BOSTON (CBS) – The New England Patriots organization is mourning the loss of Houston Antwine, a member of the team’s 50th Anniversary Team, who passed away Monday night.

Antwine, a six-time All Star in the American Football League, was 72.

Compounding the loss was the news that his wife, Evelyn, also passed away Tuesday morning.

“For those of us who grew up watching the Boston Patriots, this is a really sad day,” Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a release. “In the 1960s, the defensive tackle tandem of ‘Twine’ and Jim Lee Hunt were as good as any in the league and helped propel the Patriots to the franchise’s first division championship in 1963. Myra and I had the good fortune of hosting Houston and his wife, Evelyn, at my home just two years ago when we honored the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team. I loved hearing Houston’s stories about those early days in Boston. It was such a thrill for me, personally, to spend time with the players from that era. I am saddened to learn of the deaths of both Houston and Evelyn and want to express my deepest sympathies to the Antwine’s daughter, Regina, and all who mourn her losses. Let us all cherish life and remind loved ones how we feel about them daily.”

Antwine was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the eighth round, 64^th overall, of the 1961 AFL Draft, but was then traded to the Boston Patriots before ever playing a game for the Oilers. Antwine became a defensive catalyst for the Boston Patriots in the newly formed AFL and was selected as an AFL All-Star for six consecutive seasons, spanning 1963-1968. His play earned him the highest accolade as he was elected to the Patriots 1960’s All-Decade team and was named to the All-Time All-AFL Team.

Antwine spent 11-of-his-12 professional seasons with the Patriots (1961-69- AFL Boston Patriots, 1970- NFL Boston Patriots, and 1971- NFL New England Patriots) before playing the 1972 season, his final, with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL.

In 142 regular season games for the Patriots, he recorded 39 sacks and led the team in that respective category during the 1967, 1968, and 1969 seasons.

In 2009, the New England Patriots Hall of Fame nomination committee selected Antwine as one of three Patriots alumni most deserving for the team’s Hall of Fame induction.

Patriots, Dolphins still have plenty to play for

By HOWARD ULMAN

AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) The New England Patriots are in the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years. The Miami Dolphins missed them for the ninth time in 10.

Both, though, have a lot at stake on Saturday with the Patriots going for a first-round bye and many Dolphins playing for jobs next season.

And both have the same approach to moving toward those goals. Forget about them.

“Right now, all we’re worried about is Miami,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters. “All the rest of it is just something for you guys to write about.”

Todd Bowles, a head coach for just one NFL game compared with Belichick’s 291, isn’t focused on what a victory would mean for his future in that position.

“I don’t have any expectations, really,” he said. “I’m just trying to get the guys to play hard and play better and play fast and try to come out with wins. I don’t control those decisions.”

The Patriots (11-3) clinched their third straight AFC East title last Sunday with a 41-23 win at the Denver Broncos. There are several ways for them to secure a bye this week, the easiest being a victory combined with a loss or tie by the Houston Texans. They even can clinch the top seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs if they win and Houston, Pittsburgh and Baltimore all lose or tie.

“I don’t think we think about any of those things other than Miami,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “We prepare hard, focus on what we can focus on, control what we can control, go out there and play with great effort, good execution and we’ll be in good position.”

The Dolphins (5-9) will focus on stopping Brady. They couldn’t do it in their season-opening 38-24 loss in Miami in which Brady threw for a franchise record 517 yards. Bowles, who led the Dolphins to a 30-23 win over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday after replacing the fired Tony Sparano, was the secondary coach then.

“It was the toughest game for me as a coach,” Bowles said. “You don’t see those kind of numbers every day. Nothing worked. .man (to man), zone, pressure, prevent. He completed everything. You write it off as a bad loss.”

But he remained confident and the secondary has improved considerably since then.

“I just think it was a bad game,” he said. “You just write it off and move on next week.”

The Patriots also have a dangerous offensive threat to handle. Reggie Bush rushed for a career-high 203 yards against Buffalo last Sunday, the same day New England allowed 167 yards rushing in the first quarter alone.

In their last two games, the Patriots have been burned for a total of 422 yards on the ground.

“He’s a special guy,” New England linebacker Rob Ninkovich said of Bush. “A guy like Reggie can do a lot of different things. … So you’ve just got to make sure you don’t let him do those things.”

Bush already has shown he can thrive as an every-down back, something he didn’t do in his other five NFL seasons, all with the New Orleans Saints.

So what motivates him with his team out of the playoff race?

“It’s the New England Patriots,” he said. “Anytime you’re playing a divisional opponent it’s always big and we want to finish the season strong. At the same time, we know that we’re still being evaluated. No matter what the record says, we’re all still being evaluated on a daily basis, on a weekly basis.”

Bush’s job for next season is secure.

Matt Moore is still trying to enhance his resume as the starting quarterback after Chad Henne suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth game.

The Dolphins rebounded after losing their first seven games with a 5-2 record, but Moore has completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes in each of the last four games.

Still, Bush said, “he’s been the backbone of this team. I honestly believe that. Without him, we wouldn’t (have) been able to put together the stream of wins that we have. …I think you see when we give him time to throw the ball he can be dangerous, he can be effective.”

He very well could be against the Patriots. Starting with the third week of the season, their defense has been ranked worst in the league in both total yards and yards passing allowed. And now they must go on without defensive end Andre Carter, the team leader with 10 sacks who suffered a season-ending injury to his left quadriceps against the Broncos.

“He works incredibly hard and he’s been having a great season,” cornerback Devin McCourty said. “To lose a guy like that, we just have to come together as a group.”

If they succeed, they could lock up a playoff bye with one regular-season game left. But if the Dolphins play spoilers?

“We’re not trying to spoil anything,” Bowles said. “We’re just trying to get better as a team and try to close out the season on a winning note. So we’re just going to worry about us now.”

Updated December 22, 2011

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)—The New England Patriots are in the playoffs for
the ninth time in 11 years. The Miami Dolphins missed them for the ninth time in
10.

Both, though, have a lot at stake on Saturday with the Patriots going for a
first-round bye and many Dolphins playing for jobs next season.

And both have the same approach to moving toward those goals. Forget about
them.

“Right now, all we’re worried about is Miami,” Patriots coach Bill
Belichick told reporters. “All the rest of it is just something for you guys to
write about.”

Todd Bowles, a head coach for just one NFL game compared with Belichick’s
291, isn’t focused on what a victory would mean for his future in that position.

“I don’t have any expectations, really,” he said. “I’m just trying to get
the guys to play hard and play better and play fast and try to come out with
wins. I don’t control those decisions.”

The Patriots (11-3) clinched their third straight AFC East title last Sunday
with a 41-23 win at the Denver Broncos. There are several ways for them to
secure a bye this week, the easiest being a victory combined with a loss or tie
by the Houston Texans. They even can clinch the top seed in the AFC and
home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs if they win and Houston,
Pittsburgh and Baltimore all lose or tie.

“I don’t think we think about any of those things other than Miami,”
quarterback Tom Brady said. “We prepare hard, focus on what we can focus on,
control what we can control, go out there and play with great effort, good
execution and we’ll be in good position.”

The Dolphins (5-9) will focus on stopping Brady. They couldn’t do it in
their season-opening 38-24 loss in Miami in which Brady threw for a franchise
record 517 yards. Bowles, who led the Dolphins to a 30-23 win over the Buffalo
Bills last Sunday after replacing the fired Tony Sparano, was the secondary
coach then.

“It was the toughest game for me as a coach,” Bowles said. “You don’t see
those kind of numbers every day. Nothing worked. .man (to man), zone, pressure,
prevent. He completed everything. You write it off as a bad loss.”

But he remained confident and the secondary has improved considerably since
then.

“I just think it was a bad game,” he said. “You just write it off and
move on next week.”

The Patriots also have a dangerous offensive threat to handle. Reggie Bush
rushed for a career-high 203 yards against Buffalo last Sunday, the same day New
England allowed 167 yards rushing in the first quarter alone.

In their last two games, the Patriots have been burned for a total of 422
yards on the ground.

“He’s a special guy,” New England linebacker Rob Ninkovich said of Bush.
“A guy like Reggie can do a lot of different things. … So you’ve just got to
make sure you don’t let him do those things.”

Bush already has shown he can thrive as an every-down back, something he
didn’t do in his other five NFL seasons, all with the New Orleans Saints.

So what motivates him with his team out of the playoff race?

“It’s the New England Patriots,” he said. “Anytime you’re playing a
divisional opponent it’s always big and we want to finish the season strong. At
the same time, we know that we’re still being evaluated. No matter what the
record says, we’re all still being evaluated on a daily basis, on a weekly
basis.”

Bush’s job for next season is secure.

Matt Moore is still trying to enhance his resume as the starting quarterback
after Chad Henne suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth game.

The Dolphins rebounded after losing their first seven games with a 5-2
record, but Moore has completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes in each of
the last four games.

Still, Bush said, “he’s been the backbone of this team. I honestly believe
that. Without him, we wouldn’t (have) been able to put together the stream of
wins that we have. …I think you see when we give him time to throw the ball he
can be dangerous, he can be effective.”

He very well could be against the Patriots. Starting with the third week of
the season, their defense has been ranked worst in the league in both total
yards and yards passing allowed. And now they must go on without defensive end
Andre Carter, the team leader with 10 sacks who suffered a season-ending injury
to his left quadriceps against the Broncos.

“He works incredibly hard and he’s been having a great season,” cornerback
Devin McCourty said. “To lose a guy like that, we just have to come together as
a group.”

If they succeed, they could lock up a playoff bye with one regular-season
game left. But if the Dolphins play spoilers?

“We’re not trying to spoil anything,” Bowles said. “We’re just trying to
get better as a team and try to close out the season on a winning note. So we’re
just going to worry about us now.”

The New England Patriots travel to Denver to face off with the Broncos on Sunday. The Patriots will attempt to extend their current five-game winning streak; with a high powered offense that has had to offset their defensive deficiencies thus far. New England head coach Bill Belichick will look to improve on his 3-6 record against the Broncos; as Denver looks to add yet another victory in their march for an improbable AFC West title.

Not only will Bill Belichick have to game plan for the traditional high altitude in Denver, but also the heightened optimism of Broncos’s fans; as “Tebow fever” has a stranglehold on the region. Thoughts of a division title were foreign in Denver back in October; with the Broncos possessing a 1-4 record heading into the team’s bye week. At that moment, head coach John Fox made a decision that would change the team’s fortunes the rest of the way; inserting second-year quarterback Tim Tebow for struggling incumbent starter Kyle Orton.

Since the quarterback change, the Broncos have won seven of eight games; including six dramatic come-from-behind wins led by the spirited efforts of Tebow. The former Florida Gator and Heisman Award winning quarterback has transformed the city of Denver and the league into believers; in spite of an unorthodox throwing motion and less traditional physical running style that has not hampered his, nor the team’s success.

The passing statistics do not begin to demonstrate Tim Tebow’s contributions on the field. While Tebow has completed only 48.5 percent of his passes and 117.3 yards per game, his athleticism and physical running ability has more than compensated for the passing deficiency. With an option offense in Denver tailored to Tebow’s strengths, the lefty as he has amassed 517 rushing years this season; supplementing the NFL’s top-rated rushing offense. Broncos running back Willis McGahee is on pace for his first 1,000 yard season since 2007 with the Baltimore Ravens.

Encountering Denver’s option offense will be a first for the Patriots under Bill Belichick; which presents challenges in itself. The Patriots have struggled in the past when encountering new and unconventional offensive schemes for the first time. Back in 2008, the Miami Dolphins exploited the new “wildcat” offense to shock New England 38-13 in their first meeting. several weeks later, Belichick was able to adjust and respond to the latest offensive fad by routing Miami 48-28. Belichick will not have the luxury of prior experience against an option quarterback that has had success at the professional level.

Tebow’s pedestrian 83.9 quarterback rating is also deceptive; as his performance in the fourth quarter in overtime more than makes up for his early game struggles. Tebow’s possesses a fourth quarter passer rating of 107.9 as compared to a 65.1 rating through the first three quarters of his games this season.

The Patriots’ defensive secondary has been porous for most of the season and has contributed to opposing quarterbacks having season-best performances. Chad Henne, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jason Campbell, Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Young and Dan Orlovsky comprise a lengthy list of quarterbacks who all passed for more yards against the Patriots than any other opponent this year.

The defensively challenged Patriots secondary continues to struggle with injuries as well. Patrick Chung has missed the past five games due to a foot injury; while Devin McCourty and James Ihedigbo struggled through injuries in last Sunday’s narrow victory against the Washington Redskins.

The recent string of success in Denver cannot be solely attributed to the offense, as the defense has become stout and keps games close enough for the late game comebacks to happen. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil have combined to register 20 sacks for the Broncos this year; while also holding opponents to an average of 16.7 points in their last seven victories. The front seven of the Denver defense will look to apply pressure on Brady in hopes of forcing turnovers.

How the Patriots’ defense can control and corral the league’s latest phenomenon will go a long way in determining the outcome of Sunday’s contest. Getting out to an early lead is no guarantee that the Patriots will win easily; as Tebow continues to demonstrate with his late game heroics. The general belief in Denver is that the team is now a team of destiny. Whether destiny is realized will all be resolved in the thin air of the mile high city.

Scott Duhaime is a fan and follower of the New England Patriots for over 30 years, witnessing the team’s ascent from league irrelevance to among the league’s elite franchises. His professional career includes a solid foundation of analytics that contributes to a better appreciation of player and team contributions.

Sources:

Yahoo! Sports New England Patriots roster, boxscores, and player statistics

Yahoo! Sports Denver Broncos roster, boxscores, and player statistics

Yahoo! Sports New England Patriots team report

Yahoo! Sports Denver Broncos team report

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New England Patriots defensive tackle Gerard Warren was not listed on the team’s injury report, but he will not suit up for Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

Warren was a healthy scratch Sunday, the team announced, and it is not clear why he was declared inactive.

Warren has nine tackles in nine games this season.

The Patriots also announced Saturday that safety Patrick Chung (foot), center Dan Connolly (groin), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee) and running back Shane Vereen (hamstring) would not play vs. the Redskins.

Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington (foot), wideout Julian Edelman (back), cornerback Devin McCourty (shoulder) and running back Danny Woodhead (abdomen) are active after previously being listed questionable for Sunday’s game.

Visit www.nfl.com/inactives to see inactive players in every Sunday game.

“We know what type of people that we try to get on our football team, what’s your makeup going to be, and so I’ve watched him through the years. I know that he’s watched me,” Shanahan said. “It’s been fun to talk about over a couple beers or dinner, something like that.”

Shanahan spent a day-and-a-half with the Patriots during that 2009 camp, taking in three practices.

“It’s certainly nice when you’re not butting heads against each other, it’s a lot easier to have conversations and try to help each other out,” Belichick said. “I mean, I have so much respect for Mike and what he’s done, the way he goes about his job, the way he coaches his team and the accomplishments that he’s had as a coach throughout his exceptional career. He’s one of the people that I respect the most in the NFL.”

Belichick has won three Super Bowls titles, Shanahan has two. They are no-nonsense coaches who have reputations as control freaks with little tolerance for foolishness or dissention, and they face each other Sunday when the Patriots (9-3) visit Shanahan’s latest employer, the Washington Redskins (4-8).

“They both want the best out of their players, and they put you in situations where you can be successful,” said Redskins receiver Jabar Gaffney, who played for Belichick’s Patriots from 2006-08. “Obviously, they’ve both won championships and they both know what they’re talking about.”

That said, they are not coaching clones.

“There’s only one Belichick,” Gaffney said. “There’s definitely only one Bill, and the way he goes about his preparation and getting his team prepared is unparalleled.”

It’s been a while since either coach won the big one. Belichick’s last title came at the end of the 2004 season, while the second of Shanahan’s back-to-back championships came in 1998. But while the Patriots have remained a perennial powerhouse under Belichick — this is their 11th straight winning season — Shanahan sputtered in his later years with the Broncos and is struggling to get the long-suffering Redskins headed in the right direction.

This year has been especially bizarre for both coaches. Belichick is the guru of defense, yet New England is ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed. It’s been the offense led by Tom Brady and the seemingly unstoppable pass-catching duo of Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker that have overwhelmingly carried the Patriots to the brink of another AFC East crown, which they will clinch with a win and a loss by the New York Jets to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Just last week, the Patriots allowed Dan Orlovsky to pass for 353 yards for the winless Indianapolis Colts, whose fourth-quarter comeback made New England’s 31-24 victory closer than expected. Injuries and poor play have forced Belichick into some unusual lineups, including a start at safety last week for wide receiver Matthew Slater.

Shanahan, meanwhile, is supposed to be the offensive genius, but the Redskins ranked 20th in yards gained and 31st in rushing. Injuries and substandard performance have likewise played a part — as well as the coach’s miscalculation of what he had at quarterback — but now he must also deal with the loss of two of his most talented players. Tight end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams were suspended Tuesday for the rest of the regular season after failing multiple drug tests.

Shanahan holds a 5-3 edge in head-to-head meetings against Belichick — all coming in Broncos-Patriots games — but it’s hard to brag when the Redskins have won only four games all season and have dropped seven of their last eight.

“With four wins,” Shanahan said with a smile, “I’m not in a position to talk a whole lot about what we’ve done in the past.”

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

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

BOSTON (CBS) – The New England Patriots improved to 9-3 on Sunday with a 31-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts, but after lackluster first and fourth quarters, the team knows they can do better.

“I thought we did some good things out there today, we obviously have to do a better job of finishing the game,” Belichick said after the win. “That was disappointing. But we’ll work on that; go back to work and get ready for Washington next week.”

The Colts had a 19-play, 67-yard drive that ate up over 10 minutes over the first and second quarter. The Pats limited the damage, allowing just three points on the drive. While it did not hurt in the end, the Patriots want to limit long drives, especially from an offense as poor as the Manning-less Colts.

Burton, Reid Discuss Win On 5th Quarter 

The Patriots put their sluggish start in their rearview mirror though, with the offense scoring four straight touchdowns en route to a 31-3 lead. Even the defense was showing signs of improvement, until the fourth quarter hit.

Once the Patriots had their lead, both the offense and defense sputtered. On offense, Brady and Co. had two straight three-and-outs. On defense, they let the Colts nearly get back in it with 21 unanswered points. Colts quarterback Dan Orlovsky was able to shred the secondary in the final 15 minutes, connecting with Pierre Garcon on scores of 33 and 12 yards.

“It’s disappointing. Go back to the drawing board and continue to try to improve. We just have to finish games,” said defensive captain Jerod Mayo, who had his first career interception in the game. “We have to learn how to put two halves together; hopefully we do it next week.”

“We’re not happy with how we finished the game. We got to finish games better, especially down the stretch,” said Matthew Slater, who started at safety for New England. “It’s in all three phases, not just defensively. We’re not happy with that, and we have work to do.”

Inefficiencies in the defense have haunted the Patriots all season, but it is more recent that the offense has struggled to start games.

“We got off to kind of a slow start, but we picked it up and really got things going and were able to get a good lead. From there, we have to finish a lot better than we have in the last few weeks,” said receiver Wes Welker. “I’m sure it’s going to be a huge emphasis by coach as something we have to do.”

Highs & Lows: Not A Full Effort From Pats

While the score is all that matters in the end, the Colts had more first downs (26), passing yards (338), and rushing yards (99) than New England.

“If we don’t play four quarters, we’re not going to end up in the situation that we want to be in,” added Welker. “We have to fight on through, convert on third downs and move the ball down the field and ultimately score.”

“It’s just not executing,” receiver Deion Branch said of the first quarter struggles. “It may be one thing here, someone missing a block, missing an assignment, a mental error here and there. That stuff happens though; it’s all about how you respond the next drive.”

While the Patriots were able to put puts on the board in a hurry once switching to the no-huddle, the most important thing is how they finish. And with a lackluster performance against a 0-12 team, the team is certain they’ll hear about it this week in practice.

“We played good for 45-minutes and didn’t do anything in the fourth quarter,” said Brady, who watched from the bench after the two fourth quarter three-and-outs. “We’ll hear about that tomorrow.”

When the Indianapolis Colts take on the New England Patriots, the rest of the NFL world usually grinds to a halt so that everyone can watch the drama unfold. When it became clear last month, though, that the Colts were going nowhere this season, the league pulled the teams’ December 4 tilt from its original prime time slot and moved it to an afternoon block, where it would be easier to hide. This was just one more indignity for Colts fans in a year when nothing has gone right for our team, but I could certainly understand why the NFL made the move, and I expected nothing better than a blowout at the hands of the Patriots. In the end, new starting quarterback Dan Orlovksy made life a bit interesting for Tom Brady(notes) and company, but the final tally of 31-24 doesn’t really reflect how lopsided the scoring was.

The first half was unexpectedly close, as the Colts held the Pats to just three points until there were under three minutes left. Brady went to work then and led the Patriots on two scoring drives, aided by an Indianapolis three-and-out that quickly got the ball back in New England’s hands after the first touchdown. Not surprisingly, New England was able to shut down the Colts while Orlovsky acclimated to his starting role, and the score was 17-3 by halftime.

The Patriots pushed their advantage to 31-3 by the end of the third quarter, and the Colts were essentially done at that point, although they did kick in a little bit of extra effort late in the fourth. After Donald Brown(notes) ran in a five-yard touchdown about six minutes into the final period, the teams traded punts for the rest of the game until just before the two-minute warning. At that point, Orlovksy found Pierre Garcon(notes) for a 33-yard TD pass and then got the ball back 30 seconds later. The duo hooked up again for an 11-yard score, and then a failed on-side kick ended the what could have been a very dramatic finish.

After settling into the offense, Orlovsky actually turned in a very good game and was able to take advantage of the Patriots’ suspect secondary. For the game, he completed 30 of 37 passes for 353 yards and recorded two touchdowns to go along with one interception. If Orlovsky can put together that kind of performance against one of the Colts’ remaining opponents who aren’t as solid on offense as the Pats are, Indianapolis may yet pick up a win this season.

I’m not exactly counting on it, but it sure would be nice. And it might, finally, make Curtis Painter(notes) expendable.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

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The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots have been one of the greatest rivalries of the last decade in the NFL. Peyton Manning(notes) and Tom Brady(notes) are the two greatest players of this era and have produced memorable games every year. This season, their game was moved out of primetime as the Colts are struggling and are currently 0-11 playing without Peyton Manning. Listed below are the five greatest games in the rivalry between the Colts and Patriots.

2006 AFC Championship Game, January 21, 2007, Colts 38, Patriots 34

This was the game that the Colts finally defeated their rivals and earned a trip to the Super Bowl. For Colts fans, defeating their rivals in the AFC Championship may have been equally as important as the Super Bowl. Going into this game the Patriots had their number and this was the game where Manning finally mastered Bill Belichick’s Patriots.

November 15, 2009, Colts 35, Patriots 34

This game is remembered as the 4th and two game. Indianapolis trailed 31-14 in the fourth quarter and pulled off a miraculous comeback. Led by Peyton Manning, the Colts were on a roll in the fourth quarter and Bill Belichick knew it. This caused him to make his boldest coaching move he’s ever made. With a six point lead and the ball on their own 28 yard line, Belichick chose to go for it and came up short. Manning then got the ball with a short field and Indianapolis scored on a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne(notes).

2004 AFC Divisional Playoffs, January 16, 2005, Patriots 20, Colts 3

Peyton Manning once again ran into the New England Patriots in the playoffs and once again got sent home by the Patriots. In the snow the Patriot defense got the best out of the NFL MVP as Manning’s record against New England moved to 0-7 with this loss. Many Indianapolis fans thought the team was good enough this season to overcome the Patriots and were let down once again.

November 7, 2005, Colts 40, Patriots 21

Peyton Manning was winless in Foxboro in his career going into this game. Finally Manning and the Colts were able to defeat their nemesis on their home field. Manning threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Harrison(notes) and Reggie Wayne both played outstanding games for the Colts. Harrison had nine catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Wayne had nine catches for 124 yards and one touchdown. The Colts dominated this game from start to finish. As an Indianapolis fan, it was a relief and a big accomplishment for the team to finally win on the road in Foxboro.

November 30, 2003, Patriots 38, Colts 34

The 2003 regular season matchup between the Colts and Patriots once again did not disappoint. This game is memorable for New England’s goal line stand to end the game. New England was winning 38-34 when the Colts only needed to gain one more yard for a touchdown to win the game. Willie McGinest(notes) stopped Edgerrin James(notes) on a fourth down rush to end the game and keep the Colts out of the end zone.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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Marshfield High School’s Lou Silva has been named the New England Patriots High School Football Coach of the Week after earning his 200th win with his team’s 35-7 victory over Falmouth High School on Friday, Nov. 11. Silva is the 45th coach to reach the 200-win plateau. It was also a historic night for quarterback Mark Pomella, who set the school record for single season passing yardage. The Rams got on the board early, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown en route to the team’s seventh win.

The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Marshfield High School’s football program in Silva’s name in recognition of his Coach of the Week selection.

Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, the team’s executive director of community affairs, visited Coach Silva and his team on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Marshfield High School. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the team’s weekly television magazine show, Patriots All Access, which airs at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 on WBZ-TV in Boston and later on Patriots.com.

This season marks the 16th year in which the Patriots have joined the National Football League in conducting the High School Coach of the Week program, which recognizes outstanding high school coaches and promotes youth football throughout New England. Tippett oversees the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation’s commitment to youth football initiatives.

“It was a pleasure to visit with Coach Silva and his players after the Rams’ milestone victory,” said Tippett on Tuesday. “Coach Silva preaches that you play the game the way you practice and that was certainly on display last week as the team got off to a fast start and never looked back. The Patriots are proud to offer our congratulations and present this week’s Coach of the Week Award to Coach Silva and the Marshfield football program.”

At the conclusion of the season, one high school coach will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year and will receive an additional $2,000 contribution toward the school’s football program.

The New England Patriots not only won a game Sunday night, they survived a war of attrition. New England displayed an aggressive defensive attack not yet seen through their first eight games of play; led by AFC defensive player of the week Andre Carter, who established a franchise record 4.5 sacks and frustrated the New York Jets on way to a 37-16 rout. The win helped wrangle the division lead from their heated rivals; completing a two game sweep of Jets and lock up a key playoff tie-breaker which becomes more important as the playoffs approach.

Sunday’s game was clearly one that the fans would be unable to identify many of the players in the defensive backfield without a game program. The NFL’s last ranked defense in yards allowed played perhaps their most complete game; more impressive considering the players that missed action on Sunday night. Starters Brandon Spikes and Patrick Chung missed the game; while Kyle Love, Kyle Arrington and James Ihedigbo left the game due to injury.

The series of injuries provided a national spotlight for previously unknown names such as Jeff Tarpinian, Sterling Moore, Antwaun Molden and Tracey White; all of whom played well in their limited roles. The situation in the defensive secondary became so dire that reserve wide receiver and special team contributor, Julian Edelman was inserted as a slot cornerback late in the game. Edelman made an immediate impact with his tackle of Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson; which resulted in Tomlinson limping off the field with a leg injury.

The linebackers stepped up their performance as well against the Jets; led by Rob Ninkovich, who intercepted Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez twice; returning one for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

The outlook for New England was not very positive heading into week 10, as the team was looking to avoid the first three game losing streak in 10 years. As much as underperformance and inconsistency has hampered this team, the effort on Sunday provided a much needed spark and generated some measure of optimism; as the remaining schedule for the Patriots is the easiest in the entire league.

The lack of consistency and a healthy roster will continue to be key factors in determining how far this team goes in 2011. If the young reserves can continue to hold down the fort while the starters return from injury, the Patriots will be better prepared for a playoff push with a game-tested roster. Performances by Carter and Ninkovich give hope that the defensive front seven is ready to improve on their previously lackluster defense. This edition of the Patriots have several vulnerabilities thus far and do not compare with that of their championship predecessors; but a weak schedule with prove beneficial as the team competes in a wide open AFC; where inconsistency has been the norm.

With a potent offense and a defense filled with many young unproven players, there are many games left in the season for Belichick to form a defense that can build on Sunday’s win and make another run at a Lombardi trophy.

Scott Duhaime is a fan and follower of the New England Patriots for over 30 years, witnessing the team’s ascent from league irrelevance to among the league’s elite franchises. His professional career includes a solid foundation of analytics that contributes to a better appreciation of player and team contributions.

Sources:

Yahoo! Sports New England Patriots roster, schedule, and player statistics

Yahoo! Sports NFL Box Score: New England Patriots 37 @ New York Jets 16

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DENNIS WASZAK JR

The New England Patriots are right where they always expect to be: in first place in the AFC East.

And, the New York Jets are looking up at them – as usual.

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, including two to Rob Gronkowski, and the Patriots took control of the division with a convincing 37-16 victory today.

“It’s very sweet,” Brady said, “getting this win.”

After the Jets got within a score at 23-16 early in the fourth quarter, Brady coolly led the Patriots (6-3) down the field on an 84-yard drive that was capped by an 8-yard touchdown catch by Deion Branch.

New England linebacker Rob Ninkovich then sealed the victory – which snapped a two-game skid – on the Jets’ next possession with a 12-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the final quarter.

The game was a showdown for the top spot in the division, but it was no contest as the Patriots took over sole possession by snapping the Jets’ three-game winning streak and sweeping the regular-season series.

“It looks doubtful right now,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said of his team’s chances of winning the division. “Maybe I should guarantee we’re out of it. The last time I did we made it.

“Yeah, we got no chance.”

Buffalo entered the day tied with New England and New York, but the Bills were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys 44-7 earlier in the day.

It was also the first home loss for the Jets (5-4) after opening 4-0, but they can’t dwell on it because they play again at Denver on Thursday night.

Ryan insisted his team was greatly improved since a 30-21 loss at New England on Oct. 9 and declared it a must-win if New York wanted to get some home playoff games. Turns out, the Jets still have plenty of work to do if they expect to dethrone the Patriots.

“It just wasn’t our night,” Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez said. “We earned what we got tonight.”

New England was coming off consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and the Giants, but said there was no concern in its locker room. It certainly showed as the Patriots avoided their first three-game losing streak since 2002.

Brady finished 26 of 39 for 329 yards, the 40th time he reached the 300-yard mark in a regular-season game, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Joe Montana for eighth on the NFL’s list. He also joined New Orleans’ Drew Brees as the only players to throw for 3,000 yards in their team’s first nine games. Brees also accomplished the feat this season.

Brady and Bill Belichick broke a tie with Miami’s Dan Marino and Don Shula as the winningest quarterback-coach duo since 1966 with 117 victories.

Gronkowski finished with eight catches for 113 yards and the two scores, and Stephen Gostkowski kicked three field goals. Andre Carter had a team-record 4 1/2 sacks as the Patriots’ defense – ranked last in the league coming in – harassed Sanchez all night.

Sanchez was 20 of 39 for 306 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice and sacked five times.

LaDainian Tomlinson passed Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for fifth place on the NFL’s career list for yards from scrimmage, but left the game with an injured left leg which was tightly wrapped in the locker room. He said he would have “some tests” on Monday.

The Jets appeared to get back in it when Plaxico Burress caught a 7-yard fade pass over Antwaun Molden in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, making it 23-16.

But Brady went right back to work, leading the Patriots on a typically efficient drive, going 84 yards on 13 plays using a no-huddle offense that kept the Jets’ defense off balance. Mixing in some solid runs by Danny Woodhead, Brady calmly spread the ball around to his receivers before connecting with Branch with 8:04 remaining.

The score sent many in the crowd at MetLife Stadium headed for the exits.

Many of those who remained didn’t stick around much longer once Ninkovich returned an errant pass by Sanchez 12 yards to make it 37-16 with 7:45 left.

Three Jets bobbled a muffed punt by Joe McKnight to set up Gostkowski’s short field goal for a 16-9 lead. Isaiah Trufant had two shots at recovering the loose ball and Donald Strickland one – it squirted out of his hands – before Niko Koutouvides came up with it at the Jets 13 early in the third quarter.

Gronkowski appeared to catch his second TD pass of the night, but video replay showed he stepped out of bounds. Gostkowski then booted his third field goal, from 27 yards.

But Gronkowski ended up getting into the end zone again a few minutes later after Ninkovich returned a twice-tipped interception as Sanchez’s throw went off the hands of running back Shonn Greene, then was deflected by linebacker Jerod Mayo to Ninkovich.

The Jets got on the scoreboard when they got some rare pressure on Brady. Jamaal Westerman got to the Patriots quarterback in the end zone, and Brady threw the ball away left-handed and was called for intentional grounding and a safety.

New York took the free kick and moved 65 yards on seven plays, including a 21-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson and a 22-yard grab by Patrick Turner, his first catch of the season. Sanchez ran in from the 2 on a quarterback draw for a 9-6 lead.

But the Jets quarterback made a mistake on the play right before his score, calling a timeout with 1:24 left in the half. Ryan was so angry, he told NBC at halftime that the timeout was the “stupidest play in NFL history.”

Adding to the frustration was New York not opting to try a pooch kickoff following a 15-yard penalty on New England’s Vince Wilfork, and Nick Folk kicked the ball through the end zone. Brady hit five passes on an 80-yard drive, with Gronkowski getting open over the middle for the 18-yard score with 9 seconds left in the half that made it 13-9.

The Jets were impressive on their opening drive, getting down to the Patriots 6 but came up empty when Folk was wide left on a 24-yard field goal attempt.

New England took advantage by taking a 3-0 lead on Gostkowski’s 50-yard field goal that squeezed over the crossbar. The Patriots appeared to be on their way to an impressive drive after a 12-yard catch by a wide-open Chad Ochocinco – his first reception since the last time these teams played, on Oct. 9 – and he could’ve had more but stepped out of bounds.

– AP

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Two straight losses were too many for Tom
Brady(notes).

He and the New England Patriots weren’t used to struggling or hearing people
wondering if they’re no longer the powerhouse they’ve been for years. Well, just
like that, they’re back in a familiar spot: all alone at the top of the AFC
East.

Brady threw three touchdown passes, including two to Rob Gronkowski(notes), and the
Patriots assumed sole possession of first place in the division with a
convincing 37-16 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday night.

“It’s very sweet,” Brady said, “getting this win.”

The game was a showdown for the top spot in the division, but it turned out
to be no contest as the Patriots (6-3) controlled the game most of the way and
ended a rare two-game skid. It also prevented New England from its first
three-game losing streak since 2002.

“Losing two straight, you have 14 days of just feeling (bad),” Brady said.
“Every day of practice is harder. It’s hard to build on losses. It feels really
good to win this one.”

It was also a crushing loss for the Jets (5-4), who had their three-game
winning streak stopped, were swept in the regular-season series and are again
looking up at their bitter rivals in the division.

“It looks doubtful right now,” an irritated Jets coach Rex Ryan said of
his team’s chances of winning the AFC East. “What am I going to say? Maybe I
should guarantee the fact that we’re out of it. The last time I did that, we
made the playoffs.

“Yeah, we don’t have a chance.”

After the Jets got within a score at 23-16 early in the fourth quarter,
Brady coolly led the Patriots down the field on an 84-yard drive that was capped
by an 8-yard touchdown catch by Deion Branch(notes).

New England linebacker Rob Ninkovich(notes) then sealed the victory on the Jets’
next possession with a 12-yard interception return for a touchdown midway
through the final quarter.

“One game won’t win you much,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, “but
it’s a good win and we’re certainly happy to have it.”

New England was coming off consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and the Giants,
but said there was no concern in its locker room. It certainly showed.

Brady finished 26 of 39 for 329 yards, the 40th time he reached the 300-yard
mark in a regular-season game, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Joe Montana for
eighth on the NFL’s list. He also joined New Orleans’ Drew Brees(notes) as the only
players to throw for 3,000 yards in their team’s first nine games. Brees also
accomplished the feat this season.

Brady and Belichick broke a tie with Miami’s Dan Marino and Don Shula as the
winningest quarterback-coach duo since 1966 with 117 victories.

“The good teams keep getting better this time of year,” Brady said.
“That’s what we need to do.”

Gronkowski finished with eight catches for 113 yards and the two scores, and
Stephen Gostkowski(notes) kicked three field goals. Andre Carter(notes) had a team-record 4 1/2
sacks as the Patriots’ defense—ranked last in the league coming in—harassed
Mark Sanchez(notes) all night.

Ryan insisted his team was greatly improved since a 30-21 loss at New
England on Oct. 9 and declared it a must-win if New York wanted to get some home
playoff games. Turns out, the Jets still have plenty of work to do if they
expect to dethrone the Patriots.

“It just wasn’t our night,” Sanchez said. “We earned what we got
tonight.”

Buffalo entered the day tied with New England and New York, but the Bills
were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys 44-7. It was also the first home loss for
the Jets after opening 4-0, but they can’t dwell on it because they play again
at Denver on Thursday night.

Sanchez called an ill-advised timeout before halftime—Ryan told NBC it was
“the stupidest play in NFL history”—that left enough time on the clock for
Brady to lead a scoring drive that gave New England a 13-9 lead. It wasn’t all
on Sanchez, though. Joe McKnight(notes) muffed a punt that led to a field goal by the
Patriots, Nick Folk(notes) missed a 24-yard chip shot, the defense failed to make key
stops in the second half and there were a handful of silly penalties.

“You’re not going to beat many teams when you make the mistakes that we
made,” Ryan said. “We’ve been down this road before. I apologize to our
fans.”

Sanchez was 20 of 39 for 306 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted
twice and sacked five times.

LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) passed Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for fifth place on
the NFL’s career list for yards from scrimmage, but left the game with an
injured left leg which was tightly wrapped in the locker room. He said he would
have “some tests” on Monday.

The Jets appeared to get back in it when Plaxico Burress(notes) caught a 7-yard
fade pass over Antwaun Molden(notes) in the right corner of the end zone for a
touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, making it 23-16.

But Brady went right back to work, leading the Patriots on a typically
efficient drive, going 84 yards on 13 plays using a no-huddle offense that kept
the Jets’ defense off balance. Mixing in some solid runs by Danny Woodhead(notes),
Brady calmly spread the ball around to his receivers before connecting with
Branch with 8:04 remaining.

The score sent many in the crowd at MetLife Stadium heading for the exits.
Many of those who remained didn’t stick around much longer once Ninkovich
returned an errant pass by Sanchez 12 yards to make it 37-16 with 7:45 left.

“Bill challenged us last week,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork(notes) said. “We took
his challenge and it showed tonight.”

NOTES: The Patriots lost CB Devin McCourty(notes) to an injured right shoulder
midway through the second quarter after he collided with teammate Sterling
Moore(notes). … Jets WR Patrick Turner(notes) had his first catch of the season, but later
left with what the team called “a kidney injury.” … Patriots WR Chad
Ochocinco(notes) had two catches for 65 yards, his first receptions since the last time
these teams played, on Oct. 9.