a different ball club,” he said Thursday. “Last year was last year. I don’t pay attention from the last game of this season (back to) my rookie year because every year is different. The only thing you can do is prepare well. If you prepare well, you’ll step on the field, you’ll have a lot of confidence in yourself and your teammates.”

That should help the Patriots when they try to stop another potent running attack in their first playoff game this season, at home Sunday against the New York Jets.

In the first-round loss to the Ravens, the Patriots allowed 234 yards and four touchdowns rushing, with Rice running for 159 yards and two scores and Willis McGahee picking up 62 yards and one touchdown.

Now Wilfork, listed conservatively at 325 pounds, will have to throw his body in front of another one-two punch — LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene — that has led the Jets to the fourth most yards rushing in the NFL.

In last Saturday night’s 17-16 playoff win over Indianapolis, Tomlinson rushed for 82 yards and two touchdown and Greene gained 70 on the ground.

“You’ve got two great backs,” Wilfork said. “They’re known for powering the rock. The offensive line is known for being physical.”

New England’s run defense improved as the season went on and young players gained experience. Rookies Brandon Deaderick, a seventh-round draft pick, and Kyle Love, a free agent, have made contributions on the defensive line — with Wilfork’s guidance.

“I don’t know if I’m a player, I’m a coach, I’m a mentor, you name it,” said Wilfork, in his seventh year since the Patriots drafted him in the first round out of Miami. “I’m always talking and teaching and coaching and mentoring, watching film. We do it. I’m proud to be someone like that that they can actually look up (to) and ask me for questions and I can give them the right advice. It’s been kind of fun.”

Wilfork is in his third year as a co-captain and was chosen this season for his third Pro Bowl. He can help youngsters learn how to line up at the right angle, fight off a block or stand up an offensive lineman so a linebacker can slip past to make a tackle.

Love couldn’t pinpoint the most important thing he’s been taught by Wilfork.

“I’ve learned everything from him,” Love said.

Wilfork’s influence extends beyond the defensive line. Second-year safety Patrick Chung looks up to him.

“There are times in a game where he will say, ’Hey, get it together,’ ” Chung said, and his teammates think, “’Oh, all right. Let’s go. Let’s do this.’ He’s a great leader.”

Wilfork has grown into that role over the past few years as veteran linemen who were drafted by the Patriots departed.

Richard Seymour arrived in 2001 but was traded to Oakland before the 2009 opener. Jarvis Green came in 2002 but left as a free agent after the 2009 season. Ty Warren, a rookie in 2003, has spent all season on New England’s injured reserve list with a hip injury.

Gerard Warren was drafted in 2001 but didn’t join the Patriots until this season after stops in Cleveland, Denver and Oakland.

Wilfork learned how to lead from Seymour, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison and other former Patriots. Now he’s the player teammates look to for advice.

“It was easy for me to come in and pick those guys’ brains. I was never the shy type. I always wanted to know why we were doing that and where did I need to be and what can I do to get better,” Wilfork said. “They taught me what it takes to be a leader. A lot of people may think that you have to talk all the time to be a leader. That’s not what it’s all about.

“If you come to work every day and everybody sees you working your tail off, you have no choice but to lead by example.”

But he also can lead with his mouth.

“He’s demanding and that’s what you need as a leader, but he’s fair,” running back Fred Taylor said. “He’ll make sure he coaches things that he sees or areas that he thinks need to be lifted. He’ll make sure to oversee those areas. He’s not going to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself.”

Once he takes the field against quarterback Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense, his biggest job will be playing, not teaching.

“Vince is one of the team captains elected by his peers,” coach Bill Belichick said, “but his role is the same as everybody else’s, which is to do their job and be ready to play, play at a high level and perform consistently.

“He’s played in a lot of big games. He’s an outstanding player, so I think he’s looked up to by everyone.”

His next big game is Sunday. Wilfork doesn’t want it to start like his only playoff game last year when he was blocked, opening a hole for Rice to run through.

He certainly doesn’t want it to end the way that game did.

“You lose this one,” Wilfork said, “you go home.”

With two days to go before the big playoff clash between the Jets and the New England Patriots, Mayor Bloomberg this morning predicted Gang Green will not only win the game — but go all the way to the Super Bowl this year.

Bloomberg said he’ll be the first to make the optimistic prediction.

“The Jets are going to the Super Bowl. You heard it from me. The Bloomberg prediction,” he said during his radio show.

The Jets face the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC divisional playoffs. The winner of that game will play either the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship.

“I don’t want to jinx them,” said Bloomberg.

The Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

In talking about all of New York’s sports teams, Bloomberg said, “All this stuff is good. Sports — even if you don’t like it — your livelihood depends on it, your tax rates depend on it. We want New York teams to be successful.”

Gang Green split its two meetings with the Patriots this season — losing the second 45-3 in what Jets coach Rex Ryan at the time called “the biggest butt-whipping I’ve ever taken as a coach.”

When he shook Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s hand after the Dec. 6 blowout, Ryan told him, “We’ll see you in Round 3.”

“He just looked at me,” Ryan said.

January 13, 2011, 2:38 PM EST

By Brian K. Sullivan

(Adds amount of NYC snowfall in fifth paragraph.)

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) — The meeting between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots in a National Football League playoff game this weekend will be the calm between two storms, according to forecasters.

Nineteen inches of snow fell yesterday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium, and another storm is expected to sweep through the Northeast early next week, according to Mike Bettes, a meteorologist at the Weather Channel in Atlanta.

For the two teams’ third game this season, at 4:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 16, the temperature will be about 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) and falling, Bettes said. A stiff wind will probably be blowing across the field as well, he said.

“With the wind chill it will be down to single digits, so it is going to be a pretty frozen field,” said Bettes, who also is host of the show “Your Weather Today.” “It is not going to be that much fun to sit in the stands.”

Yesterday’s storm forced the cancellation of almost 3,300 flights, knocked out power to more than 71,000 customers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and left 15 to 29 inches of snow across southern New England after dropping 9.1 inches on New York’s Central Park.

The storm that’s expected to arrive by Tuesday isn’t likely to be as potent, Bettes said.

The low temperatures that will chill this weekend’s NFL playoff games will probably grip the middle of the U.S., stretching down to Florida through the end of the month, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Maryland.

Pittsburgh Snow

The game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers has the best chance of snow, Bettes said. The temperature will be in the upper 20s with winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour (24 to 32 kilometers per hour) when the game begins in Pittsburgh at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 15, he said.

“The Ravens and the Steelers will have the worse weather,” Bettes said. “Heinz Field is going to be loud and cold.”

The Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks will probably have to contend with a “pretty nasty cross-field wind,” when they square off at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m., Bettes said.

Light snow is also possible, said Tom Kines, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania.

East From Chicago

“That would actually be the developing stages of the system that would affect the East Coast early in the week,” Kines said. “It will wait until it’s past Chicago to get its act together.”

The Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers will be playing in the Georgia Dome on Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. and won’t have to contend with the weather for the game. However, Bettes said Atlanta doesn’t have many plows and is still recovering from this week’s storm.

Next week’s snow may change to rain along the East Coast, Kines said. When snow absorbs rain it weighs more, and that would be added strain on roofs, trees and power lines.

“I would suspect that the major cities could have frozen precipitation at the start that may change over to rain,” Kines said. “It wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing, especially in the New York City area on up into New England.”

–Editors: Charlotte Porter, Bill Banker

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at bsullivan10@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Stets at dstets@bloomberg.net

Tom Brady usually finds his targets. Now he can finally set his sights on playoff success.

The record-shattering star of the New England Patriots extended his streak to 11 games without an interception in the team’s eighth straight win and fourth rout in five games, 38-7 over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

“Interceptions pretty much ruin my night,” Brady said. “I’m glad tonight’s not ruined.”

He’s ruined plenty of nights for opponents. For coach Tony Sparano and the Dolphins, their season was ruined even before their latest debacle.

Sparano, going into the final year of his contract, is in jeopardy of losing his job after four losses in the last five games. After leading the Dolphins to the AFC East title in 2008, his first season, he coached them to two 7-9 records.

“This is a business,” Miami cornerback Benny Sapp said. “He is such a good coach. You just hate to see it go down like that.”

The game meant nothing in the standings, but Brady played into the third quarter and, most importantly, stayed healthy as the Patriots (14-2) look ahead to the AFC divisional playoffs after a bye week.

“Time to move on now,” said nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who had his first two sacks of the season. “One loss and you’re out. … Any little slip-up (and) the season will be done.”

Brady finished with 36 touchdowns passing and just four interceptions. He extended his NFL records to 335 straight passes without an interception and 28 consecutive regular-season wins as a starter at home.

The Patriots have the NFL’s best record and already had home-field advantage for as long as they remain in the AFC playoffs.

“The greatest advantage we have is we don’t have to play next week and we play at home the following week,” Brady said, “so that’s really what we’ve earned to this point. I don’t think we’ve earned anything more than that.”

The Patriots’ dominance continued Sunday even though their top three receivers —Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez — were inactive.

Playing in last season’s finale proved quite costly to Welker and the Patriots — he hurt his left knee early in the game, and New England lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 in the first round without him. No reason was given for Welker’s absence Sunday. Branch has a knee injury and Hernandez has a hip problem.

“It was good for some of the players who haven’t had as many opportunities in recent games,” said coach Bill Belichick, who became the first coach with four seasons of at least 14 wins. “That’ll serve us well.”

Julian Edelman, returning punts instead of Welker, ran one back 94 yards for a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first half, and the Patriots led 24-0 at halftime.

After Brady left, Brian Hoyer threw his first NFL touchdown, a 42-yarder to backup Brandon Tate.

“As dominant as they were, we were terrible,” Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake said.

Here’s how their first-half possessions ended: interception, punt, missed field goal attempt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, end of half.

“I told (players) we never want to be in this position again,” Sparano said. “We shouldn’t forget what just happened to us out there. It’s not a good place to be and we did it to ourselves.”

The second half was more of the same — until they finally scored with 2:11 left in the game on a 21-yard pass from Tyler Thigpen to Davone Bess.

“It was 14-zip for a bit and we lolly-gagged and did not put points on the board,” Bess said.

Brady was sharp from the start and finished with 10 completions in 16 attempts for 199 yards and no interceptions. That made another record of his even tougher to break — nine straight games with at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions.

After rookie Devin McCourty’s seventh interception on the game’s opening possession, Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 13-yard touchdown, his 10th of the season as a receiver, most by a rookie and by a tight end in club history.

 
 

BC-FBN–Dolphins-Patriots, 3rd Ld-Writethru,1188Brady’s 2 TD passes cap record year, Pats win 38-72021Eds: Patriots 38, Dolphins 7. Corrects that Gronkowski has 10 TD catches.AP Photo FBO109, FBO107, FBO108, FBO303, FBO306, FBO307, FBO208, FBO110, FBO111sptd/rcohen sptd/roaming login/hulman fasst4921By HOWARD ULMANAP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady usually finds his targets. Now he can finally set his sights on playoff success.

The record-shattering star of the New England Patriots extended his streak to 11 games without an interception in the team’s eighth straight win and fourth rout in five games, 38-7 over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

“Interceptions pretty much ruin my night,” Brady said. “I’m glad tonight’s not ruined.”

He’s ruined plenty of nights for opponents. For coach Tony Sparano and the Dolphins, their season was ruined even before their latest debacle.

Sparano, going into the final year of his contract, is in jeopardy of losing his job after four losses in the last five games. After leading the Dolphins to the AFC East title in 2008, his first season, he coached them to two 7-9 records.

“This is a business,” Miami cornerback Benny Sapp said. “He is such a good coach. You just hate to see it go down like that.”

The game meant nothing in the standings, but Brady played into the third quarter and, most importantly, stayed healthy as the Patriots (14-2) look ahead to the AFC divisional playoffs after a bye week.

“Time to move on now,” said nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who had his first two sacks of the season. “One loss and you’re out. … Any little slip-up (and) the season will be done.”

Brady finished with 36 touchdowns passing and just four interceptions. He extended his NFL records to 335 straight passes without an interception and 28 consecutive regular-season wins as a starter at home.

The Patriots have the NFL’s best record and already had home-field advantage for as long as they remain in the AFC playoffs.

“The greatest advantage we have is we don’t have to play next week and we play at home the following week,” Brady said, “so that’s really what we’ve earned to this point. I don’t think we’ve earned anything more than that.”

The Patriots’ dominance continued Sunday even though their top three receivers —Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez — were inactive.

Playing in last season’s finale proved quite costly to Welker and the Patriots — he hurt his left knee early in the game, and New England lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 in the first round without him. No reason was given for Welker’s absence Sunday. Branch has a knee injury and Hernandez has a hip problem.

“It was good for some of the players who haven’t had as many opportunities in recent games,” said coach Bill Belichick, who became the first coach with four seasons of at least 14 wins. “That’ll serve us well.”

Julian Edelman, returning punts instead of Welker, ran one back 94 yards for a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first half, and the Patriots led 24-0 at halftime.

After Brady left, Brian Hoyer threw his first NFL touchdown, a 42-yarder to backup Brandon Tate.

“As dominant as they were, we were terrible,” Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake said.

Here’s how their first-half possessions ended: interception, punt, missed field goal attempt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, end of half.

“I told (players) we never want to be in this position again,” Sparano said. “We shouldn’t forget what just happened to us out there. It’s not a good place to be and we did it to ourselves.”

The second half was more of the same — until they finally scored with 2:11 left in the game on a 21-yard pass from Tyler Thigpen to Davone Bess.

“It was 14-zip for a bit and we lolly-gagged and did not put points on the board,” Bess said.

Brady was sharp from the start and finished with 10 completions in 16 attempts for 199 yards and no interceptions. That made another record of his even tougher to break — nine straight games with at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions.

After rookie Devin McCourty’s seventh interception on the game’s opening possession, Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 13-yard touchdown, his 10th of the season as a receiver, most by a rookie and by a tight end in club history.

Danny Woodhead fumbled on the Patriots’ next series, their first turnover in eight games, then left the game for good with a head injury. But the Patriots still set an NFL record with just 10 turnovers in a season.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis finished with 80 yards, giving him 1,008 for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Belichick came out on the field to hug him as he headed toward the bench after his final run, a 10-yarder early in the fourth quarter.

That was one goal the Patriots achieved in a game that had little meaning.

“It’s my job to bring energy and enthusiasm, whether it’s Wednesday practice or whether it’s offseason conditioning program run (or) if it’s dominoes in (the locker room) playing those fat offensive linemen,” Brady said. “I want to beat those guys.”

He paused, then said, “Don’t tell them I said they were fat.”

Notes: Brady’s .81 percentage of four interceptions on 492 passes is third best in NFL history behind Damon Huard of Kansas City at .41 (one in 244 in 2006) and Joe Ferguson of Buffalo at .66 (one in 151 in 1976). … Miami’s Brandon Marshall gained 97 yards on five receptions, putting him over the 5,000-yard mark of his career at 5,033.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (CBS4) — Sunday’s Dolphins loss to the New England Patriots may end in the boot for Dolphin Coach Tony Sparano while Tom Brady and the Patriots are rolling into the playoffs.

Brady threw two touchdown passes to cap a record-setting season and, more importantly, stayed healthy as New England won its eighth straight game, 38-7 over Miami.

The game meant nothing in the standings. Still, Brady played into the third quarter and finished with 36 touchdowns passing and just four interceptions. He extended his NFL records to 335 straight passes without an interception and 28 consecutive regular-season wins as a starter at home.

The Patriots (14-2) already had home field advantage for as long as they remain in the AFC playoffs and have a first-round bye.

The Dolphins (7-9) lost for the fourth time in five games, jeopardizing the job of Sparano, who has one year left on his contract.

But Miami is hardly alone in losing to New England by a lopsided score. In three of their previous four games, the Patriots won 45-3, 36-7 and 34-3.

The Patriots’ dominance continued Sunday even though their top three receivers –Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez — were inactive.

Playing in last season’s finale proved quite costly to Welker and the Patriots — he hurt his left knee early in the game, and New England lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 in the first round without him. No reason was given for Welker’s absence Sunday. Branch has a knee injury and Hernandez has a hip problem.

Despite the game’s lack of importance, Gillette Stadium was nearly full on a mild day after many of the snow piles in the area from a major storm a week ago had melted.

The fans watched an impressive display of New England’s depth when three backups made big scoring plays.

Julian Edelman, returning punts instead of Welker, ran one back 94 yards for a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first half, and the Patriots led 24-0 at halftime.

Then, after Brady left following his 10-yard scoring pass to Alge Crumpler on the first series of the third quarter, Brian Hoyer threw his first NFL touchdown, a 42-yarder to backup Brandon Tate.

The Dolphins ended a disappointing season with a miserable performance.

Here’s how their first-half possessions ended: interception, punt, missed field goal attempt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, end of half.

The second half was more of the same: punt, fourth-down incompletion, punt — until they finally scored with 2:11 left in the game on a 21-yard pass from Tyler Thigpen to Davone Bess.

Brady was sharp from the start and finished with 10 completions in 16 attempts and no interceptions. That made another record of his even tougher to break — nine straight games with at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions.

After rookie Devin McCourty’s seventh interception on the game’s opening possession, Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 13-yard touchdown, the rookie tight end’s ninth of the season.

Danny Woodhead fumbled on the Patriots’ next series, their first turnover in eight games, then left the game for good with a head injury. But the Patriots still set an NFL record with just 10 turnovers in a season.

On their next drive, Brady and Edelman connected on pass plays of 22 and 40 yards, with Edelman gaining most of it after the catch, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for a 1-yard touchdown.

Green-Ellis finished with 80 yards, giving him 1,008 for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Coach Bill Belichick came out on the field to hug him as he headed toward the bench after his final run, a 10-yarder early in the fourth quarter.

((© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

A game that means nothing in the standings means plenty to the teams playing in it.

The Miami Dolphins want to finish with a .500 record and their coach wants to keep his job. The New England Patriots want to keep their winning momentum going after having clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

“It means something to us,” Patriots left guard Logan Mankins said. “Every Sunday that you go out there, you’re playing for your pride and your teammates. You don’t want to let the guys down beside you, so you’re still going to play hard. You don’t want to lose a game ever.”

The Patriots haven’t done that in seven weeks. Their 13-2 record is the best in the NFL. So is their quarterback, the league leader in passer rating, touchdown passes and fewest interceptions.

Tom Brady wants to play Sunday even though his team has locked up its eighth AFC East title in 10 years. That would give him a chance to add to his NFL records of 27 consecutive home wins in the regular season and 319 straight passes without an interception.

“I would expect to see a great deal of him,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. “I’m sure the Patriots … want to win their 14th football game so I would expect that they’re going to go out there and do everything in their power to be able to do that. Most teams going into the playoffs the way they’re going into the playoffs want to be as hot as they can be.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave few clues about how much his regulars would play, saying, as usual, that he’ll do what’s best for the team.

The Dolphins (7-8) are playing for a rather dubious achievement. A win would give them a 7-1 record on the road. Pretty impressive, until you realize that would be the best road record in NFL history by a team that didn’t make the playoffs.

“We play well on the road because we bond together,” quarterback Chad Henne said. “We just feel that we’re the only team out there and it’s kind of a backs against the wall mentality and we just love that environment and we just respond well to that.”

Henne’s future is uncertain. He’s been erratic with 15 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He had two passes picked off last Sunday at home in a 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions, the last-place team in the NFC North. And the Dolphins could finish last in scoring in the AFC for the first time in their 45-year history.

In the fourth week of the season, the Patriots scored on a blocked field goal, kickoff return and interception return to win 41-14 in Miami. Henne had his highest completion percentage of the season, 74.3, in that game but threw three interceptions.

A strong showing Sunday would add some highlights to his resume. But is he Miami’s quarterback of the future?

“Right now, I don’t know where that is,” Henne said, “but I’ve just got to worry about this game and how I play in this game.”

Given Belichick’s past practice after his teams have locked up playoff spots, he’s likely to give many of his regulars considerable playing time. They say they’re ready for it.

Yes, even Wes Welker.

The star wide receiver suffered a serious knee injury on the first possession of last year’s final regular-season game at Houston. The Patriots already had clinched a playoff berth, but the injury kept Welker out of the 33-14 first-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“I’m here to play football,” he said Thursday. “I love playing. So, no matter what’s at stake or no matter what the deal is, I want to play. I know people probably think differently about that, but I don’t worry about other stuff, and whatever coach Belichick decides for me, that’s what I’m going to do, but I’m always ready to play.”

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

NFL

Posted: January 2
Updated: Today at 9:04 PM

Taking a look at moves, games that made the Patriots

BY MIKE LOWE Maine Sunday Telegram

The New England Patriots play a meaningless game, in terms of playoff implications, against the Miami Dolphins today at Gillette Stadium. It’s familiar territory for them.

Last year was a similar situation, playing at Houston. Little did they know that game would set in motion a disastrous finish. Slot receiver Wes Welker tore up his knee early in the first quarter of a game the Patriots lost 34-27. A week later, Baltimore ended New England’s season in the first round of the playoffs 33-14.

Since the Patriots already have clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, it will be interesting to see how coach Bill Belichick plays this one.

The players will want to play as much as possible, but Belichick would not say whether he will limit the starters’ playing time.

“Well, we’ll do what we feel like is best for our football team,” he said. “It’s the same thing we do every week.”

Looking back on this season, which includes an NFL-best 13-2 record going into today’s game, the Patriots have done just about everything right.

Other than a second-week loss to the New York Jets and a stunning 34-14 loss to the Browns in Cleveland on Nov. 7, the Patriots have been the NFL’s top team. They have scored at least 31 points in each of their last seven games, all victories. They’ve handled playoff-bound teams like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, the Jets and Chicago with ease, winning those five games by a combined 174-84.

While Tom Brady has regained his Golden Boy status with an MVP-type season, nearly everyone on the roster has had a hand in what has become a very special season in Foxborough, Mass. Here’s a look back at some of the key moments:

* April 22-26: On the first day of the NFL draft, New England selected cornerback Devin McCourty out of Rutgers, a pick that was roundly dismissed. McCourty, the experts said, would be a nice special teams player. Well, he leads the Patriots with six interceptions and was just selected to the Pro Bowl.

On the second day of the draft, they took tight end Rob Gronkowski and linebackers Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes. On the third day they took tight end Aaron Hernandez and punter Zoltan Mesko. Every rookie has been a major contributor this year.

And finally, they signed free-agent defensive lineman Gerard Warren on April 26. His presence has allowed them to overcome the season-long loss of end Ty Warren to an injury and move nose tackle Vince Wilfork all along the line.

* Sept. 12: Following a season-opening 38-24 victory over Cincinnati, wide receiver Randy Moss used his postgame interview to tell everyone he probably was done playing in New England after the season. Not that he wanted to leave, he said, but because it was a business.

* Sept. 14: The Patriots traded former No.1 pick Laurence Maroney and a sixth-round pick to Denver, getting a fourth-round pick in return. That opened the door for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, an undrafted free agent three years ago, to become the lead running back. He leads the team with 928 rushing yards.

* Sept. 18: The day before the Patriots lost to the Jets on the road, they signed Jets castoff Danny Woodhead, a 5-foot-9 running back who twice won the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy while at Chadron State in Nebraska.

In his first game with the Patriots eight days later, Woodhead ran for a 22-yard touchdown that had everyone in the stadium jumping. With third-down back Kevin Faulk out for the season following a knee injury against the Jets, Woodhead stepped into a role he seems born for. No one can predict the impact he provides.

* Oct. 4: Trailing 7-6 at the half in Miami, the Patriots exploded for a 41-14 victory. Brandon Tate returned the second-half kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Patrick Chung blocked a field goal attempt and Kyle Arrington returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Later, Chung returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown.

* Oct. 6: The Patriots finally found a taker for Moss and traded him to Minnesota for a third-round draft pick.

* Oct. 12: The Patriots brought back former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch to replace Moss, getting him from Seattle for a fourth-round pick. Branch has 48 receptions for the Patriots, five for touchdowns, averaging a team-high 14.7 yards. Moss has caught just 18 passes, two for touchdowns, for two teams — the Vikings placed Moss on waivers and he was claimed by Tennessee.

* Oct. 17: The Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in overtime, a game notable by a couple of things. First, Branch had nine catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in his return, showing he and Brady haven’t lost their connection. Second, Brady threw two interceptions, the second by Ken Hamlin, now with Indianapolis, on the final play of regulation, a desperation pass to the end zone to Tate. That was Brady’s last interception.

* Nov. 2: Left guard Logan Mankins returned after a prolonged contract dispute and immediately rejoined the starting lineup. How good is he? Well, Mankins was voted to the Pro Bowl, despite missing seven games.

* Nov. 7: The Patriots fell to earth, losing 34-14 to Cleveland, a game in which nothing went right. It turned out to be the best thing that happened to New England, which hasn’t lost since.

* Nov. 21: In their annual November showdown with the Colts, the Patriots intercepted Peyton Manning three times, including a last-second pick by James Sanders, to hold on for the win. The Patriots held a 31-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, winning 31-28.

* Dec. 6: In a Monday night showdown for first place in the AFC East, the Patriots throttled the Jets 45-3. It was a nearly flawless performance by the Patriots, especially Brady. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns.

* Dec. 26: In a 34-3 victory over Buffalo, Brady set an NFL record for most passes without an interception.

He now has thrown 319 consecutive passes without an interception, passing Bernie Kosar’s record of 308.

New England also extended its own NFL record to seven consecutive games with 30-plus points and no turnovers.

By The Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A game that means nothing in the standings means plenty to the teams playing in it.

The New England Patriots want to keep their winning momentum going after having clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Miami Dolphins want to finish with a .500 record and their coach wants to keep his job.

Meaningless?

“It means something to us,” Patriots left guard Logan Mankins said. “Every Sunday that you go out there, you’re playing for your pride and your teammates. You don’t want to let the guys down beside you, so you’re still going to play hard. You don’t want to lose a game ever.”

The Patriots haven’t done that in seven weeks. Their 13-2 record is the best in the NFL. So is their quarterback, the league leader in passer rating, touchdown passes and fewest interceptions.

Tom Brady wants to play Sunday even though his team has locked up its eighth AFC East title in 10 years. That would give him a chance to add to his NFL records of 27 consecutive home wins in the regular season and 319 straight passes without an interception.

“I would expect to see a great deal of him,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. “I’m sure the Patriots … want to win their 14th football game so I would expect that they’re going to go out there and do everything in their power to be able to do that. Most teams going into the playoffs the way they’re going into the playoffs want to be as hot as they can be.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave few clues about how much his regulars would play, saying, as usual, that he’ll do what’s best for the team.

The Dolphins (7-8) are playing for a rather dubious achievement. A win would give them a 7-1 record on the road. Pretty impressive, until you realize that would be the best road record in NFL history by a team that didn’t make the playoffs.

“We play well on the road because we bond together,” quarterback Chad Henne said. “We just feel that we’re the only team out there and it’s kind of a backs against the wall mentality and we just love that environment and we just respond well to that.” Continued…

Like his coach, Henne’s future is uncertain.

He’s been erratic with 15 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He had two passes picked off last Sunday at home in a 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions, the last-place team in the NFC North. And the Dolphins could finish last in scoring in the AFC for the first time in their 45-year history.

In the fourth week of the season, the Patriots scored on a blocked field goal, kickoff return and interception return to win 41-14 in Miami. Henne had his highest completion percentage of the season, 74.3, in that game but threw three interceptions.

A strong showing Sunday would add some highlights to his resume. But is he Miami’s quarterback of the future?

“Right now, I don’t know where that is,” Henne said, “but I’ve just got to worry about this game and how I play in this game.”

If he is the starter next season, will Sparano be coaching him?

“That’s a question for somebody else, not for me right now,” said Sparano, who has one year left on his contract. “I know I’m coaching the Dolphins this week against the New England Patriots and I’m excited about it. That’s the thing that I can control.”

Given Belichick’s past practice after his teams have locked up playoff spots, he’s likely to give many of his regulars considerable playing time. They say they’re ready for it.

Yes, even Wes Welker.

The star wide receiver suffered a serious knee injury on the first possession of last year’s final regular-season game at Houston. The Patriots already had clinched a playoff berth, but the injury kept Welker out of the 33-14 first-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Continued…

“I’m here to play football,” he said Thursday. “I love playing. So, no matter what’s at stake or no matter what the deal is, I want to play. I know people probably think differently about that, but I don’t worry about other stuff, and whatever coach Belichick decides for me, that’s what I’m going to do, but I’m always ready to play.”

Welker made a speedy recovery and leads the Patriots with 86 receptions.

His teammates also have something to play for.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who started the season deep down the depth chart, needs 72 yards for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Rookie Devin McCourty is tied for the AFC lead with six interceptions. And the Patriots can end the season with eight straight games without committing a turnover.

More importantly, they want to keep improving going into the playoffs.

“The more you play during the season, the more in sync you will be,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork said.

The Dolphins, who were 7-9 last year, have more modest goals.

“We want to go on with an eight-win season and try to get out of the losing record column and improve from last year,” Henne said. “We’re going to play our hearts out for this game.”

By The Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A game that means nothing in the standings means plenty to the teams playing in it.

The New England Patriots want to keep their winning momentum going after having clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Miami Dolphins want to finish with a .500 record and their coach wants to keep his job.

Meaningless?

“It means something to us,” Patriots left guard Logan Mankins said. “Every Sunday that you go out there, you’re playing for your pride and your teammates. You don’t want to let the guys down beside you, so you’re still going to play hard. You don’t want to lose a game ever.”

The Patriots haven’t done that in seven weeks. Their 13-2 record is the best in the NFL. So is their quarterback, the league leader in passer rating, touchdown passes and fewest interceptions.

Tom Brady wants to play Sunday even though his team has locked up its eighth AFC East title in 10 years. That would give him a chance to add to his NFL records of 27 consecutive home wins in the regular season and 319 straight passes without an interception.

“I would expect to see a great deal of him,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. “I’m sure the Patriots … want to win their 14th football game so I would expect that they’re going to go out there and do everything in their power to be able to do that. Most teams going into the playoffs the way they’re going into the playoffs want to be as hot as they can be.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave few clues about how much his regulars would play, saying, as usual, that he’ll do what’s best for the team.

The Dolphins (7-8) are playing for a rather dubious achievement. A win would give them a 7-1 record on the road. Pretty impressive, until you realize that would be the best road record in NFL history by a team that didn’t make the playoffs.

“We play well on the road because we bond together,” quarterback Chad Henne said. “We just feel that we’re the only team out there and it’s kind of a backs against the wall mentality and we just love that environment and we just respond well to that.”

Like his coach, Henne’s future is uncertain.

He’s been erratic with 15 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He had two passes picked off last Sunday at home in a 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions, the last-place team in the NFC North. And the Dolphins could finish last in scoring in the AFC for the first time in their 45-year history.

In the fourth week of the season, the Patriots scored on a blocked field goal, kickoff return and interception return to win 41-14 in Miami. Henne had his highest completion percentage of the season, 74.3, in that game but threw three interceptions.

A strong showing Sunday would add some highlights to his resume. But is he Miami’s quarterback of the future?

“Right now, I don’t know where that is,” Henne said, “but I’ve just got to worry about this game and how I play in this game.”

If he is the starter next season, will Sparano be coaching him?

“That’s a question for somebody else, not for me right now,” said Sparano, who has one year left on his contract. “I know I’m coaching the Dolphins this week against the New England Patriots and I’m excited about it. That’s the thing that I can control.”

Given Belichick’s past practice after his teams have locked up playoff spots, he’s likely to give many of his regulars considerable playing time. They say they’re ready for it.

Yes, even Wes Welker.

The star wide receiver suffered a serious knee injury on the first possession of last year’s final regular-season game at Houston. The Patriots already had clinched a playoff berth, but the injury kept Welker out of the 33-14 first-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“I’m here to play football,” he said Thursday. “I love playing. So, no matter what’s at stake or no matter what the deal is, I want to play. I know people probably think differently about that, but I don’t worry about other stuff, and whatever coach Belichick decides for me, that’s what I’m going to do, but I’m always ready to play.”

Welker made a speedy recovery and leads the Patriots with 86 receptions.

His teammates also have something to play for.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who started the season deep down the depth chart, needs 72 yards for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Rookie Devin McCourty is tied for the AFC lead with six interceptions. And the Patriots can end the season with eight straight games without committing a turnover.

More importantly, they want to keep improving going into the playoffs.

“The more you play during the season, the more in sync you will be,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork said.

The Dolphins, who were 7-9 last year, have more modest goals.

“We want to go on with an eight-win season and try to get out of the losing record column and improve from last year,” Henne said. “We’re going to play our hearts out for this game.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots can settle in now that they’re finally home after their latest win.They’ll be there as long as they’re in the AFC playoffs.”Just rolling back into town,” coach Bill Belichick said Monday after the snow-delayed flight, “but mission accomplished.”The Patriots (13-2) clinched homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs with a 34-3 win over Buffalo on Sunday, their seventh straight victory and third blowout in the last four games.They’ve seemed nearly unstoppable for much of their last five. That doesn’t figure to change much in their regular-season finale Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins (7-8) as long as Tom Brady and many of the first-stringers play a lot.Brady would like to, but Belichick was noncommittal about how much rest he would give his regulars.”There’s a lot of things that would go into that conversation, a lot of things we’ll take into consideration,” he said. “There’s some players individually whose situations are a little different than other guys. … We’ll do what’s best for the football team, both individually and collectively.”Last season, the Patriots already had clinched a playoff spot going into the final game, against the Houston Texans. Wide receiver Wes Welker still played and seriously injured his knee. The Patriots lost a week later to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 in the first round of the playoffs.Welker made a speedy recovery and has had an outstanding season. So has rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught two touchdown passes against Buffalo.Getting back to Foxborough was much tougher than finding the Bills end zone.The storm that hit the Northeast left the Patriots stranded in western New York. And being the hottest team in the NFL didn’t open up any doors at Buffalo-area hotels, most of which were booked because the city was hosting the World Junior Hockey Championships.So a few hours after Brady set the NFL record with 319 straight passes without an interception, he was just another bus passenger along with his teammates on a one-hour trip east to Rochester, where they spent the night.Shortly before 3 p.m. Monday, their plane landed in Providence. About a half hour later they were back in Foxborough.”We had some (chicken) wings on the plane,” Belichick said. “They hit the spot.”Just like Brady.He’s been amazingly accurate at finding his receivers and not the defenders covering them. He’s gone 10 games without throwing an interception and has just four all year with 34 touchdowns passing.”I think as much as everyone points at me for that, so much goes into what (we’re) doing offensively with protection from the offensive line,” Brady said on his weekly appearance on WEEI radio. “I’m never forced into rushing throws. We’ve also been ahead in a lot of games so don’t have to try to jam balls into tight spots, areas that you would if you were really desperate in the second half.”The Patriots have 36 takeaways and have committed just nine turnovers all season. The Bills committed seven turnovers Sunday.And the last seven games? The Patriots have taken the ball away 22 times and not given it up at all.”I think that’s a pretty good stat just from an overall team basis,” Brady said. “All the guys work pretty hard at it.”The players return to practice Wednesday, but the coaches will be back at work Tuesday, getting a late start on final preparations for the Dolphins because of the belated return to Foxborough.”We’re just going to have to get caught up here,” Belichick said. “We’re a few hours behind the normal Sunday game but significantly ahead of where we’d be (if we’d played) on a Monday night.”Once the Dolphins game is over, the Patriots will have a bye week to nurse their injuries and prepare before playing at home in the AFC semifinal. Brady has won his last 27 home games during the regular season, an NFL record. But he did lose to the Ravens in last season’s opening round.Since then, the Patriots have gotten major contributions from rookies — cornerback Devin McCourty, linebackers Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham, and tight ends Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez – and former free agent running backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.A season that began with great uncertainty has turned into a great one for the Patriots. But Belichick isn’t ready to rate one season against another for the three-time Super Bowl champions.”Every season’s a very challenging season in the National Football League,” he said. “I take satisfaction in the team’s achievements every week if we win and disappointment if we don’t.”He hasn’t been disappointed much this year.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The New England Patriots can settle in now that they’re finally home after their latest win.

They’ll be there as long as they’re in the AFC playoffs.

“Just rolling back into town,” coach Bill Belichick said Monday after the snow-delayed flight, “but mission accomplished.”

The Patriots (13-2) clinched homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs with a 34-3 win over Buffalo on Sunday, their seventh straight victory and third blowout in the last four games.

They’ve seemed nearly unstoppable for much of their last five. That doesn’t figure to change much in their regular-season finale Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins (7-8) as long as Tom Brady and many of the first-stringers play a lot.

Brady would like to, but Belichick was noncommittal about how much rest he would give his regulars.

“There’s a lot of things that would go into that conversation, a lot of things we’ll take into consideration,” he said. “There’s some players individually whose situations are a little different than other guys. … We’ll do what’s best for the football team, both individually and collectively.”

Last season, the Patriots already had clinched a playoff spot going into the final game, against the Houston Texans. Wide receiver Wes Welker still played and seriously injured his knee. The Patriots lost a week later to the Baltimore Ravens, 33-14, in the first round of the playoffs.

Welker made a speedy recovery and has had an outstanding season. So has rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught two touchdown passes against Buffalo.

Getting back to Foxboro was much tougher than finding the Bills end zone.

A longer trail
The storm that hit the Northeast left the Patriots stranded in western New York. And being the hottest team in the NFL didn’t open up any doors at Buffalo-area hotels, most of which were booked because the city was hosting the World Junior Hockey Championships.

So a few hours after Brady set the NFL record with 319 straight passes without an interception, he was just another bus passenger along with his teammates on a one-hour trip east to Rochester, where they spent the night.

Shortly before 3 p.m., Monday, their plane landed in Providence. About a half hour later they were back in Foxboro.

“We had some (chicken) wings on the plane,” Belichick said. “They hit the spot.”

Just like Brady.

He’s been amazingly accurate at finding his receivers and not the defenders covering them. He’s gone 10 games without throwing an interception and has just four all year with 34 touchdowns passing.

“I think as much as everyone points at me for that, so much goes into what (we’re) doing offensively with protection from the offensive line,” Brady said on his weekly appearance on WEEI radio. “I’m never forced into rushing throws. We’ve also been ahead in a lot of games so don’t have to try to jam balls into tight spots, areas that you would if you were really desperate in the second half.”

The Patriots have 36 takeaways and have committed just nine turnovers all season. The Bills committed seven turnovers Sunday.

And the last seven games? The Patriots have taken the ball away 22 times and not given it up at all.

“I think that’s a pretty good stat just from an overall team basis,” Brady said. “All the guys work pretty hard at it.”