By HOWARD ULMAN
FOXBOROUGH — Tom Brady was a skinny, lightly regarded draft prospect. Bill Belichick had a losing record as a head coach.

Then they joined the New England Patriots in 2000 and made history with three Super Bowl championships.

Now they’re just one win away from another milestone — the most regular-season victories by any coach and quarterback pair since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

What’s the secret?

“I have no idea what it takes. I really don’t,” Brady said. “I think I’m just fortunate to be here for as long as I’ve been here and to play under coach Belichick.”

That winning combination got its 116th victory last Sunday, beating Dallas 20-16 with a last-minute touchdown. It tied Belichick and Brady with the victory total of Don Shula and Dan Marino of Miami from 1983 to 1995.

But surpassing the Dolphins duo will be delayed at least a week since the Patriots have a bye. It could happen on Oct. 30 at Pittsburgh. The Steelers combo of Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw had the record of 107 wins from 1970 to 1983 before Shula and Marino overtook them.

And Belichick and Brady should go far beyond 117. Neither shows signs of slowing down with Brady ranked second among NFL quarterbacks and Belichick guiding the Patriots to the AFC’s best record at 5-1.

It takes a rare mixture to produce such prolonged success — an outstanding coach and quarterback, excellent communication between the two, and a strong supporting cast of players.

“The most important thing in coaching is to analyze the talent that you’ve got to work with and then to put them in a position where they can best utilize that talent,” Shula said. “I had (Bob) Griese, who was a Hall of Fame quarterback, a guy who did a great job for me. But if I would have tried to have Marino pattern his game after Griese, then that would have taken away from Marino’s great talent.

“I think Marino’s the best pure passer that’s played the game. I just feel that when you’ve got a guy with that kind of talent you just give him all the weapons and give him the opportunity to use that talent.”

Brady’s talent wasn’t obvious coming out of Michigan.

He wasn’t drafted until the sixth round. And Belichick had losing records in four of his five seasons as Cleveland’s head coach from 1991-95, leaving with a 36-44 mark.

But Brady got his chance when Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding from a torn blood vessel in his chest in the second game of the 2001 season. The next week, Brady won his first pro start, 44-13 over Indianapolis, without throwing a touchdown pass.

Belichick stuck with Brady even when Bledsoe was cleared to play. The relationship has flourished ever since.

“We have spent, through the years, a decent amount of time together on a regular basis,” Belichick said. “We talk regularly during the week about what’s going to happen, how we’re doing it and then we review what did happen and then we move on to the next stage.

“I think it’s important that both philosophically and from a game management standpoint that the coach and quarterback are on the same page.”

Belichick and Brady have a remarkable .779 regular-season winning percentage (116-33), while Shula and Marino’s was .630 (116-68). But all of them had an intense commitment to work and improve.

Wes Welker has seen that from his coach and quarterback.

“I don’t think there’s been one time when I’ve parked my car here and (Belichick’s) car hasn’t been in his spot,” the NFL leader in catches and yards receiving said. “He’s constantly here trying to help us and make us better.

“And then Tom, he’s Tom and always trying to find a way to do something better, as far as eating,” Welker said with a smile, “more flax seed, or whatever it is.”

That attention to detail underlies Brady’s ability to lead late game-winning drives. He did that last Sunday, getting the ball with a 16-13 deficit with 2:31 left and throwing a decisive 8-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez with 22 seconds to go.

Was there much doubt that Brady would get his 32nd win, including playoffs, in games in which the Patriots were tied or trailed in the fourth quarter?

“The confidence level that was shown on the sideline was something that I was impressed with,” said right guard Brian Waters, in his first season with the Patriots. “Nobody panicked.”

Welker never worried whether Brady would come through again.

“If you ever sit there and doubt it,” he said, “it’s probably not going to happen.”

That confidence comes from repeated practices of two-minute drills. When they occur in a game, the Patriots are ready.

And when the communication between the coach and the quarterback is strong, the offense can click at any point in the game.

“You spend so much time together in the meetings and the practices,” Shula said. “You go through all these different situations so that when that situation comes up in a game, you’re not grab-bagging it. It’s not a total surprise.”

The other 10 offensive players also must do their assignments for a play to work — and for a coach and quarterback to keep piling up victories.

“It’s the ultimate team sport,” Brady said. “Everyone’s trying to play a part in it, whether it’s the coach or quarterback or the tackle or the long snapper.”

But the coach leads from the sidelines and the quarterback takes charge on the field.

And by next weekend, Belichick-Brady could pass Shula-Marino for the top spot.

“You know how special it is because nobody had done it,” Shula said of the record. “You’re just proud of your accomplishment and, if somebody else does it, then you certainly want to give them credit.”

The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots have watched plenty of film of each other. They’ve pored over their own playbooks, probing for ways to gain an advantage.

That’s fine, but there’s nothing like facing each other on the field to get a real feel for their strengths and weaknesses.

And that hasn’t happened in four years.

“We’ve got a crash course going here on the Cowboys,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “I think this would be a lot easier team to prepare for if you were playing them twice a year.”

Instead, they’ve met 10 times in 51 years since 1960 when Dallas entered the NFL as an expansion franchise and New England started as a charter member of the AFL.

Sunday’s game will be the first between the teams since 2007 when both were 5-0 before the Patriots, behind Tom Brady’s five touchdown passes, won 48-27 en route to an undefeated regular season. They finally lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

Both teams are much different now. The Patriots (4-1) have six active players who were on the 2007 team. Jason Garrett is in his first full season as coach of the Cowboys (2-2).

“We don’t know each other that much, but we’re kind of going into the game the same way. We both have the same kind of look at each other. Certainly, they’ve been a marquee franchise in this league for the last decade,” Garrett said. “They’re a team that everyone in this league has studied over the last 10 years, so even though we haven’t played them, we’ve watched them. … Hopefully, we can gain some advantage that way.”

They may need it to control Wes Welker, who leads the NFL with 45 catches and 740 yards receiving. And running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis is coming off a career-high 136-yard rushing performance in last Sunday’s 30-21 win over the New York Jets.

But the Cowboys have the stingiest run defense in the league and will be rested after a bye week. They are 16-6 after having a weekend off and have won their last five road games following a bye.

The Patriots have their bye after Sunday’s game and don’t want to go into the break with a loss.

“You never want to lose one,” guard Logan Mankins said, “but that would make it tough.”

The Cowboys will have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for all but the opener. He generally covers the slot receiver, Welker’s position.

“It’s the fastest team we’ve played this year,” Belichick said. “You look at plays and you stop the film and you say, ‘Looks like this is going to be a good play,’ and then it just collapses. … They haven’t given up very many plays, period, run or pass.”

They did in their last game, a 34-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in which they squandered a 24-point, third-quarter lead and Romo threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

“You never want that to happen,” said Romo, who may have better luck Sunday against the NFL’s lowest-ranked defense. “You have to minimize turnovers in key situations. We did that for two of the games and two of the games we didn’t.”

Brady had a different problem against the Jets. He was sacked four times and the pressure is likely to continue against DeMarcus Ware, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, and a defense tied for eighth in the league with 13 sacks.

“He doesn’t let the pressure rattle him. His composure is not like any other quarterback,” Ware said. “You’ve got to do some things on defense to take them off kilter.”

Brady has thrown six interceptions, but four came in a 34-31 loss at Buffalo. The Patriots have one fumble all season, but recovered it.

“They are always doing everything right,” Ware said.

Not quite, but they have won 19 straight regular-season games at home and scored at least 30 points in the last 13 regular-season games, one less than the record set by the St. Louis Rams in 1999-2000

The last team to hold New England below that total was Cleveland in a 34-14 win last Nov. 7. Rob Ryan was the Browns’ defensive coordinator, a position he holds now with the Cowboys.

That gives them some extra insight into the Patriots, although Ryan is coaching different players.

“If you have an experience where you played against a team before, you certainly go back and watch that game to see if there is anything that continues to relate to what that offense or defense is doing,” Garrett said. “I think we get more focus on what’s happening in 2011.”

The Patriots knowledge of the Cowboys could get a boost from defensive end Andre Carter, who faced them 10 times in the last five years as a member of the Washington Redskins.

“I have made a few pointers,” Carter said, “but I just think as regards to our study, we’ve been just dead on, constantly learning what they’re trying to do.”

Both teams did plenty of preparation for each other long before this past week.

“It wasn’t like we walked in here (last) Monday morning and were like, ‘Who are we playing this week? Let’s go to work on them,’ ” Belichick said.

But once the game starts, both teams must adjust to what the unfamiliar players on the other side of the line of scrimmage are doing.

“They change their scheme based on who they’re playing,” Belichick said. “What we get and what they did last (game) are probably two different things.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots have watched plenty of film of each other. They’ve poured over their own playbooks, probing for ways to gain an advantage.

That’s fine, but there’s nothing like facing each other on the field to get a real feel for their strengths and weaknesses.

And that hasn’t happened in four years.

“We’ve got a crash course going here on the Cowboys,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “I think this would be a lot easier team to prepare for if you were playing them twice a year.”

Instead, they’ve met 10 times in 51 years since 1960 when Dallas entered the NFL as an expansion franchise and New England started as a charter member of the AFL.

Sunday’s game will be the first between the teams since 2007 when both were 5-0 before the Patriots, behind Tom Brady’s five touchdown passes, won 48-27 en route to an undefeated regular season. They finally lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

Both teams are much different now. The Patriots (4-1) have six active players who were on the 2007 team. Jason Garrett is in his first full season as coach of the Cowboys (2-2).

“We don’t know each other that much, but we’re kind of going into the game the same way. We both have the same kind of look at each other. Certainly, they’ve been a marquee franchise in this league for the last decade,” Garrett said. “They’re a team that everyone in this league has studied over the last 10 years, so even though we haven’t played them, we’ve watched them. … Hopefully, we can gain some advantage that way.”

They may need it to control Wes Welker, who leads the NFL with 45 catches and 740 yards receiving. And running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis is coming off a career-high 136-yard rushing performance in last Sunday’s 30-21 win over the New York Jets.

But the Cowboys have the stingiest run defence in the league and will be rested after a bye week. They are 16-6 after having a weekend off and have won their last five road games following a bye.

The Patriots have their bye after Sunday’s game and don’t want to go into the break with a loss.

“You never want to lose one,” guard Logan Mankins said, “but that would make it tough.”

The Cowboys will have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for all but the opener. He generally covers the slot receiver, Welker’s position.

“It’s the fastest team we’ve played this year,” Belichick said. “You look at plays and you stop the film and you say, ‘Looks like this is going to be a good play,’ and then it just collapses. … They haven’t given up very many plays, period, run or pass.”

They did in their last game, a 34-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in which they squandered a 24-point, third-quarter lead and Romo threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

“You never want that to happen,” said Romo, who may have better luck Sunday against the NFL’s lowest-ranked defence. “You have to minimize turnovers in key situations. We did that for two of the games and two of the games we didn’t.”

Brady had a different problem against the Jets. He was sacked four times and the pressure is likely to continue against DeMarcus Ware, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, and a defence tied for eighth in the league with 13 sacks.

“He doesn’t let the pressure rattle him. His composure is not like any other quarterback,” Ware said. “You’ve got to do some things on defence to take them off kilter.”

Brady has thrown six interceptions, but four came in a 34-31 loss at Buffalo. The Patriots have one fumble all season, but recovered it.

“They are always doing everything right,” Ware said.

Not quite, but they have won 19 straight regular-season games at home and scored at least 30 points in the last 13 regular-season games, one less than the record set by the St. Louis Rams in 1999-2000

The last team to hold New England below that total was Cleveland in a 34-14 win last Nov. 7. Rob Ryan was the Browns’ defensive co-ordinator, a position he holds now with the Cowboys.

That gives them some extra insight into the Patriots, although Ryan is coaching different players.

“If you have an experience where you played against a team before, you certainly go back and watch that game to see if there is anything that continues to relate to what that offence or defence is doing,” Garrett said. “I think we get more focus on what’s happening in 2011.”

The Patriots knowledge of the Cowboys could get a boost from defensive end Andre Carter, who faced them 10 times in the last five years as a member of the Washington Redskins.

“I have made a few pointers,” Carter said, “but I just think as regards to our study, we’ve been just dead on, constantly learning what they’re trying to do.”

Both teams did plenty of preparation for each other long before this past week.

“It wasn’t like we walked in here (last) Monday morning and were like, ‘Who are we playing this week? Let’s go to work on them,’ ” Belichick said.

But once the game starts, both teams must adjust to what the unfamiliar players on the other side of the line of scrimmage are doing.

“They change their scheme based on who they’re playing,” Belichick said. “What we get and what they did last (game) are probably two different things.”

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

FOXBOROUGH — The New England Patriots’ quick start is over and the once-rosy outlook significantly dimmer just three weeks into the season.

After blowing a 21-point lead in a loss to Buffalo on Sunday, the Patriots find themselves trying to avoid a .500 start instead of making a big run through the early part of their schedule.

New England was still a little stunned Monday. The Patriots often jump out to big leads, but rarely let them slip away — especially against the Bills. And Tom Brady regularly throws for hundreds of yards and multiple touchdowns, not interceptions.

Brady matched his career worst with four picks on Sunday and the defense couldn’t hold the big lead, allowing the Bills 448 yards of offense as Buffalo rallied and won 34-31 on a last-second field goal. The winning kick was set up by a 38-yard pass on one of several defensive breakdowns by New England.

“The game came down to us on the defensive side of the ball and we just didn’t make the plays that were needed to win the game,” linebacker Jerod Mayo said Monday. “Plays were being made on both sides of the ball. Buffalo just made more.”

So instead of playing for a 4-0 start, the Patriots will be trying to avoid opening the season 2-2 when they visit Oakland on Sunday. The surprising Raiders are also 2-1 and could really set back the Patriots before they return home for their first showdown of the season against the rival New York Jets on Oct. 9.

The loss overshadowed a record start for Brady, whose 1,327 yards passing are the most in any three-week span in NFL history. Brady surpassed the 1,257 yards Drew Brees compiled in 2006 and already has 11 touchdowns with five interceptions, four of which came Sunday in the debacle at Buffalo.

“It’s like a boxing match. We’re going to get hit, and they’re going to get hit, and hopefully at the end you connect more times than they do. I thought we had our opportunities,” Brady said Monday during his weekly appearance on WEEI radio. “I don’t think we come out of the game … thinking that we’re a bad football team. It’s just, if we play the way that we played, we’re not going to be very good.”

Brady also threw for four touchdowns on Sunday, including two on New England’s first two possessions. The Patriots added another on a 26-yard pass from Brady to Rob Gronkowski with 6:01 left in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead.

But Buffalo cut the margin to 21-10 by halftime, then outplayed New England in the second half. The Patriots needed a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Wes Welker with 3:25 left — on fourth down — to tie it at 31,

Then the resilient Bills broke through the New England defense again.

Ryan Fitzpatrick found Fred Jackson on a short pass over the middle and Jackson broke it all the way to the goal line with 1:48 remaining. The play was called a touchdown, reviewed and overturned after officials ruled that Devin McCourty pulled down Jackson at the 1-yard line.

Had McCourty let Jackson cross into the end zone, Brady and the Patriots would have had plenty of time to engineer another drive and possibly force overtime. Instead, Buffalo was able to run down the clock and end a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots on Rian Lindell’s 28-yard field goal as time expired.

So now both the Patriots and Jets trail the Bills in the AFC East.

Coach Bill Belichick said McCourty acted on instinct and wouldn’t fault a defensive player for tackling an opponent on his way to the end zone.

After all, there were plenty of other blunders Belichick and his staff can focus on when the Patriots return to practice Wednesday.

“They did a better of job executing some plays than we did defending them,” Belichick said. “We made some plays. They made some. In the end they made more than we did. We’ve just got to do a better job of coaching and playing.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)—The New England Patriots’ quick start is over and
the once-rosy outlook significantly dimmer just three weeks into the season.

After blowing a 21-point lead in a loss to Buffalo on Sunday, the Patriots
find themselves trying to avoid a .500 start instead of making a big run through
the early part of their schedule.

New England was still a little stunned Monday. The Patriots often jump out
to big leads, but rarely let them slip away—especially against the Bills. And
Tom Brady(notes) regularly throws for hundreds of yards and multiple touchdowns, not
interceptions.

Brady matched his career worst with four picks on Sunday and the defense
couldn’t hold the big lead, allowing the Bills 448 yards of offense as Buffalo
rallied and won 34-31 on a last-second field goal. The winning kick was set up
by a 38-yard pass on one of several defensive breakdowns by New England.

“The game came down to us on the defensive side of the ball and we just
didn’t make the plays that were needed to win the game,” linebacker Jerod Mayo(notes)
said Monday. “Plays were being made on both sides of the ball. Buffalo just
made more.”

So instead of playing for a 4-0 start, the Patriots will be trying to avoid
opening the season 2-2 when they visit Oakland on Sunday. The surprising Raiders
are also 2-1 and could really set back the Patriots before they return home for
their first showdown of the season against the rival New York Jets on Oct. 9.

The loss overshadowed a record start for Brady, whose 1,327 yards passing
are the most in any three-week span in NFL history. Brady surpassed the 1,257
yards Drew Brees(notes) compiled in 2006 and already has 11 touchdowns with five
interceptions, four of which came Sunday in the debacle at Buffalo.

“It’s like a boxing match. We’re going to get hit, and they’re going to get
hit, and hopefully at the end you connect more times than they do. I thought we
had our opportunities,” Brady said Monday during his weekly appearance on WEEI
radio. “I don’t think we come out of the game … thinking that we’re a bad
football team. It’s just, if we play the way that we played, we’re not going to
be very good.”

Brady also threw for four touchdowns on Sunday, including two on New
England’s first two possessions. The Patriots added another on a 26-yard pass
from Brady to Rob Gronkowski(notes) with 6:01 left in the second quarter for a 21-0
lead.

But Buffalo cut the margin to 21-10 by halftime, then outplayed New England
in the second half. The Patriots needed a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady to
Wes Welker(notes) with 3:25 left—on fourth down—to tie it at 31,

Then the resilient Bills broke through the New England defense again.

Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) found Fred Jackson(notes) on a short pass over the middle and
Jackson broke it all the way to the goal line with 1:48 remaining. The play was
called a touchdown, reviewed and overturned after officials ruled that Devin
McCourty(notes) pulled down Jackson at the 1-yard line.

Had McCourty let Jackson cross into the end zone, Brady and the Patriots
would have had plenty of time to engineer another drive and possibly force
overtime. Instead, Buffalo was able to run down the clock and end a 15-game
losing streak to the Patriots on Rian Lindell’s(notes) 28-yard field goal as time
expired.

So now both the Patriots and Jets trail the Bills in the AFC East.

Coach Bill Belichick said McCourty acted on instinct and wouldn’t fault a
defensive player for tackling an opponent on his way to the end zone.

After all, there were plenty of other blunders Belichick and his staff can
focus on when the Patriots return to practice Wednesday.

“They did a better of job executing some plays than we did defending
them,” Belichick said. “We made some plays. They made some. In the end they
made more than we did. We’ve just got to do a better job of coaching and
playing.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots’ quick start is over and the once-rosy outlook significantly dimmer just three weeks into the season.

After blowing a 21-point lead in a loss to Buffalo on Sunday, the Patriots find themselves trying to avoid a .500 start instead of making a big run through the early part of their schedule.

New England was still a little stunned Monday. The Patriots often jump out to big leads, but rarely let them slip away — especially against the Bills. And Tom Brady regularly throws for hundreds of yards and multiple touchdowns, not interceptions.

Brady matched his career worst with four picks on Sunday and the defence couldn’t hold the big lead, allowing the Bills 448 yards of offence as Buffalo rallied and won 34-31 on a last-second field goal. The winning kick was set up by a 38-yard pass on one of several defensive breakdowns by New England.

“The game came down to us on the defensive side of the ball and we just didn’t make the plays that were needed to win the game,” linebacker Jerod Mayo said Monday. “Plays were being made on both sides of the ball. Buffalo just made more.”

So instead of playing for a 4-0 start, the Patriots will be trying to avoid opening the season 2-2 when they visit Oakland on Sunday. The surprising Raiders are also 2-1 and could really set back the Patriots before they return home for their first showdown of the season against the rival New York Jets on Oct. 9.

The loss overshadowed a record start for Brady, whose 1,327 yards passing are the most in any three-week span in NFL history. Brady surpassed the 1,257 yards Drew Brees compiled in 2006 and already has 11 touchdowns with five interceptions, four of which came Sunday in the debacle at Buffalo.

“It’s like a boxing match. We’re going to get hit, and they’re going to get hit, and hopefully at the end you connect more times than they do. I thought we had our opportunities,” Brady said Monday during his weekly appearance on WEEI radio. “I don’t think we come out of the game … thinking that we’re a bad football team. It’s just, if we play the way that we played, we’re not going to be very good.”

Brady also threw for four touchdowns on Sunday, including two on New England’s first two possessions. The Patriots added another on a 26-yard pass from Brady to Rob Gronkowski with 6:01 left in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead.

But Buffalo cut the margin to 21-10 by halftime, then outplayed New England in the second half. The Patriots needed a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Wes Welker with 3:25 left — on fourth down — to tie it at 31,

Then the resilient Bills broke through the New England defence again.

Ryan Fitzpatrick found Fred Jackson on a short pass over the middle and Jackson broke it all the way to the goal line with 1:48 remaining. The play was called a touchdown, reviewed and overturned after officials ruled that Devin McCourty pulled down Jackson at the 1-yard line.

Had McCourty let Jackson cross into the end zone, Brady and the Patriots would have had plenty of time to engineer another drive and possibly force overtime. Instead, Buffalo was able to run down the clock and end a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots on Rian Lindell’s 28-yard field goal as time expired.

So now both the Patriots and Jets trail the Bills in the AFC East.

Coach Bill Belichick said McCourty acted on instinct and wouldn’t fault a defensive player for tackling an opponent on his way to the end zone.

After all, there were plenty of other blunders Belichick and his staff can focus on when the Patriots return to practice Wednesday.

“They did a better of job executing some plays than we did defending them,” Belichick said. “We made some plays. They made some. In the end they made more than we did. We’ve just got to do a better job of coaching and playing.”

The numbers Tom Brady has put up the first two games of this season are awe-inspiring but are considered customary for the New England Patriots.

Brady’s passing yards have him on pace to become the league’s first 7,000-yard passer when no one has come close to 6,000 and only one has thrown for more than 5,000. At this rate, the most-touchdowns-in-a-season mark Brady set four seasons ago will tumble.

Asked about the lofty numbers New England coach Bill Belichick says, “It isn’t like he hasn’t made them before.”

Yep, just Brady being Brady. Several teams have strong-armed quarterbacks, but only a handful have strong-willed leaders like Brady and a coach who is willing to retool his offense to fit the special nature of his players.

The Patriots (2-0) play the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium and already this season Brady has thrown for 940 yards and seven touchdowns. At that rate, Brady would finish this season with 56 touchdowns, which would break the mark of 50 he set in 2007. He’s on pace to finish this season with 7,520 yards that would crush Dan Marino’s record by 2,436 yards. Marino passed for 5,084 in 1984.

“Offensive football is about everybody being on the same page and the quarterback can never be successful without the help of every single guy out there,” Brady said. “I’ve had guys making plays in both games, making some tough catches and we haven’t had a lot of mental errors.”

The current system is being built around one powerful arm in Brady, two playmaking receivers in Wes Welker and Deion Branch and two athletic, versatile tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

“We’ve always taken the approach as a football team to do the things that give us the best chance to match up against each individual opponent and changes from week to week,” Belichick said. “A lot of our game planning has to do with who we have available, who’s on our team and how they match up against our opponent. It changes from week to week and nobody really knows how it’s going to turn out until we get into the game and see how it goes.”

Nothing ever fazes Belichick. You figure this man has seen just about everything bearing in mind he’s been in the NFL since 1975, so he’s not going to heap a lot of praise toward Brady. Maybe it’s because he’s used to it. Over the last 13 regular-season games, Brady has thrown 33 touchdowns and just one interception.

“Tom has been a good player for us for a number of years,” Belichick said. “We’ve seen him play very consistently over that period of time and have made plenty of good plays.”

Belichick leaves the praise heaping to others.

“I don’t think that he has done it before but he’s certainly been capable of it before,” Bills coach Chan Gailey said. “I just see him controlling every aspect of the game right now. He controls the tempo, the protections and the routes. He checks at the right times. He’s got a great understanding of the game. You can see all the years of experience and all the years of that group working together is sort of coming together now. He’s got a lot of good weapons that he’s able to use at different spots on the field.”

Said Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay, a nine-year NFL veteran: “The way he reads defenses, the checks that he makes, his knowledge of the game, he does it all. He’s obviously a great asset, one of the biggest assets first and foremost. We’ve got to somehow, some way get to him, rattle him and make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket.”

Brady says the Patriots’ effectiveness in the red zone has to increase — although their 72.7 percent success rate is over 10 percent higher than 2010. New England converts 62.5 percent on third down, second only to San Diego but there isn’t even a trace of sarcasm when Brady says, “we’ve got to be better on third down.”

Brady does have a point of implementing more players in the passing game, in particular wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, who has only three receptions for 59 yards.

“We’re still trying to figure out ways to improve and we’re going to,” Brady said. “The more we work at it, the better we’re going to be and the more prepared we’re going to play.”

At 34 and with three Super Bowl championships in hand, he might as well spend the rest of his career throwing downfield at football history.

* * * *

Tight end Dan Gronkowski (hamstring), who didn’t practice on Thursday, was released by the Patriots on Friday. That spoils a homecoming game for the Williamsville native. Gronkowski was signed on Sept. 7 and played in the first two games for the Patriots. He played with the Lions in 2009 and the Broncos in 2010.

* * * *

Bills receiver Stevie Johnson (groin), defensive end Spencer Johnson (hip) and nose tackle Torell Troup (lower back) are all listed as probable while linebacker Kirk Morrison (hamstring) is out for Sunday’s game. Both Johnsons and Troup practiced fully on Friday while Morrison was limited. Cornerback Terrence McGee (hamstring) and guard Kraig Urbik (knee) were already ruled out.

Hernandez (knee) as well as right tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back) and defensive end Mike Wright (concussion) are out for the Patriots.

Listed as questionable for New England are safety Patrick Chung (hand), defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (back), corner Ras-I Dowling (hip), linebackers Gary Guyton (hamstring) and Jerod Mayo (thigh), wide receiver Taylor Price (hamstring), center Ryan Wendell (calf) and punter Zoltan Mesko (knee). Dowling and Haynesworth did not practice on Friday while the others were limited.

The Patriots’ probables are corners Kyle Arrington (concussion) and Leigh Bodden (hand), safety Josh Barrett (thumb) and linebacker Dane Fletcher (thumb). Arrington was limited during practice on Friday while the others participated fully.

rmckissic@buffnews.comnull

“Tough release there with James Sanders,” coach Bill Belichick said in a conference call. “James has been a good guy to have on this team. A hardworking kid. … He’s been a really solid team player for us but we just, part of the move, needed to release people.”

Also Monday, the Patriots signed receiver Tiquan Underwood and safety Ross Ventrone and released 10 other players: receivers Darnell Jenkins and Tyree Barnes, kicker Chris Koepplin, fullback Eric Kettani, long snapper Matt Katula, offensive lineman Mark Wetterer, tight end Garrett Mills, defensive backs Jonathan Wilhite and Malcolm Williams and defensive linemen Clay Nurse and Kade Weston.

Sanders was a fourth-round draft pick from Fresno State in 2005 who has totaled 300 tackles, eight interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his career. He has also played in 10 postseason games, starting seven.

“Not a lot of negatives with James,” Belichick said. “But we have to select the players that we feel like are best for our team.”

NFL teams need to get down to 80-man rosters by Tuesday and to 53 by the season opener. The Patriots have one preseason game left, at home on Thursday against the New York Giants, before the opener on Sept. 12 against the Miami Dolphins.

Belichick said he had no updates on Wes Welker (neck) and Dan Connolly (ankle), who left Saturday’s game against Detroit, which the Lions won 34-10.

Irene killed five in New England even as it was downgraded from a hurricane that devastated North Carolina and points south. As a tropical storm, it snarled transportation while causing widespread flooding and power outages that left more than 400,000 people without power in Massachusetts alone on Monday.

The Patriots were among them.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the power at Gillette Stadium went out Sunday morning and had not been fully restored early Monday evening. So, the team had a walkthrough and meetings off-site.

James would not divulge the location.

“We’re working outside of the stadium today, but we should be back there in a little while and it sounds like we’ll be back to normal,” Belichick said. “We weathered the storm and we should get back hopefully into a normal flow of things here tomorrow.”

Linebacker Jerod Mayo said his family in Virginia lost power, and he did at home in New England as well. Deion Branch said his family had trouble getting back from the game in Detroit.

“That may be the only scare that I really had,” he said in a conference call with reporters.

Defensive lineman Andre Carter said there was no disruption caused by moving Monday’s workout.

“There was no other difference after the game or after a day of rest. We came in, we worked out, (we) did stretching, got the muscle fatigue out,” he said. “We took advantage of (another site) the best way we could. … We’re very fortunate to have some resources to pretty much do what we need to do and be professional for this team.”

Underwood appeared in 13 games over two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before he was released on Saturday. Last year, he caught eight passes for 111 yards and returned 24 kicks for 561 yards.

Ventrone spent most of last season on the Patriots’ practice squad. He went to camp with the team this year but was released on Aug. 10.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Due to power outages that have affected Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots moved offsite on Monday, and canceled their media availability.

The outages also led to the cancellation of coach Bill Belichick’s media conference call on Sunday, though that is slated to be made up on Monday afternoon.

The Patriots had off on Sunday, after Saturday’s 34-10 loss to the Lions in Detroit. They conclude the preseason vs. the New York Giants on Thursday night at home.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More: Albert Haynesworth (DT – NEP), New England Patriots, Detroit Lions

Albert Haynesworth could suit up for the New England Patriots in a game as soon as this Saturday when the Pats take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, according to Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick.

“If he’s ready, yeah,” Belichick said when asked of Haynesorth’s status.

Asked whether he was ready, Belichick responded, “Well I don’t know. He’s day-to-day.”

“I can’t [elaborate],” Belichick said when asked for more details. “We’ll go out there tomorrow, and if he’s ready to go, he’ll practice. If he’s not, then he’ll do the other things to get ready to go, and then we’ll try it again on Wednesday.” (via WEEI)

Haynesworth returned to the practice field over the weekend, but did not practice, instead watching from the sidelines. While Belichick says Haynesworth could play Saturday, it’s very unlikely if he can’t even practice this close to game day.

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit.

Andy Benoit is previewing all 32 N.F.L. teams. He completes the A.F.C. East with the Patriots today.
Earlier, he analyzed the Jets, the Dolphins and the Bills.

We’re always hearing about The Patriot Way. By now, we understand what it means. The Patriot Way is the embodiment of every cliché known in sports: no “I” in team; let your play do the talking; one step at a time; just trying to get better, doing whatever it takes to win. It’s pretty straightforward stuff that trickles down from the owner Robert Kraft to Coach Bill Belichick to everyone else.

Belichick’s Patriots are so business-oriented that they themselves rarely even talk about The Patriot Way. The phrase is mainly the outside world’s way of explaining the culture of this very successful organization.

When we see the Patriots take a flier on baggage-toting stars like Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco, we cite The Patriot Way. When this team dumped another one of those stars in the middle of last season and instantly remodeled much of its offense, we marveled at its league-best 14-2 record and again credited The Patriot Way. When classic underdog players – your Wes Welkers, your Danny Woodheads – become stars in New England, or when single drafts produce legions of core players overnight (like the ’10 class: Devin McCourty, Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski – starters all) we just shake our head and continue to laud The Patriot Way.

But focusing on The Patriot Way is like classifying a car by its color. Sure, it counts for something. And it’s nice that everyone can see and understand it. But it’s not the make or model. Locker room chemistry and teamwork and all those convenient Disney movie elements are great, but in the end, football is about the battle that takes place on that 100×53 piece of turf. And those battles often don’t come down to “wanting it more” or “overcoming adversity” – they come down to out-scheming and out-executing the enemy.

To the Patriots, this is The Real Patriot Way. Here’s how it works:

Offense

Unlike with most teams, the Patriot offense is built primarily on principles, rather than players. But the paradox is it’s only built this way because of one particular player. You can probably guess who.

Most N.F.L. offenses build a majority of their systems off their personnel. But having Tom Brady under center gives New England the enormous luxury of reversing that formula. Because Brady is Mensa quality when it comes to dissecting a defense at the line of scrimmage, and because he has arguably the best pocket mechanics in  football, the Patriots are able to first create a system and then find the players to run it. This is why they’re so good at surviving injuries, incorporating newcomers and, most overlooked, grooming young talent.

More on Brady’s specific impact momentarily. First, let’s examine what, exactly, is New England’s system. In short, it’s a precision-passing game based on horizontal option routes. Most offenses build their passing attack on timing and stretching the field. The Patriots – especially in this post-Randy Moss era – are the opposite. The patterns their receivers run are often determined by what the defense shows. It’s up to the receiver to correctly assess the coverage – often on the fly – and execute accordingly. Because of this, the Patriots don’t look for size and speed at wide receiver; they look for intelligence and precise route running. Thus, wideouts like Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Deion Branch – guys who possess very average natural ability but have outstanding fundamentals – become stars in this system. (It’s no accident that Welker and Branch were far less effective players for the Dolphins and Seahawks.)

This is why the Patriots don’t have to worry about newcomer Chad Ochocinco being 33 and slowing down. Physically, Ochocinco still executes the breaks in his routes with superb quickness. He doesn’t have to stretch the field or win a jump ball on every down (the Pats can turn to to third-year pro Brandon Tate for those infrequent assignments); he just has to take what the defense allows him. Ocho drew criticism for not always running the right routes in Cincinnati. But the Bengals had a rudimentary system that afforded little to no freedom for their frequently double-teamed receivers. That won’t be the case here.

The approach is similar for New England’s sensational second-year tight ends, Rob Gronkowski (an improving route runner and firm blocker) and Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez is a tight end with true wide receiver skills. That’s nightmarish for defensive coordinators, who must always ask themselves, ‘With Hernandez on the field, do I use my base personnel and risk having him run routes against my safety or linebacker, or do I go to nickel and risk the Patriots putting two tight ends on the line of scrimmage and ramming the ball down our throats?’

New England’s style of option route running is uncommon because it requires the quarterback to see the route develop and react, rather than anticipate and throw to a window. Thus, the quarterback is forced to hold the ball a split second longer. Not many can survive this pressure. Tom Brady, however, has an uncanny ability to instantaneously reset his feet and gather his throwing mechanics while in a crowd. And you almost never see him throw off balance. These rare attributes form the foundation of New England’s passing attack.

They also deflate the theory that Brady lacks toughness. True, Brady gets a bit jittery after an accumulation of hits, but that’s only because he’s a.) human and b.) concerned with protecting possession. When your passing attack specifically emphasizes your being able to throw the ball right before taking a hit, you naturally become more aware of potential hits.

A slower-developing, horizontal aerial attack also demands a little more from the pass protectors. The Patriots acknowledged this when they drafted Nate Solder in the first round. This was a response to 33-year-old Matt Light no longer being a sure thing when it comes to handling elite edge-rushers one-on-one. If the lockout hadn’t prevented Solder from practicing, he’d most likely be starting opposite right tackle Sebastian Vollmer (a solid but unspectacular third-year pro – flawed second-team All-Pro accolades aside). Instead, Light – who, to be clear, has great chemistry with Brady and can certainly be more than adequate for one more year – is back.

So is All-Pro left guard Logan Mankins, fresh long-term contract and all (finally!). Mankins, who will line up next to rock-steady center Dan Koppen and smart but middling right guard Dan Connolly, is the key to New England’s power run game. No guard in football pulls with such consistent force.

Brady-centric as this offense might be, the Patriots are still willing to attack opponents on the ground. In BenJarvus Green-Ellis the Pats have a traditional runner who will gain whatever yardage the play has to offer. He’s not a creator, but the Pats don’t need him to be. That’s what Danny Woodhead is for. If not for having the physical appearance of a busboy, Woodhead’s name would come up in a lot of top 10 running back discussions. Truly. He has incredible lateral agility and quickness, and he’s marvelous in all phases of the passing game.

Despite Woodhead’s emergence and having a 36-year-old surgically repaired right knee, Kevin Faulk recently received a one-year contract for the veteran minimum ($910,000). His role in 2011 may simply be to tutor second-round rookie Shane Vereen and third-rounder Stevan Ridley. Vereen is an all-purpose back from California; Ridley is a workhorse out of L.S.U. If having five quality backs weren’t enough, the Patriots also have veteran Sammy Morris on the roster.

Defense

Everybody wants to know if the 2011 Patriots defense will be a 3-4 or a 4-3. The answer is it will be neither and both. It’s understandable that people would want to pigeonhole this defense and find a crystal clear image of the depth chart and gameplan. But the reason Bill Belichick has a reputation for directing versatile, ever-changing units is because he does not view defense in broad strokes of black and white.

Instead of seeing one defensive unit on the field, Belichick sees 11 defensive pieces. His mantra is to find the best role for each of those pieces on each play. While most coaches emphasize exotic blitzes and creative disguise, Belichick is more inclined to preach simple fundamentals and assignments. Often, the Patriots run a surprisingly basic defense, but they create complexity by mixing basic concepts. There are 11 guys executing assignments on each play. Some of those assignments might be 3-4-centric, while some could be 4-3-centric. Collectively, it doesn’t matter. All that matters to Belichick is that each guy is executing his specific assignment. When that happens, the defense naturally works.

The droves of Albert Haynesworth watchers can assume that Belichick will have the star defensive lineman often playing the one-gap concepts he grew to love in Tennessee’s 4-3. Belichick knows that’s the best way to use his Haynesworth piece. Nose tackle Vince Wilfork will likely play a majority of 3-4 technique simply because, being an explosive 350-plus-pounder, he’s going to command double-teams anyway. Along the rest of the defensive line, ex-Jet Shaun Ellis is experienced in all systems and plays with great power in the trenches. He should be more effective late in the season than he was a year ago now that his sharing the load with jack-of-all-trades Mike Wright. Rounding out the front, backups Kyle Love and Gerard Warren are spacious players who provide sound depth.

New England’s defensive alignments will usually be determined by whatever gives them the best pass-rush. Defensive end Andre Carter can turn the corner coming out of a two-or three-point stance. Speed-wise, he’s an upgrade over Tully Banta-Cain, but the Pats will need another edge player to step up. Jermaine Cunningham showed gradual improvement as a second-round rookie last season, but he’s more of a strongside 3-4 outside linebacker than true edge-rusher. Mark Anderson has startling speed around the corner but can’t seem to stay on anyone’s roster. Eric Moore is just a guy.

Linebackers Rob Ninkovich, Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and Gary Guyton are all better read-and-react players than attackers. Of the bunch, Mayo is the star. He’s the NFL’s reigning tackle leader and, thanks to good instincts and anticipation, plays with excellent range against both run and pass. Spikes, an intriguing second-year pro, can be a good interior thumper, but in the short-term he’ll likely take a backseat to the speedier Guyton in nickel packages.

New England’s mixture of defensive techniques is most prevalent in the secondary. Belichick loves matchup zone concepts that require players to use man-techniques in defending an area. It’s not easy, which is part of the reason the Patriots have had a revolving door at the right cornerback position. They’re hoping that a healthy Leigh Bodden can stabilize this spot. They learned last season that Kyle Arrington lacks the necessary ball skills to survive in this role. Before that, similar conclusions had already been made about Darius Butler and Jonathan Wilhite.

No such worries on the left side. Devin McCourty is coming off one of the great rookie seasons for a cornerback. The lanky 5-11, 193-pounder from Rutgers has an almost eerie ability to backpedal with receivers screaming down the field. Also, he’s shrewder than most tenured veterans when it comes to using the sideline to his advantage. And by recording seven of New England’s league-high 25 interceptions last season, McCourty obviously has phenomenal ball skills.

There’s potentially a stellar long-term cornerbacking tandem in place with McCourty and this year’s 33rd overall pick, Ras-I Dowling. But if Bodden holds up outside, Dowling may not see much action if the coaches decide they can’t resist the physicality that safety Patrick Chung brings to the nickel slot. Chung, however, can be attacked in man coverage. He will line up at strong safety ahead of steady but mundane veteran James Sanders in base packages. (Sanders will assume the safety duties in nickel and dime.) At free safety will be dynamic playmaker Brandon Meriweather, assuming he doesn’t again drive coaches nuts with mental gaffes and freelancing.

Special Teams

Stephen Gostkowski was a top-five kicker before tearing his right quad last season. The sixth-year pro is back to kicking without reservations. Zoltan Mesko will be entrusted with the punting duties again. Wes Welker or Julian Edelman (or whoever can be counted on to make a fair catch, as Belichick’s goal with special teams is usually  just to break even) will field punts. Brandon Tate brings explosiveness to the kick return game.

Bottom Line

The system is outstanding. The talent stocking it is equally impressive. It’s just a matter of whether the Patriots can do something they surprisingly haven’t done well in recent years: hold serve in big games.

Predicted Finish: 1st A.F.C. East

Read More: Shaun Ellis (DE – NEP), Andre Carter (DE – NEP), New England Patriots

It’s no secret that Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have contemplated a shift in their defensive strategy, and based on the team’s newest acquisitions – Shaun Ellis, Andre Carter and Albert Haynesworth- the team is likely to use a 4-3 base defense.

As of Tuesday, the Patriots have 21 defensive lineman on the roster (between active roster and the practice squad), courtesy of the Boston Herald’s Ian R. Rapoport.

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit.