The Washington Redskins take on the New England Patriots this week, and it makes Santana Moss a must-start in fantasy football leagues. I wrote earlier this week that I feel Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman is going to have a big game, and I also think that his top receivers will benefit a lot. Some might view starting Grossman or Moss as a risk, but sometimes risks are necessary if you are a fantasy football owner trying to make it into the playoffs.

Moss is only owned in 64 percent of all Yahoo! fantasy leagues, and it’s hard to argue the point that he h as been a huge disappointment for the Redskins this year. He may have also burned a high number of fantasy owners that were counting on him to put up better statistics. Through 8 games this year, he has just 34 catches for 372 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers are well below what he should have been able to achieve in 2011, and not even close to making him a dependable wide receiver in the world of fantasy football.

This week he goes up against the worst passing defense in the NFL though, possibly giving Moss a really good chance to get in the end zone. The Patriots will have to work hard at keeping Roy Helu under control, and that could give Grossman ample opportunities to find his receivers downfield. The Patriots give up an average of 310 yards per game in passing alone, showing that multiple 100-yard receivers could emerge from the Sunday game. I think that Moss is ready to reach that 100-yard plateau and that he will definitely put up nice numbers against the Patriots.

Moss is ready to have his best game of the season, and it would not surprise me at all if he got in the end zone twice. No, I don’t really think that the Redskins are going to win this game, but a 41-28 loss is still going to give fantasy owners a great weekend. Look for the tandem of Grossman and Moss to finally get together on the field on Dec. 11, and for Moss to have his best week of the fantasy football season when it counts the most.

More From YCN:

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Week 13 Top Defenses

2011 Best Fantasy Defenses

5 Best Fantasy Players of 2011

Sources:

Week 14 NFL Scores

Defensive Team Leaders

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman(notes) is a must-start player in Week 14. Yes, you read that correctly, but hear me out. Grossman is going up against the worst passing defense in the NFL, as the New England Patriots are now giving up 310 passing yards per game. This gives Grossman the perfect opportunity to put up huge numbers when the Redskins pay the Patriots a visit on Sunday (Dec. 11).

Now don’t read this column as a prediction that the Redskins are going to win this game, even though it does seem possible on paper. Roy Helu(notes) is going to run for a good number of yards on the ground and the Redskins receivers are going to put up really good numbers. Sure, a Redskins win could happen, but even if it doesn’t, Grossman is going to benefit from the really weak secondary of the Patriots.

Last week Grossman threw for just 221 yards, had no touchdowns and also threw an interception against the New Yo rk Jets. It wasn’t a very good week for him, and he posted just 5.84 points in the standard Yahoo! fantasy league scoring. That was a big drop from Week 12 against the Seahawks , where he had 314 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions that netted him 18.46 points. The Seahawks have a really good secondary, and yet he was still able to post pretty decent numbers. There is no reason to think that he can’t put up those same statistics against the Patriots without throwing any interceptions.

I expect Grossman to get around 300 passing yards and 3 touchdowns against the Patriots on Sunday. If he does that, he will post 24 fantasy points for Week 14, likely placing him in the top 5-7 quarterbacks for the week. That’s a pretty good day for Grossman if he can pull it off, and those numbers could get even better if he is having a really good day. If you feel that Grossman can easily get 22 points (factoring in 2 interceptions thrown, 300 yards and 3 touchdowns) then he provides far less risk than some of the other available quarterbacks.

A big benefit to Grossman is that he is on the waiver wire in many fantasy football leagues, so if you have a quarterback that you aren’t sure about this week, take a long, hard, serious look at picking him up in Week 14.

More From YCN:

Week 13 Top Defenses

2011 Best Fantasy Defenses

5 Best Fantasy Players of 2011

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Sources:

Week 13 NFL Scores

Defensive Team Leaders

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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Every year the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots play one of the most entertaining regular season games of the NFL season. This season that is unlikely to be the case. At 0-11, Indianapolis is looking for their first win of the season. Without Peyton Manning(notes), the matchup will be much different than fans are used to. Every game Indianapolis has played this season has been something different for fans.

For many analysts the question is not whether New England will win the game, but who many points they will score and how much they will win by.

The Colts made two significant changes this week that will have a major impact in the game. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was fired and replaced with linebackers coach Mike Murphy. Murphy should not be judged by the defense’s performance in this game. Tom Brady(notes) is amongst the best quarterbacks in the NFL and should be able to move the ball at will against the Indianapolis defense. The change to Murphy may ignite the defense but the playmakers to stop Brady and the Patriot offense are just not there.

Indianapolis also made a change at quarterback this week. Curtis Painter(notes) was recently benched in favor of Dan Orlovsky(notes). New England does not have a great defense and their secondary is certainly beatable. Fans will get a chance to see if Orlovsky can do any better than Painter. Indianapolis is likely to be playing from behind in the game and Orlovsky will get the opportunity to throw the ball a lot while attempting to score points to catch up to the Patriots.

As an Indianapolis fan, this is undoubtedly going to be one of the most difficult games of the season to suffer through. When the Colts take the field against their rivals they stand little chance to remain competitive let alone win the game. The Patriots should control the game from start to finish and make it difficult to watch.

For Indianapolis, neither Murphy or Orlovsky should have much of an impact in this game. Both were moves the team had to make though. After 11 straight losses some change had to be made. I only hope that it will eventually lead to a victory this season. That victory is just unlikely to come this week.

Prediction: Patriots 45, Colts 28

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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“This is by far the most elusive back that we’ve been against so far this season,” Patriots defensive end Andre Carter said. “Looking at film, it looks like he’ll lose yards to gain yards, then those are the tackles on a running back that you hate.

“Just as a defense, we always mention just kind of swarming and gang tackling, and that’s what it’s going to take for four quarters.”

Vick, whose sensational season in 2010 led to the Eagles (4-6) signing him to a lucrative long-term contract, has two broken ribs and missed last week’s win against the New York Giants. He has yet to practice any drills this week and is questionable on the Eagles’ injury report.

Young could make his second start of the season after stepping in last week and leading the Eagles to a 17-10 victory, perhaps a pivotal win that kept their playoff dreams alive.

Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said Young has taken all the reps with the first-team offense in Vick’s absence this week.

Young might not be as versatile as Vick, but both are effective as runners.

Combine that with McCoy, who has scored a rushing or receiving touchdown in nine of the Eagles’ 10 games this season, and the New England defense is in for a test.

“Speed, that’s all I can really tell you,” Patriots defensive tackle Kyle Love said. “Speed kills. In this league, it definitely kills.”

Despite the Patriots (7-3) having the worst pass defense in the league, allowing just shy of 300 yards a game, they expect a heavy dose of McCoy on Sunday.

And with good reason.

A dual threat to run or catch the ball out of the backfield since his rookie season in 2009, McCoy is the lone running back in the league this season to have already eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing while guiding the league’s top-ranked rushing attack at 168.0 yards per game.

“He scores a lot of touchdowns, he’s a great player,” New England linebacker and defensive captain Jerod Mayo said. “He’s never down until multiple people tackle him. He’s a threat out of the backfield to catch the ball as well, so he’s a great threat to the whole defense.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick thinks McCoy might even be better than former Philadelphia running back Brian Westbrook.

“This guy is pretty good,” Belichick said. “I’d say he’s quicker than Westbrook. Westbrook might be a little stronger, I don’t know. This guy is a handful now.

“You don’t see really anybody tackle him one-on-one. You need a group of guys around him. He gets hemmed in and then he gets out of it. He’s got some running strength, too. He gets through the line. Guys get a shot at him and he’s able to run through them.”

While McCoy is on pace for a career high in yards, just 61 shy of his career best set last season with 1,080, and already has nearly as many rushing touchdowns (10) as his first two years combined (11), his receiving has tapered off a bit.

With 34 receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns this season, he is well off his league-best reception total for a running back last season when he had 78 catches.

That drop-off means nothing to the Patriots.

“Anytime you get a guy like that, everybody has to be at the point of attack,” Love said. “And if you’re not at the point of attack, you’re burned.”

Carter knows that all too well after spending five seasons with the Washington Redskins, who play the Eagles twice a season. He is well aware of what players such as Westbrook and McCoy bring to an offense.

“We always just talk about gap control, playing physical, being consistent, making sure we have a strong seven-man front and just kind of continue on there,” he said. “If somebody misses, somebody else will come in and rally. I think, so far, we’ve been consistent.

“Don’t get me wrong; there’s been a few plays where we know we have to tackle better. It happens every game, you just got to go get ‘em.”

The defense also will try to force turnovers against McCoy. However, he has no fumbles in 188 attempts this season and only three in 550 career carries.

“Anytime you got a guy that’s loose with the ball, you’ve got to have an emphasis on getting to him and getting the ball out of him,” Love said. “We’ll try to do that on him or anybody else who has the ball on them. Anytime you see that, you have to get the ball.”

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

BOSTON (CBS) – Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the NFL announced Wednesday.

Edelman returned a third quarter punt 72 yards for a touchdown against the Chiefs for the second punt return for a touchdown of his career.

Read: Is Tom Brady Hurt?

It is the first Player of the Week honor for Edelman and the first Special Teams Player of the Week honor for a Patriots player since offensive lineman Dan Connolly was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 15 last season after he returned a kickoff 71 yards in a win against Green Bay, the longest kickoff return by an offensive lineman in NFL history.

It is the fourth Player of the Week honor for the Patriots in 2011 after Tom Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week following the first two games of the season and Andre Carter was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week following last week’s win against the Jets.

Read/Watch: Pats Hand Out Thanksgiving Baskets

Tune in to the Patriots-Eagles matchup Sunday afternoon at 4:15pm on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV. Pregame coverage begins on WBZ at 11:30am Sunday morning with Patriots Gameday, followed by 98.5′s coverage beginning at 1pm. Tune in after the game for all the postgame reaction and analysis on 98.5, and over on MY TV38 on Patriots Fifth Quarter.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England’s defensive backs are trying to prepare for a quarterback they’ve hardly seen.

The same can be said of Kansas City’s Tyler Palko getting ready for the Patriots’ secondary, which has been spread thin by recent injuries.

“Whenever you’re number is called, you just have to adapt. See your role and just be ready,” said cornerback Kyle Arrington, one of New England’s few defensive backs who hasn’t been knocked out of the lineup this season. “You always have to prepare like you’re going to be out there.”

Sterling Moore is coming off his first career start and preparing for may be his second in a row. A cornerback the Patriots picked up after he was released by Oakland, stepped in at safety as Patrick Chung was out with a foot injury.

Antwaun Molden, who was claimed off waivers in September, had to take over at corner when starter Devin McCourty injured his right his shoulder during the first half of a win over the Jets.

If Chung and McCourty are still out Monday, the Patriots will have to rely once again on some of their newest players when they host the Chiefs on Monday night.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to continue the success that we had in the secondary last week,” Moore said before practice Thursday.

The Patriots will be going up against Palko, who is making his first career start and has played in only two games this season. There isn’t a lot of video to review on Palko, who replaced former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel.

The patched-up secondary helped keep New York’s Mark Sanchez in check as the Patriots won 37-16. Sanchez passed for 306 yards, but completed only 20 of 39 passes and was intercepted twice by linebacker Rob Ninkovich.

Backup safety Josh Barrett was placed on injured reserve last week, opening a spot on the active roster for Moore, an undrafted free agent who went through training camp with the Raiders but was a late cut.

“It was kind of hectic last week, especially earlier in the week knowing that I might have a chance to get out there. A lot more playbook study and a lot more film watching. It’s nothing that I’m not too used to,” Moore said. “I’m definitely getting a lot more comfortable with the guys that I’m back there with. I know we’ve got a lot of interchanging parts but we’re pretty comfortable with who we’ve got back there.”

The Patriots have also been using cornerback Phillip Adams the last few weeks. He has been off and on the active roster since the Patriots picked him up in September after he was released by San Francisco.

New England started another undrafted rookie at linebacker last week when Jeff Tarpinian stepped in for Brandon Spikes. Tarpinian was actually more experienced than some of his newer teammates, subbing in six games before getting the start.

Even with all the new faces, the New England defence had one of its best games of the season. It wasn’t enough to bump the Patriots from last place on the NFL total defence standings, but the Patriots played well enough to win and take control of the AFC East.

Andre Carter, another newcomer to New England, set a franchise record with 4 1-2 sacks and was named AFC defensive player of the week. The Patriots picked up the veteran as a free agent in August.

“All these guys, I’m talking offence, defence, special teams — this team — works very, very hard. When you have a guy go out and put up a performance like Andre did, you can’t be nothing but happy for him,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “To be good you have to be able to make adjustments at times. We’ve handled it well so far and hopefully we can continue to get better.”

Note: The opinions expressed here are my takes on each player’s individual matchup. As always, use your best judgment and conduct your own research on who to start or bench each week. You know your individual team and/or league situation better than anyone else.

Tom Brady(notes), QB

Averaging 22.80 fantasy points per game, Brady is one of the premier fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL. In week 10 he put up a remarkable 25.36 fantasy points in the New England Patriots win over the New York Jets and will have another favorable matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 11. While the Chiefs are only giving up 16.75 fantasy points on average to quarterbacks this season, Brady is more than capable of putting up at least 24.00 fantasy points this week.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis(notes), RB

Green-Ellis is averaging only 9.00 fantasy points per game, which is not the best for fantasy running backs. In week 10 against the Jets he had just eight yards on eight carries for 0.80 fantasy points. The Chiefs are giving up 21.94 fantasy points per game to running backs this season but I am not confident Green-Ellis can come anywhere close to that total. I am only comfortable projecting a 10.00 fantasy point game this week.

Wes Welker(notes), WR

Averaging 15.50 fantasy points per game, Welker is among my favorite receivers in the game. While he had a weak 4.60 fantasy point performance in week 10 against the Jets, he is poised for a comeback against the Chiefs who are allowing 23.25 fantasy points per game to wide receivers. With that being said, an 11.00 fantasy point game is entirely within reach for this week.

Deion Branch(notes), WR

Averaging 9.10 fantasy points per game, Branch is an excellent choice for a secondary wide receiver. He put up a fantastic 11.80 fantasy point game in week 10 against the Jets and shares the favorable matchup against the Chiefs with Welker. I expect at least an 8.00 fantasy point game for Branch this week.

Rob Gronkowski(notes), TE

What is not to like about a tight end that is averaging 13.20 fantasy points per game. He scored an amazing 23.30 fantasy points against the Jets in week 10 and is averaging 19.70 fantasy points in his last two games. The Chiefs are allowing 8.88 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season giving me the confidence to believe Gronkowski will have another big game this week. I expect a minimum of 12.00 fantasy points this week from Gronkowski.

Stephen Gostkowski(notes), K

Averaging 9.30 fantasy points per game, Gostkowski is one of the more reliable fantasy kickers in the NFL. He had a solid 15.00 fantasy point game against the Jets in week 10 and looks to have another favorable matchup this week against the Chiefs who are allowing 8.75 fantasy points per game to kickers this season. I anticipate at least a 9.00 fantasy point performance this week.

Defense

Really?

Sources:

All data provided by Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football

Paul Rados is an avid fantasy football participant and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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“They are still the New England Patriots.”

These are the seven words that were repeated again and again in the Jets’ locker room this week, from players suddenly determined to say the right thing — even if what they’re saying is wrong.

The rare two-game losing streak? “They are still the New England Patriots.” The historically bad pass defense? “They are still the New England Patriots.”

The fact that, spotted a two-game lead on their nasty division rivals this season, they limp into MetLife Stadium in a three-way tie in the AFC East and look like a dynasty that has finally reached its end?

“They are still the New England Patriots.”

It’s good that the Jets keep saying this, and it’s even better if they actually believe it. This is not the right opponent to take lightly, no matter how they’ve looked at times this season.

Still: They are not the New England Patriots — at least not the dominant, fear-inspiring team that dominated most of the past decade. They still have Tom Brady at quarterback. They still have Bill Belichick on the sidelines.

But take them both away, and the Jets might as well be playing the Washington Redskins this week.

The running game, ranked 17th in the league, scares no one. The defense can’t stop anyone when it matters. Eli Manning was hailed for leading the Giants to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives last week, and rightly so.

But look at the players he torched. Kyle Arrington, an undrafted cornerback who has already played for three teams in three season, picked up a critical pass interference penalty and was beaten for a touchdown. Sergio Brown, an undrafted safety who spent last season on the team’s practice squad, picked up the pass interference penalty that put the Giants at the 1-yard line on the final drive.

The Patriots are not merely bad at stopping the pass. They are on a pace to set records in futility. They are giving up 314 passing yards a game, a full 54 more than the 31st-ranked Colts, who are 0-9.

Even the offense isn’t its usual model of perfection. Brady had four interceptions all of last season — a ridiculously low total. He has 10 already this year. He and Wes Welker are still among the most feared quarterback-receiver combos in the league, but even Rick Perry would be excused if he couldn’t name the Patriots’ third receiver.

Of course, try telling all this to the Jets. “They can get this turned around at any time,” tight end Dustin Keller said. “It’s still Bill Belichick. It’s still Tom Brady. They’re still good. I don’t care what happened the last couple games.”

The point is not to dismiss the Patriots. The AFC lacks a single dominant team. They could still beat the Jets on Sunday, win the division and make a run all the way to the Super Bowl.

But they are very beatable. This is more than just a chance for the Jets to finally take control of their division. This could be a changing of the guard, another sign that poor drafts and personnel decisions have chipped away at what once made the Patriots the best in football.

Albert Haynesworth? Chad Ochocinco? The first offseason reclamation project was cut this week after an embarrassing performance against the Giants. The second was equally ineffective but is still on the roster — and, even harder to understand, still a frequent target for Brady.

The Jets, meanwhile, again looked like the team they were hyped to be — the dominant defense, the ball-control offense — in their victory at Buffalo. Small sample sizes in the NFL are dangerous, but the Jets know the enormous opportunity they have this week.

“A lot of people wrote us off after we lost three in a row, but now we’re in a position to knock them off and win our division,” running back Shonn Greene said. “It’s a much different position that we’ve been in the last few years.”

But when pressed on the real reason the Jets’ position is different — the sudden decline of the opponent — Greene went back to the company line: “They are still the New England Patriots.”

Yeah, so we’ve heard. But Sunday is an opportunity for the Jets to show the Patriots are that in name only.

Steve Politi: spoliti@starledger.com; Twitter: @StevePoliti

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Hanging from the steel framework at the home of the New England Patriots is a banner unlike any other in the NFL, one that commemorates their 16-0 record in the 2007 regular season.

Perfection.

Almost.

The Patriots won every game that season and the first two in the playoffs as well, giving them a chance to be the first NFL team to finish the year 19-0. But their quest for perfection disintegrated — along with their hopes for a fourth title in seven years — when they ran into the New York Giants in the Super Bowl .

“We’ve won them, we’ve lost them, but they’re all in the past; they’re in the books,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Whatever happened or didn’t happen, can’t change it, it’s part of history. Right now I’m focused on getting ready for this week’s game. That’s the way it is every week: focus on the week that we’re playing, not what happened in the past.”

The Giants and Patriots will play again Sunday — the first time they’ve met in a game that counts since New York won the Super Bowl 17-14 with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the one by Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left set up by David Tyree’s acrobatic catch. Although the teams have different emotions about that game, they agree the 2007 season and the ’08 Super Bowl are too far in the past to help them plan for this weekend.

“If we were still living in the shadow of 2007, then that’s one of our greatest downfalls,” defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. “We have to move on. … Obviously, 2007 was a great year in all of our careers, but that’s not going to help us going there this year. A lot of guys are back from those two teams and a lot of guys are gone.

“The better team this year is going to win the football game, not the better team in ’07.”

There are only 14 players left from the Super Bowl on the Giants now; for New England, it’s just seven. But some of the big names remain, including quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

“That’s a distant memory,” Brady said. “This is an entirely different team that we have and that they have. … We’ve played them in the preseason this year and that probably gives us a little more of an understanding of what they do then the game a few years ago.”

The Giants (5-2) and Patriots (5-2) both have impressive records — and still plenty of reason to doubt they are on the right track.

The Patriots lost to Pittsburgh on Sunday in a game that further exposed their NFL-worst defense, and showed what happens when the offense isn’t able to carry the team. Brady threw for a season-low 198 yards against a team he had dominated, and he was strip-sacked at the end of the game for a safety that cost the Patriots their remote chance at a comeback.

New York barely slipped by winless Miami last week, getting a touchdown pass from Manning to Victor Cruz with just under 6 minutes left to take the lead. Two key offensive players, running back Ahmad Bradshaw and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, are banged-up and might not play.

Next up for New York after New England: San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Green Bay, a stretch that is likely to determine whether the Giants make the playoffs for the second time since their Super Bowl win.

“It’s been a few years, so obviously now we’re more focused on trying to get back to those circumstances,” Manning said. “Our focus is on this week’s game and getting ready for the Patriots.”

The Giants may have been the ones that stood in New England’s way four years ago, but they were also the ones that made the 16-0 banner possible by losing to the Patriots on the final weekend of the regular season, 38-35.

They made up for it in the title game.

Coach Tom Coughlin doesn’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it — not even this week.

“It seems like a long time ago,” he said. “I certainly was very proud of our players and very happy for our team and our franchise and our ownership, and I’ll always cherish those memories. There isn’t any a question about that.

“The New England Patriots were a team that had gone through the regular season undefeated, which is a feat that is very, very, very rare indeed, and they deserve credit for that. That’s the extent of it for me. I’m trying to live in the moment.”

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, N.J., contributed to this story.

Posted: 12:00 AM

BY JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Hanging from the steel framework at the home of the New England Patriots is a banner unlike any other in the NFL, one that commemorates their 16-0 record in the 2007 regular season.

Perfection.

Almost.

The Patriots won every game that season and the first two in the playoffs as well, giving them a chance to be the first NFL team to finish the year 19-0. But their quest for perfection disintegrated — along with their hopes for a fourth title in seven years — when they ran into the New York Giants in the Super Bowl .

“We’ve won them, we’ve lost them, but they’re all in the past; they’re in the books,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Whatever happened or didn’t happen, can’t change it, it’s part of history. Right now I’m focused on getting ready for this week’s game. That’s the way it is every week: focus on the week that we’re playing, not what happened in the past.”

The Giants and Patriots will play again Sunday — the first time they’ve met in a game that counts since New York won the Super Bowl 17-14 with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the one by Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left set up by David Tyree’s acrobatic catch. Although the teams have different emotions about that game, they agree the 2007 season and the ’08 Super Bowl are too far in the past to help them plan for this weekend.

“If we were still living in the shadow of 2007, then that’s one of our greatest downfalls,” defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. “We have to move on. … Obviously, 2007 was a great year in all of our careers, but that’s not going to help us going there this year. A lot of guys are back from those two teams and a lot of guys are gone.

“The better team this year is going to win the football game, not the better team in ’07.”

There are only 14 players left from the Super Bowl on the Giants now; for New England, it’s just seven. But some of the big names remain, including quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

“That’s a distant memory,” Brady said. “This is an entirely different team that we have and that they have. … We’ve played them in the preseason this year and that probably gives us a little more of an understanding of what they do then the game a few years ago.”

The Giants (5-2) and Patriots (5-2) both have impressive records — and still plenty of reason to doubt they are on the right track.

The Patriots lost to Pittsburgh on Sunday in a game that further exposed their NFL-worst defense, and showed what happens when the offense isn’t able to carry the team. Brady threw for a season-low 198 yards against a team he had dominated, and he was strip-sacked at the end of the game for a safety that cost the Patriots their remote chance at a comeback.

New York barely slipped by winless Miami last week, getting a touchdown pass from Manning to Victor Cruz with just under 6 minutes left to take the lead. Two key offensive players, running back Ahmad Bradshaw and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, are banged-up and might not play.

Next up for New York after New England: San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Green Bay, a stretch that is likely to determine whether the Giants make the playoffs for the second time since their Super Bowl win.

“It’s been a few years, so obviously now we’re more focused on trying to get back to those circumstances,” Manning said. “Our focus is on this week’s game and getting ready for the Patriots.”

The Giants may have been the ones that stood in New England’s way four years ago, but they were also the ones that made the 16-0 banner possible by losing to the Patriots on the final weekend of the regular season, 38-35.

They made up for it in the title game.

Coach Tom Coughlin doesn’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it — not even this week.

“It seems like a long time ago,” he said. “I certainly was very proud of our players and very happy for our team and our franchise and our ownership, and I’ll always cherish those memories. There isn’t any a question about that.

“The New England Patriots were a team that had gone through the regular season undefeated, which is a feat that is very, very, very rare indeed, and they deserve credit for that. That’s the extent of it for me. I’m trying to live in the moment.”

——

AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, N.J., contributed to this story.

Hanging from the steel framework at the home of the New England Patriots is a banner unlike any other in the NFL, one that commemorates their 16-0 record in the 2007 regular season.

Perfection.

Almost.

The Patriots won every game that season and the first two in the playoffs as well, giving them a chance to be the first NFL team to finish the year 19-0. But their quest for perfection disintegrated — along with their hopes for a fourth title in seven years — when they ran into the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

“We’ve won them, we’ve lost them, but they’re all in the past; they’re in the books,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Whatever happened or didn’t happen, can’t change it, it’s part of history. Right now I’m focused on getting ready for this week’s game. That’s the way it is every week: focus on the week that we’re playing, not what happened in the past.”

The Giants and Patriots will play again today — the first time they’ve met in a game that counts since New York won the Super Bowl, 17-14, with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the one by Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left set up by David Tyree’s acrobatic catch. Although the teams have different emotions about that game, they agree the 2007 season and the ’08 Super Bowl are too far in the past to help them plan for this weekend.

“If we were still living in the shadow of 2007, then that’s one of our greatest downfalls,” defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. “We have to move on. … Obviously, 2007 was a great year in all of our careers, but that’s not going to help us going there this year. A lot of guys are back from those two teams and a lot of guys are gone.

“The better team this year is going to win the football game, not the better team in ‘07.”

New faces

There are only 14 players left from the Super Bowl on the Giants now; for New England, it’s just seven. But some of the big names remain, including quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

“That’s a distant memory,” Brady said. “This is an entirely different team that we have and that they have. … We’ve played them in the preseason this year and that probably gives us a little more of an understanding of what they do then the game a few years ago.”

The Giants (5-2) and Patriots (5-2) both have impressive records — and still plenty of reason to doubt they are on the right track.

The Patriots lost to Pittsburgh on Sunday in a game that further exposed their NFL-worst defense, and showed what happens when the offense isn’t able to carry the team. Brady threw for a season-low 198 yards against a team he had dominated, and he was strip-sacked at the end of the game for a safety that cost the Patriots their remote chance at a comeback.

New York barely slipped by winless Miami last week, getting a touchdown pass from Manning to Victor Cruz with just under 6 minutes left to take the lead. Two key offensive players, running back Ahmad Bradshaw and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, are banged-up and might not play.

Next up for New York after New England: San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Green Bay, a stretch that is likely to determine whether the Giants make the playoffs for the second time since their Super Bowl win.

“It’s been a few years, so obviously now we’re more focused on trying to get back to those circumstances,” Manning said. “Our focus is on this week’s game and getting ready for the Patriots.”

The Giants may have been the ones that stood in New England’s way four years ago, but they were also the ones that made the 16-0 banner possible by losing to the Patriots on the final weekend of the regular season, 38-35.

They made up for it in the title game.

Coach Tom Coughlin doesn’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it — not even this week.

“It seems like a long time ago,” he said. “I certainly was very proud of our players and very happy for our team and our franchise and our ownership, and I’ll always cherish those memories. There isn’t any a question about that.

“The New England Patriots were a team that had gone through the regular season undefeated, which is a feat that is very, very, very rare indeed, and they deserve credit for that. That’s the extent of it for me. I’m trying to live in the moment.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Hanging from the steel framework at the home of the New England Patriots is a banner unlike any other in the NFL, one that commemorates their 16-0 record in the 2007 regular season.

Perfection.

Almost.

The Patriots won every game that season and the first two in the playoffs as well, giving them a chance to be the first NFL team to finish the year 19-0. But their quest for perfection disintegrated — along with their hopes for a fourth title in seven years — when they ran into the New York Giants in the Super Bowl .

“We’ve won them, we’ve lost them, but they’re all in the past; they’re in the books,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Whatever happened or didn’t happen, can’t change it, it’s part of history. Right now I’m focused on getting ready for this week’s game. That’s the way it is every week: focus on the week that we’re playing, not what happened in the past.”

The Giants and Patriots will play again Sunday — the first time they’ve met in a game that counts since New York won the Super Bowl 17-14 with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the one by Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left set up by David Tyree’s acrobatic catch. Although the teams have different emotions about that game, they agree the 2007 season and the ’08 Super Bowl are too far in the past to help them plan for this weekend.

“If we were still living in the shadow of 2007, then that’s one of our greatest downfalls,” defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. “We have to move on. … Obviously, 2007 was a great year in all of our careers, but that’s not going to help us going there this year. A lot of guys are back from those two teams and a lot of guys are gone.

“The better team this year is going to win the football game, not the better team in ’07.”

There are only 14 players left from the Super Bowl on the Giants now; for New England, it’s just seven. But some of the big names remain, including quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

“That’s a distant memory,” Brady said. “This is an entirely different team that we have and that they have. … We’ve played them in the pre-season this year and that probably gives us a little more of an understanding of what they do then the game a few years ago.”

The Giants (5-2) and Patriots (5-2) both have impressive records — and still plenty of reason to doubt they are on the right track.

The Patriots lost to Pittsburgh on Sunday in a game that further exposed their NFL-worst defence, and showed what happens when the offence isn’t able to carry the team. Brady threw for a season-low 198 yards against a team he had dominated, and he was strip-sacked at the end of the game for a safety that cost the Patriots their remote chance at a comeback.

New York barely slipped by winless Miami last week, getting a touchdown pass from Manning to Victor Cruz with just under 6 minutes left to take the lead. Two key offensive players, running back Ahmad Bradshaw and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, are banged-up and might not play.

Next up for New York after New England: San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Green Bay, a stretch that is likely to determine whether the Giants make the playoffs for the second time since their Super Bowl win.

“It’s been a few years, so obviously now we’re more focused on trying to get back to those circumstances,” Manning said. “Our focus is on this week’s game and getting ready for the Patriots.”

The Giants may have been the ones that stood in New England’s way four years ago, but they were also the ones that made the 16-0 banner possible by losing to the Patriots on the final weekend of the regular season, 38-35.

They made up for it in the title game.

Coach Tom Coughlin doesn’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it — not even this week.

“It seems like a long time ago,” he said. “I certainly was very proud of our players and very happy for our team and our franchise and our ownership, and I’ll always cherish those memories. There isn’t any a question about that.

“The New England Patriots were a team that had gone through the regular season undefeated, which is a feat that is very, very, very rare indeed, and they deserve credit for that. That’s the extent of it for me. I’m trying to live in the moment.”

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, N.J., contributed to this story.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Hanging from the steel framework at the home of the New England Patriots is a banner unlike any other in the NFL, one that commemorates their 16-0 record in the 2007 regular season.

Perfection.

Almost.

The Patriots won every game that season and the first two in the playoffs as well, giving them a chance to be the first NFL team to finish the year 19-0. But their quest for perfection disintegrated — along with their hopes for a fourth title in seven years — when they ran into the New York Giants in the Super Bowl .

“We’ve won them, we’ve lost them, but they’re all in the past; they’re in the books,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Whatever happened or didn’t happen, can’t change it, it’s part of history. Right now I’m focused on getting ready for this week’s game. That’s the way it is every week: focus on the week that we’re playing, not what happened in the past.